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Most of the transport system in Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
 is in public hands, either side of the Irish border. The road network has evolved separately in the two jurisdictions Ireland is divided up into, while the rail network was mostly created prior to the partition of Ireland
Partition of Ireland

The partition of Ireland between the north-eastern Northern Ireland and the rest of Ireland took place on 3 May 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920....
.

In the republic
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
, the Minister for Transport, acting through the Department of Transport
Department of Transport (Ireland)

The Department of Transport is a Department of State of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for transport policy and overseeing transport services and infrastructure....
, is responsible for the state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
's road network, rail network
Rail transport in Ireland

Rail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnr?d ?ireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.The track gauge is Irish gauge....
, public transport
Public transport

Public transport comprises passenger transportation services which are available for use by the general public, as opposed to modes for private use such as automobiles or vehicles for hire....
, airport
Airport

An airport is a location where aircraft such as Fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and Non-rigid airship take off and land. Aircraft may also be stored or maintained at an airport....
s and several other areas. Although some sections of road have been built using private or public-private funds, and are operated as toll road
Toll road

A toll road, , is a road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels....
s, they are owned by the Irish government
Irish Government

The Government of Ireland is the Cabinet that exercises executive authority in Republic of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach, and a deputy prime minister called the T?naiste....
.






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Most of the transport system in Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
 is in public hands, either side of the Irish border. The road network has evolved separately in the two jurisdictions Ireland is divided up into, while the rail network was mostly created prior to the partition of Ireland
Partition of Ireland

The partition of Ireland between the north-eastern Northern Ireland and the rest of Ireland took place on 3 May 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920....
.

In the republic
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
, the Minister for Transport, acting through the Department of Transport
Department of Transport (Ireland)

The Department of Transport is a Department of State of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for transport policy and overseeing transport services and infrastructure....
, is responsible for the state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
's road network, rail network
Rail transport in Ireland

Rail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnr?d ?ireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.The track gauge is Irish gauge....
, public transport
Public transport

Public transport comprises passenger transportation services which are available for use by the general public, as opposed to modes for private use such as automobiles or vehicles for hire....
, airport
Airport

An airport is a location where aircraft such as Fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and Non-rigid airship take off and land. Aircraft may also be stored or maintained at an airport....
s and several other areas. Although some sections of road have been built using private or public-private funds, and are operated as toll road
Toll road

A toll road, , is a road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels....
s, they are owned by the Irish government
Irish Government

The Government of Ireland is the Cabinet that exercises executive authority in Republic of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach, and a deputy prime minister called the T?naiste....
. The rail network is also state-owned and operated, while the government currently still owns the main airports. Public transport is mainly in the hands of a statutory corporation, Córas Iompair Éireann
Córas Iompair Éireann

C?ras Iompair ?ireann is a statutory corporation of the Republic of Ireland, answerable to the Irish Government and responsible for the provision of most public transport services in the Republic of Ireland and, jointly with its Northern Ireland counterpart, the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, between the Republic and Northern I...
, and its subsidiaries, Bus Átha Cliath (Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus

Dublin Bus is a public transport operator in the Republic of Ireland. It operates an extensive bus network of nearly 200 radial, cross-city and peripheral routes in the city of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area....
), Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann

Bus ?ireann provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus....
 (Irish Bus), and Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann

Iarnr?d ?ireann is the national railway system operator of Republic of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of C?ras Iompair ?ireann ....
 (Irish Rail).

On November 1 2005 the Dublin government published the Transport 21
Transport 21

File:Transport and NDP.JPGTransport 21 is an Republic of Ireland infrastructure plan, announced on 1 November 2005 in Dublin Castle by the then Irish Minister for Transport Martin Cullen....
 plan which includes €18bn for improved roads and €16bn for improved rail, including the Western Rail Corridor and the Dublin Metro
Dublin Metro

The Dublin Metro is a planned Rapid transit system for the city of Dublin. The first two lines were set out in the Irish Government's 2005 Transport 21 transport plan: they are known as Metro North and Metro West....
.

In Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
, the road network and railways are in state ownership. The Department for Regional Development
Department for Regional Development

The Department for Regional Development is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister for Regional Development....
 is responsible for these and other areas (such as water services). Two of the three main airports in Northern Ireland are privately operated and owned. The exception is City of Derry Airport
City of Derry Airport

City of Derry Airport is an airport located east northeast of Derry, Northern Ireland, situated in County Londonderry. It is located on the south bank of Lough Foyle and is a short distance from the village of Eglinton, County Londonderry, 13 kilometres east north-east of the city centre....
, which is owned and funded by Derry City Council
Derry City Council

Derry City Council is a district council in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. The headquarters of the council is in the city of Derry on Lough Foyle....
. A statutory corporation, the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company
Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company

The Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company is a government owned body which was established in 1967 to take over the railway and bus services of the Ulster Transport Authority , namely Northern Ireland Railways and Ulsterbus....
 (which trades as Translink
Translink (Northern Ireland)

Translink is the brand name of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company , a public corporation in Northern Ireland which provides the public transport in the region....
) operates public transport services through its three subsidiaries - Northern Ireland Railways
Northern Ireland Railways

NI Railways, also known as Northern Ireland Railways and for a brief period of time, Ulster Transport Railways , is the railway operator in Northern Ireland....
 Company Limited, Ulsterbus
Ulsterbus

Ulsterbus is a public transport operator in Northern Ireland and operates bus services outside of Belfast. It is part of Translink , which also includes Northern Ireland Railways, Metro and Flexibus....
 Limited, and Citybus Limited
Metro (Belfast)

Metro is the trading name for bus company Citybus in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a subsidiary of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, within the common management structure of Translink , along with Ulsterbus and Northern Ireland Railways....
 (now branded as Metro).

Railways

Total
1600mm (5'3") broad gauge
Broad gauge

Broad gauge railways use a rail gauge greater than the standard gauge of ....
1,947 km (1998); 38 km electrified; 485 km double track; some addititions and removals since 1997


1435mm (4'8.5") standard gauge
Standard gauge

The standard gauge is a widely-used rail gauge. Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge . The distance between the inside edges of the rails of standard gauge track is ....
28 km (2004)(Luas tramway); 28 km electrified; 28 km double track; additional track under construction


914mm (3') narrow gauge
Narrow gauge

A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of or less....
1,365 km (2006) (industrial railway operated by Bord na Mona)


Ireland's railways are in State ownership, with Iarnrod Éireann
Iarnród Éireann

Iarnr?d ?ireann is the national railway system operator of Republic of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of C?ras Iompair ?ireann ....
 (Irish Rail) operating services in the Republic and Northern Ireland Railways
Northern Ireland Railways

NI Railways, also known as Northern Ireland Railways and for a brief period of time, Ulster Transport Railways , is the railway operator in Northern Ireland....
 operating services in Northern Ireland. The two companies co-operate in providing the joint Enterprise
Enterprise (train)

|}File:Lambeg railway station in 2005.jpgEnterprise is the name of the cross-border inter-city train service between Dublin Connolly railway station and Belfast Central railway station in Ireland and is jointly operated by Iarnr?d ?ireann and NI Railways ....
 service between Dublin
Dublin

Dublin is both the largest city and capital of Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region....
 and Belfast
Belfast

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of Devolution#United Kingdom Northern Ireland Executive and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland....
. InterCity
Intercity

Intercity or Inter-city means "between cities". It can refer to inter-city transportation by Rail transport, bus, truck or airline. There are many transport companies with Intercity or Inter-city as their brand....
 services are provided between Dublin and the major towns and cities of the Republic, and between Belfast
Belfast

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of Devolution#United Kingdom Northern Ireland Executive and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland....
 and Derry
Derry

Derry or Londonderry , often called the Maiden City, is a City status in the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland....
. Suburban railway networks operate in Dublin
Dublin Suburban Rail

File:Dublin Rail Network3.svgThe Dublin Suburban Rail network, , is a railway network that serves the city of Dublin, Ireland, most of the Greater Dublin Area and outlying towns....
 and Belfast
Belfast Suburban Rail

The Belfast Suburban Rail Commuter rail in the United Kingdom serves the metropolitan area of Greater Belfast and some of its commuter towns with three lines....
, with a limited local services being offered in, or planned for, Cork
Cork (city)

Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the Ireland third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the Provinces of Ireland of Munster....
, Limerick
Limerick

Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the county seat of County Limerick in the province of Munster, in the midwest of Republic of Ireland....
, and Galway
Galway

Galway is the fourth largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the only city in the province of Connacht in Republic of Ireland. The city is located on the west coast of Ireland....
.

