‘Beyond a joke’ - Carlow motorist drove car into ‘12ft drop’ before driving home

A Carlow motorist drove their car into a 12ft drop on a bend but still managed to drive home, a council meeting has heard.

Fine Gael councillor Brian O’Donoghue raised the issue of the bend on the N81 at the March plenary meeting of Carlow County Council.

Cllr O’Donoghue said: “I’ve spoken to Ray [Wickham] about this and I know he’s working on it but just on the N81, there’s a particular bend.

“It’s known as ‘Judy Leas bend’ and it’s just gone beyond a joke in terms of the amount of accidents that happen on it.

“As you come around that bend, where the ditch is, there’s about a 12ft drop of a grike.”

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He went on to detail a specific incident that occurred on the bend on Sunday, March 1.

“Only not Sunday gone but the Sunday before, a car went in on Sunday afternoon. Now, that same person seemed to pull the car out of it and drive it home with the headlight hanging out of it but that’s neither here nor there.”

“I know Ray is talking about doing some remedial works there that might stop a car going in as abruptly.

“We really need to ask TII to do something on the bend there in terms of an extra chevron sign or something that’s going to stop cars going in there.”

He concluded by complementing Mr Wickham on the work he is doing as Senior Executive Engineer.

In response to Cllr O’Donoghue, Coilín O'Reilly, Chief Executive of Carlow County Council, joked that he seemed to know a lot about the accident that had occurred.

Mr O’Reilly continued: “You must’ve missed in the report when you went through it in detail, councillor. It’s in there and it’s progressing.”

He concluded by saying that the council is making good progress on the upgrade works being carried out on the road.