M9 junctions guide: every exit from Kilcullen to Waterford
A junction by junction guide to the M9, from the M7 at Kilcullen to the N24 at Waterford, with the Kilkenny exits explained and the fuel stops marked.
This is a plain guide to the M9 junctions from the M7 at Kilcullen down to Waterford, written by the people who get called to them at all hours. It tells you the junction numbers, what each one serves, where the fuel is, and where on the motorway cars tend to give up. If you drive the M9 regularly, knowing the M9 exits by number is worth having in your head for the day you need to tell someone exactly where you are.
The M9 is 119 kilometres long. It opened in stages from 1994, and the last section, Leighlinbridge to Danesfort, opened in September 2010 to complete the motorway. It is the main route between Dublin and Waterford and it carries most of Kilkenny's traffic to and from the capital.
M9 motorway junctions list: the quick version
Numbered from north to south. The names are what you will see on the signs or what the locals call them.
- J1: M7 interchange. The M9 leaves the M7 at its Junction 11, south of Naas. From the M9 you can only join the M7 heading east towards Dublin.
- J2: Kilcullen. R448 and R418 for Kilcullen, Newbridge and the Curragh.
- J3: Moone and Athy. N78 for Athy and Castlecomer, R747 for Baltinglass, with Moone, Timolin and Ballitore nearby.
- J4: Castledermot. R448 for Castledermot and Tullow, signed Carlow North.
- J5: Carlow. N80 for Carlow town, Enniscorthy, Bunclody and Rosslare. Carlow service area is at this junction.
- J6: Leighlinbridge and Bagenalstown. R448 for Carlow South, Leighlinbridge and Bagenalstown.
- J7: Paulstown and Gowran. R448 for Paulstown, Gowran and Goresbridge. Paulstown service area is at this junction.
- J8: Kilkenny North. N10 dual carriageway into Kilkenny city, also signed for Durrow northbound.
- J9: Danesfort, Kilkenny South. N10 for the south of Kilkenny city and Bennettsbridge, R713 for Stoneyford.
- J10: Knocktopher. R699 for Knocktopher, Thomastown, Callan, Stoneyford and Carrick-on-Suir.
- J11: Mullinavat. R704 for Mullinavat, Glenmore, Piltown and New Ross.
- J12: Waterford, Grannagh. The motorway ends at a roundabout with the N24 for Clonmel and Limerick. It is not signposted with a number. The road continues to the N25 Grannagh roundabout and the Waterford bypass.
Junctions 1 to 6: Kildare and Carlow
The northern end of the M9 is open farmland with long sightlines and a lot of commuter traffic in the mornings and evenings. Kilcullen at J2 is the first proper exit and the busiest for Kildare traffic. The Kilcullen service area sits on the motorway itself between J2 and J3, so you can get in and out without leaving the M9.
J3 is the one for Athy and, for anyone heading to north Kilkenny, the N78 to Castlecomer, Clogh and on into Kilkenny city by the Castlecomer Road. J4 at Castledermot and J5 at Carlow serve Carlow town from the north. J5 is the N80 junction and has the Carlow service area beside it. J6 at Leighlinbridge covers the south of Carlow town, Bagenalstown and the Royal Oak. Breakdowns on this stretch are mostly commuter cars, tyres on the fast sections, and the odd van that ran its tank down trying to make Dublin without stopping.
M9 Kilkenny junctions: 7 to 12
Almost 50 kilometres of the M9 runs through County Kilkenny, from the Carlow border above Paulstown to the Waterford bypass at Grannagh. These are the junctions we know best.
J7 Paulstown
Paulstown is the first Kilkenny junction coming south. The R448 (the old N9) runs through it towards Gowran, and the R712 heads across to Goresbridge. The Applegreen service area here is the only motorway service area in County Kilkenny, with fuel, food, HGV parking and electric vehicle chargers. If your fuel light is on and you are heading south, this is the last easy stop before Waterford.
J8 Kilkenny North
This is the N10 junction and the main way into Kilkenny city from the motorway. The N10 dual carriageway runs west into the Kilkenny ring road, and from there to MacDonagh Junction, the train station and the Castlecomer Road. Northbound it is also signed for Durrow and the N77. If you are going to Kilkenny city, Freshford, Ballyragget or Castlecomer, this is your exit.
J9 Danesfort, Kilkenny South
Danesfort serves the southern side of Kilkenny city, Loughboy and the Callan Road side of town, as well as Bennettsbridge and Stoneyford on the R713. It is the junction a lot of locals use when they live south of the city and want to avoid the ring road. From here south the motorway runs through open country with long unlit stretches between the junctions.
J10 Knocktopher
Knocktopher is the junction for Thomastown, Ballyhale and Callan via the R699, and the back way to Carrick-on-Suir. Thomastown, Inistioge and Mount Juliet traffic all comes off here, as does anyone heading to Kells or Windgap from the motorway.
