We take a lot for granted in this country, including our own knowledge of the geography of the island. As a consequence we tend to pay scant attention to the road signs whose job it is to guide us to our destinations, writes Barry McCall.
However, what happens to the traveller who doesn't have the benefit of an Irish primary school education? And dare we mention those of us who aren't professional cartographers and visit a particular area irregularly?
If they are to drive around the country without having to stop every few minutes to ask directions or consult a map, they are going to have to rely on our road signs. And it's not at all surprising that complaints about road signs feature high on Bord Fáilte's annual visitor surveys.
A spokesperson told Motors. "the Visitor Attitudes Survey 2001 reveals, as in previous years, that the most widely reported disadvantage of Ireland relative to other destinations is our road infrastructure."
RAC Ireland research on Irish road signs surveying 200 car-using tourists at Rosslare and Dublin ports found two in five car said they would not take their vehicle back here due to the poor roads and signposting. They were especially critical of road signage in rural areas.
"The main problem which seems to arise with signage in Ireland is the inadequacy or indeed the absence of them altogether on our roads", says Robert Taylor, managing director, RAC Ireland.
"Road signs here tend to be too small and placed too close to junctions. Signposts also need to be illuminated at night, but few actually are, even on major routes.
"Rural areas in particular stand to suffer most from inadequate signposting and these are the areas where our infrastructure is at its worst," he continues. "We shouldn't have to put up with substandard, and indeed often dangerous, road signage."
The poor state of our road signposting has also been recognised by the Government with the recent announcement by junior environment minister, Mr Pat the Cope Gallagher, of €5.1 million in funding for a new Regional Road Signposting Programme.
The funding available is being allocated to five counties in 2003 - Donegal Co Council receives €1.45 million; Galway Co Council gets €1.3 million; Kerry Co Council, €750,000; Sligo Co Council €450,000; and Wexford Co Council €1.15 million.
It's little wonder that we need such investment when you take the example of a visitor arriving at the ferry terminal in Dún Laoghaire and wanting to drive to, say, Portlaoise.
Of course, there are no signs anywhere in the vicinity of Dún Laoghaire, nor indeed any other place in south Dublin east of the Naas Road which tell you that Portlaoise even exists.
Having fruitlessly searched for a sign they can ask for directions. One such set of directions might tell them to follow the signs for the N7. This will be useful as the N7 is reasonably well signposted. The signs take them northwards along the coast road from the Ferry Port and north bound on the N11 Stillorgan dual carriageway for a short distance before turning right up Foster's Avenue.
This rather twisty route can be followed if you keep your eyes peeled and watch for the signs.
However, the left turn on Foster's Avenue is signalled only about 30 metres beforehand, and it's only then that you realise that this small section of left-hand lane is no longer bus lane and may be used for traffic turning left.
Too late for most careful drivers who will find themselves stuck in the wrong lane by the time they see the sign.
The signs for the N7 continue up Foster's Avenue, through Goatstown, and down into Taney Road.
At this point it becomes interesting. At the Taney Crossroads there is a signpost for Dundrum, its new bypass and the M50 - clearly the best route by which to connect to the N7. But there is no sign for the N7, so you go straight up Churchtown Road where there are yet more signs for the N7.
These signs take you along the old ring road through a string of traffic lights and roundabouts, including the notorious Walkinstown Roundabout - which must be a nightmare for anyone used to driving on the right hand side of the road - before reaching the Long Mile Road. Here signs invite you both to go left and straight on for the N7. Having made your choice your troubles aren't over yet. You have to get through the Red Cow Roundabout before the relatively open road beckons.
The journey back is no better. Not only do the signs fail to take into account the existence of the M50, they seem to have the deliberate intention of delivering the hapless tourist into the metaphorical arms of waiting traffic jams. Approaching the Red Cow roundabout from Naas the first signs for ferry ports show one ferry labelled Dublin Port, and another with no label at all. We'll imagine that our tourist knows the difference between Dún Laoghaire and Dublin ports and picks the unlabelled sign to follow.
