Page "N8 road (Ireland)" Paragraph 12

Ultimately, the N8 Cashel bypass was itself reclassified as part of the M8 motorway in July 2008.

The changes took effect on 24 September 2008.

Shortly prior to this, in October 2007, the section of N8 between Cashel and Cahir was bypassed by an early-opening segment of the now M8 motorway between junctions 9 and 10 and, for a 10-month period, this 13 km section of high-quality dual carriageway was designated a section of the N8 ( the former single carriageway became the R639 ).

On 25 July 2008 the section of single carriageway N8 between Cahir and Kilbehenny was also superseded by the new motorway, and this too was renumbered as the R639.

This, in turn, was followed on 8 December 2008 by the length of road from Cashel to 2 km south of Cullahill in County Laois.

In the meantime, the Watergrasshill to Fermoy section of the M8 had opened in October 2006.