Many lines in the west were decommissioned in the 1930s under Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera

?amon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in 20th century Ireland. His political career spanned over half a century, from 1917 to 1973; he served multiple terms as head of government and head of state, and is credited with a leading role in the authorship of the present-day Constitution of Ireland....
, with a further large cull in services by both CIÉ and the UTA
Ulster Transport Authority

The Ulster Transport Authority ran rail and bus transport in Northern Ireland from 1948 until 1966.The UTA was formed by the 1948 Transport Act , which merged the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board and the Belfast and County Down Railway ....
 during the 1960s, leaving few working lines in the northern third of the island. There is a campaign to bring some closed lines back into service, in particular the Limerick
Limerick

Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the county seat of County Limerick in the province of Munster, in the midwest of Republic of Ireland....
-Sligo
Sligo

Sligo , is the county town of County Sligo in Republic of Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is the second largest urban area in Connacht ....
 line (the Western Rail Corridor), to facilitate economic regeneration in the west, which has lagged behind the rest of the country. There is also a move to restore service on the Dublin to Navan
Navan

Navan is the largest town and county town or administrative capital of County Meath, Republic of Ireland. It is thought to be one of the few places in the world to have a paladromic name ....
 line, and smaller campaigns to re-establish the rail links between Sligo and Enniskillen
Enniskillen

Enniskillen is the county town in County Fermanagh. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne....
/Omagh
Omagh

Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, situated where the rivers River Drumragh and Rive Camowen meet to form the River Strule....
/Derry
Derry

Derry or Londonderry , often called the Maiden City, is a City status in the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland....
 and Mullingar and Athlone
Athlone

Athlone is a town that lies on the River Shannon near the southern extremity of Lough Ree, Republic of Ireland....
/Galway

Since 1984 an electrically operated train service has run between Bray and Howth, called the Dublin Area Rapid Transit
Dublin Area Rapid Transit

The Dublin Area Rapid Transit is part of the Dublin Suburban Rail in Ireland, running mainly along the coastline of Dublin Bay on the Trans-Dublin route, from Greystones in County Wicklow, through Dublin to Howth and Malahide in County Dublin....
. In 2004 a light rail
Light rail

Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail transit public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than Passenger_rail_terminology#Heavy_rail and rapid transit systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than street-running tram systems....
 system, Luas, was opened in Dublin. legal permission has been sought to build a metro
Dublin Metro

The Dublin Metro is a planned Rapid transit system for the city of Dublin. The first two lines were set out in the Irish Government's 2005 Transport 21 transport plan: they are known as Metro North and Metro West....
 system is also in the planning stage. The construction of the Luas system caused much disruption in Dublin; in retrospect many believe an underground
Dublin Metro

The Dublin Metro is a planned Rapid transit system for the city of Dublin. The first two lines were set out in the Irish Government's 2005 Transport 21 transport plan: they are known as Metro North and Metro West....
 would have been a better option. One of the current options being discussed is to upgrade the Luas to a metro system when the metro is being installed.

Roads


Total - 117,318 km
South: 92,500 km including 435 km of motorway (2008)
North: 24,818 km including 148 km of motorway (2008)
paved - 87,043 km, unpaved - 5,457 km

Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
's roads link Dublin with all the major cities (Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Belfast and Derry). Driving is on the left.

State-owned Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann

Bus ?ireann provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus....
 (Irish Bus) provides most bus services in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
, outside Dublin, including an express coach network connecting most cities in Ireland, along with local bus services in the provincial cities. There are also a number of private operators, the biggest of which include Aircoach
Aircoach

Aircoach is a Republic of Ireland based subsidiary of the United Kingdom based FirstGroup. It provides airport bus express coach services from Belfast, Cork and Dublin to Dublin Airport....
, a subsidiary of First Group which provides services to Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, it is by far the busiest airport in Ireland - over 23.3 million passengers passed through the airport in 2007....
 from Dublin
Dublin

Dublin is both the largest city and capital of Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region....
 city centre amongst others, and Scottish Citylink
Scottish Citylink

Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd is a long distance express Coach operator in Scotland and the Republic of Ireland . The company was formed as a subsidiary of Scottish Transport Group in June 1985....
 which competes on the Dublin
Dublin

Dublin is both the largest city and capital of Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region....
-Galway
Galway

Galway is the fourth largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the only city in the province of Connacht in Republic of Ireland. The city is located on the west coast of Ireland....
 route. Matthews Coaches run a direct service from Bettystown, Laytown and Julianstown to Dublin. Some private rural operators exist, such as Halpenny's in Blackrock, County Louth, who were the first private bus operator to run a public service in Ireland, Bus Feda, who operate twice daily routes from Ranafast
Ranafast

Ranafast is a townland situated in The Rosses, north-west County Donegal, Ireland.The Irish language is the main spoken language by most of the locals; it is a Gaeltacht area....
, County Donegal
County Donegal

County Donegal is a county located in the west of the Province of Ulster, in the northwest of Ireland. It is one of three counties in the Province of Ulster that do not form part of Northern Ireland....
 to Galway
Galway

Galway is the fourth largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the only city in the province of Connacht in Republic of Ireland. The city is located on the west coast of Ireland....
 and back , as well as Lough Swilly Bus Company
Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway

The Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Company is an Ireland public transport and freight firm, incorporated in June 1853. Despite the company's name, it does not operate any railway services, its last railway line having closed in July 1953....
.

