A2 road (Northern Ireland)

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The A2 is a major road in Northern Ireland.

The road is mostly a single carriageway and follows the majority of Northern Ireland’s coast. It is connected in several places to other major roads.

[edit] Route

The road begins in the city of Newry, County Down and heads north-east through the fishing towns of Warrenpoint, Rostrevor and Kilkeel.

After Dundrum the road continues via Ardglass to Strangford, where traffic following the road takes a car ferry to Portaferry. From there it meets the Irish Sea coast of the Ards Peninsula at Cloughey, and follows it through Portavogie, Ballyhalbert, Millisle and Donaghadee to Bangor, County Down, from where it forms a major dual carriageway to Belfast.

After its intersection with the M3, it continues through Belfast city centre's complex one-way system via the Queen's Bridge and Queen Elizabeth Bridge, past the Custom House and on along Corporation Street, eventually joining York Road. Along this stretch and further out the Shore Road, the main route is formed by the M3, M2 and M5, until the M5 ends in Newtownabbey in the northern suburbs of Belfast.

After a suburban stretch through Jordanstown, Carrickfergus and Whitehead, it enters open countryside en route to Larne, beyond which the most notable section of the road, the Antrim Coast Road, begins. This has been compared to Australia's Great Ocean Road and is regarded as one of Ireland's most scenic drives. The road here is not a primary route and is narrow but lightly used. This section of the road closely follows the coast through the villages of Ballygalley, Glenarm, Carnlough, Waterfoot and Cushendall before leaving the coast, which it rejoins at Ballycastle.

It then continues along the coast to Portrush and continues on into County Londonderry through Coleraine and Derry to the border with the Republic of Ireland.

[edit] Tourist attractions

Due to its length and the fact that it follows the coast, the road passes a large number of Northern Ireland's tourist attractions. These include:

• The Mourne Mountains

• Carrickfergus Castle, a Norman castle built in 1177

• The Glens of Antrim, a series of steep coastal valleys and hills with spectacular scenery.

• Ballycastle, site of the 400 year old Ould Lammas Fair

• Bushmills, site of the Old Bushmills Distillery which was founded in 1608

• Dunluce Castle, dating from the 13th century and battered by the Atlantic Ocean

• Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, a rope bridge to the tiny Carrick Island

• Portrush, and the nearby Giant's Causeway

• Derry, and its Walled City.

	Roads and Motorways in Northern Ireland
Motorways: M1 | M2 | M3 | M5 | M12 | M22 | A8(M)
Main 'A' Roads: A1 | A2 | A4 | A5 | A7 | A20 | A24 | A36
Belfast: Donegall Square | Donegall Road | Falls Road | Malone Road | Shankill Road | Westlink