MASSGOERS IN CREE have been compared to pilgrims walking to Lough Derg barefoot on stone due to the road conditions outside St Mary’s Church.
At a recent meeting of the West Clare Municipal District, Cllr Dinny Gould (IND) highlighted, “the footpath and kerbing outside Cree Church needs urgent attention, the footpath is cracked and kerbing is lifting and is a hazard to the many massgoers”.
Senior executive engineer with the West Clare MD, Alan Kennelly in response stated, “I didn’t notice anything awry with the footpaths in the vicinity of the when I was last in Cree. I will raise the matter with the area engineer and the local roads SGSS and we can replace any cracked footpath bays and lifting kerbs”.
According to Cllr Gould, risks of some of the congregation falling and breaking bones is very high. “The kerbs have come away from the concrete coming in, the gap is nearly two inches and it is extremely dangerous. There are over 100 mass goers in Cooraclare, it is only waiting to happen that some old woman will go in and break her hip”.
He said there is “a lip” between the footpaths and the road. Cllr Gould admitted, “I nearly fell over myself the other evening, it has to be looked at straight away or it will have to be cordoned off for Saturday night when people are going to mass”.
Seconding the proposal, Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) commented, “it reminds me of the pilgrims going to Lough Derg who had to walk on stone”.
Views expressed by Cllr Gould were backed up Cllr Ian Lynch who noted, “the road has sunk” to which senior executive officer John O’Malley responded “that is the other side”.
A patcher to repair part of the roads was organised by engineer John Lynch, Cllr Gould acknowledged, “it is extremely dangerous at the other side”. He estimated that the work would take a couple a couple of hours and O’Malley confirmed they would add it to the programme of works.
“There must have been cars parked across the road when Alan Kennelly went to mass in Cree,” quipped Cllr Shane Talty (FF).