Bus Átha Cliath (Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus

Dublin Bus is a public transport operator in the Republic of Ireland. It operates an extensive bus network of nearly 200 radial, cross-city and peripheral routes in the city of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area....
), a sister company of Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann

Bus ?ireann provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus....
, provides most of the bus services in Dublin
Dublin

Dublin is both the largest city and capital of Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region....
, with some other operators
Public Transport Operators in Dublin

A large number of companies operate public transport services in Dublin, most of which are state owned or semi-state owned....
 providing a number of routes.

In Northern Ireland Ulsterbus
Ulsterbus

Ulsterbus is a public transport operator in Northern Ireland and operates bus services outside of Belfast. It is part of Translink , which also includes Northern Ireland Railways, Metro and Flexibus....
 provides the bus network, with its sister company Metro providing services in Belfast
Belfast

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of Devolution#United Kingdom Northern Ireland Executive and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland....
. Both are part of state-owned Translink
Translink (Northern Ireland)

Translink is the brand name of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company , a public corporation in Northern Ireland which provides the public transport in the region....
.

Most cross-border services (e.g. Dublin
Dublin

Dublin is both the largest city and capital of Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region....
 city centre to Belfast
Belfast

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of Devolution#United Kingdom Northern Ireland Executive and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland....
) are run jointly between Bus Éireann and Ulsterbus, with some services run across the border exclusively by one of the two companies (e.g. Derry
Derry

Derry or Londonderry , often called the Maiden City, is a City status in the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland....
–Sligo
Sligo

Sligo , is the county town of County Sligo in Republic of Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is the second largest urban area in Connacht ....
 run by Bus Éireann).

Waterways

Total (2004) - 753 km
(pleasure craft only on inland waterways, several lengthy esturine waterways)
  • Grand Canal
  • Royal Canal
  • Shannon-Erne Waterway
    Shannon-Erne Waterway

    The Shannon-Erne Waterway is a canal linking the River Shannon in the Republic of Ireland with the River Erne in Northern Ireland. Managed by Waterways Ireland, the canal is 63 km in length, has sixteen locks and runs from Leitrim, County Leitrim in County Leitrim to Upper Lough Erne in County Fermanagh....
For more details see: Canals of Ireland
Canals of Ireland

*Boyne Navigation*Broharris Canal*Coalisland Canal *Dukart's Canal*Grand Canal of Ireland*Lacy's Canal*Lagan Canal*Newry Canal*Royal Canal of Ireland...
 and Rivers of Ireland
Rivers of Ireland

This article concerns rivers on the island of Ireland....
.

Pipelines

Natural gas transmission network 1,795 km (2003). There is a much more extensive distribution network.

Ports and harbours

Ireland has ports in the towns of Arklow
Arklow

Arklow is a historic town located in County Wicklow on the east coast of Republic of Ireland. Founded by the Vikings in the ninth century, Arklow was the site of one of the bloodiest Battle of Arklow of the Irish Rebellion of 1798....
, Belfast
Belfast

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of Devolution#United Kingdom Northern Ireland Executive and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland....
, Cork
Cork (city)

Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the Ireland third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the Provinces of Ireland of Munster....
, Derry
Derry

Derry or Londonderry , often called the Maiden City, is a City status in the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland....
, Drogheda
Drogheda

Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Republic of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. Drogheda is the largest town in Ireland, recently surpassing its neighbour Dundalk....
, Dublin
Dublin

Dublin is both the largest city and capital of Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region....
, Dundalk
Dundalk

Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Republic of Ireland, situated close to the border with Northern Ireland. It takes its name from , Dalga's Fortification home closely associated with the famous mythical warrior C?chulainn, and was granted its charter in 1189....
, Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire

D?n Laoghaire is a suburban seaside town and county town of County of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Republic of Ireland.The town is situated some 12 kilometres south of Dublin city centre, and is a major port of entry from Great Britain....
, Foynes
Foynes

Foynes is a small town and major port in County Limerick in the midwest of Ireland, located at the edge of hilly land on the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary....
, Galway
Galway

Galway is the fourth largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the only city in the province of Connacht in Republic of Ireland. The city is located on the west coast of Ireland....
, Larne
Larne

Larne is a substantial seaport and industrial town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a population of 18,228 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001....
, Limerick, New Ross
New Ross

New Ross is a town located in southwest County Wexford, in the southeast of Republic of Ireland. In 2006 it had a population of 7,709 people, making it the third largest town in the county after Wexford and Enniscorthy....
, Rosslare Europort
Rosslare Europort

Rosslare Europort is a modern seaport located at Rosslare Harbour in County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, at the southeastern-most point of Ireland's coastline, handling passenger and freight ferry to and from Wales and France....
, Sligo
Sligo

Sligo , is the county town of County Sligo in Republic of Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is the second largest urban area in Connacht ....
, Waterford
Waterford

Waterford is the primary city of the South East region. Founded in 914 in Ireland AD, by the Vikings, it is Ireland's oldest city. It is the fifth largest city in the country of Republic of Ireland....
, Wicklow
Wicklow

Wicklow is the county seat of County Wicklow in Republic of Ireland. Located south of the capital Dublin on the east coast of the island, it has a population of 10,070 according to the 2006 census....


