New bus link between Athlone and Loughrea gets underway

A new Local Link bus service from Athlone to Loughrea commenced on Monday of this week, July 14.

There are a total of 17 stops on the Route 548 service from Athlone to Ballinasloe, with seven further stops to Loughrea.

Stop from Athlone to Ballinasloe include: Athlone Station, Northgate Street, Luan Gallery, lona Park, Annesfield Woods, Bellough, Orwell Grove, Summerhill, Kielty, Cornafulla, Clonark, Thomastown Demense, Ballydangan, Glentaun, Creagh, Ballinasloe, and Ballinasloe Station.

The new bus route will involve four return trips per day, seven days a week.

The service has been welcomed by Roscommon-Galway TD Martin Daly, who described it as "great news for local travel in South Roscommon".

He added that the new service will mean "easier access to work, school, healthcare, and more for everyone along the route".

A local community group campaigning for the introduction of a local bus service between Athlone and Ballinasloe was established in Moore last year, and a community survey was also carried out on the issue.

Speaking upon its establishment, campaigner Sean O'Rourke said that the area did have an excellent bus service in the 90s and early 2000s, but that it had since diminished.

"We want more of a local service to get to key areas in the key towns. We're not expecting a bus to bring us to Dublin or Galway, we just want a link to the local health centres, to get to work, or to get to TUS," Sean added.