M8 McDonalds/Topaz service station at Cashel

pat13wx · 19-05-2011 12:11am

pat13wx wrote: »

My wife was actually the first customer in the door and I was right behind her. We got some free ice cream and very nice it was too. Doors opened at about 10 past 11am.

Re the parking, aren't they planning on creating additional spaces? I heard something to this, somewhere.

Tremelo wrote: »

Badly needed and strange that they didn't add those spaces when they were, you know, actually building the place up until yesterday

I found that too. They were very nice. Lots of bosses and executives around today apparently.

Good point re the parking. I am reminded about the slip road at J8, as you head for Clonmel...they didn't put it in until long after the M8 was long completed, so maybe the lads in McD's/Topaz are following a similar principle:)

Amtmann · 20-05-2011 6:21pm

First impressions quite bad. For such a large site, the facilities are small. Very limited parking as you can see below:

Very dangerous too with the HGVs circulating around very close to everything else. You would have to watch small children like a hawk.

More:

I was told by one attendant that extra parking places are planned. Not sure if I believe that.

While this is welcome given the paucity of services on the M8, it is completely inferior in every way to the NRA service areas on the M1 and M4. It's small, parking is limited, and like I said, there isn't enough segregation between HGV, bus and car traffic. It's very disappointing.

pat13wx · 20-05-2011 6:26pm

It might be "disappointing" for you, but I think it's fine. The photos of all the cars is disingenuous because many of those belong to people still carrying out work at the place, it isn't all finished yet. More spaces are on the way....believe it.

Insect Overlord · 20-05-2011 6:40pm

pat13wx wrote: »

It might be "disappointing" for you, but I think it's fine. The photos of all the cars is disingenuous because many of those belong to people still carrying out work at the place, it isn't all finished yet. More spaces are on the way....believe it.

Are you working there yourself, by any chance?

Amtmann · 20-05-2011 6:42pm

pat13wx wrote: »

It might be "disappointing" for you, but I think it's fine. The photos of all the cars is disingenuous because many of those belong to people still carrying out work at the place, it isn't all finished yet. More spaces are on the way....believe it.

Well, it's welcome on one level. But the thing is, because this has been built, the NRA are now not going to build a dedicated M8 motorway service area at the back of Germinal Ireland like they were going to. These NRA service areas are superior in every way - in terms of size and the range of food and drinks available, outdoor play areas, parking for buses and lorries, everything. Just look at the ones they built on the M1 and M4. This small Topaz area is layed out a little dangerously compared with the NRA ones too - HGV traffic is seriously close to the drive-thru lane and parking areas. Like I said, children will really need to be watched here.

I would welcome more parking spaces; there are currently not enough to cater for the traffic of a busy summer's day, and that's pretty bad given the size of the site. Also, seating upstairs is very limited. This isn't an issue with the NRA area that would have been built only for this.

We've got this service area now, and that's good for M8 users; but we've lost out on a state-of-the-art NRA motorway service area because of it, and in the long term that is NOT good.

pat13wx · 20-05-2011 6:43pm

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Are you working there yourself, by any chance?

No, I am not.

pat13wx · 20-05-2011 6:48pm

Tremelo wrote: »

Well, it's welcome on one level. But the thing is, because this has been built, the NRA are now not going to build a dedicated M8 motorway service area at the back of Germinal Ireland like they were going to. These NRA service areas are superior in every way - in terms of size and the range of food and drinks available, outdoor play areas, parking for buses and lorries, everything. Just look at the ones they built on the M1 and M4. This small Topaz area is layed out a little dangerously compared with the NRA ones too - HGV traffic is seriously close to the drive-thru lane and parking areas. Like I said, children will really need to be watched here.

I would welcome more parking spaces; there are currently not enough to cater for the traffic of a busy summer's day, and that's pretty bad given the size of the site. Also, seating upstairs is very limited. This isn't an issue with the NRA area that would have been built only for this.

We've got this service area now, and that's good for M8 users; but we've lost out on a state-of-the-art NRA motorway service area because of it, and in the long term that is NOT good.

Some good points. I didn't realise there isn't now going to be NRA services where it was meant to be.

That is unfortunate and disappointing as I live just near the Germinal site.

Amtmann · 20-05-2011 6:53pm

pat13wx wrote: »

Some good points. I didn't realise there isn't now going to be NRA services where it was meant to be.

That is unfortunate and disappointing as I live just near the Germinal site.

