Stolen Slieve Bloom signs lead to visitors getting lost in Laois
Stolen signs must be replaced and new signs added in the Slieve Blooms to to ensure don’t get lost in the mountain range while visiting Laois.
That’s the view of councillors who called on Laois County Council to act at a recent meeting.
Cllr Seamus McDonald, Fianna Fáil, raised the issue in a motion that called on the local authority to erect new signs and seats at the Fanning Pass, Ard Eireann, Glendarragh and the Wolfe Trap.
“Tourism is flying in the Slieve Blooms but one of the main issues is lack of signage,” he said.
Cllr McDonald said the Slieve Bloom Association had asked him to raise the issue with the local authority to have it resolved.
Cllr James Kelly, Independent, said there had been previous calls for action. He linked the problem to anti-social behaviour thefts.
“Signs were removed from poles and need to be replaced. A commemoration stone was also taken,” he said.
He believed signs are needed for the tourism industry.
“We want to make sure that visitors go the right way not the wrong way to give them a good experience and not have them giving out that they got lost,” he said.
Paul McLoughlin, Senior Engineer in the council’s Roads Departement, replied in writing.
“The Roads section will examine the opportunity to provide signs & seating at the requested locations,” he said.
The issue was raised at the September meeting of the Borris-in-Ossory Mountmellick Municipal District meeting.
At the start of 2023 Laois County Council invited companies to deliver a "bespoke high-quality signage strategy" to enhance the visitor experience and improve wayfinding and interpretive signage around Slieve Bloom Mountains in Laois and Offaly.
Apart from new signs in the mountains, the council wanted to locate signs on the M7 motorway and the N80, N52 & N62 national routes.
The successful tenderer was expected to be appointed by February 27 this year with all works due to be completed by the end of May 2023. It is not clear if the council awarded the contract.