College Green Is Going Traffic-Free For The First Time This Weekend

The first traffic-free trial at College Green will be going ahead this weekend.

The area will play host to the first of three family-friendly ‘Summer Sundays’, with two more planned for Sunday, July 28 and Sunday, August 4 as part of the trial. Summer Sundays on College Green will each have a separate theme, ranging from art to science and even a carnival.

The first one day trial of College Green Plaza takes place this Sunday. Will you be heading into the city centre to check it out? #BetterDublin pic.twitter.com/J88ZmDQIlu

— Dublin Chamber (@DubCham) July 17, 2019

This weekend’s theme will be Drawing in the City in association with the Hugh Lane Gallery, where you can expect interactive street art, 3D pavement illusions, face painters and more from 12pm to 4pm. The first week of August is International Clown Week and to celebrate, the final event in the Summer Sundays series will be a City Carnival. You’ll see performances from multi-talented artists, while the side show will feature an antique carousel, facepainters, stiltwalkers, jugglers and mime artists. Workshops will also give families the chance to try out some basic circus skills.

College Green will close to vehicular traffic on Sunday from 7AM to 7PM for the first of 3 Summer Sundays events. The first event Drawing In The City in association with @TheHughLane will see them bring their sketching and drawing classes outdoors from 12-4 pic.twitter.com/nbgG7j89N1

— Live Drive (@LiveDrive) July 19, 2019

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Dublin City Council officials were discussing plans to trial the idea in order to showcase what a pedestrianised College Green plaza would actually look like and how it would work best. The area from College Green to the junction of Georges Street will be closed to all vehicular traffic between 7am and 7pm on each of the trial days with diversions in place, while the Luas will keep running as normal. Original plans to turn the city centre space into a pedestrian zone were rejected by An Bord Pleanála last year over concerns it would have a “significant and negative” impact on bus passengers and taxis. READ NEXT: A Dog Festival Is Happening In Dublin Next Month