GAA Pearse Stadium parking - read mod warning in post #1

snubbleste

MOD EDIT: Due to off-topic posting deviating so far from the initial discussion with no possibility of returning in a natural flow a mod warning has been issued. Further off-topic discussion may well lead to infractions, you may be unlucky enough not to have started an off-topic conversation but merely continued down a path of tired discussion resulting in an infraction - bare this in mind, you can't say you haven't been informed.

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I don't know if it was the GAA's idea, but finally one of the elements of the alleged traffic management plan for Pearse Stadium is being implemented - years later: http://news.galwaytransport.info/201...-salthill.html stolen from UnJustMary

The €3 per adult bus only takes them to the WDR roundabout. Where exactly do the passengers disembark? and then be forced to walk one long kilometre to Pearse Stadium.

An Garda: Parking in the vicinity of Pearse Stadium will be forbidden and patrons are advised to be prepared to walk some distances to the match venue. No parking will be allowed at: Kingston Road, Taylor’s Hill, Rosary Lane, Oaklands/Devon Gardens, Mannix Road, Dalysfort Road, Rockbarton Road and Ard Na Mara
Vehicles illegally parked will be towed away. http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=11135

Mrs OBumble

I'd imagine that passengers disembark at the bus stop near the Fort Lorenzo RAB.

ronnie3585

snubbleste wrote: »

An Garda: Parking in the vicinity of Pearse Stadium will be forbidden and patrons are advised to be prepared to walk some distances to the match venue. No parking will be allowed at: Kingston Road, Taylor’s Hill, Rosary Lane, Oaklands/Devon Gardens, Mannix Road, Dalysfort Road, Rockbarton Road and Ard Na Mara
Vehicles illegally parked will be towed away. http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=11135

Just drove down Kingston Road and Bishop O'Donnell road and there's easily 150 cars parked on the path/road. One gobsh*te in a Vectra parked (more like abandoned) outside Bunker Lydon's house has pretty much cut down the road to one lane.

No doubt there'll be no repercussions for these match day muck savages.

confuseddotcom

Why don't ye note their reg. nos. and report them or go to the Councillors about it..... It seems to crop up often enough as a recurring issue judging by the consistent Threads here about it.

snubbleste

I counted about 30 garda around at various junctions.
There were vehicles blocking footpaths & bike paths on Bishop ODonnell, WDR, Kingston, Threadneedle, Devon, Taylors Hill, Lwr Salthill, Maunsells, Rosary Lane, oh and Newcastle Rd.
I saw no tow trucks anywhere.

TBP

Is it really that big of a problem to some of you or is this just another case of people complaining for the sake of it?

My wife and myself brought our little one who is in a wheelchair to the match today, we had to walk a good kilometre disembarking the footpath a few times along the way and we weren't complaining about it.

emptybladder

TBP wrote: »

Is it really that big of a problem to some of you or is this just another case of people complaining for the sake of it?

My wife and myself brought our little one who is in a wheelchair to the match today, we had to walk a good kilometre disembarking the footpath a few times along the way and we weren't complaining about it.

With respect, it's far easier to negotiate with a child in a wheelchair than an adult.
My brother walked from Bothar Stiofain, wheeling my uncle, because the weather was decent. Had to use the cycle lane for much of the Distributor Road and walk on the road down Threadneedle. It's irresponsible parking and it's illegal.

hedgehog2

There is less than a handful of big games per year and people need to relax a little and see it as a minor inconvenience for a few hours on one of these days.
There are more pressing matters of concern happening in Galway than moaning about a car parked on a foot path.

Paddyfield

I have gone to matches all over the country and have sometimes parked poorly but not haphazardly. There are no excuses for the ways some twats dump their cars.

Today, I saw one car parked on the narrow foothpath along Kingston Road which completely blocked pedestrians from walking. There is no footpath on the other side of this particular stretch of road which resulted in all walkers having to go on to the road while this careless parker went to a match. He/she gives all other (bad) parkers a really bad name, including myself.*

The car should have been confiscated because it could have caused an accident for a pedestrian.

