Calls for 30km/h zone in Cratloe amid ongoing road safety concerns - Clare Echo

Photograph: John Mangan A CALL has been made for Cratloe village to be considered for a 30km/h speed limit zone, with concerns raised over traffic volumes and road safety as part of Clare County Council’s proposed speed limit review. Speaking to The Clare Echo, Shannon Municipal District Cllr Patrick O’Gorman (FF) said he would be … Calls for 30km/h zone in Cratloe amid ongoing road safety concerns Read More »

A CALL has been made for Cratloe village to be considered for a 30km/h speed limit zone, with concerns raised over traffic volumes and road safety as part of Clare County Council’s proposed speed limit review.

Speaking to The Clare Echo , Shannon Municipal District Cllr Patrick O’Gorman (FF) said he would be urging Clare County Council to include the main section of Cratloe village in the proposed changes.

The Draft Special Speed Limit Bye-Laws 2026 propose the introduction of 30km/h speed limits in built-up and urban areas throughout County Clare, while speed limits would also be reduced from 100km/h to 80km/h on sections of the R458 at Ballyline, the R352 at Caherlohan, the R445 between the Radisson Hotel and the Limerick border and the N68 at Darragh.

Cllr O’Gorman said that while 30km/h zones are generally intended for built-up areas and housing estates, Cratloe should also be considered due to the nature of the village and the safety concerns raised locally.

“My point is that in my own parish of Cratloe, because it is not classed as a housing estate we cannot get the speed limit down to 30 kilometres per hour,” he said.

He said he would like to see the central area of Cratloe village designated as a 30km/h zone, alongside traffic calming measures.

“I would be urging the council to include the main middle part of Cratloe parish as a 30 kilometre zone and also to put in some sort of traffic calming measures in there,” he said.

Cllr O’Gorman said the areas of particular concern included the road leading towards Cratloe National School and the route through the centre of the village towards Limerick.

He said road safety concerns had been repeatedly raised by the local community, with traffic issues regularly discussed at Cratloe Community Council meetings.

“There’s hardly a meeting that passes over the course of the 12 months of the year that traffic issues in the parish of Cratloe isn’t brought to my attention,” he said.

Cllr O’Gorman said Cratloe’s location created particular challenges when it came to managing traffic through the village.

“We are in a unique kind of a corner of County Clare,” he said.

He also said Clare County Council had confirmed that Cratloe National School would be included in a pilot project examining reduced speed limits outside schools.

Cllr O’Gorman said he had previously raised motions seeking traffic calming measures in Cratloe and hoped progress could be made “sooner rather than later”.

The Draft Special Speed Limit Bye-Laws 2026 are currently open for public consultation until August 31, with members of the public invited to submit feedback through Clare County Council’s consultation portal, by email or by post.

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