Urgent need for more car parking spaces

A Eagarthóir, I have just descended (Sunday, 12th February) from a very enriching climb on the face of Torc Mountain that is colloquially called ‘Cardiac Hill.’ Despite the fairly early hour of departure there were many people on the walk. It is wonderful that so many are out and about pursuing life-enhancing exercise. It is especially pleasing that many of the climbers were quite young.

When I arrived at around 9.50am to the makeshift car park adjacent to the commencement point for the footpath that brings one to the beginning of the climb, there was one parking space remaining. When I returned to that location an hour and a half later the parking area was full and at least three cars were parked on the roadside. The roadway is quite narrow and is usually very busy. It is unfair that car owners are left with no choice other that to park on the roadside.

The development of the entire walk is an outstanding achievement by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and they deserve great credit, as they do for the recent improvement of roads in the Park. There is an urgent need for all interested parties to come together in order to develop a proper parking area at this location.

At the next municipal area meeting I will be calling on council management to enter into discussion with the regional manager of the NPWS about this very important matter. A safe and relatively inexpensive solution can, I’m sure, be identified and put in place. Le Gach Dea-Ghuí, Michael Gleeson (Cllr), Kerry Independent Alliance Clasheen, Killarney.

Torc Waterfall in Killarney: great walk, pity about the parking situation.