Tag: #dcc

Dubliners ‘going out differently’ Dublin Nights Mapped

Launched in January 2026, the interactive map showcases a wide range of evening activities across Dublin, from late opening cultural spaces and cafés to social experiences and outdoor locations.

The milestone comes as longer, brighter evenings begin to draw more people into the city earlier, with many opting to build their nights around activities and experiences rather than traditional late-night routines. Footfall figures also appear to be moving in a positive direction, suggesting this shift may already be having an impact on how people use the city in the early evening.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Ray McAdam said:
“Dublin is alive after dark, and Dublin Nights Mapped proves it. Our city is becoming more welcoming, more vibrant and more enjoyable in the evening, with everything from culture and heritage to cafés, outdoor spaces and new experiences on offer. As the brighter evenings arrive, this is a real opportunity to bring more people into the city, support local business and show Dublin at its very best.”

Ray O’Donoghue, Night-Time Economy Advisor for Dublin City Council, said:
“People aren’t going out less in Dublin, they’re going out differently. We’re seeing more people come into the city earlier, explore more of it, and shape their night around experiences rather than just one venue.

‘Dublin Nights Mapped’ is helping people discover what’s already there, whether that’s a walk along the old city walls, time in places like Blessington Street Basin, or visits to cultural spaces and social venues across the city.”

Data from the platform suggests increased interest in a broader mix of night-time options, including activity-led venues, late cafés and accessible outdoor spaces.

Popular experiences featured on the map include social gaming venues such as Flight Club and Lane7, as well as quieter city locations like the gardens at the Irish Museum of Modern Art and historic walking routes through the city.

With sunset now stretching beyond 8pm, ‘Dublin Nights Mapped’ is encouraging people to make the most of the city in the early evening hours.

“This is about giving people more choice and making the city feel open, welcoming and full of things to do at different times of the evening,” Ray added.

The initiative also forms part of a wider strategy to support a more diverse and sustainable night-time economy, with further developments to be announced in the coming weeks.

Dublin Nights Mapped is available to explore via DublinNights.ie or by searching on Google Maps.

River Liffey rescue exercise showcases how drones can support emergency services

A pioneering research and innovation exercise in Dublin has demonstrated how automated drone docking station technology, supported by artificial intelligence, can help first responders deliver faster and more effective search-and-rescue operations in busy urban environments.

The live demonstration, part of a national Drone Innovation Partnership led by Maynooth University in collaboration with Dublin City Council, the Irish Aviation Authority, and Dublin Fire Brigade, simulated a water emergency incident on the River Liffey.

The rescue will be featured in RTÉ One’s new series of Futureville Ireland, which will be broadcast next week to mark Science Week, which begins on Sunday, 9 November.

In the demonstration, Dublin Fire Brigade personnel responded to a report of a person entering the water. An automated drone launched from a remote docking station, autonomously navigated to the scene, and streamed high-resolution data and video to incident command teams. Artificial intelligence tools supported real-time assessment, helping responders rapidly locate the casualty and understand their condition.

By providing critical situational awareness within moments of an emergency call, the drone system enhances response coordination and decision-making — helping first responders make the right decisions faster where every second counts.

Commenting on the exercise, Teresa Hudson, Station Officer, Organisational Intelligence Unit, Dublin Fire Brigade, said: “Drone dockstation technology, properly deployed and operated, will ensure our fire-fighting and rescue teams can respond more efficiently to emergency incidents where time is always critical.”

The Drone Innovation Partnership project, which is led by Maynooth University, in close collaboration with Dublin City Council and the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is funded through Research Ireland’s LERO Research Centre (Grant 13/RC/2094_P2).

It examines innovative drone technologies, operations, and public-sector applications, building on previous drone traffic management research at Maynooth University as well as Dublin City Council’s Smart City and Drone Strategy initiatives.

Speaking about the research, Principal Investigator Professor Tim McCarthy of Maynooth University, said: “These real-world search-and-rescue exercises allow us to understand both the capabilities and limitations of automated drone networks. This helps us scale AI-enabled emergency response in a structured, responsible, and effective way for the benefit of wider society.”

