The N21 is the main route from Limerick to Kerry.
It starts by spitting off the M20 motorway southwest of Limerick and heads through the rural part of the county before passing around the Kerry town of Castleisland.
The N23 to Killarney splits off to the south while the N21 continues west to Tralee, terminating on the 2013 Tralee Bypass. Here the route meets the N22 and N69 at a roundabout.
The route serves a string of small towns along the way: the tourist town of Adare, Rathkeale, Newcastle West, and Abbeyfeale.
The road has seen little improvement over the years. Most of the single carriageway from Tralee to Abbeyfeale has been replaced in the last 20 years and there is a short dual carriageway stretch around Castleisland, but the rest of the route remains underdeveloped.
Chronic traffic issues remain unresolved at Adare, which sees tourist, commuter and long distance traffic mingling on the main street lined with picturesque thatched cottages.
About 10 years ago, an Adare bypass was planned to run south of the town, but was refused planning permission, and the 2008 economic crisis put the idea on ice for a decade.
Around 2015 however, an EU-funded plan to create an upgraded route from Limerick to the important River Shannon port of Foynes was unveiled.
Sensibly, this would run past Adare, meaning that the port route and Adare bypass could be provided with one road.
In 2017 further details were announced - the Adare segment would run north of the town as far as Rathkeale and would be motorway.
It would measure 16.7 km in length.
From there, the rest of the project would provide a grade-separated single carriageway northwest to Askeaton and onward to Foynes.
It is expected that this part will be built by 2025 and it will solve the greatest traffic and safety issues on the N21.
As for the rest of the route, there used be a plan to dual from Rathkeale as far as Abbeyfeale.
This would complete an upgrade of the whole N21 - there would then be motorway from Adare to Rathkeale, dual carriageway from Rathkeale to Abbeyfeale, and good quality single carriageway from Abbeyfeale to Tralee.
Unfortunately this idea seems to have disappeared and the last time any information was revealed on this it was merely short single carriageway bypasses of Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale.
The low standard parts in between would not be improved.
Update 12/07/2019:
A planning application for the M21 Adare-Rathkeale and N69 Rathkeale to Foynes schemes is expected by the end of the year.
Newcastlewest and Abbeyfeale bypasses are at Feasibility Study. It is likely these would be small-scale, short bypasses.
A full Rathkeale-Abbeyfeale scheme is now not planned until after 2027.
Update 07/02/2021:
The oral hearing into a planning permission for the M21 Adare-Rathkeale scheme will run from 8th-18th February. This will deal with the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) and objections and is a step towards the final decision. No date for the latter has been confirmed, however.
There are separate websites for the route options for the Newcastlewest and Abbeyfeale bypasses.
Update 05/10/2021:
Here is the latest update on the Adare bypass courtesy of Boards.ie:
This scheme was published in December 2019.
An Bord Pleanala requested additional information which was submitted in September 2020 and also placed on public display.
ABP held the Oral Hearing for the scheme over 11 days in February 2021.
A decision on planning is expected in Q4 2021.
Work is progressing on the Phase 5 (Enabling and Procurement) documents to facilitate early construction of the Adare Bypass in advance of the 2027 European Ryder Cup, assuming statutory approval is achieved.
Update 09/11/2021:
The Preferred Routes for the Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale bypasses have been decided.
Click here for the Newcastle West virtual consultation room.
The map can be found under "8.Preferred Route Corridor".
It passes to the north of the town and may include a link road to R521 which would improve connectivity to the town centre.
It will measure about 7.25 km and the standard will be dual carriageway.
The Abbeyfeale route is here.
It passes to the south of the town and is much straighter.
It will be 6.2 km long and also dual carriageway.
Both schemes should be ready for submission to the planning board by 2023.
Update 18/02/2022:
The M21/N69 Adare Bypass/Foynes road has had its planning decision postponed many, many times.
It now seems a result will finally appear "next month", i.e. in March.
Adare has planned a bypass for decades, and the scheme will effectively create an entirely new route between Limerick and its port at Foynes, via the M20, new M21 and new N69 dual carriageway.
Update 31/08/2022:
The M21/N69 Adare Bypass/Foynes road has cleared planning permission after nearly 3 years awaiting a decision.
The process was subject to endless delays and the deadline for a decision was repeatedly pushed out, which was strongly criticised by business and political leaders.
"The development will include around 15.6km of dual carriageway between Foynes and Rathkeale along with more than 17Km of motorway between Rathkeale and the existing motorway network at Attyflin near Patrickswell."
There have been plans for an Adare bypass for decades.
The scheme will create a new motorway, M21, and in conjunction with the new N69, there will be a whole new road between Limerick and its port at Foynes.
Update 06/11/2022:
Two judicial reviews have been launched against the M21 Adare-Rathkeale-Foynes scheme.
The reviews simply mean that the granted planning permission is being challenged for legality by the public.
There are no details yet on who lodged them or why.
It has gotten to the point in Ireland that this type of legal challenge has simply become par for the course for major road schemes.
It may take a year or two but since construction on the project was not due to begin until around 2025, it may not even delay the project's start date.
Update 26/01/2023:
It has been reported that three judicial reviews have been lodged against the M21 Adare-Rathkeale-Foynes motorway project.
Based on what happened with the M28 project in Cork, these cases can be expected to add 2-3 years before construction can begin.
It was due to begin in 2 years (2025) so this target may be missed.
The target to have the scheme ready for the Ryder Cup in Adare by 2027 will probably not be met, but this event was never the most important factor at play.
There have been plans to bypass Adare for decades.
