Couple learns of plans to demolish their family home at public meeting

A Co Clare couple have spoken of their shock at being told of plans to demolish their home of almost 50 years to facilitate the construction of a controversial road.

Historian and author Dónal Ó Riain and his wife Alice found out at a public information meeting that four lanes of phase two of the €100m Northern Distributor Road are set to go through their four-bedroom home, Tuairín na Molt, in Ballykeelaun, Parteen.

While the couple were aware they could be living near the new motorway, which will split Parteen village in two, they claim Clare County Council provided no prior warning or indication that it would result in the loss of their home before the recent public consultation meeting in the Radisson Hotel, Limerick.

Their distress coincides with a warning from Clare deputy Timmy Dooley about the frustrating “limbo” facing at least 25 farmers, three householders and other landowners losing parts of the curtilage, or land surrounding their properties.

“A landowner will not be able to sell this land on the open market because it will be worthless pending a funding decision on the road, which could take over 10 years,” he said. “Land owners will be left with an impending loss hanging over them.”

He was supported by IFA roads project team chairman Ger Bergin, who warned indicative lines for roads should be removed from all development plans and maps unless the Government has all the required funding to build the motorway.

Mr Ó Riain says no money would compensate for losing their home, which he built with the help of family and friends in 1964.

“I want to remain in my home and hopefully this road will never happen,” he said. “We have spent a lot of money renovating this house in recent years and had no plans to move for the rest of our lives.

“This house has a lot of happy memories for us, having raised five children. It is still very much a family home, as our children and grandchildren visit regularly, particularly during the summertime.”

“When I built this house, I never expected in my wildest dreams four lanes of a road would go through it almost 50 years later.”

Senior engineer Tom Tiernan said the council had consulted the public on three occasions on the project.

“Over 100 written submissions were received from the general public on foot of the Constraints Study Area and route options public consultations, and all of these were considered in detail. Over 15 months of very focussed, methodical and detailed work by the consultants has led to the publication of the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor.”