A LACK of signage directing motorists to Annacotty has been blamed for a 50% decrease in business in the village, according to a local councillor. The road from Dublin to Limerick is “a disgrace and an insult,” according to Cllr Michael Sheahan who says that there are 22 signs directing passers by to villages in Clare, yet just two highlighting Annacotty or Castleconnell. The councillor has frequently raised the issue and bringing it up at a recent Castleconnell area meeting, claimed that “every other area of the county that has been bypassed is getting a push, bar Annacotty”.
“If you miss the entrance to the ‘Mackey’ (Newport) roundabout, you are on the road to Cork and have no other opportunity to access the village,” he said.
He also believes that the facilities depicted on the brown tourist information sign does not adequately represent the businesses on offer in the vicinity.
He said the matter was raised in the Dail by Deputy Patrick O’Donovan, who asked that the traffic sign manual be revised.
According to Cllr Sheahan, the response from Minister Leo Varadkar was that he was open to comment and engaging with local authorities on the matter of signage.
In agreement that the village is not well sign-posted…Cllr Teefy said: “business people bring this up all the time” and Cllr Jackman observed:
“You are over the bridge before you know you should have taken the exit.”
“Annacotty is not an ordinary village, it has the Mulcair River and all the amenities that go along with it”.
However, Senior Executive Engineer with the council, Finbarr Keyes believes that the signage policy for Annacotty is in line with the policy everywhere else in the county.
“The brown signs are there simply to inform tourists that there are facilities in the area -if we change it for Annacotty we will have to do it for all the other villages at significant cost”.
An assurance was given by Director of Services, Josephine Cotter Coughlan that policy in relation to signage will be reviewed.
