Steepest road in Ireland

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dereer
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Steepest road in Ireland

Post by dereer »

What is the steepest road on the island of Ireland. A recent trip to the Gap of Mamore in Donegal got me thinking. This website claims a gradient of "almost 30%", although most sources I've seen state the maximum gradient is 20%. I wonder what (if any) roads in Ireland are steeper than this.

Additionally, I am interested in the steepest classified roads. The steepest national road I know of is the N67 at Corkscrew Hill, signposted at 12%. No idea about regional roads.
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nowster
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Re: Steepest road in Ireland

Post by nowster »

The scariest I've experienced was the "Priest's Leap" pass from West Cork to Kerry. Single track all the way and definitely not recommended in an 8-seater MPV.
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Re: Steepest road in Ireland

Post by Enceladus »

One of the steepest roads I've been on here in Ireland was near Mullaghmore in County Sligo, where the gradient must have been close to 1:3 or even 1:2. :shock:

The West coast and the Wicklow Mountains in the East have quite a few very steep drives - many of these of course are also very scenic!

Below is a link to a list of some of these roads...
https://www.theirishroadtrip.com/crazy- ... n-ireland/
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Owain
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Re: Steepest road in Ireland

Post by Owain »

dereer wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 01:46 What is the steepest road on the island of Ireland. A recent trip to the Gap of Mamore in Donegal got me thinking. This website claims a gradient of "almost 30%", although most sources I've seen state the maximum gradient is 20%. I wonder what (if any) roads in Ireland are steeper than this.
I've been through the Mamore Gap and submitted one of the photos for our PotM competition a few years ago. It's a very scenic area, but compared with some of the country roads I've driven in other countries it didn't seem particularly steep to me.

dereer wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 01:46Additionally, I am interested in the steepest classified roads...
One of the things I've always found surprising about Ireland - in comparison with Scotland, Wales, and even England - is how flat the island is. Considering that, there are a few roads that have surprised me:

A52 west of Belfast

The access road at Carrick-a-Rede

A2 descent towards Cushendun

Fountain Hill in Derry (so steep it could be in Bath, barring the architecture)

A6 descent from the Glenshane Pass (with views for miles around)

M2 at Newtonabbey (where 9 cars out of every 10 seemed to drive uphill in the middle lane! Going down it in the outside lane was always an experience...)
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bothar
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Re: Steepest road in Ireland

Post by bothar »

The well known Patrick's Hill in Cork is supposed to be 25%.
nowster wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 13:04 The scariest I've experienced was the "Priest's Leap" pass from West Cork to Kerry. Single track all the way and definitely not recommended in an 8-seater MPV.
I visited this route last year, it is definitely a route for scenery and not as a through route which some satnavs were proposing.

This cycling site lists a number of routes, the Glengesh pass in Donegal seems a contender which is on the R230. Perhaps I'll try and visit there before the summer is out.
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Re: Steepest road in Ireland

Post by M50Jct15 »

On Barrack Road between Glencullen in County Dublin and Enniskerry in County Wicklow, there is a series of switchback bends combined with 1 in 2 slopes in parts. It's only an L road but it's not in a remote area - going up it's the steepest rise I've seen. (Obviously equally steep going down..but that seems less scary!)

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.2125308, ... authuser=0
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Re: Steepest road in Ireland

Post by M50Jct15 »

700 days later...the section I mentioned above is locally called "The Devil's Elbow". Just for the record.
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Re: Steepest road in Ireland

Post by FosseWay »

The road to Barley Lake in County Cork is quite a monster. No idea what the actual gradient is though.
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Re: Steepest road in Ireland

Post by Owain »

I'm sticking with Fountain Hill.
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Re: Steepest road in Ireland

Post by Berk »

The Gap of Dunloe felt quite steep when driving it. But experience suggests perhaps it isn’t??

Narrow, for sure, but not truly steep. Still best to have a pint at Kate Kearney’s Cottage at the end, though. :beer:
Owain wrote: Wed Aug 09, 2023 21:49I'm sticking with Fountain Hill.
Surely some of the hills of Newtownabbey are steeper?? They cut the tv signal off, so they must be fairly steep.
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Re: Steepest road in Ireland

Post by AndyB »

No, I can’t think of a single signed hill in Newtownabbey. Prince Charles Way is reasonably steep, but it’s unsigned and only about 60 years old - the rest all seem to find gentler ways round the hills.

Even the likes of Grays Lane in Belfast which go down from the Antrim Road to the Shore Road are unsigned despite reasonably rapid descents - just not as rapid as say, Ballymiscaw Road up Craigantlet.
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Re: Steepest road in Ireland

Post by wallmeerkat »

Owain wrote: Sat Jul 31, 2021 21:55
The access road at Carrick-a-Rede

Nearby Ballintoy harbour access road is as close as we get to an alpine hairpin road :D https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.24334 ... ?entry=ttu
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Re: Steepest road in Ireland

Post by wallmeerkat »

AndyB wrote: Thu Aug 10, 2023 10:05 No, I can’t think of a single signed hill in Newtownabbey. Prince Charles Way is reasonably steep, but it’s unsigned and only about 60 years old - the rest all seem to find gentler ways round the hills.

Even the likes of Grays Lane in Belfast which go down from the Antrim Road to the Shore Road are unsigned despite reasonably rapid descents - just not as rapid as say, Ballymiscaw Road up Craigantlet.
Indeed Prince Charles Way and, the other side of Carnmoney hill, the Ballyduff Road were always good tests of a cars uphill speed
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.68785 ... ?entry=ttu

Glebe Road just off PCW was also a steep one https://www.google.com/maps/@54.6723105 ... ?entry=ttu

Knockagh steep enough too, but as you say, Newtownabbey doesn't do hill gradient signage
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Re: Steepest road in Ireland

Post by AndyB »

wallmeerkat wrote: Thu Aug 10, 2023 13:38
Owain wrote: Sat Jul 31, 2021 21:55
The access road at Carrick-a-Rede

Nearby Ballintoy harbour access road is as close as we get to an alpine hairpin road :D https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.24334 ... ?entry=ttu
I’ll see you that and raise you Drumaroan Road just below Corrymeela.. I drop down it by (almost) stopping and releasing the brake, and go up it in 2nd and switch to 1st for the actual corner.

To be fair, I don’t go up it very often. More often than not, I come in the other end of Drumaroan Road and get the lovely view across the bay to Rathlin instead, and it is glorious.
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