He hopes it will help people navigate big events in and around the city
16:29, 26 Jul 2026Updated 17:38, 26 Jul 2026
The ParkEasy app. Inset: Martin Rooney.(Image: Submitted)
A man from West Belfast has taken matters into his own hands and created an app that will help drivers and tourists alike navigate big events in the city, such as the upcoming Fleadh Cheoil.
Martin Rooney developed the ParkEasy app to make life easier for himself coming in to work in the city centre, as it helped him see different spaces to park. Many people in his work began to use the app, and he started to think of other uses for it.
The Fleadh Cheoil comes to Belfast from August 2-9, and with it around 800,000 visitors are expected into the city. Three park and rides have been set up to help people get in, while many streets in the city centre will be closed to facilitate the huge festival.
The ParkEasy app easily shows the closed zone, all of the park and rides, and parking within walking distance outside of the closed zone. Over 70 people are currently using the app.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Martin said: “Three years ago or so I started to develop a legal product and was waiting on getting a developer but the timelines were too long. I started trying to learn code myself and I’ve basically just been making the ParkEasy app solo.
“The first two or three months were absolute hell trying to navigate what things were, it was like learning a new language. But now the app is up and running it’s given me more time to do different things with it as opposed to focusing just on the core of it.
“I work in a law firm in the city centre, around 130 people work there and around 20 of them are from Belfast, and when the others are travelling into the city they don’t always know where to park.
“I made the ParkEasy app for myself just coming into the town, as it made life easier for me. Then people in work started using it and it spread around a wee bit.”
The ParkEasy app shows both free and paid parking spaces(Image: Submitted)
The everyday map on the app which features car parks, on-street prices, walk times, directions, and the Fleadh section is free to use with no account.
It also has a small premium tier which unlocks “hidden gems”, such as free-to-park spots only locals know, as well as EV charging points. It also includes a feature allowing for locals to list their driveways for rent during big festivals and events.
As well as this, the app features local businesses to help promote what is in the local area to tourists.
Martin said: “The app has a section for driveways too, which allows people to rent their driveways out. I live locally to the Féile in West Belfast and some people think it’s a nightmare when it’s on as people will park outside your door, sometimes you physically can’t get into your driveway.
“This would help turn it to have a positive impact on neighbourhoods, it would allow people to rent out a space on their driveway, and meet new people.
“A main feature the app has too is for local knowledge, so if there’s a space near the city centre that isn’t necessarily a set parking area, or if it’s just a layby, people can take a photo of it and it’ll come up as a hidden gem for users to see.”
Martin said the app is currently up and running in 31 towns around Northern Ireland, and he plans to bring it to England in the future too.
He’s hoping it will help people navigate huge events like the Fleadh, as well as serving as a useful tool for day-to-day travelling throughout busy cities and towns.
You can find out more about the ParkEasy app by clicking here.
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