Gaelic Grounds matches + complete lack of any proper traffic management

rok

quick rant ....

Had to abandon my car in a carpark on the Ennis Road yesterday evening and walk home, thought I would avoid the worst of it by timing my journey just before the end of the match. Condell Road was at a standstill and there was no entry to North Circular Road.

Cars were thrun' up on every kerb + green area in the Ennis Road, Clareview, Caherdavin area - despite Na Piarsaigh offering free parking + BBQ.

How the hell can it take nearly 3 hours to clear a crowd of 50,000 ?

I've been to many matches in the UK and cars are not allowed to park near the grounds, Traffic Management in Ireland is a joke for any event, big match/race meeting concerts, have the authorities involved in planning these events never heard of park + ride ?

Did they not know this would happen again after the last few times big Tipp crowds came to Gaelic Grounds, senior + u21 replays of last few years.

God help anyone who was wating for an Ambulance or needed to get into Maternity Hospital.

Stab*City

add to that the fiasco that was BEEP traffic management..

Mod Edit: Can't mention that here, Stab*City, sorry....

jonski

rok wrote: »

Traffic Management in Ireland

See , there is your mistake right there , you cannot use those words in the same sentence and tbh if you had used Limerick instead of Ireland there you should have been site banned .

We really don't understand the concept of Park and ride over here , we think it is supposed to be for the benefit of the person using the service when infact it is supposed to benefit the community at large . In England if you used park and ride , you park , pay a cheap fare on a tram or bus to where ever you are going , same back , then collect your car , which was parked in a parking lot ...for free! , and go . Here it is much the same except the fare isn't cheap and you have to pay for the parking when you get back .

topper75

Yes the solution is simple. NO cars within a mile radius on match days without residents pass. Lazy Irish would complain though if they can't park within a short shuffle of the stadium. GAA needs to sort this and mentality will change - much like the smoking ban. P&R only way to go.

GAA could efficiently run minibuses on a noprofit basis @ 50c a head round trip ticket (2 miles or so to the stadium from Coonagh, Dock Road, Condell Rd. or city centre). People would have no difficulty parting with 50c for a bottleneck-free day out. They would be tearing off back to Clare, Cork, Tipp or Waterford as soon as they reach their car.

Alternatively add this 50c surcharge to tickets and let the match ticket/match ticket stub operate as the fare.

Jumpy

Stab*City wrote: »

add to that the fiasco that was ***** traffic management..

Shush with That Which Shall Not Be Named.

Builderfromhell

Was driving down Henry street when the lights went green. Driver asks Garda on traffic duty for directions. Garda chats to him for so long lights went red again. Then driver drove through lights leaving the rest of us fuming. Seems petty but I was furious at the time.
No Garda at Condell road near Salesians school junction. Loads of pedestrians trying to cross road at this dodgy location. Again moving cars not people seems to be the priority.

brousuka

Could I add to this by saying the on-pitch management and security looked so amateur on TV. Thousands of hyped up fans like barbarians on cocaine storming the field at the full time whistle!!? jumping and maurauding over man woman and child. When are the GAA going to learn? -when there is an accident? or a child stampeded on? take a leaf out of English sports venues (Guinness rugby premiership matches etc.) they are run so well.

topper75

brousuka wrote: »

Could I add to this by saying the on-pitch management and security looked so amateur on TV. Thousands of hyped up fans like barbarians on cocaine storming the field at the full time whistle!!? jumping and maurauding over man woman and child. When are the GAA going to learn? -when there is an accident? or a child stampeded on? take a leaf out of English sports venues (Guinness rugby premiership matches etc.) they are run so well.

I dunno. I would have to draw the line here. We can't have Health and Safety ruining everything. Life without some rough and tumble is a life not lived at all. Has your team ever won a big game that was a tense encounter? Have you not ever charged onto the field with delight alongside fellow supporters at the whistle? Have you not experienced the heart-bursting pride of watching your captain lift the cup draped in your county's colours whilst his every sentence receives a tumultous cheer from young and old, rich and poor, united behind one glorious cause. It has been going on for generations in GAA grounds with no child getting hurt and is part of the magic. It is the great thing that sets the GAA apart from the professional rival games - touchable heroes. Role models doing amazing things and you can go out after the game and pat them on the back and ask for their autograph. I hear your concerns but if kids are vulnerable at the front for such final whistle invasions then the onus is really on their guardians to provide protection rather than the GAA.

