Hazardous driving conditions continue

Clare County Council has replenished salt stocks as the wintry weather, which has created treacherous driving conditions over the past week, tightened its grip on the county.

In the past week alone, Clare County Council had seven road gritting crews working flat out, covering 580km of road network. Treated roads included all national, primary and secondary routes, as well as heavily trafficked regional roads.
However, while a temporary thaw set in earlier in the week, the weather forecast is for snow-falls and a return to sub-zero temperatures at night. Gardaí have warned motorists to exercise caution and pointed out that secondary routes and sheltered roads still present extremely hazardous driving conditions.
Mayor of Clare, Councillor Tony Mulcahy acknowledged that council resources were stretched to the limit during the recent cold snap and said it was unrealistic to expect the council’s gritting crews to cover every back road hit by the icy conditions.
“I wish to compliment the outdoor staff of Clare County Council for working throughout the Christmas period in often extremely difficult circumstances to ensure that as many roads as possible were salted and gritted. Motorists should keep to gritted routes where possible,” he cautioned.
The mayor has called on neighbours, family and friends of older people to ensure that the elderly, particularly those living alone, are kept warm and have sufficient food during the current period of cold weather.
“It is important that people across the county do their bit to assist elderly neighbours and family members. Those who are elderly and living alone should be checked on by neighbours, morning and evening. A special check should be made on those elderly or disadvantaged who are housebound. Practical help can be given by bringing in solid fuel, ensuring the water supply is sufficient and checking that there is sufficient food in the house, including non-perishable foods.
“Where neighbours are concerned or worried, they should contact the appropriate emergency services, including the health services,” he added.
Meanwhile in East Clare, people have been trapped in their homes for the last 10 days in some cases, due to sheets of ice, inches thick, along roads particularly in areas surrounding Feakle, Scariff and Tulla.
Local county councillor Pat Hayes revealed that he was only able to leave his home on Wednesday, having been unable to get out of the house since before Christmas.
“I felt powerless as a councillor in relation to this. I have tabled a motion for the next meeting of Clare County Council calling for a review of the winter maintenance fund and for extra funding to be provided. People have been house-bound for 10 days now and I’m only afraid of what the outcome will be with more bad weather forecast. There is still inches of ice on some of the roads in East Clare,” he outlined.
Councillor Hayes stressed that if there had been a medical emergency in any of the areas affected in East Clare, the emergency services would not have been able to get through the ice.
He said that businesses in the area are also suffering the effects but acknowledged that communities have pulled together to grit roads and to assist others in need.
“Locals in Flagmount and Killanena have pulled together and gritted roads and there is a great community spirit in the area,” he said.
He explained that the areas worst hit appeared to be regional roads between Scariff and Feakle, Feakle and Flagmount/Killanena, Tulla and Gort and also Broadford to Bridgetown. However, secondary and back roads in other areas of East Clare were also a cause for concern.
Areas of North and North-East Clare have also been badly affected, as snow has fallen on already icy roads.
Although the situation improved in North Clare on Tuesday and Wednesday, conditions are expected to further deteriorate over the coming days.
The N67 from Lisdoonvarna to Ballyvaughan was rendered impassable on Wednesday due to heavy snow. The Ennistymon to Corofin Road was also closed, as was the Corkscrew Hill area of Ballyvaughan. While the Inagh to Miltown Malbay Road was still open on Wednesday, extreme care is advised.