Ireland

Area code 353Common abbreviation IRLLast updated 30-11-2008
Road classSyntax explanationAdministrative subordinationSub classesZonesSystemRemarks
European roadE[0-9]<2-3>EuropeSee EuropeAlmost never appear on signs and are (hardly ever) used, for administration only
Motorway M[0-9]<1-2>nationalMotorways and National primary routes form an integrated spider-webSequential exit numbers
National routeN[0-9]<1-2>nationalprimary (1-32)Sequential exit numbers on some motorway-like dual carriageways
secondary (50-87)first digit (loose)
Regional road R[0-9]<3>nationalR[1-7][0-9]<2>first digitClustering
1 Dublin
2 North
3 West
4 Centre
5 Southwest
6 South
7 Southeast
R[89][0-9]<2>
Local roadL{([PST])}[0-9]<4-5>nationalPrimaryL{(P)}[1-4][0-9]<3>Some clustering, but numbers are more or less arbitrarily assigned
SecondaryL{(S)}[5-8][0-9]<3>
TertiaryL{(T)}[0-9]<5>
The obsolete system, still appearing on some signs:
Trunk road T[0-9]<1-3>{A}national1-dSpider-web
2-d
Link road L[0-9]<1-3>{A}national
Minor road leading to historical siteSN[0-9]<2-3>nationalonly very few known
General description: The primary national routes are called 'National Primary Routes' and the secondary are called 'National Secondary Routes'.
The spider-web starts with the M/N1, the main coast road from Dublin to the north (linked to the A1 to Belfast). The N5 and N6 branch off the N4. In Dublin, these appear on signs, but outside Dublin only the N4 is indicated. The same holds for the N8 and N9, which branch off the N7. The N10 is an anomaly: it is a 'detour' via Kilkenny from the N9 (it is also not between the N9 and the N11, as one might expect). The M/N11 is from Dublin to Wexford.
Numbers 12-25 are located in a direction (from Dublin) going from the north to the south. (For example, the N14 is in the northwest, the N18 is in the west and the N23 is in the southwest). There are only 6 motorways (M1, M4, M7, M9, M11 and M50) with a total length of about 100 km. The M50 is the ring around Dublin. There is no N50 (anymore) so the M50 could be regarded as primary as well. Kilometerage is towards Dublin. Exit numbers increase from Dublin (except on the Athlone bypass, the N6).

Regional roads form zones determined by the first digit, except for numbers over 800, which were added later, and often do not appear on signs.
For a list of Regional roads see Regional roads.

Local roads are divided into primary, secondary and tertiary local roads. Administratively, they are sometimes given LP, LS and LT numbers respectively, but on signs, they all appear only with an L.
For a list of some Local roads see Local roads.

