Locals demand action over ‘most potholed road in Europe’

It is only 1.2km long, but residents claim their road is the most potholed in Europe.

Furious locals mounted a protest on the L92501 outside the East Cork town of Midleton yesterday at the condition of the rural cul-de-sac on which 22 families live.

Spokesman John Joe Joyce said there were about 50 bad potholes on the road, which runs through the townlands of Carrigshane and Castleredmond, and that taxi drivers now refused to travel on it for fear of damaging their cars.

“It’s just deplorable,” said Mr Joyce, who added that some of the potholes were 5in deep.

“Driving on the road is shocking. In parts you have to drive on the wrong side of the road to avoid the potholes — so it’s extremely dangerous.

“If there was an accident and an ambulance or fire engine had to come up the road, God help them.”

Mr Joyce, who works as a gardener, said it was also very damaging for vehicles.

“There is one neighbour who burst a tyre driving on it last week,” he said.

“I’ve two vehicles myself and I want to keep them for as long as possible.”

Mr Joyce said the residents want Cork County Council to take action and to tarmac the road and fill in the potholes so that the residents can “drive normally”.

“Its been really bad for the last six months. The weather has been no help. The rain is tearing the road up.

“We want something done urgently. There are 35 cars on the road and everybody has paid their road tax.

“My grudge is we’re all paying tax and we’re not even getting one wheelbarrow of tar back.”

A spokesman for Cork County Council said it accepted that repairs of the road at Carrigshane were required and that such repairs would be carried out as soon as possible.

However, the spokesman added that it was not a “high-priority issue” for the council in light of extensive road damage due to floods last week and in late June.

“Cork County Council roads have been very badly damaged in flood events of late June and again last week,” said the spokesman.

“We have bridges and sections of roads totally washed away. The estimated cost of this damage is over €7m.”