Locals stop traffic to make their point
Protesters puts pressure on council to implement ban
An impromptu protest saw more than 60 concerned residents and local politicians take to the crossroads of Slane last Thursday.
Traffic on the N2 and N51 was stopped for 20 minutes as locals put pressure on Meath County Council officials to implement the HGV ban sooner rather than later.
The protest comes three weeks after the village's most recent accident involving two trucks and seven cars.
Miraculously, nobody was seriously hurt but those caught up in the crash are determined to make road safety a priority in Slane.
Campaigner Norma Kealy described the village as a ' death trap', adding that people are taking their life into their own hands every day.
'They built the bypass in Ashbourne but the people of Slane were forgotten about,' she said.
'This road is a death trap; it's like a lottery whether you live or die.'
Leonara McEntegart said she had an obligation to herself and her two children to come out and protest.
She said: 'I was sitting at the front of the accident, my car wasn't damaged and I wasn't hurt but I sat and watched it unfold around me – it was horrific.'
Michelle Power said that while she welcomed the council's decision to implement the lorry ban, she did not want them to dig their heels in on the matter.
'I'm not a roads engineer so I don't know what is involved but I just want
the trucks out,' she said.
' I don't want anyone to experience what I did on March 23rd.'
Conor Brady, whose wife Niamh's car overturned in the crash, is calling on Eugene Cummins, Head of Infrastructure at Meath County Council, to make the HGV ban a priority.
'We want it now, the same thing could happen today or tomorrow,' he said. 'If it does whose hands is the blood on?
'Everyone has said yes to the ban so far, except Eugene Cummins. It's up to him to make it a reality.'
Lord Henry Mouncharles came out to lend his support to locals as did his son, Alex Slane and his wife, Marina.
Fine Gael TD Shane McEntee and councillor Ann Dillon-Gallagher arrived on the scene as did Fianna Fail local election candidate and publican Wayne Harding.
Mr Harding said: 'We understand it's an inconvenience for people to get stuck in Slane this morning but we live with this day in, day out.
'We've had enough.'
- CARMEL RIGGS
