Irish Buses in the 70's & 80's

Introduced in 1974 and heralled as the start of a major bus export industry, the D Class, built by Van Hool McArdle on the Leyland AN68 chassis, 237 of which were constructed in the old CIE plant at Spa Road. Whilst this combination never achieved any exports, a few examples did test with operators in the UK. Some bodies on Volvo Ailsa chassis were built for South Yorkshire PTE, with whom D694 trialled in 1974. 

On a wet morning, D613 (613 ZO) lies over at Beresford Place. An office block now occupies this site while the stand serves the 103 / 5 Bus Eireann routes to Ashbourne & Ratoath

Summers were always sunny years ago. Summerhill's D678 (678 ZO) crosses O'Connell Bridge as an all-over-ad for HB Ice Cream

Limerick's D719 (719 ZO) waits in the yard along with D57

Ringsend's D734 (734 ZO) heading towards Bangor Road on the 81 at Leonard's Corner

D837 (837 NIK) returns from Ring Street on the now defunct 21A. The location is Fleet Street and the UDT Bank is now the Morgan Hotel

Last of the batch, Conyngham Road's D840 (840 NIK), stands at Fleet Street (now fashionable Temple Bar) in May 1979, complete with fibreglass front which it carried from new.