Lure of tall ships likely to attract more than one million visitors

The irresistible magnet of tall spars, crossed yards, polished wood, furled sails - and a star to steer them by - is expected to attract more than one million visitors to the Liffey banks for the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race this weekend. Due to severe traffic restrictions around the port area for the next four days, public transport is the best option.

Custom House Quay between Talbot Memorial Bridge and Commons Street, North Wall Quay, City Quay, Sir John Rogerson's Quay and Britain Quay, will be closed to traffic from 7 a.m. today to 2 a.m. tomorrow, from 7 a.m. tomorrow to 2 a.m. on Monday, from 10 a.m. on Monday to 2 a.m. on Tuesday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

The East Link Bridge will be closed from 7 a.m. today until 2 a.m. tomorrow, from 7 a.m. tomorrow to 2 a.m. on Monday, and from 12.45 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

Traffic will also be restricted on Custom House Quay between Butt Bridge and Memorial Bridge until early tomorrow on Forbes Street, where there will be a funfair, and the area around South Quays, D'Olier Street, College Green and Dame Street will be closed from 12.30 p.m. to 1.30 p.m. tomorrow for the parade of crews to the prize-giving ceremony by the President, Mrs McAleese, at Dublin Castle.

There will be parking restrictions in Fairview, North Strand, Amiens Street, Memorial Road, Moss Street and Pearse Street. Semi-final matches at Croke Park will add to congestion, as will Omagh commemoration services taking place throughout the city over the weekend.

For those taking a river route, the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Dr Woods, has warned that passenger vessels must be licenced or certified. His Department's marine survey office will be open over the weekend to assist the Garda Siochana in policing this legislation, and it can be contacted at 01-8744900 or the "local" safety information line at 1-850-392-392.

The State's longest bailey bridge, which was constructed by the Army's 2nd Field Engineering Company, may be one of the best places to view the fleet. It links Ringsend and Camden Lock, and can be found at the end of Ringsend's Thorncastle Street. The organisers say that there will be full pedestrian access to the north and south quays, but it is up to individual skippers to determine visiting times for ships. A signal will be fired from several vessels at 3.10 p.m. today to mark the minute's silence for the Omagh bomb victims.

Today, the Army will fire two 21-gun salutes at 8.01 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. from Dun Laoghaire East Pier battery to welcome two naval training ships, the Gloria from Colombia and the Cuauthemoc from Mexico.

Among today's shore events will be live music on George's Dock stage, the Custom House and festival village and Sir John Rogerson's Quay from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m., a funfair from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., street theatre from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., a crews' sports day from 10 a.m. at ESB Sportsco in Ringsend, and a trainees' disco from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Point Theatre.

Tomorrow there will be an ecumenical service at 10.30 a.m. at City Church Quay, music from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m., funfair and street theatre, a crews' parade at 12.30 p.m. and the prize-giving at 1.30 p.m. at Dublin Castle. The Captain's gala dinner takes place at 7.30 p.m. at the Point.

The Ringsend Maritime Festival will include many musical events, a children's magic show from 3.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. today at the Gig Rig on Cambridge Road, a children's disco from 12.30 p.m. tomorrow, and an exhibition of maritime history and Dublin Port archives at the Ringsend Community Centre.

On Monday, the funfair continues and there will be a fireworks display at 10 p.m. at the East Link Bridge, a crews' watersports day from 10 a.m. at the Ringsend Basin, and an air/sea rescue display by the Defence Forces - also in the Ringsend basin and visible from Great Britain Quay and Sir John Rogerson's Quay - at 3 p.m.

On Tuesday, the parade of sail can be seen - weather permitting - from Sandymount, Dun Laoghaire, Killiney, Blackrock, Poolbeg, Dollymount Beach, Clontarf, Howth Head and Sutton at 1 p.m.