Enda Walsh, Manager of the UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) Division at the IAA, said: “This exercise, leveraging both automated UAS and AI, demonstrates how the safe and pragmatic application of these technologies can have significant and positive societal impact. The Drone Innovation Partnership continues to investigate how UAS Ecosystems comprising Drone Regulatory, Technology, Operations, Services and Applications can be rolled out across cities and busy urban environments in a fair, accessible and transparent fashion.”

New Static Speed Camera in Dolphins Barn Live today

Dublin City Council is pleased to see the introduction by An Garda Síochána of the first ever static speed camera within the Council area.

The Council worked closely with An Garda Síochána to facilitate the installation and initial operation of the camera.

The Static Safety Camera, which is located in Dolphin’s Barn, will commence operation from Friday 1st August 2025.

Dublin City Council will continue to work together with An Garda Síochána on road safety and measures which can help to improve road safety for all. The camera is located beside the maxol garage with the details below

Current Speed Limits

The default speed limit for most roads within the Dublin City Council area is 50km/h. Speed limit signs are erected at all points where there is a speed limit change. The enforcement of the speed limits is a matter for An Garda Síochána.

Dublin City Council has progressively introduced a 30km/h speed limit to many areas of the city, and Dublin City Council implemented 30km/h speed limits in all the residential areas as per approved Phase 4 – Special Speed Limit Bye-Laws 2020. Please see the map below of our Phase 4 Special Speed Limit Bye-Laws 2020.

What is a static safety camera?

A static safety camera is in one location and measures the motorists speed at that one particular point along the road.

How does it work?

As with GoSafe vans, drivers detected by static safety cameras breaking the speed limit on that road will be automatically issued a fixed charge penalty notice.

Why use static speed safety cameras?

Static safety cameras have been proven internationally to reduce speeding. Speeding is one of the main contributors to road deaths.

Check out some dashcams

See more 

Dublin Drone Innovation Partnership will shape the future of urban air mobility

A two-year in-depth study to help prepare Dublin and other European cities for the widespread use of drones in commercial and civic life has been launched today at the offices of Dublin City Council, by the Minister of State at the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, James Lawless T.D.

The project is led by a research team from Lero, the Research Ireland Centre for Software and Maynooth University, in collaboration with Dublin City Council (DCC), and the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA).

Speaking at the launch, Minister Lawless said: “Ireland has an established record of leadership in regulation of emerging technologies. As drones begin to be used more and more across the globe, at home we have seen them supplying emergency medicines, delivering fast food, used for search and rescue purposes and to enhance public safety among a range of important applications. Earlier this year, the Government held a public consultation on the development of a policy framework for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones. The research partnership being launched today, between Lero, Maynooth University, Dublin City Council and the Irish Aviation Authority, with stakeholder engagement at its heart, is very much aligned with Government’s efforts to foster the industry’s growth while mitigating safety, security, environmental, privacy, and other concerns.”

Welcoming the announcement, Dr Ciarán Seoighe, Deputy CEO of Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland, the newly established research and innovation funding agency, said: “Research Ireland supports partnerships such as this to bring key stakeholders together, to drive progress and capitalise on the advantages offered by innovative and disruptive technologies. While exploring emerging technologies and systems to capture data and support responses to critical events, this collaborative approach helps us to better understand its potential benefits and impact on wider society. Investing in basic research is of strategic importance to Research Ireland, as it allows us to support a pipeline of transformative solutions to bring about real-world benefits.”

Project Coordinator Professor Tim McCarthy of Maynooth University and LERO believes the project is particularly timely as unmanned drone ecosystems are beginning to emerge globally and involve a wide variety of stakeholders and end-users.

A vital aspect of the research project, according to Prof. McCarthy, will be the creation of a digital twin for Dublin City to explore and simulate urban drone flight ecosystems, allowing researchers to address issues that emerge in a safe and controlled environment.

“This digital twin will capture inputs from all stakeholders, enable simulation of drone activities and provide prototype digital optimisation services in addressing various business, market, safety, privacy, nuisance and environmental concerns,” he added.

The partnership will also deliver a number of ‘state of the art’ drone applications to show the benefits of autonomous and remote piloting of drones to support life-saving and emergency response applications in a Dublin City setting.

