Yellow Pages Northern Ireland

Ireland's Roads - What You Need To Know

It is important to note that the significant differences between roads in both the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland are in the classification of roads, the nature of signposts, and the speed limits. Be aware of this, especially if travelling across the border to visit attractions.

Roadways in the Republic of Ireland are classed as being Motorways (classified by the letter M and then the number of the route, for example the M7), National Roads (letter N followed by the route number, for example N18), Regional Roads (letter R followed by the route number) and then Local Roads (letter L followed by the number of the route). There are two types of National Roads in operation in the Republic of Ireland, National Primary Routes and National Secondary Routes.

Motorways in the Republic are the highest possible category of road, and mostly are concentrated on the Dublin area. In 2009 there is only 350km of approximated designated motorways in Ireland. However, there is currently a major expansion of motorways in terms of construction and the renaming of existing National Primary Routes to motorway status. The M50 is one of the main motorways in Ireland, and the Galway to Limerick Road has recently been renamed the M18 in parts. The M20 is planned to connect Cork and Limerick cities. National Roads in Ireland are broken up into Primary and Secondary Routes. National Primary Roads from Dublin run from N1-N11 (for example the N7 being the Dublin to Limerick route) and N12-N33 are routes that go across the country (the N21 from Limerick to Tralee). There is an estimated 2, 700km of National Primary Roads in Ireland.

National Secondary Roads are designated with the N prefix and are classified from N51 to N87. Around 2, 700km of roads in the Republic are designated National Secondary Roads. Most of the National Secondary Road network is single carriageway compared to Primary Roads. Usually, these roads have as good a quality of road as Primary Roads. Many roads have been resurfaced over the years, and have good markings on the roads and good signposting. An example of the National Secondary Road is the N86 from Tralee to Dingle.

The Regional road network covers over 11, 500km of road in the Republic. They are characterized by the letter R followed then by 3 digit numbers and have a speed limit of 80km per hour. Finally, local roads are characterized by the letter L and vary in range from country roads such as boreens (a narrow and winding country lane) and wide urban streets.

Note that signposts in the Republic of Ireland measure travel distances in kilometers. Road signage is displayed in both Irish Gaelic and English. Warning signs are diamond shaped and have a black and yellow background. Since January 2005, speed limits in the Republic are measured in kilometers.

Roads in Northern Ireland are classified as being either Motorways (shown by the letter M and followed by the relevant route number M1), A roads (letter A followed by the route) and B roads (letter B followed by the number of route). There are two types of A Roads in Northern Ireland - Primary and Non Primary.

The motorway network in Northern Ireland is concentrated in the Belfast area. The M1 is the most well-known road and this is part of the Belfast to Dublin route. The main A roads like the A5 and A6 link Derry to Belfast and Dublin.
Note that speed limits and road distances are measured in miles on the road network of Northern Ireland. Road signage is displayed in English only. Warning signs are triangular in shape and have red bordering and a white background.

Hope you found our guide to Ireland's Road Network useful. If you intend on travelling on Ireland's roads to get from attraction to attraction, the best way to get around is to avail of a top quality car rental. Visit our Car Rental Ireland page for the very best in car hire quality and choice.

John writes for Novacarhire.com - an independent car hire reservation website where you can book low cost car hire at over 5, 000 locations worldwide.

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