The End of the 19s, the end of the former 83:


Phibsborough's AX569 awaits its time at the former 19 terminus on the Jamestown Road, with AV445 also on former Route 19A which shared the terminus, on the 3rd July 2010.

There has been a slight slow down in Network Direct changes, there being a definite bi-weekly event for the last while now. This gives us the chance to look back at some of the lost routes from recent reorganisations. Route 19, and the route number 19A, along with the RVs and the Finglas Village routing of the 83 bowed out on the 27th August 2011. The 19A was basically renumbered the 9, the 83 becoming a low floor route while covering the 19s Glasnevin North section. A full feature is available here.

Routes 19/A:

The big loss of this Network Direct phase was the 19 route from Jamestown Road to Bulfin Road. This route had a long and varied history, something which would be more suited to a full route feature. This will happen someday, but until then I'll throw as many trinkets of information that I can remember from memory into this article.


VG5 on the very last day of Route 19, the 27th August 2011. DT9 and RV567 on a special enthusiast run surround it. The grey skies are overhead as the route faces its final few hours.

The 19, in the form that we all knew it, began on the 4th December 1899. The tram route was electrified and made cross city with the merger of the former Dolphin's Barn and Glasnevin routes. An extension to Rialto came 6 years later, and the tram route remained relatively static for the rest of its existence. The number 20 was used for a time for 19 services via St. Stephen's Green, while the 19A was used to signify short workings to Dolphin's Barn only. The 19 tram was withdrawn on the 4th March 1939. By this stage the Rialto section had been dropped, the route again working from Glasnevin to Dolphin's Barn.


Phibsborough's AV431 is seen turning into the very narrow Glaslawn Road in the Tolka Estate on former Route 19 on the 13th August 2011.

Buses took over from the next day with two distinct, though almost identical routes. Route 19 from Glasnevin Hill to Rialto, Route 19A from Mobhi Road (Corner of Griffith Avenue) to Rialto. In the late 50s/early 60s Route 19 was extended to Tolka Estate. By 1963 both routes had joined each other at the corner of Glasnevin Avenue and Benevin Road, with both routes operating basically the routes they did up to the present days. By the mid 60s, the routes were extended to Cedarwood Road, terminating at the green there. Buses went up Grove Park Road and down Grove Road, something which the 83 does to this very day. This terminus didn't last so long, by the early 1970s buses went up Grove Park Road, turned left and turned left again onto Grove Road to terminate before operating back into the city. It should be noted at this point that the 19 operated via Berkely Road and turned right at Doyle's Corner until the late 1960s. The routing via Broadstone came about due to traffic reorganisation at the junction, and so the 19s became synomynous with Broadstone.


Phibsborough's AV393 is seen loading at DCU on the Ballymun Road operating a Route 19A service to Limekiln Avenue on the 22nd May 2010.

Strangely the 19 will be remembered as the route that was withdrawn from the Bulfin estate. Much fuss has been made about this withdrawal, protests, many unresearched articles in the press. Many claims were made by some of the residents that they could not recall a time before the 19s and its senvice to Wexford Street, Aungier Street etc... Well in fact it must be a case of selective amnesia, as the 19 only operated to Bulfin Estate for just over 20 years. Prior to this there was the 20/B which didn't operate via Aungier Street or Wexford Street, instead it went via St. Stephen's Green. The 19/A replaced the 20B to Bulfin Estate on the 16th October 1988. On the northside the 19A was amended also due to route rationalisation. With the withdrawal of Route 35 on the 13th November 1988, Route 19A instead terminated on McKee Avenue. From Glasnevin Avenue, the buses turned up Grove Park Road, then onto Sycamore Road, turning left onto McKee Avenue, terminating close to the corner. Then they operated the length of McKee Avenue, left onto Clune Road, left onto Ballygall Road West before continuing on its former routing at Glasnevin Avenue.


Phibsborough's AV51 is seen operating Route 19 on Grove Park Road on the 13th August 2011.

As the 90s progressed the 19/A service to Bulfin Road was considered to be too frequenct. More and more 19 services, mostly 19As, were being cut short from the southern terminus. By the mid-90s Route 19A was only operating to Kelly's Corner. The final great amendment to the 19 services came on the 22nd April 2001, when the 19A acquired the successful minibus route 155, being extended from its Kelly Corner terminus along the 155 route to its Limekiln Avenue terminus. This saw a significant increase in frequency of the routes, and it also saw the northern terminus of the routes reunited, at a large bus layover on the Jamestown Road.


Phibsborough's AX574 is seen at the 19A terminus at Limekiln Avenue on the 27th August 2011, its final day of operation. Harristown's DT9 is seen alongside on an enthusiast special, synonymous with the 19s when they were based in Broadstown Depot. DT9 shows the new scrolls for Route 9 which took over the next day.

The 19 was a very significant route. It had a number of distinctions. It was the second cross city tram service. It was the first route to get Leyland Atlantean buses with D4 having the notable distinction of being the first ever D in service on the 29th November 1966, the 19s being the first route to be fully converted. In the summer of 1969 35 buses operating routes 19/A were equipped with open-call radio telephones, controlled by one stance inspector in 59 O'Connell Street, a precursor to AVM. At this stage the route was operated in Summerhill, switching to Phibsborough upon its opening in 1971. It was also a forerunner in the roll out of the AVM system, featuring heavily on a "Tomorrow's World Program" based on CIE's innovative scheme.


Darren Hall's wonderfully kept D464 is seen at Glasnamana Road operating a farewell trip to Route 19 on the route's last day in service, the 27th August 2011, the route that brought in the D-class being bade farewell by one of the few surviving examples.

