Public transport in Ireland exists in many of the
Ireland's urban areas and rural areas, and takes a number of forms. Bus transport is the main form of public transport and is common in all cities. The cities,
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
,
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingd ...
,
Cork,
Derry
Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. Th ...
,
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
and
Galway
Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city ...
all have their own suburban rail networks, although Dublin is the only to have its own tram line, in the form of the
Luas
Luas (pronounced ; Irish for "speed") is a tram/ light rail system in Dublin, Ireland. There are two main lines: the Green Line, which began operating on 30 June 2004, and the Red Line which opened on 26 September 2004. Since then, both lin ...
. Ireland has a population of 5 million people.
Recently, in 2021, the Irish government released the climate action plan. This sees two brand new Dart (Tram/Train) lines west and south of Dublin, Ireland's first underground metro (Metrolink), a brand new electric train fleet delivered by Alstrom, extension to Luas (Tram) to North Dublin Finglas and more funding for Ireland's rural transport, Local Link.
Transport for Ireland is a public information body set up by the
National Transport Authority as a single point of reference for all public transport in Ireland. TFI (Transport for Ireland) has a
travel card available to its service users and tourists. It offers much cheaper transport fares compared to cash. Cards and information can be found at www.leapcard.ie
Provision by area
Dublin
The
Greater Dublin
The Greater Dublin Area (GDA; Irish: ''Mórcheantar Bhaile Átha Cliath''), or simply Greater Dublin, is an informal term that is taken to include the city of Dublin and its hinterland, with varying definitions as to its extent. As of 2022, its ...
area has a population of 2.1 million (CSO 2020) and there are a number of modes of public transport in the GDA run by a number of
transport operators, most of them
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* '' Our ...
or quasi-state entities. Public transport in Dublin is overseen by the
National Transport Authority. It has undergone expansion in recent years, and the Irish Government plans to invest heavily in the system under the
Transport 21 plan which means that approximately 20 billion euro will be spent on developing Greater Dublin's transport infrastructure. Dublin's transit system utilises electrified suburban trains, diesel commuter rail, trams and an extensive bus network to provide service to the population of the Greater Dublin Area.
Buses are the most widely used form of public transport in Dublin. They are predominately operated by
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus ( ga, Bus Átha Cliath) is a State-owned bus operator providing services in Dublin. By far the largest bus operator in the city, it carried 138 million passengers in 2019. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann.
...
and also a private operator
Go-Ahead Ireland
Go-Ahead Transport Services (Dublin) Limited, known as Go-Ahead Ireland is a bus operator in Dublin that commenced trading in September 2018. It is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group.
History
With the aim of improving efficiency, in 2015 the ...
, part of the UK based Go-Ahead Group. The bus network consists of 200 bus routes covering the
Greater Dublin Area
The Greater Dublin Area (GDA; Irish: ''Mórcheantar Bhaile Átha Cliath''), or simply Greater Dublin, is an informal term that is taken to include the city of Dublin and its hinterland, with varying definitions as to its extent. As of 2022, its ...
. The ''Bus Arrival Information Service'' is being rolled out across Dublin, and provides real-time estimates of bus arrivals at each stop, based on
GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
locations of buses.
Dublin also has a commuter rail system, one of five suburban rail networks on the island. The system uses diesel-powered trains and an electrified line. There are four main lines, designated Northern Commuter, Western Commuter, South Eastern Commuter, and South Western Commuter. The trains are operated by
Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann () or Irish Rail, is the operator of the national Rail transport in Ireland, railway network of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of CIÉ, Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ). It operates all internal In ...
.
The Dublin suburban network also consists of an electrified line
Dublin Area Rapid Transit
The Dublin Area Rapid Transit system (stylised as DART) is an electrified commuter rail railway network serving the coastline and city of Dublin, Ireland. The service makes up the core of Dublin's suburban railway network, stretching from Gre ...
that serves the Dublin bay commuter belt.
* ''Northern Commuter'' –
Dublin Pearse to
Dundalk
Dundalk ( ; ga, Dún Dealgan ), meaning "the fort of Dealgan", is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is hal ...
.
