View allAll Photos Tagged throwback
For this visit to the past we are going to the northern extremities of the Dublin Bus network. AV 418 is seen in Balbriggan picking up passengers as it operates a 33 to Dublin. This bus was delivered new in 2005 in Wedding Bus livery. This was one of the bespoke private hires Dublin Bus used to provide and a slightly unique concept - a bus that can bring your wedding guests from church to reception to home, or wherever you wanted to bring them. When on these duties the bus would be decorated inside with flowers and garlands to make them extra special. The rest of the time the buses could be found on regular duties, but usually limited to certain routes. The 33 was not a regular for them.
This is one of the longest routes in Dublin, being approximately 35kms long and it connects towns in north county Dublin with the city. The more rural roads it traverses are not the ideal conditions for a bus painted white. From December 2nd 2018 the 33A, which operated between Balbriggan and Swords, was handed over to Go-Ahead Ireland, but the 33 is still with Dublin Bus.
The last Wedding Bus was repainted yellow in 2017. AV 418 went to Harristown Garage after its time in Summerhill and is still there.
Balbriggan, 13/12/2013
with all my love, happy birthday to dear halle.
you have been so supportive of me especially when it comes to photography. always lending me a kind hand when i ask you to model for shoots.
i have learnt so so much and really couldnt have come so far without you <3
thank you <3 hope we can arrange a shoot sometime soon xx
-facebook -tumblr -twitter -instagram @lishacheung
A short trip back ten years to a scene that has changed a lot beneath the service. RV 636 is seen on O'Connell Street heading south to Drimnagh with a service on route 121. The 121 started in 1997 as a City Imp route. Initially this. mini-bus route ran from Parnell Square to Drimnagh Road (outside Crumlin Hospital) via The Liberties and Clogher Road. Within a year it was extended north to Cabra via Berkeley Road and Dowth Avenue. In 1999 the Cabra terminus was moved from Fassaugh Road to Ratoath Road. In the early-2000s the route was converted from mini-bus to double-decker operation, losing the City Imp brand in the process. However in 2011 the route was abolished under Network Direct, with the 150 taking over most of its southside routing and the 120/122 continuing to serve Cabra.
RV 636 was delivered new to Dublin Bus in 1999 and was withdrawn in October 2012 It then moved to the UK and most recently was with Priory Coaches.
In the background is a fellow ex-Dublin Olympian. It was doing the City Sightseeing tour for Dualway's. In 2019 the CitySightseeing franchise moved to Extreme Ireland, and Dualway's sold their tour fleet to Big Bus.
RV 626 has an ad for Corona Extra. 2010 was a time when Corona brought to mind a beverage and not a global pandemic. 18/09/2010
Throwback Hawaii photo from 2018. Unfiltered and grainy but at least I'm smiling. Always happy in Hawaii
This week we are going back 26 years to 1991. KD 326 is seen at The Square in Tallaght with a route 76 service from Ballyfermot. At this time the shopping centre was only a year old and was the largest shopping centre in Dublin. Today one can travel along the M50 from Tallaght and visit the equally large (if not larger) shopping centres at Liffey Valley and Blanchardstown. The current incarnations of routes 76 and 76A connect the three shopping centres, but in 1991 the main purpose of the 76 was to bring people to Tallaght. It was one of the orbital routes created when the shopping centre opened and served many of the housing estates in the area.
At the time KD 326 operated out of Conyngham Road Garage. 03/08/1991
2 years ago, I had a photoshoot with this doll. This doll has a bittersweet memory because I had her on the day my cat died. :|
This week we are going back eleven years to 2012, and to RV 584 at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre. On this day, October 13th, an enthusiast trip was organised by Dublin Bus to mark the end of the Volvo Olympian buses (as well as the end of the high-floor buses). RV 584 and RV 586 visited a number of locations around the city, following certain bus routes. Both buses had been delivered new to Dublin Bus in 1999 and within a week of the trip, both had been withdrawn. Both were sold on to other Irish operators. The actual last Olympian to run in passenger service was RV 560 on the 19th December 2012.
In the background is AV 405 on route 40. This had been the terminus of the 40 since 2011, when the route had been merged with the 78 and 78A. It was cut back again in 2022 when route G2 started under Bus Connects. In 2023 this stop was remodelled to become just an intermediate stop as a new bus interchange opened at the front of the shopping centre. AV 405 was withdrawn around the start of 2019, and sold on to another Irish operator. In just over a decade, everything in this scene has changed. Even the bus livery is on the way out.
