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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. Secondary roads are designated route numbers higher than those used for primary roads, but with the same "N" prefix. Routes N51 and higher are all secondary roads.
National secondary roads have a default speed limit of 100km/h (62.5 mph), as along with national primary routes, they fall into the speed limit category of national roads.
Secondary routes are generally more poorly maintained than primary routes (although can vary widely), but often carry more traffic than regional roads. Some sections of secondary roads (usually approaching urban centres) are dual-carriageway, while many are narrow two-lane country roads, indistinguishable from regional roads.
Many national secondary roads, though not arterial routes between major cities, connect large 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), the N71 through West Cork. For this reason, many national secondary roads are well-travelled by tourists.
[edit] 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 |
 National Secondary Route |
Drogheda – Slane (N2) – Navan (N3) – Athboy – Delvin (N52 to Mullingar) |
58 km (36 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
(runs around the east of) Dundalk (N1) – Ardee (N2, N33) – Kells (N3) – Delvin (N51) – Mullingar – Tyrrellspass (joins N6 road) Kilbeggan – Durrow – Tullamore (N80) – Birr (N62) – Borrisokane (N65) – (N7 east of Nenagh) |
218 km (135 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Dundalk to Castleblayney (a short section of the road becomes the A37 where it runs through County Armagh) |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Monaghan (N2) – Clones – Cavan (N3)(a short section of the road becomes the A3 where it runs through County Fermanagh) |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
(N3 just outside Cavan Town) – Granard – Edgeworthstown (N4) – (N6 Athlone ringroad) |
82 km (51 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
(N15 just east of Donegal Town) – (R263 near Killybegs) – Glenties – Dungloe – Gweedore – Dunfanaghy – Letterkenny (N14) |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Foxford (N26) – (N5 between Swinford and Castlebar) |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
(N4 to Sligo) – Ballina (N26) – Bangor Erris – Rosturk – Westport (N5) – Clifden – Oughterard – Moycullen – Galway (N6) |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Castlebar - Claremorris (N17) - Ballyhaunis - Castlerea- Ballymoe - Roscommon. |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Athlone (N6) - Knockcroghery - Roscommon - Tulsk (N5) - Boyle (N4). |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
N6 near Athlone to N8 at Horse and Jockey) N6 – Ferbane – Cloghan – Birr – Roscrea – Templemore – Thurles – Horse and Jockey (N8) |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
(N63 Galway City to Longford Town) Galway City – Claregalway – Lackagh – Turloughmore – Abbeyknockmoy – Moylough – Mountbellew – Newbridge – Ballygar – Mount Talbot – Athleague – Roscommon – Lanesborough – Longford (N5) |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
N6 near Loughrea to N52 at Borrisokane; crossing the River Shannon at Portumna |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
N6 near Loughrea to N18 at Gort |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Kilcolgan – Kinvara – Ballyvaughan – Lisdoonvarna – Ennistymon (N85) – Kilkee – Kilrush (N68) – (ferry pier near Killimer) (ferry pier near Tarbert) – Tarbert (N69) |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Kilrush to Ennis |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Dock Road (Limerick) – Mungret – Clarina – Kildimo – (Askeaton) – Foynes – Tarbert (N67) – Listowel – Tralee (N70, 86, N21) |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
(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 |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
(N22) Cork (Wilton Road, Bishopstown Road, Bandon Road) – Halfway bypass – Innishannon – Bandon – Ballinascarthy – Clonakilty – Rosscarbery – Leap – Skibbereen – (R592 to Ballydehob) – Bantry – Ballylickey – Glengarriff – Kenmare – (N70) – Muckross – Killarney (N22, N72) |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Killorglin – Killarney (N22) – Rathmore – Mallow (N20) – Fermoy (N8) – Lismore – Dungarvan (N25) |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Mitchelstown (N8) – (N72 east of Mallow) |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
( N8) Cashel - Golden – Klfeakle - Tipperary Town (N24) |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Thurles to the N8 near Two-Mile Borris |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
(N10) Kilkenny Ring Road – Ballymack – Callan bypass – Ninemilehouse – (N24 east of Clonmel) |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
(N10) Kilkenny Ring Road – (N78) – Ballyragget – (N8) at Durrow, County Laois. |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
(N77) - Castlecomer - (N80) - Athy - (M9) at Kilcullen. |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
( N6) in Moate, County Westmeath - Clara, County Offaly - ( N52) in Tullamore - Mountmellick, County Laois - crosses the (M7) at Portlaoise (connects to M7 via (R445)) - Stradbally - (N78) Carlow, County Carlow - Ballon - ( N81) - Kildavin - Bunclody, County Wexford - ( N11) near Enniscorthy. |
140 km (87 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Dublin (Terenure, Tallaght) – (N82) – Baltinglass – Tullow – (N80 just east of Ballon) |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Citywest Road (N81 near Tallaght) – (J3 N7 near Clondalkin) |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Tuam – Dunmore – Cloonfad – Ballyhaunis – Tooreen – N17 south of Charlestown |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Galway – Cloonboo – Headford – Shrule – Kilmaine – Ballinrobe – Castlebar |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Ennis (N68) – Ennistymon (N67) |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Tralee – Blennerville – Annascaul – Dingle |
0 km (0 mi) |
 National Secondary Route |
Belturbet (N3)– Ballyconnell – Swanlinbar – (border with Northern Ireland where it becomes the A32) |
0 km (0 mi) |
[edit] Defunct routes
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Defunct route designation. Swinford – Ballina route prior to its redesignation as the N26 National Primary Route.
- Defunct route designation. Oranmore – Claregalway route prior to its redesignation as the N18 National Primary Route.
- Defunct route designation. Enniscorthy – New Ross route prior to its redesignation as the N30 National Primary Route.