Ports in the Republic handle 3,600,000 travelers crossing the Irish Sea each year, amounting to 92% of all sea travel . This has been steadily dropping for a number of years (20% since 1999), probably as a result of low cost airlines.

Ferry connections between Britain and Ireland via the Irish Sea
Irish Sea

The Irish Sea also known as the Mann Sea or Manx Sea, separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea portion of the Atlantic Ocean by St George's Channel between Republic of Ireland and Wales, and to the north by the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland which forms part of...
 include the routes from Swansea
Swansea

Swansea is a City status in the United Kingdom and subdivisions of Wales in Wales. Swansea is in the Historic counties of Wales of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower peninsula and the Lliw uplands....
 to Cork
Cork (city)

Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the Ireland third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the Provinces of Ireland of Munster....
, Fishguard
Fishguard

Fishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3,300 . The community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5043 at the 2001 census....
 and Pembroke to Rosslare
Rosslare

The name Rosslare may refer to:*Rosslare Strand, a village in County Wexford, Ireland* Rosslare Harbour, a village in County Wexford, Ireland...
, Holyhead
Holyhead

Holyhead is the List of Anglesey towns by population in the county of Anglesey in the north west of Wales.Although it is the largest town in the county, with a population of 11,237 , it is neither the county town nor actually on the island of Anglesey....
 to Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire

D?n Laoghaire is a suburban seaside town and county town of County of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Republic of Ireland.The town is situated some 12 kilometres south of Dublin city centre, and is a major port of entry from Great Britain....
, Stranraer
Stranraer

Stranraer is a town in the south of Scotland in the west of the region of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland....
 to Belfast
Belfast

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of Devolution#United Kingdom Northern Ireland Executive and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland....
 and Larne
Larne

Larne is a substantial seaport and industrial town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a population of 18,228 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001....
, and Cairnryan
Cairnryan

Cairnryan is a small Scotland village overlooking Loch Ryan and is notable today for its large modern ferry port which opened in 1973, originally operated by Townsend Thoresen and now by P&O Ferries, which links Scotland with Larne in Northern Ireland....
 to Larne
Larne

Larne is a substantial seaport and industrial town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a population of 18,228 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001....
. There is also a connection between Liverpool
Liverpool

Liverpool [] is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a History of borough status in England and Wales in 1207 and was granted City status in the United Kingdom in 1880....
 and Belfast
Belfast

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of Devolution#United Kingdom Northern Ireland Executive and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland....
 via the Isle of Man
Isle of Man

The Isle of Man , or Mann , is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical centre of the British Isles....
. The world's largest car ferry, Ulysses
Ulysses (ship)

MV Ulysses is a roll-on/roll-off car ferry currently owned and operated by Irish Ferries on the Dublin, Republic of Ireland ? Holyhead, Wales route....
, is operated by Irish Ferries on the Dublin–Holyhead route. In addition, Rosslare and Cork run ferries to France.

The vast majority of heavy goods trade is done by sea. Northern Irish ports handle 10 megatonnes (Mt) of goods trade with Britain annually, while ports in the south handle 7.6 Mt, representing 50% and 40% respectively of total trade by weight.

Several potential Irish Sea tunnel projects have been proposed, most recently the "Tusker Tunnel
Tusker Tunnel

The Tusker Tunnel is a proposed Irish Sea tunnel project aimed at linking the ports of Rosslare and Fishguard located in Republic of Ireland and Wales respectively....
" between the ports of Rosslare
Rosslare

The name Rosslare may refer to:*Rosslare Strand, a village in County Wexford, Ireland* Rosslare Harbour, a village in County Wexford, Ireland...
 and Fishguard
Fishguard

Fishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3,300 . The community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5043 at the 2001 census....
 proposed by The Institute of Engineers of Ireland in 2004. A different proposed route is between Dublin
Dublin

Dublin is both the largest city and capital of Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region....
 and Holyhead
Holyhead

Holyhead is the List of Anglesey towns by population in the county of Anglesey in the north west of Wales.Although it is the largest town in the county, with a population of 11,237 , it is neither the county town nor actually on the island of Anglesey....
, proposed in 1997 by a leading British engineering firm, Symonds, for a rail tunnel from Dublin to Holyhead. Either tunnel, at 80 km, would be by far the longest in the world, and would cost an estimated €20bn.

