Busy beaches and blockades: Don’t get your car towed on a trip to the seaside

As the country basks in a few, belated days of sunshine, local authorities and the Garda have warned day-trippers to take public transport if going to the each, or face fines and the possibility of having their cars towed.

Local authorities and the Garda on the east coast, from Curracloe in Co Wexford to Clogherhead in Co Louth, have said they will police access for residents, businesses and emergency vehicles.

On some of the most popular beaches, such as Magheramore in Co Wicklow which was packed with visitors at the weekend, arrangements are in place to tow away vehicles that are illegally parked.

Brendan and Siobhán Clifford, who live in the village of Howth, have for a number of summers been dealing with severe traffic congestion.

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“On a sunny day in summer many Dubliners say ‘let’s go out to Howth for the day’ and they are welcome, it is a lovely place. But the traffic can get log-jammed,” said Mr Clifford.

The couple, who volunteer at a range of community groups, made a submission to the Fingal County Development Plan pointing out the only access to the peninsula is through Sutton Cross, which Mr Clifford said “is a log jam”.

There are frequently lines of traffic from as far back as Clontarf, slow-moving through Sutton Cross to Howth, they say. They instance recent apartment development and a proposal to develop Howth Caste as a big tourist attraction, which could bring in an additional 1,000 visitors a day.

“Also, there is an issue with accessibility of essential services, especially ambulances, the fire brigade and Coast Guard getting on and off the peninsula at peak times, which could have fatal consequences,” said Ms Clifford.

Local Green Party Councillor David Healy said the council has recently budgeted for big parking enforcement with all-day, free parking being removed and the introduction of protected cycleways. “There will be enforcement,” he said.

Fingal County Council said it had a plan with the Garda Roads Policing Unit to enforce no parking areas and monitor traffic. “That may result in fixed charge penalty notices being issued to vehicles parked on footpaths, double yellow lines or blocking access to residential properties. It may also result in cars being towed,” the council said.

The council said the advice to visitors to all Fingal beaches, including the popular strands at Balscadden, Malahide and Portmarnock, was to avoid it turning into “a costlier exercise than necessary”.

It is a situation that is mirrored along much of the east coast where crowds can cause significant frustration for locals, delivery drivers and emergency services. In Dún Laoghaire Rathdown the council said much work was done in recent years to add double yellow lines and flexible bollards at a number of locations, specifically in Sandycove, Strathmore Road and Sorento Road “to allow traffic to move more freely during the times of extremely heavy traffic volumes, such as bank holiday weekends”. The council said parking wardens would be issuing tickets to illegally parked vehicles.

In Co Wexford the authorities introduced shuttle buses from towns and villages to four blue flag beaches. They run from Gorey to Ballymoney; from Kilmuckridge to Morriscastle; from Wexford town to Curracloe and from Wexford town to Ballinesker. The shuttle operates at weekends and bank holidays and full time in the first two weeks in August. County secretary Michael Drea says the service has been “a huge success”. Wexford County Council senior engineer, Gerry Forde, said the reduction in cars parking on the verges has been important to the dunes.

Shuttle buses could make “a huge difference” along the Wicklow coast linking beaches from Arklow via Brittas Bay and Magheramore with Wicklow town and up to Greystones, said Wicklow TD Jennifer Whitmore.

Two years ago Ms Whitmore found herself stuck in a traffic jam that delayed access to an ambulance. She said she had been heading north along the coastal route from Brittas Bay towards Wicklow, with cars parked on grass verges either side, when she heard a siren behind her. The ambulance, while delayed, got through on that occasion. But she said the problem has been a regular issue at Co Wicklow beaches as emergency crews attempt rescues with impeded access. She has asked the National Transport Authority to consider the plan.

Wicklow County Council said a detailed operational plan is in place, including the erection of timber bollards along the verges and permanent “no parking” signage. A co-ordinated approach with the Garda has resulted in “a tow away policy over the last few years in respect of the very busy periods of the summer season”.

Meath County Council drew attention to the “extensive public transport network” along its coast with train stations at Laytown and Gormanston. There are regular bus services from Drogheda and Dublin along the coastal route, stopping at Gormanston, Laytown, Bettystown and Mornington. A ban on parking on Bettystown Beach in Co Meath was introduced during the Covid restrictions, except for a designated age friendly / disabled area at the main entrance. It provides for a small number of vehicles and the reserved area is the subject of enforcement by beach wardens.

The council said it was also working closely with National Parks and Wildlife Service to address parking issues near Mornington Beach and with the Garda.

Good weather can lead to chaos at some of the most popular beaches in Louth, with homeowners unable to get in and out of their driveways, said Cllr Andrea McKevitt. She recalled “chaos” at Templetown Beach with vehicles obstructing the lifeguard zone and residents trapped in their houses due to the amount of cars parked along the roads. She said the situation was potentially very dangerous in the event of a crash occurring when the emergency services could not gain access.

Louth County Council was asked for details of any plans to combat traffic at the beaches.

Asked about its plans, Dublin City Council, which controls Clontarf, Dollymount and Sandymount strands, said: “Dublin City Council’s Traffic Control Room operates on a 24 by seven basis and monitors traffic on a continuous basis in the DCC area and can intervene as required and liaise with the necessary authorities.”