National secondary road

National secondary roads have a default speed limit of 100km/h, but this is planned to reduce to 80km/h in 2025 under the Road Traffic Act 2024 following recommendations from a review of speed limits carried out by the Department of Transport in 2023.

Almost the entire network of national secondary roads is single carriageway, although there are some short sections of dual carriageway on the Tallaght bypass section of the N81, on the N52 at Dundalk, on the N85 at Ennis, on the N62 at Athlone, on both the N69 and N70 at Tralee and on the N71 between Cork and Bandon.

Many of them have been resurfaced with higher quality pavements in recent years with relatively smooth surfaces and good road markings and signposting.

In the past, most national secondary roads would have run through the centres of the towns on their routes; however, recently, that is less often the case.

For example: The former N8 bypass of Mitchelstown was re-classified as the N73 when the Fermoy (Moorepark) to Kilbehenny section of the M8 was completed.