Merchant marine

Total - 35 ships (with a volume of or over) totalling /
Ships by type - bulk carrier
Bulk carrier

A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore, and cement in its cargo holds....
 7, cargo ship
Cargo ship

A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade....
 22, chemical tanker
Chemical tanker

A chemical tanker is a type of tanker designed to transport chemicals in bulk.Ocean-going chemical tankers generally range from to in size, which is considerably smaller than the average size of other tanker types due to the specialised nature of their cargoes and the size restrictions of the port terminals where they call to load...
 1, container ship
Container ship

Container ships are cargo ships that carry all of their load in truck-size containers, in a technique called containerization. They form a common means of commercial intermodal freight transport....
 3, roll-on/roll-off ship1, short-sea passenger 1
Foreign-owned - Germany 3, Italy 7, Norway 2
Registered in other countries - 18 (2003 est.)


Airports


Republic of Ireland


The main airports are Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, it is by far the busiest airport in Ireland - over 23.3 million passengers passed through the airport in 2007....
, Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport

Shannon International Airport , is one of Ireland's three primary airports . It is the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland with 3.1 million passengers in 2008....
 and Cork Airport.

Many regional airports exist, some flying to international destinations. For example Ireland West Airport Knock
Ireland West Airport Knock

Ireland West Airport Knock , is an airport located 5.6 km south of Charlestown, County Mayo, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland. 630,000 passengers used the airport in 2008....
 in County Mayo, Galway Airport
Galway Airport

Galway Airport , or Aerphort na Gaillimhe in Irish language, is located at Carnmore 9 km north of Galway City in Ireland and is managed by Corrib Airport Limited....
, Sligo Airport
Sligo Airport

Sligo Airport is located in Strandhill, County Sligo, about 8 kilometres from Sligo in the Republic of Ireland. The airport is a relatively small regional airport and is only served by Aer Arann to Dublin International Airport and Manchester Airport....
, Kerry Airport
Kerry Airport

Kerry Airport , or Aerphort Chiarra? in Irish language, often called Farranfore Airport, is an airport in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland....
 and Waterford Airport
Waterford Airport

Waterford Airport , or Aerphort Phort L?irge in Irish language, also known as the South East Regional Airport, is located near Waterford, and Wexford serving the south-east coast of the Republic of Ireland....
. Services to the Aran Islands
Aran Islands

The Aran Islands are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay, on the west coast of Ireland. The largest island is Inishmore the middle and second-largest is Inishmaan , and the smallest and most eastern is Inisheer ....
 are operated from Connemara Regional Airport.

The Republic's former state airline, Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus

Aer Lingus is the flag carrier airline of Republic of Ireland. Based at Dublin Airport, it operates 46 Airbus aircraft serving Europe, Africa and North America....
 provides air services from Dublin, Belfast International, Cork and Shannon to Europe, North America and the Middle East. Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports are run by the State body, Dublin Airport Authority
Dublin Airport Authority

Dublin Airport Authority plc or ?daras Aerfort Bhaile ?tha Cliath cpt in Irish language is the state owned airport authority in the Republic of Ireland....
 (formerly Aer Rianta). Two other Irish airlines are Ryanair
Ryanair

Ryanair is an Ireland Low-cost carrier airline, with headquarters in Dublin International Airport and its largest operational bases at Dublin International Airport and London Stansted Airport....
, one of the largest in the world and Aer Arann
Aer Arann

Aer Arann is a regional airline based in Dublin, Ireland. They operate scheduled service on 40 different routes between Republic of Ireland, France, and the United Kingdom....
. There are a number of other operates specialising in general aviation.

Northern Ireland


Northern Ireland has three airports. The main one is Belfast International Airport
Belfast International Airport

Belfast International Airport is an airport located northwest of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It is also known as Aldergrove, County Antrim, after the village of that name lying immediately to the west of the airport....
. The others are George Best Belfast City Airport
George Best Belfast City Airport

George Best Belfast City Airport is an airport in Belfast, County Down, Northern Ireland. The airport has a single runway operation. Situated adjacent to the Port of Belfast it is from Belfast City Centre....
 and City of Derry Airport
City of Derry Airport

City of Derry Airport is an airport located east northeast of Derry, Northern Ireland, situated in County Londonderry. It is located on the south bank of Lough Foyle and is a short distance from the village of Eglinton, County Londonderry, 13 kilometres east north-east of the city centre....
.

