Destinations (E to W)
On route / bypassed / bypassed by M7
County Dublin Red Cow, Dublin Rathcoole County Kildare Kill Naas Sallins Newbridge Kildare Monasterevin County Laois Portlaoise Mountrath * Castletown * Borris-in-Ossory	County Tipperary Roscrea County Offaly Dunkerrin Moneygall County Tipperary Toomevara Nenagh † Birdhill † County Limerick Daly's Cross Limerick ‡
* To be bypassed by M7 Portlaoise - Castletown [1]. † To be bypassed by N7 Nenagh to Limerick dual-carriageway scheme. ‡ Route (now R445) bypassing Annacotty, passing through Castletroy, Limerick and Caherdavin is still mostly signposted as N7, in addition to N7 Southern Ring Road.

The N7 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland, connecting Dublin and Limerick. The road passes through the midlands of Ireland, and acts as a trunk route out of Dublin for the N8 and N9 roads to Cork and Waterford respectively. It forms part of European route E20. Image File history File links N7_route_marker. ... Image File history File links M7_route_marker. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Dublin Code: D Area: 921 km² Population (2002) 1,122,821 County Dublin (Irish: Contae Bhaile Átha Cliath), or more correctly the Dublin Region[1] (Réigiúin Átha Cliath), is the area that contains the city of Dublin, the capital and largest city of... The red cow roundabout is the junction where the N7 crosses the M50. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Rathcoole (Rath Cúil in Irish) is a village to the south-west of Tallaght City in the Republic of Ireland and situated in South Dublin County. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Naas Code: KE Area: 1,693 km² Population (2006) 186,075 Website: www. ... The village of Kill is in County Kildare, Ireland near the countys border with Dublin. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Sallins (Na Solláin in Irish) is a village in County Kildare, Ireland, situated 3. ... Newbridge is the name of at least two places: Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland - sometimes known by its Irish name, Droichead Nua Newbridge, Wales (traditionally in Monmouthshire), United Kingdom Newbridge, Wolverhampton, a suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Monasterevin (Mainistir Eimhín in Irish) is a town in County Kildare in the Republic of Ireland. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Portlaoise Code: LS Area: 1,719 km² Population (2006) 69,012 Website: www. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Mountrath Mountrath is a small town in County Laois on the N7 midway between Dublin and Limerick. ... Castletown (Balley Chashtal) is a town in the south of the Isle of Man. ... Borris-in-Ossory (Buir os M r Osra in Irish) is a small town in County Laois, Republic of Ireland, located in the midlands of Ireland. ... County Tipperary (Tiobraid Árann in Irish) is a traditional county in the Republic of Ireland, in the province of Munster. ... Roscrea (Ros Cré in Irish) is a small town in County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, located near the midlands of Ireland. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Tullamore Code: OY Area: 1,999 km² Population (2006) 70,604 Website: www. ... County Tipperary (Tiobraid Árann in Irish) is a traditional county in the Republic of Ireland, in the province of Munster. ... Flag of Nenagh Nenagh (An tAonach in Irish) is the largest town in North Tipperary, Ireland, with a population in 2002 of 6,454. ... Statistics Province: Munster County Town: Limerick Code: LK Area: 2,686 km² Population (2006) 183,863 (including Limerick City); 131,303 (without Limerick City) Website: www. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... A Regional Road in the Republic of Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route (such as a National Primary Route, or National Secondary Route), but nevertheless forming a link in the national road network. ... Castletroy is a middle-class suburb of Limerick, Ireland. ... Caherdavin (Pop:6,613 (2002)) is a suburban district in the northern environs of Limerick City in the mid-west of Ireland. ... A typical Irish road sign in Mullingar, County Westmeath Ireland, both north and south of the border, has an extensive network of roads. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... This article is about the city in Ireland. ... The N8 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland connecting Cork with Dublin (via the N7). ... The N9 road is a National Primary Road in the Republic of Ireland running from Junction 9 on the M7 motorway, located near Newbridge, County Kildare, to Waterford city. ... This article is about the city in Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... The international E-road network is a network of roads in Europe, numbered E01 and up. ... From west to east: Shannon Airport - Limerick - Dublin . ...

