Letterkenny - Dublin via Monaghan - not quickest route?!

ciangeer

Hi all,

Don't post often but recently a friend of mine quizzed me on my route to Dublin from Letterkenny, which I drive regularly.

I told him I drive Omagh, Monaghan, Ardee, M1. He then went on to say that i'm mad as there is a much quicker route. He said that when arriving at the Ballygawley (??) roundabout (just beyond Omagh, before Aughnacloy), instead of taking usual Aughnacloy road, to take instead the 2nd exit to the left leading through the north and towards the Belfast - Dublin motorway.

Does anyone have any experience taking this route? Is there really much time saved on it? Will try it out myself eventually when I have a bit of time!

Cheers for any help

Cian

cosanostra

Well the advantage of doing this is you use motorway the whole way but i think you would have to be doing some to make it worth while

PattheMetaller

I've tried Auchnacloy, Armagh, Newry and onto M1 a few times and found it marginally quicker than via Monaghan and Ardee.

danthefan

Last time I did the drive I took the M1 up to Dundalk then got on the N53 until it brought me to the N2. The N53 isn't a very good bit of road so don't think I'll go that way again. Might try Newry - Armagh - Aughnacloy next time.

mrmac

Taking the M1 is only an advantage if you're going to Dublin East; if you're going to Dublin West, it's of no real benefit, i.e. Blanchardstown, Lucan.

I used to travel from Letterkenny to Lucan every week, and it was quicker staying on the N2, turning off for Rathoath, Dunboyne, Maynooth and onto the M3 to Lucan.
The extra speed of the M1 is undermined by the extra distance, and toll charges!

Even when I'm going to Carlow, I take the N2, and cut across to Maynooth, Straffan, and onto the N9/N7 - much quicker than M1 onto the M50, especially if after 3pm!

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

They're kind of much of a muchness really. Distance wise there's not much in it. Like Mr.Mac says, it depends on what part of Dublin you're going to. If it's west Dublin you'd have to come off the M1 onto the M50 and the traffic can be lethal there.
Personally I go via Slane, Ardee, Monaghan. All the main towns are bypassed now, bar Ardee.

According to AA Route planner:

Dublin City Centre - Letterkenny (via Slane, Monaghan) = 233.84km 3hr31min
Dublin City Centre - Letterkenny (via M1, Ardee) = 239.47km 3hr24min
Dublin City Centre - Letterkenny (via M1, Armagh) = 250.74km 3hr26min

Probably the road you're most used to would be the quickest.

inode

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

They're kind of much of a muchness really. Distance wise there's not much in it. Like Mr.Mac says, it depends on what part of Dublin you're going to. If it's west Dublin you'd have to come off the M1 onto the M50 and the traffic can be lethal there.
Personally I go via Slane, Ardee, Monaghan. All the main towns are bypassed now, bar Ardee.

According to AA Route planner:

Dublin City Centre - Letterkenny (via Slane, Monaghan) = 233.84km 3hr31min
Dublin City Centre - Letterkenny (via M1, Ardee) = 239.47km 3hr24min
Dublin City Centre - Letterkenny (via M1, Armagh) = 250.74km 3hr26min

Probably the road you're most used to would be the quickest.

3hrs 31mins? I must be going way too fast on the M1 then so :rolleyes:

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

inode wrote: »

3hrs 31mins? I must be going way too fast on the M1 then so :rolleyes:

Well that's from Dublin City centre and assuming speed limits are adhered to.

Have to say though it hasn't taken me that long to get there for a long time.

danthefan

North Dublin to Letterkenny takes me about 3 hours so 3.5 hours from the city centre sounds about right.

PattheMetaller

danthefan wrote: »

Last time I did the drive I took the M1 up to Dundalk then got on the N53 until it brought me to the N2. The N53 isn't a very good bit of road so don't think I'll go that way again. Might try Newry - Armagh - Aughnacloy next time.

I've tried that route too a few times. Grand If you get a clear run at it, but if you get stuck behind somenthing you're stuck for a bit!!

Newry - Armagh - Auchnacloy is a more relaxing drive imo, plus you avoid all the "saftey zones" in Monaghan

Louise77

2nd Exit at Ballygawley is going via new dual carriageway to Northern Ireland M1, then I assume straight down Irish M1?

http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/a4dualling.html

Thought of doing this myself - it's definitely longer, but may be quicker as it's pretty much 60-70mph all the way from Ballygawley?
L

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Louise77 wrote: »

2nd Exit at Ballygawley is going via new dual carriageway to Northern Ireland M1, then I assume straight down Irish M1?

http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/a4dualling.html

Thought of doing this myself - it's definitely longer, but may be quicker as it's pretty much 60-70mph all the way from Ballygawley?
L

Again it depends on what part of Dublin you're going to. Anywhere in West Dublin you'd have to get off the M1 onto the M50 and you could be sitting in traffic for days.
Although if you know the area you could probably go the back roads from the airport, but still, West Dublin, the non M1 route would probably be quicker.

From south Dublin you'd probably have to get on the M50 anyway, so the M1 would save you trying to get off the M50 at Blanchardstown or Finglas, which are two of the worst junctions.

From the city centre, I'd say it's much of a muchness.

tricky D

PattheMetaller wrote: »

Newry - Armagh - Auchnacloy is a more relaxing drive imo, plus you avoid all the "saftey zones" in Monaghan

Always found this route was the best and a few minutes quicker and that was before the M1 went all the way to Dundalk and the Drogheda bridge was built.