Dublin Bus KD219 (219 OZU) – 11 May 1996 (312-33)

Saturday 11 May 1996 – Dissatisfied with their long-term supplier British Leyland, Ireland’s national transport company CIÉ (Córas Iompair Éireann) sought a new source of supply for its buses for the 1980s. The result was a family of different vehicles with a commonality of components manufactured by Bombardier. The pilot vehicles came from Germany but a manufacturing plant was set up in County Clare for the main production.

Once the operator of both Dublin city bus services and provincial bus/coach services CIÉ later became the holding company for the separate subsidiaries Dublin Bus (Bus Átha Cliath) and Bus Éireann.

Dublin Bus KD219 (219 OZU), new in July 1982, is seen in Lower O’Connell Street near Sackville Place in Dublin. I had just travelled on this bus.