Dublin’s FM104 radio station warned motorists that significant road closures would be in place around Government Buildings, Trinity College and Dublin Castle on Saturday as Gardaí mounted a large security operation for visiting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The closures affected arterial routes between Dublin Airport and the city centre from 09:00 and were expected to cause knock-on delays for airport shuttles and intercity coaches. Business-travellers landing at Dublin during the busy World Cup period were advised to allow extra time to clear the city or re-route via the Port Tunnel. Ride-hail operators imposed surge pricing as police motorcycle escorts intermittently halted traffic on the quays and at Merrion Square. While the disruption was short-lived, it is a reminder that high-level diplomatic visits can snarl the capital’s road network with little advance notice. Mobility teams organising client meetings or same-day onward flights should monitor the Garda traffic Twitter feed and subscribe to Dublin Airport’s push alerts, which now include real-time travel-time estimates into the city. The Garda Press Office said lessons learned this weekend would feed into the protocol plan for July’s EU presidency opening ceremony, when at least 27 EU leaders are expected in Dublin on the same day.
Source: FM104 (Dublin)
