Dublin - Killarney

bonzai bob

Anyone ever done this drive? I've never done such a long stretch in one setting, what kind of drive is it?

Would it be easy to get lost as i'll be working from a map or the aa road planner thing?

AMurphy

bonzai bob wrote:

Anyone ever done this drive? I've never done such a long stretch in one setting, what kind of drive is it?

Would it be easy to get lost as i'll be working from a map or the aa road planner thing?

Dublin, Ireland to Killarney, Co. Kerry, or Dublin, California to Killarney, Ontario

The former is a breeze. The difficult bits beeing getting the first 40 miles or so out of Dublin and the last 80 odd miles between Limerick and Killarney.
Pick up a couple of hitching nursing studenst outside the Limerick Regional and they'll guide you and set you right.
Or you can take the scenic route through Carlow, Cork, etc.

A map of Ireland would be useful to resurrect those forgotten geography lessons.

As for California to Ontario.. it's a bitch in one sitting.

Borzoi

bonzai bob wrote:

Anyone ever done this drive? I've never done such a long stretch in one setting, what kind of drive is it?

Would it be easy to get lost as i'll be working from a map or the aa road planner thing?

It's a long pig of a drive - I've done ot both ways servvera times, either via Limerick or via Mallow. If I had to drive it again, Mallow is slightly quicker with no risk of getting caught around Limerick, though I believe that headache has been fixed. But Mallow route has worse roads.

TBH I mostly fly down to Farranfore with Aer Arann, if I have the cash

bonzai bob

heh, i didn't realize i had to go 'via' anywhere:D But Mallow it is. My geography is **** tbh, i didn't even know where Killarney was until yesterday(i went to school in England).

I just hope i don't get lost really.

kdevitt

Used to have to do that drive every second week or so, and my missus lives twenty minutes from Killarney, so now gets done the occasional weekend.

Its not the worst drive to be honest, good roads all the way to Mitchelstown, between Mitchelstown and Mallow is a horrible road, and then Mallow to Killarney is ok-ish. Just outside Mallow is crappy because they're trying to set a record for the longest amount of time spent on doing some road upgrades...

Seth Brundle

I would recommend getting a copy of the AA Road Atlas of Ireland - about a tenner and well worth it.

Canis Lupus

I do that trip as well (although slightly further for me cos I'm close to Waterville). Personally I'd opt for going via the airport to Limerick (it's bypassed now so dual carriage close to limerick and then more for the bypass after) and up that way. Sure nowadays the last stretch into Dub is all motorway as well (kildare etc all bypassed so you fly up that stretch). Depending on traffic and how you drive you should make it fastest in 3 1/2 hours (taking the piss outta speed limits and you shouldn't do it if this is your first drive to Dub) or 4.5 hours if you take your time and traffic is reasonable.

Just bring lots of music and enjoy yourself. I love making the trip. Also, watch your speed before and after CastleIsland, it's the only place I regularly see Gardai checking on that trip although if your going Limerick way I have heard Birdhill is a big spot for Gardai altho I have never seen em there.

EDIT: Read post in reverse cos I notice it's from Dub to Killarney not other way around as I thought initially.

Alfasudcrazy

Killarney being one of the major tourist spots in the country means the sign posting from Limerick down is very good - don't think you will need a map.

Its virtually motorway all the way down now and Kildare and Limerick have been by passed completely. The only thing to watch is at some roundabouts on the Limerick by pass the only signs are for Cork - but follow them as later you will see more signs for Killarney.

Takes about 4 hours of normal driving - 5 if the traffic is bad (mainly around Dublin)

