€800k investment in Lough Egish

Lough Egish has undergone major upgrades to its junction and pedestrian facilities, marking a milestone for the community in the thriving village, where 800 people are employed between the food park and Lakeland Dairies. The village is also home to Aughnamullen GFC, a busy club with great facilities.

The April meeting of Ballybay-Clones Municipal District (MD) took place in the clubhouse and was followed by the Active Travel launch that followed. The investment in improved roads infrastructure amounted to €800,000.

“It's a very special day, for the community of Lough Egish,” Cathaoirleach P.J. O’Hanlon commented. He acknowledged the elected members for championing the improvements at Lough Egish and thanked Senior Executive Engineers Bernadette McArdle and Kevin West; the Active Travel team; Matthew Lambe, MD Coordinator and Nial O’Connor, Director of Services for Roads.

Cathaoirleach of Carrickmacross-Castleblayney Municipal District (MD), Cllr Sinead Flynn, praised the improvements for the vibrant village. "What has been delivered here is a practical and well-balanced solution, one that significantly improves safety for pedestrians and cyclists, while continuing to accommodate the large volumes of commercial traffic that are essential to the local and regional economy.”

She added that the Active Travel scheme benefits rural areas like Lough Egish, highlighting the need for safe infrastructure for walking, cycling, and public transport. She welcomed funding from the National Transport Authority and Department of Transport, thanked local authority staff, designers, contractors, and landowners for their contributions, and acknowledged residents and businesses for their patience during construction.

Chief Executive Robert Burns commented: “Two pedestrian crossings book end the village, the junctions have been realigned and footpaths widened. These are very practical measures for people in the community. You only get a sense of what the problem was when you see the solution in place and people start to use it.”

The CE credited Lough Egish with being the birthplace of the co-operative movement. What was now a village, used to be a crossroads, he concluded.

Bernie McArdle, head of Monaghan Co Council's Active Travel Unit, thanked Aughnamullen GAA Club for hosting the launch and noted the community's involvement.

Peadar Connolly, Chairman of Lough Egish Community Development CLG told the Celt: “I welcome the progress made by all the stakeholders, the community, the council, and the grant agencies. The main issues were signage (for the food park), footpaths and traffic calming. This infrastructure is essential to the community and the employers locally. Hopefully further infrastructural developments will take place in the near future.”

Lough Egish sits at a key crossroads, where roads from Shercock, Carrickmacross, Ballybay and Castleblayney all converge. Mr Connolly noted that it is one of the busiest junctions in Ireland.