Angry residents say new roundabout cuts them off from Dunshaughlin

Angry local residents protested at the new Cooksland roundabout, north of Dunshaughlin, last week to highlight the fact that all pedestrian access to the village has been cut off from those living north of the roundabout. Parents and their children delayed traffic at the new roundabout to make their protest on Wednesday evening when they were accompanied by Deputy Shane McEntee and Green party candidate, Sean O Buachalla. Rosermary Maguire, who lives just north of the N3 roundabout, said residents felt cut off and marginalised from the village, as there was no safe way to walk to the village anymore. 'We either have to cross the busy N3 or walk around the roundabout. Both these options are extremely dangerous, especially for the many children who live in this community,' she said. 'We are just 1km from the village - within easy walking distance - and some of the children here used to walk to school, but they would be taking their lives in their hands now if they were to walk.' Her neigbhour, Ornagh Daly, said that at a time when the problem of obesity in children was being highlighted, it was ridiculous that a group of children should be cut off from walking to school. 'It is extremely dangerous now for adults, never mind children,' she said. Edel Carroll said she had three children who wanted to walk to school, and would walk if there was a footpath. They were disppointed that this was no longer possible. Charlie Johnson of the Cooksland-Roestown Residents" Association said there were already a lot of children living in the area who were cut off from all the local community facilities. The Cooksland roundabout is being built 1km north of the village of Dunshaughlin as part of the overall M3 motorway project and is already in heavy use by traffic passing through Dunshaughlin. Meanwhile, Margaret Conroy, who uses a wheelchair and who lives just south of the roundabout, says she, too, has found herself cut off from the village because of recent works on the bus lane and traffi- calming. In the past, family members could bring her into town along the hard shoulder, but this was no longer possible. 'The hard shoulder is too rough now and I cannot be wheeled into the village. I have to wait to be brought in by car,' she said. She explained that the journey into town used to be a great way for her to get out into the air, but this has been taken away. 'It would also be great not to have to depend on getting someone with a car to bring me,' she said. She has grandchildren living in the area but believes it is too dangerous for them to walk up to visit her and they have to be brought by car by their parents. 'If I was able, I"d be out protesting myself,' she added. Deputy Shane McEntee, who took part in last week"s protest, expressed his anger at the lack of a footpath. He intends to meet with the NRA this week to push to have a footpath provided. 'There is enough land there to provide a footpath, but it will have to be funded,' he said. 'It is unacceptable that up to 15 children are cut off from the village in this way.' Local Green Party candidate, Seán ' Buachalla, was also highly critical of the situation. He said residents felt both ignored and dismissed by all the public bodies they had contacted. 'The locals here are clearly fed up with not being listened to about their access to community facilities in the village and about their own safety,' he said. 'Meath County Council, the NRA and the Department of Transport have either all passed the buck or are just ignoring people and this is not acceptable,' Mr ' Buachalla added. Meath County council spokesman, Bill Sweeney, said there were no plans to provide a footpath from Roestown into Dunhsaughlin. He said the reinstatement of the hard shoulder into the village from the roundabout will be fully completed.