elexes

ye old copy and paist via aa website

0.00 Start out at Dublin,Dublin. Follow signs Blessington N81 N81 0.00
1.00 Junction with R110. Follow signs Crumlin R110 R110 1.00
1.00 Junction 58 (South Ring). At traffic signals forward R110 R110 2.00
0.30 Crumlin Shopping Centre R110 2.30
0.70 Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children (on right) R110 3.00
0.50 "Halfway House" public house. At traffic signals forward R110 3.50
0.50 Junction with R112. At traffic signals forward R110 4.00
0.40 Fox and Geese. At traffic signals turn left (signposted The South, M50) R110 4.40
0.70 Junction with M50. At roundabout take 2nd exit N7 (signposted The South) N7 5.10
1.00 Newlands Cross ("Bewleys Hotel"). At traffic signals forward N7 6.10
11.50 Junction with M7. Keep forward (signposted Limerick, Cork) to join Motorway M7 M7 17.60
7.10 Junction 9 (M9). Take right-hand lanes M7 24.70
11.50 Mayfield Interchange. End of motorway Forward N7 N7 36.20
1.70 Moore Abbey N7 37.90
0.20 Monasterevin N7 38.10
3.70 Ballybrittas N7 41.80
2.40 "New Inn" N7 44.20
1.70 Junction with M7. Keep forward (signposted Cork, Limerick) to join Motorway M7 M7 45.90
6.00 Junction with N8. Forward (signposted Limerick) M7 51.90
2.00 End of Motorway. Forward N7 N7 53.90
6.00 Mountrath N7 59.90
8.00 Borris in Ossory N7 67.90
6.60 Junction with R445 (E Roscrea). At roundabout take 2nd exit into Roscrea bypass N7 74.50
1.10 Junction with N62. At roundabout take 3rd exit N7 75.60
0.60 Junction with R445 (W Roscrea). At roundabout take 1st exit N7 76.20
8.10 Moneygall N7 84.30
4.00 Toomyvara N7 88.30
3.40 Junction for Nenagh. Keep forward into Nenagh bypass (signposted Limerick) N7 91.70
15.60 Birdhill (post office) N7 107.30
6.00 Lisnagry Station (level crossing) N7 113.30
2.30 Annacotty. At roundabout forward In 0.7 mile at roundabout take 2nd exit In 1.1 mile at roundabout forward N7 115.60
2.50 Parkway Roundabout (Limerick). Take 1st exit R509 (signposted Waterford, Cork, Tipperary (N24) R509 118.10
0.70 Tipperary Road Roundabout. Take 2nd exit (signposted Cork, Tralee) R509 118.80
0.20 Kilmallock Road Roundabout. Take 2nd exit R509 119.00
0.60 Roxborough Roundabout. Take 2nd exit R509 119.60
0.30 Junction with N20. At traffic signals turn left N20 (signposted Cork, Killarney) In 0.3 mile at next two roundabouts forward N20 119.90
6.50 Junction with N21. Keep forward (signposted Tralee) In 2.4 miles at roundabout take 2nd exit N21 126.40
3.50 Adare N21 129.90
4.40 (edge of) Croagh N21 134.30
10.90 Newcastle West. Follow signs Killarney N21 N21 145.20
12.50 Abbeyfeale N21 157.70
14.70 Castleisland. Bear left N23 N23 172.40
4.70 Kerry County Airport (on left) N23 177.10
0.80 Junction with N22. Turn left N22 into N22 177.90
0.50 Farranfore N22 178.40
8.20 Cleeny Roundabout (Killarney). Take 2nd exit N71 (signposted Town Centre) N71 186.60
0.80 Arrive at Killarney N71 187.40
- Section time 4:12, Total time 4:12

wonder how that looks

bazz26

Dublin to Limerick road is generally good and motor way nearly all the way to Portlaise which is about mid way. Dublin to Limerick is about 125 miles.

The AA is a bit out of date though:

When comming into Limerick from Dublin you don't need to go through the city. There is a new Southern Ring road via dual carriage way which will bypass the city and take you straight onto the main Cork/Killarney road. Just follow the signs. This will cut about 25 mins off the old journey of having to go through the city.

Killarney is about 70 miles past Limerick. Some parts of that road are generally good but there are a few hairy parts also especially between Abbeyfeale and Castleisland.

bonzai bob

will any map i get now be updated with all these new roads?

elexes

bonzai bob wrote:

will any map i get now be updated with all these new roads?

probably not but it should have a rout that says proposed motorway due for opening xxxx

Silvera

I believe it's 4.5 hours from Dublin to Killarney.

