The day has finally come.

West Cork is about to become more connected than ever as two new and long-awaited bus services are added to the region’s transport network.

The first is a new route from Cork to Courtmacsherry, which will stop off at Bandon and Timoleague. Members of the public will also be able to travel by bus from Baltimore to Glandore via Skibbereen and Union Hall in what is sure to be a major boost for the area.

Currently, there is no way of getting into Skibbereen if you live in the likes of Union Hall unless you hail a taxi (which are in very short supply) or have your own car. This will also be excellent for us carless city dwellers who fancy a jaunt to some of these quieter spots during the summer.

“These routes will be great for locals, members of the public but also for tourists who will get an opportunity to travel along the most scenic routes in all of West Cork via bus. Can’t wait until they are up and running,” said Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O’Sullivan.

They are expected to be up and running before Christmas, according to the National Transport Authority, and will be run by Local Link buses as part of the National Transport Authority’s Connecting Ireland 2023 plan.

Whether they will have the foresight to sync up schedules with the CIE and West Cork Connect bus timetables remains to be seen.