The M6 motorway from Galway
Every train-free journey from Athenry to Dublin begins on the M6, the motorway that ends a few kilometres west of the town near Doughiska. It was finished on 18 December 2009, the first direct motorway between two Irish cities, built in five stages from 2005, and with the M4 it makes a 120 km/h dual carriageway all the way to Kinnegad. Only one toll stands on it, at Cappataggle east of Loughrea.
Checked against the source on 2026-09-19.
Ingo Mehling, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Athenry Castle on the 3D model; tap a pin for its page and directions.
How it was built
Kinnegad to Tyrrellspass opened as dual carriageway in December 2006, Tyrrellspass to Kilbeggan in May 2007 and Kilbeggan to Athlone that July; motorway rules applied from Kinnegad to Athlone from 24 September 2008. The 19 km from Athlone to Ballinasloe opened on 23 July 2009 and became motorway on 28 August. The 56 km from Ballinasloe to Galway, junctions 14 to 20, was built from 2007 as a tolled public-private partnership by N6 Concession Limited, a group of the Spanish firms FCC and Itinere with P. J. Hegarty, and opened under motorway restrictions. The Athlone bypass and the approach into Galway are dual carriageway but still signed N6.
Toll, services and junctions
The single toll plaza is at Cappataggle between junction 15, Ballinasloe West, and junction 16, Loughrea, so there is no toll between Loughrea and Galway or between Ballinasloe and Dublin; cash, card or tag. The Galway Plaza, an off-line service area at junction 16 near Kiltullagh, opened in February 2016 with a Supermac's, Papa John's and Spar; the Athlone services between junctions 7 and 8 opened in September 2019 with a Circle K and McDonald's. Athenry's own junction is 17, where the M17 to Tuam and the M18 to Gort and Limerick meet the M6 at junction 18. The model on this page pins Athenry's station and castle; the station guide covers the train alternative.
Questions people ask
Is there a toll on the M6 from Galway to Dublin?
Where are the services on the M6?
When did the M6 open?
Written from Wikipedia, "M6 motorway (Ireland)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), read on 2026-09-19, and from the OpenStreetMap places on the model. Nothing has been added from memory; follow the source for its footnotes.