Speed limit on dozens of busy Cork city roads to be cut to 60kph

Stretches of affected roads include areas around Ballincollig, Blarney, Glanmire and Douglas

Douglas Shopping Centre in Cork.  The vast majority of the affected roads — almost 40 — are in and around the Blarney and Douglas areas. Picture: Denis Minihane.

The speed limit on dozens of busy Cork city roads is set to be reduced to 60kph within weeks as part of a wider national review of speed limits in urban areas.

It follows the adoption of new bylaws by members of Cork City Council at their January council meeting.

The stretches of affected roads are in areas around Ballincollig, Blarney, Rathpeacon, Kilbarry, Glanmire and Douglas, many of which were in the administrative area of Cork County Council until the 2019 city boundary extension.

The vast majority of the affected roads — almost 40 — are in and around the Blarney and Douglas areas.

And while all are described as local rural roads, they are all busy commuter roads on the fringes of the city, where speeding has been cited as a major concern.

The speed limit on each of the affected stretches will be reduced from 80kph to 60kph, effective from February 7.

The affected stretches are all specified in detail in the new bylaws.

Councillors were told that the proposed changes were published for public consultation last October, with notices and copies of the draft byelaws and associated maps published on the city council website, and on speedlimits.ie.

The proposals were available for inspection by the public for 30 days, with submissions invited until November 26.

The Garda Commissioner and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) were among those consulted and two roads which are the responsibility of TII are to remain at 80kph.

In total, four submissions were received, most of which were in support of the speed reduction, with no submission outrightly against the proposed bylaws.

'We need more policing out there'

Independent Kieran McCarthy welcomed the adoption of the reduced speed limits but told the council meeting that the new limits must also be enforced, especially in some of the more rural areas on the outskirts of the city.

“The vast majority of people respect the rules of the road but there will be some people who are not even going to look at these speed limits, and not slow down. It’s back to the point that we need more policing out there,” he said.

Green Party Cllr Oliver Moran also welcomed the reduced speed limits and said they will contribute to a safer environment for all.

“To some degree, it’s a radical proposal, but it reflects what the majority of people want to see — safer roads,” he said.

“And even though it involves a degree of change for people — taking a step down from 50kph to 30kph in urban areas in the next phase, in particular, will be difficult — but I think that once you do it, you start seeing life at a different pace,” he said.

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The reduced speed limits arise out of the National Speed Limit Review, which saw its final report published by government in 2023.

The review sets out to reduce the default speed limit on national secondary roads from 100kph to 80kph, on local and rural roads from 80kph to 60kph, and on urban roads, including those in built up areas, housing estates and town centres, to 30kph.

The overall aim of the plan is to address the fragmentation and inconsistency of speed limits on Ireland's roads and improve road safety.