But you can buy any rail station to any red luas central zone stop

The RPA refused to consider implementing proper through ticketing. I know I asked

Not the fault of the Luas as a transport concept. This is the fault of all the QUANGOS, semi-states, public bodies (including ther RPA), trade union fighting for the own selfish piece of the pie and all of them using YOU the public transport user as the pawn. Please do not confuse the shortcommings of the highly successful public transport solution which is Luas with the 60 odd of war against integrated public transport which CIE began in the 1930's.

Once again, people seem to blame the Irish cultural war against the public transport users on the RPA and the Luas. Colmd, this tickenting situation was forced on the RPA by powerful poltical interests in the same way the The Gap between the Red and Green line was. It was not the fault of the Luas, nor the RPA.

Again none of your issues with Luas is the fault of Luas. Try buying a DART ticket on a Dublin Bus or a BE services. It's the same thing and that were you should be directing your anger because IE/BE and BaC are all within CIE. How can you attack the Luas for not being perfectly integrated when CIE have made lack of integration and crazy ticketing into an artform.

The Luas is integrated with Connolly by any international yardstick for integration between public two transport modes. It is not an unacceptable distance. That's the reality of the matter.

I thought my anology and metaphors with T21 as a poker game was dodgy enough, but this chicken one is fantastic.

As I have watched a lot of bizzare astromony programmes from the USA on Discovery Channel with their Baseball Analogies used to explain the gravatational field of Saturn's mass on its ring stucture to the great unwashed, I would like to take the chicken concept further.

T21 is like a Bucket of KFC.

P11 wants the Breasts with Extra crispy (satisfies the most people, plenty of meat for all = Interconector, MetroNorth etc) while WestonTrack/IRN want the Zinger Chicken Sandwich (overpriced, narrow customer base, labour intensive, not very appealing and only available for a limited amount of time = WRC).

P11 on the other hand consider the Zinger chicken sandwich only good for the meat in the middle (Ennis-Athenry-Oranmore-Galway) and throw the bun and the dodgy dressing and salad into the bin (Tuam-Claremorris and Burma Road).

CIE is Pat Grace's Famous Fried Chicken (1970's undercooked and greasy Irish poor quality copy of the real thing).

Aha................. Pat Grace used to be title sponser of the Leauge of Ireland ("The Pat Grace Kentucky Fried Chicken Leauge Of Ireland") and there are startling similarities between the FAI and CIE.

And you forgot the Tower Burger in your KFC review. How could you?

You're essentially right, the luas is bang up against both Heuston and Connolly.
and it's easy to use and all that.

I'd liken that to hardware.
The software is missing and it's because of all the vested/useless interests using us as pawns. The glue to stick it all together is missing.

The difference is you'd see the luas as good enough. I think it has been implemented badly and this messing by govt* has stopped the luas from being truly integrated.

I'd question your statement about the rpa being forced to take the non-integrated ticketing approach.
The rpa are responsible for integrated ticketing. They have managed to convince every one smart cards are the way forward. Yet they have introduced two smart card systems, Luas and Mortons.

"In April 2004 RPA's Integrated Ticketing Department launched a pilot smart card system for Morton's Coaches.

In March 2005 RPA's Integrated Ticketing Department assisted Luas in launching a smart card system across the Red and Green lines. "
http://www.rpa.ie/?id=321

The car parks at the luas aren't integrated either.


I agree cie are crap and have the deadweight dragging them down. I'm more upset the brand new clean slate 21st century rpa are not dam near perfect. which they should be. It's the things inside the control of the rpa that they've done badly that I'm complaining about.

I'd actually forgotten about Pat Grace. remember it from All Ireland tv ad time alright. bang on the money there.

*govt
central govt, civil service, local govt, co&city councillors, td's&senators, companied whose majority shareholder is one of the above, organisations controlled by and responsible to one of the above.

The Final cost of the Luas system came in at €770 million.

In Connolly Heavy Rail and Luas are as integrated as they could possibly be.

