‘Fantastic’ turnout at Lettermacaward protest to combat speeding

There was a “fantastic” turnout as the community came together in Lettermacaward to protest against excessive speeding through the village.

Scoil Bhríde, Scoil Minagowan, public representatives and locals stood along the N56 calling for traffic to “slow down” when travelling through the village.

“We are here protesting in relation to the excessive speeding through the village,” Breda Burns at Leitir Development Group told Donegal Live. “The turnout is fantastic; it is a Wednesday afternoon so we did worry that we wouldn’t get the people, but we did. It is very typical of this community to come out and support their own initiatives.”

The Lettermacaward Development Group initially engaged with Donegal County Council’s Roads Department in 2020. Transport Infrastructure Ireland subsequently drew up a safety plan costed at €95,000 but advised the scheme was rated as “level 4”, because of the lack of fatalities/accidents.

“We are hoping that after this protest, the powers that be will see what it means to the community of Lettermacaward to get our safety package and to start our process of safer driving in the village,” Breda added.

Despite the road being subject to a 60kph limit, a survey undertaken by Donegal County Council in 2021 showed that 85% of cars were travelling at more than 80kph. Following this protest, the hopes are that the TII safety package, providing traffic calming measures, will be implemented.

“It is great to see such community support, both old and young,” Ciaran McDevitt, Principal of Scoil Bhríde, told Donegal Live at the protest. “Speeding is a problem through the village and we don’t want any fatalities or any more near misses, as we have had plenty of them.”

Previously, pupils, parents and teachers at Scoil Bhríde stood outside to highlight the 60 km/h speed limit in the area. The 60 km/h zone through the village stretches for 2.1 km; along it are two schools, a post office, a shop, a petrol station, a church, a public hall, a GAA pitch, a bar and a housing estate.

“Everybody is coming out because they recognise the importance of road safety,” Sinn Féin's Deputy Dáil Leader, Finance Spokesperson and TD for Donegal, Pearse Doherty told Donegal Live. “They live in this community, they know the speed that traffic is travelling through their village.

“There is a real consciousness that it could be their mother, father or child that is hit by a car travelling at high velocity. They have come together to make sure that we are not gathering at a time of sadness, that we are not sympathising with families who have lost a loved one because of this. “This is about being pre-emptive, making sure that this isn’t just another statistic in terms of the terrible road tragedies in Donegal and elsewhere. The studies have been carried out; there is a solution to deal with traffic calming measures on this road. The amount of money required here is a very little investment for a positive result.”

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