*Helga Himmselbach at the location where her husband was killed. Photograph: John Mangan
ON THE first anniversary of the death of her beloved husband, Jerry O’Connor, Lisdoonvarna woman Helga Himmelsbach has said the amount of near-misses on the roads of North Clare is only increasing.
Jerry O’Connor (71) was pronounced dead at the scene on Thursday July 27th when the motorbike he was travelling on collided with a car on N67 in Ballyvaughan. The driver of the other vehicle, a French tourist Olivier Le Bozec has appeared before Ennis District Court charged with dangerous driving.
Since Jerry’s death, his wife Helga has campaigned to try improve the road network in North Clare but has found the lack of progress incredibly frustrating.
This Saturday to mark the first anniversary of Jerry’s death, a free concert will be held in Ballyvaughan from 3pm to 4pm in an event that has been titled ‘musicians for road safety’. The meeting point is opposite the church at 2:45pm. “Jerry loved music, and I feel at this stage ever that really everything concerning road safety has been communicated to the authorities, who continuously have promised changes and to look into and today have not done anything to make the roads safer. If anything, they have become more dangerous because the amount of traffic is increasing day by day,” she said.
Meetings with officials from BurrenGeo Park have been promised to her since November but not delivered upon, Helga claimed. “99.9% of tourists coming to Clare are going to the Cliffs at some point. There is some point of transport which contributes hugely to the congestion and danger on our roads and I think the management of the GeoPark should have an obligation to get these roads safer. Traffic needs to be reduced, better public transport for tourists towards the cliffs and back again. We are on a dinosaur system”.
She told The Clare Echo, “this hasn’t been my best year career wise and not really being able to work. Jerry did so much all around, he did the whole internet thing around, advertising, maintenance man, he also worked with me as a therapist, wherever I turn wherever I look I just see the lack of Jerry and feel very vulnerable”.
Numerous accidents have been witnessed by Helga on the roads of North Clare since her husband died, she said. “The roads are absolutely lethal and that goes for evey road, traffic is way too large. You see the big red signs in Ennis slow with the ramp, they can have them there, why can’t they have it here in the Burren”. She continued, “Timber lorries are extraordinary there and they don’t even slow down”.
Commenting on the trial clockwise route introduced by Clare County Council for the summer season, Helga outlined, “I think any effort is great, and again there has to be stress in that its effort from a community group. It’s a good start but they also need to reduce the volume of traffic so these buses and camper vans shouldn’t be a the coast road driving through, if they are not booked into a facility to stay let’s say a minimum of two nights. I think they shouldn’t and if they do want to have their privilege, I think there would need to be a hefty tourist tax. That is discussed everywhere around Europe. Mallorca already has a tourist tax, same in Germany, and Spain, we don’t even have a tourist tax for people who want to come and see the beauty of the country and that tax in those countries is used to finance the transportation in their countries, cleaning, water waste management all of that”.
Despite this initiative and that the most discussed item at the July meeting of the West Clare Municipal District was transport and road safety, Helga said there was not enough energy or action visible from the local authority and elected representatives. “They have no interest in doing anything. I find it hard to understand how they have such a disregard for life. Jerry was killed and are they going to wait until it happens to more people to put up a sign on which side of the road to drive. We need to make the authorities see what they are creating here”.
