Galway to Dublin airport avoiding Ballinasloe fair

fifib

hi guys
wondering if i can get from Galway to Dublin Airport tomorrow (saturday) by avoiding Ballinasloe, as i believe the horse fair is there, without it adding a huge amount of time to the journey. its a trip i havent done for a few years
any suggestions?

mikom

fifib wrote: »

hi guys
wondering if i can get from Galway to Dublin Airport tomorrow (saturday) by avoiding Ballinasloe, as i believe the horse fair is there,

Don't worry you'll have no problem going through Ballinasloe. There will be a load of travellers going through there tomorrow.

Its depends where you live really if its worth while. From my home in north Galway we would alway go the back way to Athlone.

Abbey > Moylough > Mountbellew > Ballyforan > Athlone. This is much shorter than driving into Galway to get the N6 for us.

MargeS

I think....now I just think that the Ballinasloe section of the M6 may be open for to help with traffic while the fair is on. This is what I heard, but can't confirm. Maybe a call to the Coco might sort that?

Robbo

MargeS wrote: »

I think....now I just think that the Ballinasloe section of the M6 may be open for to help with traffic while the fair is on. This is what I heard, but can't confirm. Maybe a call to the Coco might sort that?

It's not. The motorway still ends East of Ballinasloe as the bridge isn't ready yet.

ScumLord

Robbo wrote: »

It's not. The motorway still ends East of Ballinasloe as the bridge isn't ready yet.

Maybe they set up a ramp so cars can jump over it?

Robbo

ScumLord wrote: »

Maybe they set up a ramp so cars can jump over it?

Folks in Hazzard county hadn''t seen a flying Ford Fiesta in a good long time...

snubbleste

Aer Arann

Madame Razz

As Robbo said; but I usually go thru Monivea then on to Mountbellew.

Its a super quick way to Athlone; road is pretty shocking tho if you're not used to it.

Chris_533976

The new bridge on the M6 is ready, its the Ballinasloe West junction that isnt.

MrBill

One should never have to travel through that arse of a town, knacker fair or not. All flea bites and stinking socks.

Bypass will be grand enough - and the ramp idea is pretty good. A tunnel that goes right under it would be mega cool.

forumfiend

Landon Shapely Shrew wrote: »

Its depends where you live really if its worth while. From my home in north Galway we would alway go the back way to Athlone.

Abbey > Moylough > Mountbellew > Ballyforan > Athlone. This is much shorter than driving into Galway to get the N6 for us.

That's quick, but this is quicker:

Galway > Carnmore > Monivea > Menlough > Caltra > Ballyforan > Athlone

Roads are not great but there is little or no traffic, you will easily do it in 90 minutes.

746watts

forumfiend wrote: »

That's quick, but this is quicker:

Galway > Carnmore > Monivea > Menlough > Caltra > Ballyforan > Athlone

Roads are not great but there is little or no traffic, you will easily do it in 90 minutes.

I drive this road every day and you'll do it in 1hr 15mins from Galway Briarhill(Dunnes/Monivea roundabout) to Athlone. After you drive through Menlough keep an eye out for a small council yard on your left about 1 mile after Menlough, there's an elevated steel tank in the yard. Approx 300m after this you turn left at a small pub which brings you on into Castle Blakney and 2kms later Caltra.

civis_liberalis

fifib wrote: »

any suggestions?

fly to dublin

Madame Razz

The bog road from Mountbellew to Ballyforan is much quicker than going thru Caltra, you'll be in Athlone in an hour or less if the road is quiet.

galah

went through Ballinasloe at 1.30 pm and again at 6 pm, and didnt have any problems at all. No more traffic that usual. Either the fair hadnt kicked off properly and stopped again, or traffic is managed better this year.

fifib

Thanks for your help guys. Went the N63 way to athlone.made it to Dublin airport in exactly 2hours from Lackagh. was well impressed even with the odd tractor on the road!!
Came home via ballinasloe, wasn't too bad say was only about 10mins delay about 5.30pm

Bummer

Was travelling from athlone to galway and Was held up for an hour in ballinasloe....Arrived at 8pm and left in or around 9pm....Was terrible traffic

GerardKeating

Bummer wrote: »

Was travelling from athlone to galway and Was held up for an hour in ballinasloe....Arrived at 8pm and left in or around 9pm....Was terrible traffic

Same here, took an hour at around 7pm.

galah

Edit - I now realised that the fair wasn't in full swing on Saturday.

Need to go to the airport next saturday, leaving Galway at 6.30 am on the citylink - do you guys reckon the bus will make it to Dublin without delay at that hour?