The owner of a centuries old farmhouse has expressed serious concerns that the proposed upgrade of the N24 between Cahir and Limerick Junction could put her home under threat.
A number of route options are being considered for the route with submissions currently being sought from the public.
Joan McGrath and her husband live in Toureen just outside Cahir in a farmhouse which is between 200 and 300 years old.
It’s at the end of a long boreen on the foothills of the Galtee mountains and near an ancient holy well.
Speaking on Tipp Today Joan said if that was the preferred route option it would have a huge impact.
“It’s full of wildlife, there’s plenty deer around and also the more scare animals such as hedgehogs, red squirrels, bats and pine martins.”
“I suppose more importantly about where we live is that in a neighbouring field there is a place called St Pecaun’s which is a very, very old 7th or 8th century ruin which is very significant in terms of history and archaeology.
Joan accepts that people along all four of the options being considered will naturally have concerns.
However she says the inclusion of the area around Toureen seem to go against previous recommendations.
“Back in 2016 Tipperary County Council published a landscape character assessment and it classified Toureen as an area where development is to be avoided.”
“It’s considered as a Class 5 area which basically categorises it as unique. The documents specify that development should be avoided and yet here we are today with it as one of the options.”
