The Classic British Isles Buses website

Irish Omnibus Company (by Shane Conway)

Page last updated on 19 August 2024

Email   Classic U.K. Buses   Classic Irish Buses   Classic Manx Buses

 
Dublin United Transport Great Northern Railway Great Southern Railway Irish Omnibus Company

The origins of the Irish Omnibus Company began life in April 1919, when Thomas Healy who owned the Black Lion public house in Clondalkin established the Clondalkin Motor Omnibus Company. The route provided was to link the then very rural village with the nearest D.U.T.C tram route (21) which terminated in Inchicore, some three or four miles away. Meanwhile, the bus operations of John Wood and Sons Ltd. of Altrincham in Cheshire had been formed into Altrincham and District Motor Services in 1922. Upon the take-over of A.D.M.S. by North Western Road Car in January 1926, a Mr. F.T. Wood moved to Ireland and invested by buying out the Clondalkin M.O.C. in November 1926. In December 1926, the Irish Omnibus Company was formed, again by Mr. Wood, and the I.O.C. took over the C.M.O.C route and six buses. From July 1927, the I.O.C. began running services on contract to the Great Southern Railways, with Mr. Wood remaining as a company director until around 1928 or 1929, when the G.S.R gained a majority shareholding in the I.O.C.

During 1927, other operators were taken over, with seven vehicles coming from Smith of Limerick, three from J.D. Furey of Dublin, four from Louth and Meath Omnibus Company, and two charabancs from Fingal. Two ex U.K. vehicles arrived as well, including a Leyland LG1 double decker which ran for seven years. 39 Leyland Lions were also bought new in that year as well, thus beginning a link between Leyland Motors (or Leyland Bus in later years) and Irish operators which was to last well over 60 years.

Further operators were acquired over the following few years, and more new buses placed in service, but apart from the LG1 mentioned above, these were all single deckers. A notable vehicle placed in service in 1928 was number 400, which was a one year old Leyland Tiger acquired from Catherwood's in Belfast. 400 was in fact, the very first ever Leyland Tiger to leave the production line, the original of a very long-lived species of Leyland's various family of big cats. It was withdrawn by the G.S.R. in 1940, sadly being way too early to ensure its survival into preservation. July 1929 saw the appointment of W.L. Bayman, the former Great Western Railway Road Motor Superintendent, on a 12 month contract. He immediately set about renumbering the fleet into batches, according to chassis supplier, and this system then continued up to the end of the Great Southern Railway in 1945.

In 1931, six Leyland Titans were bought to replace the last trams in Cork, the first batch of an eventual fleet of 14 Titans to be owned. Cork was the second Irish city to introduce Titans, Belfast having bought a half dozen the previous year. Various operators continued to be acquired, and new vehicles were supplied by Leyland. Apart from Tigers, the company also bought Lions, Badgers and Cubs, and a further eight Titans arrived in 1933. By the end of 1933 the Irish Omnibus Company was no more, becoming the G.S.R.'s Omnibus Department from new years day in 1934, at which time the fleet stood at 135 vehicles. A small number of former I.O.C. buses survived with Coras Iompair Eireann until 1948, and the final known use of former I.O.C. stock was the last of the trio of 1932 Leyland Lions which went to Cassidy's Erne Bus Service of Enniskillen, the (rebodied) bus going on to serve the Ulster Transport Authority from 1957 to 1960.

Thanks to Peter Rowledge for additional data received in April 2014.

Fleet list

1926

1927

1928

1929

G. S. R. ambulance number 1 was a G. S. R. bodied Leyland TS2, new to the Irish Omnibus Company in 1929 as bus number 419. It was converted in 1940, and is the only such conversion known to have been undertaken. Photographer unknown.

1930

1931

1932

1933

Total fleet owned = 335 with NO survivors.

Email   Classic U.K. Buses   Classic Irish Buses   Classic Manx Buses

SB