Naas Road

Naas Road section of the N7 after upgrading.

The N7 route commences on the outskirts of Dublin at the Red Cow Roundabout (often termed the "Mad Cow Roundabout" due to traffic problems), an intersection with the M50 motorway. The Red Cow Roundabout is to be replaced with a near-freeflow interchange, as part of a €1.1 billion project to upgrade the M50. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 1243 KB) Naas Road (N7) after upgrade; looking south from overbridge at Junction 6. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 1243 KB) Naas Road (N7) after upgrade; looking south from overbridge at Junction 6. ... The red cow roundabout is the junction where the N7 crosses the M50. ... The M50 motorway is a motorway and National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland running in a C-shaped ring around the northern, western and southern sides of the capital city, Dublin. ...

From the M50, the N7 passes south of Clondalkin leaving the city as the "Naas Road". A 15km (9.5 miles) section of the N7 south of the M50 junction was upgraded to three lanes of dual-carriageway (i.e. an extra lane on each side), with work having commenced on the 4 January 2005 and concluded on August 14, 2006 (thumbnail on right). This section of the N7 bypasses Kill and Johnstown in County Kildare. As part of the upgrade, grade-separated interchanges were constructed. The old junctions consisted of traffic lights with a break in the dual-carriageway median. The three lane section ends at junction 9 (Naas, Sallins) with a left hand lane-drop for traffic leaving here. Clondalkin (Cluain Dolcáin in Irish, meaning Dolcans meadow) is a town/suburb and parish 10km west of Dublin City, Ireland, situated in South County Dublin. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 14 is the 226th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (227th in leap years), with 139 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI), a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The village of Kill is in County Kildare, Ireland near the countys border with Dublin. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Naas Code: KE Area: 1,693 km² Population (2006) 186,075 Website: www. ...

New signage erected as part of this scheme includes junction numbers (previously the only numbered N7 junctions were some of the interchanges on the M7 motorway).

M7 motorway

M7 motorway
Length	40 miles 63 km
Direction	Northeast-Southwest
Start	(N7 from Dublin) Naas
Primary destinations	Newbridge, Kildare, Monasterevin, Portlaoise (N8 to Cork)
End	Mountrath (N7 to Limerick)
Construction dates	1983 (Naas Bypass/J7-J8) 1993 (Newbridge Bypass/J8-J10) 1997 (Portlaoise Bypass) 2003 (Kildare Bypass) 2004 (Monasterevin Bypass) -
Motorways joined	9 - M9 motorway

N7 Junction 13 westbound on the M7 near Kildare.

Main article: M7 motorway (Republic of Ireland)

