NADD DRIVERS ON DEER ALERT[

THERE is an “influx of wild Deer” in Lombardstown, Lyre and Nadd who are crossing the roads when it is dark and causing alarm to motorists.

At the Kanturk Mallow municipal district meeting, Cllr John Paul O’Shea (FG) said he has received a number of reports of wild brown wild deer in the region.

“There is a huge danger of deer crossing the roads when it is dark and it is very alarming for motorists in those regions, “he said.

He asked if council officials could give guidance from a vet from the Department of Agriculture on this matter. The meeting heard that it is not known just where the deer are coming from.

He also said that up to six weeks ago people had told him that they had never seen any deer in the area. He felt it would be a good step to erect warning signs in the regions to alert motorists, particularly when driving at night, that there are wild deer around. He said it was possible that deer had “migrated over the mountain” from areas where they are known to gather, such as in and around Ballingeary.

He said with a smile that the deer spotted in Nadd have not ventured out of Mallow Castle. “I do know that Kerry County Council has a robust regime in place to deal with deer when they venture out of Killarney National Park,” he said.

Cllr Timmy Collins (Ind) said there has been deers in Rockchapel for many years.

“They were first noticed in Nadd, Lombardstown and Banteer about six weeks ago and since then the sightings have become more and more frequent. There hasn’t been an accident yet but it’s only a question of time if we don’t do something about it,” he said.

Jim Moloney of Cork County Council along with Liz Donovan, Municipal District Officer said they would make contact with the department on the matter and to see what could be done.