Dublin - Letterykenny (Best route)

whippet

I need to get to letterkenny as early as possible on friday evening, leaving westdublin about 5 o'clock, which is the fastest route?

dawballz

www.aaireland.ie - Route planner normally gives the quickest route

Link: http://aaireland.ie/routes/

JHMEG

www.viamichelin.com

mmenarry

Not the "fastest" but certainly the easiest-

M50-N3 through Cavan, on to Omagh in tyrone, on to letterkenny

Although 5pm on a friday is going to be a long drive

M.

Wishbone Ash

whippet wrote:

I need to get to letterkenny as early as possible on friday evening, leaving westdublin about 5 o'clock, which is the fastest route?

Normally I find it fastest to use the M1/A1 to Newry and then across the A28 to Armagh, Aughnacloy and then A5 to Omagh, and on to Lifford and Letterkenny.

However, leaving from west Dublin on a Friday evening will be more difficult. Personally, I'd still go via the M50 to the M1 but I realise some people would avoid it like the plague and go cross country. I'm not a fan of being in moving traffic, just for the sake of it, if it's no faster.

byte

I usually use the Ardee - Monaghan - Omagh - Strabane - Letterkenny route.

I think it's N2 most of the way to Monaghan, and a bit past it to Emyvale? Dunno what the NI road names are, but Omagh and Strabane would be well signposted.

whippet

Cheers .. I have done the M1, Ardee, Omagh ... route before and it isn't nicest of drives. Someone mentioned to me about heading for sligo .. which adds about 40 miles to the journey but saves about 30minutes .. has anyone any experience of this route?

I am under huge pressure to get there as early as possible and can't leave any earlier than 5 in the evening !!

Carb

whippet wrote:

Cheers .. I have done the M1, Ardee, Omagh ... route before and it isn't nicest of drives.!!

Have you used this route since Carrickmacross and Monaghan bypasses were opened, (although Castleblayney can be bad at times). I also belive that the road network around Omagh has changed a lot in recent years although it'll be after seven before your that far so traffic shouldn't be an issue. I'd find it hard to believe that going further west and presumably through Ballyshannon would save much time unless its a lot easier to to get out of Dublin.

peasant

Once you leave congested Dublin behind, say after Lucan, it is about 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours to Sligo. On a Friday evening most likely 2 3/4.

EDIT:
correction ...just asked my colleague who drives this stretch every week: 2 hours 15 mins seems to be his average.

The road from Sligo to Letterkenny has improved whith the Bundoran and Ballyshannon bypasses and now takes 1 1/2 hours or slightly less.

The unknown factor is how long does it take to Lucan?

kevodaly

I've driven via Dublin ( coming from the N7 ) to Letterkenny a lot.

I take the M1 to Ardee, and continue on the N2 thru Castleblaney, Omagh and Strabane.

As mentioned above, Carrickmacross and Monaghan are bypassed, but you will be hitting Castleblaney at a very bad time ( around 6.30 I reckon ).

Omagh should be quite enough, most of the town is bypassed, same for Stabane / Lifford.

It will take about 3.5 hours I guess.