Irish Examiner view: Adare bypass decision raises questions about our priorities

Fast-tracking the Ryder Cup seems a questionable priority given that the proposed upgrade of the N/M20 between Cork and Limerick is not scheduled to begin until 2027

While Adare certainly needs a bypass — the 'Irish Examiner' highlighted this in its Bypass Ireland series — many are asking if it is being prioritised over other Cork and Limerick projects to facilitate some millionaire sportspeople. Picture: Dan Linehan

When the calls ring out for improved infrastructure in Ireland, one potential project is usually mentioned very early in the discussions.

The poor quality of the main road connecting Cork and Limerick — two of the biggest urban areas in the country — has been a hot-button topic for years. Earlier this year, for instance, Kanturk-Mallow Municipal District Council councillors expressed concern that a greenway proposed between Charleville in Cork and Patrickswell in Limerick appeared to be getting priority over the proposed upgrade of the N/M20 between Cork and Limerick: Work on that upgrade is scheduled to begin in 2027.