Tralee to Athlone - best route?

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

As the thread title says - anyone have an opinion on this? Route planner told me its quicker to go via Nenagh, but using the Shannon tunnel in Limerick and on to Gort across to Loughrea leaves me on much better roads for most of the journey. Anyone in the know, I'd be delighted with any input

flazio

That Gort to Loughrea road was a bit of a mess last time I travelled it a few months back.
Perhaps you should consider travelling onto Portlaoise to Tullamore to Kilbeggan to Athlone via M6.

veryangryman

flazio wrote: »

That Gort to Loughrea road was a bit of a mess last time I travelled it a few months back.
Perhaps you should consider travelling onto Portlaoise to Tullamore to Kilbeggan to Athlone via M6.

Your only on that road twenty minutes of journey. Rest is motorway with a small bit of a brand new single carriageway road. My advice is to use the recommended route on it

Sponge Bob

I'd go Limerick - Nenagh - Borrisokane then R438 Regional Road to Cloghan and N62 to Athlone. The worst bits ( bar the n62 north of Ferbane) are dead quiet, much of the R438 is a straight and empty bog road.

SeanW

I'd suggest N21 to Limerick, M7 to Roscrea and N62 to Athlone, if you want to avoid tolls, as there's two if you go by Gort (Shannon Tunnel Limerick - you don't want to dodge this as the alternative is driving through Limerick City, and also an M6 toll between Loughrea and Ballinasloe).

Flazio suggested Portlaoise-Tullamore-Kilbeggan and I use that route a lot but that's going from Cork to Longford, it's probably a little bit out of your way going to Athlone.

JupiterKid

SeanW wrote: »

I'd suggest N21 to Limerick, M7 to Roscrea and N62 to Athlone, if you want to avoid tolls, as there's two if you go by Gort (Shannon Tunnel Limerick - you don't want to dodge this as the alternative is driving through Limerick City, and also an M6 toll between Loughrea and Ballinasloe).

Agreed. N21/M20 Tralee to Limerick, then M7 to Roscrea and N62 via Birr and Ferbane to Athlone. It's the most direct route and most of it is good quality. The only poor section is the N62 from Birr to Athlone but it's very straight in places and is relatively lightly trafficked.

The N66 from Gort to Loughrea is an atrocious and dangerous goat track of a road. Doesn't in any way merit being a National Secondary IMO.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, I tried Sponge Bob's suggestion and did Tralee - Limerick - Borrisokane - Athlone in just over 2 and a half hours :eek: I was sticking to the speed limits but there was very little traffic between Borrisokane and Athlone. Cheers again

veryangryman

deccurley wrote: »

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, I tried Sponge Bob's suggestion and did Tralee - Limerick - Borrisokane - Athlone in just over 2 and a half hours :eek: I was sticking to the speed limits but there was very little traffic between Borrisokane and Athlone. Cheers again

Thats a head wreck of a journey the way you did it. If returning id recommend trying the other way; you wont be dissapointed. The tolls are worth it.

mf135jelly

Hi,

Anyone travel to Athlone via Nenagh recently ?
Are the roads there is ok shape ?

Thanks Joe

Truckermal

mf135jelly wrote: »

Hi,

Anyone travel to Athlone via Nenagh recently ?
Are the roads there is ok shape ?

Thanks Joe

I gave up on it since the flooding at the Anglers rest so I use the Motorway to Roscrea and on to Birr-Cloghan. It's longer but much easier and more relaxing.

veryangryman

Truckermal wrote: »

I gave up on it since the flooding at the Anglers rest so I use the Motorway to Roscrea and on to Birr-Cloghan. It's longer but much easier and more relaxing.

N21-N18-N66-M6 is far far more relaxing.

We spent many years with no choice but to use dangerous goat tracks like this. We now have a motorway network for long journeys; you should use them. Kerry to Athlone is a longass journey. 2 and a half hours on mainly first class roads is worth the tolls.

