avoiding Galway City going to Spiddal from Dublin

DamoKen

Hi, just wondering if it's possible (and worth it) to avoid Galway City on the August bank holiday? I'll be travelling from Dublin on the Friday afternoon and have heard from a few people that Galway can be a nightmare to drive through during the races. Is this true? If the traffic is that bad I wouldn't mind taking a detour, I'd rather be driving through nice countryside than sitting in a tailback, get enough of that on the M50!

I'll be staying in Spiddal on the Friday and heading down to Rossaveal Quay on the Saturday morning so no real reason to go to Galway if it can be avoided.

Cheers

padi89

Its possible to avoid it yes, but thats if your OK with an 80(probably more) mile detour around Lough Corrib.Friday is a really bad day in Galway for traffic as in the rest of the country,however Fridays race meeting wont be as bad as other days.
Its Bank Holiday Weekend your going to be stuck in traffic all the way down from Dublin anyway,especially if your leaving in the afternoon.No matter what route you take into the city its busy from around midday to late evening.

sgthighway

Friday traffic normally gets quite from that side of town by 3pm becasue most of the factories on that side of town finish between 1 and 2 on a Friday but you will get stuck in traffic once you near the end of the Dual Carriageway at Oranmore because there is an eveninig Race Meet. Once you get past Ballybrit the traffic will be going the other way. You won't be 50 minutes going from Oranmore to Spiddal on that day even if you take the direct route around the city like everybody else.

Robbo

You're going to get stuck in traffic anyway crossing the river. I drive home to Barna from work on the Ballybane Road and on Fridays your best bet is just straight in on the Dublin Road through Renmore, Sean Mulvoy Road, the roundabout-of-death, Quincentenary Bridge, Westside, Kingston road and keep going. Takes about 25-30 minutes on a Friday at 5 but any other way I've tried works out worse.

DamoKen

cheers for all the answers guys, I'll be leaving Dublin around 2 so I'll just do as suggested and bite the bullet. I was thinking the only alternative would be around Lough Corrib, just wasn't sure of the additional mileage. Hopefully won't be too bad going through Galway

Robbo

The trip around the Corrib is a lovely drive, especially between Cornamona and Maam Bridge.

DamoKen

Robbo wrote:

The trip around the Corrib is a lovely drive, especially between Cornamona and Maam Bridge.

I was thinking that, might play it by ear and see how long it takes to get across to Galway, if it's still early and I'm still awake might go that way anyway

padi89

sgthighway wrote:

Once you get past Ballybrit the traffic will be going the other way.

Have you tried driving to the West side of the city on a Friday? Its mental.

padi89

sgthighway wrote:

Friday traffic normally gets quite from that side of town by 3pm becasue most of the factories on that side of town finish between 1 and 2 on a Friday

Its definitely not quieter by 3,in fact its probably alot worse from there on.The day shifts finish and the evening shifts start so the factory traffic is still busy from Parkmore and Boston Scientific.Its also the main hub into and out of the city for everyone,completley nuts till after 7pm on all routes,having said that it moves.....slowly.

Come to think of it most of the bigger factorys shut down Race week so they dont really contribute to the traffic problem.

galah

Robbo wrote:

You're going to get stuck in traffic anyway crossing the river. I drive home to Barna from work on the Ballybane Road and on Fridays your best bet is just straight in on the Dublin Road through Renmore, Sean Mulvoy Road, the roundabout-of-death, Quincentenary Bridge, Westside, Kingston road and keep going. Takes about 25-30 minutes on a Friday at 5 but any other way I've tried works out worse.

Sometimes it's actually faster going down Tuam Road, then Bohermore Roundabout, Sean Mulvoy Road and on towards Salthill...it's abit of a gamble, though...

But generally, traffic will be bad, no matter what time on fridays. On all other days, if you leave work before 5, you're usually grand (well, grand meaning 25 minutes from Parkmore to Salthill, not an hour...)

Try and avoid LoughAtalia Road at all costs - it looks shorter on the map, but you're stuck there forever!

timeout

Avoid Salthill, if there is any fine weather it will be jammers. They are planning on putting in an outer by-pass with a new huge bridge going over the corrib river out near menlow but thats not due till about 2010.

If you have the time the drive around the lough is great but it would take at least 2 hours. Just bitting the bullet and going through galway won't be all that bad, yes you'd more then likely walk across the city in the hour that your stuck in traffic but there is comfort in sitting on your ass for an hour

Naux

A few things to consider here...............

leaving dublin at 2pm will mean you will be approaching galway around 5.30 -6.00. The Galway Races are an evening meeting on the friday and that means the traffic will be absoloutely unbelievable because the main entrance to the races is on the DUBLIN road.

Moate is an absolute disaster to get through when traffic is heavy.

I'd estimate that leaving at 2pm and travelling on the main Dublin to Galway road that you will not reach spiddal until around 8pm if you are lucky!!:eek:

Personally I'd go via Longford(use Mullingar bypass, very fast), Roscommon, Loughgeorge. At Loughgeorge(N17) I'd turn right at Terry Brennans pub(large mustard coloured pub, hard to miss) and head accross to the Headford road via Corrandulla(to avoid race going traffic on N17 as the second entrance to the races is off the N17) . When you reach the Headford Rd turn left into Galway City(10MILES) and when you hit the city follow signs for Spiddal

Best of luck

Sponge Bob

Jeez

Its simple.

THERE IS NO TRAFFIC IN GALWAY WHILE THE RACES ARE ON.

They only start leaving after the second last race. Aim to be in Galway before then and you will make Oranmore-Spiddal in about 50 mins . Follow the bypass.

Once the traffic builds that will take 1.5 hours. How you get to Oranmore is another problem

Naux

Sponge Bob wrote:

Jeez

Its simple.

THERE IS NO TRAFFIC IN GALWAY WHILE THE RACES ARE ON.

Very true but this guy is not in Galway he is travelling to Galway(at the same time as loads of racegoers)

Sponge Bob wrote:

They only start leaving after the second last race. Aim to be in Galway before then and you will make Oranmore-Spiddal in about 50 mins . Follow the bypass.

Bypass??? we wish don't we:)

padi89

Naux wrote:

Very true but this guy is not in Galway he is travelling to Galway(at the same time as loads of racegoers)

Not to mention the thousands of people coming to Galway for the long weekend.;)

po0k

Fly a gyrocopter instead.

DamoKen

hi guys, again cheers for the replies. think after going through it all I might go with Naux's directions and avoid the Dublin-Galway road altogether. I'll dig up my road map tonight and check it out.

SyxPak wrote:

Fly a gyrocopter instead.

I'd love to, though hear they're getting quite strict now on travelling without a full license holder