Waterford Roads

East-west, the major roads are the busy N25 transit road from Rosslare Ferry Port to Cork City via Wexford & Waterford cities and the equally busy N24 from Waterford to Limerick. The roads of particular interest to the touring motorcyclist are the lesser-used north-south roads crossing the Knockmealdown and Comeragh Mountains, hardly Alpine with passes of 300 metres, and the coast road R685/R675.

• R676 Carrick-on-Suir to Lemybrien (Dungarvan) - Crossing the River Suir the road goes through Carrick town before twisting sharply as it climbs steeply, but then levels for an easy 25km journey with farmland to the east, and forest and the Comeraghs to the west. Sean Kelly, the professional cyclist lives in the area and cycles along the twisty lanes, so be prepared for cyclists, hill-walkers and loose farm animals.


• R678/R671/R672 Clonmel to Dungarvan crossing N72 (Dungarvan to Fermoy road) - Starting from Clonmel or Kilsheelan the R678 rises steeply from the valley as a twisty, narrow road, curving around the 518m peak of Laghtnafrankee to join the R671 at Ballymacarby. The R671 is the main road south of Clonmel, a smooth, gentle rise followed by the descent to Dungarvan. Several 700m peaks rise to the east in the Comeraghs.


• R685/675 The coastal road from the Waterford river ferry port of Passage East on the Waterford/Wexford border winds through Tramore and along the cliffs and sandy beaches to Dungarvan - a rural road little traveled outside summer holiday and weekends.

• R668 Clogheen to Lismore, the western north-south road, known as The Vee, is probably the most challenging and enjoyable route in its entirety, winding across the Knockmealdown Mountains between Tipperary and Waterford. I have traveled these roads many times but cannot match the description by Bob Montgomery in the Irish Times 02/05/07

  "The Vee is best approached from the south, from Lismore on the N72. Lismore is dominated by the massive square towers and battlements of Lismore Castle. The R668 from Lismore is signposted for Clogheen and the Vee (8 miles), and runs through pretty woods, initially accompanied on its western side by the river Owennashad flowing beside the road. At first the road is twisty, but well surfaced, and culminates in a deep gorge with heavily wooded slopes. The landscape then begins to give way to a more barren mountainous vista as we climb gently towards the Knockmealdown Mountains now visible ahead. Do watch out for sheep straying on to the road, especially on hidden corners. In the biggest viewing area at the summit one can look 10 miles across the Golden Vale to the 917m peak of the Galty Mountains, and down on a road far below twisting its way through a deeply wooded landscape. It's a surprise to realise that this is the same road, the R668, which has spectacularly wound its way down to a much lower level in a short distance from the highest point on the Vee. Following a number of hairpin corners the R668 now descents swiftly through the heavily forested Kilballyboy Wood before coming to our journey's end at the village of Clogheen."

  The R665 will lead you back to Clonmel to complete a circuit or westward to the lower Kilworth Mountains and eventually by minor roads to Killarney & Kerry.