Tailbacks on Dublin's M50 stretched for eight kilometres this morning after a number of crashes at rush hour.
Traffic was generally quiet elsewhere in the country, according to AA Roadwatch, but shortly after 8am traffic was backed up between Ballymun and Balinteer on the M50.
"We watched the delays on the traffic cameras getting longer and longer" said AA Roadwatch controller Nicola Hudson.
The delays were blamed on a number of incidents. Shortly before 8am a four-car crash happened in the southbound lane at Edmondstown and emergency services were dealing with it for over an hour.
Over the next hour a car broke down on the southbound side at the Red Cow slip road and another collision occurred southbound between the toll bridge and the Lucan exit.
The AA also said that between 8am and 9am two cars and a truck encountered difficulties between Firhouse and Tallaght, adding to the delays.
Queues stretched from before the exit for Sandyford Industrial Estate up to the toll plaza. "All inbound routes were affected, the Lucan Rd, the Navan Rd and the Naas Rd were at a crawl, long after early morning rush hour" said Ms Hudson.