*I have parked on grass verges, on footpaths and on private property (office car park) but never in disabled spaces, blocking driveways, at junctions or on flowerbeds!

jkforde

hedgehog2 wrote: »

There is less than a handful of big games per year and people need to relax a little and see it as a minor inconvenience for a few hours on one of these days.
There are more pressing matters of concern happening in Galway than moaning about a car parked on a foot path.

yeah. any of your relatives, family, friends disabled or have to use a wheelchair? 'inconvenience'. yeah.

celty

I honestly woudln't blame the motorists. If you drive all the way from Ballina, say, to support Mayo then you are going to try to park as close as you can to Pearse Stadium.

The problem goes back to the decision to revamp Pearse Stadium over a decade ago without any proper parking or transport plan. I believe there was a 'park and ride' in the original plans, but they never bothered to highlight or implement it.

As for the Gardai on match days, most of them are GAA fans and far more interested in watching the match than going out and ticketing hundreds of cars whose owners have nowhere else to park anyways

jkforde

celty wrote: »

I honestly woudln't blame the motorists. If you drive all the way from Ballina, say, to support Mayo then you are going to try to park as close as you can to Pearse Stadium. The problem goes back to the decision to revamp Pearse Stadium over a decade ago without any proper parking or transport plan. I believe there was a 'park and ride' in the original plans, but they never bothered to highlight or implement it.

no, the problem is that we Irish are unrepentant hypocrites. If one of the people who parked illegally today had a relative who was injured somewhere else because of someone else's illegal parking they would be the first to vocally complain about the illegality and unethical nature of this kind of behaviour but will, at the drop of a hat, stridently dump their own car and their own needs on someone else when it suits them, with no sense of irony. aah us Irish, unless it impacts on us directly, to f!!k with everyone else. like i said, myopic hypocrites we are.

?Cee?view

It was great to see some of the people who parked particularly dangerously on Kingston Road yesterday with Garda Fixed Penalty Notices on their windscreens. Mind you, it would have been safer if some of them had just been towed, but kudos to the Guards for giving them tickets anyway.

Iwannahurl

churchview wrote: »

It was great to see some of the people who parked particularly dangerously on Kingston Road yesterday with Garda Fixed Penalty Notices on their windscreens. Mind you, it would have been safer if some of them had just been towed, but kudos to the Guards for giving them tickets anyway.

One of the difficulties with this recurring problem of lazy, ignorant and selfish motorists (in this case the inevitable GAA fans) parking on footpaths etc is that An Garda Siochana no longer issues paper parking tickets.

In this instance, were the notes placed on the illegally parked cars for information only, ie to inform the driver that an FPN was to be issued? Or was it merely a polite notice telling the driver not to be so naughty again?

If the latter, I recall these bits of paper being used during the Volvo Ocean Race stopover and they were, not surprisingly, completely useless. If the former, I look forward to hearing the penalised motorists cry foul as well as GAA fanatics and people like Cllr Michael Crowe allege discrimination.

?Cee?view

[QUOTE=Iwannahurl;84699187

In this instance, were the notes placed on the illegally parked cars for information only, ie to inform the driver that an FPN was to be issued? Or was it merely a polite notice telling the driver not to be so naughty again?

[/QUOTE]

That could well have been the case. I just saw "Garda Fixed Penalty Notice" on them. I didn't look any closer.

If that is the case, then, as a solution that's worse than useless.

Dan_Solo

snubbleste wrote: »

An Garda: Parking in the vicinity of Pearse Stadium will be forbidden and patrons are advised to be prepared to walk some distances to the match venue. No parking will be allowed at: Kingston Road, Taylor’s Hill, Rosary Lane, Oaklands/Devon Gardens, Mannix Road, Dalysfort Road, Rockbarton Road and Ard Na Mara
Vehicles illegally parked will be towed away. http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=11135

This is the same Salthill Garda station that refuse to even log complaints about illegal parking around Pearse Stadium?
Holding my breath in 3... 2... 1...

