Latest news with #Ulsterbus
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Translink moves some bus services to Grand Central Station
Translink has announced bus services from Downpatrick, Newcastle and Ballynahinch will operate from Belfast Grand Central Station from July. The move aligns with the launch of Translink's summer timetable and aims to enhance passenger convenience and connectivity, it said. The changes will see Goldliner coach and Ulsterbus services, including routes 215, 515 and 516 to Downpatrick; 237 and 520 to Newcastle; and the 652 to Ballynahinch via Cairnshill Park and Ride and Carryduff, all depart from Belfast from 1 July. It is part of Translink's ongoing transition to the £340m public transport hub in the centre of Belfast, which opened last September. Translink's acting general manager for bus services, Phillip Woods, highlighted several benefits that such a move will bring for passengers. "We are pleased that our services will now offer customers greater convenience, access to modern facilities, and better connections to other bus, rail, cross-border and airport services," he said. Mr Woods also confirmed that while Grand Central Station will be the main departure point, Adelaide Street will remain an outbound stop. On return journeys, buses will revert to their previous city centre set-down stop at Bedford Street before completing their routes at Grand Central. In addition, Translink will introduce a new express service, which will provide a faster, direct evening peak journey to Newcastle via the M1 bus lanes through Ballynahinch. Changes will also affect the Metro network, with Metro 8 services relocating to their former stop at Donegall Square East from Howard Street, while continuing to travel via Great Victoria Street and Wellington Place. Contrasting fortunes of two listed Victorian buildings on same street All you need to know about Belsonic Downpatrick flood scheme could cost over £20m
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Grand Central Station: Translink moves some bus services to Belfast
Translink has announced bus services from Downpatrick, Newcastle and Ballynahinch will operate from Belfast Grand Central Station from July. The move aligns with the launch of Translink's summer timetable and aims to enhance passenger convenience and connectivity, it said. The changes will see Goldliner coach and Ulsterbus services, including routes 215, 515 and 516 to Downpatrick; 237 and 520 to Newcastle; and the 652 to Ballynahinch via Cairnshill Park and Ride and Carryduff, all depart from Belfast from 1 July. It is part of Translink's ongoing transition to the £340m public transport hub in the centre of Belfast, which opened last September. 'Modern facilities and better connections' Translink's acting general manager for bus services, Phillip Woods, highlighted several benefits that such a move will bring for passengers. "We are pleased that our services will now offer customers greater convenience, access to modern facilities, and better connections to other bus, rail, cross-border and airport services," he Woods also confirmed that while Grand Central Station will be the main departure point, Adelaide Street will remain an outbound stop. On return journeys, buses will revert to their previous city centre set-down stop at Bedford Street before completing their routes at Grand addition, Translink will introduce a new express service, which will provide a faster, direct evening peak journey to Newcastle via the M1 bus lanes through will also affect the Metro network, with Metro 8 services relocating to their former stop at Donegall Square East from Howard Street, while continuing to travel via Great Victoria Street and Wellington Place.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Belfast City Marathon 2025 racers get ready to go
The 43rd Belfast City Marathon is due to kick off later with runners aiming to complete the 26.2-mile course. The race will start at Stormont at 9:00 BST on Sunday and finish in Ormeau Park. Record numbers are due to take part this year - organisers say 6,500 full marathon runners have signed up, 2,750 relay teams (which have between two and five people in them) and there are 1,200 walkers. A number of roads are closed and there are changes to public transport. The course starts in Stormont in east Belfast and heads south, taking in the Boucher Road, west on to the Falls Road, then north, past the Waterworks, as well as through the city centre, before ending in Ormeau Park. The relay consists of five legs, of varying distance, with changeover points across the route. There are some slight changes to the route in 2025 compared to previous years. Last year, Kenyans Mathew Kiplimo Kembo and Beatrice Jepkemei won the men's and women's races respectively. Chairman John Allen said the organisation was "delighted" to welcome participants of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. SDLP leader Claire Hanna is running the marathon. She had been planning for months to run the marathon but did not make it public until close to race day, as she was not sure whether she had prepared enough. Posting on Instagram, she showed a picture of her race number and running top and said running had become a big part of her life. DUP MLA Brian Kingston, who has run a number of marathons including Boston, is also due to run on Sunday. For a full comprehensive list of what roads are closed and when they reopen you can click here. There will be some disruption for the duration of the marathon, with the Upper Newtownards Road closed at the Comber Road junction until 11:00 BST. Roads along the route will open and close on a staggered basis as runners pass. Organisers say roads will reopen as quickly as possible as runners pass key routes. The last road to reopen will be the Ravenhill Road from the Rosetta Roundabout to the Ormeau Embankment (where local access is being maintained) which closes at 09:00 and does not reopen until 16:00. Marathon organisers have asked that motorists please follow the traffic diversion signs and take direction from stewards. "These traffic management measures are set up to prioritise safety for participants and road users," said chairman John Allen. To help people going to the marathon there special trains are running from Londonderry, Larne, Bangor and Newry to Belfast Lanyon Place. For a list of all special departure times click here. Public transport around the city will be affected due to several road closures. Ulsterbus, Metro and Glider bus services within Belfast will be subject to delay or disruption. You can watch live coverage of the race on the BBC iPlayer and BBC NI Sport website or listen on Radio Ulster. Mark Simpson and Nicola McCarthy are presenting live coverage from around the course. There will also be updates here on the BBC News NI website. Record chasers and rookies lace up for Belfast race Everything you need to know about the Belfast Marathon
