In association with GalwayTransport.info - Galway's public transport information site

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Regional and national bus services for Christmas 2013 / New Year 2014

Picture of Father Christmas riding a red-nosed reindeer
Regional bus services in the Galway metropolitan area over the 2013 / 2014 Christmas and New Year period.

See City Bus and Train Services for Galway, Christmas and New Year 2013/14 for inner-city bus and also rail service information.

This information is for Galway only. Service-changes in other areas are not included.

Galway City Christmas 2013 / New Year 2014 bus and train services



The following information is for 2013. 
Click here for current year details.



Thursday, December 12, 2013

Free-pass changes on the Galway / Tuam and Galway / Dunmore serivces.

Burkes have announced that from Friday 20th December 2013, on their Tuam/ / Galway and Dunmore / Galway services ae
  • DSP / Social Welfare Free Travel Pass holders need to show a photo ID as well as their FTP, and
  • Free Travel Passes may be confiscated if there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that the pass is being misused.

Bus cancellations between Galway and Tuam

Burkes have announced that from Monday 16th December these services are are cancelled.

  • 6:10am: Tuam - Galway
  • 7:30am: Galway - Tuam

Christmas 2013: Extra Saturday services between Loughrea and Galway

Healy's are running extra buses between Loughrea and Galway city on Saturdays between 7-20 December 2013, with stops at Craughwell and Oranmore (Orantown centre).
  • Six departures from Loughrea (8am, 9am, 11am 2pm, 5pm and 7pm)
  • Three departures from Galway (1:10pm, 4:10pm, 6:10pm)

Direct GoBus services between Galway and Dublin Aiprport

GoBus introduced their Winter 2013/2014 Galway - Dublin City - Dublin airport timetable on Monday 2 December.

The major change is that eight services each day now travel directly to/from aiport without stopping in Dublin City.

Nine services each day now only go to Dublin City, while two travel to the city via the airport.

They have a printable (PDF format) timetable which shows all their Galway / Dublin services on one page.


See also:

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Minor route change for route 411 - Cappagh Rd, day time services

From Monday 25 November 2013, daytime route 411 - Knocknacarra buses will travel via Lower Fairhill Rd instead of Raven's Terrace.

Evening route 411 services are unaffected by this change.

This is due to a change in the traffic management plan for the Lower Dominic St area announced by Galway City Council.

Galway City Park and Ride for Christmas 2013



The following information is for 2013. 
Click here for current year details.



Sunday, November 10, 2013

Changes to Citylinks' bus stops in Dublin

Citylink are no longer stopping at North Wall / The O2 in Dublin, from Monday 11th Novemeber 2013.

The Dublin city centre bus stops that they use are now
  • Heuston Station - drop-off by request only
  • Bachelors Walk near O'Oonnell St - main inner city bus stop (arrivals)
  • Aston Quay near Ha'penny Bridge - pickup point (departures)


See the map of Dublin clity bus stops used by Galway buses for exact locations.

See Regional Buses - East for details all Galway to Dublin bus and coach services.

Christmas Shopping bus and coach trips - 2013

The following companies are providing bus or coach Christmas-shopping  services from Galway city in 2013:
    • BusLink aka Farrell Travel - from Galway city to Kildare Chic Outlet Centre and Newbridge Silverware (23 and 30 Nov, 1,7 and 8 Dec), and also Newry and Banbridge Outlet Centre (23 and 30 Nov, 7 and 8 Dec)  Pre-booking essential - call them on 091-844189

    Check with the company for timetable, booking and departure / pickup points.  Likely departure points include:

    Return pickups are most probably from the same place where the bus drops you off - check with the driver on the day.


    Services from other towns and cities

    • PAB tours
      Three-night coach+ferry trips from Dublin and/or Cork to Birmingham and Manchester
    • Kelly Travel
      Day trips from Limerick to Dundrum, Newry and Belfast.
    • Pierce Kavanagh CoachesVarious trips to Manchester, Chester, Birmingham, Liverpool and Belfast from Urlingford, Portlaoise Drogheda, Cork, Cashel, J14 Service Centre and Dublin
    • Celtic Horizon Tours
      Trips from Limerick, Nenagh, Roscrea, Portlaoise, Naas and Dublin to Manchester (Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet and Trafford Centre)

      Monday, October 28, 2013

      November / December 2013 bus and train fare price increases

      bus service fare increase arrow symbol Ireland

      Details of  December 2013 public-transport fare increases for Galway have been released by the National Transport Authority.

      These fares apply from 1 December 2013 - though monthly and annual ticket prices are being applied in November for tickets for use from December.

      The Galway City Bus Fares page will be updated with this information shortly.

      Thursday, October 24, 2013

      2013 October bank holiday bus and train services



      Monday 28 October 2012 

      is a

      bank / public holiday in Ireland.



      City Bus Services:

      Bus Éireann and City Direct will run their their standard Sunday city services in Galway on Sunday 27 and Monday 28 October.

      However some city services are likely to be slightly delayed on late Sunday afternoon (approx 4:45 - 6pm) due to the 2013 Masnas parade.   Affected routes are those which use Eglington St (402, 405, 407) and Spanish Parade (401).

