Concerns about poor lighting on popular walking route

Concerns were expressed about limited visibility along a popular walking route in Drumshanbo that is leaving pedestrians vulnerable.

Cllr Enda McGloin raised the issued at a meeting of Ballinamore Municipal District calling on the Council to investigate the provision of street lighting along ‘Furnace Hill’ at Carricknabrack, Drumshanbo going from the Vocational School to the bottom of the hill on the Blackrock side.

“A lot of people use that route for walking late in the evening and with vehicular traffic also using this short stretch with limited visibility there are concerns that pedestrians are vulnerable,” Cllr McGloin said.

He was informed in reply that there is no funding in the roadworks programme to extend public lighting there. The length of that section of road is 240m and would require 9 light standards which would require substantial funding. He was told the only possible source of funding may be through community or town and village schemes.

“In any event, this road is not wide enough to accommodate a footpath, and in the absence of a footpath, we would not be encouraging its use as a walking route, most particularly as the regional road adjacent to it has a footpath and public lighting which is used by walkers and cyclists alike,” the reply noted.

Cllr McGloin said whatever about a footpath, he thinks lighting is a real requirement there. He said there are a lot of people living there and they use it regularly, and the school is another factor, especially in the winter.

“This really is a very urgent piece of work that is required,” Cllr McGloin stated.

“The residents up there are concerned there would be an accident the way cars go up there as the ramps aren’t lit. I’m really adamant about it,” he said, and added that they should use the first opportunity they can to get Clar funding.

Cllr Brendan Barry supported the motion and said the main issue for him is the lighting.

He said what would make the people happy would be “some better lighting at the back of the hill where there is a really dark spot” and to help with the safety of the people currently using it.

Cllr Gerry Dolan also supported the motion.

Darragh O’Boyle, District Engineer, said he would like to get lighting there but didn’t know how he was going to get funding. He said the school applying for Clár funding was probably the best scenario.

He stated if there was some discretionary funding at the end of the year he would look at it again.

Mr O’Boyle said they are only talking about a minimum of four lights there with ducting to go in, a spend of possibly €4,000 to €6,000. He said it didn’t need a town and village funding scheme as it is “not going to take 30K to do it.”

Cllr McGloin said he is the chairman of the school board and he will talk to the principal in relation to applying for funding when the opportunity arises.