Mitchelstown is 30 miles from Cork City on the N8. It is set at the foothills of the Galtee, Ballyhoura and Knockmealdown Mountains in the country side of the Blackwater Valley. It is within the 'Three Counties' region of Cork, Limerick and Tipperary at the confluence of which the town lies. The name of the town derives from St. Michael, the patron saint of the Condon Family, who lived in the area in medieval times. It is an example of a planned town and was laid out primarily by the 1st and 3rd Earls of Kingston in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
Mitchelstown is situated at the crossing of national routes and regional roads, which pass between the foothills of the adjacent mountains. The N8 which connects Cork with Dublin divides the town centre in half while the N73 which connects Mallow to Mitchelstown is to the west. Mitchelstown also serves a busy regional road, the R513 which connects to both Limerick and Tipperary to the north.
The need for a Relief Road:
The existing N8 through Mitchelstown town centre is congested at present traffic levels and forecast increases will further compound the delays. In addition to the through traffic, heavy goods vehicles from Dairygold creamery, Galtee and other businesses pass through the town centre adding to the traffic. The relief road will remove through traffic from the town centre and provide alternative route around the town relieving the town of congestion. This will return the town to the people of Mitchelstown, enhancing the communities quality of life and stimulating the economic environment.
The relief road will remove an estimated 60 - 75% of the through traffic from the town centre. After construction of the N8 Fermoy to Mitchelstown road, the relief road will continue to cater for traffic to/from Limerick and Mallow, which is a significant fraction of the traffic passing through the town centre.
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