BBC News
02-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Belfast Marathon 2025: Everything you need to know
Thousands of people are taking part in the 43rd Belfast City Marathon on 26.2 mile route will take participants across the city, past landmarks including City Hall and Parliament Buildings, before finishing in Ormeau will be numerous roads closed and changes to public transport for much of Sunday as the run progresses through say 6,500 full marathon runners have signed up, as well as 2,750 relay teams (which have between two and five people in them), with a further 1200 walkers. Chairman John Allen said the marathon team was "delighted to welcome over 22,000 participants of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds".Some are running it professionally, while others are running or walking for charity. What date is the Belfast marathon? The race is on Sunday 4 May and kicks off at 09:00 BST at Stormont start in the Stormont Estate on Prince of Wales Avenue, and run down the hill, on to the Upper Newtownards Road. Is there going to be extra public transport? To help people going to the marathon there will be special early morning trains from Londonderry, Larne, Bangor, and Newry to Belfast Lanyon a list of all special departure times click additional services cannot be booked in advance and standard fares will transport around the city will be affected due to several road closures. Ulsterbus, Metro and Glider bus services within Belfast will be subject to delay or disruption. What is the marathon route? The course takes in all parts of the city, starting off in Stormont in east Belfast and heads south, taking in the Boucher Road, west, taking in the Falls Road, then north, past the Waterworks, as well as through the city centre, before ending in Ormeau if you're in Belfast, wherever you are based, you'll never be too far away from the are some slight changes to the route in 2025 compared to previous route has minor alterations at the City Hall, this year remaining on Chichester Street, directly onto Wellington Place before turning left onto Fisherwick Place and continuing on the route.A further change takes place on the Falls Road, turning left onto North Howard Street, left onto Cupar Way, right onto Lanark Way, right onto the Shankill Road, left onto Tennent Street, across the Crumlin Road onto Hillview Road and left onto the Oldpark Road and continuing the route. What are the relay changeover points? The Team Relay consists of five legs, of varying distance, with changeover points across the 1: Stormont Estate - Montgomery Road, 4.2 milesLEG 2: Montgomery Road - Boucher Road, 6.8 milesLEG 3: Boucher Road - Falls Road, 4.5 milesLEG 4: Falls Road - North Queen Street, 5 milesLEG 5: Duncairn Gardens - Ormeau Park 5.7 miles What roads are closed? For a full comprehensive list of what roads are closed and when they reopen you can click will be some disruption for the duration of the marathon, with the Upper Newtownards Road closing at the Comber Road junction from about 06:00 until 11: along the route will open and close on a staggered basis as runners pass. Organisers say roads will reopen as quickly as possible one runners pass key routes. The last road to reopen will be the Ravenhill Road from the Rosetta Roundabout to the Ormeau Embankment (where local access is being maintained) which closes at 09:00 and does not reopen until 16:00. Marathon organisers have asked that motorists please follow the traffic diversion signs and take direction from stewards. "These traffic management measures are set up to prioritise safety for participants and road users," said Chairman John Allen. I'm running in the marathon - when can I pick up my pack? If you've taken part in the marathon before then where you pick up your pack has now get their race packs at the ICC Riverside entrance of the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, instead of the old location on the Queens can be collected any time between 09:00 -17:00 on Friday and Marathon Chief Executive Claire O'Neill said organisers had planned lots of events at the ICC to get runners ready for the big day."There will be a quiet time between 15.30 and 17:00 on Friday, a live stage on the Saturday, with Q&A sessions as well as our route measurer John Glover, coaches and pacers," she told BBC added that participants should check their emails for any additional details or updates. What are the rules? Entrants can walk the main event, but runners cannot be part of the eight-mile walk are required to complete the marathon run, wheelchair race, or team relay within six hours and the eight-mile walk event within two hours and 30 headphones are not permitted but bone-conducting headphones are can be disqualified for:Urination in any area other than that of designated toilets on the routeSwapping numbersDeviation from run routeTampering with timing chipRefusing to obey the instructions of race officialsUnsportsmanlike conductOffensive actions or language to race officials, volunteers, participants or spectators Can I watch the marathon from the comfort of my living room? You can watch live coverage of the race on the BBC iPlayer and the BBC NI Sport website or listen on Radio Ulster from 08:45 BST on Simpson and Nicola McCarthy will present live coverage from around the will also be updates here on the BBC News NI you would like to have your good luck message to friends and family included in the TV and radio coverage you can click here to add a message of support. What will the weather be like on the day of the marathon? Things are looking good for our runners. Conditions are to be dry, with sunny spells, winds will not be too strong, with temperatures between 8C and 11C at the time of the race. Good luck To everyone competing - whether professionally, for a cause close to your heart, or just for fun, good luck!