      Regional Bus Services:

      A standard Sunday timetable applies for most regional and national public transport services on both Sun and Mon 28/29 October.  However:
      • One Bus Éireann  Dundalk / Galway service is cancelled on Sunday 27th.  
      • On Monday 28 October, Bus Éireann will operate a Sunday timetable with various cancellations, additions and time changes.  For details see their announcement.
      • See here for alterations to the Bus Feda services to Sligo and Donegal.

      Train services:

      Irish Rail have not published news about any service changes for Galway on Sunday and Monday. See their Journey Planner for details of services that are operating.

      Monday, September 16, 2013

      Galway Airport Park-and-ride service cancelled

      The park-and-ride service between Galway Airport and Galway coach station is cancelled, effective from Monday 16 September 2013.

      This cancellation is happening two months before the original review date of November 2013.

      The closest regular city service to the Galway Airport area is the route 409 - Parkmore bus.

      Friday, September 13, 2013

      New student bus between Galway and Waterford

      Starting on Friday 13 September 2013, JJ Kavanagh are running a new service between Galway city and Waterford City, with stops in
      • Carrick-on-Suir (Park)
      • Clonmel (Army Barracks)
      • Cashel (Buckleys)
      • Cahir (Car park)
      • Tipperary (Abbey Street)
      • Limerick (Arthur's Quay).


      Buses run in both directions, every Friday and Sunday - most likely during college terms only. However they are open to all passengers, not just students.

      The Galway city pickup point is Galway Cathedral (near NUIG)- see the regional bus stops map for the exact location of this stop.    Note that this service is not advertised as stopping at GMIT.

      Fare is between €10-€15, depending on the destination.

      Total journey time is 4 hours, 15 minutes. Sunday evening services arrive in Galway at 8:15pm and in Waterford at 1:15am.

      See JJ Kavanagh's website for timetable and booking details.

      See Galway Regional Buses for other services for 3rd level students.

      Sunday, September 8, 2013

      Buses to the Galway Races September 2013 meeting

      Galway Races early-autumn meeting runs from Mon 9 to Wed 11 September 2013.

      For this meeting, there are no shuttle buses from Eyre Square or from surrounding towns.

      Instead:

      Tuesday, September 3, 2013

      Buses and train services to the National Ploughing Championships, 2013

      This information is for 2013.

      Click here for this year's information.





      Picture of a green John Deere tractor with yellow wheel hubs and black tyres, and a enclosed cab.
      The National Ploughing Championships are being held at Ratheniska, Stradbally, Co. Laois  from 24-26 September 2013.

      The following companies are providing return bus or coach services from Galway:

      Check with the company for timetable, booking and departure / pickup points.  Likely departure points include:

      For concerts, return services generally leave 30-60 minutes after the concert ends, from the same place where the bus drops you off.   Festival arrangements are sometimes slightly different.



      Services from other towns and cities

      • Bus Éireann will run a shuttle service to the site from railway stations in stations at Portlaoise, Portarlington and Athy.  This service is open to motorists and train passengers.
        See the Irish Rail site for train timetables from Cork, Dublin, Ennis/Limerick/ Galway, Mayo, Kerry and Waterford.  
        Return buses leave from Ratheniska 30 minutes before the ticketed train time, or 40 minutes for Waterford and Thomastown.
      • Alpha Newspapers Reader Holidays - day trips from Ballymena, Dunsilly, Belfast, Sprucefield and Newry.  Phone +44 028 2766 3537.

      • Journey Through Ireland a day tour on 25 September, presumably from their base in Mullingar. Call +353 (0)46 9-555-444 or mail info@jti.ie


      • Collins Coaches Buses on 24, 25 and 26 September, from Monaghan, Blayney, Carrick, Ardee. Tel 042-9661631 for bookings


      • Mangan Tours are running a 3 day trip from Letterkenny, with accommodation in Carlow.




      • Matthews Coaches are running a bus each day from Inniskeen, Dundalk and Drogheda (M1 retail park )

      Sunday, September 1, 2013

      Extra workers' buses between Tuam and Galway

      Burkes Buses are adding to their services between Tuam and Galway City, starting from Monday 2 September, 2013.

      Extra services from Tuam to Galway at:


      Extra services from Galway to Tuam at:

      Wednesday, August 14, 2013

      Buses to Electric Picnic 2013

      Electric Picnic music / arts / lifestyle festival is being held at Stradbally Estate, Co Laois from Friday 30 August - Sunday 1 September 2013.

      The following companies are providing return bus or coach services from Galway city:

      • Kelly Travel - buses from Galway (The Claddagh), via Athlone
      • BusLink aka Farrell Travel - from Galway city, with pickups in Oranmore, Athenry and Loughrea.  Buses on Friday, and a day-trip on Sunday.  All bookings by phone to their office: 091-844189

      Check with the company for timetable, booking and departure / pickup points.  Likely departure points include:

      For concerts, return services generally leave 30-60 minutes after the concert ends, from the same place where the bus drops you off.   Festival arrangements are sometimes slightly different.


      Services from other towns and cities

      • Electric Picnic are offering a half-hourly shuttle bus from Portlaoise Railway Station - see their website for times, and Irish Rail's site for train times (hourly service from Dublin). 
      • Kelly Travel - services from Limerick, Nenagh, Roscrea; Cork, Mitchelstown, Cahir; Tipparary, Cashel, Portlaois.    Includes day-trips on Sunday.   
      • Marathon Travel are running a range of services from Dublin, including day-trips.
      • Bus Éireann - services from Dublin (Custom House Quay) and Cork via Fermoy, Mitchelstown, Cahir.   Tickets must be purchased in advance. 

