Public Transport Chaos After CMAT Concert in St Anne's Park, Dublin
Concert-goers at CMAT's St Anne's Park show faced severe public transport issues last weekend, with scarce Dublin Bus services and the DART out of service. Attendees reported long walks, queues, and no regular transport or taxis, making venues like St Anne's Park potentially unsafe for large events. Critics demand accountability from transport providers and government for the "scandalous" situation.
Concert-goers faced significant public transport issues last weekend in Dublin after the CMAT concert in St Anne's Park, Clontarf. Niall O’Gara from Tyrrellspass, Co Westmeath, highlighted that his wife and he reached their home 100km away in two hours by private coach and taxi, while their daughters took the same time to travel 13km to Stillorgan accommodation.
O’Gara noted that not only were Dublin Bus services scarce, but the DART was also out of service for essential track maintenance over the entire holiday weekend. This affected attendees of multiple events, including Bloom and the mini-marathon. Sean Keavney from Castleknock described the contrast between the concert's fantastic atmosphere and the inadequate transport plan. Leaving the concert at 10:30 PM with 20,000 others, fans faced a 30-minute walk to Harmonstown DART station, a 15-minute queue, and then found regular bus and rail services had ended, leaving only a skeletal night service. Taxis were also reportedly absent from the concert vicinity.
Keavney emphasized that the lack of extra DARTs, a regular public bus shuttle, a proper taxi plan, extended city-centre transit hours, and an earlier finishing time makes venues like St Anne's Park and Marlay Park unsuitable and potentially dangerous for large public gatherings. Both O’Gara and Keavney criticized the lack of accountability from transport providers, government departments, and media for this "scandalous contempt" for the public.