Yup. The NRA tendered last month for contractors to build and operate new dedicated motorway service areas (MSAs) on the M6 and M9, but the Cashel M8 MSA was dropped, and this Topaz/McDonalds development was specifically mentioned as the reason for that in the DoT's briefing to Minister Varadkar recently. It's still technically possible that the NRA will build the one at Germinal in the distant future; but it's a very remote possibility right now.

pat13wx · 20-05-2011 7:07pm

Tremelo wrote: »

Yup. The NRA tendered last month for contractors to build and operate new dedicated motorway service areas (MSAs) on the M6 and M9, but the Cashel M8 MSA was dropped, and this Topaz/McDonalds development was specifically mentioned as the reason for that in the DoT's briefing to Minister Varadkar recently. It's still technically possible that the NRA will build the one at Germinal in the distant future; but it's a very remote possibility right now.

Thanks for that info. I was convinced we were going to have the choice, I mean there are cases where two services areas are right across the road from one another and they seem to work......it could work in this instance too, especially when there's about 5 mile between them and when the M8 becomes even busier.

Amtmann · 20-05-2011 7:13pm

pat13wx wrote: »

Thanks for that info. I was convinced we were going to have the choice, I mean there are cases where two services areas are right across the road from one another and they seem to work......it could work in this instance too, especially when there's about 5 mile between them and when the M8 becomes even busier.

They've adopted a wait-and-see attitude. The MSAs are all PPPs you see, and in the current climate the private sector are cagey about making investments - especially now given the competition they would face from Topaz/McDonalds. McDonalds is quite a draw. It's likely that the fast-food restaurant on the NRA M8 MSA would have been Burger King; but I can imagine many a driver ignoring Burger King to visit the Golden Arches.

Now, the NRA do have planning permission for their MSA at Germinal, and as far as I know, they have CPO'd the land. But if they were going to build it any time soon, they would have tendered for its construction along with the M6 and M9 contracts.

When the financial situation improves, we *may* see some movement, but I honestly would not bet on it happening in the next 5-6 years now.

pat13wx · 20-05-2011 10:12pm

Tremelo wrote: »

They've adopted a wait-and-see attitude. The MSAs are all PPPs you see, and in the current climate the private sector are cagey about making investments - especially now given the competition they would face from Topaz/McDonalds. McDonalds is quite a draw. It's likely that the fast-food restaurant on the NRA M8 MSA would have been Burger King; but I can imagine many a driver ignoring Burger King to visit the Golden Arches.

Now, the NRA do have planning permission for their MSA at Germinal, and as far as I know, they have CPO'd the land. But if they were going to build it any time soon, they would have tendered for its construction along with the M6 and M9 contracts.

When the financial situation improves, we *may* see some movement, but I honestly would not bet on it happening in the next 5-6 years now.

Thanks for that. I didn't realise there was so much involved. I can understand the logic, but 5-6 years seems a long way off.

Amtmann · 20-05-2011 10:23pm

Very busy in there at the moment. Practically no parking. That drive-thru will do a roaring trade I'd say. Petrol €1.50 today, diesel €1.41. Just had it reconfirmed to me that more spaces will be added. But again (sorry for constantly saying it - don't blame me, I am the roads/infrastructure mod after all

), the proximity of the HGV fuelling depot and regular car parking shocks me from a safety point of view. Also, I didn't note any spaces for coaches/buses. I presume these'll be added with the additional spaces.

All my criticisms aside, it is good to have 24h facilities along the M8 and Cashel/Cahir at long last. The county has come along a lot infrastructurally in the past few years. I'd always go from Thurles and Cashel to Clonmel via the M8 to Cahir now, and then take the N24 bypass to Clonmel. Handy to avoid the crap back roads.

pat13wx · 20-05-2011 11:18pm

Tremelo wrote: »

Very busy in there at the moment. Practically no parking. That drive-thru will do a roaring trade I'd say. Petrol €1.50 today, diesel €1.41. Just had it reconfirmed to me that more spaces will be added. But again (sorry for constantly saying it - don't blame me, I am the roads/infrastructure mod after all ), the proximity of the HGV fuelling depot and regular car parking shocks me from a safety point of view. Also, I didn't note any spaces for coaches/buses. I presume these'll be added with the additional spaces.

All my criticisms aside, it is good to have 24h facilities along the M8 and Cashel/Cahir at long last. The county has come along a lot infrastructurally in the past few years. I'd always go from Thurles and Cashel to Clonmel via the M8 to Cahir now, and then take the N24 bypass to Clonmel. Handy to avoid the crap back roads.

