Togher Number 14 Bus - est. October 1946

 

Bus at Togher Cross 1940s

 local children with driver Billy Ryan

On the morning of October 14th 1946 at 7.30 a.m. , the sleepy village of Togher was rudely awakened from its slumber by the rattling of a green single Decker bus. This was the initial run of its very first public service route provided by C.I.E. and prompted the local saying " Stay in by the wall and mind the buses! " which has now gone into Cork folklore and legend as one of it's most famous quips. On that fateful day , the local populace were so enthralled , that they turned out in their droves at each stop to witness the next passing of " De Bus " with the number 14 boldly displayed above its cabin ,  to cheer on the driver and his conductor and to wish them well , whilst still others clambered on board to experience this new novelty in their neighbourhood. Back then , before all of the modern developments and new roads , the 14 would stop at Togher Cross for a break and the men would duly visit The Forge for a chat with the Blacksmith.

The famous Number 14 bus at St. Patricks St , Cork

It must be noted and remembered that Togher owes a great debt of gratitude to the members of the Togher Community Development Association through whose sheer hard work and determination ensured that its first public bus service was instigated by Córas Iompair Éireann. Many prolonged meetings were conducted under the light of an oil lamp in the National School ( now Community Centre ) attended by locals as well as many influential citizens including David Allen of Doughcloyne from the Sinn Fein branch to lobby and ensure Togher was brought into the 20th Century as a district in its own right with modern services and conveniences. Another feather in their cap was the opening of a Post Office the following year - 1947. The association was also responsible for many other works being instigated by the Councils , including Public Lighting , Sanitation , Road Improvements and Sewerage.

Bus outing at Togher National School 1930s

Of course this was not the first time that the people of Togher had seen a bus , as many school children going back as far as the 1930s would have been fortunate to ride on the specially commissioned green buses under the guise of Irish Omnibus Company as part of a school outing. But having a unique route and service applied to Togher was something very special indeed and it's perhaps poignant that the service which was once so new and special will shortly celebrate 70 years since its first appearance. From single Decker's to double Decker's and a ha'penny fare , the memories are endless of this indispensable part of Toghers history.

The " Flying Snail " logo 1950s

The " Broken Wheel " logo 1960s ~ 1980s

Over the course of the intervening decades , the service has greatly expanded , the fleet updated and upgraded but memories of langys and bus rolls will live on forever. Many Togher school children from the 1970s will remember when C.I.E. laid on a school run which consisted of a single decker and a double decker for the princely sum of 1 new pence and 2 new pence respectively. Today , the famous Number 14 has the prefix 2 added to it , but this does not detract from its special place in the hearts of locals and its integral role in the overall development of the district.

Number 14 Bus at Sunday's Well 1970

Driver Sean Lucey and Paddy Caulfield

( Courtesy of Michael Cormicky )

" Red Setter " Logo 1987

Peter O'Sullivan : " One important aspect of getting the bus late at night from "the Statue" on Patrick Street. I can often recall as a child of the 1970s/1980s that if you needed a bus out of the city centre , the last buses used all leave Patrick Street at about 11:25pm as part of a fleet racing to reach their end destination one last time before each bus would then return direct to the CIE Capwell Garage to park-up overnight. Back in those days the CIE bus staff used report to a cabin located near the statue that was previously the Firemen's Hut! A manager would be there in uniform including cap and would blow a whistle loudly at about 11:25pm every single night which was a signal for all buses to set-off on their final journey destination of the day which was Togher in our case! If folk were out late at a show in town and had intended on getting the very last bus home, you had to be there on time as they did not wait once the whistle was blown outside the Fireman's Hut. It was quite a sight to witness all the buses on parade late at night as the streets and pavements would be generally quiet at that hour.

Number 14 by The Lough ~ December 1970

The 214 bus route which is still known to many commuters especially in the Togher, Wilton and The Lough areas as the Number 14! Of course over the years the route has seen changes and evolved over time. For instance, it's starting point outside Brown Thomas Dept. Store (Cashs) on Patrick's Street was preceded when it's starting point had been outside the former Bank of Ireland branch (now a Carroll's souvenir gift shop) and old Tyler's shoe shop on corner of the former Merchant Street which used run down along the left side of the old Roches Stores building and out onto Parnell Place. (Merchant Street was built over when Roches Stores underwent major expansion as part of the construction of Merchants Quay Shopping Centre in the late 1980s.) Across the other side of Patrick's Street you also had the Number 14 bus route which used head in the opposite direction and was heading to "Sundays Well" but that particular bus route is long gone. Not sure if both Number 14s were linked back in the early days?

Number 14 bus mid 1970s in City Centre

The Number 14 Togher bus stop route was closer to the Fr. Matthew Statue and it used share with the Number 5 and 5A routes back then. No. 5 used go to Rossa Avenue via College Road whereas; the No. 5A used go to Rossa Avenue via Magazine Road. Back in the 1970s I can also recall the older bus vehicles and the route used go along Gillabbey Street and turn at The Rock bar to go up St.Finbarr's Road (in the days before Gregg Road was used) and after Phair's Cross the next stop was just as you descended Lough Hill beyond the former Lough Tavern bar. In the days before Wilton was fully developed the Number 14 used to terminate at Togher Cross which is why it was known as the Togher Bus. School children did not have access to a  bus stop right outside the school so they used all have to make their way on foot to Togher Cross and wait by the wall bordering Liberty Stream while the bus would arrive and stop outside St.Anthony Stores (now a barbers shop) and the bus would then have to perform a reverse manoeuvre almost back to Sarsfield's Lodge and all the kids would then mount. You would have had bus conductors to control things and take bus fares from passengers and issue tickets too in those days. When Sarsfield Road was first  opened around 1979 it resulted in the Number 14 route being extended from Togher Cross out as far as the Wilton Roundabout and it was convenient for those using the newly opened Wilton Shopping Centre and Cork Regional Hospital (now CUH). It was probably around then that the bus stops were relocated outside the school buildings which were still in operation on both sides of Togher Road. Sarsfield Road was very quiet and a long road to walk in those days with no major intersections. There was a dip in the road and heavy prolonged rain used sometimes cause problems for the No.14! "