Dublin Airport to N4 - rush hour

ectoraige

I've to collect relatives from Dublin Airport to bring them to a funeral in Sligo tomorrow morning. Their flight is scheduled to land at 7am so I'm guessing it'll be 8am before we get to leave the airport. What's the M50 like at this time of day to get onto the N4 for Sligo? Would I be better off taking the back-roads as far as Maynooth?

Boom_Bap

Thursday mornings are normally grand on the M50 at about 8. There might be a bit of a tail back at the Red Cow but you shouldnt have to deal with that.

The only problem is if there is an accident, or someone pulled over into the hard shoulder. Citizens tend to rubberneck, and race each other at the same time causing all sorts of bottlenecks. That type of thing you cant predict.

Another challenge is how you get on to the M50, take the M1 or back roads behind the airport and join at Ballymun, or even a few more back roads to the N2 and get on at Finglas.

With any of these, I dont imagine it would be any more than 30 minutes at most, 15 minutes if traffic is calm.

ectoraige

I guess I can monitor the AA roadwatch website - or is there a more timely way to get congestion information these days? Twitter?

Alun

https://www.nratraffic.ie/ they have a twitter feed too.

or Google Maps (select the Traffic option).

AA Roadwatch is OK but usually puts up stuff way too late, and the keeps it up there long after the obstruction has passed.

Losty Dublin

ectoraige wrote: »

I guess I can monitor the AA roadwatch website - or is there a more timely way to get congestion information these days? Twitter?

Dublin City FM on 103.2 do a traffic news show on weekday mornings; any delays and it will have you up to date in no time.

n0brain3r

I'd take the old airport road and join the M50 at Ballymun from there you should easily reach Maynooth via M50 N/M4 in 30 minutes unless there's been an accident.

Banjoxed

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Dublin City FM on 103.2 do a traffic news show on weekday mornings; any delays and it will have you up to date in no time.

I'll endorse that, and a decent music policy to boot. The very best choice if you want to be properly up to date on the road.

aaabbbb

I drive to Maynooth for college every morning and it usually takes me between 40-50 mins at this time in the morning, 30 on a really good day. I usually leave here in Donabate (so less than 10 mins from the airport) at 8am. The M1 is grand , Its the M50 that the issue its usually quite heavily backed up at that time between Finglas and Blanchardstown but once you get past there and onto the toll bridge and N4 its fine. At most you'll only probably be sitting in traffic on the M50 for about 20mins, so enough to get your breakfast in and read the morning paper

If you're really pushed for time you may be worth your while taking the backroads up to Dunboyne and joining the M4 from there but I can't imagine you'd save a whole lot more time than you would if you were to use the motorway and sit in traffic for a bit.

ectoraige

I never got a chance to follow up on this.

Everything conspired against us - the flight which often lands up to 30 minutes ahead of schedule was 15 minutes late, and when went onto the old road to get to the Ballymun exit, there were road-works that reduced it to single lane traffic. The M50 was pretty busy between Finglas and Lucan, although it did ease a bit after Blanchardstown.

Despite all this, we were still passing Maynooth on the M4 at 8:30, and made it to the funeral with about 10 minutes to spare. Thanks all for the help.