* ''South Eastern Commuter'' –
Dublin Connolly to
Wexford
Wexford () is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N1 ...
/
Rosslare Europort
Rosslare Europort ( ga, Europort Ros Láir) is a modern seaport located at Rosslare Harbour in County Wexford, Ireland, near the southeasternmost point of the island of Ireland. The port is the premier Irish port serving the European Conti ...
.
* ''South Western Commuter'' –
Dublin Heuston
Heuston Station ( ; ga, Stáisiún Heuston; formerly Kingsbridge Station) also known as Dublin Heuston, is one of Dublin's largest railway stations and links the capital with the south, southwest and west of Ireland. It is operated by Iar ...
to
Kildare
Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 8,634 making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. The town lies on the R445, some west of Dublin – near enough for it to have become, despite being a regional cent ...
.
* ''Western Commuter'' –
Dublin Pearse /
Docklands to
Longford
Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meet ...
.
* ''
Dublin Area Rapid Transit
The Dublin Area Rapid Transit system (stylised as DART) is an electrified commuter rail railway network serving the coastline and city of Dublin, Ireland. The service makes up the core of Dublin's suburban railway network, stretching from Gre ...
(DART)'' –
Greystones
Greystones () is a coastal town and seaside resort in County Wicklow, Ireland. It lies on Ireland's east coast, south of Bray and south of Dublin city centre and has a population of 18,140 (2016). The town is bordered by the Irish Sea to ...
to
Howth
Howth ( ; ; non, Hǫfuð) is an affluent peninsular village and outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The district as a whole occupies the greater part of the peninsula of Howth Head, which forms the northern boundary of Dublin Bay, and include ...
/
Malahide
Malahide ( ; ) is an affluent coastal settlement in Fingal, County Dublin, Ireland, situated north of Dublin city. It has a village centre surrounded by suburban housing estates, with a population of over 17,000.
Malahide Castle dates from th ...
.
There is also a tram network called
LUAS
Luas (pronounced ; Irish for "speed") is a tram/ light rail system in Dublin, Ireland. There are two main lines: the Green Line, which began operating on 30 June 2004, and the Red Line which opened on 26 September 2004. Since then, both lin ...
consisting of two lines;
* Red Line:
Tallaght
)
, image_skyline = TallaghtDublinD24.jpg
, image_caption = Tallaght, Dublin
, image_flag =
, flag_size =
, pushpin_map = Dublin#Ireland
, pushpin_label_position = left
, ...
to
The Point and
Saggart
Saggart ( ga, Teach Sagard) is a village in South Dublin, Ireland, south west of Dublin city. It lies between the N7 (Naas Road), Rathcoole, Citywest and Tallaght. It is one of the fastest-growing settlements in Ireland, showing a populati ...
to
Connolly Connolly may refer to:
People
* Connolly (surname)
Places
* Connolly, Western Australia, a suburb in Perth, Western Australia
* Connolly, County Clare, Ireland
* Connolly Park in Collooney, County Sligo, Ireland
* Dublin Connolly railway station ...
* Green Line:
Broombridge to
Bride’s Glen
As of 2006, the
Dublin Metro
MetroLink is a proposed metro line for the city of Dublin. It was first recommended in the then Irish Government's 2005 Transport 21 transport plan.
The sole line is proposed to run from Estuary on Dublin's northside to Charlemont on the south ...
is a planned two-line rapid transit (underground) system set out in the Irish government's 2005
Transport 21 plan to spend 20 billion euro on infrastructure in the Greater Dublin area up until 2021. The estimated cost of the 17 km Metro North is approximately 5 billion euro and will be the biggest and most expensive infrastructural project ever undertaken on the island of Ireland.
Cork
The
Greater Cork area has a population of 400,000 and is covered mainly by bus and suburban rail networks as well as a commuter ferry.
There are a total of 35 bus routes of which, 18 are ''Citybus'' routes serving areas like
Cork City
Cork ( , from , meaning 'marsh') is the second largest city in Ireland and third largest city by population on the island of Ireland. It is located in the south-west of Ireland, in the province of Munster. Following an extension to the c ...
