Changes to buses between Galway and Connemara (Clifden, Oughterard and Spiddal/Lettermullen) - December 2023

CityLink Ireland, Bus Éireann and the National Transport authority have announced (here and here) changes to a number of services between Galway city centre and Connemara, starting in December 2023.

Overall

• There will be a bus between Clifden and Galway every two hours, increasing to every hour at peak times.  
• There will be a bus between Oughterard and Galway every hour during the day, increasing to every half hour at peak times.
• There will be a bus between Galway and Barna, Spiddal and Carraroe almost once per hour.

However there are some stops which will no longer served, or which require a change at Clifden.

Route 923 Citylink:   Galway - Clifden - Letterfrack

From Monday 11th December there will be four extra buses in each direction, including earlier and later services each morning and evening.

There are no changes to stops on this route.

Route 419 Bus Éireann:   Galway - Oughterard - Clifden

From Sunday 17 December, there will be one extra service from Galway each day (3pm), the first bus will leave Galway city at 6:40am, and other times through the day will be adjusted (slightly earlier OR later).

This bus will no longer stop at Maam Bridge, Kilmilkin, Leenane, Salruck Cross (Opposite the hostel), Recess Cross, Kylemore Abbey, Letterfrack, Moyard, Cashel Cross, Second Cashel Cross, Toombeola Bridge,  Roundstone or Ballyconneely.

The National Transport Authority announcement says 

Bus services to Leenane and Roundstone, which had been provided by Bus Éireann, will now be secured by Local Link Galway from mid-December

but does not give details.

New Local Link services Kylemore Abbey to Maam Cross and Ballyconneely to Recess

Two new door-to-door services are being introduced.   Details are available here.   

Each bus will run once a week, and seats must be booked by phone at least one day in advance.   As door-to-door services, the route (and so times) may vary - and they are organised to suit people living in outlying areas who want to travel inward, not visitors to the area.

Route 423, Clifden to Westport via Leenane

The number of buses each day on this route is doubled, with extra buses from Clifden at approx 9am, 2pm and 6pm (check the timetable for exact times).

There is no changes to the stops on this route, which include Moyard (Opp Post Office),
Letterfrack, Kylemore Abbey, Recess Cross, Salruck Cross Hostel, Leenane, Cuslough, and Knappagh.

Route 424, Galway to Lettermullen (Leitir Mealláin) via An Cheathrú Rua, Spiddal and Barna

From Sunday 17 December 2023, there are an extra seven buses each day on this route - taking the service to almost once an hour between 6am and 11pm.

There will be one extra bus between Carraroe and Lettermullen, at approx 1:30pm - and times of all services are adjusted slightly.

Note that this service is now often operated by double-decker Galway city buses, which has also increased the number of passengers who can be taken.