Best Route Dublin-Killarney

athtrasna

Have to head to Killarney next weekend and am wondering about the best/fastest route these days. Have always gone to Limerick and down but with the M8 being completed would I save a lot of time to take that to Mitchelstown and then cut across by Mallow to Killarney? None of the online route planners seem to have updated the M8 to allow for avoiding the bottlenecks of Abbeyleix etc yet.

Colm R

If you get a good run at the N73/72, then it will be worth it. But if you get held up there, it might not be as the road is awful in a lot of places.

You get far more over taking opportunities on the N21,22, but could still get held up.

Personally, I would go to Mitchelstown.

Stinicker

Colm R wrote: »

If you get a good run at the N73/72, then it will be worth it. But if you get held up there, it might not be as the road is awful in a lot of places.

You get far more over taking opportunities on the N21,22, but could still get held up.

Personally, I would go to Mitchelstown.

Don't go Mitchelstown it is simply not worth it in terms of safety and stress, the road is very bad with very limited overtaking opportunities. Take the M7 and M8 to Cork and the South Ring which will see you having Motorway from Naas to Dunkettle and Dual Carriageway from the Redcow to Nass and from the JackLynch tunnel to west of Ballincollig.

The N73 from Mitchelstown to Mallow is hardly fit for a quad bike and the N72 from Mallow to Killarney is nearly as bad with Rathmore to Barradubh and Killarney a total farce!

There was a discussion not too long ago and the overall consensus was the best route from South Kerry to Dublin is the M8/M7 via Cork and the Jack Lynch tunnel.

See pages 67 to 70 here and this

Stark

Has anyone done timings on each route? By my calculations, 70km/hr average on the N73/N72 route would get you there in the same time as 100km/hr average on the M8/N22 route. (And there's no way you'd average 100km/hr on the N22).

Stinicker

Stark wrote: »

Has anyone done timings on each route? By my calculations, 70km/hr average on the N73/N72 route would get you there in the same time as 100km/hr average on the M8/N22 route. (And there's no way you'd average 100km/hr on the N22).

I rather to go via Cork as it is an easier drive is safer and while I know it is a longer drive I still think it is slightly faster due to the higher speeds achievable on the Motorway.

athtrasna

I'm actually originally from just outside Mallow myself. Until about 12 months ago I used to always go via Limerick to Dublin as the less stressful route. Last year I switched back to the M/N8 via Mitchelstown. At Christmas with the weather being so dodgy I opted to drive via Cork.

Out of curiosity tried the Cork option again at Easter and it did feel significantly longer than the Mallow to Mitchelstown road, so switched back again.

Have only driven the new M8 once and made it Red Cow to Mitchelstown in about 1 hr 40 mins or there abouts. To me that's significantly shorter than I'd do Limerick. Which is what got me thinking about the Killarney trip.

Might drop the AA a line and see if they've any intention of updating their route planner in the next week

alias no.9

The Mitchelstown to Mallow road is not that bad as long as you take your time. From experience, 30 minutes will get you comfortably from one to the other which is close enough to the 70km/h average. Mallow to Killarney is a mixed bag of newly reconstructed wide open stretches, some wide stretches from the last 30 years that could do with a serious resurfacing and some stretches that are quite simply relics of the famine but a 70km/h average is probably a bit conservative, 80km/h would be more like it. The N22 is a better road but is a longer distance and has the achilles heel of Macroom which can be a nightmare on a Friday evening or a Saturday morning, especially in summer.

cargo

have done this trip and simillar trips to various spots in North Kerry and I'd be up for the N72/73 route. It may be twisty but if you get a run on it you'd be surprised how quick you can cover ground on it. That said I'd often be on it early before the traffic.