      Trial ferry service between Ballyvaughan and Galway City

      logo of Ballyvaughan Bay Hop:  a small rib-style boat, emerging from a blue wild-flower
      Ballyvaughan Bay Hop have received funding, through the TransTourism Project from the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark to run a trial Ballyvaughan - Galway City ferry service in September 2013.

      The service will operate from Monday 2 September until Friday 13 September, in association with local operator O'Brien Line.

      • Timetable:
        Mon-Fri, from Ballyvaughan at 7:45am and 5pm,   from Galway 8:45am and 6pm.
        Sat:  from Ballyvaughan 11am and 5pm, from Galway 12-noon and 6pm
      • Fares:  
        Single - €12,   Return - €20,   Family Return (2 adults, 2 children under 16) - €45
        Commuter 10-Journey - €80 or an extra discount applies if purchased before 23 August - email gwen@ballyvaughanbayhop.com for a discount code,
      • Commuter parking is available at the pier in Ballyvaughan.

      The boat is fully-enclosed and can carry 12 passengers - see the Ballyvaughan Bay Hop website for bookings.

      Thursday, August 1, 2013

      Coaches and buses to Eminem at Slane Castle

      The following page is for concert transport to Slane in 2013.

      Click here for this year's information.





      Eminem is in concert at Slane Castle, Co Meath, on Saturday 17 August 2013.

      The following companies are providing return bus or coach services from Galway city:
      • Kelly Travel - buse from Galway (The Claddagh), via Athlone

      Check with the company for timetable, booking and departure / pickup points.  Likely departure points include:
      For concerts, return services generally leave 30-60 minutes after the concert ends, from the same place where the bus drops you off.   Festival arrangements are sometimes slightly different.


      Services from other towns and cities


      • Kelly Travel - services from Limerick, Nenagh, Roscrea; Cork, Mitchelstown, Cahir; Tipparary, Cashel, Portlaois.   
      • Irish Concert Travel - services from Donegal via Ballyshannon, Sligo via Carrick-on-Shannon, Longford, Mullingar; Castlebar via Claremorris, Castlerea, Roscommon.
      • Dublin Bus - services from Dublin, tickets must be purchased in advance.

      2013 August Bank Holiday buses and trains

      castle and autumn leaves in sunshine

      Monday 5 August 2015 

      is a

      bank / public holiday in Ireland.



      City Bus Services:

      Bus Éireann and City Direct will run their their standard Sunday city services in Galway on Sunday 5 and Monday 6 August.

      The Galway City East park-and-ride does not operate on holiday Mondays.


      Regional Bus Services:

      A standard Sunday timetable applies for most regional and national public transport services on both Sun and Mon 5/6 August.  However:
      • On Monday 6 August, Bus Éireann will operate a Sunday timetable with a number of changes (both cancellations and additions) that affect Galway services.    See their announcement for full detail.
      • Bus Feda (Galway - Donegal) will run a limited service on Sunday, and an extended service on the Monday.   See their announcement for details.


      Train services:

      Irish Rail are likely to have some service changes for Galway on Sunday and Monday, although they have not published any announcements. See their Journey Planner for details of services that are operating.

      Monday, July 29, 2013

      Bus and coach services to Oxegen 2013

      Oxegen / O2 music festival 2013 logo.  (spelling in logo in Oxegen, not Oxygen)
      Oxegen Music Festival is being held at Punchestown Racecourse, Co Kildare, over the August 2013 Bank Holiday weekend:  Fri 2nd - Mon 5th August.

      The following companies are providing return bus or coach services from Galway city:
      • Reaneys of Galway - from Galway city, in conjunction with OMG/Zhivago. From Galway at 10am on Friday, returning ex Oxygen at 11am on Monday 5th.
      • Kelly Travel - multiple buses from Galway city, via Athlone
      • Bus Éireann: leaving Eyre Square at 12-noon on Fri 2nd, returning Monday at 10am, fare €35, book in advance at the Travel Centre (contact details here).  Note - this service is not mentioned in their on-line announcements, but is advertised on page 29 of the 1 August Galway Advertiser

      Check with the company for timetable, booking and departure / pickup points.  Likely departure points include:

      For concerts, return services generally leave 30-60 minutes after the concert ends, from the same place where the bus drops you off.   Festival arrangements are sometimes slightly different.


      Services from other towns and cities

      • Kelly Travel - services from Limerick, Nenagh, Roscrea; Cork, Mitchelstown, Cahir; Tipparary, Cashel, Portlaois.   
      • Oxygen - a shuttle bus to/from Naas
      • Dualway - a bus to/from the Green Isle Hotel in Newlands Cross - tickets must be booked in advance

      Wednesday, July 24, 2013

      Buses and trains for the Galway Races 2013 August meeting

      The following information is for services to the Galway Races in 2013. 

       See Galway Races Bus Services for this year's details.





      Michael D Higgins and?  standing in front of a horse

      Summary

      The Galway Races Summer Meeting is from Monday 29 July - Sunday 4 August 2013.

