Mill Street Cycle Track

Maynooth Cycling Campaign is very concerned about the two recent accidents which have occurred on the newly completed dedicated cycle track in Mill Street. Cyclists do not move from a straight to a straight via a sharp angle. Instead they transition via a curve. The Mill Street cycle track has been constructed with what looks like an overly sharp angle. Practice in the Netherlands (example here) and in England (example here) show where cycle tracks change direction, the transition is provided as a curve. A safety audit should be carried out immediately to ensure that there are no further injuries.

NTA Allocation

The NTA has announced their 2026 allocation from the Department of Transport to local authorities. A total of €360 million has been allocated for active travel schemes. Kildare County Council has been allocated  €9.5 million  which is less than last year and makes no allowance for inflation. Among the projects receiving funding is Mill Street (€1.7 million), Royal Canal Greenway (€0.6 million), Celbridge Road (€1.0 million) and Maynooth Educate Together Safe Routes to School (€20,000). Maynooth Cycling Campaign especially welcomes the funding for Celbridge Road which is long overdue.

Road Fatalities – National

The end-of-year figures for road fatalities were published and make grim reading. One hundred and ninety people were killed on Irish roads in 2025. This was an increase of 15, or 8.5%, over 2024, which was also an increase on the previous year. The number of cyclists killed increased from 12 to 14 (16.6%). In 2025, cyclist fatalities doubled compared to 2022. While there has been a big reduction in fatalities compared to the 1990s, in recent years this trend has been reversed despite increased provision of higher-quality infrastructure. There is no information on serious injuries in 2025. As far as we are aware, the Road Safety Authority is still resolving its problem with public access.

Road Fatalities – Kildare

The RSA Provisional Review of Fatalities (2025) lists seven fatalities in Kildare, although the figures are not up to date. In Kildare County Council, “ Safety” used to be included in the title of a Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) formerly titled Transport, Safety and Emergency Services. “Road Safety” featured in a number of agendas for SPC meetings under the item “Road Safety, Cycling and Sustainable Transport,” but there has never been any review of previous year’s road fatalities in Kildare – with one exception. That was in 2019 when Maynooth Cycling Campaign brought it to the attention of the Chair of the Kildare Cycle Forum. He put it on the agenda of the Forum and included it in the agenda of the SPC so that Kildare fatalities were at least noted.

Judge James O’Donohoe’s Description of Cyclists

There has been a lot of controversy over the recent comments of Judge James O’Donohoe, who, while presiding over a case examining liability in a crash between a cyclist and a motorcyclist, described Dublin cyclists as a “nightmare.”

The chair of the Irish Cycling Campaign, Neasa Bheilbigh, responded: “As a mother who cycles with her children, I find it alarming that a judge would so clearly and openly outline personal biases toward people who cycle. Generalisations like this are dangerous.” Condemnation of the judge’s remarks by Ciaran Cannon, the President of Cycling Ireland, has also been widely circulated.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin said in the Dáil that Judge James O’Donohoe’s comments and further generalisations are “wrong,” adding that he rejects “any stereotyping of cyclists.” The remarks were also criticised by the Social Democrats and the Labour Party. The Labour Party transport spokesperson, Ciaran Ahern TD, has indicated that he proposes to submit a formal complaint to the Judicial Council. This is the same Judge James O’Donohoe who previously pleaded guilty to refusing to take a breathalyser test and was subsequently fined €600.

Funding for Local Climate Action

In December, Maynooth Cycling Campaign lodged an application for funding with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications for two climate-related projects. The first was to purchase a wheelchair trailer to offer Cycling Without Age (CWA) cycles to people who are wheelchair dependent. The second project was to offer the community the loan of FollowMe/Gator tow bars to link the bike of a parent and a young child. The outcome of the application is not expected until March. If you have a small child who is unable to cycle on their own and who restricts the opportunity for the rest of the family to cycle, the Gator tow bar may be of benefit. Find out how it works here.

Maynooth Cycling Campaign is an independent local lobby group for better cycling facilities in Maynooth and Kildare generally.  If you would like to support our efforts, we welcome new members. Why not join us – you can find details here.. If you would like to support our efforts, we welcome new members. Why not join us? You can find details here.