The N59 on the shore of Kylemore Lough in County Galway

A national secondary road (Irish: bóthar náisiúnta den dara grád) is a category of road in Ireland. These roads form an important part of the national route network but are secondary to the main arterial routes which are classified as national primary roads. National secondary roads are designated with route numbers higher than those used for primary roads, but with the same "N" prefix. Routes N51 and higher are all national secondary roads.

National secondary roads have a default speed limit of 100km/h, but this is planned to reduce to 80km/h in 2025 under the Road Traffic Act 2024 following recommendations from a review of speed limits carried out by the Department of Transport in 2023.[1]

There are 2657 km of national secondary roads in Ireland, making up slightly over 50% of the entire national route (national primary and national secondary) network.[2] National secondary routes are generally more poorly maintained than primary routes (although their quality can vary widely), but often carry more traffic than regional roads. Almost the entire network of national secondary roads is single carriageway, although there are some short sections of dual carriageway on the Tallaght bypass section of the N81, on the N52 at Dundalk, on the N85 at Ennis, on the N62 at Athlone, on both the N69 and N70 at Tralee and on the N71 between Cork and Bandon. Typically, national secondary roads are of a similar standard or higher than regional roads although some are of lower quality than the better sections of regional roads. Many of them have been resurfaced with higher quality pavements in recent years with relatively smooth surfaces and good road markings and signposting. However, road widths and alignments are often inadequate, with many narrow and winding sections.

In the past, most national secondary roads would have run through the centres of the towns on their routes; however, recently, that is less often the case. For example:

The former N8 bypass of Mitchelstown was re-classified as the N73 when the Fermoy (Moorepark) to Kilbehenny section of the M8 was completed.

Most national secondary roads were originally Trunk Roads under the old system of road classification in Ireland, although some sections of national secondary routes were formerly Link Roads. Many less important Trunk Roads became regional roads when the road classification system changed from 1977 onward, including some roads, such as the N72 between Killarney and Killorglin, the N86 and the N87, which were originally re-classified as regional roads but later re-classified again as national secondary routes. In 1994, three national secondary roads were reclassified as national primary roads: the N57 between Swinford and Ballina became the N26, the N64 between Oranmore and Claregalway became part of the N18 and the N79 between New Ross and Enniscorthy became the N30. In addition, a section of the N60 between Castlebar and Westport became part of the N5.

Some national secondary roads, though not arterial routes between major cities, connect scenic areas to major population centres. For example, the N59 through County Galway and County Mayo, the N70 road through County Kerry (see Ring of Kerry) and the N71 through West Cork. For this reason, many national secondary roads are well-travelled by tourists.

