*Local resident and former councillor, Tommy Brennan shows a worn-out bollard by St Flannan’s Drive in Ennis.
€137,000 was spent by Clare County Council when installing the controversial bollards and armadillos in Ennis as part of a new cycling scheme in 2019 which are to be removed in the near future.
Traffic calming measures introduced in August 2019 on the Clon Road in Ennis along College View, College Green and St Flannan’s Drive has been a controversial subject in the locality with strong opposition to the bollards and armadillos which surround the double cycle lanes.
Double cycle lanes linking St Flannan’s College and the Kilrush Rd surrounded by bollaerds and armadillos were provided under the scheme.
For the first time, Clare County Council have confirmed the spending associated with the installation of these traffic calming measures. Senior engineer with the Council, Seán Lenihan detailed that the cost of the cycle lane, bollards and armadillos amounted to €137,000 “exclusive of VAT”.
Lenihan stated, “The public will be aware that the Cycle scheme, following approval by the Members, was installed some years ago, in 2019, in the interests of providing safe cycle routes along Clon Road, College View, College Green, Clonroadbeg and Cahercalla”.
Differing views to the infrastructure was acknowledged by the Miltown Malbay native. “It is fair to say that there was a mixed reaction to the works with some finding the associated bollards and armadillos an inconvenience and distraction to the motorist. Regrettably, some were accidentally hit by vehicles and allegedly, some were deliberately interfered with which if true, thankfully didn’t result in a serious accident or injury to users of the road. Maintenance and street cleaning of same is carried out as part of the wider Municipal District Operation and Maintenance works”.
All bollards and armadillos will be removed in the future, he confirmed. “The current situation is that as part of the Ennis to Clarecastle cycle scheme presently being designed, it is envisaged that a new segregated cycle lane to current design standards will replace the existing situation on the ground. This will result in the removal of all bollards and armadillos once completed”.
Tommy Brennan who served as an elected member of Ennis Town Council for thirty five years and Clare County Council for twenty nine years has been a vocal critic of the bollards and armadillos since their installation. “I’m looking forward to the day when they are all removed,” he said.
On the spend of €137k by the Council, Tommy remarked, “I wouldn’t believe those figures” and pointed out that labour was not included by the local authority when collating the amount.
“In my view it was a waste of money, they put up electrified speeding signs and one of them hasn’t been lighting in the last 12 months,” Brennan stated. “There was no need of them at all, we have no problem with a cycle lane but all the paraphernalia there was no need for it. If you look from Clarecastle to Latoon there is a cycle lane all the side of the road but marked with yellow lines, there was no need for those bollards and armadillos to be put down, they serve no purpose whatsoever”.
A former Mayor of Ennis, Tommy confirmed that his house has yet to be visited by any canvassers or candidates running in the 2024 local elections. “They haven’t come here yet or be seen here since the bollards went down, I don’t know what reception they will get if they do decide to knock on the doors around here”.
