Swords to Maynooth (Cross-country)

sk8board

Looks like I'll be working for a few months in Maynooth in January. I've been looking at google maps, and it appears like it might just be doable as a commute by car, from North Swords.

The route would be Swords, cross the N2 south of Ashbourne, into Ratoath village, south to Dunboyne, through Maynooth town and out to the M4 junction.

Just wondering what its like on those country roads; looks like most of the 38km journey is going against the traffic.

Heres the Google maps link with the journey:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=R125%2FRathbeale+Rd&daddr=R155+to:53.359977,-6.594543&hl=en&geocode=FW3jLwMdb7Wg_w%3BFfhqMAMdYFOd_w%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=2&sz=11&via=1&sll=53.429992,-6.422882&sspn=0.175506,0.4422&ie=UTF8&ll=53.429992,-6.422882&spn=0.175506,0.4422&z=11

There in an hour?

Davidth88

I used to use much of this route between Celbridge/Blanch

The Maynooth/Dunboyne road is LETHAL !! I mean that , in the winter it's icy and you get huge amounts of HGV traffic on it hopping between the N3/M4 avoiding the toll.

Dunboyne can be 20-30 mins delay .

Other than that it's fine

Good luck !

sk8board

Davidth88 wrote: »

The Maynooth/Dunboyne road is LETHAL !! you get huge amounts of HGV traffic on it hopping between the N3/M4 avoiding the toll.

of course, never thought of that

L1011

The Maynooth to Dunboyne road has seen heavy upgrading this year, but it still features 90 degree corners and reverse camber in parts... the really atrocious section north of Kildare Bridge has been relaid finally though.

Carawaystick

i was going the way via Ratoath to Dunboyne to from Balbriggan to Galway, several times.
I started going from Dunboyne in the N3 to clonee and through Damastown/tyrrelstown to the N2 and into Kilshane cross then to the Airport, never held up too much.
I was going Swords -Maynooth in the pm and Maynooth-Swords in the am though.

sk8board

Carawaystick wrote: »

I was going Swords -Maynooth in the pm and Maynooth-Swords in the am though.

any idea on journey times?

Carawaystick

less than an hour. getting through Maynooth to the M4 hasn't held me up much, (either way).

to put this in context, I went via the M50 and N4 before, takes an hour to get to the Liffey valley exit from getting n the M1 at Lissenhall.

sk8board

Carawaystick wrote: »

less than an hour. getting through Maynooth to the M4 hasn't held me up much, (either way).

to put this in context, I went via the M50 and N4 before, takes an hour to get to the Liffey valley exit from getting n the M1 at Lissenhall.

interesting, was expecting it to be more. I'm actually quite close to the Lissenhall exit, and going to the M4 junction outside Maynooth (Maynooth Business Park). I thought it would be a much longer journey.

One last question for you; was it rush hour?, and did you have much hold-ups in Ratoath or Dunboyne villages (considering you are going 'across' the traffic, rather than with/against it, it should be ok I would imagine)?

EDIT: it looks like there might be a way of avoiding Maynooth town too:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Dunboyne+Rd%2FR157&daddr=53.377492,-6.555061+to:Straffan+Rd&hl=en&geocode=Fd-VLgMdFK-b_w%3B%3BFTJILgMdJ3Cb_w&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=13&via=1&sll=53.375853,-6.582355&sspn=0.043932,0.11055&ie=UTF8&z=13

solice

I travel from Ashbourne to Sligo every now and then, travel through Maynooth. Generally it can take between 30 and 40 mins to get from Ashbourne to Maynooth. The major hold ups for me are getting on the N3 from the Rathoath side, usually a build up of cars on the junction but since its now a roundabout its not so bad...and getting through Rathoath village in the evening can be time consuming but again you are looking at no more than 40 mins

sk8board

solice wrote: »

I travel from Ashbourne to Sligo every now and then, travel through Maynooth. Generally it can take between 30 and 40 mins to get from Ashbourne to Maynooth. The major hold ups for me are getting on the N3 from the Rathoath side, usually a build up of cars on the junction but since its now a roundabout its not so bad...and getting through Rathoath village in the evening can be time consuming but again you are looking at no more than 40 mins

its also possible to by-pass ratoath, and the N3 roundabout, at the cost of poorer road quality i'd say:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=R125%2FRathbeale+Rd&daddr=53.475787,-6.413269+to:R406&hl=en&geocode=FW3jLwMdb7Wg_w%3B%3BFS80LgMdAWab_w&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=11&via=1&sll=53.478648,-6.422882&sspn=0.175305,0.4422&ie=UTF8&ll=53.427947,-6.408463&spn=0.175514,0.4422&z=11

thanks, I assume you mean 40 mins swords - maynooth in rush-hour

I think I'll drive it some morning soon (with a satnav by the looks of it!), but it does sound like it won't be the 1.5hr journey I was expecting.