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Traffic chaos looms in Burt 28.05.08

Cemetery Sunday clashes with Donegal v Derry

Traffic chaos is feared in Burt next weekend when large volumes of traffic travelling to the Ulster Senior Football Championship match in Ballybofey will have to contend with those travelling to Burt Graveyard where Cemetery Sunday takes place at 3pm.
In previous years vehicles attending Cemetery Sunday have parked for several hundred metres on either side of the graveyard on both sides of the road. Thousands of spectators from Inishowen and Derry will travel along the N13 past the graveyard to Ballybofey for the football match which throws-in at 4pm.
With a sell out crowd of more than 18,000 expected to attend the match at MacCumhaill Park in Ballybofey and increased traffic due to the bank holiday weekend, fears have been raised in Burt that the volume of traffic and the large number of vehicles parked along the N13 at the graveyard will be dangerous for pedestrians attending the service.
“People usually start assembling shortly after 2pm for Graveyard Sunday, which is just around the time when traffic heading to Ballybofey will be peaking,” said one local resident who contacted this newspaper. “With cars parked on either side of the road, the extra traffic will be dangerous for people who park up to half a mile away and walk to the graveyard.”
A spokesman for the Garda said that extra gardaí will be on duty in the vicinity of Burt graveyard on 1 June.
“We always have additional gardaí on duty for Graveyard Sunday to facilitate the smooth flow of traffic but also to ensure parked vehicles aren’t burgled,” the spokesman said. “With the match in Ballybofey, we are expecting extra traffic at the time but the Garda Traffic Corps will be there to deal with it.”
However, there is no alternative route for Donegal fans from Inishowen travelling to Ballybofey and they have been advised to allow additional time for the journey.
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