Passenger Numbers


In 2008 the passenger numbers were as follows:
Rank Airport Runways Max Length Passengers
1 Dublin 3 2637m / 8650ft 23,500,000
2 Belfast International 2 2780m / 9121ft 5,222,839
3 Cork 2 2133m / 7000ft 3,250,000
4 Shannon 2 3200m / 10496ft 3,100,000
5 Belfast City 1 1829m / 6000ft 2,570,907
6 Knock 1 2300m / 7546ft 630,170
7 City of Derry 2 1852m / 6076ft 438,996
8 Kerry 1 2000m / 6562ft 420,000
9 Galway 1 1350m / 4429ft 270,000
10 Waterford 1 1433m / 4700ft 144,000
11 Donegal 1 1500m / 4900ft 65,537
12 Sligo 1 1200m / 3933ft 44,500†
13 Dublin Weston Executive 1 924m or 1410m 21,522
14 Abbeyshrule 1 799m / 2610ft 3,000††


† Latest available figures are for 2007. †† Latest available figures are for 2006.

See also

  • List of Ireland-related topics
    List of Ireland-related topics

    This page aims to list articles related to the island of Ireland. This list is not necessarily complete or up to date; if you see an article that should be here but is not , please update the page accordingly.Special:Recentchangeslinked/List of Ireland-related topics...

Gateway Irish Urban Reference Destination Distances


Midlands Gateway Urban Destination Distances
The distances given below are in kilometres as travelling through the Midlands gateway ATM (Athlone-Tullamore-Mullingar).
Where it is logical to travel along the East or West coast directly, these distances are provided according to the popular route.
Urban by-passes, Rockades, Diversions, Detours and all other dispositives prolonging the travelled distances between destinations are equated to ZERO.
This is an estimation distance guide only.
× City /Town 1City /Town 2City /Town 3 City /Town 4City /Town 5 City /Town 6 City /Town 7 City /Town 8 City /Town 9 City /Town 10 City /Town 11City /Town 12 City /Town 13 City /Town 14 City /Town 15 City /Town 16 City /Town 17 City /Town 18 City /Town 19 City /Town 20 City /Town 21 City /Town 22 City /Town 23 City /Town 24 City /Town 25 City /Town 26 City /Town 27 City /Town 28 City /Town 29 City /Town 30 City /Town 31 City /Town 32 City /Town 33
kmAthboy
Athboy

Athboy , is a small agricultural town in County Meath in Republic of Ireland. It is located on the junction of the N51 road and R154 road roads....
km80Athlone
Athlone

Athlone is a town that lies on the River Shannon near the southern extremity of Lough Ree, Republic of Ireland....
km188241Ballymena
Ballymena

Ballymena is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001....
km14422146Belfast
Belfast

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of Devolution#United Kingdom Northern Ireland Executive and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland....
km100128298285Castlebar
Castlebar

Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town. A campus of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and the Country Life section of the National Museum of Ireland are two important local amenities....
km6080152136168Cavan
Cavan

Cavan is the county town of County Cavan in Republic of Ireland. The town lies in the northeast of the Ireland, along the border with Northern Ireland....
km2322554491269180Coleraine
Coleraine

Coleraine is a large town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland near to the mouth of the River Bann. It is northwest of Belfast and east of Londonderry, both of which are linked by major roads and railway connections....
km368217467424274300491Cork
Cork (city)

Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the Ireland third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the Provinces of Ireland of Munster....
km2202348911422116350478Derry
Derry

Derry or Londonderry , often called the Maiden City, is a City status in the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland....
km4014216312023088187309188Drogheda
Drogheda

Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Republic of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. Drogheda is the largest town in Ireland, recently surpassing its neighbour Dundalk....
km8012421116823510823525923653 M-50
Dublin
Dublin

Dublin is both the largest city and capital of Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region....
km7216012784248801523411653785Dundalk
Dundalk

Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Republic of Ireland, situated close to the border with Northern Ireland. It takes its name from , Dalga's Fortification home closely associated with the famous mythical warrior C?chulainn, and was granted its charter in 1189....
km24821941837530127444378430260211211Dungarvan
Dungarvan

Dungarvan is a town and harbour on the south coast of Republic of Ireland in the province of Munster. Dungarvan is the administrative centre of County Waterford....
km6040222176130402002971939080120251Edgeworthstown
Edgeworthstown

Edgeworthstown or Mostrim is a market town in County Longford, Ireland. Its name derives from the Edgeworth Family who have a long association with the town....
km184108453407173213387140408296243324160148Ennis
Ennis

