Anger at decision to scrap safety plans at site of fatal crashes in Laois

A dangerous junction in Stradbally will not see any safety improvements

Published 21st Sep 2026, 13:30 BST The junction of the N80 and the L78356 just before Oakvale Graveyard in Stradbally. A dangerous junction in Stradbally will not see any safety improvements Efforts to get safety measures installed at an “extremely dangerous” bend in Laois have been quashed, sparking anger from local councillors.

For well over 15 years, locals in Stradbally have raised grave concerns about the junction of the N80 and the L78356 just before Oakvale Graveyard.

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The issue was again raised by local Stradbally Councillor Vivienne Phelan at the September meeting of the Graiguecullen / Portarlington MD.

However, the Road Design section of Laois County Council said that the Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) “concluded some time ago that it is not possible to progress any further” with installing safety measures at the junction.

An archaeological study was carried out at the junction and it identified an existing "important ecclesiastical enclosure” measuring 100 metres at the site. The Council explained that this discovery made it “cost prohibitive, archaeological, heritage wise, etc.”

Cllr Phelan said that this was a “very disappointing answer.”

“When you’re talking about feasibility, what sort of value can be put on people’s lives? It is a very dangerous junction, residents coming out there have no visibility around the corner. You have to take off at fast speed to make it safely onto the road,” the Fine Gael Councillor said.

'Practical' course for couples separating in Laois “If that’s not feasible, I’d like to know what is because there must be some solution to it. It’s extremely dangerous and it’s only a matter of time before a serious accident happens there on the N80.”

Fellow Stradbally Councillor Paschal McEvoy was also very unhappy with the news, saying it was the first time councillors have been told it was not going to be done at all.

He also voiced his frustration with the lack of communication with councillors who have campaigned about the road for a very long time, considering they were not told that the project would not be progressing after the study was carried out.

“In my lifetime, there have been around six or seven people killed in that area. I’m very disappointed in this. It needs to be revisited as soon as possible. You can’t just leave this, there’s people’s lives in danger,” he urged.

Cllr Aidan Mullins also expressed his dissatisfaction with the response, and queried what is the importance of the ecclesiastical enclosure that it can’t accommodate road improvements.