Seirbhís Iompair Tuaithe bid a fond farewell to Conal Eamon Gillespie

A fond farewell has been paid to the late Conal Eamon Gillespie by the board and staff of Seirbhís Iompair Tuaithe (SITC).

Conal Eamon was a popular figure in his native Glencolmcille and beyond, particularly in south-west Donegal where he drove the famed blue bus. He sadly passed away in January.

“We would like to take this time to pay tribute to a great man, Conal Eamon Gillespie,” they wrote. “Conal Eamon was the first bus operator who back in 2002, set out with his bus on the first Rural Transport Service in County Donegal.

“An initiative undertaken by South West Donegal Communities Partnership, providing a bus service for people living in rural areas who had no access to transport, where they could be collected from their homes and taken to the next town or village and returned home again within a few hours. This could be for shopping, collecting pensions, doctor appointments, or just a reason to get out of the house.

“Conal Eamon, a native of Glencolmcille, was the man for the job and trailblazed a bus route from Glencolmcille to Killybegs and one day a week onto Donegal Town. But this was much more than a bus route to Conal, he took a personal interest and duty of care to all of his passengers, helped them by ensuring they got safely into their homes, carried their shopping and more importantly, was a good friend to all.

“Conal so believed in the value of this service that when times were not so good, he continued to work until operations were back on track. I suppose in ways it was a form of Community Alert! If someone was not ready, or no word, Conal would take time to check if all was ok.

“His nine years operating this service with his famous “Blue Bus” was noted by all and indeed it was quoted at many meetings and gatherings that back in the day: ‘Conal Eamon’s Bus brought more people into Killybegs than the Cruise Ships’. He never missed a day not even the weather could stop the Blue Bus from hitting the road!

“Conal Eamon drove his bus for Rural Transport for almost 10 years until his retirement in 2011. A testament to the value and appreciation of the man was evident at his retirement function when all his passengers turned up and many paid tributes and in particular a great poem penned by one passenger – The Blue Bird.

“Rest In Peace now Conal Eamon, your journey is over but the legacy of what you started lives on in the Local Link bus services now operating all over County Donegal.

“Go dTabharfaidh Rí na nGlóire foscadh na bhFlaitheas duit. Tá do thuras ar an tsaol seo déanta go dílis agat. Slán abhaile.”

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