Dead dog delayed safety measures on a road in Laois for years

ACCORDING to a local councillor a geophysical survey that was undertaken on the approach road to Stradbally unearthed a dead dog that delayed road safety measures for years.

Now with the latest call for the completion of road safety measures at the junction after the graveyard on the approach road to Stradbally, by cllr Vivenne Phelan, councillors fingers are crossed that another recently completed geophysical survey “won’t get any big breaking news that there’s bodies in it or anything.” 

The throw-away remark was made following the Senior Executive Engineer at the Roads and Transportation Department of Laois County Council James Dowling written reply to cllr Phelan’s request when he informed councillors at the October meeting of the Graiguecullen/Portarlington Municipal District Council that “a geophysical survey had been undertaken to inform the archaeological constraints at the location. A feasibility and options report is now required to be prepared for a submission to Transport Authority Ireland.” 

Cllr Phelan said the junction is located just down from the Windy Gap and past the graveyard on the approach to Stradbally.

She said: “There’s very little visibility to allow residents out onto the main road. It’s not just residents, but when there’s funerals and graveyard masses the road is full of cars parked and its very dangerous.

“Over the years there have been different solutions proposed. But what some of the residents said to me was that if the bank was removed on the left-hand side as they’re exiting at least it would provide a few extra meters visibility. As far as I understand the landowner there is open to that.”

“There was another near-miss there the other day with a tractor and a trailer coming down the hill. Speed is another issue but, the fact that you can’t actually see around the bend is the issue,” said cllr Phelan.

Cllr Paschal McEvoy said: “To be fair to the Church of Ireland they own that field on the left-hand side coming down the hill. I’ve met them back in time and they’re prepared to give a piece of that corner to come out onto the road. That’s available and no question about it.” 

He said: “This geophysical survey that has been undertaken. I think they found a dead dog or something in it that held the whole thing up for years. It’s crazy what goes on. It needs to be done. The late (cllr) Tom Mulhall and myself had come with this motion and still nothing has been done. Hopefully now it might move on.

“The survey has been completed and hopefully we won’t get any big breaking news this time that there’s bodies in it or anything.” 

The Cathaoirleach of the municipal district joked: “I think it was Brian Boru’s dog that they found.”