Angry village residents protest over poor road

LONG-suffering residents are set to protest tomorrow at the appalling condition of a national primary road which runs through two mid-Cork villages.

The road, the N22, has deteriorated significantly since drains were dug underneath it in 2007. It has been described as an undulating road which presents serious danger to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

Last February the residents of Ballyvourney and Ballymakeera had planned to block the main Cork-Killarney road, but postponed the protest at the last minute due to the unexpected death of a member of the organising committee, Muintir Bhaile Bhuirne.

In the meantime, they entered into further talks with Cork County Council and the National Roads Authority (NRA) in the hope that the situation would be rectified.

However, their patience has run out.

Muintir Bhaile Bhuirne spokesman Jonathan Hoare said he was hoping tomorrow’s protest – which will not involve blocking the road – will be attended by 2,000 people.

“The primary motivation of our actions is the safety of motorists and pedestrians. The N22 is one of the busiest national primary routes in the country, directly connecting Cork city with major tourist centres in Kerry and west Cork. The new Cork-Swansea ferry, the Irish Open Golf Championship and various summer festivals in Kerry will add significantly to the traffic flow through the villages this summer. It is a sad inevitability that there will be a tragedy unless comprehensive resurfacing works are undertaken immediately,” Mr Hoare said.

He added that the committee had heard various promises since 2007 which weren’t delivered.

Mr Hoare claimed the council had informed them that any work undertaken would be on a phased basis.

“This is unacceptable, as much of the road would not be repaired until 2011 at the earliest,” he added.

“While we acknowledge the road network throughout the country has been severely impacted upon by the dreadful ice and rain of last winter, our problem pre-dates any such circumstances. We are calling on Cork County Council and the NRA to take all measures necessary to secure funding and resurface the 2.2km stretch through the village immediately,” Mr Hoare added.

He warned that tomorrow’s protest “will be the first of a series of activities” if the authorities “don’t show some semblance of empathy” to the villagers.

However, county engineer, Noel O’Keeffe, said the council had acquired additional funding from the NRA to carry out resurfacing works on part of the road between the Abbey Hotel and the Mills Inn.

“This is around 1.2km of a 2.2km stretch. We hope to start work there in July or August and have it completed before October,” Mr O’Keeffe said.

The engineer said it was hoped to get additional funding for the remaining section.

“I understand why the people there are frustrated. But there are several other roads throughout the county which are also in a bad state and need addressing,” Mr O’Keeffe said.