--amadeus--

I wanted to go from teh Rehbogue (spl?) Road to the Parkway SC, around teh parkway roundabout. Guardi there and I was stopped and told I had to go down to TK Maxx turn around and back out?

I'm all for keeping traffic moving but that entire side of teh roundabout was clear of trafic at the time as they were stopping people at the Dublin road side. I could have been through in seconds but was sent to q at the lights to cut across heavy traffic?

Pointless and amateur.

brousuka

topper75 wrote: »

...... I hear your concerns but if kids are vulnerable at the front for such final whistle invasions then the onus is really on their guardians to provide protection rather than the GAA.

OK. but, imo the GAA must provide adequate protection for it's paying customers. Safety always comes first.

rok

--amadeus-- wrote: »

Pointless and amateur.

you summed it up nicely there....

The amateurish effort is the only explanation for traffic still crawling on the Condell and Ennis Roads nealry 2.5 hours after the final whistle.
Surely most of the Clare fans would have been long gone out the N18 dual carriageway at that stage, and the Tipp crowd would have be heading the other direction through town (unless diverted otherwise) ?

Maybe in future they could use some of the idle 1500 (promised) car spaces in Coonagh Shopping Centre and run shuttle buses in to Gaelic Grounds from there.
Residents passes have been used for previous matches, were they used this time or is it too much effort to arrange ?

keith_d99

OP mentioned - parking on greens etc. Yes the GAA crowd are the most ignorant and disrespectful when it comes to parking cars!
They plough up on any space they can find. After many years, it was good to see them finally being clamped a few weeks back. Didn't see anything yesterday though.

I have never seen a car parked on a green when the rugby is on up in Thomond Park .... Mmmm

bantee

Drove through town from the Tipp Road side at 2.15pm yesterday and down Mallow St and there were Gardai at every junction directing traffic so I thought it was best run traffic management I've seen in a while.
Obviously if 50,000 supporters decend on a small city like Limerick there will be parking issues. People only want to get as close as possible to the stadium.

Also Keith, as for comparing the GAA supporters parking to the rugby ones, grow up a bit. Thomond only held about 16,000 people up to now and they parked out the Moyross Road and all over the place too.
Ignorant statement really.

DarkJager

bantee wrote: »

Drove through town from the Tipp Road side at 2.15pm yesterday and down Mallow St and there were Gardai at every junction directing traffic so I thought it was best run traffic management I've seen in a while.
Obviously if 50,000 supporters decend on a small city like Limerick there will be parking issues. People only want to get as close as possible to the stadium.

Also Keith, as for comparing the GAA supporters parking to the rugby ones, grow up a bit. Thomond only held about 16,000 people up to now and they parked out the Moyross Road and all over the place too.
Ignorant statement really.

Nope I totally agree with Keith, the parking on display yesterday around the Coonagh roundabout and condell roads was nothing short of diabolical. Even when the rugby is on in Thomond, people still park logically and with thought for the safety and convenience of other road users. For some reason, GAA fans seem to think that just because there is a match on, they have the right to park on the central reserves, up on the grass wherever its available and in front of peoples houses. I was praying that the clampers would have swooped in on them.

How would you feel if you were effectively imprisoned in your home because some pricks parked in front of your driveway to go to a match? I'll tell you, I wouldn't be waiting for clampers or tow trucks. They'd be lucky to have the door handles left when they come back.

RoisinD

Some interesting comments on this thread. Although I agree that is inconsiderate of people to park indiscriminately, the problem is that there is no co-ordinated traffic management.

As someone who lived in London for many years, not far from a premiership ground, I was appalled at the lack of signposting and clear indications of where to park on Sunday. As has been pointed out at football grounds in England there are clear signs of where to and where not to park, including coach parks etc.

