Laois Offaly Garda traffic routes to Ploughing 2025 - police plea not to use sat navs

Laois Offaly Gardaí have pleaded with people travelling to the National Ploughing Championships near Tullamore not to use their sat navs and stick to the routes through Laois and other counties if they want to get to the site near Tullamore without delaying themselves and others.

Laois Offaly Gardaí had to manage significant delays in Laois recently when people going to the Electric Picnic chose to use sat nav routes rather than following the designated and signposted routes to Stradbally.  

The Laois Offaly Garda Division has published the official traffic plan for the upcoming National Ploughing Championships in Screggan which offers a variety of routes to the site near Tullamore which was also the location for the event in 2018.

Laois will be impacted with traffic from Munster (blue route), the south east (grey / yellow routes), north (orange route) all going through the county.

Traffic will be diverted around the main towns of Portlaoise and Portarlington, but all traffic on the yellow route from Carlow will be directed through Mountmellick town.

Traffic on the grey route from Kilkenny will be diverted through Abbeyleix, Durrow,  Rosenallis and Clonaslee. Some of Kilkenny traffic will use a route on the outskirts of Portlaoise.

In announcing the routes, the guards have pleaded with people not to use their sat nav to find their parking, as it will cause unnecessary delays and disruption to their plans. 

In a statement, An Garda Síochána Laois/Offaly said: "For the upcoming National Ploughing Championships, we strongly advise all attendees to plan ahead, follow the official Traffic Management Plan, and comply with the directions of Gardaí.

"Using Sat Nav instead of the designated routes will only cause delays for yourself and inconvenience for fellow attendees."

The designated routes are as follows:

BLUE ROUTE
Traffic from Cork / Munster
• Traffic travelling Northbound on the M8 will exit at Junction 6 (Horse & Jockey) and proceed towards Thurles where Gardai will divert traffic along the event route onto Templemore and Roscrea along the N62. At Birr traffic will join the N52 travelling northbound via Kilcormac and Blueball and onto the event site at Screggan, Tullamore.

GREY ROUTE
Traffic from South East (Kilkenny)
• Traffic travelling from Kilkenny/South East will travel North along the N77 via Durrow and Abbeyleix before arriving at Portlaoise where traffic will be directed left at Junction 17 through Clonminham and onwards to Fairgreen Portlaoise, travelling along the N80 to Mountmellick. At Derryclooney Bridge, Mountmellick traffic will be directed left and onto the R422 through Rosenallis and Clonaslee. At Coolagh Cross traffic will be directed right onto the R421 (Killurin Road). At Killurin Cross traffic will be directed left towards the event site at Screggan, Tullamore and parking beside the event site.

YELLOW ROUTE
Traffic from the South East (Carlow)
• Traffic travelling from Carlow and the South East will travel on the N80 towards Portlaoise. At Bloomfield Roundabout, Portlaoise traffic will be directed right onto Rathbrennan and onto Junction 16 (M7). Traffic will then turn left to the Heath and left again at the Wheel Inn pub (sign-posted Portarlington). Traffic will proceed to Kennells Cross and be turned left and travel towards Mountmellick town. All traffic will be directed through Mountmellick town.

BROWN ROUTE
Traffic from Limerick, Kerry and Southwest:
• Traffic travelling Northbound on the M7 will exit at Junction 26 (Nenagh south) and will proceed on the N52 towards Borrisokane. In Borrisokane traffic will take the N62 (signposted Portumna) and after 5km traffic will turn right onto the R438 to Cloghan. In Cloghan traffic will turn onto the R357 before being directed to parking beside the event grounds.

PURPLE ROUTE
Traffic from Dublin
• Traffic from Dublin to use the M4/M6 Westbound to Junction 5 on the M6 (Kilbeggan) and then onto the N52 towards Tullamore for 4km, where at Durrow turn right onto L2005 (passing GAA Pitch) and travel for 2km, then turn left onto the R420 and travel for 2km to avail of a shuttle service to the site.

PINK ROUTE
Traffic from the North
• Traffic travelling from the North will travel via Mullingar and onto the N52 towards Tyrellspass. Traffic will be turned right into Tyrellspass Village and on to Kilbeggan village via R446 (old N6). Once through Kilbeggan village turn left for Clara onto the R436. On the approach to Clara traffic will turn left onto the L2009 before joining the R420 Tullamore to Clara Road.
Traffic will then turn right at Coolnahiley and be directed to parking beside the event grounds.

GREEN ROUTE
Traffic from the West
• Traffic travelling from the West will exit M6 motorway at Junction 6 (Horseleap, Clara) and will be directed towards Moate town. Traffic will then be directed left onto the Ballycumber Road. At Ballycumber traffic will join the R436 (Ballycumber to Clara Road) before turning right on towards Rahan Village. At Rahan Village traffic will be directed onto the L2011 towards the event site and parking.

ORANGE ROUTE
Traffic from the North
• Traffic travelling westbound along the M7 Motorway will exit at Junction 15 (Cappakeel, Laois), turning right over the motorway and onto the R445 (Old Dublin Road). At New Inn roundabout traffic will proceed through Emo village and onto Kennells Cross where it will turn right and be directed to Garryhinch Cross and onto Cloneygowan village. Traffic will then follow the R420 to the event site.