Dublin’s South Circular Road (SCR) has claimed the dubious title of the city’s most clamped street in 2025, according to figures released by Dublin City Council.
The long-standing thoroughfare, which stretches around four kilometres between Portobello and Islandbridge, overtook Merrion Square South, which had held the top spot for several years.
Last year, 747 vehicles were clamped on the SCR — an increase of 70 from 2024 — with most drivers penalised for parking in bus lanes or on clearways.
The area around the Dublin Mosque and the National Stadium sees particularly heavy enforcement, thanks to frequent illegal parking on footpaths and restricted lanes.
Peak Times for Clamping Revealed
Data obtained under freedom of information legislation shows that Saturdays are the busiest day for clamping on the SCR, with daily high-risk periods between 7 and 8am and again from 4 to 5pm.
Overall, more than a third of all clamping occurs during the morning peak traffic period of 7 to 10am, peaking between 8 and 9am with nearly 6,000 vehicles targeted citywide.
Interestingly, Wednesday was the most common day for vehicles to get clamped across Dublin, with 7,750 incidents, while Sundays saw the fewest, at just 2,825.
Saturdays actually surpassed Mondays, with 6,122 vehicles clamped compared to 5,739.
Citywide Clamping Trends Show a Mixed Picture
Despite the rise on the SCR, overall clamping in Dublin fell slightly last year — down almost 3,000 to 43,982 vehicles.
Enforcement took place across more than 1,650 locations in the capital.
A significant portion of clamping — roughly 15,300 cases — was due to drivers failing to pay for parking.
Clearway violations and parking without a valid ticket followed closely behind.
Other notable offences included 517 vehicles clamped for parking in spaces reserved for disabled motorists without the appropriate badge, and 60 vehicles penalised for stopping on pedestrianised streets.
Monthly and Daily Clamping Patterns
November proved the month with the highest clamping figures, with 4,280 vehicles targeted, while December saw the lowest numbers at 2,667, reflecting the extended Christmas break.
The single day with the most clamping activity in 2025 was January 22nd, when 218 vehicles were clamped across the city.
Shifts in Dublin’s Top Blackspots
Several roads maintained their reputations as clamping hotspots.
Waterloo Road and Mespil Road, both in Dublin 4, ranked second and third respectively, while Merrion Square South, previously the top location, dropped to sixth place.
New entries to the top 20 blackspots in 2025 included Gardiner Street Lower, Summerhill, Berkeley Road, Sheriff Street Upper, and Burlington Road.
Meanwhile, areas like Ranelagh, Hatch Street Lower, Grantham Street, Baggot Street Lower, and St Anthony’s Road saw notable decreases in clamping incidents.
Fines and Revenue Trends
Motorists caught by clamping must pay €125 to have the clamp removed.
Failure to pay within 24 hours results in the vehicle being moved to the city pound, where a €250 removal fee plus €35 per day in storage costs apply.
Even though the overall number of clamps fell, income from fines rose by 6% in 2025, totaling just over €960,000.
Parking fines had been reintroduced in Dublin in July 2021, complementing clamping enforcement to target specific illegal parking offences such as parking on footpaths and bus lanes.
Wider Dublin Parking Issues
The council’s figures also highlight that illegal parking is a challenge beyond the capital.
For instance, in Lucan, 1,140 motorists were fined for parking offences in 2025, representing 13% of all fines issued by South Dublin County Council that year.
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