WALLS on two bridges near Ardgroom are dangerously low and need to be repaired, residents have claimed.

A number of people raised the safety issue with their local representative in the hope of council repairs to the bridge infrastructure on the R571 coming into Ardgroom Village on the Castletownbere side.

Cllr Finbarr Harrington (Ind) raised the issue in a motion at a recent meeting of the West Cork Municipal District.

‘The walls got damaged in both bridges and have not been rebuilt,’ he said.

‘They are now dangerously low because the road was risen there recently. This is the main road from Castletownbere to Kenmare and it is used a lot by buses and lorries heading to Killibeg with fish from Castletownshend.

Cllr Harrington elaborated on some of the concerns raised with him.

He said: ‘I got a call from a cyclist recently who nearly ended up in the river when a lorry was overtaking. There are also a lot of kids playing in the village and the residents fear they could end up in the river.’

Cllr Harrington’s motion got support from Cllr Caroline Cronin (FG) and Cllr George Gill (FF). Cllr Gill said he would also like to see railings put in place on the steps going from the bridge to the river.

‘I have reviewed the situation and will organise to have these works put on a program for this year,’ said Kevin Lynch, Executive Engineer at Cork County Council.

‘Thank you for getting it on the programme to be done. It will be a great relief for the people of the village,’ said Cllr Harrington.