      • Bus Éireann special races shuttle buses will run from Eyre Square.  Details below.
      • Farrell Travel are running a Nightlink service to/from Athenry daily during race week, and shuttle services from Claregalway Athenry and Oranmore.  Details below.
      • Both the route 409 - Parkmore  and route 403 - Ballybrit city buses also go to the racecourse (Avenue entrance).  But there are some restrictions during peak racing traffic hours Mon - Fri.  Details below.
      • The Park and Ride from Galway Airport to Galway City will operate during race week.
      • Some extra train services are running during the week, details below


      Race days and times

      • Monday 29 July - Hotels Day:   First race at 5:10pm -  last race at 8:15pm 
      • Tuesday 30 July:  First race at 5:05pm  -  last race at 8:15pm 
      • Wednesday 31 July - Galway Plate Day: First race at 3pm -  last race at 7:10pm
      • Thursday 1 August - Ladies Day:   First race at  1:50pm -  last race at 6:10pm
      • Friday 2 August - Guinness Day / Local's day:  First race at  5:05pm -  last race at 8:25pm
      • Saturday 3 August - Ladbrokes Red Day:  First race at 2pm -  last race at 5:55pm
      • Sunday 4 August - Mad Hatters Day / Family day - first race at 2:15pm -  last race at 5:30pm


      Special Bus Services to Ballybrit Racecourse


      From Eyre Square (Galway city centre)


      Bus Éireann are running the races-special service between Eyre Square and Galway Racecourse.

      Monday, 29 July and Tuesday, 30 July

      • Shuttle buses will leave Eyre Square from 3pm
      • The return services will start after the last race, and the last shuttle bus will leave the racecourse at approximately 9:30pm.

      Wednesday 31 July and Thursday 1 August

      • Shuttle buses will leave Eyre Square from 11am
      • The return services will start after the last race, and the last shuttle bus will leave the racecourse at approximately 8:30pm.

      Friday, 2 August

      • Shuttle buses will leave Eyre Square from 3pm
      • Return services will start after the last race, and the last shuttle bus will leave the racecourse at approximately 9:30pm.

      Saturday 3 August and Sunday 4 August

      • Shuttle buses will leave Eyre Square from 11am
      • Return services will start after the last race, and the last shuttle bus will leave the racecourse at approximately 8:30pm.

      Fares

      • Adult: €6 single and €9 return.
      • Children: €3 single and €5 return.
      • Free Travel Pass is not accepted on the Galway Races shuttle buses.

      Route

      Shuttle buses will leave from the west side of Eyre Square (departure point is outside the Skeffington Arms Hotel on the west side of the square (map).   Drop off is through the tunnel entrance, within 50 yards of the course-entry.

      These are shuttle buses, and do not pick-up or drop-off along the way.   (See "Regular Galway city services to Ballybrit" below for information about services which do.)


      From Oranmore

      BusLink are running races-special buses from Oranmore village to the Galway races.

      Services leave the astroturf pitches (see the Oranmore neighbourhood map for the location) at the times below, and pick up at the Maldron hotel before going direct to Ballybrit
      Monday and Tuesday – 3:30pm and 4:30pm
      Wednesday – 1:30pm, then every 15 minutes between 2pm and 3pm
      Thursday – 12-noon, 12:30pm, then every 15 minutes between 1 and 2pm
      Friday –  3:30pm, 4:30pm, 5pm
      Saturday and Sunday – 1:30pm and 2pm
      €6 single,  €9 return.

      Return buses leave 10 and 30 minutes after the last race each day.


      From Athenry:

      BusLink are running a shuttle bus from the Raheen Woods Hotel, and picking up ten minutes later at the Arch carpark (beside the two secondary schools).   Bus times:
      Monday and Tuesday – 3:30pm and 4:30pm
      Wednesday –  1:30pm, 2pm, 2:30pm and 3pm
      Thursday – 12-noon, 12:30pm, 1:30pm and 2pm
      Friday –  3:30pm, 4:30pm and 5pm
      Saturday and Sunday – 1:30pm and 2pm
      €9 single,  €12 return.

      Return buses leave 10 and 30 minutes after the last race each day.


      From Claregalway

      BusLink are running a shuttle bus from the Claregalway Hotel (see the Claregalway Neighbourhood Map for the location).   Bus times:
      Monday – shuttles as required from 4:10pm, and returns from 8:30pm
      Tuesday – shuttles as required from 4:05pm, and returns from 8:30pm
      Wednesday – shuttles as required from 2pm, and returns from 7:30pm
      Thursday – shuttles as required from 12:50pm, and returns from 6:25pm
      Friday – shuttles as required from 4:05pm, and returns from 8:40pm
      Saturday  – shuttles as required from 1:35pm, and returns from 6:10pm
      Sunday  – shuttles as required from 1:15pm, and returns from 6:15pm

      Fares - check with the Claregalway Hotel.


      From other towns:

      Some hotels in County Galway and beyond offer packages including races tickets and access to a shuttle-bus - contact them directly for more information.


      Regular Galway city services to Ballybrit

      The Avenue (back) entrance to the racecourse (number (5) on the Parkmore area map) is served by these buses, which pick up from all stops along their route:
      • Route 403 - from Eyre Square, travesl along College Rd, through Wellpark, Mervue, Castlepark and Ballybrit, then on to Parkmore
      • Route 409 - from Eyre Square, travels along College and Dublin and Doughiska Rd

      The usual city bus fares (including Travel Pass and TaxSaver tickets) apply.

