Parish Priest supports Balla road safety protest

A PARISH priest joined his flock at a road protest near Balla today (Sunday) aimed at highlighting the ongoing dangers to motorists and pedestrians at the junction of the Ardboley road with the N60 (Claremorris to Balla) route.

There have been a litany of road accidents at the junction over the years.

Fr. Denis Carney addressed the huge turnout from a trailer just after midday.

He said it was “a miracle†that nobody had been killed or very seriously injured at the intersection. 

Recalling the deaths of three Donegal people in a road accident in Co. Louth during the week, Fr. Carney said communities were devastated and distressed by such tragedies. 

He called on Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to accede to what he described as “a very minor request†to move the speed limit sign from the outskirts of Balla a few hundred yards further out the road to Claremorris beyond the Ardboley junction.

Tim Lavin, chairman of Ardboley Action Committee, pledged there will be further protests on the issues, with the possibility that the TII headquarters in Dublin, will be picketed, unless the demands of the community on the issue are met.

The wide range of speakers at today's rally included Senator Michelle Mulherin, elected members of Castlebar Municipal District Michael Kilcoyne, Blackie Gavin, Al McDonnell, Henry Kenny, Martin McLoughlin and Cyril Burke, as well as various community leaders. Local TD Lisa Chambers was unavoidably absent.

Several hundred people, many of them carrying placards, attended the rally which lasted about 50 minutes.

* Full report, plus photos, in Tuesday's print edition of The Connaught Telegraph.

See our Facebook page for video coverage of today's protest.