Non-Official, Offline Motorway Services in Ireland

Chris_5339762

The problem is none of them are really any good. We still have no official NRA ones, just a smattering of random petrol stations with or without food. Each and every one of them is too small and none of them have enough parking.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I cannot conceive why the Dublin - Cork route has no official service station NOR ANY LONG TERM PLANS FOR ONE, despite the NRA throwing them all over the M1, 6, 9, 11 and with long term plans for the M18, M17 (Rathmorrissey) and the M28.

freshpopcorn

Fermoy McDonald's opened Today!

road_high

Only 5/6 years the dearth of motorway services was a huge issue. Now I’m starting to think it’s heading towards over saturation. Take the M9- going to be 4 services in a space of less than 100 km. They all seem to be doing a decent trade at the moment but once all the extra/planned ones start coming on stream will there be sufficient trade? Also seems quite sporadic in that you can half two a junction or two apart then nothing at all for ages- I just don’t think they were very well thought out strategic location wise.
Also the food options are very heavily fast food based unfortunately, the last thing the country really needs is more Supermacs or McDonald’s!

road_high

road_high wrote: »

Only 5/6 years the dearth of motorway services was a huge issue. Now I’m starting to think it’s heading towards over saturation. Take the M9- going to be 4 services in a space of less than 100 km. They all seem to be doing a decent trade at the moment but once all the extra/planned ones start coming on stream will there be sufficient trade? Also seems quite sporadic in that you can half two a junction or two apart then nothing at all for ages- I just don’t think they were very well thought out strategic location wise.
Also the food options are very heavily fast food based unfortunately, the last thing the country really needs is more Supermacs or McDonald’s!

Plenty of towns with a lot of fuel and food places survive fine with competitors

OldMrBrennan83

road_high wrote: »

Only 5/6 years the dearth of motorway services was a huge issue. Now I’m starting to think it’s heading towards over saturation. Take the M9- going to be 4 services in a space of less than 100 km. They all seem to be doing a decent trade at the moment but once all the extra/planned ones start coming on stream will there be sufficient trade? Also seems quite sporadic in that you can half two a junction or two apart then nothing at all for ages- I just don’t think they were very well thought out strategic location wise.
Also the food options are very heavily fast food based unfortunately, the last thing the country really needs is more Supermacs or McDonald’s!

Don't stop at them all?
And McDonald's and Supermacs are exactly what's needed if that's what people want.

freshpopcorn

road_high wrote: »

Also the food options are very heavily fast food based unfortunately, the last thing the country really needs is more Supermacs or McDonald’s!

Well being from the area McDonald's is exactly what people want.
You can get a sandwich or some kind of salad at the counter in Circle K if you want something healthier.

Aontachtoir

road_high wrote: »

Only 5/6 years the dearth of motorway services was a huge issue. Now I’m starting to think it’s heading towards over saturation. Take the M9- going to be 4 services in a space of less than 100 km. They all seem to be doing a decent trade at the moment but once all the extra/planned ones start coming on stream will there be sufficient trade? Also seems quite sporadic in that you can half two a junction or two apart then nothing at all for ages- I just don’t think they were very well thought out strategic location wise.
Also the food options are very heavily fast food based unfortunately, the last thing the country really needs is more Supermacs or McDonald’s!

If there are too many service stops, market forces will simply shut down the unnecessary or uncompetitive ones. I don't think it's worth worrying about. Just enjoy the choice while it is available.

roadmaster

Whats The view on the new supermacs plaza in kinnegad? Will it be as successful as the others as it will only capture local toll dodgers really and maybe thats enoght.A plaza on the n4 between the n52 junctions would be a goldmine

flazio

Depends, how has Mother Hubbards been holding up these past few years?

roadmaster

Poor compare to pre m4 it’s split in to a supermarket now

ongarboy

I know it's not a motorway MSS but another Supermac's plaza has gotten the go ahead in Longford.

https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/supermacs-chief-gets-green-light-to-build-obamastyle-plaza-in-longford-37816194.html

marno21

ongarboy wrote: »

I know it's not a motorway MSS but another Supermac's plaza has gotten the go ahead in Longford.

https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/supermacs-chief-gets-green-light-to-build-obamastyle-plaza-in-longford-37816194.html

It'll be interesting to see how these plazas get on now that almost all of them (non motorway) are planned to be bypassed in the next 10 years or so. The N24 Tipperary town one, the N17 Charlestown one, the N20 Mallow one, and now this one are all on busy stretches of road that are to be replaced by dual carriageway/motorway going forward.

NedNew2

A new planning application has gone in for a motorway service station at Junction 14 on the M7 (Mayfield/Monasterevin).

It's planned to be across the road from the unrelated existing Mayfield Service Station.

https://www.kildarenow.com/news/plans-lodged-obama-plaza-style-motorway-service-station-beside-m7/273012

I can imagine a long drawn out planning saga.

marno21

NedNew2 wrote: »

A new planning application has gone in for a motorway service station at Junction 14 on the M7 (Mayfield/Monasterevin).

It's planned to be across the road from the unrelated existing Mayfield Service Station.

https://www.kildarenow.com/news/plans-lodged-obama-plaza-style-motorway-service-station-beside-m7/273012

I can imagine a long drawn out planning saga.

There's going to be a NAMA for motorway service areas if this racket keeps up.

J27, J23, J17 x2, J14 x2, possibly J9 and all the online service areas east of Naas

vincedh

NedNew2 wrote: »

A new planning application has gone in for a motorway service station at Junction 14 on the M7 (Mayfield/Monasterevin).

It's planned to be across the road from the unrelated existing Mayfield Service Station.

