Dublin Bus Route 31

City Centre ( Eden Quay )
Killester
Raheny
Blackbanks
Sutton Cross
Howth Village
Howth Summit

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31
City Centre
( Eden Quay )
Bus Aras
Connolly Station
North Strand
Fairview
Howth Road
( Copeland Ave )
Howth Road
( Killester )
Howth Road
( St Annes )
Raheny Village
Howth Road
( Old Sheiling )
Howth Road
( Blackbanks )
Dublin Road
( Killbarrack Rd )
Dublin Road
( Baldoyle Rd )
Sutton Cross
Church Road
Howth Lodge Hotel
Howth Road
( Sybil Hill )
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Howth Summit & RV 501
Volvo Olympian RV 501 at Howth Summit
Dublin Bus Route 31B terminus November 2008
Howth, located about 13 kms north east of Dublin City, famed for its fishing fleet & harbour, while up at Howth Summit, spectacular views of the city, especially from a Dublin Bus Route 31B.

Dublin Bus Route 31 now offers frequent & direct services from Dublin City Centre ( stop on Eden Quay close to Liberty Hall ) -  to Howth, along the Howth Road, passing Raheny & Sutton Cross before entering Howth via the harbour, then the village & up to Howth Summit.

Route 31 is now low floor ( 2009 ), with most stops now offering floor level kessel kerbing & using double deckers. The fare from Dublin City Centre to Howth is 2.20 euros for adults, 1.00 euro child fare, with a travel time of 45 minutes approx.
Howth is also served by Nitelink route 31N at weekends

Selected services to Howth operate as route 31B, which operates alongside the 31 bus as far as Sutton Cross, before branching off to the more remote side of the Howth peninsula along Strand Road, passing St Fintans's Cemetery ( were rock legend Phil Linnott rests ), Howth Golf Club & Stella Maris convent enroute to Howth Summit ( shared bus terminus with route 31 ).

Dublin Bus Olympian RV 501 ( 99 D 501 ) was delivered to Dublin Bus in 1999 as part of the final batch of the very successful original & prolific Leyland Olympian before new buses delivered in 2000 onwards were low floor.
RV 501 was delivered in white wedding bus format to Clontarf Garage & remained in service there until September 2009.
Howth Dart Station
Howth harbour
Howth village
Howth Summit
Routes 31 & 31B share the same termini's at Howth Summit but offer different routes to Howth, the more frequent route 31 operates via the harbour & village.
Seats on the top deck a must for spectacular views, especially route 31B from Howth Summit to Dublin City Centre along the Strand Road
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Cityswift AV 234 from Clontarf Garage at Howth Summit, terminus for
route 31 May 2005
Photo Darren Hall
Former Phibsboro KC 21, its claim to fame being a cameo role in " The Commitments " film, is seen operating route 31in July 1997. A number of Phibsboro KC's were transferred to Clontarf to end the VanHool operation at the Garage. In 2008, history would repeat itself as some of Phibsboro AV class ( AV 34- 36 ) transferred to end the RA operation at the garage.
Photo Darren Hall
KC 47 made the headlines when it crashed through the wall at Connolly Station when the ramp was still in existence there & hanging over perilously. A number of Clontarf buses would be regularly parked along the ramp during drivers break, including KC 47 which was operating a route 53 at the time.
KC 47 is seen operating outbound at Bus Aras in July 1998.
Photo Darren Hall
Photo Darren Hall
In December 1995, a number of Donnybrook AD class were transferred to Clontarf at short notice. There had been a number of vicious attacks on drivers, so the Clontarf fleet was sent off to receive driver protection screens, meanwhile the AD class could be seen on Clontarf routes. Clontarf KD's 8-9, 11, 14-16 moved to Donnybrook.
AD 24-25, 32-34 & 41 were those transfered, as the Clontarf pits were not suitable for such long buses, their maintenance was carried out by Donnybrook
AD 25 is seen on route 31 in Marlborough Street on layover in January 1996
Photo Darren Hall
Clontarf Garage rarely had allover wraps apart from the garagewide Harp livery campaign, but from time to time, KD adverts were brought in from other garages, such as PMPA, Moss Technology & Heineken above. This was to give greater coverage to the advertiser.
Donnybrook Heineken KD 235 is seen on Marlborough Street on route 31. Usually a plain KD would be sent to the donating garage as a swap.
Photo Darren Hall
Photo Darren Hall
Clontarf's first ever wedding bus arrived in 1993, RH 154 was the first Olympian delivered to Dublin Bus that year & had a number of internal design changes, including new full length strip lighting, a new aqua blue trim & grey seating. Production of the Leyland chassis was nearing an end at its Workington plant & soon future Olympians would be badged as Volvo's.
RH 154 is seen on Lower Abbey Street, with the smart grey layered skirt  but no wedding adverts yet applied.
Like RH 154 previously, RH 163 has that " just delivered showroom feeling " seen here in October 1993, just days in service & the two tone green livery looking very smart. Smart being a word for RH 163, it would later carry an allover wrap for Smarties while operating from Broadstone Garage.
Finally, long gone offshoot of the main 31, the 31A to Strand Road, now replaced with some selected route 31B, RA 316 in full Cityswift livery originally for route 27 is seen in Marlborough Street in July 1997.
Route
31
City Centre
( Eden Quay )
Bus Aras
Connolly Station
North Strand
Fairview
Howth Road
( Copeland Ave )
Howth Road
( Killester )
Howth Road
( St Annes )
Raheny Village
Howth Road
( Old Sheiling )
Howth Road
( Blackbanks )
Dublin Road
( Killbarrack Rd )
Dublin Road
( Baldoyle Rd )
Sutton Cross
Church Road
Howth Lodge Hotel
Howth Road
( Sybil Hill )
Howth Dart Station
Howth harbour
Howth village
Howth Summit
Photo Darren Hall
Photo Darren Hall
Donnybrook AD 24 passes Bus Aras on route 31 to Howth. The Donnybrook Cityswift AD class had their side & rear Cityswift brand logo's following introduction into service there, mostly on recently adopted route 3, the 11 group, 14 group & some Bray workings.
Photo Darren Hall
The loan AD's to Clontarf were not fitted with local destination scrolls, just their route numbers, given their expected short stay. The Donnybrook scrolls are peeping through on AD 32 above.
A really old shot of KD 24 on route 31 at its old Lower Abbey Street terminus outside the Irish Life building.
Featuring the narrow font scrolls, the Bombardier badge, the rubber bands still intact, the old CIE crest, the internal stickers pasted onto the windows & even the diesel spill on the offside intake pipe.
Photo Darren Hall
Clontarf based RH 64 takes part in the Harp lager ad campaign launched at the Point Depot, seen third from left dressed as a 31, when it kicked off in August 1991.
The Harp full wraps was the only ad campaign that involved buses from all Dublin Bus garages ( excl the inhouse Wedding Bus ) , normally advertisers taking just one bus given the huge costs involved.

Featured above from left to right....
RH 24Summerhill
RH 9Ringsend
RH 64Clontarf
RH 4 Phibsboro
RH 40 Donnybrook
RH 65 Conyngham Road
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Clontarf ALX 400, AV 64 close to Howth Summit on a frosty December morning about to operate its first departure to Dublin City Centre.