Hundreds attend launch of new A5 campaign

HUNDREDS of people have attended the launch of a new campaign by Tyrone GAA to have the A5 dual-carriageway constructed.

Families of many of those killed along the road in the past were among those at the event, which marked the start of the ‘Enough is Enough campaign.

Speakers included the Tyrone All-Ireland winning captain from 2003, Peter Canavan. He lives along the route of the current A5 and recounted a fatality close to his home and primary school more than four decades ago.

Another member of that 2003 winning team, Kevin Hughes recounted the tragic circumstances of the deaths of his brother and sister along the old A4. There has been a 97 per-cent reduction in the number of fatal collisions on the route between Ballygawley and Dungannon since a new dual-carriageway was opened in 2010.

Other speakers included Peter Dolan, whose son Enda, was killed by drunk drivers in Belfast in 2014 and is campaigning for tougher sentencing.

Kate Corrigan, whose son, Nathan was one of three young men killed at Garvaghey in the early hours of December 27, 2021, also spoke at the event.

Niall McKenna, chairman of the Enough is Enough campaign, said that they had been inspired to start the new campaign by the deaths of so many people on the road, including John Rafferty, from his own club, Killyclogher last autumn.