Madam, – We attended the same game in Lansdowne Road on Saturday that Gerry Thornley reported on so well on Monday. His experience must have differed from ours, because he didn’t mention the very dangerous crowd chaos that ensued on exiting the stadium. It deserves recognition so it can be corrected before someone is hurt.
We who live south of the stadium and left by the podium gate, had to walk against the flow to Lansdowne Station to catch the southbound Dart. This is because Grand Canal Dock Station was closed after the game. Gardaí and security staff looked on uncomprehending as several thousand people collided with and were deflected by another several thousand exiting at Lansdowne itself.
Our family group of four have four different experiences of getting to the Dart station because the emerging crowd separated us as the cyclonic whorls of people intermingled. One made it without any fuss. Another rescued a lost young child from the crushing weight of confused and frustrated adults emerging from the stadium. Another is still angry about the dismissive, impertinent and mocking response of gardaí and security alike to requests for assistance. Having myself survived tripping on the wet, unsee-able pavement riser, I was held up like a vertical sardine. Crossing under the tracks, I may have persuaded a St John’s Ambulance paramedic, who had no idea of the chaos, to pass word of it up the health and safety management chain.
We were attending an event in a stadium sponsored by an insurance company just four months since 21 died at the Love Parade in Duisburg. I expected world-class crowd control and a joined-up transport solution to match the brand new stadium and the promise of family entertainment.
Instead, the organisers of the event failed us in their duty of care and put us in harm’s way. We might have been the ones to pay the price. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The Aviva Stadium at Lansdowne Road provided a great platform for Leinster to get their season back on track last Saturday.
However, after enjoying the victory over our neighbouring province, I was astonished at the length of time it took to empty the stadium and clear the crowds from the neighbouring streets. After everyone in the South Stand emptied out on to Lansdowne Road the crowd literally stood still for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Never have I experienced such a bottle-neck after leaving a stadium. It was extremely uncomfortable.
All it would have taken was the raising of the gates at Lansdowne Dart Station for a couple of minutes.
I would hate to think of the chaos that would break out in the event of a real emergency. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – On Saturday night a group of us travelled from Cork to attend the Leinster/Munster Magners League game at the new Aviva Stadium at Lansdowne Road.
Upon entering the ground we were met with a plethora of strict stewards who constantly corralled us in to tight groups on the concourse to allow for safe circulation of supporters.
Upon attempting to leave the ground we were forced to descend several flights of stairs in almost complete darkness and then forced into a narrow underpass unable to move for 40 minutes .
While the first situation may seem reasonable and practical from a safety perspective, the second situation represents the total opposite.
If situations like this are allowed to continue then the likelihood of the stadium sponsors compensating injured spectators seems very likely. – Yours, etc,