WORKS which are due to begin in Clooney in the coming weeks “will put the village on the map on the main road from Ennis to Portumna”, in the words of the Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District.

Councillor Joe Cooney said that, thanks to an allocation under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the village, which has a very active development association, would soon see a major boost to its infrastructure. A contractor has just been appointed and work on a new footpath/cycleway as well as public realm infrastructure and a pedestrian crossing are set to get underway in the coming days.

“ML & S Boldand Civil Engineering Ltd will be working to complete the works within three months,” the Fine Gael member said. “It’s fantastic news for Clooney and the Clooney-Spancilhill Community Development Group deserve a huge amount of credit as do the council staff and councillors who have worked so hard to progress the issue. The work will make the village a lot safer for residents and businesses.”

The cathaoirleach also appealed, in light of the work, for all road-users to exercise caution. “We’re all well aware that this is a regional road and it’s very busy, with heavy traffic using the route regularly,” Councillor Cooney said. “I would appeal to motorists in particular to be aware of the works. There’ll be a full traffic management plan in place to keep disruption, but I would appeal to people to be aware and to be patient between now and mid-November.”

Meanwhile, works for the village of Quin have progressed following a successful Active Travel Fund allocation earlier this year. “Road Design have now created a layout plan for traffic calming on the school side of Quin,” he said. “These are essential safety works that the school management have been looking for in recent years. A lot of time and effort has been put into this project. An application under Section 38 of the Road Traffic Act (1994) will now be made and submissions are being accepted up until September 6.”

Councillor Cooney said the works, when complete, will be of major benefit to the village. “This project is going to make Quin, especially the route from the school down to Malachy’s Bar, a lot safer. There have been safety concerns and paths are in a bad condition. We all know that the school has been extended and is very busy. Residents have also had concerns over traffic. We’re hoping for success in the application and will then be getting ready to go to tender.”