Public transport after historic Munster game 'a shambles' as fans left stranded 

Thousands of fans attending the first rugby game in the GAA stadium on Thursday heeded advice to use public transport to get to and from the stadium, but many were left stranded afterwards because not enough buses or rail carriages were laid on.

Some fans faced waits of up to two hours to get a bus or a commuter train home. 

One bus stop at Ardfoyle, in Ballintemple, close to the stadium, didn’t see a single bus arrive from 9.15pm to 11.15pm, leaving hundreds of people stranded in the rain.

Eoin Green was among the many fans who struggled to find a space on a train from Kent station to Midleton afterwards.

“It’s all well and good for Micheál Martin to go to Cop27 and spout ‘words and ambitious targets are cheap, but action is hard’,” he said.

“Why doesn’t he start in his own constituency and get public transport to an acceptable standard?"

Mr Green said many passengers pointed out to Irish Rail staff that the company adds four carriages to the line when cruise liners berth at Cobh but that it only had two carriages operating on services after the game.

It’s just a shambles. The irony of Eamon Ryan spouting non-stop about people taking public transport and this is the State’s response. 

Irish Rail said it operated an additional service to Midleton at 10.30pm and an additional service to Cobh at 11pm.

A spokesperson said Kent Station was very busy and that while some customers may have been kept back from earlier services due to capacity issues, all customers were accommodated.

Green Party councillor Dan Boyle said it was clear that planning for public transport options “was not what it should have been”.

“It does seem that a lot who attended the game took the advice and chose not to take car. Hands have to be held up if the public transport planning was not what it should have been," he said.

“If we want to encourage people to attend such events using public transport, then we have to make the options available.

“And especially in light of BusConnects, we need to be able to show that public transport options are the viable ones. The rhetoric has to be backed by funding.” 

Mr Boyle said he plans to raise the issue with his party leader, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan, next week.

Congestion and tailbacks

Chronic traffic congestion was reported across the southside of the city for several hours before the game, with major tailbacks on the N40 slip roads to Douglas and Mahon, and in the suburbs around the stadium.

In a statement, the city council said the return to office work by many and increased college-related commuting have contributed to additional traffic volumes in recent weeks.

“With the continuing increase in population and economic activity in the city, travel will continue to grow in the period ahead," it said.

The existing city street network does not have further capacity to accommodate increasing private car usage.

“The rapid delivery of schemes such as the MacCurtain Street Public Transport Improvement Scheme is needed to give people a viable, efficient bus service. 

"In addition to the improvement of public transport options, the continuing development of new cycling and walking infrastructure across the city will also encourage a shift to more sustainable modes of transport and the move away from private car usage.” 

The National Transport Authority, Irish Rail and Bus Éireann have been asked for comment.

Bus Éireann said it operated its full scheduled service in the vicinity of Páirc Uí Chaoimh, including route 202, 202A, 212 and 215.

"In advance of the match, Bus Éireann advised customers via our website that there would be some disruptions to Routes 202, 202A, 212 and 215A during 9.15pm to 10.30pm as An Garda Síochána had advised that we would be unable to access Blackrock Road.

"The provision of additional services would be a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) and we will bring the feedback to them."