Iwannahurl

hedgehog2 wrote: »

There is less than a handful of big games per year and people need to relax a little and see it as a minor inconvenience for a few hours on one of these days.
There are more pressing matters of concern happening in Galway than moaning about a car parked on a foot path.

"A car parked on a footpath."

Can you please answer this question: if it's just a minor matter, why not just park on the road instead of the footpath?

Iwannahurl

celty wrote: »

I honestly woudln't blame the motorists. If you drive all the way from Ballina, say, to support Mayo then you are going to try to park as close as you can to Pearse Stadium.

<snip>

As for the Gardai on match days, most of them are GAA fans and far more interested in watching the match than going out and ticketing hundreds of cars whose owners have nowhere else to park anyways

What is the relevance of distance travelled by car to parking close by the venue? If I drove from Belfast or Birmingham would I be entitled to, or feel compelled to, park on Rockbarton Road right outside the main entrance to the stadium?

As far AGS members sometimes being more interested in the game than in law enforcement, you're spot on. I recall one big match a few years ago where they were inside in large numbers, some even with their "mountain" bikes. Meanwhile, hundreds of cars were blocking footpaths along numerous local roads, all blissfully unpatrolled and unmonitored.

Attitudes seem to be changing, though, and I hope it's true that a bunch of illegal parkers were ticketed on this occasion also.

Dan_Solo

Iwannahurl wrote: »

"A car parked on a footpath."

Can you please answer this question: if it's just a minor matter, why not just park on the road instead of the footpath?

Because this is one of those cases where anyone who objects to breaking the law is over-reacting because the other poster has decided it is slightly more convenient for him to break the law.

Iwannahurl

churchview wrote: »

That could well have been the case. I just saw "Garda Fixed Penalty Notice" on them. I didn't look any closer.

If that is the case, then, as a solution that's worse than useless.

To be fair to AGS, they have taken decisive action in the past: http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/parking-fines-spark-outrage-in-galway-135200.html

Therefore there may well be real FPNs in the pipeline.

Clearly no deterrent effect in evidence yet, however. In my view this is because not enough FPNs are issued often enough, the rule is more honoured in the breach than in the observance, and parking on footpaths has become completely normalised. In fact, it has become abnormal or somehow deviant to object to such illegal and inconsiderate behaviour.

Sconsey

celty wrote: »

I honestly woudln't blame the motorists. If you drive all the way from Ballina, say, to support Mayo then you are going to try to park as close as you can to Pearse Stadium.

The problem goes back to the decision to revamp Pearse Stadium over a decade ago without any proper parking or transport plan. I believe there was a 'park and ride' in the original plans, but they never bothered to highlight or implement it.

As for the Gardai on match days, most of them are GAA fans and far more interested in watching the match than going out and ticketing hundreds of cars whose owners have nowhere else to park anyways

jkforde wrote: »

no, the problem is that we Irish are unrepentant hypocrites. If one of the people who parked illegally today had a relative who was injured somewhere else because of someone else's illegal parking they would be the first to vocally complain about the illegality and unethical nature of this kind of behaviour but will, at the drop of a hat, stridently dump their own car and their own needs on someone else when it suits them, with no sense of irony. aah us Irish, unless it impacts on us directly, to f!!k with everyone else. like i said, myopic hypocrites we are.

You're both right really!...back in the day when they applied for planning permission to redevelop the stadium they included loads of traffic management plans and promised new parking spaces, they were actually conditions of the planning approval, but big surprise, the rank amatuers in charge of stadium have still not complied with the planning permission.

Of course that does not give everyone the right to abandon their cars wherever they like because there's a big match on.

Robbo

Speaking of planning permission, did anything every come of the forged Garda signature issue?

Iwannahurl

Sconsey wrote: »

have still not complied with the planning permission.

Perhaps that's just another, ahem, signature of the way this city is run.

Edit: snap ^^^^^.

charlie_says

The guards are easily bypassed if you tell them you live near the stadium and recite the name of one of the roads that is inside the local access only zones.

Not that I'm suggesting people do this of course (I don't even have a car, so I can't and wouldn't do it) but it's not difficult for a person to get down next to the stadium if they want to in a car.

