Referee sidelined to Meelick in Galway

People who want to visit a South-East Clare community are being directed to Galway because of its exclusion in official Ordinance Survey maps, it emerged this week.

Motorists using the latest tried and trusty Sat Navs are being shown how to travel to Meelick near Eyrecourt in East Galway when they want to stop off in Meelick in South-East Clare.
Cork referee Cathal Egan, who was due to officiate in the Clare versus Offaly camogie clash in Meelick on Sunday, ended up in the wrong Meelick about 90 kilometres away from his intended destination after he was misdirected by his Sat Nav.
The camogie game, originally scheduled for Newmarket ended in a draw, Clare 1-10 Offaly 0-13 but it had to be delayed before referee Aidan Ryan, who lives in Phayers Road, Meelick and is a member of Na Piarsaigh GAA Club in Limerick City stepped in as a late replacement.
Meelick GAA Club chairman, Padraig O’Brien complained that Clare’s Meelick doesn’t exist on official maps.
“If you take out any map, you will see Cratloe, Ardnacrusha and Parteen but Meelick isn’t there. We have raised this with a number of politicians but nothing has happened.
“The Cork referee, who drove to the wrong Meelick could have passed the Offaly bus on its way to the match on Sunday. Something needs to be done to address this situation,” he said.
“Meelick is very poorly signposted when you are approaching it from the Ennis, Killaloe or Limerick direction. Apart from a sign at the roundabout near the Radisson Hotel, Ardnacrusha and one at Brennan’s Cross, it is poorly signposted.
“I believe that the inclusion of a village on an Ordinance Survey map is linked to whether there was a post office in the area. Ardnacrusha had a post office and is on the map but there is no post office in Meelick.
“Meelick GAA grounds is a very popular venue for inter-county, club and college games particularly for teams from Clare and Limerick as well as Galway if they need a half way point playing the likes of Cork. Clooney-Quin played South Liberties from Limerick twice in challenge games held in Meelick last year,” he noted.
“Meelick will be hosting an All-Ireland junior football semi-final next weekend. A lot of matches are played in Meelick and this issue should be sorted out,” he said.
Councillor Cathal Crowe pointed the community in Meelick has grown significantly in recent years and noted the 2006 census identified Meelick as being one of the major population growth areas in Clare.
“Meelick’s proximity to Limerick City and the N18 dual-carriageway from Limerick to Ennis has meant that its local roads are heavily used. Motorists frequently use the roads that run through Meelick as a rat-run trying to avoid the traffic congestion of suburban Limerick,” he noted.
“It is vital that efforts are made by both Clare County Council and Limerick City Council to increase the directional signage for Meelick. In this day and age people should not be getting lost trying to find the place,” he said.
He called for extra signage at the Watch House Cross in Limerick City and at Barry’s Cross in Ardnacrusha.
Meanwhile, Mr O’Brien has called on GAA clubs to make their pitches available to Clare GAA and camogie teams when necessary. Although a number of pitches in Clare were apparently waterlogged last weekend, he warned there seemed to be a reluctance among some clubs to offer their pitches.
He warned that the Clare camogie team could have face the prospect of conceeding home advantage if Meelick hadn’t provided their pitch last weekend.