Fine Gael councillor Pauric Clerkin has called for a stronger Garda presence on roads across north Monaghan after highlighting what he described as a concerning rise in drink and drug driving, alongside speeding and other road-safety problems in local villages.
Speaking to Northern Sound on Wednesday morning, 14 October, Cllr Clerkin said it was unacceptable that people were taking to the roads under the influence and putting others at risk. He said more Gardaí were needed to curtail dangerous driving, especially speeding and related issues in villages across the north of the county.
Ballinode, Tydavnet and Scotstown still waiting
He is also asking Monaghan County Council to expedite traffic-calming measures in Ballinode, Tydavnet and Scotstown. That is not a new ask. At a Monaghan Municipal District meeting earlier this year, reported by the Anglo-Celt in July, Cllr Clerkin sought a clear timeframe for works in the same three villages, saying he was under "serious pressure" from residents and warning that the issue risked being dealt with only "when something really bad happens".
The council's reply then, as carried by the Anglo-Celt, said recent traffic speed surveys had found no speeding issue in Ballinode but had confirmed problems in Tydavnet village and on the Roslea Road at Scotstown. Both Tydavnet and Scotstown were to be included in an application to the Department of Transport's 2027 Low Cost Safety Scheme. Funding under the same scheme had already been secured for traffic calming in Mullen village, which the Monaghan MD said was being delivered.
Sinn Féin councillor Bronagh McAree told the same meeting she was "inundated" with complaints about speeds through Tydavnet and urged a proactive approach. MD co-ordinator Martin Taylor said audits follow the council's traffic-calming policy, that ramps are only one option, and that on rural roads speed cushions are often "the last resort" because of concerns from the Ambulance Service about spinal-injury patients.
Quiet Road pilot and the wider plan
Separately, Cllr Clerkin pressed in late September for an update on the Quiet Road Pilot. Northern Sound reported that the Section 38 process was complete, the highest-ranked tenderer had withdrawn, the contract had been awarded to the second-ranked tenderer, and construction was programmed to start that week. He backed the project while stressing that residents' livelihoods should not be restricted as works proceed.
The push sits alongside the County Monaghan Road Safety Action Plan Phase Two for 2026–2027, launched at Monaghan Fire Station with An Garda Síochána, the fire service and the RSA. Sergeant Niall Leech of the Monaghan Roads Policing Unit said Gardaí would keep targeting speeding, impaired driving, mobile-phone use and seatbelt offences — the same behaviours Cllr Clerkin raised again this week.
For more on the county plan and enforcement priorities, see our story on the Road Safety Action Plan. Congestion and relief-road pressure in Monaghan Town are covered separately in our report on N54 queues and councillor calls for design funding.