“This unique drone innovation partnership will contribute to Dublin City Council’s Drone and Urban Air Mobility Strategy 2024-2029, an ambitious roadmap to support the integration of drones into city services and position Dublin and Ireland as a European leader in Drones and Urban Air Mobility,” said Jamie Cudden, Smart City Lead Dublin City Council.

Enda Walsh, manager of the IAA’s UAS division, believes the partnership will deliver crucial insights for safely integrating UAS into urban environments while maximising benefits to society, and laying the foundation for developing UAS Traffic Management (UTM) for the State.

“The Drone Innovation Partnership project will look at stakeholder concerns and provide crucial information and analysis of the key aspects around security, environment, and privacy for UAS integration into urban environments. It will also support the future establishment of a comprehensive and effective UTM infrastructure for the State, which provides a safe environment for all air traffic while facilitating a growing UAS industry.”

 

Dublin City launches ‘Data Insights for Active Travel’ Project to determine impact of Active Travel infrastructure as part of Global Network of Cities

Lord Mayor Daithí de Róiste has announced that Dublin City Council (DCC) has joined forces with the Partnership for Healthy Cities to pilot new cutting-edge technologies for evaluating and measuring the impact of the city’s active travel investments (walking and cycling). Other partners include the National Transport Authority (NTA), ADAPT, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology, and Trinity College Dublin (TCD).

This unique partnership is set to boost understanding on active travel patterns in the city. The project will generate new data, which will be used to inform future infrastructure planning and improve safe and active transit options for city residents.

“Over the coming years, Dublin is investing in a city-wide Active Travel Network to provide 310 km of safe, accessible, and convenient pathways for walking, cycling, and other forms of active transportation. While this capital investment will be transformative for the city we need to think beyond the physical infrastructure and ensure that we are investing in the right technologies to generate better data and actionable insights to help evaluate and justify these investments,” said Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daithí de Róiste.

“The last three years have seen a significant ramping up of NTA investment in Active Travel projects across the country, with many large projects, such as Clontarf to City Centre, now coming to fruition. The monitoring and evaluation of these projects needs to keep pace through the deployment of detection and counting equipment. Smart detection technology may have an important role to play in understanding trends and patterns to inform decision-making and monitor the impact of schemes. The NTA recognises that new technology and data captured will greatly improve our ability to monitor and communicate the impacts of Active Travel schemes,” said Joe Seymour, Head of Active Travel Investment, NTA.

The project will fill a gap in current methodologies by developing an Active Travel Data Toolkit, replacing the ad-hoc approach of data collection with a systematic and integrated process that supports and guides future investments in active travel.

“This project stands as a testament to DCC’s commitment to active travel as a cornerstone of health and well-being. By integrating advanced monitoring technologies, and data visualization techniques, DCC aims to set a new standard for active travel infrastructure. The ultimate goal is to achieve a measurable positive impact on citizen behaviour, emissions reduction, and overall public health, while also influencing active travel policies to foster healthier urban spaces,” said Andy Walsh, Director of Active Travel Programme Office, DCC.

By establishing a robust framework for data gathering and analysis, DCC, in collaboration with the NTA will be able to measure the true value of active travel enhancements more accurately. The initiative will be working through DCC’s Smart City team, leveraging the existing partnerships with ADAPT and collaborating with Prof Brian Caulfield, TCD.

Phase 1 of this project will target two active travel schemes – the Clontarf to City Centre (C2CC) corridor and the Kilmainham to Thomas Street scheme and the surrounding areas. The initial steps will focus on sourcing, validating, and implementing the latest innovations in active travel monitoring. During Phase 2, the insights gained will inform the development of a toolkit to enhance policy-making and active travel project implementation citywide.

Through the Partnership for Healthy Cities, cities commit to one of 14 proven interventions, from improving safety for vulnerable road users to strengthening public health surveillance systems. The network is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the global health organization Vital Strategies.

“Sustained investment in a city’s safe and active transit infrastructure can reduce noncommunicable disease risks and health inequities,” said Ariella Rojhani, Director, Partnership for Healthy Cities at Vital Strategies. “Today, we congratulate Dublin on its commitment to the health and safety of its residents and look forward to seeing how this new data is used to improve their quality of life.”

