‘You have to drive it to believe it!’

Cork County Council has called for a face-to-face sit down with road infrastructure officials to demand urgent funding for repairs to the N72.

On Monday’s full meeting of Cork County Council, Fianna Fáil Cllr Bernard Moynihan described the condition of sections of the N72 a “shambles” and a “disgrace”.

“The N72 requires urgent funding. It’s in an appalling state at the moment,” Cllr Moynihan said.

“The problem is, there are people who don’t know the road hitting the potholes. A tire company that I know was at a junction on this road five times in the last week,” he added.

Though sections of the road at Lyredaowen Meenskeha have been repaired to a high standard, Cllr Moynihan said the repairs put into sharp contrast how bad the rest of the road is.

“The good parts that are done are showing up the really poor parts,” he said.

As part of his motion, Cllr Moynihan called for a face to face meeting with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) officials.

Fellow North Cork Fianna Fáil Cllr, Gearoid Murphy, said the road was so bad in places that “you have to drive it to believe it!”.

He said: “Anywhere back west of Cloonbannin Cross, all the way back to the Kerry boundary. There are one or two patches that have been done but other than that, it’s in an atrociously bad state.

“It’s just crazy that it’s got as bad as it is,” Cllr Murphy added.

Labour Cllr Ronan Sheehan said: “I had American cousins that were staying in Killarney last week and they came to Mallow to visit us and one of them said, ‘I think we took the back road to Mallow’. I said, ‘No, you didn’t. You took the main road’.”

With much focus on the section of road connecting Mallow and Killarney, Independent Cllr Peter O’Donoghue redirected attention to the eastern portion of the N72.

He said: “Not alone just from Fermoy to the Kerry border, but the other way as well to the Waterford border, the road is in a scandalous condition.

“Our national roads are meant to be our premier roads, they’re meant to be the best roads in the country it’s like the rocky road to Dublin driving the N72 at the moment,” Mr O’Donoghue added.

In closing, Cork County Council Chief Executive, Moira Murrell said there is engagement with the TII regarding the N72.