Make Way Day's annual walkabout takes place in Dundalk
The campaign aims to raise public awareness on everyday obstacles.
Make Way Day 2026 Annual Walkabout took place in Dundalk this week as part of Disability Federation of Ireland’s nationwide campaign.
The campaign aims to raise public awareness on the everyday obstacles faced by wheelchair users, the visually impaired, those with limited mobility and people with prams.
Obstacles like bins, cars parked on footpaths, cycling on footpaths, overgrown/hanging hedges and branches, broken and damaged pavements as well as uneven kerbing.
Independent councillor Maeve Yore also said there is an issue with cars parking illegally in disabled bays and using disabled bays illegally when the permit holder is not in the car.
Cllr Yore, who has worked alongside John Morgan and his dog Jamie for the last nine years, praised the support and co-operation of Louth’s Community Gardai - Sergeant Ronan Loftus, Gardai Kate Patterson and Darragh Prior.
The Independent councillor said the Gardaí have always tried to raise awareness and educate the public and motorists about the impact actions can have on people with disabilities. She said they have always acted with courtesy, professionalism and knowledge. Louth County Council Access Officer and Area Engineers also accompanied Cllr Yore and Mr Morgan on the walkabout to assess accessibility and note areas that could be upgraded and improved.
John Morgan praised the work of Louth County Council, the Gardai and the public.
He said: “We have seen great improvements year-on-year for people with disabilities in Louth and with this and other campaigns it’s all about educating people and raising awareness about what our daily challenges are when navigating our community spaces in wheelchairs and seeking solutions.”
He also thanked Cllr Yore for her support for people with disabilities across different issues in Louth.
Mr Morgan said today’s walkabout was the most “successful” to date as there was very little abuse of parking in disabled parking bays evident. He said Gardai encountered and addressed the issue of parking on footpaths /double yellow lines and obstacles on footpaths.
Cllr Yore said she will continue to work with the local authority’s engineers and Access Officer to follow up on issues encountered.
Cllr Yore said “Great transformative works have been carried out in the Dundalk Town and Municipal area since the inception of Make Way Day nine years ago. She praised the collaborative approach to a programme of accessibility works which have certainly improved the infrastructure throughout Dundalk in the last nine years.
The Independent Councillor also acknowledged the ongoing positive engagement and interaction by Louth County Council management with people with disabilities on a number of projects.
She said the engagement has proved co-creation can lead to many successes including accessibility. She concluded by praising the “exemplary support and professionalism” of the whole community policing team including Gardai Kate Patterson, Darragh Prior and Sgt Ronan Loftus saying “we are so lucky to have their calibre in Dundalk”.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.