Then, the Limerick car went on to
Tralee, and from thence to Cahirciveen, on the south-west coast
of Ireland. The cars were also extended northward from Thurles
to Roscrea, Ballinasloe, Athlone, Roscommon, and Sligo, and to
all the principal towns in the north-west counties of Ireland.
The cars interlaced with each other, and plied, not so much in
continuous main lines, as across country, so as to bring all
important towns, but especially the market towns, into regular
daily communication with each other. Thus, in the course of
about thirty years, Bianconi succeeded in establishing a system
of internal communication in Ireland, which traversed the main
highways and cross-roads from town to town, and gave the public a
regular and safe car accommodation at the average rate of a
penny-farthing per mile.
The traffic in all directions steadily increased. The first car
used was capable of accommodating only six persons. This was
between Clonmel and Cahir. But when it went on to Limerick, a
larger car was required. The traffic between Clonmel and
Waterford was also begun with a small-sized car. But in the
course of a few years, there were four large-sized cars,
travelling daily each way, between the two places. And so it was
in other directions, between Cork in the south; and Sligo and
Strabane in the north and north-west; between Wexford in the
east, and Galway and Skibbereen in the west and south-west.
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