best route from Limerick to Avoca in Co Wicklow

banjobongo

I will be driving up today from Limerick to Avoca, any ideas on the best route from Limerick to Avoca in Co Wicklow? Via Dublin, with all the traffic, or through the likes of Carlow or Kilkenny?

Special Circumstances

If you can avoid peak traffic times, go the main roads rather than cross country.
Take a break somewhere and take it easy. Nothing worse than tearing your hair out behind a convoy of 20 cars on a cattletrack when you need to get somewhere (N20 style).
The N11 has a poor reputation (or maybe I imagined that) but still better than the N20 in my experience.

finbarrk

AA Routefinder suggests that the motorway is the best way. about 3 hours it says.
http://www.theaa.ie/routes/#

con___manx1

Special Circumstances wrote: »

If you can avoid peak traffic times, go the main roads rather than cross country.
Take a break somewhere and take it easy. Nothing worse than tearing your hair out behind a convoy of 20 cars on a cattletrack when you need to get somewhere (N20 style).
The N11 has a poor reputation (or maybe I imagined that) but still better than the N20 in my experience.

There is major road works going on the n11 at the moment .

hmmm

As long as you avoid the M50/N11 at rush hour, you'll have no delays on the motorway. The backroads around Avoca are all very pretty, but if you get stuck behind someone you're goosed.

db

2 hours 44 minutes going either Newbridge - Kilcullen - Glendalouogh or Portlaoise - Carlow according to Google maps.

banjobongo

ok thanks guys.
I was initially planning on leaving Limerick around 3pm and going via Dublin but that would mean hitting rush hour so I think I will leaeve now and go via DUblin so hopefully will miss the worst of the traffic around DUblin;
cheers!

Special Circumstances

con___manx1 wrote: »

There is major road works going on the n11 at the moment .

Ugh, that changes things so. Been a while since I did that trip.

bazz26

Major road works at Newland's Cross in Dublin too, major delays there daily.