New Route 15:


Ringsend's AX490 is seen operating the first Ringsend operated 15 departure from Clongriffin on the 18th December 2011. For some reason the Ringsend buses observed by the author were unable to display Stocking Avenue, picking 15-Clongriffin no matter what was displayed. It seemed one or two of the Harristown buses were also affected but not all.

The latest super route to hit the city streets is Route 15 operating from Clongriffin to Stocking Avenue which started on the 18th December 2011, the amalgamation of Routes 15, 74 and 128. Starting from Clongriffin the route heads as per route 128 to city via Clare Hall and the Malahide Road. Avoiding its previous Burgh Quay stop the 15 now joins the plethora of buses serving the very narrow Hawkins Street before joining the previous 15 route from College Street to Knocklyon serving St. Stephen's Green, Rathmines, Rathgar, Terenure and Templeogue en route. The route only serves one of the 15's previous stops on Scholarstown Road, turning right at Orlaith roundabout onto the St. Colmcille's Way as per Route 15F. It then turns left onto the Ballycullen Road proceding as per former Route 74 to Stocking Avenue to terminate.


Harristown's AX501 is seen at the Stocking Avenue terminus of Route 15 on the 18th December 2011.

The 15 is an avid reminder of all that went wrong in our greedy tiger economy. Both its termini lie in ambitiously planned developments, less than half finished. Brown field sites lie next to oversized apartment complexes, next to vast acreage of green fields. Dublin Bus was quick to mark their territory with regards to these two estates, but the vision of these towns within a city has long since crumbled, leaving much less patronage than had at first been considered. That said both areas are well served by this frequent cross city route.


Ringsend's AX481 is seen laying over in Clongriffin having just completed the first 15 departure from Stocking Avenue on the 18th December 2011.


Harristown's AX506 is seen on the Ballycullen Road in former 74 territory at Woodstown on the 18th December 2011.

Incredibly Stocking Avenue has gone from 55 departures daily split evenly among Routes 74 and 74A to 145 departures daily split among Routes 15 and 15B. The 15B operates from a new terminus at Grand Canal Docks (Benson Street), former home of Routes 74 and 74A, which it shares with Route 15A. It follows the convoluted former Route 74/A routing from Benson Street, outbound via City Quay and Pearse Street, inbound via North Wall Quay and the Samuel Beckett Bridge. From College Street it follows the former 15B routing to the Rathgar Road where it turns left onto Orwell Road, onto Zion Road and Bushy Park Road. It then heads down the Rathfarnham Road before turning right onto Butterfield Avenue, then left into Anne Devlin Park, Ballyboden Road where it rejoins the former 74A route via Stocking Lane to Stocking Avenue.


Ringsend's AV248 is seen turning off North Wall Quay onto the Samuel Beckett Bridge heading for its new Grand Canal Docks terminus on the 18th December 2011.

The Benson Street terminus of Routes 15A and 15B is a lonely place, tucked away among a lot of empty office blocks. Its a kind of eeriely quiet location for a terminus. The 74 and 74A have served this terminus for a few years now, however for some time they had been "diverted" away from it at weekends due to some parking issues. However the 15A and 15B do serve the location at weekends and today, like any other time I have visited this location, there was no parking problems, nor people to contend with in general on Benson Street.


Ringsend's AX477 is seen at the Grand Canal Docks terminus of Routes 15A and 15B on the 18th December 2011.


Ringsend's AV248 is seen turning off North Wall Quay onto the Samuel Beckett Bridge heading for its new Grand Canal Docks terminus on the 18th December 2011.

The final change to note is that of Route 140. With Route 128's, and 14A's a few months back, the two non peak hour services to Darty were removed. To fill the void the 140 has been extended away from its Leeson Street terminus to Rathmines along the 128 routing terminating at Palmerstown Park. The 140 has been decimated, with frequency mostly half what it was before. It was hoped that a Palmerstown Park shot would accompany this feature, however though the author waited for the 1430 ex Palmerstown Park it never showed. I don't know who was more dissappointed, me or the 8 people who were waiting, plus 3 more on Cowper Road. That said your author is made of sterner stuff and watched all those people find alternative transport before finally giving up at 1440. An hour gap, in the blistering cold is just not good enough. A somewhat iconic shot at Rathmines will have to do, that clock tower being the backdrop of many fantastic dublin bus shots throughout the ages.


Harristown's AX505 is seen on the Rathmine's Road operating newly extended Route 140 on the 18th December 2011.

N.B. This website is not affiliated with Dublin Bus. The information contained herein is intended for enthusiast reference. For all current timetable and route information please refer to the official Dublin Bus Website.