Outside Dublin, five consecutive bypass projects lasting from 1983 to 2004, around Naas, Newbridge, Kildare, Monasterevin and Portlaoise, have replaced the single carriageway road (and the Naas to Newbridge dual-carriageway) with motorway. The N7 road originally passed through the town centres of each these towns. This route section is designated the M7 motorway, and is continuous between north of Naas and west of Portlaoise, following the opening of the Monasterevin bypass in late 2004. The bypassed roads that used to be the N7 at various times are all now classified as the R445 road. The N7 is noted for two firsts in the history of Irish roads - the first substantial length of dual carriageway in the Republic of Ireland, running 26km (16.25 miles) from Dublin to Naas which was completed in 1968 and also Ireland's first section of motorway, the 8km (5 miles) Naas Bypass, opened in 1983 bypassing the original route through the town. Image File history File links UK_motorway_M7. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... The colour scheme used to denote a primary route. ... Newbridge is the name of at least two places: Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland - sometimes known by its Irish name, Droichead Nua Newbridge, Wales (traditionally in Monmouthshire), United Kingdom Newbridge, Wolverhampton, a suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Monasterevin (Mainistir Eimhín in Irish) is a town in County Kildare in the Republic of Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... The N8 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland connecting Cork with Dublin (via the N7). ... This article is about the city in Ireland. ... Mountrath Mountrath is a small town in County Laois on the N7 midway between Dublin and Limerick. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links UK_motorway_M9. ... The N9 road is a National Primary Road in the Republic of Ireland running from Junction 9 on the M7 motorway, located near Newbridge, County Kildare, to Waterford city. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 1142 KB) M7, Kildare Town by-pass I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 1142 KB) M7, Kildare Town by-pass I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... The M7 motorway is a motorway in Ireland that runs continuously from the outskirts of Naas to south of Portlaoise. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Newbridge is the name of at least two places: Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland - sometimes known by its Irish name, Droichead Nua Newbridge, Wales (traditionally in Monmouthshire), United Kingdom Newbridge, Wolverhampton, a suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Monasterevin (Mainistir Eimhín in Irish) is a town in County Kildare in the Republic of Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Motorway symbol in UK, France and Ireland. ... The N7 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland, connecting Dublin to Limerick. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Regional Road in the Republic of Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route (such as a National Primary Route, or National Secondary Route), but nevertheless forming a link in the national road network. ...

Portlaoise to Limerick

South of Portlaoise, the N7 passes through Mountrath, Castletown and Borris-in-Ossory (a stopover for Dublin–Limerick Bus Éireann services). A bypass skirts Roscrea, although the road is close to the town, necessitating a low speed limit, and a number of roundabout junctions. The N7 passes through Dunkerrin, Moneygall and Toomevara, all small villages along the route. A couple of kilometres after Toomevara, the route proceeds along a 10km (6.25 miles) bypass of Nenagh. There are junctions at either end of the bypass, but no junction for the R498 to Thurles, although a grade separated junction will be constructed here as part of the upgrade of this single carriageway bypass. Mountrath Mountrath is a small town in County Laois on the N7 midway between Dublin and Limerick. ... Castletown (Balley Chashtal) is a town in the south of the Isle of Man. ... Borris-in-Ossory (Buir os M r Osra in Irish) is a small town in County Laois, Republic of Ireland, located in the midlands of Ireland. ... Bus Éireann, or Irish Bus, provides bus services in the Republic of Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus. ... Roscrea (Ros Cré in Irish) is a small town in County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, located near the midlands of Ireland. ... Flag of Nenagh Nenagh (An tAonach in Irish) is the largest town in North Tipperary, Ireland, with a population in 2002 of 6,454. ... Historic print depicting market day in Thurles (August 1848). ...

The only major settlement between Nenagh and Limerick is at Birdhill. Traffic calming and speed limits also apply at Daly's Cross, a much smaller settlement close to Limerick. The N7 route officially follows the Southern Ring Road around Limerick City to meet the N20 near Carew Park. As of 2006, most signage in Limerick City has not been upgraded to reflect this, and the R445 (old N7 route through the city) ^[1] is mostly still signposted as the N7. The R445 is properly signposted from the N7 at the beginning of the Southern Ring Road. The N20 road is a National Primary Route in Ireland, connecting the cities of Limerick and Cork. ... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Regional Road in the Republic of Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route (such as a National Primary Route, or National Secondary Route), but nevertheless forming a link in the national road network. ...

Projects

Further schemes in planning will replace the single carriageway route from Port Laoise to Limerick with a motorway or high quality dual carriageway (HQDC). Work on a major improvement project began on 7 December 2006 which will upgrade the route from Limerick to Nenagh. This scheme will involve 38km (23.75 miles) of new road. 28km (17.5 miles) will be high quality dual carriageway. The other 10km (6.25 miles) will be the upgrading of the existing Nenagh bypass from single carriageway to standard dual carriageway. The new Limerick-Nenagh road is expected to be completed by 2009.

