Lough Lene access fears in summer

Concerns are growing that emergency vehicles could be blocked from reaching Lough Lene due to chaotic parking on busy summer days, councillors warned at the June meeting of the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District.

Cllr David Jones tabled a motion calling for the council to find a resolution to the persistent parking issues along the narrow road between Collinstown and Dromone, where visitors to the lake often park on both sides, creating a serious hazard.

In its response, the council said it would write to An Garda Síochána if members agreed, and also list the item for discussion at an in-committee meeting due to take place later this month.

Speaking in support of his motion, Cllr Jones warned that emergency access could be completely blocked during peak times. “It’s quite concerning,” he said. “If an ambulance or fire brigade had to get down that road, they simply wouldn’t be able to.”

While acknowledging that poor weather in recent weeks had kept crowds at bay, he said that even a brief spell of sunshine leads to a surge in visitors. “Traffic backs up to nearly Collinstown at times. People are coming from Dublin, Meath, all over, and the volume is just overwhelming.”

He added that locals are becoming increasingly frustrated, by the congestion, and by the inability to access their homes during peak hours. “It can take half an hour just to get from one end to the other.”

Cllr Alfie Devine strongly supported the motion, describing the situation as “very dangerous.” He said that when the Lough Lene car park fills up, often early in the day, visitors begin parking down both sides of the road to The Cut, effectively blocking all movement.

“If I had to go down there with a fire tender, it would be impossible,” he said, speaking of his work with the fire service. “You’d have to go the long way around by Fore, or even across fields. That’s the level of obstruction we’re dealing with.”

He added that while the main road remains somewhat passable, the smaller local road leading directly to the lake is “unmanageable”. Looking ahead, Cllr Devine also expressed the fear that cars will actually park on the new footpath planned for the road unless measures are put in place to prevent it.

District engineer Pat Kavanagh agreed to meet councillors on-site to explore potential solutions.