Laois residents fear child will be killed on high speed road

Laois families living alongside a busy road into Mountmellick are in fear that a child will be killed such is the level of speeding traffic.

Some 15 houses line the Debbicot road between the town and The Rock, a straight stretch where the speed limit is raised higher than it is either side.

It rises from 50km/h in the town to 80km past the houses, then back to 60km and 30km at The Rock during school times. Traffic speeds up and also takes risks to overtake along the stretch.

Residents met the Leinster Express / Laois Live this week to highlight their concerns and plead for a dropped speed limit.

It is "like a runway almost" one resident Goretti Whelan said.

"We feel there is more traffic here since the early summer when all the roadworks were in Portlaoise. It's important to say that we are gratreful for the work done, the new footpath and lights. It has encouraged more people to walk out to the Rock and back in, but that has brought problems in terms of road safety.

"Motorists are welcome to use the road but we have to respect cyclists and walkers. We are only looking for a speed reduction from 80 to 60km/h," she said.

Parent Faith Quille has two small children, Robin and Charlie.

"I can't walk on the path with them, they'd be swept under a a lorry. They should be walking for exercise, I don't want them in a buggy. At Halloween we abandoned our trick or treating between the wind and the traffic being so busy at rush hour.

"A lot of massive lorries use it because there's restrictions on heights on other roads. Before we changed our windows you could actually feel the vibration.

"It's the first straight stretch between Mountmellick and Emo. People just take the chance and floor it but this is a residential area. There's children or grandchildren in every house. A lot of schoolchildren now walk and cycle on the path in and out, they can't cycle on the road, it's too dangerous," she said.

Sarah Dooley has four young children, two have Autism and no comprehension of the danger of running onto the road.

One of them was nearly killed recently she said.

Her son Patrick ran straight for the road and Sarah tripped and fell while trying to catch him.

His life is owned to a neighbour Richard Whelan who saw him and screamed his name, stopping the child in his tracks as a car drove past.

"Only for Richard, Patrick would be dead. A child is going to get killed on the road, that is my biggest fear. I've asked the speed van and the Gardaí to come and do speed checks," she said.

The residents say they are in danger when they slow down and indicate on the road to turn into their entrances.

"People think you are overtaking and go to overtake behind you. That happened to my father and there was nearly an accident," she said.

Ciara  Lynch has two little girls Fiadh and Evie.

Pedestrian killed in road collision named locally in Laois

"I just want there to be a lower speed limit. There has been an explosion of walkers since Covid and the new path. It's just so unsafe to walk on it even with the buggy. You'd be worried bringing them out to scoot on it," she said.

"We can't get a pet," Evie added.

"A pet wouldn't stand a chance," her mother agreed. 

At the Rock School, they say that the road is a serious danger at school times, with a speed alert sign out of order.

"The battery was stolen from the speed sign, it was smashed open. At least that would be a deterrant," Faith said.