Need for more speeding measures on Cooley Peninsula raised at Dundalk JPC

The issue of speeding and dangerous driving on the Cooley Peninsula was again brought up by Sinn Fein Councillor Antoin Watters at last week’s meeting of Dundalk’s Joint Policing Committee. 

Councillor Watters stated that there had been, “too many fatalities on the peninsula.”

Going on to say that:

“There are certain stretches of road worse than others. 

“I think we need to look at the likes of Bellurgan and Bellurgan straight as a location for a camera and we need to look at the far side of Omeath where the Hotel is.

“It’s just like a rat run for dangerous driving and every week guaranteed I’ll get a call from someone who is leaving children to creche saying there's an accident outside the gate of the school.

“These are areas where we need to have in people’s minds that ‘if I speed here, I’m going to get caught,’ it’s the only way that they’re gonna be stopped.

“I know I’m a broken record on this but it’s constantly coming up.”

Inspector John Boyle acknowledged that there has been issues with speeding on the peninsula particularly on the Bellurgan straight.

He said that gardai do conduct “a number of checkpoints” and endeavour to “educate drivers” on what has gone on on those roads over the past twelve months.

Throughout last year the Bellurgan community held a number of protests, calling for action on the high speed of traffic and the lack of adequate traffic calming measures on the Dundalk to Carlingford R173 road, which goes through the busy north Louth neighbourhood.