The announcement comes as this week DCC presents its work to public health leaders from more than 50 cities at the Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit in Cape Town, South Africa. The annual event provides cities from around the world with the opportunity to advance solutions and exchange ideas on how to create healthier, safer and more equitable urban centres.

Dublin Discovery Trails is a new first of its kind Augmented Reality app shows Dublin as you’ve never seen it before!

Dublin City Council (DCC) today launched Dublin Discovery Trails – ‘Doors into Docklands’, the first in a series of mobile application (app) based immersive discovery trails with innovative Augmented Reality (AR).  The App, which has been co funded by Dublin City Council and Fáilte Ireland through its Destination Town Investment Scheme, will help to further unlock the tourism potential of the Docklands by bringing the area and its story to life for visitors in a new and immersive way.

This App is an innovative way to see the history of the Docklands come to life through Augmented Reality which combines the real-world history with smart technology. This app merges the old and the new, combining history and technology, and will guide the user in their own time on a journey of discovery to some of the Docklands most loved sites and attractions, enabling them to uncover compelling stories of Dublin’s culture, heritage and history via Augmented Reality (AR) technology.

You can experience the Guinness barges sailing down the River Liffey, to the Crimean Banquet held in the CHQ and the story of the famine statues.  Along the trail you can see the ‘history come to life’ with a 360-degree view of the Custom House fires blazing in 1921, the Scherzer Bridges in 2d animation and Port workers in the Diving Bell toiling at the bottom of the sea. You will also meet many Augmented Reality characters telling their stories from Captain Bligh who surveyed Dublin Bay in the 1800’s to Maggie Doyle telling her tale as a Docker’s daughter.

Caroline Conroy, Lord Mayor of Dublin, launching this exciting new app, said: “This is amazing technology, bringing a part of Dublin alive that most of us have never seen! It’s really exciting innovation and as Lord Mayor, I’m proud to see Dublin at the forefront of smart tourism technology joining the past and the future together. I’d like to take the opportunity to encourage visitors and Dubliners alike to download the app and try out this immersive new experience.”

Dublin City Council directed the implementation of this exciting first trail on Dublin Discovery Trails App, ‘Doors into Docklands’ developed by Peel X . The development of the Docklands AR trail was in collaboration with representatives from Fáilte Ireland, Dublin Port Company, OPW, EPIC, Smart Dublin and Dublin City Council Culture Company.

The Dublin Discovery Trails app is a platform on which multiple Dublin tourism agencies and local authorities can develop new and exciting immersive experiences. The underlying tender framework facilitated by DCC has structured Dublin Discovery Trails as a centralised App to provide immersive experience development across Dublin. Members of this tender framework include Fáilte Ireland, Dublin Port Company, Waterways Ireland and the four Dublin Local Authorities.

The App is a first-of-its-kind development for Dublin City Council and further promotes the capital’s position as a leading ‘Smart City’. The app is aimed at locals and visitors to the City who want to know more about and experience the history of the Docklands from a new and unique perspective. It will transport the user back in time using 3D graphics, animations, and storytelling immersing them in historical scenes and shocking events from the Docklands’ past.

Karl Mitchell, Director of Service Area Management in Dublin City Council, said: “The App was jointly funded by Dublin City Council and Fáilte Ireland and the innovative technology that was developed offers a new way for visitors and locals to experience the capital city like never before. This App through its immersive AR technology allows users to explore the City’s Docklands in an engaging and exciting way. You can find out more about Dublin’s maritime history, visit famous landmarks and heritage sites, uncover hidden wonders, and experience history and culture in a new fun way.”

Speaking at the launch, Paul Keeley, Director of Regional Development at Fáilte Ireland said: “Today’s tourists are looking for more unique and compelling ways to immerse themselves in the local culture, heritage and history of a destination, Fáilte Ireland was pleased to the support the development of the innovative Doors into Docklands heritage trail through our Destination Town Investment Scheme. Building on the work being done to date as part of the Docklands Destination Experience Development Plan, this interactive AR heritage trail will also help improve visitor flow to the area and will encourage visitors to stay longer both during the day and into the evening, further spreading the economic benefits of tourism to the local businesses.”

