A public meeting in accordance with Covid-19 outdoor regulations will be held on Thursday, August 19th at 7pm in the car park of Castleisland Rugby Club.
The meeting is being called to address the concerns of local residents and business owners with the published plans by Kerry County Council for the installation of a new pedestrian crossing and four bus parking spaces at Upper Main Street, Castleisland.
All elected representatives and Kerry County Council officials from the roads and transportation department and the municipal district have been notified of the meeting.
Disquiet, Dismay and Anger
There is mounting disquiet, dismay and more than a little anger among the residents of Upper Main Street, Castleisland who will be severely impacted if the current Kerry County Council plans for major restructure of the street there is pushed through.
Meeting on the site of the former Tom Seán O’Connor house at the entrance to The Crageens on Friday evening, a gathering of local residents met with and put questions to Cllr. Charlie Farrelly (independent) and Cllr. Fionnán Fitzgerald (Fianna Fáil).
Confrontational Nature of Meeting
Several of the residents spoke angrily of the confrontational nature of the meeting they had on the previous day with Kerry County Council Executive Engineer, Breda Mulryan and Cllr. Bobby O’Connell (Fine Gael) after which some of the residents felt insulted and slighted.
They were, they said, given the impression that the plans as set out by the council were the ones that would be implemented.
This, they understood, would deny them the generations old right to park outside or at least close to their own front doors of private houses or business premises.
Plans for Discommoded Residents
They asked, they said, where would they park their cars if this plan was to be implemented and if the planners had an alternative in mind for the discommoded residents. They didn’t and they don’t – it seems.
One local man has pledged to chain himself to his car in protest – and the same man would.
Engineering marks on the road in the contentious area clearly indicate the extent to which the road will be narrowed there to accommodate the proposed pedestrian crossing.
This is Farming Country
The marks also make obvious the loss of parking spaces without even considering the plan’s imposition of school-bus bays right across the busy street from each other.
This is farming country and, if we needed a reminder, several gigantic crop harvesters and tractors travelled in and out of town along the Cordal / Brosna Road and they made a fair impression of swallowing up the spaces allotted by the council’s proposals.
Munster Joinery Traffic
Two of them, travelling in opposite directions, came within seconds of meeting at the proposed narrowing of the street.
The Munster Joinery traffic factor is another major consideration for this side of the town and for the proposals.
Since the roads have been so improved in the Cordal and Glountane areas the increase of traffic into Castleisland has been substantial. So much so that a speed warning light had to be erected at Knockananlig – a couple of hundred yards east of the proposed narrowing – at the request of concerned residents there.
Teacher’s Experience of Safety
Cllr. Fitzgerald brought his experience to bear on Friday evening’s open air meeting when he invoked the many health and safety considerations why school children / students alighting from buses on busy streets is unsafe and downright dangerous.
Both he and his Castleisland / Corca Dhuibhne Municipal District colleague Cllr. Farrelly urged those present to make themselves and their neighbours as fully aware as possible of the plans the council has for the area many of them were born and reared in.
And, while they were there, they looked at the side of the road to The Crageens and found that, with a little work, ample off-street parking spaces could be provided for school buses in the course of a near 200 yard stretch from the street down towards An Ríocht Athletic Club.
Mind Your Own Business – Literally
The two men also told the locals to, quite literally, mind their own business and to stand together and they pledged their support for their stance on the issue and promised to get the September 6th deadline for submissions from the public pushed out to later in that month.
Both men urged the locals to engage fully with the consultation process set up by Kerry County Council and to lodge their concerns either by Email or by letter to the addresses below.
Send your Reaction to the Proposals to:
Observations or representations in relation to the proposal may be made, in writing and marked Section 38 – Main Street, Castleisland, to the Administrative Officer, Roads, Transportation and Marine Department, Kerry County Council, Áras an Chontae, Rathass, Tralee, Co. Kerry or by E-mail to: roads@kerrycoco.ie
All submissions must be received by 5pm. on Monday, September 6th 2021 – but this date may be pushed out as mentioned by Cllr. Farrelly and Cllr. Fitzgerald.
You can contact The Maine Valley Post on…Anyone in The Maine Valley Post catchment area who would like to send us news and captioned photographs for inclusion can send them to: jreidy@mainevalleypost.com Queries about advertising and any other matters regarding The Maine Valley Post can also be sent to that address or just ring: 087 23 59 467.
