Dublin is preparing for major traffic and public transport disruption this week as the city hosts two high-profile EU Presidency meetings on Thursday and Friday.
The security operation will be the largest ever undertaken by An Garda Síochána in the history of the State, with road closures, traffic restrictions and public transport changes expected across the capital from Tuesday until Friday evening.
The disruption will also affect people attending Niall Horan's four concerts at the 3Arena on November 9, 10, 12 and 13. The shows will go ahead as planned, but concertgoers will need to take account of changes to road access and Luas services.
The European Political Community meeting will take place at the Convention Centre Dublin on Thursday, followed by a formal dinner at the National Gallery of Ireland. An informal meeting of EU heads of state and government will then take place at the Convention Centre on Friday.
Here's everything you need to know before travelling around Dublin this week.
North Wall Quay will close to all traffic and pedestrians from 7am on Tuesday, November 10, until Friday evening. East/west traffic will be diverted onto surrounding approach roads.
A security zone around the Convention Centre will also come into effect on Tuesday morning. No pedestrian, cycling or vehicle access will be permitted within this area.
From 7am on Wednesday, November 11, a separate security cordon will be established around the National Gallery of Ireland, with barriers and parking restrictions in place.
A wider security cordon will be introduced around the Convention Centre from 8pm on Wednesday until Friday evening. The Samuel Beckett Bridge will also close to traffic.
Traffic movements will be restricted within an area bounded by Amiens Street, Seville Place, Sheriff Street Upper, East Wall Road and North Wall Quay. Residents and businesses will still be allowed access, but security checks will apply.
On Thursday, November 12, further restrictions will be introduced around the National Gallery of Ireland from 7am until midnight.
The affected area will be bounded by Baggot Street, Fitzwilliam Street, Merrion Square North, Clare Street and Kildare Street. Residents and businesses will be permitted access subject to security checks.
Additional traffic and parking restrictions will also apply around Merrion Square and the Docklands from 7am until late on Thursday.
The most significant road closures are expected between 3pm and 7pm on Thursday.
Yes. Neither the M50 nor the Dublin Port Tunnel is expected to be directly affected by the security operation.
However, motorists travelling into the city centre should expect significant delays and restrictions. People are being advised to minimise car journeys where possible and allow extra time for their commute.
During the upcoming meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) and informal meeting of EU Heads of State or Government, we will endeavour to minimise traffic restrictions and the impact on the public.
However, there will be disruption to traffic management, traffic flows and public transport from 10-13 Nov.
View the interactive Traffic Cordon Map visit: https://t.co/ZZpWpFOpB3
— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) November 4, 2026
Yes. A large number of Dublin Bus routes will be disrupted between Tuesday and Friday.
More than 130 routes operate across the city, and many will be affected by diversions and changes to stops and termini.
Buses will be diverted from the quays east of the Custom House between November 10 and 13. Stops and termini around Connolly Station and the south-east city centre will also be affected.
Services will also be diverted away from Merrion Square on Thursday and Friday.
Luas services will be affected, particularly on the Red Line.
From 8pm on Wednesday, the Red Line will continue to operate its normal service to The Point stop at the 3Arena. However, Mayor Square and Spencer Dock stops will close.
On Thursday and Friday, there will be no Red Line services east of Busáras/Connolly.
Irish Rail services will continue to operate throughout the security operation.
However, some diversions will apply to passengers travelling to and from Docklands Station.
Commuters should check their journeys in advance, as people travelling by car, bus, bicycle and on foot will all be affected by the restrictions.
Niall Horan's concerts on November 9, 10, 12 and 13 will go ahead as scheduled despite the disruption.
However, there will be restrictions on several approach routes to the venue, including the closure of North Wall Quay to east/west traffic from November 10 to 13.
Vehicles will still be able to access the 3Arena via Seville Place, Sheriff Street Upper, East Wall Road and the Tom Clarke Toll Bridge.
There will be no pedestrian access along North Wall Quay on Thursday and Friday. Concertgoers should instead use Amiens Street, Seville Place, Spencer Dock Bridge, Sheriff Street Upper and North Wall Avenue.
Luas services will operate normally on Tuesday. However, there will be no Luas services to the 3Arena before the Thursday and Friday concerts. Following both shows, a limited service will operate westbound from The Point stop.
The National Maternity Hospital on Holles Street will remain open, with appointments continuing as normal.
However, the hospital is located within the restricted area around Merrion Square, meaning significant traffic and parking restrictions are expected.
Access will be facilitated for patients and staff at designated crossing points and security barriers. Patients are being advised to leave early and allow plenty of extra time for their journeys.
Gardaí will be on patrol around the hospital's access routes to assist visitors. The hospital will also contact patients with dedicated phone numbers for assistance.
Flights at Dublin Airport are expected to operate as normal, with no disruption to arrivals or departures.
However, passengers should allow extra time to reach the airport and check their bus routes before setting off.
Traffic restrictions will be in place at Dunbro between the R108 and R122. Additional Garda patrols will also operate along the Naul Road, R108, R132 and Old Airport Road.
Roads around Casement Aerodrome will also be subject to additional Garda patrols and traffic restrictions.
Anyone travelling into or around the city this week is advised to check for updates before setting off and allow additional time for their journey.
