Every Irish Road Sign Explained — Quick Reference Cheat Sheet

Before memorising individual signs, learn the universal shape-and-colour system. Once you know this, you can figure out most signs even if you've never seen them before:

• Circles = Orders. Red border = "Don't do this" (prohibition). Blue background = "You must do this" (mandatory).
• Triangles = Warnings. Red border, white background. "Danger ahead — be ready."
• Rectangles = Information. Green = motorway, blue = general info, brown = tourist/heritage.
• Octagon = STOP. The only octagonal sign. You must stop completely — not just slow down.
• Inverted triangle = YIELD. You must give way to traffic on the road you're joining.

Memory trick: "Circles Command, Triangles Threaten, Rectangles Report." CCT-RR — like a car registration!

These tell you what you must or must not do. Breaking them can result in penalty points or fines.

• Speed limit signs — Red circle with number. The number is the MAXIMUM speed in km/h.
• No entry — Red circle with white horizontal bar. Cannot enter from this direction.
• No overtaking — Red circle with two cars side by side (one red, one black).
• No parking — Red circle with blue background and red diagonal line.
• End of restriction — Black and white striped circle. All previous prohibitions are lifted.

Common exam trap: The "end of speed limit" sign is NOT a speed limit. It means revert to the default speed for that road type.

These warn you about hazards ahead. You don't have to do anything specific, but you should adjust your driving:

• Junction ahead — Cross or T-junction symbol. Reduce speed and be ready to yield.
• Bend ahead — Curved line. The sharper the curve in the symbol, the sharper the real bend.
• Pedestrian crossing — Figure on a crossing. Slow down and be prepared to stop.
• Road narrows — Lines converging. Expect to meet oncoming traffic closely.
• Slippery road — Car with wavy lines. Reduce speed, especially in wet conditions.

Green signs are specifically for motorways and national roads:

• Motorway start — Green sign with motorway symbol. From this point, learner drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians are prohibited.
• Motorway exit — Countdown markers at 300m, 200m, and 100m before the exit.
• Route numbers — M1, M50, N7 etc. M = Motorway, N = National road, R = Regional road.

Key exam fact: Learner permit holders are NOT allowed on motorways. This comes up frequently.

• Continuous white centre line — Do not cross or straddle. No overtaking.
• Broken white centre line — You may cross if safe to overtake.
• Double yellow lines (kerb) — No parking at any time.
• Single yellow line (kerb) — No parking during business hours.
• Yellow box junction — Do not enter unless your exit is clear. Exception: you can wait in the box if you're turning right and are only blocked by oncoming traffic.
• White diamond on road surface — You're approaching a pedestrian crossing. Slow down.
• Zig-zag lines near crossing — No parking or overtaking in this zone.