Ten new bus stop signs to be erected in South & West Offaly

TEN new bus stop signs and their associated markings will be erected in the Birr District, the Area Engineer Brian Keenaghan told the June meeting of Birr Municipal District.
The news is significant because for years people have been highlighting the general lack of Bus Stop Signs and Bus Stop Shelters in Offaly. Councillors are hoping that the new signs will be precursors to the introduction of Shelters.
Mr Keenaghan said the new signs will be erected in Birr, Crinkill, Banagher, Cloghan, Clonmacnoise, Shannonbridge, Moneygall and Shinrone. The funding will come from the Active Travel Scheme.
Cllr Seán Maher welcomed the news. “However, we also need bus shelters in our towns and villages, especially on our national routes. I think the lack of shelters is a serious issue and we should have a meeting between the councillors and the executive about it. We should be doing all we can to encourage people to take public transport, but having no bus stop signs and no bus stop shelters is in fact doing the opposite.”
Cllr Maher also asked when will the Northern Distributor Road, currently under construction, in Birr, be completed?
The Engineer replied that mid August is the expected date for the completion of the Distributor Road – “That is what it is looking like at the moment.” He also promised Cllr Audrey Hennessy Kennedy that he would look at the faded road marking problem in the Birr area.
Cllr Peter Ormond praised the Engineer and his staff for “the huge amount of work which has been delivered.” Cllr Ormond pointed out that the roadworks funding model has changed in recent years in the sense that it is all centring around quite a number of different funding schemes rather than just one major funding pot; and these various schemes cover a wide variety of projects. "The day has gone where we would get just one general allocation. The Active Travel Scheme in particular has done very well. Well done as well to our Council outdoor staff for their upgrading work on various bridges in south Offaly – their work, including their stone work, shows a good skill set.”
Cllr Ormond added that the Council received “a huge volume of applications for the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), but we are only dealing with a handful of them. We must tackle more. In Birr MD we have half the county's roads and we should continue to fight to get half the money. Sometimes it takes two to three years to do an LIS project. I would like to see them being done quicker.”
The Engineer praised his “great staff. For example, look at the repair work to the stone wall in Bulfin Park, Birr. This wall was damaged by a falling tree during Storm Éowyn. I don't think you will see better laid stone anywhere.”
Mr Keenaghan also gave the Councillors an update on the Dalton Centre project in the former Shannonbridge Power Station site. “We are in the middle of designing part 8 and shouldn't be too far off submitting. The lease agreement with the ESB has been signed; and potential tenant assessments are ongoing. The works will include: car parking, public lighting, water connection, ESB connection, foul water treatment system, surface water system, replacement of security fencing to perimeter, cleaning/replacement of eaves chutes. The Part 8 design is underway and the application will be Q3. JT Funding of €1 million has been allocated to the Dalton Centre project; and Offaly County Council is providing match funding of €295,035.”
Other projects which he gave updates on included the following:
Active Travel Scheme: Ferbane – permeability link to Grand Canal at Gallen. Stage 1 road safety audit almost complete. Resident consultation to commence in conjunction with Part 8 design.
Community Recognition Fund: Chesterfield Close - €38,000 invested – new perimeter fence, goals, line marking, benches and footpath. Birr Playground - €80,000 – surface repairs, perimeter fence replacement, equipment replacement, sensory equipment. Works to commence in July. Banagher Playground - €50,000: surface repairs, barrier at entrance gate, equipment replacement, sensory equipment. Works to commence in July.
Bridge Rehabilitation Programme: St Manchan's Bridge, Pullough – substantially complete. Derrinsallow Culvert, Bunrevan – substantially complete. Carrig Bridge, Kinnitty – works commenced (€30,000). Corraclevin Culvert – works to commence Q3 - €40,000. Mountheaton Bridge – works to commence Q3 - €25,000. Knockahorna Culvert, Banagher – works to commence Q3 - €25,000. Total funding available for 2025 - €170,000. 25 bridge inspections to be completed in 2025 – ongoing.
Local Improvement Schemes: Between eight and ten LIS schemes will be completed in 2025. The Council is currently finalising the list and the successful applicants will be notified in the coming weeks. The total funding available for 2025 is €255,750. The scheme was advertised in 2025. Birr MD received 98 applications.
There is €168,000 set aside for the Community Involvement Scheme (CIS). The assessment of the potential CIS schemes is underway. There are likely to be four schemes in total.
An update was given on the National Speed Limit Review: Phase 1 was completed in February 2025 (which entailed local road reduction to 60kph). 290 new poles were installed in Birr MD and 500 new/replacement speed signs were installed. The Council's internal speed limit review was also completed. There were revised/moved speed limits in Ferbane, Boora/Leabeg and Galros Hill to Riverstown. €180,000 was spent in the MD on installation works.
Cllr Hughie Egan, Cathaoirleach of Birr MD, congratulated the Engineer on all his hard work. “It's obvious to everyone that Brian has hit the ground running in the last couple of months. We mightn't always like the answers we get but at least we are getting them. There is good communication.
“One area that I believe strongly in is proper communication with the public. Communication is very important. People have to know what's going on. Bord na Móna have shown again and again they are not great at communication. I agree that Bord na Móna should take a leaf out of the ESB's book. The ESB has given a fund of €500,000 to the Council for roadworks. Generally, the ESB seem more amenable and their fund is great; it's giving back and it's good PR.”
Cllr Egan added that there's a road safety issue on the R357 at Moystown, on the Cloghan to Shannonbridge road. “That's a big issue." He also praised the Council outdoor staff for their excellent work on the District's various bridges and culverts. “Some of the work is great stonework. We should be using the outdoor staff for more work than we are.” He added that the footpaths in Pullough need to be improved to facilitate a wheelchair user there.