Route from Citywest to Four Courts

going from rathcoole, i go across Belgard and in the long mile at the red cow luas, then inchcore and the quays

Not the most direct route, but the R136 has bike lane all the way to Grange Castle where you can drop on to the canal path and take that as far as Rialto. Then take the left at Suir Road Luas and down to Islandbridge.

You can, but it's not particularly enjoyable. You'd probably be dropping on to it at the Kingswood interchange and from there to Newlands Cross there's a hard shoulder. Where the N7 crosses over Newlands Cross there is a very narrow hard shoulder and even if you are allowed on it on this stretch on a bike, I'd say it'd be dodgy. You could follow the Old Naas Road alongside the N7 instead, then go through the Luas complex at the Red Cow, over the pedestrian bridge and back down on to the Naas Road.

Yeah so follow the luas line to belgard. I turn left there, all the way down to newlands. Turn right and then follow naas road in through inchicore

It's ok, it's only really the part under the flyover that you are on the road, there's a cycle lane more or less the whole way to inchicore