This brings them onto the middle lane of the Red Cow roundabout from where they are to drive straight on in the direction of the city centre rather than turning right onto the M50.
The only problem is that they get stuck behind traffic turning right in this lane. Having waited patiently for this backlog to clear, they then get into another traffic jam at the Long Mile Road junction. And then the fun begins.
The signs for Dún Laoghaire tell them to take the next turn right. With the filter light not being overly generous to right turning traffic this manoeuvre can take up to 15 minutes in light traffic conditions and the only advice for heavy traffic is to bring a good book.
After that it's back through the Walkinstown Roundabout and so on. The signs for Dún Laoghaire along this road are regular and clear - until Rathfarnham Bridge that is, when they disappear completely until somewhere around Goatstown.
These sets of signs seem designed to guide traffic through already congested suburban residential areas and away from the new motorway which was designed to bring relief to those areas. And this is our capital city - things only get worse outside.
Take, for example, someone driving from Killarney to Kilkenny via Mallow and Mitchelstown. The road from Killarney to Mallow and Mitchelstown may be bad, but the signs are worse.
Having negotiated your way past Mallow the only indication of the left turn to Mitchelstown is a tiny sign, about nine inches high by two feet wide, which itself is located about two metres from the turn. One can only ponder the fate of the hundreds of hapless tourists who must miss this turning every week.
At the other end of their journey the take a right at Urlingford to head for Kilkenny City. Within a few miles they meet a T-junction - with no sign at all.
It's time to consult the map - if you knew where you were in first place - or ask directions, but don't rely on the signs.
FINDING YOUR WAY TO RATHMINES
Dublin is one of those cities where all roads lead to the city centre. Everywhere you go you find signs directing you to "An Lár/City Centre", but few leading anywhere else. We took a journey from Stillorgan to Rathmines following the signs, such as they were.
Driving down the dual carriageway we decided that the best thing to do was to head for the city centre and watch out for a sign for Rathmines on the way. Good and logical, but this is Dublin.
As we drove past the Radisson Hotel on the outside lane of the dual carriageway, we did notice that there was a sign to our left largely obscured by a footbridge as we approached it and out of sight almost as soon as we came upon it. It might have indicated a route to Rathmines but if it did it wasn't any help to us.
We continued driving watching for signs and found ourselves in a very long traffic jam just opposite the Montrose Hotel. As we watched the traffic sail by on the inside lane, we figured that something must be wrong. Five minutes later we found out what it was - we were in a right-turn-only lane to take us down to the Merrion Road.
By the time we realised this it was too late and we took the rightand turned left again at the next "An Lár" sign beside St Vincent's Hospital. As we sailed through Ballsbridge there were still no signs for Rathmines so we continued on until we reached the Grand Canal. Still no signs for Rathmines.
We drove on through Mount Street and ended up on Merrion Square where we found ourselves in a massive traffic jam on Clare Street. And still no signs for Rathmines.
We crawled slower than an injured snail around the side of Trinity College and down into Pearse Street. This presented us with an interesting set of options. Straight on for College Green and what looked like traffic carnage or right down Tara Street where the traffic appeared mildly less congested.
Having taken the latter option we realised that we had gone too far. The only information we allowed ourselves to keep us at least in the same city as Rathmines was the fact that it was south of the river.
So left up the quays in the fruitless and frustrating search for signs. Eventually we take a left up Parliament Street - more in despair than hope. The right lane is flowing better so we take it and end up at Christchurch were we turn left again to head south of the river.
At this point we give up - deciding that Rathmines is the figment of someone's cruel imagination. We decide to follow the signs back to the city centre in an attempt to retrace our steps. This takes us to Stephen's Green via Kevin Street. And there it is! Not a road sign - but a sign on the front of a bus - Rathmines. Glory Be! All we have to do is follow the bus somehow. This we manage until the end of Harcourt Road where a real road sign guides us the final few hundred metres to Rathmines.
At least we think that's where we ended up. There were no signs to tell us that we had arrived.