Irish column: Travel in Ireland through the years

Taisteal inniu agus inné

Thosaigh an chéad seirbhís chóiste idir Baile Átha Cliath agus Béal Feirste ar an 16 Aibreán 1752. Tharraing sé chapall an cóiste. Mhair an turas trí lá - d’achar céad míle. Stop an cóiste i nDroichead Átha agus in Iúr Cinn Trá thar oíche. Turas contúirteach a bhí ann mar gheall ar na ropairí bothair. Chomh maith leis sin, cuireadh barraíocht bagáiste isteach sa chóiste.

Thosaigh Charles Bianconi seirbhís rialta i dTiobrad Arann i 1815 agus taobh istigh de cúpla bliain chlúdaigh a chóistí cuid ollmhór den tír. Ach mar gheall ar chomórtas ó na traenacha tháinig titim in éileamh ar na cóistí capaill, cé go raibh mórán acu ag rith paisinéirí ag tús an 20ú haois go fóill.

Thosaigh traenacha Loch Súilí ag rith idir Doire agus Dún na nGall i 1863. Bhí na tiománaithe iontach deas, iontach garúil. Ach de réir cosúlachta, ní raibh na traenacha ró-ghasta. Deirtear go raibh fear ag siúl lá amháin idir Ceann an Droichead agus Bun Cranncha. Stop an tiománaí traenach agus scairt sé: ‘Ar mhaith leat síob?’ ‘Níor mhaith, go raibh maith agat,’ a dúirt mo dhuine. Siúlfaidh mé. Tá deifir orm.’

Thosaigh Loch Súilí seirbhís bus i 1928. Tá an dá sheirbhís ar shiúl anois ar ndóigh, ach tá na seirbhísí iompar pobail níos riachtanaí ná riamh.

Tá sé an-deacair carr a choinneáil ar an bhóthar de bharr phraghas an pheitril. Feicfimid roimh i bhfad go bhfuil na busanna de dhíth má théann stailc tiománaithe Bhus Uladh ar aghaidh. Agus má leanann praghas an pheitril ag ardú, b’fhéidir go mbeidh na cóistí capaill ag teacht ar ais.

Nóta teanga : Tá sé ag imeacht i gcóiste. He is travelling by coach. Also: He is well off.

English

Travel today and yesterday

The first stage-coach service between Dublin and Belfast started on 16 April 1752. The coach was pulled by six horses.The journey lastd three days. The coach stopped overnight in Drogheda and Newry. It was a dangerous journey because of highway robbers. As well as that, there was too much luggage put on the coach.

Charles Bianconi began a regular service in Tipperary in 1815 and within a few years his coaches covered a large part of the country. But because of competition from the trains there was a fall in demand for stage coaches, although many of them were still carrying passengers at the beginning of the 20th century. The Lough Swilly trains began running between Derry and Donegal in 1863. The drivers were very nice, very obliging. Apparently the trains were not very fast.

The story is told of a man walking one day between Bridgend and Buncrana. The train driver stopped and shouted ‘Would you like a lift?’ ‘No thanks’, your man replied. ‘I’ll walk. I am in a hurry.’ The Lough Swilly bus service started in 1928.The two services are gone now, but public transport services are more important than ever.

It is very difficult to keep a car on the road because of the price of petrol. We shall soon see how the buses are needed if the Ulsterbus drivers’ strike goes ahead. And if the price of petrol keeps rising, perhaps the stagecoaches will be making a come-back.