gardaí advise avoiding driving in Navan, Athboy and Bective

Bog Butter

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1225/breaking6.htm

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1225/weather.html

Emergency services also warned motorists to avoid local roads around Navan in Co Meath.

A spokesperson for the Dublin Fire Brigade on Christmas Day said all routes into and out of the town were 'virtually impassable' due to icy conditions.

Has anybody experienced the icey roads in Meath? My road is covered in black ice - absolutely lethal.

PauloMN

The estates here in Trim are lethal, lots of melted snow/slush from the past few days has thawed and refrozen, and the sleety rain earlier today froze as soon as darkness came. Main roads seem to be ok though, but I've not driven much over the last couple of days. Was -6C here this morning!

Cutie18Ireland

Is navan still this bad? had to postpone travelling last night, don't wanna be stranded here again. Travelling Duleek to Kells

Stroke Politics

I heard yesterday that there were 53 admissions to the A&E in Our lady's on Christmas Eve due to slips/falls on ice. Was in town in the morning and it was lethal on the footpaths, so had to walk on the road instead. Heard also that the council ran out of grit/salt, and that the paths were not gritted until 14.30 on Christmas Eve.

I have never seen ice like it, the whole of my driveway and the estate is covered in a film of ice, it's like a skating rink. Bit of a thaw now, but front of my house is in shadow all day.....

sofireland

Its a joke of a situation altogether imo.
Roads weren't gritted, paths weren't gritted, Mick Ryan of Ryans was seen walking up the path outside his pub to geoghegans and the church spreading salt.

Having lived in the UK for a number of years, most streets would have grit bins on them for the locals to help them selves.

Thankfully seems to be thawing now though until the next freeze.

Meathgirl

Hey Guys,
Here in icey ATHBOY! My god its just shockin! I crashed my car on Christmas Eve! THen later I fell on the blooody ice! We've had snow! We've had hail stones! we've had rain that immediately froze!!! Its just awful!

I cant wait for it to rain and melt the bloody stuff!

Yes true that 53 fractures at Navan Hospital on Christmas Eve, my aunt works there!!!

Stay safe guys.......

MG

Meathgirl

sofireland wrote: »

Its a joke of a situation altogether imo.
Roads weren't gritted, paths weren't gritted, Mick Ryan of Ryans was seen walking up the path outside his pub to geoghegans and the church spreading salt.

Having lived in the UK for a number of years, most streets would have grit bins on them for the locals to help them selves.

Thankfully seems to be thawing now though until the next freeze.

SEEMINGLY, MEATH CO CO ran out of Grit!!!! and wait for it...... cant AFFORD ANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!

sofireland

Meathgirl wrote: »

SEEMINGLY, MEATH CO CO ran out of Grit!!!! and wait for it...... cant AFFORD ANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!

:rolleyes: Why does that not surprise me. Also heard they couldn't afford the overtime they would undoubtedly have to pay out too.

I fell on the ice myself, got a bump to the noggin for my troubles, thankfully the worst seems to be over.... for now at least!

bitemybanger

My road is still covered in black ice, some people cant get thier cars into the driveways with the ice on the path. mad stuff

Howjoe1

the roads tonight in Navan are really bad again. Especially the footpaths. Can see the Council being sued for this mess. Might have been cheaper for them to invest in extra grit:mad:

Bog Butter

absolutely rediculous. surely the foothpaths in the town would be a priority. i am just back from the local and the road was leathal. it is not a national route but it needs treating badly. lives are being put at risk here.

pullandbang

I went through the bog cross at Bohermeeen yesterday morning. I didn't want to go through it, I wanted to stop but the car had other ideas!

nowuckenfurries

I drove from Trim to Laytown on St Stephens day & back last night, the roads are leathal :eek: Anywhere the road is in the shade is covered in a thick layer of ice.

If anyone is driving, just take it slow & don't jam on the brakes, if you skid try to steer (yourself) out of it!!

Heading to Dublin today, so will advise later

2qk4u

Still bad in places, its so icy in my estate that I had to go out yesterday and break the ice on the footpath just to get out, it was the slippiest ice ive ever seen.its about half and inch thick.
My wife drove up the Borallion road to Balreask Cross the other day and was crawling with almost no speed when she tried to stop and the car just slid out into the junction and across into the other road on the oppisite side, she missed a car travelling from Navan towards Trim by inches, when she got home she was very upset. She had the kids in the car and said if she was just seconds earlier they wouldnt have made it home.

Bog Butter

nowuckenfurries wrote: »

I drove from Trim to Laytown on St Stephens day & back last night, the roads are leathal :eek: Anywhere the road is in the shade is covered in a thick layer of ice.

If anyone is driving, just take it slow & don't jam on the brakes, if you skid try to steer out of it!!
Heading to Dublin today, so will advise later

DO NOT TRY AND STEER OUT OF A SKID!! The advice is to steer in the direction the skid takes you. If you try and steer out of it you will skid even more and the car will go all over the place. Do not fight the skid; steer in the direction of the skid.

