Call for more public lighting

The need for public lighting at a busy cross roads near Bailieborough has been highlighted.

Niall Smith (FF) tabled a motion to erect lighting from the cross where the R191 meets the R165 down to St Feilim’s National School and the Bailieborough Celtic Soccer Club.

He said the area served as a Local Link drop off and collection point, and said “people don’t know where they are when they get off the bus”.

Cllr Smith made the comments at the January meeting of the Bailieborough-Cootehill Municipal District where he also remarked on the “speed of people coming down that road”.

Area Manager Clinton Mulligan said that it involved 520 metres of public lighting and the “priority” for public lighting is “urban areas”. He said that it is “not realistic” to get funding for this proposal.

Cllr Smith countered that he is “waiting for an accident” to happen at this location, and emphasised that there is “a lot of traffic” passing by.

Mr Mulligan said this would not be within the “scope” of Active Travel funding and said the council has “limited public lighting funding”.

Meanwhile, Cllr Smith also requested that the council repair the road outside St Felim’s NS, and claimed that it is “sinking” and becoming “worse and worse every day”.

Mr Mulligan informed that those works are due to be tendered.

Fianna Fáil’s Clifford Kelly also raised concerns over lighting and road safety. He said the traffic calming measures, flashing yellow lights at the Colaiste Dun an Rí school on the Shercock road are “not working”. With over 700 students attending the school and many residents living in the area, he said people are “really and truly fed up” with speeding traffic.

Mr Mulligan said the council carried out a “speed survey” on the road, the results of which they are now “analysing” and will report in due course.