A number of roads into Dublin’s Phoenix Park will be temporarily closed for restoration works on gates into the facility ahead of the Pope’s visit.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) is to restore and conserve a number of the gate entrances to the park as part of preparatory works for the visit of Pope Francis for the World Meeting of Families on August 25th and 26th.
The conservation works which have been agreed with Dublin City Council are part of the measures being undertaken “for the health and safety of the hundreds of thousands of people from across Ireland and abroad” attending the closing mass of the event which takes place in the park, the OPW said.
“In order to allow the temporary removal, conservation and restoration of the gate entrances and the carrying out of associated infrastructural works, road closures at entrances to the park will apply,” it added.
These closures began today, Wednesday July 18th, with the closure of Ashtown Gate. It will be closed from 10am to 3.30pm and from 7pm to 11pm from July 18th to July 20th and again between the same times on July 30th and July 31st.
Castleknock Gate will be closed from 7am to 10pm on July 21st and July 22nd and again between these times on August 4th and August 5th.
Chapelizod Gate will be closed from 10am to 3.30pm from July 23rd to July 25th and from 7am to 10pm on August 4th and August 5th.
Islandbridge Gate will be closed from 10am to 3.30pm and from 7pm to 11pm from July 26th to July 28th, and again between the same times on August 1st.
And the North Circular Road Gate will be closed from 10am to 3.30pm and from 7pm to 11pm on August 2nd and August 3rd.
The OPW said the temporary road closures have been designed to minimise as far as possible disruption to traffic and pedestrian access to the park.