Mayo Coroner under fire for not outlining road safety concerns to Mayo County Council

THE Coroner for Mayo has come under fire for saying Mayo County Council has done ‘little to nothing’ to address road safety on the N5.

Tom Gilligan, Mayo County Council’s Director of Services for Roads, said he was ‘very disappointed’ by recent remarks made by Patrick O’Connor following an inquest into a 79-year-old woman who was killed on the road near Swinford.

Speaking at the monthly meeting of Ballina Municipal District, Mr Gilligan said that Mr O’Connor had never contacted Mayo County Council to outline his concerns regarding the road.

“I get very disappointed when I see comments like this when they don’t have the courtesy or respect to write to the roads authority,” Mr Gilligan stated.

“This gets headline news all the time. I don’t want people thinking that we are ignoring the issue of road fatalities, which is a huge issue which we take very, very, very seriously.

Mr Gilligan made his comments while discussing a motion from Cllr John O’Hara regarding a health and safety plan for the Crossmolina road in Ardagh.

“I just think it is disrespectful,” Mr Gilligan added. “Everyone is entitled to their opinion. absolutely, one-hundred percent…road safety is a very serious issue but I would have thought, out of courtesy and respect, that a person should, at least, be writing to the roads authority and outlining their concerns.”

Mr Gilligan was supported by elected members of the municipal district.

Cllr Michael Loftus said he was ‘surprised’ that Mr O’Connor had not written to the local authority outlining his concerns.

His fellow Fianna Fáil councillor Annie May Reape agreed and suggested that Mr Gilligan write to Mr O’Connor suggesting that express his concerns on road safety to Mayo County Council in writing in future.

Speaking at the inquest of Margaret Conway in February, Mr O’Connor said ‘little or nothing has been done to try and alleviate the serious issues’ along the road despite several fatalities occurring there.

Mr O’Connor has outlined concerns regarding the road on several occasions and has made numerous recommendations for the road to be upgraded to prevent further tragedies.

“It is time those responsible did something about it rather than just hearing my voice unfortunately every few months in this court where deaths have occurred in relation to road traffic along it,” he said.

A total of eight people have lost their lives on Mayo’s road so far in 2024.

Mr O’Connor declined to comment on Mr Gilligan’s remarks when contacted by The Mayo News. 

“The recommendations of Coroners made at inquests are well reported in  the media and sent to the relevant authorities to act upon and deal with,” Mr O’Connor said.