,
Knocknaheeny,
Ballinlough, Cork
Ballinlough () is a mainly residential townland and suburb on the southside of Cork city, in Ireland. It is located between Ballintemple and the larger suburbs of Douglas and Blackrock.
History
Among the earliest written references to the townl ...
,
Mahon, Cork,
Mayfield, Cork,
Frankfield, Cork,
Ballintemple and
Farranree, Cork and 17 suburban routes serving towns such as
Glanmire
Glanmire () is a suburban town from Cork city centre, in the civil parish of Rathcooney, County Cork, Ireland. Glanmire is within the administrative area of Cork City Council and the Dáil constituency of Cork North-Central.
The greater ...
,
Ballincollig
Ballincollig () is a suburban town within the administrative area of Cork city in Ireland. It is located on the western side of Cork city, beside the River Lee on the R608 regional road. In 2016 it was the largest town in County Cork, at wh ...
,
Carrigaline
Carrigaline () is a town and civil parish in County Cork, Ireland, situated on the River Owenabue. Located about south of Cork city, and with a population of 15,770 people, it is one of the largest commuter towns of the city. The R611 regio ...
,
Douglas
Douglas may refer to:
People
* Douglas (given name)
* Douglas (surname)
Animals
* Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking
* Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civi ...
,
Midleton
Midleton (; , meaning "monastery at the weir") is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies approximately 16 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satelli ...
,
Mallow,
Cobh
Cobh ( ,), known from 1849 until 1920 as Queenstown, is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. With a population of around 13,000 inhabitants, Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour and home to Ireland's ...
and
Goleen
Goleen () is a small rural village in County Cork on the south-western tip of Ireland. Farming, tourism and construction work are among the main occupations of the local people.
Location
Goleen is located towards the south-western end of the M ...
.
By 2010, there will be 3 suburban train lines in the
Cork Suburban Rail
The Cork Suburban Rail ( ga, Iarnród Fobhailteach Chorcaí) network serves areas in and around Cork city in Ireland.
There has been a suburban rail system in Cork since the middle of the 19th century; however, it was subject to line closures i ...
service.
*
Cork Kent –
Blarney ED (15,000) –
Mallow (11,000)
*
Cork Kent –
Glanmire
Glanmire () is a suburban town from Cork city centre, in the civil parish of Rathcooney, County Cork, Ireland. Glanmire is within the administrative area of Cork City Council and the Dáil constituency of Cork North-Central.
The greater ...
(16,000) –
Cobh
Cobh ( ,), known from 1849 until 1920 as Queenstown, is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. With a population of around 13,000 inhabitants, Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour and home to Ireland's ...
(12,000)
*
Cork Kent –
Glanmire
Glanmire () is a suburban town from Cork city centre, in the civil parish of Rathcooney, County Cork, Ireland. Glanmire is within the administrative area of Cork City Council and the Dáil constituency of Cork North-Central.
The greater ...
(16,000) –
Midleton
Midleton (; , meaning "monastery at the weir") is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies approximately 16 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satelli ...
(11,000)
There is also a car ferry operating between
Rushbrooke Rushbrook is a surname. The surname derives from Rushbrooke in Suffolk, England. Notable people with the surname include:
* Claire Rushbrook (born 1971), English actress
* Philip Rushbrook, governor of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
...
and
Passage West
Passage West (locally known as "Passage"; ) is a port town in County Cork, Ireland, situated on the west bank of Cork Harbour, some 10 km south-east of Cork city. The town has many services, amenities and social outlets. Passage West was ...
.
Limerick
The
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
greater/metro area has a population of 162,000 and is covered mainly by bus and suburban rail networks.
There are a total of 9 ''Citybus'' routes, serving areas such as
Raheen,
Dooradoyle,
Ballycummin,
University of Limerick
The University of Limerick (UL) ( ga, Ollscoil Luimnigh) is a Public university, public research university institution in Limerick, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Founded in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, it beca ...
,
O'Malley Park, Monaleen,
Caherdavin and
Castletroy
Castletroy (, meaning O'Troy's Landing or O'Troy's Callow) is a suburb of Limerick, Ireland. The town was named after Castle Troy also known as The Black Castle, which is located on the southern bank of the River Shannon, roughly 2km East of th ...
