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Irish Independent

Haggardstown and Blackrock deserve bigger share of capital investment

And hasn't been for quite some time while especially for the last decade or more the community has expanded rapidly, and services and facilities are not keeping up to serve residents. More especially infrastructure is not up to requirements to serve the growing population and to add insult to injury a lot of the funds and taxes generated from development and other sources in the area have gone to other parts of the county to fund development. This in a nutshell was the strong case local councillor Shane McGuinness put to his fellow councillors as he asserted that Blackrock and Haggardstown is not getting it's proper share of the cake. Statistically he backed up his case that in his words the area has been 'starved of funds over the past ten years', and argued for it to receive overdue and badly needed funding to bring infra structure and facilities to the required level. The Councillor quoted that Dundalk south boasts the biggest population of the five electoral areas in the county which has a total population of 100, the figure for Dundalk South stands at 26,110, followed by Dundalk/Carlingford at 20,034, Ardee 19, 689, Drogheda Urban 19,685, Drogheda Rural 14,480.. The Councillor was making his valid pitch with national development plan funds coming down the line. He wants to ensure that the area and Blackrock and Haggardstown, where clearly major housing development, in particular, has taken place, gets it fair share of the pot, and redress the imbalance that has taken place. This has seen the area he contends produce the highest income in terms of rates and development levies. Now with Blackrock invited to represent the country in the international Entente Floral competition, there is a clear need and desire to present it's best foot forward, and some of the investment that has seen other parts of the county like Omeath/Carlingford, Dunleer have substantial money spent and plans drawn up to carry out improvements be allocated to the area. The county council will soon be drawing up its own budget and Councillor McGuinness will be pressing for the area to get funding to undertake projects. One that councillor sees as a priority in the Blackrock/Haggardstown area, is the completion of the Rock Road footpath and road improvement scheme, which has been held up for the past three years after a €100,000 grant obtained by the Tidy Towns committee actually was lost to carry out what was proposed to be the penultimate stage of the work. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more The Councillor also believes safety works needs to be undertaken, including the installation of traffic lights and re-alignment of the junction at Sexton's junction on the Dublin Road to address the increasing volume of traffic and consequential increase in danger to road users and pedestrians. He also urges that a new waste water treatment plant be provided for the area and the provision of a community sports facility. Gers lotto The jackpot is now €23 000 in the Geraldines lottery with nobody claiming the prize last week. The numbers drawn were 9, 10, 24 and 31. Two players, Paul McCaffrey and Aislinn Connor selected three numbers to share the €200 prize. Remembrance service The annual remembrance service for those interred in the parish old cemetery on Old Golf Links Road takes place next Sunday, commencing at 7pm. The graveyard is believed to date from the fifth century. Saint Fursey, patron saint of the parish, is said to have founded a monastery there. A church was established there which was in use until 1620 approximately, and is documented to have fallen into ruins by 1692. Famine graveyard An ecumenical prayer service of remembrance will also be celebrated the same day in Killally famine graveyard, starting at 5pm. The graveyard was opened in 1853 and was a burial place for those who died in the nearby workhouse at Rath until 1905. Road closure Louth County Council has issued a notice that Old Golf Links Road will close for a fortnight this month. This will be from Monday August 11 to Friday, August is to facilitate emergency works – the upgrading of foul sewage drainage facilities. No through vehicular traffic will be allowed for the duration of the works, and diversions will be in place. However, there will be an exception made for local access for vehicles and pedestrians.