Warning of protest in Laois village

A PROTEST will be staged in Cullohill next year unless a long-awaited pedestrian crossing is installed on the main road, which is notorious for traffic speeding through the village.

Cllr Ollie Clooney gave the warning at a council meeting, when he received yet another official response that an assessment would be carried out ‘to determine the need’ for a crossing at the community centre.

Describing the response as “an old chestnut”, cllr Clooney said the need for a crossing at the community centre was well established, following an assessment carried out four years ago.

“If it is not done in 2025, we will take further action and we will have a protest there,” he told the December meeting of Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick Municipal District.

Last May, cllr Clooney presented a booklet to the council to support the ongoing campaign, which included more than 500 signatures and letters from 21 local clubs and organisations appealing for a pedestrian crossing at the community centre, where children have to cross the busy regional road that goes through the village.

Cllr Clooney said he had received more support for the proposal than for any other issue during his five years as a councillor. At the time, the council agreed to consider installing a crossing.

When the Independent councillor asked for an update at the December meeting, senior engineer Rory O’Callaghan replied: ‘The council will carry out a traffic assessment (traffic volumes and speeds) on the R639 regional road at the community centre. This assessment will be used to determine the need and the design proposals for a pedestrian crossing.’

Unhappy with the response, cllr Clooney said: “An assessment was already carried out four years ago. Anyone can stand on the side of the road and see the volume of traffic there. The speed limit is 60kph but I would say the average speed there is 100kph.

“The community centre is one of the busiest in Laois. What is the price of a child’s life? Cut out the red tape and put in a crossing. It should have been done in 2024.” 

He was supported by cllr John King, who described the road at the community centre as “like Mondello Park”.

Cllr King said there was a fatality at the location some years ago, when a boy getting off a bus was knocked down and it was clear for many years that a pedestrian crossing was “a serious necessity” for Cullohill.

The online petition on change.org, signed by over 500 people, was set up last April by resident Ashling Aylward, who said the absence of a safe crossing in the busy village was putting lives at risk.

Ashling said on the petition: ‘Every day, I witness the danger that pedestrians face due to the lack of a proper crossing in our village. This issue is not just personal to me but affects all villagers who value their safety and that of their loved ones.

‘Cullohill is a bustling community, where people should feel safe while walking around. However, the absence of pedestrian crossings puts us at risk every day. According to Road Safety Authority Ireland (RSAI), pedestrian fatalities accounted for 30% of road deaths in 2019. 

'This statistic highlights the urgency and importance of implementing safety measures such as pedestrian crossings.’ Many of those who signed the petition expressed their concern about the lack of a controlled crossing in the village.

One woman wrote, ‘This is imperative’, while another supporter said he signed the petition ‘because there is no road crossing, which makes it extremely dangerous for all pedestrians, particularly with children, the elderly and disabled persons’.

Another woman commented: ‘My children go to a lot of activities in Cullohill. A pedestrian crossing would be a vital part of our community. With Cullohill being such a busy little village and vehicles travelling at speed through the main road, at present it’s very unsafe to cross the road safely.’