Drivers complain about 'shambolic' Laois road
The road at Doon was described as 'shambolic' at a council meeting. Image: Google Maps
MOTORISTS are complaining about a local road that was described as “shambolic” at a council meeting.
Cllr Conor Bergin said he received regular calls about the state of the L1514 road at Doon, between Borris-in-Ossory and Rathdowney.
He said the section of road between the railway bridge and the motorway bridge was particularly bad, as he called for “severe road surface issues” to be resolved.
“It is really in a shambolic condition. I am getting calls about this regularly,” he told the latest meeting of Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick Municipal District.
Senior engineer Rory O'Callaghan replied that no funding is available to carry out repairs this year but the road is included in the 2026 Restoration Improvement Works Programme.
Cllr Bergin said the reply was disappointing and suggested that Doon could be swapped with a less damaged route on the 2025 programme, so that work could be carried out this year.
He said: “It’s a really bad section of road and it needs to be done as a matter of urgency. When you are heading to Borris-in-Ossory from the Rathdowney direction, it is really bad after you go over the railway bridge between there and the motorway bridge.”
He added: “People living on this road are seeing other roads being done and some of them are not in as bad condition as this one. It was a regional road that was downgraded to a local road and it’s not a long section that is in bad condition.”
Cllr John King agreed and pointed out that the stretch of road involved is only about a mile long.
He said: “It’s a short piece of road and it should be included for works this year.”