Truckermal

veryangryman wrote: »

N21-N18-N66-M6 is far far more relaxing.

We spent many years with no choice but to use dangerous goat tracks like this. We now have a motorway network for long journeys; you should use them. Kerry to Athlone is a longass journey. 2 and a half hours on mainly first class roads is worth the tolls.

I might try that next time allthough the N66 is average enough.

Carawaystick

The old n6 road from Loughrea to Balinasloe is fine, one narrow but well surfaced section and ws2 the rest of the way, to avoid the toll on the M6.

takes about the same time from Loughrea to Balinasloe either way.

flazio

Carawaystick wrote: »

The old n6 road from Loughrea to Balinasloe is fine, one narrow but well surfaced section and ws2 the rest of the way, to avoid the toll on the M6.

takes about the same time from Loughrea to Balinasloe either way.

And aside from that narrow twisty 5km stretch which has an 80Km/h limit, and one village that has a 50km/h limit, the rest of road maintains it's 100km/h limit.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

For what its worth, since I started this thread, I've done this journey about 40 times over the last 2 years, and I find going by Gort is the better of the 2 ways. They're about the same distance, but the drive from Nenagh, and particularly from Borrisokane, to Athlone is a disaster.

Gort - Loughrea is a balls of a road all right, but its only that short stretch of road thats crap. And I use the old N6 from Loughrea to get to Athlone rather than driving north from Loughrea to join the M6. You're there just as quick, there's nothing trafficwise on the old N6. Overall its a much more relaxing drive.

FWIW, my route is N21 Tralee - Limerick, M18 to Gort, N66 to Loughrea, old N6 (R446) to Ballinasloe, bypass Ballinasloe on M6, then I actually go back onto R446 to get to where I live but if you were going on to Athlone town, stay on M6.

Truckermal

Just thinking a bit more about this do you travel all the ways to Gort via the M18?? The reason I ask is you must go all the ways back through town again to get on the Loughrea road. Would it be quicker to exit at Crusheen and use the old road to Gort.

Also I take it you join the M6 again at Ballinasloe??

Carawaystick

Truckermal wrote: »

Just thinking a bit more about this do you travel all the ways to Gort via the M18?? The reason I ask is you must go all the ways back through town again to get on the Loughrea road. Would it be quicker to exit at Crusheen and use the old road to Gort.

Also I take it you join the M6 again at Ballinasloe??

You go through Gort alright, but as it's bypassed, that's not a problem. The motorway ends right at the end of the street in Gort

You get back on to the M6 right at the edge of Balinasloe

When going through Loughrea, you are probably quicker going through the town, the N66 is signed out the Athenry road to the western end of the bypass.
Coming east through Loughrea, you can take any lane left off the main st to Barracks st to avoid the traffic lights, and on to Gort that way

feargale

Yes, Gort to Loughrea is awful. I very nearly got killed on it once. Arriving at the top end of Gort, you have the option of continuing towards Galway and joining the motorway just beyond Oranmore. A bit longer, but easier on the nerves!

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Carawaystick wrote: »

You go through Gort alright, but as it's bypassed, that's not a problem. The motorway ends right at the end of the street in Gort

You get back on to the M6 right at the edge of Balinasloe

When going through Loughrea, you are probably quicker going through the town, the N66 is signed out the Athenry road to the western end of the bypass.
Coming east through Loughrea, you can take any lane left off the main st to Barracks st to avoid the traffic lights, and on to Gort that way

This is the way I go through Loughrea, its a little bit of a rat run - it looks a bit indirect but its better than driving through the town if its daytime.



Try to keep the car steadier than the line suggests

Carawaystick

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote: »

This is the way I go through Loughrea, its a little bit of a rat run - it looks a bit indirect but its better than driving through the town if its daytime.



Try to keep the car steadier than the line suggests

If you keep by the lake and take what's mapped as Galway rd and barracks st, then take the left above "ac" in barrack st before heading out Abbey st, you miss the lights at the red X