merrion street

Public Transport Minister, Alan Kelly TD, is encouraging those travelling to the Tall Ships Festival this weekend to avail of cheaper public transport to get to Waterford.

“Irish Rail are putting on additional trains that will bring you right to the heart of where the action is along the quays – avoiding traffic, the hassle of parking and at not too expensive a price.”

“You can get from Clonmel or Carrick on Suir to Waterford for under €6. Or, from Kilkenny to Waterford for little more than €10 with additional trains operating from Thursday to Sunday. The trains will run throughout the day with last services back to Clonmel and Kilkenny after 11pm each night. There are also extra trains from Dublin that serve all the stations in between; so, the message to the public is that there are viable public transport options for those travelling to Waterford this weekend.”

“The Tall Ships is one of the major flagship tourism initiatives for the south-east and it really puts the great city of Waterford on the world map. Irish rail are to be complimented for supporting that festival in this way."

“As a country we have to get more public transport conscious. Too many of us automatically assume the car is the only option. Perhaps this is because for generations we had poor levels of investment in public transport. However services have improved significantly and it remains an attractive option for people.”

"In particular a major effort is being put in place this summer to provide cheap, efficient and reliable rail and bus transport to sporting, musical and cultural events throughout the country."