€50,000 to eradicate notorious county Kilkenny accident blackspot

A COUNTY Kilkenny community received some very welcome news today when it was confirmed that €50,000 has been allocated to make one of the county’s worst accident blackspots safe.

The announcement of the funding for Murphy’s Cross was made by Goresbridge resident and the local and General Election candidate, Denis Hynes.

It follows years of campaigning by Mr Hynes and local community leaders.

The Labour politician and trade union official said: “It has just been confirmed to us that €50,000 will now be spent to do a proper job on the cross and not just a quick fix that was originally planned with the €30,000. Looking forward now to this work being done on behalf of the community.

He added: “Thanks again to Cllr Maurice Shortall for all his help and to all who participated and helped in this campaign.”

Mr Hynes (pictured below with Cllr Shortall) said €30,000 in funding had been approved in national funds, but campaigners had sought a further €20,000, which was approved today by the local authority.

He told KilkennyNow.ie: “We looked for that [extra €20,000]. There was no quick fix – this needed a proper job and now we have it. We’re just anxious now to know when the work will start.”

Murphy’s Cross was the scene of two accidents in the space of one week earlier this year.

On January 8 a motorist was rushed to St Luke’s General Hospital after his car was involved with a collision with a white van (pictured above) at the cross, which occurred as local children were making their way to school.

Five days earlier a heavily pregnant woman also had to be taken to St Luke’s after her car was involved in another collision at the junction. And last September a vehicle was overturned following another crash at the cross.