How does this work up around the the big stadiums in Dublin? Do they issue an access card to the residents who have vehicles registered in the surrounding streets? It seems to work well up there...?

Kazooie

charlie_says wrote: »

The guards are easily bypassed if you tell them you live near the stadium and recite the name of one of the roads that is inside the local access only zones.

Not that I'm suggesting people do this of course (I don't even have a car, so I can't and wouldn't do it) but it's not difficult for a person to get down next to the stadium if they want to in a car.

How does this work up around the the big stadiums in Dublin? Do they issue an access card to the residents who have vehicles registered in the surrounding streets? It seems to work well up there...?

Cover up the Mayo jersey though if going down this route. Not that I'm suggesting you do this either.

snubbleste

charlie_says wrote: »

The guards are easily bypassed if you tell them you live near the stadium and recite the name of one of the roads that is inside the local access only zones.
Not that I'm suggesting people do this of course (I don't even have a car, so I can't and wouldn't do it) but it's not difficult for a person to get down next to the stadium if they want to in a car.

I found this not to be the case. Garda and in particular the reserves were demanding proof of address.

hedgehog2

How much business did this match pull in for local shops,pubs and restaurants yesterday a lot I imagine.
Still the Victor Meldrews of Galway must whinge and moan over a bit of parking and blame the stadium rather than look on the business this match generated.
Would you all rather it went to Tuam like past years or can we for once look on the benefits these games bring to hard pressed businesses.
Some of the posters on this thread need to get out more.

Sconsey

hedgehog2 wrote: »

How much business did this match pull in for local shops,pubs and restaurants yesterday a lot I imagine.
Still the Victor Meldrews of Galway must whinge and moan over a bit of parking and blame the stadium rather than look on the business this match generated.
Would you all rather it went to Tuam like past years or can we for once look on the benefits these games bring to hard pressed businesses.
Some of the posters on this thread need to get out more.

Feck it, if local business make a few bob it's all good right?

Apart from some childish name-calling that's the sum of your argument, well done.

hedgehog2

hedgehog2 wrote: »

How much business did this match pull in for local shops,pubs and restaurants yesterday a lot I imagine.
Still the Victor Meldrews of Galway must whinge and moan over a bit of parking and blame the stadium rather than look on the business this match generated.
Would you all rather it went to Tuam like past years or can we for once look on the benefits these games bring to hard pressed businesses.
Some of the posters on this thread need to get out more.

+1 except for the Tuam part. Most football people would much rather the matches be played in Tuam as Tuam stadium is the home of Galway football and we have won nothing since the move to Pearse stadium.

When we were heading to the match yesterday we were laughing about the pathetic moaners who would no doubt be posting away in the Galway city forum about how the world was possibly going to end because of car parking for a few hours... the state of the Galway football team is a much bigger issue than parking around Pearse stadium.

charlie_says

snubbleste wrote: »

I found this not to be the case. Garda and in particular the reserves were demanding proof of address.

I would generally carry proof of address with me including bills, house deeds and maybe a tv license to produce them at a whim to AGS members who demand them with no legal basis whatsoever.

In fact can you produce your papers now for us to prove xyz?

:pac:

pleasant Co.

hedgehog2 wrote: »

How much business did this match pull in for local shops,pubs and restaurants yesterday a lot I imagine.
Still the Victor Meldrews of Galway must whinge and moan over a bit of parking and blame the stadium rather than look on the business this match generated.
Would you all rather it went to Tuam like past years or can we for once look on the benefits these games bring to hard pressed businesses.
Some of the posters on this thread need to get out more.

Conflicting opinions result in petty digs from those struggling to invent justifiable reasons for lawbreaking, shocker

Lets take your justification and mould it just a bit.

