N2 and N3

PurpleHouse

Hi All,

So hears my predicament:

I'm considering moving out by Newgrange in Co Meath in a month or two, and am wondering what 2 sections of 2 roads are like in the morning - namely sections of the N2 & N3.

I need to leave the Newgrange area (4 miles south of it) and get onto the N2. I then need to drop my Girlfriend at a train station that will get her into Connolly/Pearse in town in a reasonable amount of time, so I'm thinking Drogheda is too far out. I then need to get myself back to Ballycoolin in Blanchardstown.

I'm considering all the small train stations around Ratouth - whichever of them.

I'm need to know what the N2 is like in general in the mornings from Slane to Glasnevin / Drumcondra (where I would double back up the navan road to Blanch) .
Leaving Slane around 7:15 - 7:25

I'm also considering another route to get into the same area.
The N2, and then at some point cut onto the N3 and go down to Ratouth from the Navan Road and then back up the Navan road to Blanch.

Anyone got any advice for me on either of these potential routes?

The only one I know anything about is the Navan Road from the Clonee Bypass to the roundabout at the side of the Phoenix Park by the racecourse appartments.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated before we go committing cash to this nice house!

Cheers,

Al.

murphaph

PurpleHouse wrote: »

Any advice would be greatly appreciated before we go committing cash to this nice house!

You're not going to want to hear this but perhaps you should look at something else. That's a ridiculously convoluted 'commute' to work if you ask me and your quality of life will decline. You will end up spending so much time in the car that you'll rarely get to enjoy your new house Al. The evenings will be gone by the time you get home and you'll be exhausted anyway. If you decide to go ahead I wish you the best of luck but check out this forum for many many people who have moved out to a nice house and now desperately seek a 'short-cut' which doesn't exist. Best of luck whatever you decide mate.

MrVostro

15cent - 20cent a mile in petrol.
You must be rich

PurpleHouse

Appreciate your point but my current commute is 75 minutes across dublin city, so I'm well aware of that fun.

My petrol bill is enough as it is so I'm not expecting to have too much difficulty there as I'm currently spending 13 or 14 hours on the road

I know it's crazy but I need to know what the sections of road are like on the N2 and N3 coming into Dublin.

Cheers

Al.

Victor

A question - do you live in Ireland?

PurpleHouse wrote: »

I need to leave the Newgrange area (4 miles south of it) and get onto the N2.

4 miles south of Newgrange is not Newgrange. Do you mean Balrath? Duleek?

I then need to drop my Girlfriend at a train station that will get her into Connolly/Pearse in town in a reasonable amount of time, so I'm thinking Drogheda is too far out. I then need to get myself back to Ballycoolin in Blanchardstown.

I'm considering all the small train stations around Ratouth - whichever of them.

there are no trains anywhere near Ratoath - there are buses.

I'm need to know what the N2 is like in general in the mornings from Slane to Glasnevin / Drumcondra (where I would double back up the navan road to Blanch) .
Leaving Slane around 7:15 - 7:25

I imagine the N2 is busy, but the only real choke point is the junction with the M50. However, there is no need to continue as far as Drumcondra - use the M50 (unless you don't have a full driving licence).

I'm also considering another route to get into the same area.
The N2, and then at some point cut onto the N3 and go down to Ratouth from the Navan Road and then back up the Navan road to Blanch.

Take a look at this http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/int/dyn/controller/ItiWGPerformPage?ie=utf-8&reinit=1&strStartCityCountry=EUR&strStartAddress=&strStartMerged=Duleek&strDestCityCountry=EUR&strDestAddress=&strDestMerged=Mulhuddart&image2.x=25&image2.y=8#

Anyone got any advice for me on either of these potential routes?

I imagine the N3 is busier than the N2, certainly on the sections nearer the city.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated before we go committing cash to this nice house!

Madness - on a Spantan scale. Why not live nearer the railway? Or drop the girlfriend at Drumcondra sation or one in Blanchardstown?

decob

First off i don't think there are any train station in and around ratoath, the closes would be maynooth or enfield... or drogheda.
[edit] or the dart line from coolmine/castleknock.

You best bet would be to get the N2 as far as ashbourne, drop your girlfriend off at the bus stop and let her get a bus into town. Buses are regular enough in the morning and have the benefit of the bus lane from finglas... very handy given the nightmare that is Glasnevin hill in the morning. Bus timetable

You could then continue on from ashbourne on the old N2 now the R135 as far as the Ward Cross, and that will bring you over to blanch.

I've no idea what the n2 is like north of ashbourne in the morning, but i know that getting on it south of ashbourne... it take about 10mins to get into the m50/finglas roundabout. glasnevin hill recently has become a nightmare from about 7.30/7.45 onwards.. it can take 30/45mins to get to harts corner. (although some people have taken to using the glasnevin bypass.. the road in the cemetary). To the best of my knowledge the N3 is a nightmare in the morning and generally should be avoided.

PurpleHouse

Ok - I need to clarify something.

By Ratouth, I mean the one beside Castleknock !! I didn't remember theres another in meath.

Have a look at this:
http://tinyurl.com/2q3vet

By Newgrange, I'm meaning Newgrange itself - actually 1 mile from Newgrange.

