‘Deplorable’ road is dubbed ‘The Dirty Lane’

Improvement works on minor roads in the areas of Rapla in Kilruane and Killowney in Ballymackey were urgent as they are among some of the worst in the Nenagh Municipal District, councillors stated at the January meeting of the district authority.

Improvement works on a very bad stretch of road at Rapla South, Kilruane, were called for by Cllr Seamus Morris.

He said the roadway had received no maintenance over the past 20 years. “It is in a deplorable condition and it needs work,” he said, pointing out that local people had been forced to take it on themselves to carry out repairs.

Cllr Morris also called for works to be carried out on a very poor stretch of road at Killowney Little. There were a number of elderly residents who had to put up with the conditions for years. The road had been earmarked for improvement works under the council’s 2019 roads programme, but never took place. “I don’t think there is any worse road in our area and I cannot countenance this being left for another year. I’m quite embarrassed over it and I need to get it on this year's programme.”

DIRTY LANE

Cllr Ger Darcy said he presumed the road at Rapla that Cllr Morris was referring to was known as ‘Dirty Lane’. There were three to four houses on the lane and he had been told many years ago that it had been taken in charge by the council, which had neglected to surface dress the stretch.

“If you look into our archives you will see that it was passed into the charge of the council many years ago, but yet locals have been doing work on the road themselves.”

Cllr Darcy added that he also supported Cllr Morris on his call for improvements to the road at Killowney Little. This was a through road and in past years he personally had put some of his own tertiary funds into repairs there. It was earmarked for works under a scheme for next year, but he felt the works should be brought forward to the current year.

Cllr Hughie McGrath said every effort should be made to tackle the work needed at Killowney, and he supported the call to have the works included in this year’s programme.

District Engineer, Barry Murphy, agreed that the road in question at Killowney was “in very poor condition”. It was included in the district’s three-year programme for surface dressing, but no exact time was given when the works would be carried out.

“I am absolutely in support if the opportunity arises as it is a very good candidate to be brought forward to this year, but it will depend on funding,” said Mr Murphy, who added that the road was currently included in “year two” of the three-year works programme. “But if additional funding becomes available I see no reason why that job would not be prioritised into this year’s programme.”

RAPLA SOUTH

Mr Murphy said there were works planned for Rapla South in the current year, but councillors needed to identify for him exactly the location they were making representations about. He was not sure himself if the location earmarked for works in Rapla was Dirty Lane.

Cllr Darcy also called for works on a bridge at Rathnaleen, which he said was included on a “check list” for three years, yet no works had yet taken place.

Mr Murphy said the work needed on the bridge would be carried out in the current year.