
After almost a century traversing the city, buses carrying the famed 46A mark will make their final journeys today.
The route as it currently operates will come to an end and be replaced by a new 24-hour service, as part of the roll-out of the Bus Connects programme in the greater Dublin area.
The 46A, made famous in song by Bagatelle’s ‘Summer in Dublin’ has been operating since 1926, taking most passengers between Dublin and Dún Laoghaire.
From tomorrow, the route will be served by the new E-spine as part of Phase 6a of the National Transport Authority’s Bus Connects redesign of the network.
It will move to a 24-hour bus service, which has been introduced to assist shift workers and support the night-time economy, according to Transport for Ireland.
The changes are expected to result in an increase in bus users, with additional capacity and increased frequency, especially at evenings and weekends.
Volunteers from the National Transport Museum are commemorating the route today in a the form of a cavalcade of vintage buses which will trace its journey.
The oldest in the cavalcade is the 76-year-old Leyland Titan fleet no. R389, which served users for 23 years.
The cavalcade will end at Donnybrook bus depot on the return journey from Dún Laoghaire.
National Transport Museum volunteer John Joe Thorpe outlined the historical significance of the route.

“It has been in operation since 1926, so it means an awful lot to a lot of people.
“On O’Connell street, there probably was never a moment during the day that there wasn’t a 46A somewhere on the street.
“It’s such a familiar route with everyone in Dublin, so today, we found it necessary to mark this occasion, especially with the 46A being so famous with the song by Bagatelle, ‘Summer in Dublin’.”