List of national secondary roads

(XXXX) = Junction with road XXXX, e.g. (N21) = Junction with N21 road

National secondary roads in Ireland
Road name Description Length (km) Length (mi)
N51 (M1) west of Drogheda – Slane (N2) – Navan (M3) – Athboy – Delvin (N52 to Mullingar) 52.994 32.929
N52 Ardee (N2) – Kells (N3) – Delvin (N51) – Mullingar – (Joins M6) near Tyrrellspass – (Leaves M6) near Kilbeggan – Durrow – Tullamore (N80) – Birr (N62) – Borrisokane (N65) – (M7 west of Nenagh) 177.694 110.414
N53 Dundalk to Castleblayney (a short section of the road becomes the A37 where it runs through County Armagh) 18.122 11.260
N54 Monaghan (N2) – Clones – Cavan (N3) (a short section of the road becomes the A3 where it runs through County Fermanagh) 34.626 21.516
N55 (N3 just outside Cavan) – Granard – Edgeworthstown (N4) – (N6 Athlone ringroad) 78.815 48.973
N56 (N15 just east of Donegal) – (R263 near Killybegs) – Glenties – Dungloe – Gweedore – Dunfanaghy – Letterkenny (N14) 157.304 97.744
N58 Foxford (N26) – (N5 between Swinford and Castlebar) 11.259 6.996
N59 (N4 to Sligo) – Ballina (N26) – Bangor Erris – Rosturk – Westport (N5) – Clifden – Oughterard – Moycullen – Galway (N6) 298.795 185.663
N60 Castlebar – Claremorris (N17) – Ballyhaunis – Castlerea – Ballymoe – Roscommon 92.217 57.301
N61 Athlone (N6) – Knockcroghery – Roscommon – Tulsk (N5) – Boyle (N4) 74.193 46.101
N62 M6 near Athlone to M8 at Horse and Jockey) M6 – Ferbane – Cloghan – Birr – Roscrea – Templemore – Thurles – Horse and Jockey (M8) 96.625 60.040
N63 (N63 Galway city to Longford town) Galway – Claregalway – Lackagh – Turloughmore – Abbeyknockmoy – Moylough – Mountbellew – Newbridge – Ballygar – Mount Talbot – Athleague – Roscommon – Lanesborough-Ballyleague – Longford (N5) 96.393 59.896
N65 M6 north of Loughrea to N52 at Borrisokane; crossing the River Shannon at Portumna 52.517 32.633
N67 Galway – Kinvara – Ballyvaughan – Lisdoonvarna – Ennistymon (N85) – Kilkee – Kilrush (N68) – (ferry pier near Killimer) (ferry pier near Tarbert) – Tarbert (N69) 129.172 80.264
N68 Kilrush to Ennis 40.569 25.208
N69 Dock Road (Limerick) – Mungret – Clarina – Kildimo – (Askeaton) – Foynes – Tarbert (N67) – Listowel – Tralee (N21, N22, N70, N86) 97.476 60.569
N70 (Comprises most of the Ring of Kerry) – (N70 Killarney Road at Kenmare) – Sneem – Castlecove – Caherdaniel – Waterville – Cahersiveen – Killorglin – (N72) – Milltown – Castlemaine – (N86) – (N21, N69) Tralee 141.691 88.043
N71 (N22) Cork (Wilton Road, Bishopstown Road, Bandon Road) – Halfway bypass – Innishannon – Bandon – Ballinascarty – Clonakilty – Rosscarbery – Leap – Skibbereen – (R592 to Ballydehob) – Bantry – Ballylickey – Glengarriff – Kenmare – (N70) – Muckross – Killarney (N22, N72) 187.270 116.364
N72 Killorglin – Killarney (N22) – Rathmore – Mallow (N20) – Fermoy (M8) – Lismore – Dungarvan (N25) 165.923 103.100
N73 Mitchelstown (M8) – (N72 east of Mallow) 34.296 21.311
N74 (M8) Cashel – Golden – Kilfeakle – Tipperary (N24) 19.915 12.375
N75 Thurles to the M8 near Two-Mile Borris 7.552 4.693
N76 (N10) Kilkenny Ring Road – Ballymack – Callan bypass – Ninemilehouse – (N24 east of Clonmel) 43.686 27.145
N77 (N10) Kilkenny Ring Road – (N78) – Ballyragget – (M7) at Portlaoise 48.742 30.287
N78 (N77) – Castlecomer – (N80) – Athy – (M9) near Ballitore 50.671 31.485
N80 (N52) near Tullamore – Mountmellick – crosses the (M7) at Portlaoise (connects to M7 via R445) – Stradbally – (N78) Carlow – (M9) near Tinryland – (N81) – Kildavin – Bunclody – (N11) near Enniscorthy 114.683 71.261
N81 (M50) at Templeogue – Tallaght Bypass – Baltinglass – Tullow – (N80 just east of Ballon) 76.784 47.711
N83 Tuam – Dunmore – Cloonfad – Ballyhaunis – Tooreen – N17 south of Charlestown 45.222 28.100
N84 Galway – Cloonboo – Headford – Shrule – Kilmaine – Ballinrobe – Castlebar 73.545 45.699
N85 Ennis (M18) – Ennistymon (N67) 31.858 19.796
N86 Tralee – Annascaul – Lispole – Dingle 50.235 31.215
N87 Belturbet (N3) – Ballyconnell – Swanlinbar – (border with Northern Ireland where it becomes the A32) 28.136 17.483
Total length of network: 2,657 1,651

Defunct routes

  • N57: Swinford – Ballina; upgraded to a primary route as the N26 in 1994.
  • N64: Oranmore – Claregalway; upgraded to primary route status as the N18, but after the M18/M17 route was completed to Tuam in 2017, it was downgraded to the R381.
  • N66: Gort – Loughrea; downgraded to the R380 in 2017 after the M18 was extended to the M6.
  • N79: Enniscorthy – New Ross; upgraded to a primary route as the N30 in 1994.
  • N82: N7 to the N81 in southwest Dublin; redesignated as the L2011 in 2012.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Policy Background". gov.ie. Government of Ireland. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
  2. ^ [1] Archived 2016-08-07 at the Wayback Machine TII: National Route Lengths 2013
Allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_secondary_road
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