Family of Achill road traffic victim to sue Mayo County Council

Anton McNulty

The family of a young Achill woman who died following a collision between her vehicle and a truck in 2004 are suing Mayo County Council for negligence.
Ashling Gallagher (22) of Askill, Achill, was killed instantly when her Volkswagen Caddy collided with a cement truck on a bend at Murrivaugh, Mulranny, on December 22, 2004.
Her mother, Kathleen Gallagher, is suing Mayo County Council along with companies involved in works on the N59 at the time, with the case due to open next week in the High Court.
The family claim there was failure to adequately, or at all, resurface, renew or repair the road surface so as to prevent it from becoming a source of danger to members of the public and in particular Ms Gallagher. In their proceedings they claimed that remedial work carried out on the road was inadequate and incomplete.
It is further alleged that there was a failure to give motorists on the highway advance warning of the condition of the road surface.
Mayo County Council denies the claims and is pleading that the collision was not the fault of the council and it bears no liability in law in regard to it.
The inquest into Ms Gallagher’s death took place over eight days in 2011, and a verdict of accidental death was recorded by the jury.
The case was mentioned before Mr Justice Bernard Barton last Friday, and he was informed the case is likely to take several weeks, with several expert witnesses to be called to give evidence about the road.