Ennis is the county town of County Clare in Republic of Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway on the main N18 road connecting these two cities....
km1201264341681604615736310713715410033786234Enniskillen
Enniskillen

Enniskillen is the county town in County Fermanagh. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne....
km128963543419216032620127626821924922713680190Galway
Galway

Galway is the fourth largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the only city in the province of Connacht in Republic of Ireland. The city is located on the west coast of Ireland....
km15212433329025017835814834517512620796155150265174Kilkenny
Kilkenny

Kilkenny, , is the county seat of County Kilkenny in Republic of Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore, at the centre of County Kilkenny in the Provinces of Ireland of Leinster in the south-east of Ireland....
km16023051547229031953987476357308389165296155382215195Killarney
Killarney

Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Republic of Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lakes of Killarney which are part of Killarney National Park....
km1601234093661832174179936825120228311917541280109131114Limerick
Limerick

Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the county seat of County Limerick in the province of Munster, in the midwest of Republic of Ireland....
km40552451971125622828419111810514724415156101156162310202Longford
Longford

Longford is the county town of County Longford in the Midlands of Ireland. According to the 2006 census, the town has a population of around 13,000....
km3248215169154592322422217565852163515512114412026115942Mullingar
Mullingar

Mullingar is the administrative centre of County Westmeath, Republic of Ireland and the seat of the Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Diocese of Meath....
km6011624420122713026922325686371181751072061932058927216511472Naas
Naas

Naas is the county town of County Kildare, Republic of Ireland. With a population of over 23,000, it is the largest town in the County of Kildare....
km10080368325174169332134307210161242151146842321009314943153111124Nenagh
Nenagh

Nenagh is the county town of North Tipperary, Republic of Ireland. It is the administrative capital of North Tipperary. It has a population in 2006 of 7,415....
km6017997110199721024235713318111037514333850255290404297128130201254Omagh
Omagh

Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, situated where the rivers River Drumragh and Rive Camowen meet to form the River Strule....
km200202375332328300400195387217160249117235239363306121280198242200141202332Rosslare
Rosslare Europort

Rosslare Europort is a modern seaport located at Rosslare Harbour in County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, at the southeastern-most point of Ireland's coastline, handling passenger and freight ferry to and from Wales and France....
km18013437439216827940211935227722730914621420342941581342822117919069329224Shannon
Shannon, County Clare

Shannon or Shannon Town , named after the River Shannon near which it stands, is a new town located in County Clare and is one of only three planned towns on the island of Ireland, the others being the Northern Ireland town of Craigavon and the Mayo village of Westport, County Mayo....
km16011721520284121187323137201207200334962557517522833823181123199195114358216Sligo
Sligo

Sligo , is the county town of County Sligo in Republic of Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is the second largest urban area in Connacht ....
km26021550946624931248311843435130238319528914837517522833107296254265143398295128297Tralee
Tralee

Tralee is the county town of County Kerry, in the southwest corner of Republic of Ireland. The name Tralee comes from the Irish 'Tr? L?', or 'Tr? Laoi', which means 'strand of the Lee' , although some believe it comes from the Irish 'Tr? Liath' meaning 'grey strand'....
km604325621316993281207256149101130181801651561388522612477358976204164144158219Tullamore
Tullamore

Tullamore is a town in County Offaly, in the Midlands of Ireland of Republic of Ireland. It is Offaly's county town and the centre of a district the population of which totals around 15,000....
km160174373330310228397123385215166247462051702912365120812921217012916032973155289226135Waterford
Waterford

Waterford is the primary city of the South East region. Founded in 914 in Ireland AD, by the Vikings, it is Ireland's oldest city. It is the fifth largest city in the country of Republic of Ireland....
km1801893503073152443741843621121342241072632283072951102691872281861291893071921433328515163Wexford
Wexford

Wexford is the county town of County Wexford in Republic of Ireland. It is situated near the south-eastern tip of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort....
km120170270227280204295254282112551441761812811462651323462401881467519922710926525334014613384Wicklow
Wicklow

Wicklow is the county seat of County Wicklow in Republic of Ireland. Located south of the capital Dublin on the east coast of the island, it has a population of 10,070 according to the 2006 census....


External links

  • Formerly
  • (defunct)
  • A discussion on RTÉ
    Radio Telefís Éireann

    Radio Telef?s ?ireann is the Public broadcasting of Republic of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts on television, radio and the Internet....
     Radio One's
    RTÉ Radio 1

    RT? Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Republic of Ireland public service broadcasting Radio Telef?s ?ireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926....
     science show Quantum Leap about the quality of GPS mapping in Ireland is available . The discussion starts 8mins 17sec into the show. It was aired on Requires Real player.
  • Provide private coach hire & specialist golf tours in Ireland