No sign of councillors’ villages

Difficulties finding two North Clare villages, both homes to members of Clare County Council, were highlighted to the local authority at a recent Ennistymon Area Meeting.

Lahinch Councillor Bill Slattery raised eyebrows, not least those of fellow councillor Michael Kelly, when he tabled a motion calling on “Clare County Council, in conjunction with the NRA, to review directional signage for the village of Tubber, on the M18 Gort to Crusheen motorway.”
In seconding the motion, Councillor Kelly, himself a Tubber man, pointed out that he had submitted motions “in the exact same wording” a number of times in the past. During the lively meeting, councillor Kelly noted that he was delighted Councillor Slattery was taking such an interest in his parish but the Fianna Fáil councillor’s tongue may have been in his cheek at the time.
In raising the issue, Councillor Slattery said people had contacted him because “they are annoyed that there is no signage for that area”. He noted that there were a number of businesses in Tubber and that people were having trouble finding them.
“O’Connor Engineering is there and it is exporting all over Ireland and the world,” he pointed out.
Councillor Kelly added that the Burren can be accessed via the Tubber exit from the M18.
“It is a shame people have to continue to Gort when they could have access from there. All we are asking for is a brown sign,” he added.
Despite the cross-party and – parish pleas, Tubber looks set to remain unsigned.
Responding to Councillor Slattery’s motion, Stephen Lahiffe, the Ennistymon area senior engineer, said, “The National Roads Authority designed the signage plan for the M18. Clare County Council and Galway County Council were consulted on the design at the time. Since then, there has been numerous requests for the inclusion of towns, villages and tourist attractions on the M18 road signage. It is not possible to include every destination and comply with the requirements of the Traffic Signs Manual.”
“In general, the criteria used by the NRA seek to provide clear information focusing on termination destinations of the routes accessed off motorway junctions and these criteria would not accommodate Tubber. However, each submission for inclusion will be considered on its merits and may be included when the National Roads Authority makes alterations to the road signage in the future,” Mr Lahiffe concluded.
Ruan councillor Joe Arkins highlighted the difficulty finding his home village when exiting the motorway at Crusheen.
The council’s senior executive engineer in the area, Stephen Lahiffe, said he had met with the National Roads Authority because “there are a number of issues in relation to that junction”.
Mr Lahiffe pointed to a number of issues, including ones that have direct impacts on safety such as stop signs, lighting and linage.
“In the interim, we will probably erect these signs ourselves and try to recoup the money, particularly the stop signs,” he added.