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Papers: List of Papers 2002-04 |
The Coasting Trade Terry Conlan |
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A History of the Bus Services in Skerries |
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Members of Skerries Historical Society were treated to this detailed paper given by Bob Laird on Tuesday 10th. June, 2003. There was also an appreciative attendance of past and present busmen, who thanked Bob for his accurate and interesting paper. The DUTC (Dublin United Tramway Company) was incorporated in 1896. In 1925 DUTC secured the rights to operate bus services and within two years had opened up thirteen routes. By 1935 DUTC had taken over virtually all routes. The first DUTC double deckers were introduced in December 1937 and over the next twelve years they replaced all the trams. By 1949 the double decker bus dominated public transport in Dublin. The DUTC merged with rail and provincial bus operator GSR to form CIE in 1945. The first GNR bus route was a connection between Drogheda town and station in January 1929. The GNR was a progressive company with very high engineering standards and attention to passenger service. It put emphasis on performance and reliability in design of buses, and was ahead of its time with the introduction of passenger comforts such as heaters and platform doors. In 1958 the GNR was divided up, and its rail operations transferred to CIE and UTA. The Cross-border rail route has been jointly operated since. The GNR had not operated bus services in Northern Ireland since 1935, so all its buses passed to CIE. The railway carried all passenger and goods traffic into and out of Skerries until the early 1920s, except coal, which came by sea. The railway was also used for mail. In the early 20th century, public transport was provided by five hackney (horse) owners, who between them had five jaunting cars and one four wheel cab. Although charabancs with excursion parties were fairly common towards the end of World War 1, it was November 1926 when the first bus service in Skerries started. This was locally based and run by the Pratt brothers. They operated on behalf of the GNR from The Brewery and the town centre to connect with all trains at the station. The fare to the station on Pratt's bus was 2d. At a later stage they operated a second bus to the city via Rush and Lusk. Alo Collier and Gerry Cullen drove Pratt's buses. One of the buses was nicknamed Ben Hur. The GNR took over Pratt on 14th July 1929, and introduced its own buses. The GNR had a shed built at Skerries station in April 1929 for two buses. In the meantime, the Pirate Bus Company had commenced services from Dublin to Skerries about 1928. A Mr. Murphy who lived in Marino owned this company. This service operated until 1932. In January 1932 GNR bought out the Skerries operation of this company and three of its buses. The GNR became the operator of all buses on the Skerries to Dublin route. The October 1932 timetable indicates that there were 13 journeys a day to Dublin and 12 on Sunday. The journey officially took one hour. There were 20 local town services to the station, 13 on Sunday. Mass buses connected Loughshinny to Skerries 1000 and Rush 0830 and 1130 on Sunday mornings. There was no bus connection between Skerries and Balbriggan. When the Keane family took over the running of the public house at the Monument in 1930, it was already known as the Bus Bar. Every town had an agency for the bus companies, and the Bus Bar was the agency in Skerries. Small parcels would be sent to and from the city by bus, and the agency got a commission of 2d for every parcel handled. |
The family also got one free family trip a year anywhere on the Irish railway system. However, the agency had its problems, as often perishable goods would arrive for farmers outside the town, and as there was no way of informing them the Keane's would end up driving the parcel to them, and all for 2d. The buses also carried live animals, such as day old chick. Buses were also used for the delivery of both morning and evening newspapers. Up to the late 1970s, morning papers were delivered by bus from the railway stations to local newsagents in both Skerries and Rush. The standard front engine, driver sitting over the engine, rear entrance bus was becoming out-dated in the 1950s. Economies required forward entrance so drivers could collect fares. The urgency was greater for single deckers, and the solution was easier. This was to put the engine under the floor. This could not be done on double deckers because it would raise the overall height of the bus too much. Some years later rear engine double deckers were designed. Bus tours were very much part of the culture. GNR ran mystery tours on Thursday evenings from Skerries in the summer. The cost was 5/-, bus left at 1915 and returned at 2230 after "A delightful trip of about 50 miles". There was also a Thursday evening tour from Drogheda to Skerries for 3/6. Red Island was a source of much business for the GNR in summer in the 1950s. There could be as many as ten buses meeting the B & I boat on a Saturday. Buses also ran from Westland Row connecting with the Dun Laoire boat train, and from Dublin Airport. The staff got a letter dated 29th September 1958 formally telling them of the change of company, and that all moneys owed to them by GNR would be paid by CIE. The switch from GNR to CIE did not affect working conditions, as the GNR had conceded CIE rates and conditions some years earlier. When the GNR passed over to CIE in 1958, there were nine drivers and nine conductors based in Skerries, and one crew in Rush. Most of the conductors were friendly and chatty, and would get to know and make conversation with their regular passengers. Jack Campbell says that the service was very flexible and each conductor knew the regular passengers on each bus. If they did not turn up some day, they may wait at the corner to see if they were coming. This all changed in the 1970s when the population expanded; there were more new passengers; and Summerhill based crew who were not familiar with local customs became more regular. Also there was more supervision from Dublin, and local customs such as allowing smoking downstairs were frowned upon. CIE took over the GNR buses services and its trains in the Republic from 1 October 1958. This brought about some change in culture and use of language. The GNR never had buses, only omnibuses. They never had drivers, only motormen. They never had bus stops, but used CIE stops in the city area. They never had route numbers, and their destination was Dublin. For CIE, it was Eden Quay, City Centre or later An Lar. CIE gave route number 33 to the Skerries bus. The North County Dublin services caused some difficulty, as CIE was not certain whether they should be part of the city or provincial sector. It was unusual for city buses to be outbased, the only other example being Bray. Yet there was a commitment to the crew that they would be left in Skerries, and this has remained to this day. |