Wrong direction: no dedicated spend for neglected signposts

Cllr Seamus Butler called for funding for the cleaning and repair of public signage

Published 29th Apr 2026, 11:00 BST It was noted during the meeting that some signs, in addition to requiring repair and cleaning, were also in need of realignment as they were facing the wrong direction (as pictured) Cllr Seamus Butler called for funding for the cleaning and repair of public signage Sign up to our Longford Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Longford Live within your account.

A county councillor has called for a comprehensive review of all roadside and public signage across Longford Town , Newtownforbes, Clondra and surrounding townlands, arguing that many signs are outdated, misaligned or in need of cleaning and repair.

​Councillor Seamus Butler proposed during a recent meeting of the Longford Municipal District that any available underspends from other budgets be redirected to an ongoing programme of signage maintenance, with a view to reinstating a more structured approach towards signpost upkeep.

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Said Cllr Butler, “There was a specific role of certain outdoor workers on cleaning signage - that was through the previous town council - but that has kind of fallen between schools and hasn't really been taken on."

He added, " Longford Tidy Towns are gold medal winners for the first time and one thing that was pointed out was that the signage was poor, not maintained, wasn't painted, and wasn't cleaned. There's redundant signs, signs turned the wrong way, signs at an angle, and so on."

The councillor went on to say that while he didn’t expect the necessary upgrades to happen overnight, “once a system is instigated and there's a programme on this, we will see, hopefully within a matter of months, improvements then.”

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In voicing her support for the motion, Cllr Peggy Nolan made reference to Cllr Butler’s earlier point about the system that had been previously adopted by the town council, one which saw the upkeep of signage being taken care of by ‘holiday workers.’

Addressing the chamber, she added, “As Councillor Butler said, the town council used to have a system in place where the signs were washed and cleaned, that was all done by holiday workers. They took on two or three youngsters to do it. I don't know if that's feasible to do now, but that's how it was done at that time.”

In response, council Senior Executive Engineer, Mr Peter Brady, explained there was currently no dedicated maintenance programme or underspend available for such works, adding that signage was instead dealt with through general road maintenance budgets where resources allowed.

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While acknowledging the condition of some signage within the county, Mr Brady said any specific issues identified by council members could be reported to him for assessment.

Mr Brady told the members, “It is noted that there are currently no underspends on the winter gritting or other funds. If elected members are aware of specific signs that require attention, whether due to damage, deterioration, misalignment or other issues, please refer them to myself. This will allow us to assess each case and ensure that the most urgent signs are completed.”

Related topics: Longford Longford County Council Longford Municipal District Sign up to our Longford Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Longford Live within your account.