Road construction programme
Around 2000, an ambitious road construction programme was started. Many roads were scheduled to open between 2001 and 2007:
DDual carriageway
DMDual carriageway with motorway characteristics
SSingle carriagewayScheduled opening date
RoadSectionLength (km)Road typeOriginal 200010-2008 or opened
M1 (M50)Dublin Port Tunnel6MotorwayQ3 200416-3-2006
M1Cloghran-Balbriggan16MotorwayQ2 200328-6-2003
M1Drogheda bypass22MotorwayQ2 20039-6-2003
M1Dunleer-Dundalk16Motorway200126-1-2001
M1Dundalk western bypass11MotorwayQ3 200426-9-2005
N1Dundalk-Northern Ireland (A1)9.4DMQ3 20052-8-2007
N2Finglas-Ashbourne17DM200625-5-2006
M3Clonee-Kells61Motorway2008 (plan 01-05)Q3 2010
M4M50-Leixlip4MotorwayQ4 2004Q3 2009
M4Kilcock-Kinnegad35MotorwayQ2 200512-12-2005
N4Mullingar-McNeads bridge5DM20013-2001
N5Charlestown bypass18.2S-2-11-2007
N6Kinnegad-Tyrrellspass57DMQ2 20065-12-2006
N6Tyrrellspass-KilbegganDMQ2 200616-5-2007
M6Kilbeggan-AthloneDMQ2 200616-7-2008
N6Athlone-Ballinasloe18DMQ4 2005Q4 2009
N6Ballinsloe-Oranmore62DMQ4 2006Q2 2010
N6Galway bypass12DMQ4 2006>2010
N7Rathcoole-Naas13Upgrade to DMQ2 200415-8-2006
M7Kildare bypass10MotorwayQ1 20048-12-2003
M7Monasterevin bypass17MotorwayQ2 20048-11-2004
M7Portlaoise - Castletown (Mountrath bypass)10MotorwayQ4 2005Q3 2010
N7Castletown-Nenagh36DMQ4 2006Q3 2010
N7Nenagh-Limerick38DMQ4 2005Q2 2009
N7Limerick Southern Ring Road (Phase I)9DMQ3 200331-5-2004
N7Limerick Southern Ring Road and tunnel (Phase II)8DMQ1 2005Q4 2010
N8Portlaoise-Cullahill30DMQ4 2005Q3 2010
M8/N8Cullahill-Cashel41DMQ3 2006Q2 2009
N8Cashel bypass7DMQ4 200311-10-2004
N8Cashel-Mitchelstown41DMQ4 200625-7-2008
N8Mitchelstown-Fermoy13DMQ4 2006Q1 2010
M8Fermoy-Watergrasshill14DMQ4 20042-10-2006
N8Watergrasshill bypass10DMQ2 200312-12-2003
N9Kilcullen-Waterford105DMQ2 2007Q4 2010
N17Claremorris bypass8S200107-2001
N17Knock bypass16S200216-12-2002
N18Ennis bypass14DM-26-1-2007
N18Newmarket-on-Fergus bypass6DM200230-9-2002
N18Newmarket-on-Fergus-Hurler's Cross6DM20037-11-2003
N19N18-Shannon Airport6DM20037-11-2003
N20Patrickswell-Limerick8DM200112-7-2001
N25Waterford bypass18DMQ2 2005Q4 2010
N33Ardee-M18S200126-1-2001
M50Southern Cross Route (N81-R117)9Motorway20017-8-2001
M50Southeastern Motorway (R117-M11)9MotorwayQ1 200430-6-2005
N52Nenagh Western bypass5S200112-2001
Most of the roads planned until 2004 were opened by 2006, but most of the rest were opened much later or are only planned.
Road signs: Motorway numbers are always indicated. On motorways, connecting N roads are indicated but R roads are not (with a few exceptions). On national routes, both N and R numbers are usually signposted except sometimes in towns. However, R Numbers beginning with 8 or 9 rarely appear on signs. On other roads, road numbers occur very infrequently. There are probably counties where R numbers occur only on signs along N roads! The old T and L numbers still appear on many small white signs at junctions (not on signs at the approach of a junction).
Names appear in Irish (in lowercase italics) and English (in uppercase). In some remote areas only the Irish names are indicated. Indirect references to road numbers, and destinations that are not (directly) along the indicated road, appear between brackets.
Road typeBackgroundText including road numbers
MotorwaysBlueWhite
National routesGreenWhite
Regional and other roadsWhiteBlack
Old signs (until about 1997?) have the colour for the road they are posted on (e.g. green on national routes). Road numbers appear in the colour of their class. If this differs, the number appears in a rectangle.
New signs are green if they are on a national route or refer to it. A reference to a lower class road appears on a white field (including the road number and destinations).
On motorways, signs are always blue. Motorway numbers appear in a blue rectangular shield. All other numbers appear as standard text.
Exit numbers appear only on the M1 (near Dublin only), M4, M7 (near Naas only), M50, N4, N6 and N7.
History: The old system was probably introduced long before World War II. It was replaced by the current system starting in the early 1980's. The old system was a similar spider-web, with routes 1-9 instead of 1-11 with numbers increasing in the same direction. The national routes 26 - 32 are recent additions.
Local roads with 4-/5-d numbers were for administration only in the past but since 2006 they are indicated on some new signs.
E numbers have been starting to appear on signs from 2007.
Sources and links: Personal experience, various maps and atlases

    Official sites:
  1. National Roads Authority
  2. M3 Clonee-Navan-Kells
  3. M4 Kinnegad-Kilcock
  4. M50 upgrade
  5. M50 Dublin Port Tunnel
  6. N6 Galway-Ballinasloe
  7. N6 Ballinasloe-Athlone
  8. N6 Athlone-Kinnegad
  9. N7 Nenagh-Limerick
  10. N20 Limerick Southern Ring Road
  11. South Tipperary National Roads
    Other links:
  12. M50
  13. Dublin junction numbers
    Other pages within this site:
  14. Europe
  15. Road sign colours
  16. Regional roads list

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