A2 road (Northern Ireland)
The
A2 is a major road in
Northern Ireland.
 |
Antrim Coast Road |
The road is mostly a single carriageway and follows the majority of Northern Ireland's coast. It is connected in several places to other major roads.
The road begins in the city of
Newry,
County Down and heads north-east through the fishing towns of
Warrenpoint,
Rostrevor and
Kilkeel.
After
Dundrum the road continues via
Ardglass to
Strangford, where traffic following the road takes a car ferry to
Portaferry. From there it meets the
Irish Sea coast of the
Ards Peninsula at
Cloughey, and follows it through
Portavogie,
Ballyhalbert,
Millisle and
Donaghadee to
Bangor, County Down, from where it forms a major dual carriageway to
Belfast.
After its intersection with the
M3, it continues through
Belfast city centre's complex one-way system via the Queen's Bridge and Queen Elizabeth Bridge, past the Custom House and on along Corporation Street, eventually joining York Road. Along this stretch and further out the Shore Road, the main route is formed by the M3,
M2 and
M5, until the M5 ends in
Newtownabbey in the northern
suburbs of Belfast.
After a suburban stretch through
Jordanstown,
Carrickfergus and
Whitehead, it enters open countryside
en route to
Larne, beyond which the most notable section of the road, the
Antrim Coast Road, begins. This has been compared to
Australia's Great Ocean Road and is regarded as one of Ireland's most scenic drives. The road here is not a primary route and is narrow but lightly used. This section of the road closely follows the coast through the villages of
Ballygalley,
Glenarm,
Carnlough,
Waterfoot and
Cushendall before leaving the coast, which it rejoins at
Ballycastle.
It then continues along the coast to
Portrush and continues on into
County Londonderry through
Coleraine and
Derry to the border with the
Republic of Ireland.
 |
Dunluce Castle |
Due to its length and the fact that it follows the coast, the road passes a large number of Northern Ireland's tourist attractions. These include:
*The
Mountains of Mourne*
Carrickfergus Castle, a
Norman castle built in
1177*The
Glens of Antrim, a series of steep coastal valleys and hills with spectacular scenery.
*
Ballycastle, site of the 400 year old
Ould Lammas Fair*
Bushmills, site of the
Old Bushmills Distillery which was founded in
1608*
Dunluce Castle, dating from the 13th century and battered by the
Atlantic Ocean*
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, a rope bridge to the tiny Carrick Island
*
Portrush, and the nearby
Giant's Causeway