I was there for the weekend (via Mallow) and did the drive in 3hrs 20mins, driving within the speed limits - though I was starting from Naas not Dublin

Jivin Turkey

I drove down to Killarney on the May bank holiday weekend, and it was fine.

A few pointers:

You probably dont even need a map. All you end up doing is looking at it contemplating how far you have to go, or contemplating taking ridiculous short cuts that you think you could before backing out and staying on the main road.

4.5 hours will get you down, provided you dont stop (unless its just for petrol or a bar/drink).

I would recommend via Limerick. The Limerick bypass is great, one of the best stretches of road along the way. All of the other large towns are bypassed also, including Monasterevin which used to be the bane of my life when I worked down in Limerick. I dont understand how anyone could live there. Its pretty much all motorway apart from getting out of Dublin to Limerick, the road to Killarney is probably the worst part of the drive, but its grand providing traffic is reasonable.

As was said above the only place I saw traffic cops were coming into Limerick (or just outside) and near Castleisland (between Killarney and Limerick). The Killarney rally was on that weekend so there were probably more than usual out though.

Print out the directions from this site http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/routes/

Gerry

Try to avoid doing this drive on a friday evening, the world and its mother are heading down then. I went via Limerick, and would probably give the Mallow route a shot next time. Most of the traffic was before Limerick though. I found the last bit of the drive to be fine, in fact it was late at night at that stage, and I could do a steady 80 - 90 . If there is traffic and you make stops for food you could be talking about 5 hours.

aidan_walsh

Jees, maybe at this rate I should do a Boards Beers Killarney :P At least everyone will know where to go...

AMurphy

Jivin Turkey wrote:

I drove down to Killarney on the May bank holiday weekend, and it was fine.
.....

4.5 hours will get you down, provided you dont stop (unless its just for petrol or a bar/drink).
.....
Print out the directions from this site http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/routes/

4.5 hours?, no wonder ye'r getting tickets. What and how do you drive.

Took me almost 4 hours from Dub to Limerick one day and another it took almost 1 from Castleisland to Killarney.
I now estimate at 40mph + a tissy fit, it's ~250mls from O'Connell St to Killarney.
So unless you are traveling in the off-peak moment, (while the bars are closed), flying or using a Teleporter from the Enterprise, . At this junction; 2.50 Parkway Roundabout (Limerick). Take 1st exit R509 (signposted Waterford, Cork, Tipperary (N24) R509 118.10 . stop off at a restaraunt and fortify yourself for the next harrowing 2 hours ahead.

bonzai bob

I'll be heading on a thurs morning, around 9 or 10am. Hopefully i will have missed the early morning traffic.

damob

I do this trip regularly for the past 18 years - last time was last week. Outside of peak times (e.g. Friday evening or bank holidays) it takes me approx. 4 - 4.5 hours from North Dublin to Killarney, usually 4 hours coming back - Bypasses and motorway have reduced many of the bottlenecks. Slowest bit is getting around the M50 heading south.

Currently there seems to be roadworks in Newcastle West and between Abbeyfeale and CastleIsland - On a busy day Abbeyfeale can be a pain.

The hill to the north of Castleisland is prone to speed-checks, also I've seen regular checks on or under the bridge just south of the Limerick bypass heading for Adare. Nenagh bypass is supposed to be a spot too, but I've yet to see them there.

I prefer the Limerick road to the Mallow route as the bit from Mitchelstown to Killarney tends to be slow - limited overtaking facilities if there are trucks, etc.

Oh, and enjoy Killarney.

dB.

Jivin Turkey

AMurphy wrote:

4.5 hours?, no wonder ye'r getting tickets. What and how do you drive.

I havnt gotten my first speeding ticket yet. And I drive a Focus, quite well.

It took me less than 5 hours to drive home on the bank holiday weekend, in traffic. 4.5 seems to be a reasonable estimate for a day with less traffic, agreed by many posters. AA Roadwatch estimate 4:12.

AMurphy

Jivin Turkey wrote:

I havnt gotten my first speeding ticket yet. And I drive a Focus, quite well.

It took me less than 5 hours to drive home on the bank holiday weekend, in traffic. 4.5 seems to be a reasonable estimate for a day with less traffic, agreed by many posters. AA Roadwatch estimate 4:12.

