Cork Queue Here
 

Aha, one of my pet hates - signs that don't quite say what they mean.

Cork Queue Here - don't they mean "Queue here for trains to Cork" ? If it is a statement then the sign is only correct when a queue has actually formed there.

You might say I'm being finicky and that someone should know what the sign means . . . is this the same person that is supposed to know that even though the departure board says the train is departing from platform 5 you don't actually go through the gate that has the platform display sign above it and that gives access to platform 5 ?

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You'll find that there are several other stations which have ticket checks before people enter the platform and people generally aren't let onto an empty platform, for example Limerick (platforms 1 and 2), Waterford, Galway, and Cork. It also happens some of the time at Cobh. Seems to be exclusive to terminal stations.

The answer's simple...
 

CIE companies in general have absolutely no concept of what proper signage is.

It's not too long ago that you could be faced with 4 orange MK3 trains in Heuston with no signage on them and no signs overhead! In the good old days I accidently boarded the Galway and Waterford trains by accident!!

I often wonder if they ever walk through any of the 'systems' they expect their customers to navigate.

The Cork Queue sign in Dublin Heuston is just idiotic. I don't understand it.

Boarding should work as follows:

Announcement that the train is now boarding on platform X
Ask for any passengers with special needs to come forward for priority boarding.
Get them on board.
Call the 1st class and reserved standard class ticket holders.
THEN call everyone else.

It's nuts expecting people to pay a premium for a first class /citygold ticket and then providing no clear priority boarding. Reservation should give you that too. It's pointless without it.

There should be staff around to manage the queue etc too.

There's also absolutely no consistancy.

Sometimes they help reserved passengers to their coach, sometimes they don't.
Sometimes there's food, sometimes their isn't...
The list is endless.

It's not about resources it's about poor management of a now well resourced service!

Other railways and airlines have been getting this stuff right for >100 years!!!