New bus route had a failed older cousin
THE local link bus which was recently launched to travel between Charleville and Newastlewest is not the first time that such a transport link between the two towns was instituted.
In the early part of the 20th Century Robert Massey Dawson Sanders of Sanders, Park House in Charleville conceived the idea of introducing a road train to link up Charleville and Newcastlewest in Co. Limerick. It would serve the needs of all the communities along its route, including Newtownshandrum, Milford, Dromcollogher, Feohanagh and so on to Newcastlewest town.
Sanders entered an agreement with the Renard Rail and Road Corporation Ltd of London to run the road train. It was designed to replace horse drawn carriages which, up to then, had been used to convey passengers and goods along the route.
Thus, the old way of life was to be transformed with the new mechanical engine, and it would be cheaper than horse travel.
The road train consisted of a steam driven front engine, to which were attached the passenger compartments and a goods and luggage van.
A large number of people turned out at Charleville train station in 1907 as the road train left on its trial run to the west Limerick town. However, the worst fears of some local people were soon realised when the train ran into difficulties on the occasions it failed to negotiate Kilbolane hill, outside of Milford village. This resulted in long delays to passengers and the loss of valuable time for people travelling to board the train at Charleville train station, or indeed bringing goods to the market place.
The road train was eventually withdrawn in 1908 and the tried and tested horse and carriage again assumed pride of place on the route. In that same year, that son of a Cork emigrant, Henry Ford, introduced his Model T motor car in Detroit, Michigan, and so changed the face of transport the world over, and Ireland was no exception, as its people soon graduated to the new mode of transport.
The modern Charleville/Newcastlewest local link bus service has now been expanded to include Castlemahon, Kilmeedy and Feenagh, and services the people in these areas, giving them access to the bigger urban areas of Charleville and Newcastlewest from Monday to Saturday each week. There is also a service from Charleville to Churchtown, Granagh to Charleville, Knocklong to Charleville, and from Charleville to Derraulin, Buruee every Friday, and one going from Ballyorgan to Ardpatrick, Kilmallock, Charleville and Doneraile from Monday to Friday.