Elderly couple face having home razed for €120m road
Grandparents Donal and Mary Ó Riain said no money would compensate them for losing the family home they built in 1964.
Mr Ó Riain said it was a”total disaster” for him and villagers in Parteen that Clare County Council voted 17-9 in favour of a proposed northern distributor road on the outskirts of Limerick City.
Cllr Cathal Crowe (FF) had warned that the new road plan “will tear the soul out of Parteen and cut the community in half”.
Mr Ó Riain said: “Most of the people believe that the road is not necessary and the vote is a total disaster as far I’m concerned. It is not only me losing my home — other people will lose their homes because of this road.”
He only discovered the preferred route goes through his home at Tuairín na Molt at Ballykeelaun after he went to a local information meeting held by Clare County Council.
Under the plan, which has to be ratified by An Bord Pleanála, the house will be bulldozed.
Admitting that he was “very disappointed” with the council’s decision yesterday, he said the battle to stop the road going ahead was only starting now. “The road plan has a few more hurdles to go,” he said.
The Ó Riains had raised their five children at the home. “I am not interested in compensation. I want to remain in my home for the rest of my life. I have many happy memories here,” he said.
Mr Ó Riain, a retired ESB worker, said he never dreamed 51 years ago when he built the house that a road would go through it some day. He said the road is also planned to go through the house of his son Don Ryan at Shanakyle.
Another local resident, Theresa Crawford, said that “local feeling is very strong”. She said the road will cut off 1,250 people from their own parish with no access to the school or the church. It makes no sense, she said.
