IDA Ireland - Communications
Connections By Road
The Irish motorway network includes the ring road of Dublin (M50), and motorways M8 and M9 to Cork and Waterford respectively. In addition, the country has a number of national roads with sections that qualify as motorways. From the vantage point of Dublin, destinations include Belfast, Derry, Donegal, Sligo, Galway, Limerick and Wexford.
Connections By Rail
Efficient and regular railway services throughout Ireland are provided by Iarnród Éireann. The centre of the network is Dublin, where two main stations - Heuston and Connolly - connect to the main cities and towns. Dublin with Belfast are connected by efficient services provided jointly by The Enterprise service and Northern Ireland Railways.
Connections By Air
Ireland has three main international airports - Dublin, Shannon, and Cork - all serving a wide range of European and international routes, with scheduled and chartered flights.
Other airports include:
- Kerry International Airport
- Galway Airpor
- Sligo Regional Airport
- Knock Airport
Connections By Freight Ports
Ferry services operate regularly between Ireland and Great Britain, as well as to the Isle of Man and France. The main freight ports are:
- Rosslare
- Cork
- Dublin
- Galway
Broadband / ICT Facilities
Ireland has among the best ICT and Broadband infrastructure in Europe, available via cable, DSL, satellite, 3G mobile and fixed wireless. DSL is available to over 90% of homes and businesses in Ireland. The number of broadband subscriptions is over 1,361,254, which is a penetration rate of 30.5%, according to Q3, 2009. An estimated 67% of households in Ireland have broadband (Q3, 2009), beating the European average of 65%.