You will see on this Google Map route on that URl there.
Feel free to move the markers and repost the link !

I need to get from the Green marker to the Red marker and need to get her on a train that goes through Connolly.

Cheers,

Al.

decob

PurpleHouse wrote: »

Ok - I need to clarify something.

By Ratouth, I mean the one beside Castleknock !! I didn't remember theres another in meath.

thats finglas or cabra... where those 'ratoath road/drive' are..
ratoath is a small village between fairyhouse and ashbourne.

Victor

Drop her for the bus in Ashbourne (or Finglas), continue to Ward or Kilshane Cross and head for Ballycoolin. Its mostly oversubscribed back roads, but much shorter and quicker than the route you were suggesting.

She can get the route 103 from Ashbourne (or even Duleek) http://www.buseireann.ie/site/your_journey/printed_timetable_pdfs/local/103.pdf

decob

Victor wrote: »

Drop her for the bus in Ashbourne (or Finglas), continue to Ward or Kilshane Cross and head for Ballycoolin. Its mostly oversubscribed back roads, but much shorter and quicker than the route you were suggesting.

i think the ward cross road is slightly better as kilshane cross will have a steady flow of traffic coming from the airport area/st margarets/swords.

PurpleHouse

tell me more about Ward !

Is there a bus service from there?

Sorry everyone for the F*&k up with the Ratouth thing Truly embarressed !

Al.

amtc

PurpleHouse wrote: »

tell me more about Ward !

Is there a bus service from there?

Sorry everyone for the F*&k up with the Ratouth thing Truly embarressed !

Al.

this doesn't make any sense...for a while you think you live in 'ratouth' in meath and then you live off the cabra road? I know that Rathoath is in Meath and Rathoath Road is in in Cabra but which is it you live in?!

decob

PurpleHouse wrote: »

tell me more about Ward !

Is there a bus service from there?

Ward Cross via ashbourne http://tinyurl.com/2uxcef

the ashbourne bus uses the r135 also, into just after kilshane, then goes onto the N2. You could get on the bus at the stop just after that junction but you are better off getting on it in ashbourne village (guaranteed a seat, safer bus stop)

[edit] here is your journey to blanch now... http://tinyurl.com/22zv2z

Navan Junction

PurpleHouse wrote: »

I'm need to know what the N2 is like in general in the mornings from Slane to Glasnevin / Drumcondra (where I would double back up the navan road to Blanch)

Crap around the Kilmoon cross/ Snailbox area

Kilshane Cross is grand coming from the Ashbourne direction-comin back I'd use the ward cross- take a look a that link.

The only problem you'll really hit on the way down is at the Snailbox at the moment.

I still wouldn't be a hurry to buy up that far in Meath unless you really have to.

Coming home will be a pain too with traffic backed up at the top of the new N2 at the Marriot roundabout

D'Peoples Voice

PurpleHouse wrote: »

Hi All,

So hears my predicament:

I'm considering moving out by Newgrange in Co Meath in a month or two, and am wondering what 2 sections of 2 roads are like in the morning - namely sections of the N2 & N3.

I need to leave the Newgrange area (4 miles south of it) and get onto the N2. I then need to drop my Girlfriend at a train station that will get her into Connolly/Pearse in town in a reasonable amount of time, so I'm thinking Drogheda is too far out. I then need to get myself back to Ballycoolin in Blanchardstown.

Should be fun in a few years when you have to call to a creche/school on the way!
Although I'm sure you would have thought of that, no one ever buys a house nowadays without thinking 10 years down the line.

PurpleHouse

Hi All,

Well it's 2 weeks before the big move

Buying - are you all nuts ! We're not buying, we're renting.

Kids - not yet thanks ! This is somewhere to live for a year or two really - not long term as things are way to unstable over here at the moment for all this committment to Ireland.

I'm thinking more and more about dropping her to Ashbourne - though I'm taking the comment about the safer bus stop in the town and not the one out at the roundabout.

What are the chances of getting a seat on a bus from Ashbourne to Dublin?
She doesn't mind lenght of journey - it's getting a seat that she really cares about. Infact, she'd rather go from Drogheda on a bus with a seat than from Blanch with no seat.

Cheers all for the input - very helpful.

Al.

Navan Junction

PurpleHouse wrote: »

What are the chances of getting a seat on a bus from Ashbourne to Dublin?

No problem, but there are always queues

PurpleHouse

Hi All,

Just an update to anyone who was reading or might be in the future !

So we are 2 weeks in the new house.

The drive is a doddle (on the grand scale of things anyway).

N2 to the Blanch exit and across Kilshane Cross into the back of Ballycoolin. Takes about 45 minutes.

The missus gets a private bus from Slane and is into the City Center in around 60 minutes.

All in all, it's a pretty good result.

Only 2 things that but me.

1) The Snailbox - holy crap - what a joke on a national road.

2) The smell of **** from the Greenstar Plant on the N2. It's hardly an advertisement for any other wast plants to be built beside your house. I can smell the thing through the air vents in the car for miles before I actually pass it !!

Thanks to all who advised.

Regards,

Al.

eve

Glad to hear that the journey is do-able. Personally I used to live out that direction (Near to the snail box) till i was 19 but I had so much grief trying to get anywhere that i moved out when i went to college.