Call for ‘whole of village’ traffic calming plan for Killucan

A call for a comprehensive traffic calming plan for Killucan and Rathwire received strong cross-party backing at the February meeting of the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District.

Cllr Denis Leonard urged the council to actively seek the expedited implementation of a “whole of village” traffic calming strategy, including the installation of ramps on the Raharney to Killucan Road, where he said speeding is becoming increasingly problematic.

In response, the District Office confirmed that ramps will be installed on the Killucan to Cloughan Road by the end of February 2026. Road safety works are also due to take place at Columba College this year under the Safe Routes to School Programme, while further measures can be considered as part of the 2026 works programme.

Cllr Leonard stressed the need to ensure the Raharney Road is included in any overall plan, noting that while previous concerns focused on approaches from The Downs, Kinnegad, Cloughan and Delvin, issues are now arising on all five main routes into the village.

“We’re all getting representations from different roads coming into Killucan,” he said. “Until we get a whole of village solution, we’re going to keep moving the problem around.”

He pointed to congestion on the main street, where cars park on both sides and vehicles often arrive at speed from rural approaches. He also warned that local businesses should not be placed in conflict over parking pressures.

Cllr Niall Gaffney seconded the motion, describing a whole-village approach as “the only way forward”, particularly given the proximity of schools and the upgraded park on the Raharney side.

Cllr Emily Wallace said Killucan and Rathwire now function as one community and highlighted the heavy volume of cross-county traffic passing through.

While welcoming funding secured to date, she questioned whether there is an overarching plan guiding the works.

District engineer Pat Kavanagh said significant progress has been made in the past two years, including completed works on the Mullingar approach, Safe Routes to School funding for Columba College and additional funding discussions with Active Travel and the NTA for parking and safety improvements.

Director of services Deirdre O’Reilly said while the district takes a whole-village view, funding applications must often be made in stages to secure available grants.

Responding, Cllr Leonard said: “Funding doesn’t always follow the needs.”