*Photograph: Páraic McMahon
PROVISION of better a bus shelter in Kilmihil and “safe bus stop” for Lissycasey has been sought by a West Clare representative.
Staff in the road design section of Clare County Council are to liaise with the National Transport Authority (NTA) on a request from Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) for a bus shelter in Kilmihil.
He also asked that discussions be had with the West Clare Municipal District, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), the NTA and Bus Éireann on creating “an appropriate safe bus stop at Lissycasey”.
Senior executive engineer in the Physical Development section of the Council, Anne O’Sullivan stated that bus stops for Lissycasey on the N68 are under review by Bus Éireann who are are presently liaising with Clare County Council, TII and the NTA. “The Road Design Office will request information on the status of the review from Bus Eireann,” she stated.
Speaking on the need for a bus sheleter in Kilmihil at the March meeting of the West Clare MD, Cllr Murphy outlined that he was phoned by “an elderly lady who was drowned wet waiting for the bus, to me that is not good enough, there is massive investment gone into public transport yet here we are with a fine town with no bus shelter in the middle of it”.
Murphy continued, “I’ve seen the benefit of it in Kilkee, it has created a vibrant hub in Kilkee which wasn’t there before, it was barren wasteland in the middle of an empty town but now it is used”.
“Lissycasey is a personal one,” he said of the request to have a safe bus stop. “A good few years my son was nearly killed by the lack of a bus stop in Lissycasey, getting off the school bus in the middle road, it is not wide enough or lit enough, it is not appropriate in this day and age, Lissycasey is a great hub so where is the facility inside in the middle of town, getting a response to that I’d welcome”. He added, “Just because it is where it is and has been for fifty years doesn’t mean it is the right location”.
Lissycasey representative, Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) thanked both the senior executive officer John O’Malley and senior executive engineer Alan Kennelly for visiting the location with him and examining “the difficulty we had with the existing bus stop by Fanny O’Deas”. He explained, “we had looked at different sites, one close to the church and other to the creche, a position has been got so we’re into the final stages of it now. I hope a bit of common sense prevails, there is not a high usage of the bus in the area I must admit but even if only one person is using it then it should be there”.
Cathaoirleach of the West Clare MD, Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) flagged that several spots along the N67 “could do with a bus stop”. He referenced Shaughnessy’s Cross as one example while acknowledging that some bus drivers have the discretion to stop there and allow passengers off.
In what was the first meeting of the West Clare MD since Lissycasey native Kelly announced he was to retire from politics, Cllr Shane Talty (FF) quipped of Murphy’s courage to table his first motion on Kelly’s home parish, “it is nice to the transition of responsibility for Lissycasey from one councillor to another”.
Kelly replied, “Cllr Murphy must have everything done in West Clare seeing as he’s moving onto Lissycasey”. He told the meeting that the cross by the bus stop is “a historical one” and includes a sign for Dublin.