J11 Mullinavat
The last proper junction before Waterford. The R704 runs to Mullinavat village, Glenmore and across to New Ross. Traffic for the N25 to New Ross and Rosslare can leave here or carry on to the Waterford bypass. A new service area at Mullinavat has been proposed, but nothing is built, so do not count on it for fuel.
J12 Waterford, Grannagh
The motorway ends at the N24 roundabout near Grannagh and Kilmacow. There is no junction number on the signs. From here the N24 goes west to Carrick-on-Suir, Clonmel and Limerick, and the road carries on to the N25 Grannagh roundabout for Waterford city, Cork, Dungarvan, New Ross and Wexford. It is a busy tangle of slip roads and it is the one place on the M9 where people most often give us the wrong location.
Which M9 junction serves which Kilkenny town
If you are giving directions, or telling a recovery driver where you are heading, this is the short version.
- Kilkenny city, Castlecomer Road, Freshford, Ballyragget, Urlingford: J8 Kilkenny North.
- Kilkenny city south, Loughboy, Bennettsbridge, Stoneyford, Kells: J9 Danesfort.
- Gowran, Paulstown, Goresbridge, Graiguenamanagh: J7 Paulstown.
- Thomastown, Inistioge, Ballyhale, Knocktopher, Callan, Windgap: J10 Knocktopher.
- Mullinavat, Glenmore, Piltown, Fiddown, New Ross: J11 Mullinavat.
- Kilmacow, Mooncoin, Waterford city: J12 and the N24 or N25.
- Castlecomer and Clogh from the Dublin side: J3 and the N78, which is quicker than going round by Kilkenny.
Fuel and services on the M9
The M9 has three places to fill up. The Kilcullen service area between J2 and J3 is on the motorway itself. Carlow at J5 and Paulstown at J7 are off the motorway at the junction roundabouts, so you leave the M9, fill up and rejoin. South of Paulstown there is nothing on or beside the motorway for the whole run to Waterford, which is about 50 kilometres. If you are low heading south, come off at J8 or J9 for Kilkenny city, or at J10 for Thomastown and Knocktopher, where there are ordinary filling stations in the towns. Heading north from Waterford, Mullinavat village at J11 has fuel, but Paulstown at J7 is the first motorway service area you will meet. Keep that in mind when the fuel light comes on.
Where breakdowns happen most often on the M9
We cannot give you official figures, but after years of answering the phone there are patterns.
- The long stretches between Danesfort (J9), Knocktopher (J10) and Mullinavat (J11). Cars that have been nursing a problem since Dublin tend to give up here. It is unlit, fast and there is nowhere to pull in except the hard shoulder.
- Southbound after Paulstown (J7). This is where people who meant to stop for fuel at the service area and did not realise it was the last one for 50 kilometres start to worry, and some of them do not make Kilkenny.
- The Grannagh end (J12) and the N25 merge. Slip roads, lane changes and tired drivers at the end of a long run from Dublin mean more bumps and more cars on the verge.
- Northbound between Carlow (J5) and Kilcullen (J2) early in the morning. Commuter cars with flat batteries, worn tyres and tanks that were going to be filled tomorrow.
- Any junction roundabout in frost. Paulstown and Knocktopher roundabouts both catch people out on cold mornings.
If you break down on the M9
Get on to the hard shoulder, hazards on, out through the passenger doors and behind the barrier. Note your direction and the last junction you passed, and read the blue location sign on the verge if you can see one. If anyone is hurt or the car is in a live lane, ring 112 or 999. Otherwise ring your insurer if you have breakdown cover, and if you have none or the wait is too long, ring Kilkenny Recovery Truck on 087 288 2280. We cover every junction on the M9 from Kilcullen to Waterford, with the fastest response on the Kilkenny section between Paulstown and Grannagh. We agree the price before the truck moves and there is no call-out fee.
Questions people ask about this
Which M9 junction is Kilkenny?
J8 Kilkenny North is the main one, where the N10 runs into the city. J9 Danesfort serves the south of the city, Bennettsbridge and Stoneyford. Paulstown at J7 is the first Kilkenny junction coming from Dublin but it is not the city exit.
Are there services on the M9?
Three. Kilcullen between J2 and J3 is on the motorway itself. Carlow at J5 and Paulstown at J7 are beside the junction roundabouts. South of Paulstown there is nothing until Waterford, so fill up before you pass J7 heading south.
Why does the last M9 junction have no number?
The motorway ends at an ordinary roundabout with the N24 near Grannagh rather than a numbered junction with slip roads. Most people call it Junction 12 or just the Waterford end. If you break down there, tell us whether you are on the M9, the N24 or the N25 and which way you were going.
How far apart are the Kilkenny junctions?
Anything from a few minutes' drive to a quarter of an hour at motorway speed, with the gaps south of Danesfort the longest. In a car that is losing power, that is a long way, so pull in as soon as something feels wrong rather than hoping to make the next exit.