National secondary road

The N59 on the shore of Kylemore Lough in County Galway

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. National secondary roads are designated with route numbers higher than those used for primary roads, but with the same "N" prefix. Routes N51 and higher are all national secondary roads.

National secondary roads have a default speed limit of 100km/h, they fall into the speed limit category of national roads.

There are 2657 km of national secondary roads in Ireland, making up slightly over 50% of the entire national route (national primary and national secondary) network.^[1] National secondary routes are generally more poorly maintained than primary routes (although their quality can vary widely), but often carry more traffic than regional roads. Almost the entire network of national secondary roads is single carriageway, although there are some short sections of dual carriageway on the Tallaght bypass section of the N81, on the N52 at Dundalk, on the N85 at Ennis, on the N62 at Athlone, on both the N69 and N70 at Tralee and on the N71 between Cork and Bandon. Typically, national secondary roads are of a similar standard or higher than regional roads although some are of lower quality than the better sections of regional roads. Many of them have been resurfaced with higher quality pavements in recent years with relatively smooth surfaces and good road markings and signposting. However, road widths and alignments are often inadequate, with many narrow and winding sections.

In the past, most national secondary roads would have run through the centres of the towns on their routes; however, recently, that is less often the case. For example:

The N52 bypasses Nenagh (together with the M7), Tullamore, Mullingar, Kells and the centre of Dundalk (as a relief road)
The N55 (together with the N3) bypasses Cavan.
The N56 forms part of the Donegal bypass and the Mountcharles bypass.
The N69 and N70 form part of the Tralee bypass.
The N71 bypasses Halfway and Skibbereen.
The N74 (together with the M8) bypasses Cashel.
The N76 bypasses Callan.
The N77 forms the northern part of the Kilkenny ring road.
The N80 bypasses Carlow.
The N85 bypasses Ennis (together with the M18).

The former N8 bypass of Mitchelstown was re-classified as the N73 when the Fermoy (Moorepark) to Kilbehenny section of the M8 was completed.

Most national secondary roads were originally Trunk Roads under the old system of road classification in Ireland, although some sections of national secondary routes were formerly Link Roads. Many less important Trunk Roads became regional roads when the road classification system changed from 1977 onward, including some roads, such as the N72 between Killarney and Killorglin, the N86 and the N87, which were originally re-classified as regional roads but later re-classified again as national secondary routes. In 1994, three national secondary roads were reclassified as national primary roads: the N57 between Swinford and Ballina became the N26, the N64 between Oranmore and Claregalway became part of the N18 and the N79 between New Ross and Enniscorthy became the N30. In addition, a section of the N60 between Castlebar and Westport became part of the N5.

Some national secondary roads, though not arterial routes between major cities, connect scenic areas to major population centres. For example, the N59 through County Galway and County Mayo, the N70 through County Kerry (see Ring of Kerry) and the N71 through West Cork. For this reason, many national secondary roads are well-travelled by tourists.

