Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
which runs southwest-northeast from Junction 27 of the M7 at
Birdhill
Birdhill ()Placenames Database of Ireland (see archival records) is a village in
County Tipperary
County Tipperary () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary (tow ...
Nenagh
Nenagh ( ; , or simply 'the Fair') is the county town of County Tipperary in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Nenagh used to be a market town, and the site of the East Munster Ormond Fair.
Nenagh was the county town of the former county of Nort ...
- all in
County Tipperary
County Tipperary () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary (tow ...
. It leaves the M7 and loops around the
Arra Mountains
The Arra Mountains or Arra Hills (Irish: ''Sliabh an Ara'') are situated in County Tipperary in Ireland, between the towns of Nenagh and Ballina, south east of Lough Derg (Shannon) and north of the M7 Motorway.
The highest summit is Tountinna ...
between the hills and Lough Derg returning to what was the N7 in
Nenagh
Nenagh ( ; , or simply 'the Fair') is the county town of County Tipperary in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Nenagh used to be a market town, and the site of the East Munster Ormond Fair.
Nenagh was the county town of the former county of Nort ...
.
After leaving the N7 at Birdhill it heads north to meet the
River Shannon
The River Shannon ( or archaic ') is the major river on the island of Ireland, and at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of I ...
at Ballina, where the single lane signal controlled
Killaloe Bridge
Killaloe Bridge is a road bridge over the River Shannon between Ballina in County Tipperary and Killaloe, County Clare in Ireland. Built on the site of an earlier structure (dating to c.1650), the eighteenth-century bridge has thirteen arches a ...
connects it to Killaloe and the R463 on the western bank of the river in
County Clare
County Clare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern part of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council ...
. It continues north for a further 10 km close to the eastern shore of Lough Derg reaching a point several hundred metres from the lake shore but 100 m above it. There is a 'Lookout' point here with extensive views of the lake and the eastern hills of County Clare.
The road next turns eastwards through the villages of
Portroe
Portroe () is a village in County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The village is located on the R494 road (Ireland), R494 regional road, 2km from the eastern shore of Lough Derg (Shannon), Lough Derg and 11km west of the town of Nenagh. ...
and Newtown before joining the N52 Nenagh bypass as a roundabout junction. It continues into the centre of Nenagh and terminates at the R445 (the former N7 main
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
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Limerick
Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
Roads in Ireland
The island of Ireland, comprising Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, has an extensive network of tens of thousands of kilometres of public roads, usually surfaced. These roads have been developed and modernised over centuries, from ...
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National primary road
A national primary road () is a road classification in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. National primary roads form the major routes between the major urban centres. There are 2649 km of national primary roads. This category of road has the pr ...
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National secondary road
A national secondary road () is a category of road in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. These roads form an important part of the national route network but are secondary to the main arterial routes which are classified as national primary roads. Nat ...
Department of Transport
A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government a ...