In general you should:

1. Break very very gently.

2. Excellorate very very gently

3. Not turn sharply

i.e NO SUDDEN MOVEMENTS

Hammer Archer

Were there any roads gritted last night??? Went from Naas to Ratoath this morning and the Maynooth Road, Dunboyne bypass, Fairyhouse Road and even the N3 were deathtraps.

CUCINA

I went to two filling stations and two shops in Dunshaughlin yesterday and they were all sold out of salt...then I realised I could use the water-softening salt that I have bags of, to spread on the drive-way.

Just a matter of crushing it into more-or-less powder form, did the job nicely.

bitemybanger

06:30 between Navan and The city centre was lethal all the way, its a joke main roads like the N3, a national road was not gritted.
"aagh sure we'll get away with it until someone is killed"

pullandbang

It's not just the N3, the N4 between Palmerstown and Islandbridge was lethal. I met three single car accidents on one stretch all within a few hundred yards of each other - two of them in rear wheel drives!

So all you Beemer drivers take note (one was a BMW "parked" up on the embankment).

Tis I

Pathetic question I guess, but does anyone know where I can get bagged grit or salt anywhere near navan??????? My road in my estate is north facing and has been lethal until today. Both of us fell when we went out and one of our cars was abandoned on the road as we could not get it back in the drive with the ice.
As the week end will be just as bad again, I wanted to be prepared. I will need to get out to get to work.
What a joke the council has been , no info, no support.
Any info greatly appreciated.
Happy new year!!

greenpeter

There is a place in ashbroune doing it called e-tag fixings in the industrial estate beside the cinema.

Bog Butter

Tis I wrote: »

Pathetic question I guess, but does anyone know where I can get bagged grit or salt anywhere near navan??????? My road in my estate is north facing and has been lethal until today. Both of us fell when we went out and one of our cars was abandoned on the road as we could not get it back in the drive with the ice.
As the week end will be just as bad again, I wanted to be prepared. I will need to get out to get to work.
What a joke the council has been , no info, no support.
Any info greatly appreciated.
Happy new year!!

It might just come in handy. Have a look at this:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055780851

http://theweatheroutlook.com/

NufcNavan

Meathgirl wrote: »

SEEMINGLY, MEATH CO CO ran out of Grit!!!! and wait for it...... cant AFFORD ANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!

Did they even bother gritting in the first place? Navan on christmas Eve was an absolute disgrace. The paths were lethal everywhere. Parked near the primary school on the Trim Road, and it took over 20 minutes to walk/slide to Trimgate street. Ironic that the worst paths were the ones directly outside the council.

The council didn't grit or salt the paths because if they only do a partial job, they are liable o be sued if someone falls on an icy patch that they missed. That and they're as lazy as feck..

andrewie

A bit far from Navan but just outside Kells on the Moynalty road be very careful.

Black ice everywhere, sister is after writing her car off. Guards wouldn't come out because roads were too bad.

sofireland

NufcNavan wrote: »

Did they even bother gritting in the first place? Navan on christmas Eve was an absolute disgrace. The paths were lethal everywhere. Parked near the primary school on the Trim Road, and it took over 20 minutes to walk/slide to Trimgate street. Ironic that the worst paths were the ones directly outside the council.

The council didn't grit or salt the paths because if they only do a partial job, they are liable o be sued if someone falls on an icy patch that they missed. That and they're as lazy as feck..

Aren't they liable anyway? Its a disgrace what the council have gotten away with here.

andrewie wrote: »

A bit far from Navan but just outside Kells on the Moynalty road be very careful.

Black ice everywhere, sister is after writing her car off. Guards wouldn't come out because roads were too bad.

Yeah the roads will get bad again tonight no doubt, sorry to hear about your sister, hope she is ok. Keep safe people.

Atomic Pineapple

sofireland wrote: »

Aren't they liable anyway? Its a disgrace what the council have gotten away with here.

Nope, there only liable if the path is damaged and not repaired thus leading to injury, there not liable in any way for the weather causing hazardous conditions.

sofireland

Its still poor form though, the busiest shopping day of the year and you'd people falling and making bits of themselves in Navan.

Was it really too much to get together a few council workers to spread grit / sand onto the path. Not only are the citizens disgusted at this, i'd say the retailers are as much wound up.

Tis I

greenpeter wrote: »

There is a place in ashbroune doing it called e-tag fixings in the industrial estate beside the cinema.

many thanks for that. Had tried a few places and could only get horticultural grit to which I will add a couple kgs of dishwasher salt. Most likley places that supply rock salt are shut for the hols. Business opportunity missed there!!
Snowing now so roads in the estate will be like a skating rink again tomorrow.

NufcNavan

sofireland wrote: »

Aren't they liable anyway? Its a disgrace what the council have gotten away with here.

No. They covered their arse by putting down none which meant that they could not be held liable should someone slip. If they gritted, that meant that they had to do it very well in order for them to avoid being sued. They went for the former and lazier option. :rolleyes:


I don't buy into the 'it costs too much money' argument. It costs the town money if people cannot walk around and shop, for God's sake.

Lucy211

Is the road from Maynooth to Dunboyne gritted now each morning?