The Tullamore Show & FBD National Livestock Show is taking place this Sunday (August 9), and, as in previous years, An Garda Síochána has developed a traffic plan to help people get to the event safely.

The event takes place at the Butterfield Estate, to the southwest of the Co. Offaly town.

The management of traffic is the main role of Gardaí at the event.

There are four large car parks, totalling 240ac in area, for visitors.

The car parks, and their entrances, are "strategically located", and dedicated routes have been selected leading directly to the car parks.

These routes are as follows (more details on routes below):

North/Northeast (via Tullamore) - Green Car Park;
West/Northwest (via Athlone, Clara and Rahan) - Yellow Car Park;
South/southwest (via Birr and Blueball) - Red Car Park;
East/Southeast (via Portlaoise and Killeigh) - Blue Car Park.

Alternative routes have been selected for traffic not attending the event so they can avoid delays.

Those alternative routes will be communicated to the public via media and the internet.

Patrons attending the show are asked to ignore satellite navigation (sat-nav) and phone map apps (such as Google Maps), and to follow the road signs for parking.

Green Car Park

The Green Car Park for traffic from Tullamore has around 100ac of parking space and will accommodate all traffic coming from the north and northeast.

Traffic approaching from Kilbeggan, Edenderry and Portarlington will follow the Tullamore bypass and take the N52 to this car park.

A contra flow system will operate from Mucklagh to the car park entrance both in the morning and the evening.

The N52 from Tullamore to Blueball will be closed to passing traffic from 7:00a.m to 9:00a.m in order to accommodate the event.

Yellow Car Park

The Yellow Car Park for traffic from Athlone direction has around 30ac of parking space and will cater for traffic approaching from the west and northwest.

The traffic approaching from Athlone will be diverted off the motorway via Tubber, Clare, Coolnahiley, Rahan and into this car park.

Red Car Park

The Red Car Park has some 52ac of parking space and will cater for traffic from the south and southwest travelling via Birr.

An additional 50ac of car parking space is available in an adjoining field.

All show traffic approaching from the Birr direction will turn left at Blueball via the Colegap Junction and into the car park.

A contra flow system will operate between the Colegap Junction and the car park entrance as required to accommodate traffic approaching from the Cloghan direction.

Blue Car Park

The Blue Car Park has around 48ac of space and will cater for traffic from the east and southeast travelling via Portlaoise.

All traffic approaching from Portlaoise on the N80 will be diverted at Killeigh and will approach the car park via Killurin Cross, Blacklion, Clonterlough and Holmshill.

In addition, an area of this car park directly off the N52 will act as a Bus park, accommodating buses bringing patrons to the event.

Patrons from this car park will cross the closed section of the N52 to gain access to and from the event site.

One Garda and six Civil Defence personnel will be on duty at this location to manage the road crossing.

Disabled car parking

Separately from these four car park options, a disabled car park is provided on the event site by organisers.

The show committee will issue passes to patrons who wish to use this parking facility. All vehicles displaying these passes will be directed onto the event site.

All persons wishing to avail of disabled parking, and issued with the relevant pass, should follow signage for 'Livestock Entrance' on the Greatwood Road (Zone B – Pink Pass) and enter at Gate 3.

Each car park will be operated by stewards selected by the Show Committee. An Garda Síochána will have an opportunity to brief the car park stewards before the event.

Exhibitors

All exhibitors, competitors and trade parking (Zone B – Pink Pass), with the exception of livestock, will be directed to the event site where they will gain access at Gates 5 and 6.

Livestock exhibitors, competitors and trade parking (Zone A – Blue Pass) will gain access between 7.30a.m and 9.30a.m at gates 2 and 3 to the site, via the closed section of the N52 onto Greatwood Road.

In the evening, only cattle exhibitors will leave via the closed section of the N52.

Closures and restrictions

The N52 will be closed to through traffic from Mucklagh Junction to Blueball to accommodate the event.

Special arrangements will be put in place for anyone residing on that stretch of roadway and for the single business premises located on it.

Suitable diversions will be put in place for non-show traffic using this route.

Parking restrictions will apply in the area around the event, particularly:

From Mucklagh to Blueball;
From Blacklion to the Blue Car Park;
From Blueball to the Event Site;
From Screggan via Glaskill and Agall to the event site (The emergency route).

Householders directly affected by traffic restrictions should have received written notification of traffic arrangements, gardaí said.

For more details on this year's Tullamore Show & FBD National Livestock Show, check out our show guide.