Devine worried about dog control at Castlepollard park

Although the new town park created in Castlepollard is just months open, already there is a problem with people allowing their dogs run around off their leashes, and also a problem with dogs fouling the park.

The issues were outlined to the officials of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad by Cllr Alfie Devine, who asked for a timeline as to when the signage for rules of use can be installed at that location.

“I think we need to let people know that if they’re caught, they will be stopped and fined,” Cllr Devine said, adding that he believed some people did not realise that they had to have dogs on leads, and that they had to take any dog foul away.

“I’ve put it up on social media and people are responding to it: we need to get the message out there,” he stated, going on to contend that if people get away with carrying on that way, they will continue to do so.

In their response, the district staff told Cllr Devine that a number of pictorial signs have been put in place in both Castlepollard and Kinnegad parks indicating rules.

“Further larger signs are currently being designed,” the response concluded.

Director of services Deirdre Reilly told Cllr Devine she agreed with the points he was making: “It comes back to dog ownership responsibility,” she said.

She undertook to speak with the dog warden service to see if anything could be done about providing further education to dog owners.

Traffic and drainage

At the same meeting, as he described a recent traffic accident that occurred on the Oldcastle Road, Cllr Devine told colleagues that there is a need for a “whole town” examination of speed issues in Castlepollard.

“In general, I’m getting an awful lot of calls for traffic calming in Castlepollard,” Cllr Devine said.

The Fianna Fáil man had a formal request before the district asking when roadworks and traffic calming along the Mullingar Road out of Castlepollard would be undertaken. He remarked that he had noticed some preliminary works there.

The official response to his request stated that it was anticipated that the traffic calming works would start in the first quarter of 2026.

A further request by Cllr Devine was for an update on when the surface water drainage on Church Street, Castlepollard might be repaired. To that, the response was that the district was examining the location to determine a positive outlet and that it was expected that the works would be completed by the end of December.

Flooding issue

Water coming off a hill in North Westmeath is leading to pools two feet deep on the road below, Cllr Alfie Devine told the council executive.

To counter the issue, he proposed that flood defence drainage be installed on the LI731 between Tuitestown and Ballyknock Collinstown to Mullingar road, where, he said, flooding is severe during stormy weather.

The official written response stated that the district will consider flood defence drainage there as part of the 2026 estimates.