.
Commuter rail services are also important and there are three train lines in the
Limerick Suburban Rail
Limerick Suburban Rail ( ga, Iarnród Fo-uirbeach Luimnigh) are a group of Iarnród Éireann commuter train services from Limerick Colbert to various other destinations on three different lines.
* Limerick – Ennis, calling at Sixmilebridge
* ...
network.
*
Limerick railway station
Limerick Station ( ga, Stáisiún Luimnigh) also known as Colbert Station ( ga, Stáisiún Uí Cholbáird) or Limerick Colbert serves the city of Limerick in County Limerick. It is on Parnell Street and is the main station on the Limerick S ...
–
Ennis
Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,27 ...
(25,000)
*
Limerick railway station
Limerick Station ( ga, Stáisiún Luimnigh) also known as Colbert Station ( ga, Stáisiún Uí Cholbáird) or Limerick Colbert serves the city of Limerick in County Limerick. It is on Parnell Street and is the main station on the Limerick S ...
–
Nenagh
Nenagh (, ; or simply ''An tAonach'') meaning “The Fair of Ormond” or simply "The Fair", is the county town and second largest town in County Tipperary in Ireland. Nenagh used to be a market town, and the site of the East Munster Ormond ...
(9,000)
*
Limerick railway station
Limerick Station ( ga, Stáisiún Luimnigh) also known as Colbert Station ( ga, Stáisiún Uí Cholbáird) or Limerick Colbert serves the city of Limerick in County Limerick. It is on Parnell Street and is the main station on the Limerick S ...
–
Tipperary (5,000)
Derry
The
Derry
Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. Th ...
City area has a population of 110,000, with a greater hinterland of 350,000 is served by both rail and bus services provided by the public transport company
Translink. There are 15 bus routes serving parts of the city. Which had the monopoly on the route due to licensing rights with the DVLNI. This service is now run by
Ulsterbus Foyle.
For the various surrounding towns and villages around the city, there are Ulsterbus services travelling into the city centre.
The city is serviced by
Waterside Station on the
Belfast-Derry line which serves
Belfast Central and
Belfast Great Victoria Street, running via
Coleraine
Coleraine ( ; from ga, Cúil Rathain , 'nook of the ferns'Flanaghan, Deirdre & Laurence; ''Irish Place Names'', page 194. Gill & Macmillan, 2002. ) is a town and civil parish near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern I ...
(for the
Coleraine-Portrush railway line to
Portrush
Portrush () is a small seaside resort town on the north coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It neighbours the resort of Portstewart. The main part of the old town, including the railway station as well as most hotels, restaurants and bars, ...
) and
Antrim. The railway line was upgraded with a
track relay and planned passing loops to be installed
"Londonderry Line" Andy Milne, RailStaff, May 2012
/ref>
Galway
The city of Galway
Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city ...
has a population of 70,000 and there are two companies providing bus services throughout the city – Bus Éireann and Galway City Direct. There are 16 bus routes serving the city and its suburbs altogether – Bus Éireann operates 11 routes, while Galway City Direct runs 5 routes.
From 2008 on, Galway Suburban Rail will have one rail line connecting Galway and the satellite towns of Oranmore
Oranmore ( or ''Úarán Mór'') is a town near the city of Galway
Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib bet ...
(5,000) and Athenry
Athenry (; ) is a town in County Galway, Ireland, which lies east of Galway city. Some of the attractions of the medieval town are its town wall, Athenry Castle, its priory and its 13th century street-plan. The town is also well known by virtu ...
(3,000).
Overview table
The table below lists cities in Ireland that have public transport systems. It includes only internal services (as opposed to services between towns).
See also
* Transport in Ireland
*Luas
Luas (pronounced ; Irish for "speed") is a tram/ light rail system in Dublin, Ireland. There are two main lines: the Green Line, which began operating on 30 June 2004, and the Red Line which opened on 26 September 2004. Since then, both lin ...
*Rail transport in Ireland
Rail transport in Ireland (InterCity, commuter and freight) is provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.
Most routes in the Republic radiate from Dublin. Northern Ireland h ...
External links
Transport for Ireland
References
{{Reflist, 2