'By grace of god' no child killed as car lands in garden along Laois road, meeting told

A Laois councillor said it was by the grace of god that no child was hurt when a car flipped over and landed in a garden on a stretch of road. 

Independent Cllr Aisling Moran called for action along a stretch of road in a recent motion at a council meeting.

She asked for “a solution for speed on Maganey to Barrowhouse road as there has been two serious accidents in the same location over the past couple of months.”

During the September meeting of the Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District meeting, Cllr Moran explained what had taken place along the stretch of road. 

“It was like the ad that used to be on television years ago where the car flipped and turned and goes into a garden and kills a child,” she said.  

“This car flipped and went into a garden and it was the grace of god there was no small children. There are small children in this house,” said Cllr Moran. 

She said that had there been children at the front of the house “they would have been killed stone dead” as she demanded action. 

Cllr Moran insisted something needed to be done to improve safety along the stretch of road. 

In response, Acting Director of Services Paul McLoughlin stated that: “Laois County Council will inspect this location with a view to installing additional warning signage and road markings.  An Garda Siochana will also be contacted regarding the possibility of including this road in a speed enforcement zone, providing a speed van to assist in enforcing the speed limit and improving road safety along this section of road.”

The motion was seconded by Independent Cllr Ben Brennan.