Photo of the Week - Week 24:


Former Harristown RV629 is seen operating a Route 238 service to Tyrellstown on Tyrellstown Boulevard on the 31st August 2012.

Route 238 was was introduced the day that the Blanchardstown Centre opened, the 16th October 1996, along with Routes 237 and 239 which were interworked. It was operated out of Phibsborough Depot with minibuses. Its routing was as follows:

Blanchardstown Shopping Centre (South Road - Terminus outside Plex, then West, and North Road (stopping at PC World)), Old Navan Road, Church Road, Layswell Road (looping at roundabout), Church Road, Blanchardstown Road North, Ballycoolin Road, Snugboro Road, Corduff, Blackcourt Road, Blanchardstown Road North, Old Navan Road, Blanchardstown Shopping Centre (North Road, then West, then south, looping at roundabout and terminating outside The Plex).

The Blanchardstown Centre termini change from the south side to the West side of the square in November 2006, buese still exiting via the North road of the square via PCWorld. Circa 2007 the 238 changed routing with no fanfare what so ever. In fact, it was never even mentioned on the Dublin Bus website. The routing made use of the Castlecurragh Estate on the return from Ladyswell, a great time saving given the traffic tailbacks that plagued the routing from Ladyswell to Blanchardstown Road North via Mulhuddart Village. It also looped into the Ballycoolin Business Park like the 236.

On the 9th October 2009, the Ballycoolin Road was closed. The diversion put in place was for buses to continue north along Kilshane Way, turning right into Ballycoolin Industrial Estate via a bus gate. It exited Ballycoolin Industrial Estate heading directly south along Snugborough Road. The routing was as follows:

Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, Blanchardstown Road South, Mulhuddart Road, Church Road, Ladyswell Road (to first roundabout and loop back out), Castlecurragh Road, Blanchardstown Road North, Kilshane Way, Right at first roundabout (at the ESB Depot), on the OS map there is a gap between this road and the road leading towards Ballycoolin Business Park however here there is now a bus gate, it follows this road taking the 3rd right after the bus gate (previously served by the 238), straight through the junction onto Snugborough Road, Corduff Place, Corduff Way, Blackcourt Avenue, Blackcourt Road, Blanchardstown Road North, Blanchardstown Road South, Blanchardstown Centre.

The 238 was extensively modified on the 30th October 2010. Instead of the route being a circular service from Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, it now passed through the centre to termini actually quite close to each other. Terminating at Ladyswell the route was routed via Mulhuddart Village both to and from Blanchardstown Centre. This was due to Route 38's withdrawal from Mulhuddart Village, being routed directly through Castlecurragh Estate. Upon reaching Blanchardstown Centre the route continued as a former Route 236 service to Tyrellstown, which was reduced back to its FactoryLink peak hour only service. The full routing was as follows:

Ladyswell Road, Church Road, Old Navan Road, Blanchardstown Road North, Blanchardstown Centre (stopping on West and North Roads), Old Navan Road, Snugborough Road, Ballycoolin Road, Tyrellstown Road, Tyrellstown Boulevard, Tyrellstown (Park Plaza Hotel).

The most recent change saw the 238 return to serving Corduff from the 21st August 2011. The current routing then became:

Ladyswell Road, Church Road, Old Navan Road, Blanchardstown Road North, Blanchardstown Centre (stopping on West and North Roads), Old Navan Road, Snugborough Road, Corduff Place, Corduff Way, Blackcourt Avenue, Blackcourt Road, Blanchardstown Road North, Ballycoolin Road, Tyrellstown Road, Tyrellstown Boulevard, Tyrellstown (Park Plaza Hotel).


RV625 is seen in its very final days operating Route 238 on the 6th October 2012 at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre.

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.