Free Barrow Bus for a day out in East Kilkenny this summer

The Barrow Bus, the free bus service running along the River Barrow in East Kilkenny, has now been running for more than six weeks.

​ With the school summer holidays in full swing, Kilkenny LEADER Partnership (KLP), which devised the service, is reminding parents and visitors across the county that the free bus is ready to take the pressure off summer logistics and open up a day out along the river.

“It's a great local service," says Matty Byrne of Matty's Pub & Apartments in Royal Oak.

"It's great to get out of your own area and meet the locals somewhere else. Five of us are heading off to Graiguenamanagh today and it's our third time doing this.

"I have five holiday apartments that are full to the end of August, and I'm encouraging the visitors to use the service, too. The timetable is up in my pub and on my website. "

The Barrow Bus runs Monday to Saturday, calling at Paulstown, Goresbridge, Skeoughvosteen and Graignamanagh on its way between Bagenalstown and St Mullins, with up to four services a day in each direction. For Kilkenny families juggling work around the school holidays, it means children and teenagers can get to summer activities, friends or part-time jobs without needing a lift every time.

There's plenty to build a free day out around, too. Stop off in Paulstown for the gardens, café and farm shop at Shankill Castle, walk a stretch of the Barrow Way towpath into Goresbridge for the Goodly Barrow café and museum, or continue on to Graignamanagh for kayaking with Pure Adventure or Hydrobikes on the river.

Because the route connects onward to Bagenalstown and St Mullins, the same free ticket can stretch the day even further – cooling off at the outdoor pool in Bagenalstown, or a riverside lunch at Mullichain Café in St. Mullins.

The Barrow Bus is being run as a research project, with KLP gathering data on demand and usage to build the case for a permanent rural transport service in the area – meaning every passenger who travels is also helping make that case.

The bus is free to use, but booking is recommended at barrowbus.palisis.com.