Planning is also at an advanced stage for a project that will extend the M7 motorway from Port Laoise to Castletown, near Borris-in-Ossory, a distance of some 28km (17.5 miles). The project will include a tie in with the new M8 motorway and will move the intersection of the two routes some 20km (12.5 miles) to the south west, from Port Laoise to Aghaboe. The project will be tolled, with a toll plaza to be located to the north of the M7/M8 junction. The upgrade will take the M7 considerably off the line of the current N7 route 5km (3.1 miles) at the maximum, and is therefore unusual in Ireland.

A final project connecting these two schemes, a motorway/HQDC from Castletown to Nenagh, is also being planned. This improvement, some 56km (35 miles) in length, will complete the N7 upgrades between Dublin and Limerick.

Limerick Southern Ring Road Scheme

N7 Limerick Southern Ring Phase 1 - J29?

This project is divided into 2 phases; Phase 1 and Phase 2. Phase 1 of the scheme consists of approximately 10km (6.25 miles) of dual carriageway, and was completed in May 2004, and joins the N20 road to Cork and the N21 road to Kerry. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 961 KB) N7 Limerick bypass I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 961 KB) N7 Limerick bypass I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... The N20 road is a National Primary Route in Ireland, connecting the cities of Limerick and Cork. ... The N21 road is a National Primary Route in Ireland, forming part of the overall route from Limerick to Tralee. ...

Construction started on Phase 2 of the scheme on 26 October 2006, when Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, turned the sod on the project. Phase 2 will consist of 10km (6.1 miles) of dual carriageway, 11 bridges, 6 underpasses, 4 interchanges and 900m (.5 miles) of tunnel under the River Shannon. The scheme will link up to the N18 Ennis Road. The project will cost around €372 million, and is expected to be completed by Autumn 2010. It is likely to be tolled. October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... Martin Cullen (born 2 November 1954) is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... The River Shannon (Irish: Sionainn), Irelands longest river, divides the West of Ireland (mostly the province of Connaught) from the east and south (Leinster and most of Munster). ... The N18 is the main road from Limerick to Shannon Airport, Ennis and on to Galway. ...

Junctions

As of 2006, junctions are being properly numbered, according to a national scheme now being implemented. So far (August 2006) only on the Naas Road dual-carriageway and on some new signage being erected on various newly opened stretches of National Primary Route motorway/continuous median dual-carriageway. The junctions on the Naas Bypass and Newbridge Bypass sections of the M7 were previously numbered J7-J11 (now renumbered Junctions 9-13), in the expectation that an M7 motorway would be built along a new alignment. Instead the Naas Road dual-carriageway was upgraded. The R113 junction (Newlands Cross) is the only remaining at-grade junction between the M50 and M7, with traffic lights and a break in central median. There are plans to construct a grade separated interchange here. [2] There also remain some private accesses and minor exits prior to J9, the beginning of the M7 motorway. 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A dual carriageway or divided highway is a road or highway in which the two directions of traffic are separated by a central barrier or strip of land, known as a central reservation or median. ... A Regional Road in the Republic of Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route (such as a National Primary Route, or National Secondary Route), but nevertheless forming a link in the national road network. ... Newlands Cross is a well-known crossroads in SW Dublin in the county of South Dublin. ...

