CALLS to extend the public lighting to facilitate the high quantity of walkers on the approach to Dromoland Castle have been muted to a funding shortage.
An extension of the public lighting in Ballinacragga, Newmarket-on-Fergus along the route of the recently upgraded footpath was sought by Cllr Pat McMahon (FF). In a proposal before the Shannon Municipal District, he highlighted the “large number of pedestrians walking and cycling in this area”.
Although he was agreeable to examine the motion further, senior executive engineer Tom Mellett admitted that no funding was presently available for the 1.7km section of footway and cycleway. “The scale of this project would be significant and there are no plans at present to extend the lighting on the R458,” he stated.
Works to the footpaths were praised by Cllr McMahon who believed it had encouraged more people to get out and active in Newmarket-on-Fergus. “It is outside Dromoland Castle, a five-star hotel, the status of the Clare Inn has also changed in the last few years,” he said while pointing out the amount of visitors to the area that like to travel by foot to the village.
McMahon continued, “the amount of people cycling and walking during the pandemic has increased hugely here since the pandemic. We’ve a wonderful footpath and the people using it are asking me to extend the public lighting”.
Areas such as Ballincragga need to be made safer for pedestrians, Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) affirmed. “We need to have places safer when people are out walking, for some people the only time they can walk is in the evenings when their children are in bed”.
