Parking Rules in Ireland

Driving here is like driving in the states, except on the other side of the road.

Signs in most areas are both in English and Irish.

This site might help.... http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie

I don't know about "rules" Aline, but I saw people parking every which-way including on sidewalks. It was the craziest thing I ever saw.

You can check on-line for Ireland's driving rules and what signs mean. Just print it out and take it with you for reference.

Have fun!

The rule seems to be if the car will fit it is a parking spot,including parking in the road while you run into the shop for a few items.

We found the parking in Ireland to be a bit confusing. To park in cities for an extended amount of time, you needed to get a parking disc (or prepaid parking pass) for a certain amount of time from a nearby shop, scratch off the time you left the car and leave the disc on the dashboard. Before we understood what we had to do, we left the car without a parking disc. It turend out to be OK, but I wouldn't want to do that all the time, especially if you're gone for an extended amount of time.

It might be best to ask at your first hotel or B&B what the parking rules are.

Oh that reminds me. I have an outstanding parking ticket on Cork.

"Oh that reminds me. I have an outstanding parking ticket on Cork."Laurel, I'm glad you yourself have brought up the matter of your outstanding parking ticket in Cork. Actually, the Cork parking enforcement officials have been in touch with us, here at the Helpline Subcommittee on Parking Regulation Enforcement, and have asked that we disclose to them your secret Helpline sign-in password, so they can then charge the parking fine to you through your Super Duper Helpline Credit Card.

They said they got the idea from the City Fathers of Florence.

We at the Helpline Subcommittee would encourage you to do the right thing and turn yourself in, the next time you're in Cork.:)

Dear Kent and Steve, Oh I know. I'm so ashamed. I actually did try to turn my self the next time I was there but having gotten lost twice in Cork City I decided I needed the money worse than they did. 11 trips and 11 rentals later they still haven't caught up with me. With never any word from the rental agency I also decided they were just as happy that I was out of the country.

Most of the towns have gotten rid of the disc display thingy and put in machines where you pay and get a receipt for your dashboard. Typically runs about a 1 euro/hour and is enforced 9-5 pm except Sundays. There are usually plenty of signs telling you the hours of operation and the machines usually only take coins.

I just returned from Ireland and the thing I found most confusing were the colors of the lines. Here in the usa a white line is for traffic going the same way as you and a yellow means oncoming traffic. In Ireland it was the opposite. So that SOLID white line to your right means don't cross there is oncoming traffic and the DOTTED white line to your right means there is passing allowed but be careful of the oncoming traffic. Just follow what others are doing, remember to go left at the roundabouts, and you'll be fine. Good luck!

At the Rush/Lusk train station parking lot, I got clamped. I had purchased a ticket (or disc) - a very slim adding-machine like ticket, to display on the dash (so it would be visible from the windscreen.) I placed it there, got out of the car and locked the doors. I walked around the car to check that all doors were locked, and then went over to the drivers side to look at the ticket to make sure it did not move and it had not.

When we returned from Dublin, we saw people looking at our vehicle. No wonder. The stickers and papers on the drivers door and the huge yellow clamp on the front drivers-side wheel. Not having a phone, what to do? Luckilly one note on the vehicle told us. Another couple at the B&B saw it and gave the B&B Hostess the info. She called the people but did not get anywhere. She showed up in a few minutes, while I was still looking for the ticket. My wife went with her to the B&B to call the people. She was able to get them to drop the unclamp charge from 120 euro to 60 euro. Just before they arrived, I found the ticket under the front drivers seat. I showed this to the guy doing the unclamp (who damaged the front fender taking it off) and he said I would definately get my money back on appeal. I had shown him what I found. In trying to see what happened, I tried opening and closing the door. The ticket on adding machine paper stayed in place. Then, with the door closed, the paper flew off the dash with a wind gust. It was a very gusty day. The air controls in the vehicle were on Defrost and External Air. This allowed air to come into the vehich via the defrost vents, which are on the dashboard. I also showed this to the unclamper (who had placed the clamping on.)

Today the appeal was denied because "The ticket was not displayed as shown in the photos". A second appeal costs 20 euro and is not worth it. I was lied to by the enforcing company.

All other parks had the ticket on heavy ticket paper.So make sure the ticket will stay.

So it is highly amusing not to have paid a parking ticket received in a foreign country, if I understand Laurel's posts. Is it just as amusing when foreigners flout American laws? Just asking.

I think Arline is referring to yellow lines by the curb. There are three types, broken, solid and double solid. I am not certain of the timing, but double means no parking or stopping, ever, and the other two allow parking/stopping at certain tiems or with a disabled sticker.

Perhaps Debe can be more explicit.

One other difference is that cars can park against the traffic as well as with the flow. This can be confusing when you are driving on the "wrong" side of the road.

info on road markings are here

http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-driving/traffic-signs-road-markings/road-markings.html

The USA uses yellow instead of white for inside road markings?

parking info

http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-driving/parking/traffic-signs_road-markings.html

Iain, Arline asked her question almost four months ago. She has likely already returned from her trip.

You are right, Nancy, I did not pay attention to the date - there were recent additions to the post.

Arlene may have returned, however it is all still good information for hundreds of users of this sight who may have trips planned. I learned something today about paper tickets and clamping. Thanks for reviving this topic! Dan

I did indeed complete my trip to Ireland and happy to report no problems with traffic regulations and parking. I reviewed the traffic rules given in the 2010 Ordenance Map book and when it came to parking, if I could not figure it out, I just asked. Everyone was very helpful. All in all a wonderful 2 weeks in Ireland with plenty of driving.

What do the Ziz-Zag lines mean?