My totally not ridiculous, not taking the piss whatsoever, awesome money for business generating plan:

The streets of galway are designed in a fairly fun way, lets close them off for a few hours (illegally of course) of a day and have race ala Fast and the Furious around the town - sure it'll attract a decent crowd so the hard pressed businesses should be delighted with the idea, the benefit it has on everyone else doesn't matter much. So what if it puts a few people out, they're only moaners anyway right! and on the plus side we can unquantifiable say that it was good for business, which at the end of the day is the only thing we should care about.

hedgehog2

I spoke with several local business owners in Salthill/town yesterday and they were very content with the extra boost to their already squeezed turnover.Many places had extra staff employed for the day and the whole area had a good lively atmosphere about it one that Salthill is often lacking.
Most of the local residents close to the stadium don`t have a problem with the parking as they all realise its only TEMPORARY not for ever as some posters hysteria suggests.

Mrs OBumble

charlie_says wrote: »

How does this work up around the the big stadiums in Dublin? Do they issue an access card to the residents who have vehicles registered in the surrounding streets? It seems to work well up there...?

For the VOR last year, people living in certain buildings around the docks got letters allowing them car access.

Sconsey

hedgehog2 wrote: »

I spoke with several local business owners in Salthill/town yesterday and they were very content with the extra boost to their already squeezed turnover.Many places had extra staff employed for the day and the whole area had a good lively atmosphere about it one that Salthill is often lacking.
Most of the local residents close to the stadium don`t have a problem with the parking as they all realise its only TEMPORARY not for ever as some posters hysteria suggests.

Awesome....everyone attending the match, do what you want as long as you spend a few quid.

?Cee?view

hedgehog2 wrote: »

How much business did this match pull in for local shops,pubs and restaurants yesterday a lot I imagine.
Still the Victor Meldrews of Galway must whinge and moan over a bit of parking and blame the stadium rather than look on the business this match generated.
Would you all rather it went to Tuam like past years or can we for once look on the benefits these games bring to hard pressed businesses.
Some of the posters on this thread need to get out more.

Could the fun loving money spending people not have their fun, spend their money AND park safely and considerately?

Just to add, I walked around a fair bit in the vicinity yesterday, from where we parked to a pub then to the ground, back to the pub and then to the car via a different route and I saw no problem at all with parking.

snubbleste

Conor Warm Hazel wrote: »

Just to add, I walked around a fair bit in the vicinity yesterday, from where we parked to a pub then to the ground, back to the pub and then to the car via a different route and I saw no problem at all with parking.

Which roads?

biko

I was driving around the area during the match, no bother (other than cars parked willy nilly on grass etc).
Having buses transport in from the airport parking or similar would be great but I don't see any major parking issue.

snubbleste

Did you not see footpaths being obstructed by abandoned vehicles on Bishop ODonnell, WDR, Kingston, Threadneedle, Devon, Taylors Hill, Lwr Salthill, Maunsells, Rosary Lane, and Newcastle Rd?

Dan_Solo

hedgehog2 wrote: »

How much business did this match pull in for local shops,pubs and restaurants yesterday a lot I imagine.
Still the Victor Meldrews of Galway must whinge and moan over a bit of parking and blame the stadium rather than look on the business this match generated.
Would you all rather it went to Tuam like past years or can we for once look on the benefits these games bring to hard pressed businesses.
Some of the posters on this thread need to get out more.

So if Duffy's circus pitch their big top in your back garden you wouldn't mind as they're doing a bit of business? How about a fresh fish stall in your front garden? It's all about da jobz innit?

?Cee?view

biko wrote: »

I was driving around the area during the match, no bother (other than cars parked willy nilly on grass etc).
Having buses transport in from the airport parking or similar would be great but I don't see any major parking issue.

Kingston Road was chaotic and was dangerous. I was powerwashing a wall next to the road yesterday so I saw a lot of what went on. Several buggies had to be pushed onto the road as they couldn't fit between the cars and the walls. Unfortunately, a lot of drivers drove at their usual speed when the match was on (less traffic then), but the parked cars meant that driving space on the road was limited and visibility of and for pedestrians was limited.

?Cee?view

Do people not realise that it is de facto illegal to park on a road with a solid white line in its centre? Or do they just not care because it's not enforced?

