A5 upgrade: Bereaved father Damian Corrigan calls for end to delays
- Published
Peter McNamee (left), Peter Finnegan (centre) and Nathan Corrigan (right) died in a two-vehicle crash in December 2021
The father of a man killed with two of his friends on the A5 in County Tyrone has said "enough is enough" over continuing delays to its upgrade.
A large crowd attended the launch in County Tyrone of a group formed to demand action to end the delays.
Plans to upgrade the A5 were announced in 2007 but have been delayed amid funding issues and legal challenges.
Nathan Corrigan died in an accident on the road in December 2021 which also claimed the lives of two other men,
His father Damian said the accident happened just 100yds (91m) from their home.
"We went to the scene of the accident and saw the car turned upside down, unfortunately there was three body bags sitting on the side of the road," Mr Corrigan told Good Morning Ulster.
"We were waiting on the priest to come and give the last rites.
"We were able to go over and say goodbye to Nathan as the coroner took him away."
The Department for Infrastructure said the estimated cost of the project was £1.6bn.
That is up £400m from the last estimate.
The proposed upgrade would improve the road between Aughnacloy in County Tyrone and New Buildings in County Londonderry.
The group met on Monday night in County Tyrone
The group Enough is Enough met on Monday night. It said 44 people have died on the road since plans to upgrade it were announced.
The meeting at Tyrone GAA centre included relatives of people killed on the road, which forms part of the main route between Londonderry and Dublin.
Mr Corrigan added: "Enough is enough, there's just too many deaths on that road.
"The numbers for that stretch of road, it's not just in recent years, the history on that road is horrific.
"We have to stop at that junction where he was taken from us, so it's horrific."
Nathan's mother Kate said: "It is great that a community has come together, the GAA community, and people from all areas - all communities coming together to support this."
She said that the upgrade to the road should have happened long ago.
"Nathan was our youngest. He was the life and soul of the house and we have to piece back our lives together without him and that's very tough."
Mrs Corrigan said it was good to be a part of something positive and that hopefully 'Enough is Enough' would help to make a difference.
The Department for Infrastructure said it was "acutely aware of the collision history along the existing road" and that it sympathised with families who have lost loved ones.
"The department is doing all we can within our powers to progress the A5 Western Transport project in line with statutory procedures," a spokesperson added.
The department said that a consultation had commenced and it encouraged anyone with an interest to make their views known during the consultation period.
Mr McKenna was motivated to form the group after the death of 21-year-old John Rafferty
Niall McKenna, chairman of Enough is Enough said he was motivated to form the group after the death of 21-year-old John Rafferty who was a member of his own GAA club in Killyclogher and died in a collision on the road at the end of last year.
"I saw the devastation that it did to my own club, his teammates and particularly to the Rafferty family," Mr McKenna said at the meeting in Garvaghy.
When Tyrone GAA held their monthly meeting with local clubs in attendance he said he had seen many people in the crowd that had lost loved ones on the road.
"A few of us got speaking and we just said, surely enough is enough. This road, which is a death-trap, is killing our membership."
Former Tyrone GAA players Kevin Hughes, whose brother and sister lost their lives in separate road accidents in the county, and Peter Canavan, who grew up in a house situated along the A5, were among those who spoke at Monday evening's event.
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