MOTORISTS should avoid Dublin's quays and city centre this weekend as the St Patrick's Festival begins. Custom House Quay is closed to traffic since midnight and will remain so until 6 a.m. next Thursday. Traffic on O'Connell Street throughout the weekend will be as normal. However from 6.15 p.m today, southbound traffic on the North Strand will be diverted at the Five Lamps into Portland Row/Summerhill/Parnell Street/O'Connell Street.
Eastbound traffic on the North Circular Road will be diverted into Summerhill/Parnell Street. AA Roadwatch says traffic at the junction of Eden Quay and Butt Bridge will be diverted via Beresford Place and Memorial Bridge this evening.
Talbot Bridge will be closed from 7 p.m. to 9.30 p.m tonight as will Custom House Quay, from Memorial Road to Commons Road. Butt Bridge will be closed from 7.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m., while George's Quay will be closed to traffic from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m. tomorrow. Traffic for Dublin Port and the airport is advised to use the M50 Westlink toll bridge, approaching the port along Clonliffe Road and East Wall Road.
George's Quay between Butt Bridge and Talbot Bridge will be closed to traffic from 2 a.m. until 6 a.m. tomorrow because of the funfair there. To facilitate Dunnes Stores Big Day Out, Dame Street will be closed from 10 a.m. until 6.30 p.m. tomorrow.
Traffic at the junction of Dame Street and George's Street will be diverted up Dame Street. Suffolk Street, College Green and Westmoreland Street will also be closed to traffic between 10 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. tomorrow.
Macnas's Odyssey Street Festival means that St Stephen's Green North and West will be closed to traffic from 5 p.m. until 11.30 p.m. tomorrow, Coppinger Row will be closed from 5 p.m. until 9.30 p.m. and Clarendon Street, Clarendon Row, Wicklow Street and South King Street will be closed from 7 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.
Tomorrow night will see a specially prepared event for the St Patrick's Festival at the Gate Theatre in Dublin. Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney will be joined on stage at 8 p.m. by uileann piper Liam Og O'Flynn for music and poetry. A special ecumenical service will take place at Trinity College at 5 p.m. tomorrow with representatives of all the main churches taking part. The Easter fire lit by St Patrick at Slane will be commemorated by flames at the door of the college chapel at 4.15 p.m.