13/10/2012
From around 1993. Ironically I use more hair products now but not as much shampoo and conditioner. ;p
With the coronavirus situation developing across the world, I like many people, have been working from home this week (and at least next week too). Home is Balbriggan, and chance would have it that it is the turn of a Balbriggan photograph this week.
RH 131 is seen loading up at the 33 terminus in Balbriggan with a working back to Dublin. Unusually, this is the 16:15 departure which goes via Portrane. One outbound bus from Dublin also went via Portrane in the mornings. The usual 33 route was to go straight on from Swords to Lusk, Rush, Skerries and Balbriggan. The deviation vie Donabate and Portrane started in 1966 when a new secondary school opened in Rush and it was a way for Donabate students to get there and back. Traditionally students going to Skerries or Balbriggan from Donabate would get the train. In 2002 the afternoon trip via Portrane on the 33 was cancelled, and a private school bus filled the gap. In 2003 the morning trip from Dublin was shortened to Skerries. In 2018 when Go-Ahead Ireland took over the 33A, the Portrane 33 was renumbered 33E and was operated by Phibsborough Garage. In January 2020 the 33E switched back to Summerhill Garage.
The original 33 terminus was on the other side of the road (where the photographer is standing). In the early 2000s it relocated from where the bus is in the photo to further south along this road, opposite Ss Peter and Paul Church. All three stops are also Bus Eireann stops on route 101 between Dublin and Drogheda.
RH 131 was delivered new to Dublin Bus in February 1992. It was withdrawn in 2005 and joined the Dualway open-top tour fleet in 2006. It was withdrawn after 2013.
19/03/1992
It is the tenth of March and the tenth Throwback Thursday. And we are going back twenty years to 1996.
KC 9 is seen at the 44A terminus on Mount Prospect Avenue in Clontarf. This route, along with similar route 30, was replaced on the 17th March 1996 by City Imp route 130. This was the era of when some of the city bus routes were being replaced with more frequent minibus services under the brand of City Imp.
The 44A was one of those numbering oddities within Dublin Bus as the 44, 44B, and 44C all operated on the southside while the 44A was confined to the northside.
09/03/1996
This week we are going back fifteen years to 2010 and to AV 372 on a snowy O'Connell Street with a service on route 121 to Ratoath Road.
Route 121 started operating between the city centre and Drimnagh Road in 1997. It was a City Imp route, and replaced previous route 22A. In 1998 the route was extended north to Cabra, initially terminating on Faussagh Road, before being extended to Ratoath Road in 1999. The route ceased to operate in 2011 under Network Direct changes. Part of the route on southside was replaced by route 150, but other roads lost their bus service when the route ended.
AV 372 was new to Dublin Bus in 2004. It was withdrawn around 2018 and sold on to another Irish operator.
09/01/2010
This week we are going back seven years to 2018 and to AX 456 and AX 453 on Ratoath Road in Finglas, both operating services on route 911.
Route 911 was a bus route with a very short lifespan, only lasting one day. It was one of seven shuttle bus routes operated by Dublin Bus in connection to the World Meeting of Families mass taking place at the Phoenix, which was being celebrated by Pope Francis. Route 911 operated between Clare Hall and the Ratoath Road. Other transport hubs near the Phoenix Park were nearby Ballyboggan Road (route 912), Cook Street (route 913), Chapelizod by-pass (routes 914, 915 & 916) and Laurel Lodge (route 917). It was a huge operation, involving most of the Dublin Bus fleet. The regular bus service mostly operated as normal too.
AX 453 and AX 456 were new to Dublin Bus in 2006. AX 453 was withdrawn around the end of 2018 and sold on to another operator in Ireland. AX 456 was last noted in service with Dublin Bus in 2024.
At the time this picture was taken, this part of Ratoath had no scheduled bus services, but in December 2018 it gained route 40E.
26/08/2018
This week we are going back thirty-six years to 1988 and to KC 118 at Bus Aras. The bus is operating one of the express services to Dublin Airport.
When this photo was taken the service to Dublin Airport was already decades old. It started with CIE and over the years had double-deckers, single-deckers and coaches on it. In 1982 KC 116 to 119 were delivered new to CIE to operate the service. In February 1988 they received this all-over ad / livery for Aer Lingus. Then in 1990 the buses lost their centre doors to increase their capacity and allow more luggage space on board. However, in 1994 they moved from the Airport Express service to route 230 and regained their centre doors. 1994 was the year Dublin Bus received new AD Class buses and rebranded the service as Airlink. Airlink suspended operations in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and then announced in 2021 the cessation of operations.
KC 118 was finally withdrawn by Dublin Bus in the late-1990s.
