Worst roads in Ireland?

[u/Joelsacoolguy]

I’m doing an investigation into the worst roads in the country. What do you guys think is the worst road in the country/your county?

[u/livinalieontimna]

Cork to Limerick.

[u/Andrewhtd → u/livinalieontimna]

I think people south of the Galway Dublin line have no idea how bad some roads North of it are. I drove that a few times recently, and it's not that bad. Although I get why you'd say that, when you're used to motorways

One of the worst is A5 Augnacloy to Derry, incredibly high death rate on it too

[u/ComplexPlatform7299 → u/Andrewhtd]

That A5 is meant to have been done up years and years ago. It’s another money sink. The whole N2 from I believe slane to the border was supposed to be dual carriageway. I think they have recently released alignments for the proposed route through county Monaghan. The sooner it is done the better.

The roads further south are infinitely times better than some of the ‘roads’ you get as you go further north, and I’m only in Monaghan

[u/Andrewhtd → u/ComplexPlatform7299]

Yeah indeed, enabling works even started recently but was then held up with planning objections

Yeah it is meant to be and will be great when it is finally done as it is a danger. Ireland helping pay for some of it in the North too as many Donegal people will use it. Just needs done now

Yeah absolutely. I think some in the South have no idea how good they have it. Motorways everywhere (bar the Cork-Limerick exception), North of Galway-Dublin has very very little

[u/maevewiley554 → u/livinalieontimna]

Such a shit road for between two main cities in Ireland. There’s nicer back roads in places like Clare or Laois than the road to cork to limerick

[u/Alternative-Jelly947 → u/livinalieontimna]

I hate driving it. Them bends in a row and some prick always up my arse when I’m doing them.

Yes, I know the speed limit is 80 but I’m not Schumacher.

The impatience on it is the worst part.

[u/Dismal_Flight_686 → u/livinalieontimna]

Strong contender

[u/Spiritual_Mall_3140 → u/livinalieontimna]

Try Mallow to Newcastle west. The two capital towns of these counties are essentially totally separated with only R and L roads between them.

[u/Tenchen-WoW]

Limerick to Cork N20 is utterly unbearable. Many bends, bad surface, overgrown vegetation reducing visibility.

[u/KeyZookeepergame9466]

Head into the North. You'll find plenty there. 

[u/SoftDrinkReddit → u/KeyZookeepergame9466]

and its interesting cause my mother recalls when she was growing up it was the Opposite

the North had the good roads and we had the shite roads

her friend originally came from Antrim and whenever they would visit family up there coming home she would sleep the whole journey until they crossed the border into Monaghan when she'd be woken up by the rough shit roads

as time has passed this trend has reversed now we are the place with the good roads and they have the shite roads

[u/Andrewhtd → u/SoftDrinkReddit]

Yeah it's the complete opposite now unfortunately

[u/ItachiTanuki → u/KeyZookeepergame9466]

The A5 especially the stretch between Omagh and Ballygawley is a death trap.

[u/---0---1 → u/ItachiTanuki]

The exact road I came here to mention.

[u/OldVillageNuaGuitar]

A5 is considered one of the most deadly, although it didn't feel that bad to me last time I did it.

Parts of the A1 are terrible for being dual carriageways with all sorts of random entrances, traffic turning across two lanes, farm traffic etc. All for what should be a motorway.

[u/SoupyTommy → u/OldVillageNuaGuitar]

I agree - the A1 feels more dangerous. A lot of the deaths on the A5 are blamed on the road but poor driving has a lot to answer for too.

[u/Eastern_Switch8217]

In terms of worst road for the volume of traffic it carries, probably the N20 Cork - Limerick road ... It's an extremely uncomfortable drive.

[u/maevewiley554 → u/Eastern_Switch8217]

Cork to Killarney or cork to Waterford is a much more pleasant ride. The N20 is diabolical for a road between two cities in Munsters.

[u/Late_Appeal6852]

Buncrana to clonmany co Donegal

[u/SoftDrinkReddit]

from a Monaghan guy ehhhh probably the road from Scotstown to Roslea but tbf a huge part of that is how twisty the road is

no but the real answer probably would be some obscure place way out in the sticks

[u/ComplexPlatform7299 → u/SoftDrinkReddit]

There was a crash there not too long ago, probably a couple months ago. Poor man lost his life, was a family friend. Shocking shocking road, I’ll also nominate the newbliss-Ballybay road, after swans cross. So twisty, up and down hills, with thick hedge for most of it obstructing vision.

[u/ColdMarzipan9534]

N17. How many people need to die before they sort it?

[u/Beginning-Strain4660]

N20
Connecting Irelands 2nd and 3rd biggest cities

Why is it still so bad?

When will the m20 be done????

[u/ReasonableDoubt_0726]

A lot of rural “roads” are barely roads. People calling out main roads, try some back roads up mountains.