BBC News
01-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Tension, tears & terrible suits - Dungannon's '07 Irish Cup final
Clearer Water Irish Cup final: Cliftonville v Dungannon SwiftsDate: Saturday 3 May Venue: Windsor Park, Belfast Kick-off: 14:30 GMTCoverage: Watch live on BBC Two NI, BBC iPlayer & BBC Sport NI website from 14:00 BST, also live on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster. Follow live text updates with in-play clips on BBC Sport NI website & app. "Some people thought that even to compete was a sort of victory for us, but when you're coming back down the road on the Ulsterbus and there's no trophy at the front of it, it's heart-wrenching."For much of Dungannon Swifts' 76-year history, the thought of reaching the Irish Cup final would have felt a fanciful notion. Then again, so too would have been becoming regulars in the Irish Premiership, European qualification and Setanta Cup all changed in the space of a few short years when, first under Joe McAree and then Harry Fay, a young and exciting Swifts side scaled new heights at Stangmore bigger clubs circling their best players, the team was soon to be picked apart but not before what midfielder Shane McCabe calls one last "David versus Goliath" battle - the 2007 Irish Cup final against an all-conquering Linfield had been a dream run would have a nightmare finish however, as the County Tyrone side became the first and so far, only side to lose an Irish Cup on penalties. As the Swifts return to the showpiece fixture to take on Cliftonville on Saturday, BBC Sport NI looks back at the club's only previous final appearance. In stark contrast to how their Irish Cup run would end, Dungannon had experienced elation from 12 yards in the 120 goalless minutes against Saturday's opponents Cliftonville at the Oval, five Swifts players stepped up in the shootout and all five winning spot-kick was provided by an unlikely hero."When the manager Harry Fay asked who wanted to hit them, you got the obvious ones putting their hands up and nobody else," recalled defender Adam McMinn, who was just 23-years-old at the time."I put my hand up and I could see everyone looking at me, all the ball players were there as if to say, 'Put your flipping hand down!'"I remember Jackie Fullerton interviewing me for the TV afterwards and saying, 'You must have been nervous stepping up there?' But I have to say I wasn't one bit nervous, I was confident."McMinn jokes now that the feeling was perhaps not universal."I was known for heading and tackling, there was no fancy footwork."Whenever Mark Holland missed for Cliftonville and I stepped forward out of the centre circle. I'm always telling people that the main stand at the Oval still tilts forward from all our fans putting their heads in their hands at the same time." McCabe, who would go on to represent Fermanagh GAA in an Ulster final and be a part of the last Glentoran squad to win the league title, remembers the cup final appearance then feeling like "uncharted waters" for a young side and club who had been promoted to the top-flight for the first time only four years previously. "We were punching well above our weight for two or three years," he said."We'd finished fourth two years in a row, but there weren't too many players in that squad who had ever played in a final so there was a different atmosphere about the place."The media were down round the ground and it was strange for players as we were used to just turning up and going on about our business."One player who did have previous experience of finals, although not at senior level, was striker David Scullion who was an Aston Villa team-mate of Steven Davis when they beat Wayne Rooney's Everton in the FA Youth Cup decider in against a Linfield side who had completed a famous clean sweep of available trophies the previous season, he feels there was a fearlessness evident in a young Dungannon squad."That was probably one of the best Linfield sides ever and, I think we were massive underdogs, but we didn't feel that way," he said."We were young as well, everyone in their early 20s, so we were all a bit fearless, or maybe all just a bit naive, whatever way you want to call it." The Swifts were captained in the final by their current boss Rodney McAree, a player Scullion believes was "the best midfielder in the Irish League" at the time of the 2007 all McAree's ability in the middle of the park, McCabe still questions one of the skipper's decisions on the big day."Who picked that look?" he said of the