Non-Official, Offline Motorway Services in Ireland

Jayuu · 12-10-2010 10:40am

There is a 24-hour garage on the old N3 just before you enter Dunshauglin. Decent petrol price as well and if you go that way (coming off the M3 at Junction 5 and back on at Junction 6) you avoid one of the toll plazas.

Amtmann · 11-11-2010 8:08pm

I heard from the landowner on which the McDonalds/Topaz development is to be built beside M8 junction 8, that it will enter the construction phase in two weeks' time.

ClareVisitor · 23-12-2010 5:02pm

Anything new for the M7? We'll be off the boat at 6 on Monday morning and will need somewhere to stop to feed the baby at about 7:30, assuming he sleeps until then!

L1011 · 23-12-2010 10:38pm

Only someone trying to sell a site in Borris in Ossory beside the junction.

Best option on the M7 at the moment is the foodcourt at the Maldron Hotel at Portlaoise

ClareVisitor · 24-12-2010 10:02am

Cheers MYOB, always good to have another option. I don't really want to have to stop in a layby on a motorway.

JupiterKid · 26-12-2010 5:02am

I wonder how the McDonalds drive-thru and petrol station just off the M8 at Cashel is coming along?

Amtmann · 26-12-2010 4:07pm

JupiterKid wrote: »

I wonder how the McDonalds drive-thru and petrol station just off the M8 at Cashel is coming along?

They're working six days per week. Foundations are laid and the rising walls have started.

munchkin_utd · 03-01-2011 5:37pm

Furet wrote: »

Midway Food Court: http://www.midwaym7.com/

This has numerous food outlets and ample parking. It is NOT open 24/7 and it currently does NOT have fuel services, though a Topaz station will open on the site in the near future.

I popped into this place on the way from Cavan to Cork, being perfectly situated 2 hours into a 4 hour journey.

Between the various outlets you have a wide choice of sandwiches/ snacks burgers and wraps. Nothing really all that wholesome though to be honest. (Little caesars was closed that day so maybe they offer a little in the way of hot food rather than stopgap sandwiches?)

What might be useful to know is that the hotel on the site nextdoor to the food hall also offers carvery lunches for anyone needing their daily dose of spuds and meat.

For those needing fuel theres a couple of stations a few hundred metres beyond the food hall on the Motorway side of Portlaoise.

Unfortunately I didnt catch the opening hours. Has anyone an idea of how late the place opens till?

Stringman · 06-04-2011 2:17pm

Just a quick question to some of you in the know. Im looking for somewhere for a group on route to a weekend in cork to meet up and have a good cooked breakfast. The new amber services at junction 14 look perfect, but i can't find any details what food is served there, so just want to be sure they do cooked breakfasts and are they any good, before telling people to head there. thanks for any info.

Amtmann · 06-04-2011 3:36pm

Stringman wrote: »

Just a quick question to some of you in the know. Im looking for somewhere for a group on route to a weekend in cork to meet up and have a good cooked breakfast. The new amber services at junction 14 look perfect, but i can't find any details what food is served there, so just want to be sure they do cooked breakfasts and are they any good, before telling people to head there. thanks for any info.

I'm virtually certain that they do... usual fry-up fare and such. Can be a busy spot though, so you might not get seats for everyone if you've a big group.

You could also get off at junction 13 and head for Cork on the R639 and stop at Corbett Court, and then re-enter the M8 at junction 14.

MrDerp · 06-04-2011 3:42pm

Stringman wrote: »

Just a quick question to some of you in the know. Im looking for somewhere for a group on route to a weekend in cork to meet up and have a good cooked breakfast. The new amber services at junction 14 look perfect, but i can't find any details what food is served there, so just want to be sure they do cooked breakfasts and are they any good, before telling people to head there. thanks for any info.

Amber is really a kiosk, and you might as well wait for Cork if you've driven that far (assuming you're coming from Dublin or thereabouts?)

Try the Horse and Jockey hotel? Very close to the motorway, and do a cooked buffet breakfast for about 12 euro. I've stopped there a couple of times with family - old timers who still feel the need to break up a journey, despite journey times being halved, I think they just like the tradition

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=M8&daddr=Horse+and+Jockey,+Co.+North+Tipperary,+Ireland&hl=en&geocode=FdYHIwMdwHaJ_w%3BFVPbIgMdB1qJ_ynBsZjm_s9cSDHyyyy7p8cAJg&mra=mift&mrsp=0&sz=15&sll=52.625431,-7.758708&sspn=0.006487,0.042915&ie=UTF8&z=15

Stringman · 06-04-2011 3:59pm

Thanks for the quick replys. the group, would be ten or twelve, so not that big, and not needing anything to smart, just a fry, without steering off miles from he main road, which is why i was thinking of the amber place. I have to say it amazes me that they don't have a web page saying there there, and what they offer. Thanks again for the info.

