Best route from Cork to Derry

Fujitsu10

Hi everyone, I need to drive to Derry from Cork next week on business, there seems to be a lot of different routes available. Im not a fan of single carriage roads so the west coast option via Sligo isn't an option.
I am considering via Dublin and Belfast as most of this route is motorway. I know it would be shorter via Monaghan but the road doesn't seem to be as good.
By the way I will be returning to Cork on the same day once my business is complete.

Any comments or suggestions on the various routes would be appreciated.

Alan Shore

I think the Belfast route would be better road alright despite extra distance time is exactly the same.

Google maps suggests Belfast and Monaghan, no mention of the western route.

Jamie2k9

I'd second the route via Belfast, much better roads and any faster time via Monaghan will likely be lost with the lower speed.

currins_02

Travel Dublin-North Donegal-Dublin (via Derry) at least once a week for last 16 years. Have tried all permutations and my experience is that the M1 to Ardee/N2 to Aughnacloy(via Monaghan)/A5 to Derry is the quickest and best route. Tried via Belfast but lost 20mins at least over the Monaghan option. Could be very lucky but on anumerous tries I've yet to consistantly beat the Monaghan option. The Westlink in Belfast is notorious for jams and the Westlink/M2 junction is a pain at the wrong time, at certain times the end of the M2 heading for Derry is a carpark. Dungiven and Drumahoe can both be very slow going through them at certain times.

N2 portion from Ardee to Aughnacloy is all generally good road, all towns except Emyvale, Co Monaghan, have excellent bypasses. 2+1 bypass around Castleblayney and climbing lanes over the route so overtaking etc never a problem.

Depends where in Derry you're going tho. Belfast option brings you in on the opposite side of the city from the A5 (from Monaghan). Both on "Waterside" but A5 at Craigavon Bridge (twin deck bridge handy for city centre) other route brings you in at Foyle Bridge which is grand for outskirts and out towards Eglinton/Limavady etc but not as handy for city centre.

Fujitsu10

currins_02 wrote: »

Travel Dublin-North Donegal-Dublin (via Derry) at least once a week for last 16 years. Have tried all permutations and my experience is that the M1 to Ardee/N2 to Aughnacloy(via Monaghan)/A5 to Derry is the quickest and best route. Tried via Belfast but lost 20mins at least over the Monaghan option. Could be very lucky but on anumerous tries I've yet to consistantly beat the Monaghan option. The Westlink in Belfast is notorious for jams and the Westlink/M2 junction is a pain at the wrong time, at certain times the end of the M2 heading for Derry is a carpark. Dungiven and Drumahoe can both be very slow going through them at certain times.

N2 portion from Ardee to Aughnacloy is all generally good road, all towns except Emyvale, Co Monaghan, have excellent bypasses. 2+1 bypass around Castleblayney and climbing lanes over the route so overtaking etc never a problem.

Depends where in Derry you're going tho. Belfast option brings you in on the opposite side of the city from the A5 (from Monaghan). Both on "Waterside" but A5 at Craigavon Bridge (twin deck bridge handy for city centre) other route brings you in at Foyle Bridge which is grand for outskirts and out towards Eglinton/Limavady etc but not as handy for city centre.

Thank you for the detailed response, alot of good experience quoted. I'll be travelling to the Foyleside shopping centre which I believe is in the City Centre. I need to be there for about 10.30am, not sure how the traffic will impact on that time? What do you think the journey time from say the Red Cow Inn would be? It should take approx 2.5 hours from Cork to Newlands, so working back from 10.30, I need to figure out the dep time from Cork

currins_02

Good run 3hrs - 3hr 15min, Bad run 3hr 30min - 3hr 45min. Obviously traffic at Newlands, Redcow and on M50 a massive bearing on it. After that should flow fairly well.

As you approach city on A5 you'll pass Everglades Hotel on right, come up to traffic lights and go left over bridge (top or bottom deck doesn't matter), at end of bridge go right and basically you come to a big roundabout after 50-100 yards. Foyleside car parks are accessed off this. There's an East & West Car park but all well linked to actual centre.

LXFlyer

At that rate you'd be leaving at 04:30.

Would you not be better going up the evening before and getting a decent night's sleep?

Fujitsu10

Look like travelling the evening before is the best option, at least as far as Dublin might be an idea, as suggested I'd have a decent nights sleep and be in a better state to drive back down once my business is finished in Derry.
Thanks everyone for all the help and advice.

munchkin_utd

sure maybe even something on the North side of Dublin like the "CityNorth Hotel" which is right by the M1 a few minutes north of the airport, so avoiding all traffic in the morning on the M50 etc.

LXFlyer

I'd agree with that - or maybe the Premier Inn Dublin Airport which is at Airside.

Far better than doing that huge drive before dawn.

NIMAN

Hotels are relatively cheap in Derry, would you not consider staying the night before.

Fujitsu10

NIMAN wrote: »

Hotels are relatively cheap in Derry, would you not consider staying the night before.

Thanks everyone for all the advice, I travelled from Cork the evening before and stayed in Monaghan. The hotel was good and a reasonable price. I drove from Monaghan in the morning and returned home via Belfast. Traffic around Belfast was heavy, but managed to get through fairly quickly.
The motorway was a pleasure compared to the route via Monaghan. But I can see how the traffic around Belfast could be bad at rush hour.
Thanks again

Banjoxed

Fujitsu10 wrote: »

Thanks everyone for all the advice, I travelled from Cork the evening before and stayed in Monaghan. The hotel was good and a reasonable price. I drove from Monaghan in the morning and returned home via Belfast. Traffic around Belfast was heavy, but managed to get through fairly quickly.
The motorway was a pleasure compared to the route via Monaghan. But I can see how the traffic around Belfast could be bad at rush hour.
Thanks again

I'm trialling A6-A29-A28 to Newry from Derry and on to the Dublin Road from there lately and so far with two runs each way I prefer it.

The route is Derry - Dungiven - Cookstown - Dungannon - Armagh - Newry - Dublin for those unfamiliar with the road numbers in the North.

Travelling south on the A5 and the N2 to Monaghan can be tediously slow with no hard shoulders and few safe places to overtake. Still, not easy to do Inishowen to Dublin in less than 3.5 hours.