Renewed bid launched to reopen Dunleer station

A RENEWED bid is to be launched to put the reopening of Dunleer train station back on track.

Cllr Dolores Minogue raised the issue at last week’s council meeting in Ardee, asking that the council organise a meeting with Irish Rail and community stakeholders to discuss the issue.

‘With a timeframe agreed to bring the DART to Drogheda, we must look at the Dunleer station idea again,’ she stated.

She says there are plans for a Drogheda North station but asks why could that not be a Dunleer South station.

‘It would make more sense to have a Dunleer station. It would open up all of mid Louth as well as Cavan and Monaghan. Dunleer is the ideal location,’ she stated.

‘I feel it would be a very positive move for the mid Louth area.’

Her fellow councillors agreed with the suggestion of a meeting but Pearse McGeough felt that Irish Rail were the issue last time the matter was discussed.

‘I think the need is there but this is up to the government,’ he said.

‘No, it’s up to us as a council to push for it,’ Cllr Minogue responded.

Cllr Tom Cunningham felt that to be successful they needed to tackle the issue as a group.

‘We need to come up with ideas and a plan to open it. We have to sit down and work on that. We need a business plan for this.’

Cllr Minogue felt a group approach was the only way it could be a success and she said she wanted as many people as possible involved.

Cllr McGeough said he could see a major ‘ buy in’ to the idea in Dunleer.

‘ The DART proposal has changed the game and that makes Dunleer a real option.

‘A group was active before to get the station opened and we need to get them again and we need the traders as well,’ Cllr Minogue added.