A west of Ireland Bishop and former Administrator to the Tuam parish has urged motorists to be careful on the roads as he said that the number of deaths was not acceptable.

Bishop of Killaloe Fintan Monahan, who highlighted his call with a blessing of the roads in the Galway and Clare, said that the speed and carelessness on the roads was unacceptable – and he wants this tackled by the Garda Roads Policing Unit.

The former teacher of science and mathematics in St Jarlath’s College was also Diocesan Secretary of the Archdiocese of Tuam from 2007 to his elevation as Bishop of Killaloe in 2016.

Now to highlight his campaign, he is conducting a blessing of the roads in Galway and Clare and said it was an effort to prevent road deaths.

Bishop Monaghan said that, as the universal Catholic Church reflects on the theme of hope, it must remember that they have the power to make a difference through offering advice on greater care and vigilance on the roads of the country.

“A total of 243 deaths on the island’s roads during 2024 is a national tragedy, and a failure in both public policy and in our own personal driving behaviour,” he said.

“The road safety record, both in the Republic and in the North, is of deep concern to me. A total of 174 people lost their lives on the roads in the Republic last year, while there were 69 fatalities recorded in Northern Ireland.

“Once a leader in road safety standards, Ireland now has one of the fastest-growing road death rates in Europe.

“So many of these tragic fatalities are preventable, and an improvement requires constant care, attention, and vigilance from all road users: motorists, motorcyclists, cyclists, or pedestrians, as well as effective partnership with the relevant civic authorities.”

In the spirit of this Jubilee Year of Hope, Bishop Monahan will offer prayers for the protection of all road-users and call on a renewed vigilance and care at a ‘Blessing of the Roads’. This ceremony will bring the local and road safety community together.

Bishop Monahan added: “It is crucial that families take responsibility for road deaths by discussing road safety at home.

“Every loss of life on our roads is a tragedy that impacts not just the individuals, families and local communities directly, but our entire society.

“The pain felt by loved ones of those lost on roads is particularly acute as this loss of human life is entirely preventable.  There is an urgent need for a collective effort to reduce these preventable deaths.”

Pictured: Bishop Fintan Monahan who served in Tuam. Photo: Jacinta Fahy Photography.