Less speeding will occur in Ballybeg once footpaths are constructed, Council engineers and elected members have predicted.

Funding granted this year will extend the footpath from the water tower as far as the Radharc na hInse housing development. Further funding is required to complete the remainder of the path next year, design work for which has been completed.

Ducting for street lights are included in the current works with paving to be provided at the small section in front of the grotto beginning at the new footpath.

Part of the footpath already constructed represents phase one of the works with the next phase to complete the section and be a 100m link between the Kilrush Rd and the Kildysart Rd which is intended to be completed next year.

Promised public lighting from the Kilrush Rd to the water tower cannot be installed until a bat survey is completed, this is due to the presence of the lesser horseshoe bat in Ballybeg Woods. Executive engineer, Barry Conway confirmed that the road design office of the County Council are arranging the survey, “the findings of the survey will determine the programme of installation of the lights”.

Commencement of footpath works was welcomed by Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF). “It is wonderful for the neighbourhood,” she said. She questioned if the footpath would be by the “most dangerous” part at the bend by the quarry to which Conway confirmed that the footpath would be on the same side as the existing footpath.

Speeding persists in the locality, Cllr Colleran Molloy flagged. “There continues to be speeding between cars using the connector to get onto the motorway, there is a continued demand for more traffic calming”.

Confidence was expressed by Conway that speeding would reduce when works were finished, “when the footpaths are complete, visually it will complete a barrier which will slow traffic done”.

Gardaí have committed to maintain a presence in the area, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) told the September meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. “I do believe that construction of footpaths will narrow passageway and speed will drop as a result”.

Linking Clarecastle and the Kildysart Rd to the Kilrush Rd “will be brilliant,” Cllr Pat Daly (FF) exclaimed. He believed the amount of motorists using Ballybeg as a shortcut to get to Kilkee has dropped but noted “a huge population” resides in the area.