Council has the land, but not the money to widen ‘lethal’ road

KERRY County Council has acquired the land needed to provide a footpath in Ventry, where the combination of pedestrians and heavy summer traffic on a very narrow road has been a cause of huge concern in recent years.

The footpath, with street lighting, is to be constructed on the sea side of the road from the village to the top of the entrance road leading to the beach. However, there is no timescale for when the work will be done.

The 250m stretch of very narrow road is used by adults and children walking to and from the beach, Irish language students who have classes in the community hall, and locals doing their shopping or going for a pint in the village. It also carries most of the summer traffic going around Slea Head. When that heavy traffic meets pedestrians there’s congestion, delays – and danger.

Coiste Forbartha Fionn Trá has campaigned for years seeking a solution to the problem and this week coiste member Seamus Ó Lúing said the planned footpath couldn’t be built soon enough.

“That stretch of road is absolutely lethal and we would urge the council to make every possible effort to get the job done as soon as possible,” he said.

Cllr Seamus Cosaí Mac Gearailt said the council acquired the land needed for a footpath because an opportunity arose to do so. However, the council has no money to build the footpath and must now seek funding from State agencies.

“We would like to see the job done over the winter but, to be realistic, it depends on funding so it’s impossible to say when it will actually happen,” he said.

The road west from Ventry village where Kerry County Council plans to build a footpath – when it has money for the job.