LIMERICK City and County Council is to enlist Garda support to remove wandering horses along the Knockalisheen Road outside Limerick City.
This follows a complaint from local councillor Cathal Crowe who called on the council to fast-track plans to remove roadside ditches at Knockalisheen, near Moyross, to discourage the practice of grazing horses by the side of the road.
Cllr Crowe said that this section of road has a series of bends on it with no street lighting. Horses and foals criss-cross the road searching for grass to graze.
“This is causing a huge road-safety problem for motorists and pedestrians in the area,” he explained.
“Last week the carcass of a dead horse had to be removed from the roadside in this area. Nobody came forward to claim ownership of the animal. As these horses are not microchipped, they have no identifiable owners. There is virtually no recourse for an injured party” he added.
“A new fence was erected in the Moyross area to cordon off a portion of land that will be used for widening the Knockalisheen Road over the coming months. However some people have decided to use the set-aside area between the new fence and the existing ditch as a grazing paddock for their horses” he said.
Responding to Cllr Crowe’s complaint, an official from the council’s Environmental Section said that the problem was being monitored closely since Tuesday, March 19.
“There were no horses along the “grazing strip” until Friday, March 22, when four horses were monitored on the area cordoned off. The movement of horses tends to fluctuate and they are constantly moved along”.
The spokesperson said they would work with Gardaí to have the horses removed and the area will be monitored over the coming weeks.
“The council will also examine the options to remove the roadside ditch,” the spokesperson added.
by Miranda Leahy