I travel the same route to Clonmel too, the back road seems to be getting worse - slow moving vehicles paradise. Also, I never realised how twisty and bendy it is since taking the M8 and Chair by-pass.

From what I am hearing too there will be additional spaces going up; why they didn't incorporate them in the initial plans is way beyond me. Perhaps they simply didn't anticipate the attraction it would be? Surely not:)

But you are right, we need to welcome the fact we now have a half decent service area along the M8 and when the additional parking is built it will be even better.

Amtmann · 21-05-2011 4:32pm

pat13wx wrote: »

why they didn't incorporate them in the initial plans is way beyond me. Perhaps they simply didn't anticipate the attraction it would be? Surely not:)

I'd say they were just waiting to see how busy it would be before forking out money for extra spaces that might not have been necessary. They have a few cardboard signs up now between J6 and J10 saying that McDonald's Cashel is now open; but they haven't indicated that you need to take exit 8 (rather than 7 or 9) to get to it. I think once word of mouth spreads, it'll be jammers within weeks, with a lot of long-distance traffic stopping off.

Also, I am very curious about what they plan to do with the remaining land. There's a few acres there that could be built on. I don't think a motel would be viable; but some enterprising individual, I'm sure, will put something there sooner or later.

pat13wx · 21-05-2011 5:53pm

Tremelo wrote: »

I'd say they were just waiting to see how busy it would be before forking out money for extra spaces that might not have been necessary. They have a few cardboard signs up now between J6 and J10 saying that McDonald's Cashel is now open; but they haven't indicated that you need to take exit 8 (rather than 7 or 9) to get to it. I think once word of mouth spreads, it'll be jammers within weeks, with a lot of long-distance traffic stopping off.

Also, I am very curious about what they plan to do with the remaining land. There's a few acres there that could be built on. I don't think a motel would be viable; but some enterprising individual, I'm sure, will put something there sooner or later.

A hotel might work. Cashel is after all a well known tourist attraction, and especially now that the UK Queen paid it a visit.:)

Good point about the signs; saw them too and they're tiny. Blink and you miss 'em, sort of thing.

archtech · 21-05-2011 9:32pm

I know there were plans for a hotel within the landholding, (didn't get to planning stage), and I can't see that happening in the near future as I expect it would be very difficult to get financial backing for a hotel at the moment. Had a hotel been built on the site there would be amble parking on the site.

If one looks at the parking in any of the other service stations on the M7/M8 (well the Dublin side of Nass), the site isn't too bad. One comment I would make about the M1 Service Areas, the distance one has to walk from the car park to the food court wouldn't encourage me to stop in the rain.

Of course with the less than anticipated volumes of traffic on the roads now, the development may be ample for the traffic on the road, in time.

forzacalcio · 18-07-2011 2:30pm

We waited long enough for the NRA to get the finger out! I spent almost 3 years driving up and down to Dublin every week and Ive seen the motorway develop. We needed this done 2 years ago, Im delighted this is done. If we had to wait for this mega, super, magical, wonderland pit stop to be set up by the NRA we would be waiting another 3 years!

cjmcork · 09-09-2012 6:57pm

apologies for resurrecting an old thread - just wondering what accessibility to this place is in the middle of the night, I might have to drive Dublin / Cork in the middle of the night next weekend and my usual pit-stop in Urlingford will certainly be closed (what's the story with loos aswell as filling up) - so emptying and filling various tanks, boom boom??! :-)

is it a case that at night, it's just window service?

Kearylicious · 10-09-2012 2:02pm

cjmcork wrote: »

apologies for resurrecting an old thread - just wondering what accessibility to this place is in the middle of the night, I might have to drive Dublin / Cork in the middle of the night next weekend and my usual pit-stop in Urlingford will certainly be closed (what's the story with loos aswell as filling up) - so emptying and filling various tanks, boom boom??! :-)

is it a case that at night, it's just window service?

Both McD's and Topaz are open 24 hour with walk in service. Toilets in both (upstairs in Topaz). Topaz have their deli/hot food counters going too.

meehall · 03-10-2012 10:16pm

Went in to this place a few weeks ago, what a joke. Only in Ireland could they build a services with no parking. Its bad enough in car, but in a truck you have no hope.

