Ribbon cut on cross-border route

[two gun sid]

From BBC/NI:
A cross-border road designed to cut journey times between Belfast and Dublin has been officially opened.

The ribbon was cut on nine miles of dual carriageway between Cloghogue, south of Newry, and Dundalk.

The £86m scheme will be unveiled by Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern and NI Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy on Thursday.

The Dundalk to Newry scheme completes the first inter-urban route from Dublin to Northern Ireland.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6926783.stm

Sounds like a small thing but, this is big news. It brings Dublin and the north closer. After years of trying to close or pot hole cross border routes they are building roads to link the two communities. Amazing. At least it is to me.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

1. I remember the first time Mr. Wonderful and myself went to Ireland in

December, 1981. It took us 3 hours to get from the Dublin Airport to his hometown, approximately 8 miles outside of Newry.

Back then, you had to drive right through the middle of every town from Swords to Newry. Nightmarish traffic. Drogheda was always the worst spot. Sometimes it would take half to three-quarters of an hour to get through going either way...

The only time I didn't mind the traffic was in August, 1991 after Down beat Kerry in the All-Ireland Senior Football Semi-Final. The craic waiting in the traffic was something else...

[two gun sid]

2. Tailbacks prompt rethink on road

From BBC/NI:
A weekend of tailbacks and motorists' complaints has prompted Roads Service to review a temporary road lay-out on the new cross-border dual carriageway.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6933349.stm



I think I may have been a little premature in proclaiming a 32-County Irish Republic being formed because of this road opening. No matter. It's still gonna happen.