UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Visit Cork This Week; Road Closures Expected in City Centre
Road closures hit Cork city centre Thursday 4–10pm as UK PM Keir Starmer arrives. Plan ahead if travelling near the airport or quays.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit Cork on Thursday and Friday, with An Garda Síochána confirming a series of planned road closures and traffic measures across the city centre.
The Prime Minister will arrive and depart via Cork Airport, with his two-day visit concentrated in Cork city. Members of the public travelling through Cork Airport, the city centre, and Fota Island on Thursday evening and Friday morning are advised to plan ahead and allow extra time for potential delays.
The following road closures are confirmed for Thursday 12th March 2026, between 4pm and 10pm:
- Lapp's Quay
- Connell Street
- Terence MacSwiney Quay
In addition to the fixed closures, temporary rolling road closures should be expected throughout Thursday evening and Friday morning to facilitate security escorts. Airport passengers travelling in the late afternoon on Thursday or the early afternoon on Friday are particularly advised to allow additional time to reach the airport.
An Garda Síochána has confirmed it is working to keep traffic restrictions to the minimum required, with any impact on the public expected to be localised. The force is liaising with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and public transport providers to minimise wider disruption to the transport network.
Gardaí have also been in direct contact with businesses and residents in the affected areas and will continue to communicate with them throughout the visit.
Members of the public are asked to follow the advice and instructions of Gardaí on the ground. Operational plans remain subject to change for security reasons.
Real-time updates will be issued by the Garda Press Office via press releases, the Garda website at www.garda.ie, and official Garda social media channels.
