St Patrick’s Day is always eagerly awaited, and this year AA Roadwatch has noted a huge increase in the number of parades taking place around the country.
With over 100 parades set to take place on Wednesday 17th, additional route planning is advise as there will be road closures to contend with.
All parades, festivals and road closures are listed on the AA Roadwatch website. The majority of festivities take place on Wednesday afternoon between 1-4pm and anyone taking to the roads is advised to log onto the AA Route Planner before they set out.
Log onto www.aaroadwatch.ie/routes Input your start and end point and click ‘Show Traffic’. All the parades on your route will be displayed on the map along the way.
“One route, on which drivers will face numerous closures, is the N52 from Birr to Dundalk as you pass the parades at Ardee, Kells, Tullamore and Kilcormac. The N3 and N2 will also be affected by the Kells and Ardee parades†said Nicola Hudson, Roadwatch Controller “The opening of many bypasses and motorways in the past 12 months will aid travellers who wish to bypass the festivities, however Cork/ Dublin traffic will still be stopped at Durrow at 2pmâ€
In Dublin, up to 400,000 spectators are expected to attend the St Patrick’s Parade starting at Parnell Square North at midday and road closures will operate along the route between 5am to 4:30pm. It is worth bearing this in mind if you are heading to Croke Park for the All Ireland Club Finals that afternoon and there will be further road closures from St. Stephens Green southwards to accommodate a 5km Road Raceâ€
“Our advice for St Patrick’s Day is to avoid taking the car into any town or city as parking may be difficult to attain†said Nicola “ In Dublin on Wednesday, DART services willoperate to a Sunday Schedule but with extra capacity before and after the parade, and Tara St station will be closed. There will also be alterations to Dublin Bus services, with full details the AA Roadwatch website.â€
Limerick is hosting this years Skyfest on Saturday 13th, followed by the International Band Parade on Sunday 14th, both of which could attract crowds of around 30,000.
Roads will be cordoned off and parking restrictions will be in place a few hours ahead of the event, so avail of public transport if possible. In addition, up to 60,000 spectators are expected to line the streets for the parade on St Patrick’s Day.
Road safety is a major concern on Bank Holiday Weekends, especially with the party atmosphere associated with the St Patricks Day Festivals. AA Roadwatch Controller, Nicola Hudson, is reminding motorists to “Think safety first, slow down, wear your seat belt & watch out for pedestrians in particular!â€
