O’Regan Tunnel proposal

EVEN in death, the late Dr Brendan O’Regan can be a peacemaker and bring rival neighbours Clare and Limerick closer together by naming the €500 million Shannon tunnel-connection in his honour.
So says Clare Fine Gael Deputy, Pat Breen, and his suggestion would have the support of the Irish Peace Institute, which was one of the conflict resolution bodies founded by the late Dr O’Regan.

Marking its 25th anniversary this weekend with a gala dinner paying homage to “The Spirit of Brendan O’Regan”, the naming of the tunnel as a permanent monument to the founder is one of the options being floated by the Peace Institute chairman, Pat O’Sullivan.
As the hub of the 21st century road transport system, which will have Shannon Airport as a focal point in bringing the western seaboard counties closer together, the tunnel would be a highly appropriate monument, Deputy Breen suggested.
“By naming the tunnel after the late Dr O’Regan, we could put aside our historic differences and clashes over county boundaries by recognising the contribution made to the Mid-West in his role as a peace builder,” he added.
Due to open next year, the Limerick tunnel is one of the biggest development projects to be undertaken in the Mid-West. The tunnel under the Shannon linking Mungret on the Limerick bank of the river to Coonagh on the Clare side runs for 675 metres. Linking the N18 dual carriageway at Cratloe with the Limerick South Ring road project, the first section of toll road in the region will be capable of handling 40,000 vehicles per day.
“With the work now advancing on the new roundabouts at Cratloemoyle near the Radisson Hotel and the Meelick Roundabout on the Two Mile Inn side of the dual carriageway, I believe that we should now be turning our minds to naming the tunnel,” Deputy Breen said.