Actually sort of regret not taking the Mallow route home as I was up in the mountains South of Castleisland and would probably have been out to Mallow as quick as I was coming down into Castleisland and then getting around the town with the traffic. Took me about 5 hours to get back to the border up the M1 on Friday

Came home from Castleisland via Limerick last Friday evening God I'd hate to have been heading South into Limerick :eek: Traffic going South for the BH weekend was mad.

nordydan

cargo wrote: »

have done this trip and simillar trips to various spots in North Kerry and I'd be up for the N72/73 route. It may be twisty but if you get a run on it you'd be surprised how quick you can cover ground on it. That said I'd often be on it early before the traffic.

Actually sort of regret not taking the Mallow route home as I was up in the mountains South of Castleisland and would probably have been out to Mallow as quick as I was coming down into Castleisland and then getting around the town with the traffic. Took me about 5 hours to get back to the border up the M1 on Friday

Came home from Castleisland via Limerick last Friday evening God I'd hate to have been heading South into Limerick :eek: Traffic going South for the BH weekend was mad.

I hear 4.5hrs from Dublin to Limerick last Friday, know a few lads who missed the start of the Ireland match. Compared to the 1hr 45 to Mitchelstown from Milltown I achieved. Maybe N72 is worth it after all?

corktina

N72/3 is awful from kildorrey to mallow....not too bad after that...kerry stretch has recently been improved.

M7/8/N25/N22 is a viable option...pretty grim for a short stretch west of Macroom but has been improved somewhat of late.Good on the Kerry bit....

JayeL

I travel between Killarney and Ashbourne fairly often and took the N22/N25/M8/M7 to the M50 and onto the M2 yesterday. Left Killarney at 2.45 pm and was home in Ash at around 6.05.

We stuck to the limit to Ovens but from there, it was dual-carriageway/motorway to our house and skirted a bit above the limit the whole way home - nothing mental and we were overtaken a good few times so we were by no means the fastest on that road.

Our journey was safe, predictable and passed through precisely 3 settlements of any note (Glenflesk, Baile Bhuirne and Macroom).

Compare this with the amount of towns still en route on the N7 as well as Adare, Abbeyfeale, Castleisland - even Farranfore can be a pain!

And as for N73/N72; get caught behind a combine harvester/caravan/motorhome from Kildorrery to Mallow and you'll soon abandon it!

I'm seriously considering keeping to the M8 route even when/if the M7 is finished!

Davidth88

JayeL wrote: »

Compare this with the amount of towns still en route on the N7 as well as Adare, Abbeyfeale, Castleisland - even Farranfore can be a pain!

You forgot Newcastle West

Thats interesting I travel Celbridge to Killarney quite a bit , always gone via Limerick , I went via Mallow recently , and the N72 was so terrible I swore NEVER to travel that way again.

Never thought of going all the way to Cork and back up , then again Macroom can be a pain

Ill try this next weekend !!!

Stinicker

Davidth88 wrote: »

You forgot Newcastle West

Thats interesting I travel Celbridge to Killarney quite a bit , always gone via Limerick , I went via Mallow recently , and the N72 was so terrible I swore NEVER to travel that way again.

Never thought of going all the way to Cork and back up , then again Macroom can be a pain

Ill try this next weekend !!!

There is a kind of a backroad bypass of Macroom that will help you beat the traffic, Yesterday evening it was jammers after Cork and Kerry in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and I beat out most of the traffic using it.



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JayeL

Stinicker wrote: »

There is a kind of a backroad bypass of Macroom that will help you beat the traffic, Yesterday evening it was jammers after Cork and Kerry in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and I beat out most of the traffic using it.



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Thanks a mil for that! Could've done with it on the Bank Holiday Friday but better late than never!

John C

athtrasna wrote: »

....Might drop the AA a line and see if they've any intention of updating their route planner in the next week

Above is a partial quote.

AA Ireland get their maps from Google Maps.
Google get their map data from Tele Atlas.
One could bypass AA Ireland and Google Maps.

To report updates: http://mapinsight.teleatlas.com/mapfeedback/index.php

An alternative Internet Router is http://www.viamichelin.co.uk

athtrasna

Lots of info..as it happens someone else has volunteered to do the driving but has listened to the advice on here and will certainly M8 it most of the way.

