Driving Cork-Limerick

thewiseowl12

Hi,

I'm hoping for some advice on the following, I'm planning on driving cork-limerick on friday, leaving around 4pm from near holyhill on the northside of cork. (I'll be heading to Galway via limerick but my query relates to the cork limerick road specifically)

I'm in a rush to make an appointment so I'd prefer to avoid traffic if possible - is traffic heavy on the cork-limerick road at this time - I'm thinking Mallow, Buttevant, Charleville?

I've also heard that roadworks at Rathduff are causing tailbacks?

I'd be grateful for any advice.

Many thanks.

parsi

thewiseowl12 wrote: »

Hi,

I'm hoping for some advice on the following, I'm planning on driving cork-limerick on friday, leaving around 4pm from near holyhill on the northside of cork. (I'll be heading to Galway via limerick but my query relates to the cork limerick road specifically)

I'm in a rush to make an appointment so I'd prefer to avoid traffic if possible - is traffic heavy on the cork-limerick road at this time - I'm thinking Mallow, Buttevant, Charleville?

I've also heard that roadworks at Rathduff are causing tailbacks?

I'd be grateful for any advice.

Many thanks.

I always go Cork - Mitchelstown - Limerick. Works better for me. The Mitchelstown - Limerick stretch if only fair but the motorway stretch makes up for it .

corktina

not from Hollyhill , parsi, you are right by the N20 there. There wont be any significant holds up on that route OP, leaving at that time you'll be through before the biggest rush.

There's road works at Rathduff though that might cost you 10 minutes,

SeanW

The N20 is a tip. awful road. If you're using it, give yourself plenty of time; I'd advise 90 minutes Cork to Limerick. Minimum.

corktina

is 60+ miles and the AA reckon 90 minutes, but they are always generous, so that's plenty of time, (average of just 40mph,so quite do-able)

It's not that bad a road with the exception of the Twopothouse Ballybeg Buttevant bit which is dire and frankly sometimes dangerous.

Likely spots for delays are Mallow first roundabout and Charleville, otherwise it's largely a case of going with the flow as overtaking opportunities are few.

Carawaystick

Limerick is however bypassed by the Shannon tunnel, as you'll miss most of Cork, you should have only real congestion in Charleveille,
It'd definitely take an hour and a bit to cross the Shannon though.

dowlingm

Carawaystick - if he meets a slow lorry or something south of Buttevant he's hooped. It's incredible that that part of the road never had a tap done - the NRA too busy planning an M20 megaproject I suppose.

corktina

it's a very short section that might cause a problem and the overall average speed to do it in 90 mins is only 40 mph so it would have to be a VERY slow truck to make much difference.

dowlingm

corktina - I was stuck in a queue of traffic en route to Shannon in August - there just isn't anywhere for people to get by until well north of Charleville. It's a scandal.

Munstermissy

Don't even think about heading via Mitchelstown seeing as you are already on the main road side of town, very little chance of overtaking on it. As said above, worst part is Buttevant-Charleville section. Cork-Shannon used to take me about hour and 10 mins max, including traffic delays, etc.. And no, pedal was not to the floor.

Firegaurd

The quickest way for you to get there is to head to clogheen church and turn right which will bring you out to blarney and join the main road there. There are other routes that could help you avoid the jams at Rathduff and Buttevant but most of them will take cost you more time than the jams. Be sure to take the turn off after the Closed Petrol station in Charleville which will by pass the town and bring you onto the limerick road.

corktina

there are several rat-runs OK if you know where you are going :-)

I'd head over from Churchfield and down by Christys tyres myself.

thewiseowl12

I ended up going back roads to mallow via blarney, and then the cork limerick road at mallow. Traffic was moderate so I got to limerick tunnel in 1:40 I'd say, the slow part was travelling the back roads, and of course charleville.

Many thanks for the replies!

parsi

Munstermissy wrote: »

Don't even think about heading via Mitchelstown seeing as you are already on the main road side of town, very little chance of overtaking on it. As said above, worst part is Buttevant-Charleville section. Cork-Shannon used to take me about hour and 10 mins max, including traffic delays, etc.. And no, pedal was not to the floor.

That's some going. Fastest I've heard before was 64 minutes for an ambulance from Limerick Regional to Cork Regional in the dead of night.