In more recent times, the 19 was the first route to become both smoke-free and dual door operated, when the route went OPO on the 20th December 1988. Prior to this the up-stairs saloon had been free for smoking, how much has actually changed since.... The dual-door trial proved unsuccessful, however the whole system became smoke-free in a short time. The DT-class were also first into service on the 19s, operating from Broadstone for a short period until they were shipped off to Harristown. DT9's appearance on Route 19 for its last day was a special occassion. Thanks goes, as ever, to Tony Murray and Barry Millar for their excellent contribution to this farewell day.


AX588 is seen operating Route 19 on Glasnevin/Washerwoman's Hill at the Met Eireann offices on the 13th August 2011.

To me the 19 will always be synonymous with Tolka Estate. The narrowness of the roads in the estate were at times sureal. I think we can honestly say that another route will never operate around Glasnamana Green. It was amazing to go through this estate on a bus. The last 19 image for this section comes in the form of AX585 carefully making the turn from Glasnamana Place onto Glasnamana Road. A video is also included of the route from Glasnevin Hill to Jamestown Road, showing some of the narrower elements of the Tolka Estate routing.


AX585 is seen operating Route 19 to Bulfin Road on Glasnamana Road on the 13th August 2011.


Video of Route 19 from Glasnevin Hill to Jamestown Road.

The Old 83:

The 83 in many respects is much the same as it was. However there are some very important differences in its routing around Finglas Village. The main difference, is it no longer serves Finglas Village directly, and there are now no services into Ballygall Estate or McKee Avenue.


Harristown's RV566 is seen after a heavy downpour in Finglas Village operating Route 83 to Harristown on the 27th August 2011.

Another very important change to the route is that it is no longer allocated the RV-class of buses, that have been the workhorses of the route for many years. It has instead been upgraded to modern lowfloor EV and VG class buses. Thus the last Saturday of the 19s, also saw the end of RV operation on the 83 route, well except for the odd one that will operate until the Network Reorganisation has calmed down.


Harristown's RV564 is seen operating Route 83 turning left from Finglas Place onto Finglas Place on the 27th August 2011.

The 83 has only been associated with Finglas for 10 years, the 134 being amalgamated into the new cross-city 83 on the 9th March 2003. Route 134 itself had only existed for less that 8 years at that point, taking over from Route 34. Both routes operated to McKelvey Avenue, the 83 continuing to terminate there. In fact it operated the entire 134 routing.


Former Harristown RV561 is seen operating Route 83 on the St. Margaret's Road, opposite McKelvey Avenue on the 27th August 2011.

Having been operated by Ringsend prior to the amalgamation, Route 83 switched to Phibsborough, the depot of the 134 and the 34. Strangely for a Finglas Route, the 34 had been garaged in Ringsend up to the opening of Phibsborough. It's strange how things come full circle, the 34 being a former Ringsend route outside of Ringsend territory, being amalgamated with a long serving Ringsend route. Then on the 7th November 2004, a week after Harristown opened, the 83 was moved there, the route being extended to the depot.


Harristown's RV626 is seen operating a Route 83 service to Kimmage on Ballygall Road West on the 27th August 2011. It is however showing its other destination on its scroll, that of Harristown.

The new extension, with the poor condition of roads around the back of the airport, meant that Low Floor buses weren't suited to the route. The RVs became the bus of choice, however over the years this road has improved and hence low floor buses are now assigned to the route.


Harristown's RV570 is seen on Ballygall Crscent on the last day of RV service on route 83, the 27th August 2011.

I suppose, from an enthusiasts point of view, it will be the Ballygall estate that will be missed the most. Though given the amount of times that buses have been withdrawn for stone throwing, probably not for Dublin Bus operational staff. Ballygall offered such narrow roads, as the bus snaked about on itself. I took a number of lovely shots on the last day, it was only when I got them home that I realised they were nearly all taken on Ballygall Cresent!! Ballygall estate was first served on the inception of Route 34 in 1954. Interestingly it was served in the opposite direction to modern times. Buses operated up the north quays serving Chancery Place and Chancery Street in both directions, before operating through Broadstone and Phibsborough. Buses then continued to Finglas Village along the Finglas Road, heading into Finglas Village before turning right at Ballygall Road West, and again onto Ballygall Parade before continuing along Glasanon Road to terminate at the corner of Griffith Parade.


Harristown's RV587 operating Route 83 to Kimmage on the last day of RV operation is seen at Ballygall Crescent about to turn right onto Glasanon Road on the 27th August 2011.

In the early 60s this was reversed when the route was extended to Finglas North. Buses instead served Glasnevin Hill and Ballygall Road West, Glasanon Road, Ballygall Parade, Ballygall Road West to Finglas Village before heading up the North Road. By the mid-1960s the route was altered to snake back on itself, listed as Glasanon Road, Ballygall Parade, Ballygall Crescent, Finglas Place, Main Street. This is correct in terms of road names to this day. However the way the route was shown on a map, up to the withdrawal of the route from the estate, differs from that which it actually operated in modern times. The os and Dublin Bus published materials show the route as follows: Glasanon Road, Ballygall Parade, Ballygall Crescent (all correct up to the witdrawal of the route). However on Ballygall Crescent the route continues around to the left, as the road goes, and the bus turns immediately right onto Finglas Place, continuing right from Finglas Place onto Finglas Place heading towards the N2, and then right again from Finglas Place to Finglas Place to the old CitySwift 40 terminus. In modern times buses continued along Ballygall Crescent past the greens, before turning right heading to Finglas Place as shown in the photo of RV570. The section of Finglas Place noted on the map as served, though unserved, is very narrow. I wonder was it even possible for two DD's to have past each other on this section of road. If anyone has any further details on this I'd be delighted to hear them.


Harristown's, former Conyngham Road, RV592 is seen turning onto Ballygall Crescent on the last day of Route 83 in Ballygall Estate on the 27th August 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.