Had to jump on wall to avoid cars

A county councillor has described how he was forced to hop on the wall of a bridge to save himself from injury when two speeding cars travelling in opposite directions met as he walked across.

"So imagine someone in their 70s or 80s heading down to the bus or heading to the community park or heading to the local pub," said Cllr David Jones, as he recalled the incident at Raharney the most recent meeting of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad.

Cllr Jones’s comments came as he spoke on his motion calling on the district to look at installing a pedestrian bridge from Raharney Amenity Park across the river to the village.

Stating that the existing bridge is not safe for pedestrians, Cllr Jones said a local businessman has offered to provide a beam, but that the council would need to make an arrangement for access with a local landowner.

The official response stated that the district can examine that as part of future estimate programmes in 2025.

Support for the motion came from Cllr Niall Gaffney, who said such a bridge would connect the lovely community park with the rest of the village. "I think it would be brilliant," he said.

Cllr Denis Leonard also supported the proposal, adding that it could be tied in with the Active Travel programme.