Instead of using the parking issue to have a pop at GAA fans the frustration should be directed at those in charge of traffic management. I would assume this is Limerick City Council - who are glad to have people from neighbouring counties shop in the city and therefore support the city financially but offer them no assistance in parking safely when attending events at the Gaelic grounds.

rok

keith_d99 wrote: »

OP mentioned - parking on greens etc. Yes the GAA crowd are the most ignorant and disrespectful when it comes to parking cars!
They plough up on any space they can find. After many years, it was good to see them finally being clamped a few weeks back. Didn't see anything yesterday though.
I have never seen a car parked on a green when the rugby is on up in Thomond Park .... Mmmm

Dunno what route you take but I have seen loads of match day cars that have dug up green areas on my way home from Thomond Park.
This has been in the winter too when the grass/ground is softer - causing even more damage to the green areas, in Clareview, Mayorstone and especially on the green outside my friends house in Merval Park (for recent matches a cordon/tape has been put up on this green to try to stop parking on it).

My main gripe is the lack of co-ordinated traffic management.
The fans are going to park as close to the grounds as they can, causing the traffic log jams afterwards, if there was decent traffic management they would not be allowed to do this.
Event organisers dont care once they have got the money off the punters and cleared 'em out of the stadium.

keith_d99

Bantee I live in the area all my life, and in my part I can tell you for fact - I have never had 1 car ploughed up on the greens when there has been a rugby match on! And believe me it happens at 80% of the GAA games (and I do like GAA) - not only ones with 50,000! I've even had them park in my drive locking in cars. It's not being childish (nor ignorant thanks) - it's years of experience of this disrespect. And I bet any other residents in the area reading this will agree! Unless you live in the area and see it year in year out , I wouldn't be so quick to call my statement ignorant!

Now be prepared for the rugby crowd to let me down, with the bigger Thomand Park! :rolleyes:

bantee wrote: »

Also Keith, as for comparing the GAA supporters parking to the rugby ones, grow up a bit. Thomond only held about 16,000 people up to now and they parked out the Moyross Road and all over the place too.
Ignorant statement really.

Meathlass

I'm heading to Gaelic grounds on Saturday for the football qualifier but I don't know limerick at all. My boyfriend knows the city really well but as he's not a GAA supporter he just knows that the pitch is on the Ennis side of town. He mentioned something about parking in Dunnes carpark near the river. Is this viable? I don't mind walking but as it might be raining I don't want to be miles away from the grounds. Also I'm coming from Tipp so would like to be on the right side of the grouds so I don't get stuck in all the traffic. TBH I don't think there's going to be more than 15,000 there anyway, much less if it's a bad day.

luder

Meathlass wrote: »

I'm heading to Gaelic grounds on Saturday for the football qualifier but I don't know limerick at all. My boyfriend knows the city really well but as he's not a GAA supporter he just knows that the pitch is on the Ennis side of town. He mentioned something about parking in Dunnes carpark near the river. Is this viable? I don't mind walking but as it might be raining I don't want to be miles away from the grounds. Also I'm coming from Tipp so would like to be on the right side of the grouds so I don't get stuck in all the traffic. TBH I don't think there's going to be more than 15,000 there anyway, much less if it's a bad day.

theres a load of multi-storey car parks in the city center...the gaelic grounds is about a 20min walk then from the city center...

Loads of rugby fans that attend thomond park often park in the city..

Meathlass

Thanks - are there any multi storey carparks that I should avoid, maybe ones that will close early? I don't expect to be back in town till 9.30pm. My main worry is that if I follow directions to a carpark and then find out it's full or closing earlier that i'll get lost in the city and not have a clue where I am. I have the aa routeplanner to the grounds printed off but hard to read that, look at signposts and drive at the same time!

luder

Is the match on a sunday or the saturday. If its on sunday you could nearly chance getting into town early enough and look for on-street parking. Its free on sundays.

I think the dunnes car park on howleys quay closes around 7 or 8 on a saturday but im not too sure. The car park beside the clarion hotel is 24 hour afaik..

topper75

If you get out towards the grounds early enough, you could park in the retail park (Woodies DIY) or the Dunnes underground carpark and they don't close at all.

As you pass through the city centre, try to get onto Henry street. Keep left going down this street (Henry st. is a 3-lane one-way st. parallel to O'Connell St, which is also one-way but in the opposite direction) and then turn at the junction with Sarsfield St. to go across Sarsfield bridge. Gaelic grounds is 5 mins drive out beyond Sarsfield bridge (can't miss it) and park as I explained above across the road from it. Sorted. Enjoy the craic.

Meathlass

topper75 wrote: »

If you get out towards the grounds early enough, you could park in the retail park (Woodies DIY) or the Dunnes underground carpark and they don't close at all.

As you pass through the city centre, try to get onto Henry street. Keep left going down this street (Henry st. is a 3-lane one-way st. parallel to O'Connell St, which is also one-way but in the opposite direction) and then turn at the junction with Sarsfield St. to go across Sarsfield bridge. Gaelic grounds is 5 mins drive out beyond Sarsfield bridge (can't miss it) and park as I explained above across the road from it. Sorted. Enjoy the craic.

That sounds great, thanks. Yeah the match is the Limerick Meath game, think throw in is at 7pm on saturday so that's why I thought the dunnes carpark would be closed so the Woodies retail park sounds like a much better idea.

Pigletlover

bantee wrote: »

Drove through town from the Tipp Road side at 2.15pm yesterday and down Mallow St and there were Gardai at every junction directing traffic so I thought it was best run traffic management I've seen in a while.
Obviously if 50,000 supporters decend on a small city like Limerick there will be parking issues. People only want to get as close as possible to the stadium.

Also Keith, as for comparing the GAA supporters parking to the rugby ones, grow up a bit. Thomond only held about 16,000 people up to now and they parked out the Moyross Road and all over the place too.
Ignorant statement really.

I have to agree with you about the traffic, I though it was very well managed. We parked in town and walked across to the game and we were actually surprised at all the places we could have parked. After the game traffic seemed to be flowing well and there was plenty of guards around directing traffic, even out as far out as the Roxboro roundabout.

Meathlass, I'd second topper75's suggestion, there will be a small enough crowd at the match Saturday night so you should have no problem parking in the Woodies retail park across from the grounds.

bantee

keith_d99 wrote: »

Bantee I live in the area all my life, and in my part I can tell you for fact - I have never had 1 car ploughed up on the greens when there has been a rugby match on! And believe me it happens at 80% of the GAA games (and I do like GAA) - not only ones with 50,000! I've even had them park in my drive locking in cars. It's not being childish (nor ignorant thanks) - it's years of experience of this disrespect. And I bet any other residents in the area reading this will agree! Unless you live in the area and see it year in year out , I wouldn't be so quick to call my statement ignorant!

Now be prepared for the rugby crowd to let me down, with the bigger Thomand Park! :rolleyes:

Ok I'll retract my "ignorant" reference then. But I have to say I don't like how people portray the GAA supporters as a bunch of savages coming into the city. As I said there were large numbers attending the Munster final on Sunday, and I genuinely thought the traffic through the city was managed well.
The Gardai don't have the resources to cope with people parking on greens and areas they shouldn't. I'm sure some people have been clamped or towed away in the past.
I just got a little tone from your post referring that "sophisticated" rugby supporters would never park poorly or in a disorganised fashion.

I used to live in the Caherdavin and Mayorstone area for a number of years, and I witnessed crazy parking at rugby match time too, so lets all not be too quick to come down hard on the GAA folk who just want a good day out.

bantee

Pigletlover wrote: »

I have to agree with you about the traffic, I though it was very well managed. We parked in town and walked across to the game and we were actually surprised at all the places we could have parked. After the game traffic seemed to be flowing well and there was plenty of guards around directing traffic, even out as far out as the Roxboro roundabout.

Meathlass, I'd second topper75's suggestion, there will be a small enough crowd at the match Saturday night so you should have no problem parking in the Woodies retail park across from the grounds.

There were ample parking spots in a road down by the Clarion Suites (don't know the exact road name) which didn't block people's driveways. We left the match after the final whistle, got the car from there and drove down by Selaesian's school and out the dock road.
The traffic was moving very easily due to the large Garda presence, no hassle at all.

snowman707

bantee wrote: »

Drove through town from the Tipp Road side at 2.15pm yesterday and down Mallow St and there were Gardai at every junction directing traffic so I thought it was best run traffic management I've seen in a while.
Obviously if 50,000 supporters decend on a small city like Limerick there will be parking issues. People only want to get as close as possible to the stadium.

Also Keith, as for comparing the GAA supporters parking to the rugby ones, grow up a bit. Thomond only held about 16,000 people up to now and they parked out the Moyross Road and all over the place too.
Ignorant statement really.

Try visiting some one in St Camillas when there is a rugby match , completely cluttered with no regard shown for anyone.

keith_d99

Nah I wasn't trying to "up" the rugby supporters at all - nor trying to come down hard on GAA crowds - it's just I have had all the problems with them in the part of the area I live in (Brookville Ave). The rugby crowd never touch the greens along the link road - however looks like the rugby crowd abuse other areas like Mayorstone etc. so maybe they are just as bad as each other in numbers!

More clampers/tickets for both, would be the best solution to get the idea across!

bantee wrote: »

Ok I'll retract my "ignorant" reference then. But I have to say I don't like how people portray the GAA supporters as a bunch of savages coming into the city. As I said there were large numbers attending the Munster final on Sunday, and I genuinely thought the traffic through the city was managed well.
The Gardai don't have the resources to cope with people parking on greens and areas they shouldn't. I'm sure some people have been clamped or towed away in the past.
I just got a little tone from your post referring that "sophisticated" rugby supporters would never park poorly or in a disorganised fashion.

I used to live in the Caherdavin and Mayorstone area for a number of years, and I witnessed crazy parking at rugby match time too, so lets all not be too quick to come down hard on the GAA folk who just want a good day out.

Pshan

Meathlass,

If you don't mind driving on narrow back roads, try the following:
Coming from Nenagh, turn right in Birdhill (just after Matt the Treashers & Browsers) for O'Brien's Bridge, in O'B's B you will cross two bridges, one over the Shannon and the other over the canal, turn left at the T junction, continue up to the next T junction (Barry's Cross) turn left and cross over the canal, turn right at next junction (shop & petrol station on right) to Parteen, in the village the main roads sweeps round to the left (there is also a left turn so be careful), down thro' the village to a bridge (traffic flow controlled by lights), head straight into this road over railway line and thro' next set of lights, some match goers will turn their car here and park or some will drive up to the next set and turn right (near Thomond Park) and park along there.

The Ennis Road is closed to traffic on some match days - but if you want to try, you have the option of going straight tho' att he last set of light and turning right at the next set OR turning right and up past Thomond Park, take the 1st exit at the roundabout and turn left att he next set of lights.

Pigletlover

I can't see the road being closed tbh, there won't be a big crowd at the game. For someone who's not sure of where they're going I'd say to park in the Woodies or Dunnes carparks.

bantee

Pshan wrote: »

Meathlass,

If you don't mind driving on narrow back roads, try the following:
Coming from Nenagh, turn right in Birdhill (just after Matt the Treashers & Browsers) for O'Brien's Bridge, in O'B's B you will cross two bridges, one over the Shannon and the other over the canal, turn left at the T junction, continue up to the next T junction (Barry's Cross) turn left and cross over the canal, turn right at next junction (shop & petrol station on right) to Parteen, in the village the main roads sweeps round to the left (there is also a left turn so be careful), down thro' the village to a bridge (traffic flow controlled by lights), head straight into this road over railway line and thro' next set of lights, some match goers will turn their car here and park or some will drive up to the next set and turn right (near Thomond Park) and park along there.

The Ennis Road is closed to traffic on some match days - but if you want to try, you have the option of going straight tho' att he last set of light and turning right at the next set OR turning right and up past Thomond Park, take the 1st exit at the roundabout and turn left att he next set of lights.

Lol, you might as well have told her to follow the yellow-brick road!

Pshan

bantee wrote: »

Lol, you might as well have told her to follow the yellow-brick road!

So what route would you suggest? I can guarantee my suggested route to be quicker (unless you do it a some unearthly hour) than coming straight in the Dublin road and snailing along through the outskirts of the cuty nad then the cuty itself.

rok

Pshan wrote: »

So what route would you suggest? I can guarantee my suggested route to be quicker (unless you do it a some unearthly hour) than coming straight in the Dublin road and snailing along through the outskirts of the cuty nad then the cuty itself.

It is a good route I have used many times myself, but there are some windy parts to it with narrow roads where you really have to slow down.
Also it is advisable to stop at the bridge in OBriens Bridge and let traffic pass from other side, wide enough for 1 car only, although some nutter in a Starlet (+ on his mobile) did pass me on this bridge once half way accross.

Meathlass

Thanks for all the help with directions here last week. I didn't need them in the end as my brother who went to college in Limerick came with me as the navigator. We came in by the Parkway roundabout and Thomond. No problems with parking, only a couple of thousand at the game. Congrats to Limerick :rolleyes: