Carlow welcomes Ploughing visitors.

Villain

We have over 250,000 visitors expected to visit Carlow over the next 3 days for the NPA Ploughing event near Fenagh.

I hope it goes well and everyone enjoys the fine weather expected too

I made a short video to try showcase Carlow and encourage visitors to come back again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m27gG0uNjso

iano.p

I seen this video on Facebook. My God that's some video Carlow tourism should jump on that. Well done on a great advertisement for Carlow.

Fakediamond

I’m finding the local traffic arrangements a tad confusing for those not attending the ploughing.

Great video by the way! Should be worth a few quid to Tourism Ireland

Ivefoundgod

Crazy diversions this morning leaving Carlow for Dublin on my commute. Wasn't allowed join the motorway at J4, no explanation given and was sent off to the left into castle Dermot and joined the motorway at J3. Added easily 25 minutes onto my journey for no obvious reason, can't understand why traffic leaving Carlow aren't allowed join the motorway at J4. Can see why they don't want traffic going to castledermot allright but not good enough to add that length of a detour without prior warning. No mention of traffic plan on the Garda site for those not attending.

radharc

It’s absolutely ridiculous.

I was coming the opposite direction this morning and left the motorway at j4 but wasn’t allowed turn right into Carlow. Instead I was sent with the general ploughing traffic through Castledermot until I turned off myself and came into the town through Palatine.

The plan has been prepared solely for the ploughing traffic and the consequences for the majority of Carlow town traffic who have no interest in going anywhere near the ploughing be damned.

road_high

radharc wrote: »

It’s absolutely ridiculous.

I was coming the opposite direction this morning and left the motorway at j4 but wasn’t allowed turn right into Carlow. Instead I was sent with the general ploughing traffic through Castledermot until I turned off myself and came into the town through Palatine.

The plan has been prepared solely for the ploughing traffic and the consequences for the majority of Carlow town traffic who have no interest in going anywhere near the ploughing be damned.

That seems very silly? Surely it would be making traffic worse by unneccessarily diverting traffic into Castledermot and mixing it with the Ploughing traffic.

road_high

Villain wrote: »

We have over 250,000 visitors expected to visit Carlow over the next 3 days for the NPA Ploughing event near Fenagh.

I hope it goes well and everyone enjoys the fine weather expected too

I made a short video to try showcase Carlow and encourage visitors to come back again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m27gG0uNjso

Fanatastic event- very proud of our neighbouring and favourite county. Perfect location for it, great success so far.

byhookorbycrook

Ivefoundgod wrote: »

Crazy diversions this morning leaving Carlow for Dublin on my commute. Wasn't allowed join the motorway at J4, no explanation given and was sent off to the left into castle Dermot and joined the motorway at J3. Added easily 25 minutes onto my journey for no obvious reason, can't understand why traffic leaving Carlow aren't allowed join the motorway at J4. Can see why they don't want traffic going to castledermot allright but not good enough to add that length of a detour without prior warning. No mention of traffic plan on the Garda site for those not attending.

To be fair, you probably should have checked the traffic plan beforehand.

iwillhtfu

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

To be fair, you probably should have checked the traffic plan beforehand.

That makes little difference there was absolutely no reason to hinder those looking to go to work or northbound on the M9 for any reason.

byhookorbycrook

iwillhtfu wrote: »

That makes little difference there was absolutely no reason to hinder those looking to go to work or northbound on the M9 for any reason.

I needed to get to work too, so checked the route options and left extra time , as did any of my work colleagues .
The ploughing has been a huge benefit to Carlow both in the short and longer term. You won’t find Killarney people griping over Road diversions for the likes of the ROK cycle .

radharc

road_high wrote: »

That seems very silly? Surely it would be making traffic worse by unneccessarily diverting traffic into Castledermot and mixing it with the Ploughing traffic.

Yes made no sense. I think they had been instructed to keep all cars moving straight off the motorway to Castledermot. I tried talking to them but they just roared to keep going.

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

I needed to get to work too, so checked the route options and left extra time , as did any of my work colleagues .
The ploughing has been a huge benefit to Carlow both in the short and longer term. You won’t find Killarney people griping over Road diversions for the likes of the ROK cycle .

I genuinely don't see how it has been or will be a huge benefit to Carlow .

iwillhtfu

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

I needed to get to work too, so checked the route options and left extra time , as did any of my work colleagues .
The ploughing has been a huge benefit to Carlow both in the short and longer term. You won’t find Killarney people griping over Road diversions for the likes of the ROK cycle .

No one is arguing the ploughing being a good or bad thing but yourself. My point is as I said there is absolutely no reason for northbound traffic to be diverted. The diversions in Killarney are away from the rally wchich makes perfect sense :rolleyes: To be honest you're talking out your arse.

byhookorbycrook

Money can’t but that kind of television exposure . People who have had a good experience in Carlow will be more likely to return . Hotels and accommodation all booked out. Local stand holders are getting huge exposure to a targeted audience.

road_high

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

To be fair, you probably should have checked the traffic plan beforehand.

To be fair I wouldn’t have expected that exit to be closed either. J5 yes but shutting J4 Carlow’s main exit to Dublin build traffic seems like overkill- business and work needs to go too with the min of disruption possible

Ivefoundgod

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

To be fair, you probably should have checked the traffic plan beforehand.

I did check the traffic plan but could only find mention of traffic routes for inbound traffic. I left 20 minutes early as well, as other posters have said traffic leaving Carlow should not have been forced to go on a 30 minute detour. Talking to others and it seems to be only in the morning they have this in place, makes no sense.

Isthisthingon?

I did find the diversion through castledermot to go north on the M9 strange as well. That being said i thought the traffic management in and around the town was very well handled. Virtually no major hold ups, I seem to recall it being worse when the ploughing wasn't even in carlow!
We took the free bus from braun out on tuesday and apart from a 25 min wait for the bus, we fly out the road and flew back in a 3pm. Well done to all. I hear it is possibly going to be there next year & 2021 too?

road_high

Isthisthingon? wrote: »

I did find the diversion through castledermot to go north on the M9 strange as well. That being said i thought the traffic management in and around the town was very well handled. Virtually no major hold ups, I seem to recall it being worse when the ploughing wasn't even in carlow!
We took the free bus from braun out on tuesday and apart from a 25 min wait for the bus, we fly out the road and flew back in a 3pm. Well done to all. I hear it is possibly going to be there next year & 2021 too?

Thinks it’s very much planned now about taking traffic away from the major towns. That’s more possible now with the motorway

Be well and win

radharc wrote: »

I genuinely don't see how it has been or will be a huge benefit to Carlow .

Every hotel and guest house in Carlow was booked out and not just for the 3 days but for days before and afterwards. Dozens of Carlow businesses had stands out there. 2 beer tenst on site were being run by Carlow pubs, the list goes on and on and on.

Ms2011

radharc wrote: »

road_high wrote: »

I genuinely don't see how it has been or will be a huge benefit to Carlow .

My son's school had a stand there, my husband sold raffle tickets at it, we made invaluable extra funds for the school which will benefit my child and many others.

byhookorbycrook

Ms2011 wrote: »

radharc wrote: »

My son's school had a stand there, my husband sold raffle tickets at it, we made invaluable extra funds for the school which will benefit my child and many others.

Other local schools sold programmes and did parking and made good money too, as did local GAA clubs.

Ken.

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Ms2011 wrote: »

Other local schools sold programmes and did parking and made good money too, as did local GAA clubs.

Fenagh Gaa, 25 marshals per day at €100 per person donated to the club. €7500 is a nice wedge for a club like them.

BattleCorp

I'm not knocking the ploughing and I acknowledge that many businesses made good money.

But I wonder did many/any businesses lose money? I saw The Square in Tullow was very quiet during the week apart from traffic passing through.

byhookorbycrook

BattleCorp wrote: »

I'm not knocking the ploughing and I acknowledge that many businesses made good money.

But I wonder did many/any businesses lose money? I saw The Square in Tullow was very quiet during the week apart from traffic passing through.

We did our usual business before and after, as locals, so the businesses we deal with most certainly didn't lose out, we just swopped our days. I'd say the likes of Supervalu did well with the car park behind main street.

The Royal Scam

radharc wrote: »

I genuinely don't see how it has been or will be a huge benefit to Carlow .

I am in Ballon, there is no doubt it benefited the area. Every business was really busy for 5 straight day, guy in front of me in the garage spent €170 on groceries and the staff were worried they were running out of ztock on some items.
And my daughter made €100 for getting powerwashed all day in a raincoat 😀

Bog Man 1

I heard that some shops ran low on rashers and sausages and black pudding due to so many people getting breakfast in the area . Great work by everybody including the Guards that had every junction covered . The attention to detail in organising it was incredible . Every light at junctions and signs for all the routes involved somebody making a decision and implementing it and monitoring that it was implemented . Was talking to a contractor that was working on site since August so it provided employment as well .
The shuttle bus from Braun was a success but I heard dissatisfaction with the one from the station .
I heard one person say they could not find the bicycle park but they just chained it to a railing .
We had picket signs along the road but whoever put them up removed them much to my dismay as I had my eye on the light stakes for the garden . On site people seemed to be using the bins and I thought the burgers were reasonably priced for an event and there were a few of those fancy coffe kiosks .
It was a very positive event for rural Ireland with over 100000 people enjoying themselves in a field in Balintrane with all facilities laid on .

road_high

What happened with the CIE shuttle? Everything they touch tends to turn to dung.

bobbysands81

The Royal Scam wrote: »

I am in Ballon, there is no doubt it benefited the area. Every business was really busy for 5 straight day, guy in front of me in the garage spent €170 on groceries and the staff were worried they were running out of ztock on some items.
And my daughter made €100 for getting powerwashed all day in a raincoat ��

Hahaha!!! I saw the poor thing get soaked! They looked like they were having great craic doing it.