There are 36 residences in the 1 mile stretch of the Athenry road between the main Craughwell road and the Cahercrin bridge, and many more in the townlands of Cahercrin, Templemartin, Poulnabonny. Families living here do not have safe non-vehicular access to Craughwell village - the schools, shops, bus stops, ameneties where life goes on. The R347 is an ever-more busy roadway connecting the main Dublin-Galway old road to the M6 motorway so as a result has a volume of traffic never anticipated with the original road layout.

Traffic passes frequently and quickly, up to and above the 100km/hour speed limit, and a 200-metre stretch near the top of the road in Craughwell side is particularly dangerous for pedestrians, with two blind corners and no hard shoulder available. The lack of a footpath and the speed and dangerous corners mean residents are generally prohibited from foot or bicycle passage there, and are taking great risks if they do travel that way. 

We have seen elsewhere practical measures like footpaths, traffic calming measures, reduced speed limits, taken following the County Council's stated 2023-2029 Development Plan objectives, namely:
- Reducing the number of road deaths and serious injuries.
- Improving the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
- Making roads more accessible for all users.
However, this road has never had any action taken, despite budget being available and the sizeable population. 

As residents, concerned citizens and others supporting safe passageway, we request the following:
- A reclassification of the R347 1.6km between Cahercrin bridge and Craughwell village as a residential area
- A reduced speed limit, with consistent signage and speed reduction measures
- Co-operation with the landowners involved to create a footpath, verge or bicycle lane on the 200 metres with no houses near the Craughwell end of the road

See our current situation: https://youtu.be/dVHg0dsROdQ

We seek these improvements to ensure safe passage for all residents.