Dan_Solo

hedgehog2 wrote: »

Most of the local residents close to the stadium don`t have a problem with the parking as they all realise its only TEMPORARY not for ever as some posters hysteria suggests.

Told you so. Breaking the law? Sure you're over-reacting with your "hysteria", it's only a bit of law breaking 'cos car owners couldn't be arsed walking a few hundreds yards for the sport they love with an absolute passion.

?Cee?view

Dan_Solo wrote: »

couldn't be arsed walking a few hundreds yards for the sport they love with an absolute passion.

This is what gets to me. That's the crux of the problem. They just couldn't be arsed and couldn't give a sh1t.

Dan_Solo

hedgehog2 wrote: »

I spoke with several local business owners in Salthill/town yesterday

Could you post a scan of the addresses of these businesses and the survey questions you fielded to them?
<cough>bullsh1t alert<cough>

snubbleste

snubbleste wrote: »

Which roads?

Parked on Maunsells road, walked along that, down along taylors hill, along Rosary lane and devon park to Salthill road lower and left to O'Flatherys. Then back to the stadium from there via Dr Mannix road. Back to the cottage after the game and from there along Satlhill road and Taylors hill back to the car.

I walked on the road most of the way as most people were because the roads were quiet and there was a group of us chatting. There weren't even many cars parked on footpaths and anyway I don't have an issue with this for a few hours, its better to be on the footpath than blocking the road. Is not a big deal to walk on the road even if you have a buggy or wheel chair. Its for few hours a few times a year, people need to get over it and find something more worthwhile to get worked up about.

We parked slightly on the path (just on the very edge) ourselves to ensure room for two cars on the road (and keep our car mirror intact) but there was plenty of footpath still remaining..

GastroBoy

Sure ye couldn't leave the car miles away from the stadium, how else would ye be able to nip out at half time to get to the ham sandwiches and the flask o' tae?

Dan_Solo

Conor Warm Hazel wrote: »

Is not a big deal to walk on the road even if you have a buggy or wheel chair.

Just so we know you have the first clue what you're claiming as fact, how many buggies or wheelchairs have you had to push onto the road to negotiate illegally parked cars exactly?

snubbleste

There were cars blocking the footpath on Maunsells Rd, including an abandoned blue car with the passenger window left wide open(!) - was that yours?
There were cars blocking the one footpath on Taylors near The Nurseries, the 2 Garda at Rosary Lane/Taylors were aware of this and did nothing about it. There were cars blocking the footpath on Rosary Lane (on the left heading south). There were also cars restricting the footpath on LwrSalthill (both sides) near The Cottage. 3 Garda at junction Devon Park/Lwr Salthill were aware of this and did nothing.

Dan_Solo

Dan_Solo wrote: »

Just so we know you have the first clue what you're claiming as fact, how many buggies or wheelchairs have you had to push onto the road to negotiate illegally parked cars exactly?

None in that context bit I've pushed wheel chairs quite a bit during a summer job and pushed them up steep ramps etc so I don't think it would be a major problem pushing one down the tiny slope at a drive way and up a similar on.

Buggies are light and easily maneuverable from the places I regularly see people bringing them, just look at people bringing them on escalators, up steps etc.

snubbleste wrote: »

There were cars blocking the footpath on Maunsells Rd, including an abandoned blue car with the passenger window left wide open(!) - was that yours?
There were cars blocking the one footpath on Taylors near The Nurseries, the 2 Garda at Rosary Lane/Taylors were aware of this and did nothing about it. There were cars blocking the footpath on Rosary Lane (on the left heading south). There were also cars restricting the footpath on LwrSalthill (both sides) near The Cottage. 3 Garda at junction Devon Park/Lwr Salthill were aware of this and did nothing.

Not our car.

As I said eveyone was walking on the road anyway most of the time so cars parked on the footpath were not an issue. Its for a few hours a few times a year. Get over it.

?Cee?view

Conor Warm Hazel wrote: »

Buggies are a non issue, they are light and easily maneuverable, just look at people bringing them on escalators etc.

:eek: You're brave, if that's the right word.