New Mullingar-Belvedere bus service up and running
(Above) TFI Local Link Manager Damien O’Neill with his son at Belvedere.
“It would skin you,” said one of the people we met out walking in Belvedere. They were in the correct attire for an Irish October morning where the sun was blinding, the skies were bright blue and every so often the heavens opened to drench you in rain that appeared to come from every single direction including up from the ground.
TFI Local Link manager Damien O Neill and development officer Una D’Arcy were out on the maiden run of the pilot bus linking Mullingar to Belvedere and the town's two greenways.
"It’s big coat weather,” said Damien, which is not as lyrical as George Eliot’s “Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it,” which was the type of quote Una was angling for when looking for a soundbite to promote this service.
“The whole point of this bus is to link the town of Mullingar with the brilliant outdoors that surrounds it. The Royal Canal Greenway and the Old Rail Trail are both lovely for walking and cycling and Belvedere is just a brilliant day out for families. Don’t mind the weather we’ve all been cooped up long enough – dress for the autumn and just enjoy being outside and being active,” said Damien.
“Belvedere is stunning at this time of year, leaves are turning and there’s lots of treasure for kids on the trails from giant pine cones, sweet chestnuts, carved kings and tiny fairies. Lough Ennell was just this seemingly endless stretch of sunlight, you could sit there looking at that forever,” said Una, “I hope the bus does link people to this amazing place”.
One of the things that is crucial about public transport is that you can rely on it to be affordable, acceptable and most of all reliable.
“I missed the bus, “ explains Una, “I was caught in traffic on the way into town and as I was turning into the train station there’s the TFI Local Link bus pulling out bang on time. I had to double back and meet them in Bloomfield. The bus travels through the town centre with stops throughout the town. Its all on our timetable at TFI Local Link LWR.”
Una was a bit like Stephen Daedalus that day.
“My bus odyssey was just the best. I had a cappuccino in Bloomfield waiting for the bus I missed, then I had a lovely walk in Belvedere, lunch in Bloomfield back into Mullingar for a pot of tea, back out for my car and you can get whipped ice-cream in a lovely coffee dock in Bloomfield’s carpark and then treated the family to a gorgeous dinner in town. Mullingar is a such a brilliant town and there really is a great buzz about it at the minute.”
The pilot is co-funded by Failte Ireland and Westmeath County Council and will run every weekend in October and during the mid-term break.
“It was a lovely run out and a lovely morning out in Belvedere,” said Damien. “I hope the bus serves the area well and links people to the opportunity to get out and get active and enjoy this beautiful county.”
To view the timetable click here.