Stuck in time warp en route to Clontarf

It was National Public Transport Day yesterday, a day on which we remember the suffering of generations of Irish public transport users. So, in keeping with tradition, the special train bound for the opening of Dublin's newest DART station was running late.

CIE had advertised arrival in Clontarf at 3 p.m., but as the hour came and went we were still sitting at the platform in Connolly station, looking at our watches. Again, in keeping with the custom, there was no explanation for the hold-up. And, in honour of the occasion we didn't ask, but instead sat quietly in a solemn re-enactment of public transport use through the ages.

When the train did pull out at 3.06 p.m., it was carrying the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, but not the advertised "Viking characters dressed in authentic costumes reminiscent of the era of the Battle of Clontarf". It was tempting to think the Vikings had been held up in traffic. In fact their non-appearance - apart from one who turned up in the ticket queue - had more to do with a toning-down of the celebrations after Monday's tragedy at Donabate.

The Minister seemed to be the only member of the party travelling with a valid ticket, so the rest of us squirmed every time a man in a peaked cap appeared. Fortunately, Clontarf is only one stop from Connolly and we were safely off before the two under-age ticket-checkers who were guests of honour could strike.

The new station at Clontarf Road represents part of the £33 million expansion of Dublin's rapid rail system. A station-of-the-art, as it were, it is equipped with wheelchair lifts, a secure bicycle park and a digital information system, linked to the signal system, which gives "real time" information on the arrival of trains.

Displaying a grasp of Irish history which would have qualified her for extra homework were she still at school, Ms O'Rourke mused aloud in her formal speech that Clontarf was "where Brian Boru didn't quite rout the Vikings, or did he? I remember from my school history he went to his tent and sulked for a while . . ." Perhaps she was thinking of another former Irish leader who has good reason to sulk at the moment.

The Minister was due to return to the city centre on the 3.57 p.m. train, which the digital display predicted would arrive exactly on schedule. And sure enough, at 3.57 p.m. (real time), the southbound DART pulled in. Ms O'Rourke's history may be a bit ropey, but she could yet go down in it as the Minister who made the trains run on time.