Thu
06
Jul 1815
Charles Bianconi (24 September 1786 – 22 September 1875) was an Italo-Irish entrepreneur.
Sometimes described as the “man who put Ireland on wheels”, he developed a network of horse-drawn coaches that became Ireland’s “first regular public transport” system.
1815 - First Service
The first service, Clonmel to Cahir, took five to eight hours by boat but only two hours by Bianconi’s carriage.
Travel on a ‘Bian’ cost one penny farthing a mile.
His open ‘Bianconi coaches’ colloquially shortened to ‘Bians’, were a popular form of public transport for over a century.
Long Bian 19-passenger coach
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