      These routes will end at the Briarhill Shopping Centre Junction (previously called the Lynch Roundabout) between
      • 3pm and 5pm on Monday and Tuesday 29 and 30 July
      • 12:30pm and 4 pm on Wednesday 31 July
      • 11.30am and 3pm on Thursday 1 August
      • 4pm and 6pm on Friday 2 August
      The last bus-stop serviced during these times is at the top of Doughiska Rd (route 409)  or Clayton Hotel (route 403) - both shown on the Doughiska neighbourhood map.

      People travelling at these times on route 403 or 409 to the racecourse, or to/from work in Parkmore area   (Parkmore West Industrial Estate, Parkmore East Business and Technology Park, Galway Technology Park, Racecourse Business Park Briarhill Business Park), will need to walk for approx 15-20 minutes from this last stop.   There are now traffic lights at the intersection, but these may be under manual / Garda control.  There is also a pedestrian underpass beside the Clayton Hotel.

      NB  These times are based on the overall road closure times in the area, and may be extended if there are traffic management problems in the area.



      Changes to regional bus services


      Burkes Buses have cancelled these services for Race Week and the following week:
      • 7am from Dunmore to Galway. 
      • 7am from Tuam to Galway. 
      • 5:10pm from Galway to Dunmore. 
      • 5:10pm will operate from Galway to Tuam only
      • 4pm from Galway to Headford
      • 4:45pm from Headford to Galway


      Bus Éireann have advertised these changes for Wed 31st July and Thurs 1st August:
      • 4:25pm Galway to Longford - delayed until 5:15pm
      • 5:45pm Galway to Castlerea - delayed until 6pm


      BusLink have advised
      • The 5:10pm service from Galway to Athenry will not run between Mon 29th July and Fri 2nd August.
      • The Galway City East Park and Ride will operate during race week, but there may be route changes due to the traffic management plan.



      All other Galway regional bus services are expected to operate normally during Race Week - though may be delayed due to traffic volumes.


      Trains

      As well as their standard services, Irish Rail have announced that they are running one extra service each way between Limerick and Galway:

      Wednesday 31st

      • From Limerick at 9:20am
      • Returning from Galway at 8:50pm

      Thursday 1st

      • From Limerick at 9:20am
      • Returning from Galway at 7:45pm

      They have also announced that there will be shuttle buses between the new Oranmore Railway Station and Ballybrit during race week:   the service is based on train arrival times - contact Bus Éireann for more details.

      Tuesday, July 23, 2013

      Hailo moblile-phone taxi hailing service is now live in Galway


      Hailo have announced that their smart-phone based taxi-cab service is now live in Galway,

      They report that 150 of Galway's taxi-drivers have signed up to use it so far.

      How the Hailo service works

      • Taxi-drivers sign up to use the service - this makes them eligible to be assigned to any jobs that are requested in Hailo.
      • People who want to use the service download software (the "Hailo app") onto an iPhone or Android phone - see the Getting started page for details.   They they register an account, and may register a credit or debit card as well.
      • Then when a person wants a taxi, they use the app:  the phone's GPS works out where they are (the customer can refine this, and add more details), and place an order.   One of the registered taxi-drivers picks it up.
      See their website for more detailed information about how the service work.


      Advantages of using Hailo

      • All taxi-journeys are with registered taxis, and are logged - this makes it safer
      • You can pay using your registered card if you want - less cash for you and the taxi driver to carry
      • There is no call-out fee.   (Regular fares, including flag-fall, still apply)
      • Both the passenger and the taxi-driver get better information.


      Note:   the service was only started in Dublin and Cork recently.  It is not yet clear how well it is set up to work in Galway.

      See Taxi-offices in Galway for city-centre locations where you can walk-up and request a taxi for no call-out-fee.

      Train timetable changes / opening of Oranmore Railway Station


      Oranmore Railway Station will open on Sunday 28 July 2013, Irish Rail have announced.

      It will be stopped at by some train services on the Dublin-Galway and Limerick-Galway lines.

      Location / How to get to the station

      Oranmore Train Station is accessed from on the Coast Road, west of Oranmore Village - see the Oranmore Neighbourhood map for the exact location.


      Timetable changes

      There are some alternations to Galway/Dublin and Galway/Limerick train timetables from Sunday 28th July.

      Overall

      • Most services arrive at their destination 5-10 minutes later than currently.

      Galway to Dublin (Heuston) services

      • 11.30am leaves at the earlier time of 11:05am
      • 1.30pm leaves at the earlier time of 1:05pm
      • 3.30pm leaves at the earlier time of 3:05pm

      Train fares

      Prices for the Galway / Oranmore journey have not yet been announced.   

      But based on the existing Western Rail Corridor pricing grid, standard fares are likely to be:
      • Adult single: €5.70
      • Adult day return: €8.60

      Tickets for this journey are not currently available for on-line purchases.

      Monday, July 22, 2013

      Buses from Galway to Bruce Springsteen in Kilkenny

      Bruce Springsteen in 2013 in front of a concert audience, pointing to the sky with a microphone in his left hand.
      The following companies are providing return coach services from Galway city to Nowland Park Kilkenny for the Bruce Springsteen concert on 27-28 July 2013:


      Check with the company for timetable, booking and departure / pickup points.  Likely departure points include:


      Return services generally leave 30-60 minutes after the concert ends, from the same place where the bus drops you off.


      Services from other towns and cities


      Buses / coaches from other cities are being provided by:
      • To be advised

      Friday, July 12, 2013

      Price increase for car-parking at Ceannt Station, Galway

      Irish Rail provide a car-park at Ceannt Station (Galway Railway Station) for passengers.