Tickets or the lack of them doesn't tell my much other than your skill and good fortune at avoiding them.

250mls in 4.5 hrs = 55.5 miles every hour and to do that hour after hour... you must be hitting 80 in patches, cause there are a lot of bottlenecks where you are doing 45.
Isn't to say it cannot be done, just may be timing, as I had done the Limerick/Killarney run several times very early on Mon mornings at leisure and still maintaining a good average, only ones passing me were the Gov MB returning the TD's to Dub for the 10am coffey brake.
And I have also hit it on a bad day and wished someone would shoot me..... 26 miles in 1 hour is no fun and it doesn't really matter whether you are in a Focus or a Corolla Twin Cam.


Well, lets ask the question;
Those of you that have done the trip, how many hours and what was your max speed?

Jivin Turkey

AMurphy wrote:

Tickets or the lack of them doesn't tell my much other than your skill and good fortune at avoiding them.

Or maybe Im just a competent driver.

AMurphy wrote:

250mls in 4.5 hrs = 55.5 miles every hour and to do that hour after hour... you must be hitting 80 in patches, cause there are a lot of bottlenecks where you are doing 45.

This point may be valid if it were actually 250 miles from Dublin to Killarney. However seeing as its only 190 miles it works out at about an average of 42mph. You can check this yourself here.

AMurphy wrote:

Isn't to say it cannot be done

I and a few other have said it can and has been done. Is that not proof enough?

AMurphy wrote:

Well, lets ask the question;
Those of you that have done the trip, how many hours and what was your max speed?

I have done the trip, ten days ago, it took me about 5 hours, with better traffic (I did it on a bank holiday) it could be done in 4.5 no bother. My max speed over the trip probably was about 80-85mph.

AMurphy

Thx, I'll accept your competent, I thought that's what I said...

Thanks for the corrections also, though it was further from Killarney to Dub. must have been lost (or distracted) half the time.

Nonetheless, you do point to something which is worse than I originally estimated and better than I originally estimated.

Ie, your max speed and your average speed.
It is an indicator as to the aweful traffic situation when your average ~42 is only 50% of your max ~82.5
( I got up to about 85~90 in a Mitsubishi something once, cannot say it was "great", so no idea how doing 85 in a Focus is like, but given I had a Focus Ghia rental also... which was smaller than the Mitsu...... hmmmm! : :eek:)

And I am comforted in the fast that your figure of 42 is very close to my own of 40 (for the long haul).

Consider the situation wherby you could do 60 miles average without passing 70 or dropping below 50 for the same 4.5 hrs.

Anyway, lets see what the other ramblers stats demonstrate. It would be worthwhile to see whose Max and average are closest together while maintaining the highest average and lowest maximum.

And good luck to the original inquirer, enjoy the holiday, will need a full and complete report on Monday morning.

Canis Lupus

AMurphy your way overestimating the distance there. It's 210 miles exactly from my house to a house in Glasnevin and I'm 25/30 miles south of Killarney.

And no wonder it takes you so long if you drive so slow. I have an auntie who takes 6 hours PLUS to make the trip. That's just shocking.

EDIT: Turkey got the correct distance in before me.

bonzai bob

hi people, sorry to dig this thread up, can anyone tell me if this is a good route? Is it updated with the new bypasses etc? I have no idea!:rolleyes:

I got it from the aa roadwatch site.

AMurphy

The MountRath to Killarney section looks fine, no idea on the Tallaght - MountRath section.

Victor

Get the Michelin map of Ireland - the larger one. It's up to date and indicates the general state of the road motorway, dual carriageway, 2 wide lanes, 2 lanes, 2 narrow lanes, etc.

bazz26

bonzai bob wrote:

hi people, sorry to dig this thread up, can anyone tell me if this is a good route? Is it updated with the new bypasses etc? I have no idea!:rolleyes:

I got it from the aa roadwatch site.

As already mentioned earlier the section where you have to drive through the suberbs of Limerick city is out of date. When you approach Limerick you hit a new roundabout, take the exit left onto a new dual carriage way and follow the signs for Cork. This bypasses the suberbs and will cut 20-30 mins off your journey.

