Calls for road repairs in Hermitage have been made by Ennis councillors in a bid to fix “uneven surfaces that haven’t been looked at in years”.

Tabled at the January meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, Cllr Mark Nestor’s (FF) motion requested that roads in the Hermitage area be included in the 2021 roadwork’s programme.

A number of residents forwarded complaints, noting the area between Hermitage and Clancy Park as well as the car park near Honan’s Terrace. Cllr. Nestor stated that uneven surfaces at these locations has been causing mobility issues for residents.

Mayor of Clare, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) seconded the motion, pointing out that the surfaces crumble and break away in parts. The need to fix these roads is long overdue, she added. “There are a lot of elderly residents here and an improved road surface could make a big difference in their lives.”

Further support was offered by Cllr Pat Daly (FF) who outlined that Hermitage is one of the oldest estates in town and a key part of Ennis. “There are good honest people living there,” he added.

Executive Engineer Barry Conway informed councillors that the roads in Hermitage will be examined in January and considered for inclusion in the 2021 Schedule of Municipal District Works.

Cllr. Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) also offered her support to her fellow party representative. She mentioned the age of the roads and the difficulty in providing works on concrete roads. She alluded to a similar issue in St. Michael’s Villas in Ennis, where surfacing has also been neglected and remains a challenge.

Addressing the challenges posed by concrete roads, Senior Executive Engineer Eamon O’ Dea stated: “There is a difficulty with these types of roads. They cannot be done in short sections, you must take sections out. In addition, this is not a cheap process. We will take a look and we will come back to you on this.”