The wife of a man killed in a road traffic collision in North Clare last summer says she “can’t believe” nothing has been done to improve road safety in the region in the past year.
A free concert will be held in Ballyvaughan next month to raise awareness of the serious concern locals have around pedestrian and motorist safety in the popular tourism hub.
On July 27th last year, Jeremiah O’Connor, known to family and friends as Jerry, lost his life when his motorycle collided with a car driven by a French tourist on the N67 road near Ballyvaughan.
At the time, Jerry’s death was the latest in a string of serious and fatal incidents over the years on North Clare’s roads network – sparking calls for a speed limit review in the area.
Last year saw a 19% rise in road deaths nationwide, with six in Clare alone, while the county has seen three fatal road traffic collisions so far in 2024.
On July 27th at 3pm, a free concert called ‘Musicians For Road Safety” will be held in Ballyvaughan to mark the first anniversary of Jerry’s death.
His wife Helga Himmelsbach, who co-ran the Burren Wellness Centre with him and is organising the concert, believes far from the situation having improved in the last year, it’s grown worse.
You can listen to the full interview here:
Clare County Council has restored its Road Safety Working Group for the 2024 to 2029 term, with its members sharing responsibility for sharing shaping road safety policy and identifying hazards in the county.
Newly-elected Ardnacrusha Fianna Fáil Councillor Rachel Hartigan, who sits on the group, argues some attention should be given to laws around car rental for tourists.