Update 12/06/2023:
Great news on this scheme!
The three Judicial Reviews that were launched against the scheme last autumn (2022) have been dropped following discussions between the councils and the applicants.
This development in the case now frees the project to proceed to the next stage in its delivery.
Update 24/09/2023:
The Department of Public Expenditure has announced that the M21 Adare Bypass is still expected to start construction in 2025 and be completed in 2028, and to cost from €250-500 million.
The project is listed as being at stage "Approval Gate 2 - Pre-tender Approval" (PDF page 28) with main contractor procurement in Q3 2023.
This is great news as it looks like full steam ahead.
Update 19/10/2023:
It has been announced that the Adare Bypass element of the N21/N69 Limerick-Foynes road project will be prioritised in order to be ready in 2027 in time for the Ryder Cup:
"Locally, Tim Fitzgerald, a senior engineer responsible for the project has told councillors the seven-kilometre section of the road from Attyflynn to Croagh, which is ostensibly the bypass of Adare, will be the priority."
The remainder of the road will probably open the following year or shortly thereafter.
Note that the end of the article erroneously speculates that passengers will also be able to use the railway line which is currently being rehabilitated and brought back into use:
"The potential of trains being ready raises the prospect of cruise ships arriving into Foynes and its passengers then travelling by rail to Adare Manor for the Ryder Cup."
There are no plans to have passenger services on it, only freight.
Additionally, the 100-metre wide route corridors for the N21 Abbeyfeale and Newcastlewest bypasses will be announced by the end of the year, in "November or December".
It is hoped that a planning application will be lodged in 2024.
Update 21/11/2023:
Today it was confirmed by the Government that the Adare Bypass element of the M21/N69 Limerick-Foynes scheme will be accelerated in order to get it finished by September 2027 when the Ryder Cup makes it to Adare, Limerick.
It's not clear what the timeframe for the rest of the project is.
Update 01/12/2023:
It has been confirmed that the 7 km Adare bypass element of the M21/N69 Limerick-Foynes scheme is to go ahead soon as a standalone project, in time for the Ryder Cup golf tournament in 2027. This part of the scheme will cost €150 million. It looks like the balance of the scheme (to Rathkeale and Foynes) will take place in parallel, but will be completed some time after 2027.
Meanwhile farmers affected by the scheme have been complaining.
Stephen Keary, a councillor for the local district, believes that a "goodwill payment" was due to the landowners which is being negotiated in the background:
According to Limerick City and County Council (LCCC), the council issued the notice to treat (NTT) on all lands that form part of the Foynes to Limerick (Including Adare Bypass) Project in August.
...
"The way they’re treating us now is similar to what Cromwell did in the 1650s, giving people the opportunity to go to hell or to Connacht. I'm not going to hell or to Connacht and I'm going to stay put," he added.
...
"This is only to facilitate the Ryder Cup... As far as I am concerned the building of this road is to support the development of the port of Foynes. If it's only for Adare village, forget about it, I wouldn’t have it as a priority, it’s only a three-day event."
The part about the Ryder Cup is not accurate. He makes it sound like the bypass is only for a 3-day event, but the town has needed a bypass for over 40 years and will have one forever once it is built, with the balance of the scheme as follow-on project.
Update 27/02/2024:
The M21 Adare-Foynes scheme will start later this year, with the Adare Bypass element due to open by 2027. From the article:
"The project is expected to go out for contract tender this coming April. It is estimated that the contract for the project will be awarded in September 2024 with construction then getting underway and crucially, the date for completion of the Bypass is June 2027 – 3 months ahead of the Ryder Cup in September which is a very positive development."
The bypass will be opened as single carriageway with roundabouts while construction on the full scheme continues. No date for the full opening has been announced.
Update 17/06/2024:
Here is a remarkable drone video of the Patrickswell-Rathkeale (including the Adare Bypass) M21 motorway scheme. Significant topsoil strip, access road preparation and hedgerow and boundary wall removal can be seen.
Update 19/06/2024:
The tender for the construction of the 7 km section of the M21 motorway around Adare in County Limerick has been published.
Here is a map of the section.
The tender also says "The Croagh to Adare section of the Project, including the 2 grade separated junctions, is required to be fully operational by June 2027, in advance of the 2027 Ryder Cup."
This section, which runs from Croagh to Adare, will not connect directly to the existing end of the dualled section of the N21 to the east.
This may be influenced by the fact that the future M20 motorway will move the location of the M20/M21 split, but it is an odd choice as most Ryder Cup traffic will be coming from Limerick and Shannon (i.e. the east), so will have to traverse the gap between Adare and the N20/N21 split.
The remainder of the project will follow shortly after.
This includes the gap as far as the M20 to the east; a westward extension to the Rathkeale bypass; and the building of a new dual carriageway N69 alignment to Foynes with a link road to Askeaton.
Update 16/11/2024:
The Adare Bypass element of the M21 scheme has had a tender awarded and is due to start by year end:
"Limerick City and County Council today announces the news that a joint venture of John Sisk & Son (Holdings) Ltd and Sorensen Civil Engineering Ltd, known as Sisk Sorensen JV, has been identified as the Successful Tenderer for the construction of the Adare Bypass. Subject to the necessary approvals, it is programmed to have the contract awarded by the end of 2024."
DroneHawk is on the case and has issued an updated flyover video. It shows before and after shots where properties in the way of the route have been demolished, and where abutments have been built for a bridge over the new Limerick-Foynes freight railway, which is also under construction.
Wikipedia page
Pictures of this road (none yet)