Davidth88

Hi

Just had weekend in Killarney

Drove there ( from Celbridge ) via Limerick down N7 .

Came back via Cork on M8


The Cork M8 route was 20 mins quicker . However return journey on Sunday afternoon , outbound on Thursday morning /lunchtime

pauliewallie

so with the M/N 7 finished is this now the better route to Killarney? or is Cork the better route .... fist timer here travelling from Dublin and we'll be in no hurry

Stinicker

pauliewallie wrote: »

so with the M/N 7 finished is this now the better route to Killarney? or is Cork the better route .... fist timer here travelling from Dublin and we'll be in no hurry

M8 through Cork City and the Jack Lynch tunnel would be my preference and I live close to Killarney, it is just too much of a stressful drive from Killarney to the Motorway in Limerick and the distance to the Motorway at the Ballincollig Bypass is less although the road from Lissarda to Ballyvourney is twisty and chaotic but with a Modern tarmacadam surface. Watch out for speed traps in the country bounds west of Ballyvourney and again after the Ballincollig bypass to Lissarda.

Redsoxfan

Just thought I'd confirm there is still no real consensus here re. taking N72 or N22 other than M8 to either Fermoy or Cork itself is the best option for Dublin to Killarney rather than M7?

alias no.9

Redsoxfan wrote: »

Just thought I'd confirm there is still no real consensus here re. taking N72 or N22 other than M8 to either Fermoy or Cork itself is the best option for Dublin to Killarney rather than M7?

Pretty much everything that's been said before still stands, so it just comes down to personal preference, shorter distance overall and one less toll by n73/72 but less time on **** roads by N22. Overall journey time will be much of a muchness with pot luck and encounters with agricultural vehicles likely to make the difference.

Edit, come off M8 at Mitchelstown north for the cross country option, coming off at Fermoy is the worst of both worlds, extra time/distance on motorway and still as much time on **** roads.

corktina

OK so I think they are there by now, but for what it's worth...

the N72 Fermoy to Mallow has been improved a bit since this thread started. Mallow town is a disaster but if you take a left after Castletownroche and head over the river and along the other bank (through Killavullen bear right at the church) you will avoid the town centre and it is a straight road, and you pop out again either on the N20 or under it and round by the old Sugar Factory.

There are two new flyovers on the N40 making that a good option.....motorway/dual all the way to beyond Ballincollig with just one roundabout between Dublin and Killarney now.

alias no.9

corktina wrote: »

OK so I think they are there by now, but for what it's worth...

the N72 Fermoy to Mallow has been improved a bit since this thread started. Mallow town is a disaster but if you take a left after Castletownroche and head over the river and along the other bank (through Killavullen bear right at the church) you will avoid the town centre and it is a straight road, and you pop out again either on the N20 or under it and round by the old Sugar Factory.

There are two new flyovers on the N40 making that a good option.....motorway/dual all the way to beyond Ballincollig with just one roundabout between Dublin and Killarney now.

My less scenic route to avoid Mallow town centre

corktina

Full of speed bumps now, but a popular deviation

Redsoxfan

So I went via Fermoy/N72. Tis a very mixed road alright. Weren't helped by diversion outside Mallow through Millstreet to Rathmore on way down due to RTA. Traffic wasn't too bad, which helped, although there were a few Sunday farmers and cyclists out and about today.

Just curious, what is the end game for getting to the Kingdom in relative speed/comfort - will they develop the route from Limerick to take in Tralee and Killarney or will they develop the main route off the M8? I'm talking dual carriageway here, is that in anyone's plans? I know we are in 'hell freezes over' territory but I'd imagine it must have been discussed at least?

Stinicker

It's a two pronged approach, Macroom and Ballyvourney Bypass for the linkup towards Cork and also an Adare Bypass and a new Road from Farranfore to Killarney.

Macroom Bypass will come first within about 15 years depending on economic growth, recovery and state funds etc.