Non-Official, Offline Motorway Services in Ireland

This article from the IT underlines the importance of getting a decent MSA network built as quickly as possible:

ONE IN five road deaths is caused by driver fatigue, according to the Road Safety Authority. RSA chief executive Noel Brett said research showed that driving while fatigued was as dangerous as driving at the current drink-driving limits.

He said people needed to be aware when they were tired and should take a break. He stressed it was not safe to open the window or turn on the radio and continue driving.

“All of the inter-urban motorways have signage and distances to the closest services and most of them are within a kilometre or two from the turn-off.”

The RSA is concerned that links between driver fatigue and collisions are under-reported. Studies it had carried found one driver in 10 in Ireland had fallen asleep at the wheel. Falling asleep for three seconds at the motorway speed limit of 120km/h would result in a car travelling 100 metres uncontrolled.

Garda Chief Supt Gabriel McIntyre said: “We pay particular attention to the area of driver fatigue. We appeal to motorists to use service stations that are on motorways and to pull into a safe location as well if you want to take a rest.”

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0728/1224301501292.html

I stopped off at the M7 J14 Mayfield services last week and thought it was great.
A nice place to stop / relax and get refreshed for the next part of the journey.
One observation though. I think this service area will be very popular and i can see it becoming congested in the future.
The indoor area is not nearly as big as the services on the M1 and when i stopped off the second time on Friday afternoon, all the indoor tables were occupied.

Maybe when more services open along the M7 it will spread the business out a bit, but if it stays as the only real option on this road, then it will be very busy.

veryangryman wrote: »

Midway Portlaoise (even if not 24 hour, its open when the roads are busy)
Cashel Services
Rathcoole


All of these are right by the Motorways. Could we use a few more? Of course, but I think we have the essentials now.

there is need for more.

Travelling up from Cork to Cavan at christmas late in the evening there was nowhere on the M8/ M7 to stop for a pee (pre Monastirevin admittedly but even now you cant really time the calls of nature).
I pulled in at an Esso somewhere on the N7 (where its 3 lanes) and not a toilet to be seen.
Down the road I found a reasonably large topaz, but it was all locked up. Think that was up around citywest direction far enough off the road.

Ended up peeing in the snow behind the petrol station as I wasnt going to be able to hold for another 2 hours!!
(the state of the utter abysmal snow clearing efforts in Dublin are another topic altogether - how I didnt crash on the N7/ M50 or back roads to the station I'll never know)

Anyhow the point I'm making is that its argueable that there still isnt adequate facilities out there as it currently stands

Tremelo wrote: »

The McDonalds/Topaz service area off M8 J8 is doing very well so far. They should have built it bigger though. It's very congested and parking is dire.

Stopped off there this afternoon at this place as much for a snoop as to pick up a coffee.

It's modern but that's about all that can be said about it in a positive way.
On entering the site there's directions for the drive through or petrol. Nothing to state where either the parking for the mc d's or petrol station is. I ended up driving toward the petrol and before i know it on a one way road out of the place!!

Did a lap then almost to the motorway and back and decided to risk whatbwas being signed as the drive through. At the worst I'd order the coffee there and hit the road seeing as parking wasn't signed in any way. Found that the sign for drive through doesnt lead to the drive through but to the (full) mc donalds car park and the car wash. Obvious I suppose!
And beyond that again was about a dozen car parking spaces opposite the topaz.
Completely and utterly insufficient for the location they are in.

The topaz itself is ok. There's the normal garage shop selection with a Hot counter selling all day breakfast and the likes. Upstairs is some seating and a play area (which I didnt go up to as I had 2 unpaid for coffees in my hand)

And as for the coffee. I've barely gotten a more watery milky coffee in my life so the struggle and effort to get it was far from worth it.

Compared to the NRA applegreen msa in lusk that I visited this day last week the Cashel topaz is way below the standard required.
Both station and coffee alike!

yes, I found the whole Cashel site unimpressive when we were down there too a couple of months back. The parking was confusing, the McDonalds was far too small and the fuel pump we tried to use would not work even though we tried to use Laser to pay for it at the pump. The touchpad just did not seem to want to follow to the next step. The place was mobbed so rather than going into the shop to get someone to investigate, we just went elsewhere for fuel.

I haven't been to the NRA funded MSSs (which I hear are very impressive) but the Applegreen one on the Naas Road at Rathcoole (which even has a Burger King counter now! ) is far better than the Cashel site.

munchkin_utd wrote: »

pumps.ie is a great resource for fuel prices and stations and hidden away there is also a facility for searching for petrol stations by main route !
(much better for long distance drives than the default local search by county on pumps.ie front page)

http://pumps.ie/findStationsByRoute.php

its a pity you cant filter the results by 24 hour station/ seating/ parking leaving only the ones that are a viable pit stop on a cross country journey - but nevertheless it's a great tool to highlight what might be viable.

I would recommend they do an app for an entire route (e.g. Cork-Belfast) maybe borrow from google maps on that. This could then tell you cheapest fuel on that user defined route

Amtmann wrote: »

The McDonalds/Topaz service area off M8 J8 is doing very well so far. They should have built it bigger though. It's very congested and parking is dire.

