UK vs. Ireland

Ireland's roads and motorways are of a better standard than the N11/M11. This section of road has been greatly improved since the photos shown were taken. If you want to get a good impression of modern Irish roads, try the M1 (Northern Motorway) or the M7. However, these motorways are sub-standard compared to the motorways of the United Kingdom. The M1 (Irish) was only fully opened 2 years ago, and already it suffers chronically from traffic jams around Dublin at rush hour.

Just an update on the speed limit information provided on this page. The changeover has now taken place (on the 20th Jan 2005, having been postponed). The extremely poor site www.gometric.ie was part of the official public information campaign and contains full details.

I have to disagree somewhat with John Williams' last post. While I agree that many (infact probably all) of the motorways in Dublin are horrendously designed, I certainly wouldn't go as far as to say that all this country's motorways are substandard. Does the fact that they're overwhemingly dual 2 lane mean that they're substandard? Irish junctions or interchanges are almost a carbon copy of your average British one, we seem to love our roundabouts and dumbells here as well.

Irish roads have suffered from years of chronic under investment. Investment in our public transport is worse, ensuring that most people don't have any access. Therefore, when the Irish economy began to boom, and without a decent public transport network, more and more cars found their way onto Irish roads. Our driving test system leaves a lot be desired, and that coupled with our lack of investment in the roads and our booming economy has led to bad drivers on bad roads in bad traffic.

In a country that has a population of about 3.9 million and a strong economy, traffic congestion really shouldn't be an issue. However when it comes down to getting it right, we don't. For example, the M50 is Dublin's ring road (Motorway). It surrounds Dublin on its North, West and South sides. The Irish Sea puts pay to a proper Eastern bypass. However, on this wonderful M50, there is not one free flowing junction. All of them have a roundabout with traffic lights either above or below the Motorway. The main routes in Ireland radiate from Dublin in numerical order, with the M1/N1 north to Belfast right around to the M11/N11 south to Wexford. The double numbering implies that these roads are being continually upgraded to Motorway, but are not complete. Where these routes meet the M50, traffic congestion is treated as a fact of life. Two hour delays at each junction all at one time are common.

Getting away from Dublin, the lack of investment in our roads is apparent. For example, in the year 2005, there is still no Motorway connecting Dublin to any other Irish city. However our national roads (non-Motorway routes) are improving. Our road surfaces have improved dramatically. As for road construction, the NRA (National Roads Association) seems to be organizing things strategically and with a bit more common sense. Hopefully, over the next ten years, we will see the results of proper planning that was not there in the last 50 years.

There are many interesting things about Irish roads. Our signs are bi-lingual, with Irish in italics and English in bold below it. It's Irish only in Gaeltacht areas. Personally I find the bilingual signs easier to read, perhaps because I have grown up with them. But with Bi-lingual signs, each place name is clearly visible. You also have more space between place names than you do on UK signs. This is particularly obvious when crossing the Irish border. When leaving Belfast, you see directions for Lisburn, Dungannon, and Dublin etc. Each place name is written one on top of another, making it difficult to read in a few seconds. South of the border, you have signs with place names clearly segregated and easier to read with a quick glance.

Irish roads are maintained by their appropriate County or City councils. At present the standard of road is equal and improving across all counties. But their use to be a time when roads varied dramatically as you crossed county borders.

Speaking of borders, Ireland has one of the most famous borders in the world. Always known as just the Border, this imaginary line that randomly crosses roads and fields, towns and villages and severed communities has been at the centre of Irish history for much of the last century. Ireland was partitioned in the 1920s after the Irish War of Independence. Now with Northern Ireland and the border areas enjoying relative peace, the Border is one of the most interesting places in these islands to visit.

And for road enthusiasts, it's no different. One of the most interesting roads is the N54 which goes from Butlers Bridge to Clones. Both towns are in the Republic, but the 10 miles or so of road crosses the border 6 times. When the road is the North, it's called the A3, and in the Republic, it's called the N54. When the road crosses the border, there is no dramatic change in the landscape. The only noticeable changes are the speed limits, road surface and the orange lines used to mark the hard shoulder in the Republic change to white in the North. So along this road, the speed limits change from 100kph to 60mph. In the Republic, we no longer use the derestriction sign (circular white sign with diagonal black line) since the introduction of the metric system. So when crossing the border, the only significant sign to say you are doing exactly that, is the derestriction sign, shortly after that, you'll see a sign that says the A3. Likewise, when you cross back into Republic, the road number changes to the N54, and there is a speed limit sign to say 100kph. As a small sign of co-operation between our two countries, the two sides of speed limit sign, (one side signifying 60mph and the other 100kph) are supported by one pole. Down through the years, there was not so much cooperation. The N54/A3 crosses back into Northern Ireland once more for a shorter stretch before it goes back in to the Republic. This time the sign does not say 100kph, instead it says 50kph, as the border runs along the edge of the town of Clones.

As I mentioned already, there was not much co-operation between the authorities, particularly at the height of the troubles. It was common for the British army to dig up and close many of the smaller roads along the border. While this may have served one purpose in disrupting the IRA, it also cut communities off from each other. Many of the roads around the town of Clones, on the northern side of the border were closed, and this was replicated all along the border.

As you cross from South to North along the main Dublin - Belfast road (N1/A1), the border runs along the hill to the left and parallel to the road for a significant distance before coming off the hill and crossing the road. During the height of the troubles, the British Army would have very strict border control which regularly caused traffic buildups back into the Republic. While traffic was stopped along the road into the Republic, the Army could analyze each car from the hill on the Northern side for wanted people and pull the car in after they crossed the border.

When traveling from Dublin to Donegal, the main road to take would be the N3. This road crosses the border near Omagh. Again the road number changes to the A46. The Dublin Authorities intended this road to travel to Donegal. However the British authorities had other plans. When the N3 enters the North, it becomes the A46. However, to continue towards Donegal, you need to take another road, the A509. This heads towards Donegal and back into the Republic where it magically becomes the N3. You can imagine Irish authorities saying something like 'they can call it what they want up there, but that road is the N3'.

Another unusual anomaly is the name of Northern Ireland's second largest city. As an Irish Nationalist, I would call the city Derry. But for British people and indeed, Unionists of Northern Ireland, the city is known as Londonderry. The main road from Dublin to Derry is the N2. This crosses the border between Emyvale in the Republic and Aughnacloy in the North and its road number changes to the A5. But as well as the changes in road numbers, hard shoulder lines and speed limits, a certain well sign posted city disappears and another one appears in its place. Whilst traveling in the Republic, the final destination of the N2 is Derry. But while traveling in Northern Ireland, the final destination of the A5 is Londonderry. This probably causes untold confusion for foreign tourists. And for those tourists lost and unsure of where there are going, they have to be careful when asking for directions to Derry or Londonderry.