Plea for road death trap work near Laois pub

It’s a decade since a Laois publican agreed to allow work to improve road safety at a ‘death trap’ near his premises says a councillor who claims the road is as dangerous as ever because the work needed never happened.

The ongoing danger at the pub in Donaghmore was highlighted by Cllr John King, Fine Gael, at meeting with Laois County Council officials.

Cllr King tabled a motion calling on the local authority to resurface a badly damaged section of road from Mooney’s pub in Donaghmore in the direction of Rathdowney.

He believes is should be done “as a matter of serious urgency” because this road is used by cyclists, school buses, farmers and the public going to Ballybrophy train station and also people shopping in Rathdowney.

Cllr King went into further detail at the meeting in County Hall. He said the stretch in question no longer than 250 metres but deadly.

“The village is shocking busy each day and it is a death trap,” he warned.

He said stones are protruding from a bank on the left-hand carriageway. He said the pub owners agreed to allow these moved to reduce the dangers. He said he had renewed this request and the owners were agreeable.

“There have been numerous accidents,” he said.

Cllr James Kelly, independent, backed his colleague. He added that the road is narrow and there are bad bends.

“We need to get it sorted before something does happen,” he said.

James Dowling, Senior Executive Engineer, in the Council’s Roads section replied.

"Laois County Council will meet Councillor King on-site to discuss road safety improvements to be considered at this location," he said.

The issue was raised at a meeting of the Borris-in-Ossory Mountmellick Municipal District in County Hall.