1	Dublin/Wicklow Hills & South-East
2	West Cork & Kerry
3	Connemara & Galway/Mayo
4	Sligo/Leitrim/Fermanagh/Mayo
5	Donegal
6	Antrim/Derry
7	Galtee/Waterford

Roads numbered from M1 to M11 and M50 with the roads numbered N1 to N20 are the faster/ intercity routes across Ireland. Road sections prefixed 'M' are segments of limited-access dual-carriageway, sometimes of high quality construction, while 'N' roads can be very mixed in quality. Both these roads attract heavy traffic, big trucks, poor drivers, tailbacks, police speed checks and speed cameras.

Roads with a 'N' number higher than '20' or numbers prefixed by 'R', 'L', and 'other', need extreme care being often narrow with high hedges, tight bends, late or no advance warning signs, surfaces varying from near perfect to gravel, ruts & holes, farm machinery, wandering farm animals, and locals driving dangerously. Country roads can also be fun, very scenic, can avoid towns, traffic and speed checks, but extreme care is needed.

The national speed limit on 'M' roads it is 120kph (70mph), on all roads outside urban areas is 60/80/100 kph (50/60 mph) (limits vary in local areas) and in urban areas drop to 50 kph (30mph) or even 30 kph (20mph). Police speed checks are often sited on the edges of changes in speed limits.

Country roads suit any type of motorcycle, but especially big trail bikes; most roads, including 'N' & 'M' roads are OK for sports bikes, just check your bike's nuts, bolts, luggage and pillion regularly. Sidecars, where the driver is sitting on the left, have visibility problems on narrower rural roads.

Maps for Touring: One of the best general maps is the Michelin series www.viamichelin.com) motoring & tourist map No 923 (1cm = 4km) for Ireland. It's a multi-lingual map and some scenic roads are highlighted. Local maps printed by Ordnance Survey Ireland are excellent for local areas. But local knowledge is essential to discover the best motorcycle rides, and that's what these set of pages hopes to provide! Ireland is like a saucer with the high ground around the coasts and a flat, fascinating centre!

Use Ireland's main roads to quickly reach the best of Ireland's motorcycle roads ~ the M50 and N11 to Wicklow & the South East; N25 Rosslare to Cork; N22 or N71/N70 Cork to Tralee; N21/N18 Tralee to Galway via Limerick, or the better R551/N67 direct. The 300-mile N59 Galway to Sligo coast-road is a great motorcycling road in places, backbone of local roads, and virtually every side-road off leads to a scenic location. N15 Sligo to Donegal has great views but requires concentration because it's a poorly built road, but from Donegal town the N56 coastal road and the R2XX side roads are concentrated adrenalin! But have pity for your pillion! So bumpy!
From Letterkenny to L'Derry is the boring N13, the approach to the jewel of Inishowen. The 400-year-old walled city of L'Derry can be approached from the western side of the Foyle River by the new bridge downstream. Follow the A2 around the coast to Belfast. If you can, continue on the coast-hugging A2 road around to Newry. The main A1/M1 is a boring slab south to Dublin, best avoided by coastal roads thru Drogheda or inland via Ardee & Slane.

There are good roads across the Midlands like the R154 Dunboyne to Cavan road (Donegal) beside the N3, the R403/402/357/348 Lucan to Galway road which runs near to the M4/N6 but has less traffic and another Dublin <> Cork road using the N7 to Naas, then the R448, N78 to historic Kilkenny, N76 to Clonmel and the R671 over the Knockmealdown Mountains to Youghal, joining the N25 to Cork.