Transport 21 is not about plans, its all about finance and policy. Something PFC sorely lacked.

T21 had a good summer but Autumn has seen some delays and indecision. Between now and the election will be a telling time.

I think Pat Grace was also the owner and a player at one time with Limerick United and featured in the team which gave Real Madrid a hell of fright back in the 1970's in the European Cup. So yes, the FAI/CIE cultual link is very true.

So Limerick United/City/FC would be railfreight - should be major force, but has vanished from the scene.

I can think of a few weirdos on IRN and Boards.ie would would be the rail transport version of the Dundalk FC bloke with the gallon of petrol the other day. Except he would probably be even more grounded in reality then some of that shower.

Being a life-long Bohs supporter myself and rolling in obscene amounts of other people's money. I would have to say that Bohs are the National Toll Roads of Irish soccer.

Shamrock Rovers are the Fry Model Railway Museum - Living off the past and cheap nostalgia.

I agree with your analysis. Esp as Wheeler supports that Rovers shower. Funny though, the Kilcoynes sell off Miltown, big story, Bohs sell off Dalymount, not a big story. Course, Bohs just didnt happen to auqire it a few years beforehand for a few shillings though..............

Really? Didn't hear many Bozos saying that when we knocked them out of the cup this season :p

Amazing really, despite being homeless for 20 years and playing in the first division this season we still manage to beat the self proclaimed "big club" quite easily.

Back on topic - Thomas Stamp is right, there is nothing new in T21, all of these projects have been unveiled before. The difference is under T21 the government have finally commited to fund their construction.

It's because the general public have never given two damns about Bohs, despite a couple of successful seasons in the last few years they are still as irrelevant as they ever were in the public mindset. Rovers on the other hand always get attention and remain the biggest name in Irish football - isn't that right Nige ;)

Biggest name in Irish football NOT.

Dodgy dealings last year with false information on the licensing documentation. The biggest sets of thugs as supporters. But still the nostalgic backing of RTÉ types and people who think they look like Celtic.

Rovers are more of a WRC really. Shouldn't have been let into the new premiership at all.

Those same set of fans (or thugs as you prefer to call us) myself included were the ones who reported the licensing and financial irregularities to the FAI before ousting the crooks who were running the club then successfully financed a takeover of the club which has led to now being arguably the most professionally run club in the country. It's even looking like we may turn a small profit this year.

The point I was making above is, everyone has an opinion on Rovers whether it be good or bad. Bohs on the other hand don't garner much opinion either way.

Who would have thought an "innocent" article on Parisian trams would have led to heated discussions on T21, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Irish Football! Fitzgricer - you've a lot to answer for :D

Ah no. You can blame Stamp and Wheeler for "spinning" this one. Behind the scenes and all that.;)

I learned to curse in Glenmalure Park, "Sheila" Darcy sold me my first computer and I puked on the pitch at the launch of the floodlights, when Liverpool beat us 3-0. (Derek's Hoops nostalgia)

Had you been eating some type of the aforementioned fried chicken?:D

Yeah, nice ground you dont have there.

Out of our hands at the moment thanks to Thomas Davis attempts to delay Rovers' first team joining the rest of the club in Tallaght by taking a judicial review of the decision to build a soccer only stadium funded by government grants. The hypocrisy of Thomas Davis is sickening considering their own GAA only facilities including clubhouse and all weather training pitches were funded by government grants too.

Thomas Davis being the latest in a looooooong line of excuses.................

"If one has normal functioning legs, its an easy integration. This would be considered perfectly acceptable integration between two rail services anywhere in the world."

Anybody with normal functioning legs could also walk between Heuston & Connolly but I would hardly call them integrated !

Which is how I do it, takes about 25 minutes, Luas takes 17 needless to say I beat the tram on many a day

Fundamental issue is integration you won't find any signs on the RPA owned section pointing to Connolly station itself but you will find signs in Connolly station directing you to trams

Your just trying to wind me up now......