Council can't comply with Judge's call to cut speed at Laois landmark where tourist died

Laois County Council cannot comply with a Circuit Court judge’s call to cut speed limits at the Rock of Dunamase where a tourist was knocked down and killed until promised new national laws and a speed limits review materialise.

The restriction on the council's ability to respond was revealed in an update given to county councillors after a request to cut the speed limit at the Laois landmark was sought at a recent meeting in County Hall.

Cllr Thomasina Connell, Fine Gael, tabled a motion calling on the local authority to reduce the speed limit at the Rock of Dunamase to 30 km/hour to reduce risk of further road accidents at this location.

Cllr Connell’s motion followed a call from a Circuit Court Judge in February who also called for speed limits to be lowered when jailing a Portlaoise man for causing the death of an American tourist at the site in 2022. 

The reply from James Dowling, Senior Executive Engineer, explained why the speeds could not be changed in response. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

“The Department of Transport advise that there is legislation due for changes to default speed limits. In paralell the Department are to publish a National Speed Limit review guidance document. Pending publication of these documents, it is premature to commence a speed limit review, noting that individual speed limit zones cannot be revised in isolation,” he said.

Laura Jones, 59, from Colorado, died at the Rock of Dunamase in October 2022 she and her Doug husband were hit by a speeding car.

Jamie Kearns, 20, of 22 Cosby Avenue, Portlaoise was subsequently jailed and banned from driving in February 2024 by Judge Keenan Johnson. Sentencing the defendant at Portlaoise Circuit Court, the judge recommended that the council reduce the speed limit from 80km/h to 30km/h on the approach road to the Rock. 

The deceased, her husband and their youngest daughter Erin and her partner Jacob, had stopped off to visit the Rock of Dunamase at the start of their holiday in Ireland. 

Laois County Coucil has received the go-ahead to build a car park near the historic fort located off the N80 between Portlaoise and Stradbally.

The issue was raised by Cllr Connell at the March meeting of the Portlaoise Municpal District.