’Signs won’t slow drivers down’ - warning as speed limit review approved - Donegal Daily

Donegal councillors have warned that new speed limits will have little impact without tougher enforcement on the county’s roads.The warning came as Donegal Coun...

Donegal councillors have warned that new speed limits will have little impact without tougher enforcement on the county’s roads.

The warning came as Donegal County Council adopted its new 2026 speed limit bye-laws following extensive public consultation and review.

“If we’re honest, putting up a lesser sign is not going to slow down people on the roads," Councillor Gerry McMonagle told Monday's plenary meeting.

“We can lower all the speed limits we wish here, but unless we enforce that, it’s going nowhere.

"We need to send a clear message to the people out there who are driving on our Donegal roads that if the speed limit says 60, then you drive at 60.

"Failing to do that, you will be prosecuted. There will be enforcement."

The Letterkenny Sinn Féin councillor said that average speed cameras , which monitor a vehicle’s speed between two points, could help change driver behaviour on stretches of road where speeding remains a persistent problem.

"We need to train people to drive within the speed limit and, unfortunately, the only way to do that for a lot of people - and there are a lot of people who adhere to the speed limits, but there's a significant number of people who don't - is to give them the penalties."

His concerns were echoed by Independent Cllr Michael McClafferty, who said simply putting up signs would make little difference while motorists continued to travel too fast through towns and villages.

He called for more pedestrian crossings, ramps and flashing speed-feedback signs in places including Creeslough, Dunfanaghy, Falcarragh and Loughanure.

“Cutting down the speed limit alone here is not going to make one bit of difference, to be quite honest with you, because people are driving far too fast at the minute,” he said.

Cllr McClafferty also raised concerns about dangerous overtaking on national roads and said a “hard-line approach” was needed. His call for more speed-feedback signs was backed by Mountcharles Cllr Jimmy Brogan, who said he had been seeking similar measures in Frosses for a number of years.

The formal consultation attracted 155 individual public submissions countywide.

In Ramelton and Kilmacrennan, proposed increases to 60km/h were dropped after strong public opposition, with the existing 50km/h limits retained.

In Kilmacrennan , however, calls for a further reduction to 30km/h were not accepted by TII.

Councillors have the power to adopt speed limit bye-laws on local roads, but TII has the final say on any changes proposed for national roads such as the N56.

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Cllr Declan Meehan welcomed the level of public engagement in both areas.

Cllr Liam Blaney said it was disappointing that calls from the Kilmacrennan community for a 30km/h limit on the N56 through the town had not been accepted.

He told the council that a lorry had jackknifed at a junction in Kilmacrennan the previous week and argued that the speed limit should be looked at again.

“We have to accept it because we have no real say over it right now,” he said, before asking that a request be made to TII to reconsider a 30km/h limit in Kilmacrennan during the next review.

The council agreed that Kilmacrennan would be included in correspondence to TII seeking reconsideration during the next review of national primary and secondary routes.

Drumkeen on the N13 will also be raised after Cllr Patrick McGowan said there was no special speed limit through the centre of the village and that local residents were concerned about road safety there.

Loughanure and other towns along the N56 in the Glenties Municipal District will also feature in the letter, following calls from Cllr Michael McClafferty and Cllr John Shéamais Ó Fearraigh who also raised concerns about Loughanure during the debate.

Killybegs Councillor Niamh Kennedy raised concerns about the Shore Road, saying the speed limit there should have been reduced. She called for another pedestrian crossing following a recent serious accident. Bryan Cannon, Director of Roads and Transportation, said the request for additional crossing facilities would be examined.

In Quigley’s Point, Cllr Terry Crossan welcomed the changes, while Cllr Joy Beard said 34 submissions had been received and called for continued attention to traffic calming and pedestrian safety.

Cllr Paul Canning also asked that Burt be examined during the next TII review, citing a number of accidents and seeking a safety audit around Pound Cottages.

School speed limits were also discussed, with Cllr Brian Carr asking whether periodic 30km/h limits could cover lunchtimes at Glenties Comprehensive. Mr Cannon said lunchtime is not currently included in the bye-laws, but the council would consider where such measures may be required.

Councillors ultimately adopted the 2026 speed limit bye-laws, with Mr Cannon confirming that the various requests for follow-up action raised during the meeting would be progressed.