From Sunday 26th January 2025, there will be some changes for bus routes in Kilternan through the Bus Connects programme. As I’ve done with previous bus changes, I’m putting together some info specifically for local residents in our area. But still, all the official information is here on the NTA’s website too.
I’ve tried to give a guide to the changes below and I hope you find the information helpful. Please reach out to me directly if you have any questions or feedback. I shared some feedback with the NTA on previous Bus Connects changes and received a response, which you can read here, so they do take on feedback.
If you live in Leopardstown Valley, Ballyogan, Clay Farm, The Gallops and surrounding areas and would like to know how the change from the 63 affects you, I have a guide for your area here.
Background to Bus Connects
The bus network in Dublin evolved bit by bit since last century with not much joined-up thinking behind it. The NTA ran a number of consultations between 2017 and 2019 which resulted in the new Dublin bus network being released in September 2020. Many politicians have tried to influence the routes but the decisions on the routes have been made by the professional Transport Planners in the NTA. Only fairly minor changes have been made following political and public pressure.
Since 2021, the NTA have been rolling this new network out in phases. The next is Phase 6a, which is launching on the 26th January.
One thing that’s relatively new is the 90 minute Leap card fare. This means that you just pay once if you’ve to transfer to a different bus/Luas/DART within 90 minutes of the start of your journey. This was brought in by the Greens in the last government along with half price fares for young adults and full-time students. You can buy a Leap card here.
Changes for Kilternan
These are the changes for Kilternan (and wider Glenamuck, Carrickmines area):
| Staying the same | New routes | Routes being removed |
| Route 44 | Route L26 (every 30 mins) | Route 63 (every 30 mins) |
| Route 118 | Route L27 (every 30 mins) |
The new bus, the L26, will run every 30 minutes. It will follow the same route as the 63 down Glenamuck Road. The current plan is for it not to turn into Carrickmines Park shopping centre. It also will not turn down to Leopardstown Valley. Then it’ll go straight over the M50, following the same route as the 63 down to Cornelscourt. The L26 bus will then turn left at Cornelscourt Shopping Centre, and go straight over the N11 down Clonkeen Road.
The L26 will then go down Clonkeen Road to Deansgrange village. Anyone looking to go to Dún Laoghaire or IADT or Monkstown will be able to get off the L26 at Deansgrange and then take the new E2 bus (every 8 minutes at peak hour) straight to Dún Laoghaire.
From Deansgrange, the L26 bus will go straight down Deansgrange Road turning left at the traffic lights and along the new road, turning right onto Carysfort Avenue at the next junction. The L26 will continue down Carysfort, past UCD Smurfit and into Blackrock village to Blackrock DART station.
There are other routes changing around Dublin too, but this is the change affecting Kilternan. Some of the other buses may be worth knowing about as well. The best way to check how your specific journeys will best be done by public transport after the changes on 26th January are:
- Install TFI Live for Android or TFI Live for iPhone on your phone.
- Use the TFI Plan A Journey tool on the web.
For some common destinations that people commute to from Kilternan, I’ve put together a Kilternan Bus Connects guide for each of them below. I hope you find it useful to compare current routes to the new routes.
L26 bus timetables
The timetable for the L26 and other new buses is here.
Feedback and further changes
Are there other trips you take from/to Kilternan that you’d like help with? Or have some questions about the above? Please contact me, I’m more than happy to help.
I have been in contact with the NTA to seek better and clearer communications for a smoother transition to these new routes. They are delivering a leaflet to homes and businesses along all the new routes. I’ve requested a digital copy of the leaflet and will upload it here once I have it.
The NTA’s page with all of the details on the Kilternan Bus Connects changes and other new routes as part of Phase 6a is here.
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