New free minibus service brings visitors to Lingaun Valley's top attractions in Tipperary

A new seven-day free orbital minibus service that brings you to the historic sites and attractions of the Lingaun Valley in south east Tipperary and south west Kilkenny, began operating last Saturday.

Visitors to the South East can link in with the new pilot minibus service from existing bus or train routes in Kilkenny, Waterford and Tipperary. 

The route and frequency are designed to link in with existing public transport services from popular bases such as Kilkenny city and Waterford city, Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir.

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The Lingaun Loop stops at, or close to, key visitor attractions. Passengers can hop on or off at any one of 13 stops along the 50km route and rejoin the service later.

The Lingaun Loop orbits the area five times a day, seven days a week, starting at 9.30am and finishing just after 5.20pm.
Stops include Tullahought, Kilkieran High Crosses, Parkside in Carrick-on-Suir, Dove Hill Centre, Kilsheelan, Kilcash Village, Kilcash Castle, Grangemockler, Killamery, Windgap, Knockroe Passage Tomb, Slate Quarries and Ahenny High Crosses.

The full timetable and details about how to link with the loop are available on the Lingaun Valley website.

The Lingaun Loop is being piloted by Kilkenny LEADER Partnership in association with the Local Link service until September.

The project is co-funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development.

The ‘action research’ pilot initiative will feed into a research project that will showcase demand and mobility options throughout the summer season. The raw data collected will be used to determine the feasibility of operating the service beyond the pilot term.

Declan Rice, CEO, Kilkenny LEADER Partnership, said: “We are eager to encourage visitors to Ireland’s Ancient East to discover the captivating Lingaun River that runs through this small, quiet valley and forms the border between south-west Kilkenny and south-east Tipperary.

“Taking the bus is the ideal way for the public to visit ancient passage tombs that pre-date Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids and view high crosses, church ruins and monuments from the early Christian and medieval periods throughout the Valley.

“We are also hoping that locals, who have been very supportive in establishing this route, will use this orbital service, linking up with other services or on to neighbouring towns and villages.

“We’re also anticipating the free service might encourage people to take the opportunity to discover the gems that are on our doorstep, but they’ve not yet taken the time to explore, experience and enjoy.

“We’re asking service users to plan ahead. Not all stops have shops, cafes or other facilities so they need to be mindful of this and plan accordingly.”

Richie Walsh, Chairperson of Lingaun Valley Tourism said the bus service is an opportunity for people to venture deep into the Lingaun Valley and pick and choose where they want to go, what they want to see

“We’ve worked hard to develop this route, to improve signage and information points across the Valley and make sure service users have the best possible experience.

“We now need those meeting and greeting visitors to the region to spread the word, get people using the service and make it sustainable into the future

“It’s in all of our interests to ensure the free service is used and it is tailored/tweaked to make it of service to locals and visitors alike.”

The Link & Loop options

Passengers starting in Clonmel can travel via the Expressway 55 or Bus Eireann 355 services and join the Lingaun Loop at Kilsheelan or Carrick-on-Suir (Parkside).

Alternatively, they can take the JJ Kavanagh 717 route and link in with the Loop at Kilsheelan (Ormonde Stores), Grangemockler or Killamery.

Those starting off in Carrick-on-Suir can join the Loop at any of the five times it stops at the Parkside stop.

From Kilkenny, you link in with the Lingaun Loop either through the Local Link 891 service or the JJ Kavanagh 717 service. The Local Link 891 starts from the Train Station or Ormonde Road and links with the Loop at Tullahought.

The JJ Kavanagh 717 service from Kilkenny starts out from McDonagh Junction or Ormonde Road and joins the Lingaun Loop at Killamery, Grangemockler, or Kilsheelan

From Waterford, use the Expressway 55 or Bus Eireann 355 services, departing from Waterford Bus Station, and join the Lingaun Loop in Carrick-on-Suir (Parkside) or Kilsheelan.