Amtmann · 06-04-2011 4:47pm

Amber does have a pretty nice eaterie with seats, broadband, atm, etc., so it's more than just a kiosk.

Stringman · 06-04-2011 4:54pm

From the pics of the outside, it certainly looks a lot more than a kiosk, but not having seen any pics of the inside i can't judge.

munchkin_utd · 07-04-2011 10:15am

Tremelo wrote: »

I heard from the landowner on which the McDonalds/Topaz development is to be built beside M8 junction 8, that it will enter the construction phase in two weeks' time.

Any updates?
Is it open yet?

L1011 · 07-04-2011 11:11am

munchkin_utd wrote: »

Any updates?
Is it open yet?

Under construction and currently recruiting.

Amtmann · 07-04-2011 11:24am

...And opening sometimes in May.

flazio · 08-04-2011 12:43am

What's the name of that station on the east side of Mountrath on the non motorway Dublin/Limerick road, full truck stop with showers I believe and an impressive Emo station. Good pullover if you want to put your €1.80 towards a cup of tea rather then a time saver.

L1011 · 10-04-2011 6:41pm

"mighty mols". IIRC the GreatGas across the road *was* them too but it has closed down since the motorway opened - and there's no problem turning right in/out of the Emo now.

marmurr1916 · 11-04-2011 6:37pm

The Obama-plaza is a' coming:

Irish fast food chain Supermac’s today announced the development of a €7 million “travel plaza” in Moneygall, Co Offaly.

The development – news of which comes one month before the visit of the US president Barack Obama to the town - will bring more than 50 jobs to the area.

A further 70 to 80 jobs will be created during the development and building stages of the project, the company said.

The new plaza will be located on a 12 acre site along the M7 motorway between Dublin and Limerick.

The “motorway services facility” will include a Supermac’s and a Papa John’s Pizza restaurant, along with a food court, a convenience shop and fuel pumps.

“We hope to provide much needed employment and an economic boost by attracting visitors to Moneygall, which is already on the map as the birthplace of President Obama’s ancestors” said Supermac’s founder and managing director Pat McDonagh.

The travel plaza is expected to be open for business sometime in early next year.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/0411/breaking32.html

Hopefully it'll be signed/visible from the M7.

L1011 · 11-04-2011 7:32pm

That site has been partially pre-prepped by its owners and signed as "for sale for MSA" for ages, its visible heading Eastbound IIRC

The junction isn't suitable AT ALL.

Rodin · 11-04-2011 7:34pm

MYOB wrote: »

The M8 has vague signage at both ends which is referring to Urlingford (Kavanaghs/Applegreen), the south end of Cashel (Mother Hubbards and Tesco for fuel) and Mitchelstown (cluster of stations there) at both ends of it, but nothing more specific beyond that.... that appears to be all we're likely to get on other roads.

What is vague about the signing to Urlingford?

L1011 · 11-04-2011 7:48pm

Rodin wrote: »

What is vague about the signing to Urlingford?

There isn't anything, read my post properly please.

The vague signage is the MSA signage that has km distances that don't actually apply to anywhere specific,

Amtmann · 11-04-2011 8:29pm

Hardly a surprise, but the M8 J8 Topaz/McDonalds service station will be 24hr when it opens. Must snap a few shots soon. It's two-story by the way.

etchyed · 12-04-2011 7:30am

Tremelo wrote: »

Hardly a surprise, but the M8 J8 Topaz/McDonalds service station will be 24hr when it opens. Must snap a few shots soon. It's two-story by the way.

Any word yet on whether this will be signed like the official service stations?

Amtmann · 12-04-2011 2:05pm

It won't be. But it will be VERY visible from the M8, seen as how it's right on top of it. Advance non-descript brown fuel signage is present about 1km before the exit though.

L1011 · 12-04-2011 9:20pm

Indo had renders of the Moneygall one today, its going to be BIG by the looks of things, SuperStop MSA sized.

Amtmann · 12-04-2011 10:08pm

Images of the M8 development on the way... (photobucket is down, so this will be clumsy)

Amtmann · 12-04-2011 10:10pm

Another one...

Amtmann · 12-04-2011 10:12pm

No. 3...

Non-Official, Offline Motorway Services in Ireland

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