Had the "pleasure" of attempting to make a stop here a few weeks back in order to fill the screen wash and grab a coffee.
Abysmal (again). No parking available and signing as confusing as the last time I was there so ended up simply pulling up at the side of the road for a minute before heading on coffee-less.

Is there any sign of them actually building the extra parking that they have supposedly permission for?

munchkin_utd wrote: »

great tip that. The reviews say it does a great feed altogether. Parking isnt great but it seems more straight forward than the topaz so no fear of getting stuck in the queue for the drive in there!!

Here's where it is on the Cahir Road out of Cashel town (between the town and the motorway so easy access) which is Junction 9 on the M8.
Its exactly 1km according to Google so 2 min off the motorway.
Open 7.00am to 9.00pm, 8.00am to 9.00pm on Sunday so also reasonable enough opening hours for the majority of motorists.
http://www.menupages.ie/tipperary/south_tipperary/cashel/mother_hubbards_cashel.aspx

Tesco next door have fuel during the daytime (EDIT: from 7am to 11pm!) so if you need to fill up after you get your feed thats an ideal option, but they aparantly don't have toilets so as a relief stop on its own not ideal.
http://www.pumps.ie/viewStation.php?stationID=3620
EDIT: the tesco supermarket next door has public toilets and is open from 8am to 10pm and parking galore!!

Have to head this way in the next while so may consider this option. Had a look at StreetView on Google to get an idea of exactly where it was and couldn't get over the sign outside the Tesco advertising unleaded petrol for €1.095 (and diesel for just over €1). Those were the days!

MYOB wrote: »

Article in the SBP saying that Mayfield is expanding due to being under-capacity for HGVs as it stands.

If its under capacity then what is Cashel? Anyhow, here's an article on the expansion just for the record.

SPAR Texaco Junction 14 – the landmark motorway services site on the M7 – has announced that it is to create 20 new jobs and invest a further €500,000 in expansion of the premises.

The announcement was made at a special one year anniversary celebration of the locally owned Irish business, which was attended by Minister Michael Ring T.D., and Bobby Kerr, Gavin Duffy, Norah Casey and Niall O’Farrell of Dragon’s Den fame.

The site, which also includes Irish brands Supermacs and Insomnia, was opened last June by local businessmen and brothers Donal and Liam Fitzpatrick following an initial €7 million investment. The business has grown from 40 to 100 employees in this time and the owners are to begin recruiting for another 20 positions to be filled over the next six months. They are also due to begin works on site expansion, doubling capacity for Heavy Goods Vehicles - a group critical to Ireland’s import/export supply chain.

Speaking at the event, Donal Fitzpatrick said, “We are very proud and thankful that the first year has been such a great success, testament to the commitment of our staff and our customers who have shown us the utmost loyalty and support.” Liam Fitzpatrick added: “On our part, there is a great desire to keep pushing the boundaries, not only to maintain our footing as the best motorway services experience on Irish roads but to keep building a successful Irish business which provides employment locally.”

http://www.irishtrucker.com/news/further-jobs-and-investment-at-spar-texaco-junction-14-009212

linny wrote: »

hopefully this will get the go ahead, badly needed in kilkenny



Permission for development. The development will
consists of A mixed use development comprising the
construction of (1) new access road from existing
round about on the N10 motorway link. (2) a vehicle
service station to include a convenience shop (with
food preparation and dining area, car wash and
covered forecourt area for fuel sales. (3) a discount
convenience retail unit (with provison for ancillary
alcohol sales. (4) a restaurant with drive thru facility
for the sale of hot food for consumption off the
premises. (5) all associated ancillary develoment
works including loading and storage area, staff
facilities, offices, car parking, footpaths, plant, lighting
signage and landscaping. A natura impact statement
has been included with this application as part of the
subject site is located within the river Nore candidate
special area of conservation an architectural heritage
impact assessment re Hebron House (A protected
structure) on adjoining lands has been included with
this application
Blanchfieldsland
Hebron Road
kilkenny

Thats about 5 Km from the M9 motorway, next to the ring road in Kilkenny, so wouldn't be considered a motorway sevice station.
A motorway service station should service the motorway.
Two possible places would be the Paulstown junction or Danesfort.
Paulstown has already been earmarked.

Still, a development like above should do well for those already exiting at Kilkenny anyway.

McDonalds have applied for a drivethrough at the same junction opposite the Toyota garage aswell.

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

THe Fermoy one is signed on the bridges, there is a sign on the motorway saying "24hr service station" and it is signed on the roundabout as well. Its then 1.5km to the service station.

Not perfect, but better than nothing.

I visited this one in Fermoy on the way to Cork a couple of weeks back and am well impressed.
Its not too far from the motorway to be a valid option for a stop, and if you are looking to toll dodge then its perfect (and the 1.90 saved can go to a coffee! )

There's truck parking spaces, showers, baby changing, a convenience store, hot food and everything else that you would expect at a larger brand new service station.

It doesnt have the amount of parking available of say Mayfield but being so close to cork city it probably wont be as busy anyhow with folks making a proper pit stop.

heres the entry in pumps.ie for more info and its exact location
http://www.pumps.ie/viewStation.php?stationID=4053