'Name new Birr road after school not Lidl', pleads former Cllr

WORK is currently taking place on an important new road in Birr and some people are wondering what its name will be.
Referred to by the Council as the “Northern Distributor Road”, it's hoped that when it opens it will provide some much-needed easing of Birr's serious traffic congestion problem.
During the June monthly meeting of Birr Municipal District the Area Engineer Brian Keenaghan gave the Councillors an update on the project, following a question by Cllr Seán Maher. “Mid August is the likely completion date for the Northern Distributor Road,” the Engineer remarked.
The road will link the Tullamore to the Banagher Roads, giving drivers another option, especially parents bringing their children to St Brendan's CS.
It's also planned to construct a Southern Distributor Road in the coming years and a bypass linking the two Distributor Roads.
During the recent official opening of Birr's New Gaelscoil, which will be located right beside the Northern Distributor Road, former Councillor John Carroll told the gathering that “with the new link road currently under construction I think it would be now appropriate and timely to raise the question of what its name should be?” John asked the gathering if they thought “Bóthar na Laochra” would be a good name? His question received an enthusiastic response from many. He pointed out that if called Bóthar na Laochra” it would be “our first Irish named road in the town. I think it would be great to have our first Irish titled road. The name could be dedicated to the sporting, cultural, entrepreneurial giants of Birr, the Laochra who have contributed to the development of our town.”
He pointed out that the Gaelscoil is “the prominent public building on the link road. The school, through the Department of Education, has delivered a section of the road - funds which were due for a new Hall for the Gaelscoil were instead channelled into the link road.”
John said he wouldn't like to hear people referring to it as the Lidl road, after the big supermarket located there. “I think we have to ensure that by default the Northern Distributor Road is not referred to after the large commercial building on the road.”
He said he was loathe to stray from the positive but he had to point out that unfortunately “we are still awaiting our Sports Hall / General Purpose Room which was and is part of the design that had approval and planning. Because the planning conditions stated that a section of the new link road had to be built from the Budget allocated for the school, the School Hall unfortunately got postponed for construction in 2023, 2024, and 2025. What about 2026? Today I ask those who have influence to press for its delivery. We owe it to our pupils, particularly our special class, for recreational space in inclement weather and for school activities, and it would complete this project to the very high standard that was envisaged by the Department and design team.”