Car-free visitors to the heart of Ireland’s Ancient East now have an opportunity to explore a sacred, unspoilt valley that straddles three counties, and experience 5,000 years of history, on a 50km loop, all at their own pace.
The Lingaun Loop bus service pilot begins this Saturday, May 31, offering visitors to the Southeast an opportunity to link in with the orbital minibus service from existing bus or train routes in Kilkenny, Waterford and Tipperary.
The free mini-bus service allows visitors to venture deep into the Lingaun Valley in the heart of rural Ireland and visit its high crosses, castles, churches and tombs and enjoy a variety of walks and hikes, stopping off at local cafes and pubs along the way.
The route and frequency are designed to link in with existing public transport services from popular bases such as Kilkenny city and Waterford city, or Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir in Tipperary. 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 will orbit 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, https://lingaunvalley.ie/lingaun-loop-bus-service/
The Link & Loop options are:
- From Kilkenny, you can 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, you can 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.
- Passengers starting out 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.
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. The pilot service is innovative in concept, in line with the philosophy of the LEADER Programme.
“The Lingaun Loop allows visitors to experience a beautiful landscape along the Lingaun River and this ancient river that flows from Slievenamon Mountain down to Carrick-on-Suir. 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 that 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 new service is the ideal way to experience the sacred Lingaun Valley car and stress free. “This really 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.”
