Five years on, damaged wall at site of fatal crash in West Cork is still not repaired, councillors told

A damaged wall at the site of a fatal road traffic accident five years ago has still not been repaired, serving as a painful reminder to family and loved ones of the deceased every time they pass it, a recent meeting of Cork County Council’s Western Division was told.

The issue was raised in a motion proposed by independent councillor Finbarr Harrington that asked: “That this council would repair the damaged wall and erect a crash barrier at the bridge by the Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve on the N 71 Kenmare Road from Glengarriff, or if it is the responsibility of Transport Infrastructure Ireland that we write to them to carry out same as a matter of urgency.”

The accident occurred on August 3, 2020, near Glengarriff on the N71 Kenmare Road close to the Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve. The car crashed through the wall and entered the river, claiming the lives of Tadhg Murphy from Bocarna, Glengarriff, and Michael Bowen from Ahakista. Two other occupants of the car survived.

Mr Harrington said it was a very sad and emotional story and he was “pleading more than asking” that something could be done. He said family and friends of the deceased had contacted him to see if the wall could be repaired. 

Mr Harrington said it was upsetting for those who knew the deceased to be reminded of the accident every time they passed the damaged wall and was a “constant reminder of their tragic loss”.

Independent Ireland councillor Danny Collins said he had been pushing to get the wall repaired and felt the matter was too sensitive to be raised in a council motion. Mr Collins said he knew the deceased and had raised the issue with the director of roads to see if funding could be sourced to repair the wall.

Fine Gael councillor Caroline Cronin said she had also raised the matter internally and would raise it at a meeting between councillors and Transport Infrastructure Ireland officials due to be held next week.

Responding for the council, Padraig Barrett, director of services for roads said: “The N71 is a national road and Cork County Council National Roads Design Office is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the national road network under the direction of TII.

“The request for wall repairs and safety barrier at this location will be examined by the National Road Design Office of Cork County Council in consultation with TII.”

This article is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme