Bloom and Dublin zoo traffic

aido76

I was thinking for going to Dublin Zoo next Saturday but notice that Bloom is on in the Phoenix Park also. I am wondering if the traffic will be a disaster heading into the zoo because of Bloom? I hope to be there around 11am if that makes a difference.
Thanks.

athtrasna

aido76 wrote: »

I was thinking for going to Dublin Zoo next Saturday but notice that Bloom is on in the Phoenix Park also. I am wondering if the traffic will be a disaster heading into the zoo because of Bloom? I hope to be there around 11am if that makes a difference.
Thanks.

Absolutely. It was bumper to bumper from before 8am this morning until well past closing. The fine weather means the park is busy anyway but if you're not going to Bloom, I wouldn't be driving anywhere near the park.

Lovely Bloke

yeah, pick a different place to go unless you are going to Bloom.

My little fella loves the playground in the visitor centre, but yesterday we went to Howth instead to the playground there and to look at seals in the harbour.

AlanG

Traffic will be mad. The Luas or train to heuston is the only sensible way to go to the Zoo this weekend. It's about a 10 min walk from there.

nmg_ire

If by next Saturday you meant tomorrow the 4th then i would avoid it. I live off Infirmary and last night around 6:30 the area was totally gridlocked and this morning at 7:30 there was a traffic jam going up towards the park which there never is. I can only imagine it'll be like that for the whole weekend.

Next saturday the 11th you'll be grand as its only on for this weekend... i think.

ProudDUB

I go to Bloom every year, on the Friday. The traffic is fine & very well marshalled. I enter the Park at the Ashtown Gate & leave via that secondary gate off the Old Navan Rd. The Guards & traffic stewards have it very well organized, with several one way systems in place. I have never experienced any significant delays, or bad traffic jams, going or coming. I never go near Chesterfield Ave, its roundabouts, the main gate at Parkgate St, the North Circular Rd or Infirmary Rd areas. I'd imagine they'd be bedlam, as they are always very busy, whether Bloom is on or not. Bloom only makes them worse.

If I was going to the zoo, I'd enter the Park, as if I was going to Bloom. So, you'll go left after you go in the Ashtown Gate. Drive towards the Bloom parking area, but instead of turning in right towards the Bloom car park, just keep on going straight towards the Zoo. It will be on your right, after a couple of minutes. That's what I'd do. Or just go on another weekend, when you can access the Zoo the "normal" way & avoid the Bloom crowds altogether.

cookie2015

ProudDUB wrote: »

I go to Bloom every year, on the Friday. The traffic is fine & very well marshalled. I enter the Park at the Ashtown Gate & leave via that secondary gate off the Old Navan Rd. The Guards & traffic stewards have it very well organized, with several one way systems in place. I have never experienced any significant delays, or bad traffic jams, going or coming. I never go near Chesterfield Ave, its roundabouts, the main gate at Parkgate St, the North Circular Rd or Infirmary Rd areas. I'd imagine they'd be bedlam, as they are always very busy, whether Bloom is on or not. Bloom only makes them worse.

If I was going to the zoo, I'd enter the Park, as if I was going to Bloom. So, you'll go left after you go in the Ashtown Gate. Drive towards the Bloom parking area, but instead of turning in right towards the Bloom car park, just keep on going straight towards the Zoo. It will be on your right, after a couple of minutes. That's what I'd do. Or just go on another weekend, when you can access the Zoo the "normal" way & avoid the Bloom crowds altogether.

The Ashtown gate is closed as far as I know, saw a sign up Wednesday saying gate would be closed for the duration of Bloom so avoided the park last night.

ProudDUB

cookie2015 wrote: »

The Ashtown gate is closed as far as I know, saw a sign up Wednesday saying gate would be closed for the duration of Bloom so avoided the park last night.

Really? That is very surprising. Why would they close it & how are people supposed to access the parking areas, on the Ashtown Gate side of the event? It seems madness to make everyone access Bloom via the main gate, or the Castleknock one.

uck51js9zml2yt

ProudDUB wrote: »

Really? That is very surprising. Why would they close it & how are people supposed to access the parking areas, on the Ashtown Gate side of the event? It seems madness to make everyone access Bloom via the main gate, or the Castleknock one.

It's closed. Enter via the Ncr , parkgate St or castleknock.
A large section of y main road is blocked off for parking from Farmleigh to the phoenix monument.

ProudDUB

Hmmmmm. Am kinda glad I wasn't able to go today then, for the first time in 5 years. Any reason given? I had such a good experience using the Ashtown Gate, I'm having a hard time seeing why they would close it. I was generally leaving at 6pm on Fridays when rush hour traffic was at its peak. So you'd think if its ok then, it would be ok at other times too. Oh well...

aido76

Thanks for all the replies guys. Giving it a miss this weekend. I would be travelling from Galway with a 2yr and a train all the way would be nightmare, not to mention walk to the zoo, walk all day around the zoo and walk back to the train and 2 & 1/2 hour journey home......I don't think so. To much like torture. Was looking for a bus in from the Maynooth, Leixlip or liffey valley but nothing available, only from city centre. Hopefully we will get good weather throughout the summer and we can go another weekend.

thomasj

aido76 wrote:

Was looking for a bus in from the Maynooth, Leixlip or liffey valley but nothing available, only from city centre. Hopefully we will get good weather throughout the summer and we can go another weekend.

Why not get the train from maynooth to ashtown. It's a 10 minute walk to the ashtown gate from ashtown station.

uck51js9zml2yt

aido76 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies guys. Giving it a miss this weekend. I would be travelling from Galway with a 2yr and a train all the way would be nightmare, not to mention walk to the zoo, walk all day around the zoo and walk back to the train and 2 & 1/2 hour journey home......I don't think so. To much like torture. Was looking for a bus in from the Maynooth, Leixlip or liffey valley but nothing available, only from city centre. Hopefully we will get good weather throughout the summer and we can go another weekend.

Bus to conyngham Rd and walk up.

quokula

Resurrecting this thread - I’m guessing the advice here still stands? We’d been planning to visit the zoo tomorrow and weren’t even aware of bloom until it came up in conversation today.