List of national secondary roads


Number	Length (mi)	Length (km)	Southern or western terminus	Northern or eastern terminus	Formed	Removed	Notes
N 51	52.994	32.929	Drogheda	Delvin	—	—	via Slane, Navan, Athboy
N 52	177.694	110.414	Ardee	Nenagh	—	—	via Kells, Delvin, Mullingar, Durrow, Tullamore, Birr, Borrisokane
N 53	18.122	11.260	Dundalk	Castleblayney	—	—	a short section of the road becomes the A37 where it runs through County Armagh
N 54	34.626	21.516	Monaghan	Cavan	—	—	two short sections of the road becomes the A3 where it runs through County Fermanagh
N 55	78.815	48.973	Cavan	Athlone	—	—	via Granard and Edgeworthstown
N 56	157.304	97.744	Donegal	Letterkenny	—	—	via Killybegs, Glenties, Dungloe, Gweedore and Dunfanaghy
N 57	—	—	Swinford	Ballina	—	01994-01-011994	upgraded to a primary route as the N26
N 58	11.259	6.996	Foxford (N26)	N5	—	—
N 59	298.795	185.663	N4 near Sligo	Galway	—	—	via Ballina, Bangor Erris, Rosturk, Westport, Clifden, Oughterard and Moycullen
N 60	92.217	57.301	Castlebar	Roscommon	—	—	via Claremorris, Ballyhaunis, Castlerea and Ballymoe
N 61	74.193	46.101	Athlone	Boyle	—	—	via Knockcroghery, Roscommon and Tulsk
N 62	96.625	60.040	M6 near Athlone	Horse and Jockey (M8)	—	—	via Ferbane, Cloghan, Birr, Roscrea, Templemore and Thurles
N 63	96.393	59.896	Galway	Longford	—	—	via Claregalway, Lackagh, Turloughmore, Abbeyknockmoy, Moylough, Mountbellew, Newbridge, Ballygar, Mount Talbot, Athleague, Roscommon and Lanesborough-Ballyleague
N 64	—	—	Oranmore	Claregalway	—	01994-01-011994	upgraded to primary route status as the N18, but after the M18/M17 route was completed to Tuam in 2017, it was downgraded to the R381.
N 65	52.517	32.633	M6 north of Loughrea	N52 at Borrisokane	—	—	crossing the River Shannon at Portumna
N 66	—	—	Gort	Loughrea	—	02017-01-012017	downgraded to the R380 in 2017 after the M18 was extended to the M6.
N 67	129.172	80.264	Galway	Tarbert (N69)	—	—	via Kinvara, Ballyvaughan, Lisdoonvarna, Ennistymon, Kilkee and Kilrush. Ferry between Killimer and Tarbert
N 68	40.569	25.208	Kilrush	Ennis	—	—
N 69	97.476	60.569	Limerick	Tralee	—	—	via Mungret, Clarina, Kildimo, Foynes, Tarbert and Listowel
N 70	141.691	88.043	Kenmare	Tralee	—	—	via Sneem, Castlecove, Caherdaniel, Waterville, Cahersiveen, Killorglin, Milltown and Castlemaine. Comprises most of the Ring of Kerry between Kenmare and Killorglin.
N 71	187.270	116.364	Cork	Killarney	—	—	via Innishannon, Bandon, Ballinascarty, Clonakilty, Rosscarbery – Leap, Skibbereen, Bantry, Ballylickey, Glengarriff, Kenmare and Muckross. Part of Ring of Kerry between Kenmare and Killarney
N 72	165.923	103.100	Killorglin	Dungarvan	—	—	via Killarney, Rathmore, Mallow, Fermoy and Lismore. Part of Ring of Kerry between Killorglin and Killarney.
N 73	34.296	21.311	Mitchelstown	N72 east of Mallow	—	—
N 74	19.915	12.375	Cashel	Tipperary	—	—	via Golden, Kilfeakle
N 75	7.552	4.693	Thurles	M8 near Two-Mile Borris	—	—
N 76	43.686	27.145	Kilkenny	N24 east of Clonmel	—	—	Ballymack, Callan and Ninemilehouse
N 77	48.742	30.287	Kilkenny	Portlaoise	—	—	via Ballyragget
N 78	50.671	31.485	N77	M9 near Ballitore	—	—	via Castlecomer and Athy
N 79	—	—	Enniscorthy	New Ross	—	01994-01-011994	upgraded to a primary route as the N30
N 80	114.683	71.261	N52 near Tullamore	N11 near Enniscorthy	—	—	via Mountmellick, Portlaoise, Stradbally, Carlow, Tinryland, Kildavin and Bunclody
N 81	76.784	47.711	M50 at Templeogue	N80 just east of Ballon	—	—	via Tallaght Bypass, Baltinglass and Tullow
N 82	—	—	N7 southwest of Dublin	N81 southwest of Dublin	—	02012-01-012012
N 83	45.222	28.100	Tuam	N17 south of Charlestown	—	—	via Dunmore, Cloonfad, Ballyhaunis and Tooreen
N 84	73.545	45.699	Galway	Castlebar	—	—	via Cloonboo, Headford, Shrule, Kilmaine and Ballinrobe
N 85	31.858	19.796	Ennis	Ennistymon	—	—
N 86	50.235	31.215	Tralee	Dingle	—	—	via Annascaul and Lispole
N 87	28.136	17.483	Belturbet	border near Swanlinbar	—	—	via Ballyconnell. Becomes A32 at border