      They have announced that the price for this will increase to €7 (from €6) per day, effective from Monday 15 July 2013.

       This applies to both cash and park-by-text customers.

      See:

      Buses from Galway to Thormond Park, Limerick for the Bruce Springsteen concert on 16 July 2013

      Bruce Springsteen in 2013 in front of a concert audience, pointing to the sky with a microphone in his left hand.
      The following companies are providing return coach services from Galway city to Limerick for the Bruce Springsteen concert on 16 July 2013:


      Check with the company for timetable, booking and departure / pickup points.  Likely departure points include:


      Return services generally leave 30-60 minutes after the concert ends, from the same place where the bus drops you off.


      Services from other towns and cities


      Buses / coaches from other cities are being provided by:
      • To be advised.

      Thursday, July 4, 2013

      Free shuttle bus to the Claregalway Garden Festival 2013

      Giant purple and red model flowers with a gazebo and trees in the background
      Galway Garden Festival is being held at Claregalway Castle on 6th -7th July, 2013, with opening hours from 11am-6pm each day.

      The castle is on the N17 at Claregalway, and there are likely to be traffic restrictions and delays.  Limited free parking is available at the castle.

      A free  Bus will run from Galway Railway station to the Festival every hour from 10:30am.
      Admission to the castle grounds is €7, and the day is in support of   The Christian Blind Mission and Galway Simon Community.

      Related links:

      Friday, June 28, 2013

      Route 433 (Athlone - Tuam - Mountbellew) is cancelled

      Bus Eireann's route 433 (Athlone - Mountbellew - Tuam, 2 services on Friday, 1 on Sunday) is no longer running, effective from Monday 1 July 2013.

      See Regional buses - North Galway for other bus services in the area.

      Friday, June 21, 2013

      Timetable changes for Galway City east-side Park and Ride

      BusLink have announced changes to the timetable for the Galway Airport / Galway City Park-n-ride service, effective from Monday 24 June 2013.

      Buses continue to run between the airport and Galway Coach Station, with no intermediate stops.

      New Timetable

      Buses will leave from the airport, Monday-Friday:
      • Every 30 minutes between 7:40am and 8:40am, 
      • Every 60 minutes between 9am and 4pm 
      • Every 30 minutes between 4:20pm and 5:50pm 

      Buses will leave from the Galway Coach Station, Monday-Friday:
      • Every 30 minutes between 8:10am and 9:10am, 
      • Every 60 minutes between 910am and 4pm 
      • Every 30 minutes between 4:30pm and 6:30pm

      There is no service at the weekend (Sat-Sun) or on bank holidays.

      See the full timetable here

      All other service details continue as per the initial announcement..

      Saturday, June 8, 2013

      Tourist "Train" between Galway City and Salthill

      "Train" style bus, using single-story open sided carriages pulled by an engine - but running on the road, not on train tracks.   Photographed at the north end of Eyre Square in Galway city, Ireland.
      Galway Tourist Train started running between Prospect Hill (opposite TK Maxx) and the acquarium in Salthill, in late May 2013.

      Initially running hourly between 10am and 8pm.  A round-trip takes approximately 45 minutes,

      The service operates on a hop-on, hop-off basis via a number of tourist sights in Galway City.

      It is advertised as operating year-round: timetables are likely to vary according to the season.  See their website for fare and timetable information.

      Monday, June 3, 2013

      Citylink commuter service cancellations and changes in Athlone bus stops

      CityLink have announced changes to their alway - Athlone - Dublin City/Airport Commuter service.
      from Monday 17 June 2013.

      Sunday, June 2, 2013

      June 2013 Bank holiday bus and train services in Galway

      Nuvola weather sunny

      Monday 3 June 2013 

      is a 
      Public / Bank Holiday 
      in Ireland.

      City Buses:

      Bus Éireann and City Direct will run their their standard Sunday and public holiday city services in Galway on Monday 3rd

      Regional Buses:

      Most regional and national public transport services will run their standard Sunday-timetable service on both Sun 3rd and Mon 4th.  However:
      • Bus Éireann will run regular regional / national services on Sunday 2nd, except that one Galway/Sligo service and one Tuam/Athlone service are cancelled.  Details.
      • On Monday 3rd, Bus Éireann will operate to a Sunday timetable, but with a number of changes (both cancellations and additions) that affect Galway services.    See their press-release for full details
      • Bus Feda   on Sunday and Mon will operate their normal Sunday service with some changes to the normal Sunday timetables - details.

      Irish Rail

      Mon 3 June cancellations:
      • 17.10 Heuston/Athlone,
      • 05.20 Athlone/Heuston, 
      • 05.30 Galway/Heuston, 
      • 06.30 Galway/Heuston, 
      • 18.10 Galway/Athlone, 
      • 22.15 Galway/Athlone,
      • 08.40 Galway/Athenry 
      • 9.05 Athenry/Galway are cancelled.
      Full details:http://www.irishrail.ie/media/JuneBankHoliday2013V22051.pdf

      Saturday, May 18, 2013

      Park & Ride for Connacht GAA championships at Pearse Stadium, 19 May 2013

      Lime green, blue and white paintwork on a Park and Ride luxury coach, seen from the front
      BusLink will run a park-and-ride service for the GAA junior and senior football matches on Sunday 19 May 2013.

