Priest makes impassioned plea for completion of A5 dual-carriageway

By Alan Rodgers

AN IMPASSIONED plea has been made for the urgent completion of the A5 dual-carriageway at the funeral of one of the young men killed as a result of a collision on the road a week ago.

Upwards on a thousand mourners were told by Fr Michael O’Dwyer, Parish Priest of Errigal Ciaran, that the deaths of Nathan Corrigan, Petey McNamee and Peter Finnegan had once again highlighted the dangers of the road.

He was speaking at the funeral of 20 year-old Nathan Corrigan at St Matthew’s Church in Garvaghey, which is situated just yards from where the tragedy happened. Plans for the upgrade of the A5 have been delayed for a decade due to legal challenges. A third public inquiry is set to take place later this year.

“The deaths have highlighted again the danger that the present A5 road poses and the need for an upgrade. This community and this church has witnessed too many deaths in accidents and bourne the cost at a great price,” Fr O’Dwyer said.

“This is just one section of the road. Those who oppose the upgrade of the A5 might use the initials of a road traffic accident – rta. Using those letters perhaps for them masks the reality of what happened last Monday morning and can find the names of those who died or were injured – Nathan, Peter, Petey and Mickey to a list of statistics and numbers.

“They may also use the outcome of a police accident report to justify their opposition. But they did not meet the First Responders who were neighbours, or the First Responders of the emergency services, nor the priest who attended the scene. They did not share the worry and anxiety of parents who on hearing of the acidents checked bedrooms to see that their children were all accounted for.

“Nor did they stand at the door of the Corrigan home, as the policeman arrived to tell Kate, Damian and Calum that Nathan was lying dead just yards from their home. The nightmare had become a reality.”

Fr O’Dwyer went on to describe the issue as one of ‘pro-life.’