Harcrid · 04-10-2012 12:57pm

It really is very badly designed. There is too much packed into too small a site. It's not like there is no more land available around it. Parking there is a complete lottery most days.

touts · 11-10-2012 10:55pm

Yea parking is a disaster. Some civil servant sitting in Dublin no doubt is proud of their decision on that one. But if you are getting drive thru then the carpark for the gaa and graveyard is just a few hundred meters along the road into town (turn left instead of right on exiting). But if you want to use the toilet or eat inside you are pretty much fecked because that carpark is too far to walk especially at night.

Vizzy · 12-10-2012 9:22am

touts wrote: »

Yea parking is a disaster. Some civil servant sitting in Dublin no doubt is proud of their decision on that one. But if you are getting drive thru then the carpark for the gaa and graveyard is just a few hundred meters along the road into town (turn left instead of right on exiting). But if you want to use the toilet or eat inside you are pretty much fecked because that carpark is too far to walk especially at night.

This is a private development.
A "civil servant sitting in Dublin" would have absolutely nothing to do with it.
More like some overpaid ptivate architect.

munchkin_utd · 12-10-2012 9:28am

Vizzy wrote: »

This is a private development.
A "civil servant sitting in Dublin" would have absolutely nothing to do with it.
More like some overpaid ptivate architect.

+1

it is NOT the national government at fault nor any civil servant in Dublin.
Planning would have been approved at a local level by your local tipp councillors.

Its madness that they wont extend the car park to the wasteland behind.
It'd pay for itsself in no time through extra passing trade actually stopping rather than continuing back onto the motorway and chancing stopping somewhere else.
(as happened me a number of times already, and me not exactly a frequent driver on the route being based in Germany!)

touts · 12-10-2012 11:17am

Vizzy wrote: »

This is a private development.
A "civil servant sitting in Dublin" would have absolutely nothing to do with it.
More like some overpaid ptivate architect.

The planning authorities seemed to do everything possible to hamper the developement of this and other rest stops along the motorway network. They wouldn't even let them stick up a McDonalds sign for fear it might attract a bit of business. I would seriously doubt any private architect willingly came up with such seriously limited parking spaces.

Vizzy · 12-10-2012 4:32pm

touts wrote: »

The planning authorities seemed to do everything possible to hamper the developement of this and other rest stops along the motorway network. They wouldn't even let them stick up a McDonalds sign for fear it might attract a bit of business. I would seriously doubt any private architect willingly came up with such seriously limited parking spaces.

Cant speak about other stations or other Local Authorities but STCC received an application for a development which included 51 car parking spaces.
Guess how many they granted ?
Yep 51 spaces.
So as I said earlier,no civil servant sitting in Dublin had anything to do with it and it would appear that,yes,a private architect willingly came up with such seriously limited parking spaces.

Mr. Guappa · 23-11-2012 12:02pm

A nice little flood on the exit route here yesterday evening meant that cars had to mount the footpath to get out and the entrance from the Cashel town side was closed off. It's a ridiculous set-up there at the best of times with cars and lorries abandoned all over the place.

The_Pretender · 14-05-2015 7:09pm

Sorry for reviving the old thread, thought this was the best place for it.

I've to meet someone in Cashel tomorrow, leaving Dublin about 2ish. Is this place handy to meet? Don't need to use any of the any amenities, just somewhere to pull in and swap a van.

solerina · 15-05-2015 9:22am

The_Pretender wrote: »

Sorry for reviving the old thread, thought this was the best place for it.

I've to meet someone in Cashel tomorrow, leaving Dublin about 2ish. Is this place handy to meet? Don't need to use any of the any amenities, just somewhere to pull in and swap a van.

Yes, parking is still a bit of a problem but you can usually find one if you go behind McDonalds, take exit 8 off the motorway coming from Dublin (Clonmel, Rosegreen exit).

munchkin_utd · 08-01-2016 1:49pm

solerina wrote: »

Yes, parking is still a bit of a problem but you can usually find one if you go behind McDonalds, take exit 8 off the motorway coming from Dublin (Clonmel, Rosegreen exit).

I.e. Turn off your brain, ignore all signs and ignore the fact that there's no directions for parking (and have local knowledge in advance of where to go), and when you see a sign for hgv then follow that and maybe abandon the car in the no parking area marked as the approach lane for the car wash .

Anyhow, there's aparantly a plan to extend parking. Has this started yet? On my last couple of trips on the m8 have avoided cashel (in favour of fermoy, j14 and manor stone) so didn't see if there's any progress

Btw, stunningly for such an inadequate facility, cashel again won the national forecourt award for 2016
http://www.newstalk.com/Rei

M8 McDonalds/Topaz service station at Cashel

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