The App uses a Wi-Fi or data connection to download the initial content including the geo-enabled landmarks and map. These landmarks will be a prompt for visitors to point their phones where the images and videos will then appear. There is no need for a live data connection while using the app, as everything is stored on your phone after the initial content download, so users won’t be charged for expensive data roaming during their experience.

The digital trails app is part of a larger Smart Tourism strategy to invest in digital to transform Dublin’s tourism experience for how we tell the story and history of the city. This flagship project will help further position Dublin as a world class tourism destination with this new unforgettable digital experience and create the building blocks to deliver many more unique and tailored experiences.

For more information on ‘Doors into Docklands’ and to download the app visit https://doorsintodocklands.com/

Virgin Media Business and Dublin City Council empowering local communities with superfast Wi-Fi supporting digital inclusion and engagement #worldwifiday

Virgin Media, in partnership with Dublin City Council, are proud to support World Wi-Fi Day 2021, a global initiative which takes place on June 20th each year to help bridge the digital divide. Wi-Fi is playing a significant role in cities and communities around the world by driving exciting and innovative projects to ‘connect the unconnected’. While Dublin households have the highest levels of fixed internet access in Ireland with over 92% of households connected (CSO, 2020) there are still a number of areas and communities across Dublin who don’t have the quality of connectivity required to achieve their true potential. Dublin’s Wifi4EU programme is connecting communities and families across the city with over 30 locations connected including the Cabbage Garden Interagency Project in Dublin city centre.

Aidan D’Arcy, Director of Business at Virgin Media Ireland said: “It’s fantastic to work with Dublin City Council on these projects and help improve the offerings for local communities. World Wi-Fi Day is a great opportunity for everyone to recognise just how significant a role the internet plays in all of our lives and how important it can be in creating more engaged and connected communities across Dublin and the country.”

Kelley Bermingham, Community Officer, St Patrick’s Cathedral & The Iveagh Trust said: “The Cabbage Garden Interagency Project is a collaboration between key stakeholders including Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and the Iveagh Trust, situated in Dublin 8, originally formed to create a communal and friendly environment for local residents and visitors and help mitigate any limiting, risky behaviour or negative activity in the area. The installation of a robust and accessible Wi-Fi network will help the programme to run positive and engaging activities, such as fitness sessions, social gatherings and street festivals, as a means to building trust with a wide variety of groups in the area.”

Nicola Graham, Smart City Operations Manager for Dublin City Council said: “Partnering with Virgin Media Business to deliver reliable and fast public Wi-Fi services to communities that need it most is exactly what our Smart City programme is all about. We want to support connectivity with a particular emphasis on strengthening community engagement and supporting wider digital innovation initiatives.”

Dublin City Council launches cycling app for safer routes. Dublin Cycling Buddy. #Apps #Cycling

Cycling in Dublin is best described as risky due to no room on the road and again when it comes to sharing roads and not forgetting being lit up having the right gear on and the clash with motorists and cyclists breaking red lights and much more but this is not about who is right or wrong this is a new app which will be welcome amongst the cycling community. I cycle myself and will be giving this a go and also we have some cycling tech accessories in for review so stay tuned for that.

Dublin Cycling Campaign, Dublin City Council, and Smart Dublin, have been working together to produce the ‘Go-To’ cycle routing and gamification app curated just for Dublin. Through the participation of our cycling community, this app will continue to crowd-source critical information to provide more ‘localised’ and accurate cycle routing data. This will help Dublin City Council to create a safer and more bike-friendly environment for all.

Dublin Cycling Buddy helps make your cycle rides around Dublin safer and more enjoyable!  Built using a new community-powered cycling navigation engine, the app will find safe, bike-friendly routes for your commuting and recreational rides. It utilises large data sets, including GPS trajectories and crowdsourced issue reports, with a data engine that analyses the collected data to produce these optimised routes. The solution will give cyclists peace of mind when planning their ride, knowing full well that they’re getting the best selection of cycle routes available.

