# Best driving route from Dublin to Letterkenny?



## DrMoriarty

G'day all, quick question for you if I may — which is the better (as in easier, quicker, less tiring) route to drive from Dublin to Letterkenny? 
Leaving Dublin in the early afternoon.

Navan/Cavan/Enniskillen/Omagh/Letterkenny?
...or...
Ashbourne/Carrickmacross/Monaghan/Omagh/Letterkenny?
...or...
Drogheda/Ardee/Carrickmacross/Monaghan/Omagh/Letterkenny?


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## Caveat

At a guess, the last one - more straightforward - not necessarily the quickest, but it's the route I would choose.

There may not be an awful lot to distinguish the 3 though.


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## Peeete

Caveat said:


> At a guess, the last one - more straightforward - not necessarily the quickest, but it's the route I would choose.
> 
> There may not be an awful lot to distinguish the 3 though.



Last one is most straight forward. Take M1 to slip road for Ardee. You won't actually go to Drogheda.


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## DrMoriarty

Thanks, guys. I'll already have driven from Limerick that morning, so am keen to minimise the 'frazzle factor'!


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## briancbyrne

im from l/kenny, live in dub so reg do the journey - - 2nd option is probably the best


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## Peeete

briancbyrne said:


> im from l/kenny, live in dub so reg do the journey - - 2nd option is probably the best



Would you not find the roads from ashbourne to Ardee a little more difficult to drive than the M1. From Ashbourne to Ardee you need to concentrate a little harder. If the OP is coming from Limerick the M1 might be easier and there is little in the distance on the two routes?


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## briancbyrne

Peeete said:


> Would you not find the roads from ashbourne to Ardee a little more difficult to drive than the M1. From Ashbourne to Ardee you need to concentrate a little harder. If the OP is coming from Limerick the M1 might be easier and there is little in the distance on the two routes?


 
Not at all  - - the opposite actually - especially if you can avoid the hours between 5:30pm - 7:00pm
 The route suggested is a far more pleasant drive.
Myself and friends initially used the M1 when it opened but have all returned to using Ashbourne  route instead.


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## Pique318

I and all my friends would use the M1 option.


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## Welfarite

3rd option best and quickest. Briancbyrne's option is more "scenic" but not as efficient time-wise. The M1 option means that the first town (traffic lights) you go through after leaving Dublin is Omagh, which is part-bypassed. The slowest part of the journey is through the North. Time was this was the quickest!


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## ubiquitous

DrMoriarty said:


> Navan/Cavan/Enniskillen/Omagh/Letterkenny?



Certainly not this one - those lovely, cuddly "save Tara" folks have ensured that the N3 is the worst and most dangerous national primary route in Ireland, about 15 years behind almost all the rest.


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## Peeete

Welfarite said:


> 3rd option best and quickest. Briancbyrne's option is more "scenic" but not as efficient time-wise. The M1 option means that the first town (traffic lights) you go through after leaving Dublin is Omagh, which is part-bypassed. The slowest part of the journey is through the North. Time was this was the quickest!



Thats what I was thinking. I would always use the M1 over the Ashbourne route going in this general direction


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