Provincial Past

1986 finds KD 191 at Shannon Airport with a service to Limerick.

This bus had a storied history. It left the factory as a demonstrator vehicle with a Rolls-Royce engine and the registration plate for KD 20. It was subsequently bought by CIE, kept its Rolls Royce engine, and became KD 191. It was initially allocated to Limerick (the Bombardier factory was in Shannon), but was in Cork by 1990. It was withdrawn in the late-1990s.

Bus Eireann still provide connections between Limerick and Shannon Airport through route 343.

17/07/1986

1984 finds KR 227 parked outside Bus Aras in Dublin, dressed for a service to Ashbourne.

This bus was one the demonstrators built by FFG / Bombardier to show the different types of buses they could offer. The demonstrators included a city single-decker (KC 1), a double-decker (KD 1), a coach (KE 1), a rural bus (KR 1) and a rural school bus (KS 2), the latter of which is seen here. KS 2 was built in 1984, but when no orders were received for further school buses built to this specification, it entered service within the regular CIE fleet as KR 227. It was withdrawn by 1998, and ironically spent its final years as a school bus, when it was known as KS 227.

Bus Eireann still provide services between Dublin and Ashbourne through route 103.

28/07/1984

1984 finds C 175 at the bus (and rail) station in Galway.

This bus was new to CIE in 1966. It became a school bus in 1985, and it was withdrawn by Bus Eireann in early-1990s. It was sold for scrap in 1996.

18/08/1984

1992 finds TE 12 parked at the station in Waterford. This bus was new to Bus Eireann in 1988. It was withdrawn around 1996, and sold for scrap a few years later.

The bus is displaying "Cork" as a destination. Bus Eireann still connect Waterford with Cork through Expressway route 40. The side of the bus has branding for the Derry - Donegal - Sligo - Galway route, which today is Expressway route 64.

08/09/1992

For the 250th Provincial Past we are going back to KR 61 in Galway.

This bus was new to CIE in 1985. After the year 2000 it joined the Bus Eireann school fleet, and remained a school bus until at least 2004.

The bus is operating a service to Rahoon Park. Bus Eireann currently operate route 405 to Rahoon, though now use double-decker buses on it.

KR 61 is one of a number of buses within the Bus Eireann and Dublin Bus fleets to carry all-over advertising for Coca Cola. In 1994 the design of the ad on KR 61 was updated. These were all painted by hand, unlike nowadays where vinyl is used.

22/09/1993

And a photo taken by me on the same spot in July 2025:

1988 finds KE 3 and KE 4 at the bus station in Limerick.

Both buses were new to CIE in 1981, and both were withdrawn by Bus Eireann in the 1990s.

KE 3 is operating a service to Tralee. Bus Eireann still connect these two places today through Expressway route 13.

The bus station in Limerick moved to the other side of the railway station in 2024.

01/10/1988

2006 finds VC 97 at the bus station in Limerick, dressed for route 323.

VC 97 was new to Bus Eireann in 1997. It was withdrawn around 2016, having spent the final few years of its career as a school bus.

Bus Eireann still operate route 323, connecting Limerick with Nenagh.

13/10/2006

2012 finds SP 43 in Dublin, departing Bus Aras with a service on Expressway route 22 to Ballina.

This bus was new to Bus Eireann in 2006. It was withdrawn in 2024, having spent its final years as a school bus.

Expressway still operate route 22 between Dublin and Ballina.

03/11/2012

1996 finds VC 31 at Bus Aras in Dublin, dressed for route 15.

VC 31 was new to Bus Eireann in 1996. It was one of four coaches delivered in this SuperCoach grey livery. These coaches were used to provide an enhanced service on the Dublin to Limerick Expressway route, which included a steward on board serving refreshments. The coaches also had slightly different interiors to the rest of the VC Class. VC 31 was withdrawn by 2016, spending its final years as a school bus.

Expressway route 15 used to operate from Dublin to West Clare via Limerick.

23/11/1996

Yes SuperCoach was an attempt to attract business with an enhanced service. It didn't last very long if memory serves.

2007 finds VP 345 at the bus station in Limerick, dressed for route 51.

This bus was new to Bus Eireann in 2000. It was withdrawn around 2019/2020, spending its final few years as a school bus.

Bus Eireann still operate route 51 between Cork, Limerick and Galway under their Expressway brand.

12/12/2007

1985 finds KC 97 at the Parnell Place bus station in Cork.

This bus was new to CIE in 1984. It was withdrawn by Bus Eireann in late-1996 early-1997.

31/12/1985