AMurphy

bazz26 wrote:

..... When you approach Limerick you hit a new roundabout, take the exit left onto a new dual carriage way and follow the signs for Cork. .......

Last time I was htere, there was a new section under construction, possibly came out somewhere between Birdhill and Lisnagry, and connected to the dead end up at the back of "Krupps", if they still exist. No idea if it is finished now or not, but would enable you miss the whole city if it were.

However, it occurs to me in the month since the first inquiry, one would have cycled the trip and made it back. (Which reminds me, I knew a guy who did one way on a tractor).
So it's time to stop asking for directions and get behind the wheel. There's a whole country out there to be discovered, either by accident or design, and it's eager and waiting.

bazz26

AMurphy wrote:

Last time I was htere, there was a new section under construction, possibly came out somewhere between Birdhill and Lisnagry, and connected to the dead end up at the back of "Krupps", if they still exist. No idea if it is finished now or not, but would enable you miss the whole city if it were.

Yes, that section has been opened for almost a year now.

AMurphy

Where exactly does it exit on the Dublin side?.
Teh reason I observed it was I was cutting across some by roads between the UL are and the Tipp road, when I encountered an overpass across the little backroad. However, "typical Half assed execution", was one comment that came to mind at the intersection of the two. Right at the overpass, the little road I was on had a nasty wrinkle of twists & turns. Given milions were being spend on the highway and given acres of the adjoining farms were being taken to install the Hgw. anyway, I doubt it would have cost any more effort, haggling or money to take a few feet to the sides of the by-road,
it seemed totally half-assed not to run a CAT down the center of this little road and straighten the approach & exit to the underpass.
No, they just ran the highway over the by-road and make the wrinkle (and associated danger) a permanent feature of the landscape.

however, if ur on the hwy. you'll never notice.

kermit_ie

If they did that, they'd encougage more rat racers to go that way. That road is grand, because f-all people know about it

The new bypass comes out on the Dublin road, at the old turn off for Newport...

AMurphy

kermit_ie wrote:

If they did that, they'd encougage more rat racers to go that way. .......

The ultimate Traffic Calming device.... make the road so dangerous you'd not pass crawling speed... Crude but effective.

Thx.

bonzai bob

just back, decent drive. You don't even need a map as long as you know the roads you have to stick too. It took over 5 hours to get there:( But the drive back was only 4 hours. I'm just glad to be back. The last hour drive is a killer!

Victor

AMurphy wrote:

Teh reason I observed it was I was cutting across some by roads between the UL are and the Tipp road, when I encountered an overpass across the little backroad. However, "typical Half assed execution", was one comment that came to mind at the intersection of the two. Right at the overpass, the little road I was on had a nasty wrinkle of twists & turns.

You realise they did bypass part of the Tipperary Road?

AMurphy

Didn't have time to rediscover the trafic routing about Limerick at the time, so I'll believe you.

AMurphy

bonzai bob wrote:

....... The last hour drive is a killer!

Pretty good,
So what was your max speed, we know your average, 40 & 50.

The last hour into Dub is where I find the frustration level reaching "active volcano" level also, which might explain why I stop for an "unwind", which might also explain why it takes me an hour longer than average.

So apart fromt he driving, how was the rest of the weekend, "Mission Accomplished", Y/N?

bonzai bob

i'd say yes, it's a nice part of the country, i haven't really explored any kind of countryside in my lifetime, so my girlfriend thought it was 'weird' that i had never walked barefoot in a lake surrounded by mountains before. That was the highlight for me. That and standing on the balcony of the hotel with a view over the lake and mountains as the sun went down. Tis a good hotel, www.lakehotel.ie, great views! We stayed in the superior room.

Of course my max speed was 120 on the M7;) but i may have 'accidentally' crept over that on the way back, accidentally of course. I find motorists, and people in general, are nicer in the country, more than happy to pull in for you and let you by, that was a nice surprise!

AMurphy

Ah, well your pending arrival was an international item of discussion. So you were expected. Not everyone gets that treatment on their maiden voyage to the West. TTFN