      Buses will run between Galway Airport in Carnmore and the Western Distributor Road (WDR) roundabout.   Pearse Stadium is in Upper Salthill, a short walk along Bishop O'Donnell and Threadneedle roads from the WDR roundabout.

      This service will complement the other car-parking facilities in Salthill.

      Times

      The Airport Car Park will open at 11am, and buses will leave every 20 minutes until 3:30pm
      .
      Return buses will leave from the WDR roundabout after the senior match finishes.

      Fares:

      • €3 adult 
      • €2 child 

      Wednesday, May 8, 2013

      BusLink Park & Ride from Galway Airport to the city-centre

      A new park-and-ride service between Galway Airport and Galway city centre starts on Monday 13 May 2013.

      For this pilot service, buses will run between the airport and Galway Coach Station, with no intermediate stops.

      The service is being operated by Farrel Travel, under their BusLink brand.

      Timetable

      Buses will leave from the airport, Monday-Friday:
      • Every 20 minutes between 7:20am and 9am, 
      • Every 30 minutes between 9am and 4pm 
      • Every 20 minutes between 4pm and 6pm 

      Buses will leave from the Galway Coach Station, Monday-Friday:
      • Every 20 minutes between 7:45am and 9:05am, 
      • Every 30 minutes between 9:30am and 4pm 
      • Every 20 minutes between 4pm and 6:40pm

      There is no service at the weekend (Sat-Sun) or on bank holidays.



      Fares

      Parking at the airport is free.

      Bus travel costs:
      • €2 per trip per person 
      • €4 return ticket per person 
      • €17.50 per weekly ticket per person 
      • €5 for a Family Day Return ticket (Minimum is 1 adult and 2 kids under 16 years old)
      • €68 Monthly return ticket per person 

      The TaxSaver scheme applies - provided your employer has joined it.

      You do not need to park at the airport to use the bus-service:  Carnmore residents, and others who are dropped off at the airport, are welcome to use the service.

      The airport car-park has capacity for 600 cars.   Cars cannot be left overnight at the airport.


      Note:   this is a six month pilot service, supported by Galway Chamber of Commerce.   It will be reviewed in November 2013.

      Thursday, May 2, 2013

      May bank holiday bus and train services - 2013

      Update:   
      The following information is for May 2013. See this year's holiday arrangements for current information.





      Monday 6 May 2013 
      is a 
      public holiday & bank holiday 
      (Saoire Bainc na Bealtaine)
      in Ireland.


      City Buses

      Galway city bus services will run their standard Sunday-timetable service on both Sun 5th and Mon 6th  May 2013.



      Regional Buses

      Most regional and national bus services will run their standard Sunday-timetable service on both Sun 5th and Mon 6th  May 2013.
      • Bus Éireann will run regular regional / national services on Sunday 5th, except that one Galway/Dundalk, a Sligo service, and a Tuam/Athlone service are cancelled.   Full details
      • On Monday 6 June, Bus Éireann regional / national services will operate to a Sunday timetable, but with a number of changes (both cancellations and additions) that affect Galway services.    See their press-release for full detals.


      Trains

      Irish Rail will run close to normal Sunday services on both days to/from Galway, with a few changes - see their timetable for details.

      Sunday, April 28, 2013

      Citylink introduce "Eireagle" Galway - Dublin airport direct service

      CityLink have announced changes to their Galway - Dublin services from Wed 1 May 2013.

      They will be running services directly between Galway and Dublin Airport - not travelling via Dublin City Centre.  

      These services are operated under their new Eireagle brand.

      Eireagle buses will leave Galway Coach station at:
      • 1:15am
      • 2:15am
      • 8:30am
      • 10:30am
      • 12:30pm
      • 2:30pm


      Currently the Eireagle timtable implies that these will be instead of the regular CityLink express Galway - Dublin services in these hours.   But the Citylink website is still allowing bookings for these times - at the reduced on-line prices that Eireagle.com have been advertising.   So it is currently unclear if the Eireagle services are additional or not.

      See the Regional Buses Services page for other bus services between Galway and Dublin.

      Friday, March 29, 2013

      Easter 2013 Bus and train services

      The following information is for an earlier year.

      See Easter bus service information for up to date  bus and train details for Easter weekend.





      Thursday, March 14, 2013

      Buses and Trains - St Patrick's Day 2013

      This announcement is about St Patrick's Day public transport information for a time in the past. See current St Patrick's day bus and train services for more recent announcements.






      Paddys Day / St Patties Day - shamrock representing Galway bus services
      Sunday 17th March 2012 (St Patrick's Day) is a public holiday in Ireland.


      Monday 18 March is a bank holiday, not a public holiday - but a large number of workplaces public transport providers and shops will operate as they usually do on Sunday.


      Galway City Bus services

      Bus Éireann will run according to the Sunday timetable on Sun 17th and Mon 18th.  There will be slight diversions around Eyre Square area while the parade is on.

      City Direct will run according to the Sunday timetable on Sun 17th and Mon 18th, but with one extra bus from Cappagh Rd to the city at 10:45am.   Services will end at the Cathedral until the parade is over.


      See City Bus Services for route maps and timetable links.



