Getting to Portlaoise by road and rail

Car

Travelling by car to Dublin takes at least an hour and a half in rush hour and often longer. To bypass Kildare, try branching off at Monasterevin through Rathangan and rejoin the N7 on the Dublin side of the town. Stretches of the N7 between Monasterevin and Kildare are bumpy, single-lane and accident-prone. Wear and tear on the car should be a consideration. From Johnstown onwards, outer-suburban commuters joining the N7 tend to slow down traffic. Once past the M50 roundabout it's plain sailing all the way to the quays.

Train

There are three trains which get commuters to the city in time for a nine o'clock start. This is by far the most popular route for commuters. Early-birds catching the 6.48 a.m. train arrive in Heuston station by 8.05 a.m. A second train at 7.22 a.m. gets to the city at 8.40 a.m. and the 7.40 a.m. arrives at 9.00 a.m. The 7.22 a.m. service comes from Cork, so may be quite full by the time it arrives in Portlaoise. Going home in the evening, there are two services. The 5.30 p.m. arrives back in Portlaoise at 6.40 p.m. and the 6.40 p.m. arrives at 7.50 p.m. A weekly commuter ticket costs £31.

Bus

Neither Bus Eireann nor the privately-run Rapid Express Coaches operate timetables to suit commuters to the city from Portlaoise in the morning. Going home, Cork-bound Bus Eireann coaches leave Dublin at 45 minutes past every hour. The 5.45 p.m. gets to Portlaoise at 7.15 p.m. and the 6.45 p.m. has an arrival time of 8.15 p.m. A weekly ticket costs £25. The Rapid Express bus leaves Middle Abbey Street at 6 p.m., arriving in Portlaoise at 7.25 p.m., and a single journey costs £3.50.