I can imagine a long drawn out planning saga.

I know a little about this. It is not across the motorway. It is across the road and on the same southbound side. The land is owned by the Fitzpatricks. The article says it is unrelated to barack obama plaza but not unrelated to the services that are there. Kildare Now are not the greatest writers of articles.
Liam Fitzpatrick got planning for a major upgrade of the current Jct14 services a couple of years ago and those works have not been started but the feeling is that it would outgrow this plan quite quickly, so it will be easier to develop a new mega stop on the lands immediately south and right beside the current services. It also means no interruption to business during construction. The plan then to to look at putting a hotel and conference facility where the current fuel station is.
Hope that gives better information than a local freesheet

KBurke85

vincedh wrote: »

I know a little about this. It is not across the motorway. It is across the road and on the same southbound side. The land is owned by the Fitzpatricks. The article says it is unrelated to barack obama plaza but not unrelated to the services that are there. Kildare Now are not the greatest writers of articles.
Liam Fitzpatrick got planning for a major upgrade of the current Jct14 services a couple of years ago and those works have not been started but the feeling is that it would outgrow this plan quite quickly, so it will be easier to develop a new mega stop on the lands immediately south and right beside the current services. It also means no interruption to business during construction. The plan then to to look at putting a hotel and conference facility where the current fuel station is.
Hope that gives better information than a local freesheet

Whoever put the planning in for the new site is not connected to Fitzpatricks

vincedh

KBurke85 wrote: »

Whoever put the planning in for the new site is not connected to Fitzpatricks

Word locally was they owned the land, but planning documents are now online and it does seem to be a competitor and land is not owned by fitzpatricks. (seems it was sold in 2014 as industrial/warehousing land)



These new plans are very much in the style of Applegreen. It will be interesting to see how this dogfight turns out.

KBurke85

vincedh wrote: »

Word locally was they owned the land, but planning documents are now online and it does seem to be a competitor and land is not owned by fitzpatricks. (seems it was sold in 2014 as industrial/warehousing land)



These new plans are very much in the style of Applegreen. It will be interesting to see how this dogfight turns out.

Ya surely it will be crazy to build one so close to an existing one. It would be something if it was on the opposite side of the motorway

Kevtherev1

Interesting article about something observed for years. Applegreen objects to other MSA in order to block competitors in the planning process while they attempt to open their own strategic site.



Pat McDonagh issues a competition complaint against applegreen. An interesting read


https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/applegreen-improperly-using-planning-rules-developer-claims-1.3867762

Kevtherev1

I heard on the radio adverts for the plaza group promoting their new Kinnegad Plaza MSA will be opening soon either a few days or mid june. Located somewhere at the junction of the N4 and N6. Pat McDonagh trying to hoover up all the strategic spots not taken. Somebody have a look and do a write up on it when it opens, cheers.

flazio

It's at the west side of what was the original bypass. Bit awkward to get at if you're coming from Dublin.
Heading east from the M4 you just drive straight up the off ramp and it's at the second roundabout. East bound M6 have to hop across from the last exit before the merge.
West bound need to get off before split and negotiate their way through the old bypass.

OldMrBrennan83

Was just coming to this thread to ask if it was a new Plaza, had spotted it out across heading for Galway today. Why would they not put it a bit further east on the MR so people going both ways could get to it?

Kevtherev1

Kevtherev1 wrote: »

I heard on the radio adverts for the plaza group promoting their new Kinnegad Plaza MSA will be opening soon either a few days or mid june. Located somewhere at the junction of the N4 and N6. Pat McDonagh trying to hoover up all the strategic spots not taken. Somebody have a look and do a write up on it when it opens, cheers.

I'm particularly looking forward to the usual Pat McDonagh special of an abundance of illegal advertising that usually follows anything to do with him

red bull

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm particularly looking forward to the usual Pat McDonagh special of an abundance of illegal advertising that usually follows anything to do with him

What does that mean ? Not a Supermac fan but be fair and objective

OldMrBrennan83

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I'm particularly looking forward to the usual Pat McDonagh special of an abundance of illegal advertising that usually follows anything to do with him

I passed both Plazas yesterday and don't recall any more than any other service station. Is a sign in a field only wrong if you've a thing about the owner?


_

roadmaster

The New Kells services is going ahead at last. They are advertising it for the M3 but no one on the M3/N3 will use it unless they are lost. Even the N52 traffic won’t use it much due to location but it will be a big success without that traffic as it will succeed on local traffic I would say.

http://www.meathchronicle.ie/news/roundup/articles/2019/06/04/4175095-100-jobs-for-kells-with-opening-of-new-kells-motorway-services/

ongarboy

roadmaster wrote: »

The New Kells services is going ahead at last. They are advertising it for the M3 but no one on the M3/N3 will use it unless they are lost. Even the N52 traffic won’t use it much due to location but it will be a big success without that traffic as it will succeed on local traffic I would say.

http://www.meathchronicle.ie/news/roundup/articles/2019/06/04/4175095-100-jobs-for-kells-with-opening-of-new-kells-motorway-services/

Another Supermacs joint venture. They certainly seems to be monopolizing the motorway dining services sector!

betistuc

What are they thinking going so far offline with this. It's got to be a mile or more from the
M3 junction. That's too far. Aren't they building proper online services somewhere near
Dunshaughlin soon.!

roadmaster

betistuc wrote: »

What are they thinking going so far offline with this. It's got to be a mile or more from the
M3 junction. That's too far. Aren't they building proper online services somewhere near
Dunshaughlin soon.!

I believe mckeowns own the land and there is only 1 service station in kells so it will clean up

OldMrBrennan83

The M3 badly needs something.