Aer Lingus was flew its first flight in 1936. It was floated on the stock exchange by the Irish government in 2006 and was finally taken over by IAG in 2015.
21/02/1988
It is summer 1987 and that can only mean one thing - the Slane concert. Slane is a small village in Meath located where the road from Dublin to Monaghan (N2) meets the road from Drogheda to Navan (N51). It is well outside the Dublin Bus area. However in 1981 open-air concerts started to be held in the grounds of Slane Castle and the double-deckers from Dublin were ideal to transport the crowds from Dublin to Slane. Up until the 2000s the shuttle buses lined-up on O'Connell Street. When the street was renovated a lane of traffic was lost and the buses had to move to Parnell Square. In 2019 the buses operated by Dublin Bus went from Western Way. In recent years, private operators have run their own shuttle services, but when it was predominately Dublin Bus around 200 buses could be involved, if not more. This brought an unusual sight to the roads of Meath where all of these buses would line-up along the road at Slane to bring everyone home at night after the concert. In 1987 it was headlined by David Bowie. It was the last concert held there until 1992.
KD 217 is seen at the head of the Slane line up on O'Connell Street. It was delivered new to Phibsborough Garage around 1983 and was scrapped in the 1990s. 11/07/1987
On the 8th December 1988 Dublin Bus introduced the Nipper into the heart of Dublin. The idea was to run a number of minibuses around the City Centre, connecting the main shopping districts. It was hoped that this would encourage people to leave their cars behind and thus reduce traffic in a congested city. The route was to run for just over two weeks up until the 24th December, but due to popularity it ran into January, covering the January Sales. Starting in O'Connell Street, the route served D'Olier Street, Dame Street, South William Street, St. Stephen's Green, Westmoreland Street and back to O'Connell Street. It was operated by 6 members of the MB Class (MB 6-11) which had recently been delivered to Dublin Bus and would then enter normal service in Donnybrook Garage in 1989. The route's success saw it return in 1989, 1990 and 1991. For a more detailedhistory check out DublinBus Stuff: www.dublinbusstuff.com/Nipper.html
MB 6 is seen crossing onto O'Connell Bridge from O'Connell Street on the second day of operation with a good load on board. 09/12/1988
On a side note this is my 100th Throwback Thursday and I just want to thank everyone for sticking with me each week. Even I didn't think it would last this long!
Phil Boldman took this shot while hi-railing the NYC's Danville secondary on July 22nd, 1974. At this time, it was Penn Central and would soon be Conrail. This view was taken from MP 68 looking north towards Sheff at an old location known as "York". This location was between Sheff, Indiana and Free, Indiana. The bridge in the distance was used by the "York-Richland Elevator" and was located at MP 67.65. The NYC did have this location in the timetable as "York Switch" and "Hawkins", but only in the early days. This bridge was abandoned when Phil took this photo. The line was seeing little use and in 6 years, would be hosting Milwaukee Road trains.
Phil Boldman Photo.
7/22/1974
Looking North just south of Sheff.
This week we are going back eight years to 2016 and to AX 612 in Sandyford on route 75 to Dun Laoghaire.
Route 75 started in February 1990, running between Dun Laoghaire and Old Bawn. Later in the year it moved to The Square shopping centre, following its opening. Certain departures in the peaks went via Sandyford Industrial Estate, which is the service AX 612 is on here. In October 2018 Go-Ahead Ireland took over the operation of the 75. At the same time the variations via Sandyford Industrial Estate were redesignated as route 75A. The 75 and 75A ceased to operate in November 2023 under changes brought in by Bus Connects. Sandyford Industrial Estate is now served by orbital route S8.
AX 612 was new to Dublin Bus in 2006. It was withdrawn at the end of 2023, and sold on to another Irish operator.
24/10/2016
This week we are going back a decade to 2015, and to GT 4 passing through UCD Belfield with a service on route 17 to Rialto.
Route 17 started running between Dolphin's Barn and Blackrock around 1971, with its western terminus becoming Rialto around 1982. Until 1990, the Blackrock terminus was on Newton Avenue. It then moved to the railway station. In January 2016, Go-Ahead Ireland took over the operation of the route. The route ceased in November 2023 when Bus Connects brought in new orbital routes on the southside. Route 17 was partially replaced by route S6.
GT 4 was new to Dublin Bus in 2012, and is still in service today.
The bus is seen passing through the bus gate within UCD Belfield. During the peak periods, the road through the campus was closed to traffic, with the bus gate introduced to ensure only buses used the road. The bus gate was used in both directions, and the bollard in the middle of the road lowered to let the buses pass through. It was relatively new at the time, but shortly after this picture was taken the bollard was replaced with barriers. It is no longer in use. Bus gates are not a common feature on the Dublin Bus network, but a few do exist around the city. There is even one in Lucan that is no longer in use.
