Carlow to Cork by road tomorrow - what are the options?

quitepossibly

I'm heading down to Cork tomorrow from Carlow. Normally I'd travel Carlow to Abbeyleix on the R431 and R430 and head down the N8/M8. This doesn't appear to be an option given that road hasn't been salted/gritted.

I'm not from Carlow but talking to some locals this appears to be my options (assuming I have to stay on National routes):
1) N9/N10 to Kilkenny, N76 to Clonmel, N24 to Cahir, M8 to Cork
2) N80 to Portlaoise, N8/M8 Cork
3) M9 to Kilkullen, M7 to Portlaoise, N8/M8 to Cork

Any ideas?

dereko1969

N80 isn't the greatest of roads, lots of high trees along the road so lots of permanently shaded areas that haven't defrosted at all i would think.
Safest would be sticking to the motorways so if it were me I'd choose that option, much longer but probably quicker and definitely safer.

road_high

Reckon the N10/N76/N24/M8 via Clonmel option sounds like the easiest one to me. Reckon they would be passable with usual caution in these conditions. I don't think the roads down past Kilkenny and into Tipp are as bad as those in Carlow/East KK etc so my hunch would be to choose that. You are going a lot out of your way by going the other routes for not a whole lot of benefit I think.

Ham'nd'egger

quitepossibly wrote: »

I'm heading down to Cork tomorrow from Carlow. Normally I'd travel Carlow to Abbeyleix on the R431 and R430 and head down the N8/M8. This doesn't appear to be an option given that road hasn't been salted/gritted.

I'm not from Carlow but talking to some locals this appears to be my options (assuming I have to stay on National routes):
1) N9/N10 to Kilkenny, N76 to Clonmel, N24 to Cahir, M8 to Cork
2) N80 to Portlaoise, N8/M8 Cork
3) M9 to Kilkullen, M7 to Portlaoise, N8/M8 to Cork

Any ideas?

M 9 is one way from Carlow to Kilcullen both ways at the minute though this may improve tomorrow. M 7 is icy at Monastarevan as is the N 7 at Mountrath and the Abbeyleix area.

Any reason why you can't go via Waterford and Youghal?

Neonjack

I've been using the M8 for the past few days and it's fine, as everyone says. If I was you, I'd tough it out as far as Portlaoise and get onto the motorway as soon as you can.

quitepossibly

Thanks for the advice guys. I spoke to a colleague who travelled Abbeyleix Carlow this morning and he said it was passable with care so went back that way. It was wery dodgy between Spink and Abbeyleix but travellable at a crawl.

Could be a different story heading back up next week!