The collection of data from cycling routes will help the city council’s planning department determine which ‘non official’ routes that cyclists are organically taking, in order to improve cycling infrastructure in these key locations.

The app is also expected to foster a deeper digital community for Dublin cyclists through the real time feedback (e.g. potholes, traffic jams, near misses etc.), as well as taking part in the friendly competitions across the city and county.

As quoted by DCC’s Chief Executive Owen Keegan:

“The app offers Dublin’s cyclists a smarter way to engage with the Council, build a community of cyclists, as well as share trip information and advice on safer routes. This will help inform our investment priorities and also help us measure the impact of current investments across the city.”

DOWNLOAD ON ANDROID             DOWNLOAD ON IOS

A world-first in Dublin as @UPS and @DubCityCouncil innovate to reinvent sustainable last mile deliveries. #Cycling #Walking #Logistics

An innovative walking and cycle based system designed to optimise deliveries in city centres has launched in Dublin. Operating out of mini urban distribution centres and combining powered e-Walkers and e-Quad cycles, this model allows for last mile deliveries that don’t add to local emissions or congestion, enabling a step change in the way goods are delivered in busy city locations.

Funded by Dublin City Council, Enterprise Ireland and Belfast City Council, the unique solution was developed as part of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) challenge that sought new approaches to optimising deliveries. Participating in the challenge enabled Fernhay, an innovative design and manufacturing consultancy, to develop the new zero emissions delivery solutions for global logistics carrier, UPS, to trial.

The e-walker and e-Quad operate from “urban package eco hubs” that UPS has introduced around the city. The eco-hubs take in larger consignments of deliveries and redistribute them to walkers and cyclers using removable Cube containers. There are already two of these mini distribution centres up and running in Dublin which has facilitated the removal of five diesel vehicles from the road, reducing carbon emissions by up to 45%.

Speaking at the launch, Owen Keegan, Dublin City Council Chief Executive, said: “collaboration is key to tackling the challenges facing our city right now so we are very happy to see our Transportation Department and Smart City programme working with innovative partners such as Fernhay and UPS to address last mile deliveries. This solution helps the city adapt to the Covid-19 situation by enabling foot and bike deliveries and discouraging the return of congestion.”

“It is really exciting to be piloting this in Dublin –the first city to test the Fernhay eWalker. As cities reopen for business after the Covid-19 shutdowns, those looking for ways to keep goods moving while minimising the return of congestion and pollution, should take note.” – said Frances Fernandes, Director, Fernhay.

She explained: “Fernhay’s eWalker and eQuad are part of a wider system that enable key workers to deliver groceries, medicine and parcels without the use of vans. Cities are facing huge change to respond to ‘social distancing’ with pavements widened outside shops and roads narrowed to make more space for walking and cycling. Our system offers a clean and viable option and rethinks how cities can support last mile deliveries now and in the future.”

UPS International Sustainability Director, Peter Harris, said: “This is about reimagining last mile logistics. Cities need solutions that eliminate emissions and congestion and this system achieves that. But it goes further. The ability to load the box that the eWalker and the eQuad carry anywhere within our network will help UPS operate more efficiently. Taking this concept of removable containers, long since practiced in long haul freight, into the urban environment is a game changer and furthers UPS’s long-standing commitment to bring its customers sustainable solutions.”

Finally, Tom Kelly, Head of Innovation, Enterprise Ireland, said: “We are happy to support this challenge which delivers benefits both for Dublin citizens and the innovative technology companies that are helping the City Council address the issue and public impacts of last mile delivery. The SBIR programme is unique in providing public sector bodies and innovative companies the opportunity to work together to develop innovative solutions to big problems, such as optimising deliveries in cities”.

The UPS/ Fernhay partnership won SBIR support because it encourages safer, cleaner, more pedestrian friendly urban environments, and for its potential replicability in other contexts. As pressure mounts to ditch diesel and switch to sustainable, this dynamic consolidation and redistribution model is already contributing to emerging conversations on urban mobility and liveable cities. Other carriers have registered interest in operating similar systems in Dublin, and Belfast are assessing learnings from the initiative for potential applicability there. Last mile deliveries may never be the same again.