Swifts' cup final suits."I'm going to put that on Rodney McAree's table. They were unique suits, let's say."There was a good Fermanagh group of us and walking about Enniskillen in these cream suits waiting to get our lifts. People didn't know what was happening."After a rousing send-off from Stangmore Park, with some of the players' partners following on to Belfast in limousines, for McMinn it was standing in the tunnel at Windsor Park when it really hit home that an Irish Cup final was a different occasion. "Linfield were meant to be the away team that day, but we were obviously in the away end, they still got the home changing room. "Then it wasn't the IFA flags in the corner either, it was Linfield flags, so there were those wee bits where you were thinking was it a cup final or a Linfield home game?"Then walking down the tunnel, you hear the echo of the crowd outside. I turned round to Johnny Montgomery and goes 'Is this real?'"Thousands and thousands of fans and I remember thinking, I can't imagine what it must be like to be playing in front of 60,000, 70,000 week in, week out." Perhaps the occasion played some part in Dungannon's start with Linfield taking the lead after only three minutes through Mark Hamill would equalise, however, and when Glenn Ferguson put the Blues ahead again, this time it was McAree who pegged them father Joe, a Dungannon Swifts legend in his own right, would miss his son's goal after leaving his seat for a half-time television interview. After no goals followed in either the second half or extra time, the game went to the early stages of the shootout, it looked as if Swifts keeper Dwayne Nelson was to write his name into Dungannon lore as he saved from Jim Ervin and Thomas Stewart, while Johnny Montgomery successfully dispatched their first penalty. Hamill would miss Dungannon's second kick and Everaldo their third, with Ferguson scoring for Linfield in between despite Nelson getting a strong hand to the shot. Ultimately, Alan Mannus saved Dungannon's fifth penalty from Mark McAllister to secure another trophy for Linfield."My biggest regret of the day was that I didn't take the second penalty," remembered McAree, who was successful with Dungannon's fourth kick."It doesn't mean I would have scored, but I was probably one of the penalty takers at that stage and you get your best penalty takers up first."In hindsight, if I take the second one and score, we go 2-0 up, but I had visions of myself hitting the fourth one, that it would be the one that won it, and I'd run around with my top off swinging it around my head."Unfortunately, it didn't get to that stage."McAree is not the only one who left Windsor Park with regrets."I wasn't renowned for hitting penalties, but I should have taken one," said McCabe."Johnny [Montgomery], Rodney and myself were probably the leaders within the group. Does an older, more experienced Shane ask why I didn't take one? Most definitely."They missed them, but I should have had the responsibility to go and take one."If I was speaking to my 14-year-old son, or my 11-year-old or five-year-old, I'd be saying go and take be afraid to miss." "If the semi-final was the best day I had on a football pitch, the final was the first time I came off the pitch and cried," said McMinn."Colin Jeffers, he'd been coach when I was in the reserves and he came over and gave me a hug and I just burst into tears. "It felt like we had the trophy halfway to Dungannon, but that's the way it goes unfortunately."Scullion, who had been subbed off in the final few minutes of normal time and had to helplessly watch the penalties unfold, would go on to score the winner in an Irish Cup final for Glentoran against Portadown in 2015."It's the two extremes of a cup final. If you win, you're ecstatic and it goes on for weeks. "It's still going on actually, people still mention it to me, but it's cruel when you lose, especially on penalties. "In hindsight, it was great for Dungannon to get there, but you're remembered for winning. Afterwards, when you've lost, you're just completely deflated."For those that played with McAree in that final, and still hold Dungannon close to their hearts, Saturday's final has the feeling of things coming full circle."When we were at Dungannon, Joe McAree was like God there, so that must make Rodney the Messiah now," added Scullion."It's probably the club I look back on with the most affection and I'd be delighted for them if they won."I think it seems written in the stars for them with Rod there. Hopefully I'm right."
