No signs for local sports grounds on new N6

Signs directing people to the home grounds of Athlone Town FC and Buccaneers Rugby Club, as well as Athlone and Garrycastle GAA clubs, will not be permitted on the N6 because they are not considered major tourist attractions according to National Roads Authority (NRA) guidelines. At a recent meeting of Westmeath County Council"s Athlone Area committee, Director of Services Barry Kehoe outlined the type of signage that would be allowed on motorways and high quality dual carriageways. He stated that, according to NRA policy guidelines, signs would only be allowed for the following: Major tourist attractions which attract over 75,000 visitors per annum; championship golf courses; areas/regions of major tourist interest; county boundary signs; principal rivers; Scenic routes and nearby historical or heritage towns. All signage will require NRA approval. Mr Kehoe said he understood that brown signs with icons indicating what type of facilities are available in bypassed towns would be put in place on the N6 at Moate and Athlone in the near future. Cllr Frankie Keena had proposed the motion: 'That this council discuss the need to erect directional signage on the new motorway for various tourist-related amenities in the Athlone and Moate areas.' Cllr Keena stated that 'the need for signage on the motorway is a matter of urgency' but Cllr Egbert Moran said the matter had been raised at a Town Council meeting two days earlier and the NRA"s response had not been encouraging. 'The signs are not going to get in unless there"s representation from a national politician, and you know who I mean there,' said Cllr Moran. Cllr Mark Cooney said that, as local people, the councillors all knew where they were going when driving in the Athlone area, 'but for strangers at the moment it"s totally confusing' while Cllr John Dolan said that traffic should be directed into the towns being by-passed in order to protect these towns. Cllr Joe Whelan stated that he and Cllr Tom Allen had already met with the NRA and it was his understanding that the council had 'probably missed the boat' when it came to getting signs put up on the N6, as these had already been designated. He also said there appeared to be an anomaly in the fact that there was a sign directing people to Belvedere House Gardens and Park on one stretch of dual carriageway but not to other tourist attractions in Westmeath. Cllr Kevin "Boxer" Moran stated that 'the NRA can say what they like' but that signs should be allowed in order to let people promote their businesses and tourist attractions on the N6. 'If there are signs for Belvedere then what"s good for the goose is good for the gander. We need to put something on the agenda in order to place signs in key areas,' said Cllr Moran. Council Director of Services Mr Kehoe said he felt there was a lot of merit in the NRA"s position with regard to signage. He stated that in the future all junctions would be numbered and that people would be given directions, 'for example, to follow the N4 as far as junction 46, and to get off there'. Mr Kehoe defended the NRA decision to allow a sign for Belvedere House Gardens and Park, stating that 'in fairness, it attracts 190,000 visitors per annum'. Responding to a follow-up question from Cllr Keena, Mr Kehoe agreed that an application could be made to the NRA for signs on the N6 directing people to championship golf courses in the Athlone area.