The Tipperary Transport Coordination Unit (TTC) financed by the Dept. of Transport in conjunction with Tipperary Co. Council, got approval last week, under the Tipperary Local Transport Initiative, to provide a twice daily bus service from Ballingarry (South) to Thurles.
The service will serve Ballingarry, Killenaule, Glengoole, Ballynonty, Littleton, Thurles Town centre and the Thurles 3rd level college campus – Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT).
In particular geared to serving the College, and a Thurles workforce, it will also we understand, link, in Killenaule village, to the service visiting Clonmel, thus removing at least some feelings of total isolated from small rural communities, which they have been experiencing over past years.
The TTC Unit is based in the Templemore / Thurles Municipal Offices here in Thurles. The service, as with Bus Éireann commercial services, will remain free to those over 65 and the fares, we understand, will be fairly and competitively priced.
Operating Times of New Ballingarry (South) to Thurles Bus Service.
The new Ballingarry to Thurles service, as stated, will operate twice each day; five days per week (Mon -Friday), beginning from Ballingarry at 7.50am and 12.20pm, to arrive in Thurles LIT at 8.57am and 1.27pm.
Same will return from Thurles at 2.00pm and 5.45pm, arriving back in Ballingarry at 3.05pm and 6.50pm respectively.
The service is expected to begin in July next (2017) and for the moment at least, will not run on Church or National Holidays.
VERY GOOD
Whilst I welcome this service and wish it’ll be a success, it’ll be very hard to convince people to use this service. Bus Éireann then J.J Kavanagh ran services to Kilkenny via Ballingarry during the 1990s/2000s. The buses would often leave Thurles empty. (Limerick to Thurles leg iirc was well used) What’s needed in Thurles is for the Bus Éireann Dublin/Cork service (X12) diverted to serve the town. Iarnród Éireann has a monopoly in the town and with its high fares is giving other large towns and cities an unfair economic and social advantage.