Shocking accidents have become so familiar to us

An article in councillor Tom Connolly’s local newspaper from December 2008 reports a discussion at the Claremorris electoral committee of Mayo County Council at which Mr Connolly, a Fine Gael member, makes a plea for safety works at the Meelickmore/Lisduff junction on the N17, at the time the site of 13 accidents.

The plea didn’t fall entirely on deaf ears; annual reports from the council show that, at various times, funding was made available for safety works — €40,000 in 2011, €15,000 in 2013, for example.