Damage to Turf Road in north Louth leaves residents isolated

Flood damage to the Turf Road in Edentubber has left the road impassable, with residents feeling isolated in their homes and fearing, the Dundalk Democrat has learned.

Last week's deluge turned the Turf Road into a river and lifted the tarmac according to local residents. One resident, Valerie Hillen told the Dundalk Democrat that “because there is no drainage on the road and the road couldn't take the water, all the tarmac just lifted off.

“I'm limiting the amount of times I go down because of the risk to the tyres of the car and to the car itself, which leaves me completely cut off if I can't get down at all.

“But it now means, we can't get a fill of oil, we can't have a bin collection.” Valerie said that her bin man was to arrive on Tuesday (today) but “I'm going to have to contact him today, he won't be able to come up.

“If you needed oil, you can't get an oil fill because oil lorries can't even come up the road.” Valerie said that her neighbours have been badly affected, with one resident's laneway having given way, “so he can't get his car out, he's completely immobile.”

Another, Valerie added, “got a load [of gravel], at his own expense, to fill in one of the holes, just to make it barely passable.”

She continued, “the water made its way down my laneway, wrecked it as well. “I went out with a shovel and tried to fix it up in some way that I could actually get out.

“I brought this to their attention (Louth County Council) but its been going on for years. At the end of August we had something similar but not on this scale, and it ripped up the road.

“And I sent photographs into the Council and phoned them. I brought to their attention that somebody had actually come off their bike on the road – it's actually used as part of the Táin Trail.

“But people from the north are coming over that, they're taking the scenic route, driving out to Omeath and Carlingford and they're using that road an awful lot.

“And I think during Covid, people were looking for a place to go, then they discovered this, kind of hidden away gem in the mountains, that you take your dogs up and let them run. You could go up on your quads and your bikes.

“Historically it was used for motor racing. The Circuit of Ireland used to go over that way. This road is being used a lot, I don't think it is acknowledged how much it is used.

“There wasn't even a signpost or a stop sign on it until this year, and the Council put a stop sign at the end of the road. But at the opposite of that road across is the Flagstaff [Road] and it's a completely different set up. They have an amenity park, they have seating, they have it well historically signed.”

A lack of communication from Louth County Council is what is frustrating local residents, Valerie explains. “It's really to highlight how its affecting residents on the road, not to be forgotten, and the fact that it's not just about us. It is about the public that will use it that won't be aware of it.

“There's no contact at all from the Council, even though I called into the office and I phoned them a good few times and I've emailed, no response. You just get an acknowledgement that they received an email.

“They come out but they don't speak to the residents, there's no communication with us. I don't know if they've been out not. I know, I haven't seen anybody. I have seen the local councillors, they're highlighting it on behalf of the residents, they're doing the talking for us.

“Sinn Féin councillor Antóin Watters and Ruairí Ó Murchú came out and looked at it, I met them on Saturday morning. But at the same time no one from the Council has come out, they haven't contacted me, I don't think they have contacted anyone to say, 'look, we'll get to it'.

“They did pass on through [Cllr] Antóin Watters that, yeah, they're up to their eyes, which is understandable. They didn't mitigate for this and they didn't expect it so they weren't prepared, nor was anybody. But just a bit of communication wouldn't be any harm.

“At the moment they're talking about patching the road” she adds, but “no idea when that will be. I don't know if its going to be this week, next week, is it going to be months, are they going to do a better job and drain it and put in a decent road, or are they just going to patch it, but they haven't communicated anything.”

“But”, Valerie further adds, “we can't fund it ourselves. It's a public road, I don't see why we should anyway.”