      Regional Bus services:


      Bus Éireann 

      Will run a Sunday timetable  on Sun 17th and Mon 18th ary  with some exceptions (cancellations and/or time changes). For the Galway area, affected services are to/from:
      • Belfast
      • Dundalk
      • Cavan
      • Clifden
      • Lettermullen
      • Carraroe
      • Westport / Ballina
      See their press release for full details.


      BusLink (previously known as Farrell Travel)

      Running full NiteLink services on Fri 15th, Sat 16th and Sun 17th.   Enhanced Sunday service (starting at 10am) on Sun 17th, to get people to the parade in Galway city.  Regular Bank Holiday service on Mon 18th.

      CityLink

      Are running their normal Dublin / Galway timetable, but have some different pick-up and drop-off points due to parades in various towns



      Bus Feda (Galway / Sligo / Donegal)

      Are running a reduced service on both 17 and 18 March.    Details.



      Other companies

      Have not made specific announcements:  it is likely that they will run regular Sunday services from Sun 17th - Mon 18th inclusive.   See Regional Bus Services for a full listing of all companies involved.


      Overall:

      Many towns will have parades around midday: bus services at this time could be delayed due to road closures.


      Train services:

      Irish Rail services from Sun 17 - Mon 18th March are based on a Sunday timetable, with some alternations.   See their timetable for St Patrick's weekend 2013 for details.

      Wednesday, February 20, 2013

      Bus Éireann Galway city bus changes, March 2013

      Bus Éireann have announced a number of service-changes, starting from Sunday 3 March 2013.


      Route 407 - Bóthar an Chóiste

      • Both directions (out and in) will follow the same bus route, via Crestwood.
        A map of the new route is available here.
        The bus-stop by Sandyvale Lawn will no longer be used: passengers from here and Brookdale will need to use the Ballinfoyle bus stop.
      • Services will run every 30 minutes, at quarter to and quarter past the hour, instead of every 40 minutes. The first bus of the day leaves five minutes later, and the last bus five minutes earlier.



      Route 404 - Newcastle

      On the outward trip, services will operate via Thomas Hynes Rd to the Browne Roundabout and call at bus-stops opposite Corrib Park.

      It is not yet clear what the impact of this change is - whether the outward bus will travel the full length of Thomas Hynes Rd and then circle back to go along Siobhan McKenna Rd, or whether Upper Newcastle Rd will be used on the inward journey only.



      Medtronic (Parkmore Industrial Estate) services


      The following services to Medtronic are cancelled:
      • 7am - from Seacrest
      • 3:15pm - from Eyre Square (Mon-Thur)
      • 2:45pm - from Eyre Square (Fri)


      The following services from Medtronic are cancelled:
      • 3:30pm to Eyre Square
      • 4:30pm to Seacrest (Mon - Thur)
      • 9:35pm to Seacrest (Fri)


      The 7:10am service from Seacrest to Ballybrit Industrial estate is cancelled.

      Note:   these cancellations do not affect the regular route 409 and 403 buses that serve Parkmore Industrial Estate.


      This leaves the 7:45am  HP service as the only factory-run service that is operating.


      See Galway City Bus Services for a full list of city buses, along with timetable and route-map links.

      Bus Eireann regional service changes, March 2013

      two Bus Eireann coaches parked at Galway Travel Centre, beside St Patricks band-hall
      Bus Éireann have announced changes to their regional bus services, from Sunday 3 March 2013.

      Affected routes


      Route 417 - Galway - Corofin 

      • This service now runs between Galwyay and Corofin, and does not continue to Tuam.


      Route 418 Galway - Athenry


      Route 425, Galway - Mountbellew- Longford

      • Now runs Mon-Fri only
      • No longer stops at Four Roads (Coyles)
      • The Wednesday and Friday only buses between (Longford to Lanesboro, and Longford to Galway) are cancelled.
      • The Tuesday and Thurday only bus between Longford and Galway will travel via Turloughmore, not via Monivea.

      Route 431 - Galway - Monivea - Mountbellew

      • Is renumbered route 425a.
      • No changes to the timetable.

      Route 436c:  Galway - Carnmore Airport

      • Is cancelled.

      For further information:

      Friday, January 25, 2013

      Galway Transport Forum followup survey

      picture of a bus driving past a bus-station
      The Better Transport for Galway Committee (previously known as Galway Transport Forum) are running a follow up survey about traffic developments in Galway over the last 12 months.

      It is short (4 questions with about four parts in each): it takes about 5 minutes to do.

      They survey is anonymous, and you don't need to log in.   Click here to have your say.

      Wednesday, January 16, 2013

      Train timetable changes, January 2013

      Irish Rail train timetable changes apply from Sunday 20 January.

      New timetable services are now shown in Irish Rail's on-line booking website.  Printed versions of the new and old timetables are available on-line.

      In summary, almost all trail services leave a few minutes later (usually 5-15 minutes), and have a slightly different (usually quicker) journey time.

      More significant timetable changes include:
      • A new Dublin to Galway, Mon - Sat service, at 1:25pm
      • A new 6:15pm service from Dublin to Athlone (and then on to Westport) - Mon-Sat
      • First Sunday service from Dublin to Galway leaves 30 mintues at 8am.
      • First Galway to Dublin Mon - Sat service is at 5:30am instead of 5am, and arrives at 7:57pm.
      • Times of Mon - Fri service Galway to Athenry and then Limerick are adjusted, and one service is cancelled.
      All Galway train services travel to/from Ceannt Station.  Other regional public transport options are listed under Regional Buses