14/08/2015
This week we are throwing back to 1993, when Dublin Bus were experimenting with a new livery. After 6 years of two-tone green with an orange stripe, they decided to try something new. So KD 223 was painted into a livery comprising of two-tone green with an orange stripe. As can be seen when compared with the RH behind, the greens were adjusted with the top green made much paler and the lower green much darker. This experiment was not a success and the buses continued to be painted in the standard livery until the end of the decade. It wasn't all green in 1993 though as City Imp and City Swift were appearing on the streets.
KD 223 is seen in Dun Laoghaire about to operate to the City Centre with a 46A. Back then the route still served Stillorgan village. 13/04/1993
Pomona CA Jack, taken during a 1994 visit. Jack's still there, but looks a bit newer. That's my Hertz Ford Aerostar too.
Zeigt uns die schönsten sportlichen Erinnerungen bei #TBT anhand eurer alten Fotos! Zeigt uns, wie ihr geschwommen, gerannt und gesprungen seid. Zeigt uns eure Medaillen und Trophäen, das strahlende Gesicht eines Siegers oder das enttäuschte des Gegners.
Postet dafür entweder die URL eures Flickr-Fotos im Kommentarfeld auf unserer Facebook-Seite oder auf Twitter unter Verwendung folgender Hashtags: @Flickr #TBT #Sports
Eine Auswahl der besten Bilder zeigen wir im Anschluss Flickr Blog.
Originalfoto von The National Library of Ireland on The Commons.
This week we are going back twenty-six years to 1998 and RH 174 parked on Eden Quay. The bus is dressed for route 77A.
The 77A started running between the city centre and Tallaght in 1972. Initially its southern terminus was at St. Maelruen's Park, but between 1973 and the mid-1990s it moved to Bawnville Road, Bolbrook, Old Bawn Road, and finally The Square Shopping Centre. In 2011, under Network Direct, the 77A was extended beyond The Square to Citywest, where it still terminates today.
RH 174 was new to Dublin Bus in 1993. It was withdrawn in 2006 and sold on to another operator in the United Kingdom, where it provided at least another decade of service for a variety of owners.
The bus is in the new "core" livery for Dublin Bus which was introduced around the end of 1997. This marked the end of two-tone green livery on Dublin Bus, as exemplified on the bus stop and the buses in the background. Green would not return as the main livery for buses in Dublin until 2021.
11/04/1998
It is 1998 and a low-emissions trial is taking place with Dublin Bus. The previous year saw five low-floor single-deckers delivered to Dublin Bus. These in themselves were a novelty as they represented some of the first wheel-chair accessible buses in the fleet. The W-Class minibuses were another example. VL 1-5 were operated out of Donnybrook Garage and were mostly confined to routes 1,2 and 3. Passengers could identify which services they were on by the departure times in the timetable being written in red.
VL 6 arrived in 1998, and unlike the other 5, used natural gas as a power source. The trial was run in conjunction with Bord Gáis and the bus was used in service on routes 1,2 and 3. Whereas the other VLs survived with Dublin Bus until 2009, this one left the fleet in 2000. 19 years later, in early-2019, a number of buses have been on trial in Dublin and Cork to test alternative fuels to diesel that could reduce emissions. At least one of these trial buses involved natural gas.
Route 2 was a shortened version of route 3, providing extra capacity on the southside and only going as far as Parnell Square on the northside. It was merged into the new route 1 under Network Direct in 2012. O'Connell Street, 09/05/1998
This week we are only going back a decade, and to the north County Dublin coastal town of Skerries. AV 269 is seen about to drop off passengers while doing an evening trip on the 33 from Dublin to Balbriggan. The route can trace its origin back to the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) and started around 1929/1930. The railway company also provided railway services between Dublin, Skerries and Balbriggan (and to destinations further north). In 1958 the bus and rail services passed to CIE. It was only from the mid-1960s on did more and more services on the 33 get extended to Balbriggan.
AV 269 was delivered new to Dublin Bus in 2002 and started its career in Summerhill Garage. However, to be specific, it was initially based at the Skerries out-station, along with AV 266, 267 and 268. Thus it started its career on the 33 and was a regular on it for a number of years. It was withdrawn around 2015 and currently is in private ownership doing The Gravedigger Tour (though not during the Covid-19 lockdown).
The bus stop is worth noting as it does not have the stop number on it. This was just before every bus stop received an identifiable number that was tied into the real-time passenger information system.
Skerries 14/05/2010