Dublin’s Phoenix Park will be closed to the public during the official visit of US President Joe Biden, according to the Office of Public Works (OPW). At the request of gardai, all entrances to the park, including pedestrian gates, will be shut from 5 pm on Wednesday to facilitate President Biden’s visit. The park is one of the main routes from Dublin city centre to the northwestern suburbs and is also popular with walkers and cyclists. Dublin Zoo will be closed until 9.30 am on Friday. The OPW has apologised for any inconvenience caused, saying that all park roads and gates will reopen “as soon as it is safe to do so”.
An Garda Síochána said there will also be traffic restrictions in Dublin city centre on Monday and Tuesday. From Monday at 7 am, there will be parking restrictions on Earlsfort Terrace, Leeson Street Lower, Hatch Street Lower, Castle Street and Ship Street. Between 7 am on Tuesday and Saturday morning, Earlsfort Terrace will be completely closed to traffic, with pedestrian access to businesses on Earlsfort Terrace via Hatch Street only. President Biden will be in the Phoenix Park on Thursday to meet President Michael D Higgins in Áras an Uachtaráin. From there, President Biden will travel to Farmleigh where he will meet Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for their one-to-one meeting. It is also possible that the president could visit Deerfield, the official residence of US ambassador Claire Cronin, located in the park.
President Biden will later visit Dublin Castle on Thursday evening for a banquet dinner before completing his Irish trip on Friday with a visit to Ballina, Co Mayo, the home of his great-great-great-grandfather Edward Blewitt, who emigrated to the US in 1850.
