Caution: straight road next three miles

Irish roads are treacherous. They are narrow, curved, and generally constrained by shrubs, trees, or walls.

The curves are endemic. This arises from the fact that most road construction was done at a time when the government had no policy of "compulsory purchase,"* and roads had to follow then-extant property lines — and the traditional Irish property is quite small.

*"Compulsory purchase" is known in the United States as "eminent domain."