Woman whose father, son and brother died on dangerous road calls for route upgrade

There are two stone markers on the old Dublin-Belfast road in Co Louth, opposite the Monasterboice Inn, also known as Donegan’s. Although the stretch of road is a 60 km/h zone, few drivers slow down enough to notice.

One marker marks the memory of Shane Whelan (19) who was murdered 11 years ago as he crossed the road from the Monasterboice Inn to his grandmother’s house.

Across a lane less than 10 yards away is a stone memorial to his grandfather, Don McCullough, who was killed crossing the same stretch of road on May 4, 1991. He died on his 51st birthday. The family tragedy doesn’t end there.

Along the avenue between the two places where these fatalities occurred is the McCullough family home. In 1982, Séamus McCullough, then just a 17-month-old child, was killed as he walked in front of a milkman’s van.

Shane Whelan (19) died in 2013 in almost exactly the same spot on the old Dublin-Belfast road as his grandfather in 1991.

“We are absolutely devastated by three tragedies in our family. Our lives will never be the same,” said Shane’s mother, Bernie Whelan.

“We think about all the things Shane and Daddy (Don) have lost in our families. They were such a big part of the family and the local community.”

On October 27, 2013, Shane Whelan attended his uncle’s bachelor party at the Monasterboise Inn. He decided to leave his suitcases at his grandmother’s house when he was hit and killed by a car.

Shane “loved life,” his mother said. He was minor player of the year for his local club Naomh Mairtin in 2012 and worked part-time at the Monasterboise Inn. He studied sport and recreation at the Drogheda Institute of Further Education. His whole life lay ahead of him.

The flashing sign on a dangerous stretch of road in Monasterboice, Co Louth, has been out of use for more than a year.

The stone marker in Shane’s memory was placed for the 10th anniversary of his death. He would be 30 now. The family will hold an anniversary mass for him and a gathering at his home on Sunday.

The loss of her father, son and brother to road traffic incidents has made Ms Whelan especially aware of the fragility of life and how bad decisions along the way destroy families.

The Whelan family later discovered that the traffic lights on the stretch of road had been out of order for three years before Shane was murdered in 2013. In 2001, a couple who were due to travel to Australia the next day were killed just meters from where he was. died.

Ms Whelan is now campaigning for several measures that she believes will ensure no more deaths on the road.

Last year, the flashing lights that indicated to motorists when entering a 60 km/h zone were switched off in the event of a collision and not replaced. On the other side of the road are double traffic lights with a central island. If one light is green, motorists can pass through, but on the other side they are red at the same time.

According to her, a pedestrian could easily think that the crosswalk could be crossed freely on both sides and that he could thus bump into passing traffic.

Ms Whelan said she had contacted Fianna Fáil general election candidate for Louth Alison Comyn out of annoyance at the current situation. “This has been going on for a year and nothing is being done about it. It’s another accident waiting to happen. I don’t want other families to go through what we went through.”

Ms Comyn said she has asked the council to carry out an urgent investigation into the road and then implement whatever remedial measures need to be taken.