Around post #25 I realized this was a Zombie thread. I started skimming forward to see who the Necromancer was. That it is the o.p. is slightly (only slightly) mollifying, however, there are a more recent train of threads in 'Living Car Free' with the exact same themes. Same city even, and a 1.7mi. stretch of bad road that had them spooked. If o.p. there is the same as the o.p. in this thread, the situation is beyond hopeless. It is now bordering on pathological that they keep starting multiple threads about wanting to give up car ownership and cycle full time, but seemingly ... can't.

Full disclosure: for our 20 year anniversary last year, I took DW back to her birthplace in Northern England when we turned a financial corner after decades of living in poverty. Because of said poverty we made transportation and utility cycling the backbone of our domestic economy. It has served us well. We live at a Middle Class standard, and are at least as comfortable as our better paid friends and family. We are both profoundly visually impaired, but I have been at times legally allowed to operate a car during daylight hours. I never took the State up on their generosity because I care too much for this Planet to use a car for short trips around town and a 4.5mi (one way) commute.

My wife and I were shocked and appalled to see how many cars there were stuffed into what, in the U.S. would be a small suburb, albeit one built to European road standards (narrow!). Cars with one set of wheels hoisted onto the sidewalks on both sides of the streets leaving only a single car width open, down the center. The country roads are shoulder-less, and the speeds are high although the drivers are far more skillful than is the average here.

I'm not sure I could be an active cyclist in the UK. We went to Manchester where DW imagined things would be better for cyclists and ... I don't know. I saw some, but not many. There really isn't a very aggressive pro-cycling advocacy leading to bike friendly infrastructure like in Portland, OR, USA. We sold everything salable and moved to Portland, OR, USA on the strength of the bike friendly reputation PDX has earned. If there is a city(s) in Ireland with a similar reputation, I'd find it and call it good. In the meantime, I'd find alternate routes to the scary road. I'm pretty sure we've added a good mile to our morning outbound which equals two for me as I turn around and do the inbound leg right after delivering DW to her worksite. Even in a pretty bike aware locale, a savvy cyclist has to make judicious road choices for safety's sake.

Even after admitting that present conditions for safety are much improved over 8 years ago, the o.p. is still unsure. Life's too short already and constant anxiety is proven to have negative impacts on longevity.