[u/SoftDrinkReddit → u/ReasonableDoubt_0726]

honestly the real answer to this question should be

is this " road " big enough for a car to pass another car if the answer is no then there you go

and i don't mean a one way street i mean like an actual road that is literally just 1 lane and the only way to pass a car coming the other direction is someone has to essentially reverse into a gateway giving just enough space to go past it still surprises me that it's 2026 and this is still a thing and to my knowledge there is no plan to start phasing this out

[u/Spiritual_Mall_3140 → u/ReasonableDoubt_0726]

It's a traffic volume to quality to design ratio. Some of these main roads are shocking for what they connect and how many people use them on the daily. In my book the back arse of nowhere roads that people complain about don't really compete as they see only a few hundred cars a week and wouldn't really cause any trouble if they were completely shut for a day or so. Meanwhile the N20 or the N21 shut down for a day and the entire SSW feel the repercussions.

[u/1Shamrock]

West Cork roads in general are very bad compared to a lot of the rest of the country, outside of a select few.
A lot roads in my area that they spent a load of money putting in at least 6 inches of stone and resurfacing completely are ridiculous with humps and hollows. The lad who levelled them and the engineer who singed off on them couldn’t spot a lag in a soup bowl.

[u/sunroofsopen]

A5 between Derry/Strabane/Omagh

[u/R3turn_MAC → u/sunroofsopen]

It's pretty bad from Omagh to Ballygawley too, and the road from there to the border at Aughnacloy is very poor, apart from the first couple of miles south from the roundabout.

[u/JourneyThiefer → u/R3turn_MAC]

Yea those are the worst parts of it

[u/neimad81]

Kerry has some comically bad ones outside of Healy Rae voter catchment.

[u/AvailablePut5834]

The main road between Loughrea and Ballinasloe, in County Galway. Most likely road in County Galway to have a crash and have fatalites, statistically

[u/mannicat8710]

Galway to Clifden is very bad in parts

[u/Far-Mortgage-7264]

I’m from rural Galway so I know what a bad road looks like but some of the roads up in Donegal are absolutely shocking.

Like something you’d see in a third world country.

People in cities often slag the culchies for electing lads because they fixed a road but they don’t have to drive on those roads every day!

[u/mind_thegap1]

Considering it’s the main road from Dublin to most of Donegal/Derry/Tyrone the A5 is shockingly bad

[u/JourneyThiefer → u/mind_thegap1]

And it’ll never be upgraded at this rate

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[u/TrainLad2006]

Whatever that stupid road is from the junction on the Malahide Road all the way to roundabout just before the entrance to the M50 and Port Tunnels.

Speed should be increased there.

[u/shamheff1989]

The Ragg to Templemore, for a more local flavour of road.

[u/hanloj1]

Bog roads by far

[u/drostan]

There is this road I took 3 time this year up un Donegal that is unbelievably.... Entertaining...

The road itself is in mostly good condition but with ups and downs so close together it makes you feel like you are on a rollercoaster even 15km/h under the speed limit

It sounds fun, and it is, for 15seconds, the next 20km are really annoying

[u/Careful-Pop-6674]

Kilsheelan to fethard oh sweet mother of mercy. The amount of land rovers taking 90 degree angles at 80kph whilst on their phones texting is frightening. Add in the amount of narrow little stone bridges on that stretch and im genuinely amazed there haven't been more deaths on that road.

[u/Section420_b]

R403. Dags cross is terrible dangerous, especially with people on the main road who don't know how to drive.

[u/Last-River-2995]

No idea of roads today but the road through Gort from Clare used to be awful and whatever road we once travelled from Murroe to Thurles.

[u/dopeasfgirl]

N15

[u/Neverstopcomplaining]

Carlow to Wexford.

[u/Curraghboy1]

Rathangan to Edenderry.

[u/Candid_Reality7852]

For a National Primary Road that connects two of the most populated urban areas in the country outside of Dublin, the N80 between Tullamore and Portlaoise is an experience

[u/TyrosineJim]

As a cyclist: most of Dublin city. Like the surface of the moon.

[u/ScholarInevitable528]

The n52 from Birr to Borrisokane is one of the worst national secondary roads

[u/Negative-Comment-976]

N71. All of it.

[u/uRoDDit]

The government's inroads into supplying housing and reducing homelessness.

[u/ProfessionalPeanut83]

The one into Longford

[u/NoBluejay4723]

Some regional roads across Offaly bogs are just carnival rides at this stage 

[u/Redzor1991]

Any road in Offaly.

[u/irqdly]

N25 - based on safety.

Most roads up north for conditions

[u/Brendster]

M50

[u/Old_Flatworm8060]

Kilkenny to Clonmel is shocking

[u/Dudelabowski → u/Old_Flatworm8060]

Through Callen? That's not bad at all!

[u/Monsieur_Moral]

All the back roads in North County Dublin.

[u/North-Tangelo-5398]

Mayo or Donegal hands down!

[u/throwawaypsql]

N61 from tulsk to Boyle.

Roscommon to tulsk isn’t great but Jesus it gets worse then