The likely numbered locations for future N7 junctions, according to current plans are as follows: The Curragh is a plain in County Kildare Ireland. ... Kilcullen is a small town in County Kildare with a population of about 4,000 people. ... Newbridge is the name of at least two places: Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland - sometimes known by its Irish name, Droichead Nua Newbridge, Wales (traditionally in Monmouthshire), United Kingdom Newbridge, Wolverhampton, a suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might... A Regional Road in the Republic of Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route (such as a National Primary Route, or National Secondary Route), but nevertheless forming a link in the national road network. ... Newbridge is the name of at least two places: Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland - sometimes known by its Irish name, Droichead Nua Newbridge, Wales (traditionally in Monmouthshire), United Kingdom Newbridge, Wolverhampton, a suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might... A Regional Road in the Republic of Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route (such as a National Primary Route, or National Secondary Route), but nevertheless forming a link in the national road network. ... The Curragh is a plain in County Kildare Ireland. ... Kilcullen is a small town in County Kildare with a population of about 4,000 people. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Nurney (An Urnaí in Irish) is a village in County Carlow, Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Nurney (An Urnaí in Irish) is a village in County Carlow, Ireland. ... Monasterevin (Mainistir Eimhín in Irish) is a town in County Kildare in the Republic of Ireland. ... A Regional Road in the Republic of Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route (such as a National Primary Route, or National Secondary Route), but nevertheless forming a link in the national road network. ... Monasterevin (Mainistir Eimhín in Irish) is a town in County Kildare in the Republic of Ireland. ... A Regional Road in the Republic of Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route (such as a National Primary Route, or National Secondary Route), but nevertheless forming a link in the national road network. ... Emo (Ioma in Irish) is a village in County Laois, Ireland. ... A Regional Road in the Republic of Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route (such as a National Primary Route, or National Secondary Route), but nevertheless forming a link in the national road network. ... Emo (Ioma in Irish) is a village in County Laois, Ireland. ... A Regional Road in the Republic of Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route (such as a National Primary Route, or National Secondary Route), but nevertheless forming a link in the national road network. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... Tullamore (Tulach Mhór in Irish) is a large town in County Offaly, Republic of Ireland, located in the midlands region of Ireland, with approxiamately 20,000 (census 2002) inhabitants in the district. ... A Regional Road in the Republic of Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route (such as a National Primary Route, or National Secondary Route), but nevertheless forming a link in the national road network. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... Tullamore (Tulach Mhór in Irish) is a large town in County Offaly, Republic of Ireland, located in the midlands region of Ireland, with approxiamately 20,000 (census 2002) inhabitants in the district. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... A Regional Road in the Republic of Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route (such as a National Primary Route, or National Secondary Route), but nevertheless forming a link in the national road network. ... This article is about the city in Ireland. ... Cashel (An Caisleán in Irish, meaning the castle) is a town in County Tipperary, in the southern midlands of Ireland. ... The N8 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland connecting Cork with Dublin (via the N7). ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... This article is about the city in Ireland. ... Cashel (An Caisleán in Irish, meaning the castle) is a town in County Tipperary, in the southern midlands of Ireland. ... The N8 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland connecting Cork with Dublin (via the N7). ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... A Regional Road in the Republic of Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route (such as a National Primary Route, or National Secondary Route), but nevertheless forming a link in the national road network. ... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Portlaoise/Castletown/Cullahill (Construction soon):

19. Ballycuddihy (Restricted, M8 Junction 1, nr Aghaboe)

20. Coolfin (Restricted, local access, nr Aghaboe)

21. Borris In Ossory

Castletown to Nenagh (Planned):

22. Roscrea

23. Moneygall

Nenagh Bypass (Built, to be upgraded):

24. Toomyvara (R445 west into Nenagh)

25. Knockalton (R498 from Nenagh to Thurles - new junction on Nenagh Bypass)

26. Carrigatoher (R445 east from Nenagh)

Nenagh to Limerick (Under construction):

27. Birdhill

28. Annacotty (R445 west into Limerick, R503 to Newport)

Limerick Southern Ring Road Phase 1 (Built):

29. Ballysimon (N24)

30. Rossbrien (N20)

A further three junctions are planned as part of the Limerick Southern Ring Road phase 2 which will extend the N7 around to meet the N18. Junction numbers are likely to continue from the above.

31. N69 Dock Road

32. Coonagh West

33. N18 (end of N7)

References

• Roads Act 1993 (Classification of National Roads) Order 2006 (PDF)- Department of Transport

1. ^ Roads Act 1993 (Classification of Regional Roads) Order 2006 (PDF) - Department of Transport