No traffic solace for Barrack Street residents

DURING the height of last summer the residents of one of Castleisland’s oldest streets sent out a plea for help with the speed and volume of traffic passing their doors.

Barrack Street residents got a promise that their situation would be examined by a Kerry County Council roads design team.

The team had, as one of its tasks, to carry out a check to see if traffic calming measures would help the situation in the area.

Enter Councillor Bobby O’Connell, who asked then Kerry County Council engineer Breda Mulryan to meet with a representative group of Barrack Street residents.

She did and she got the views of the locals on a range of concerning issues for them.

Retired Garda Jim Lordan summed up the fears and feelings of the residents there when he said that many of the people living along the street are not as fleet of foot as they once were.

Mr Lordan also claimed that the speed and volume of traffic now using the street has increased the danger levels for residents.

“Even crossing the street here is becoming an ordeal at present for a lot of the residents,” he said.

The increase in traffic there is mainly due to the fact that it leads to and from three busy stores: Garvey’s SuperValu; Aldi and Browne’s Agri.

Barrack Street can also be used to get to Tangney’s Funeral Home; the local parish church, St Joseph’s Presentation Girls’ Secondary School and Castleisland Community College.

Cllr O’Connell joined with the residents in a call for the council’s road design team to take a look at the street and put something in place that can’t be ignored by drivers.

“Road markings are fine and necessary but we need to have something that makes it easier for the residents to cross the street and to take the worry out of it,” said Cllr O’Connell at the time. The update, however is less that satisfactory for the residents.

A recent motion by Cllr O’Connell asked Kerry County Council to explain why, after numerous motions and two deputations of residents, absolutely nothing has been done to combat speeding traffic or to put traffic calming measures in place on Barrack Street.

The reply he got will bring no solace to the residents of Barrack Street:

“Kerry County Council carried out improvements to lining and road markings on this street in 2017. Kerry county Council also carried out a ‘Speed Survey’ which did not indicate a need for traffic calming measures.

The municipal district engineer is agreeable to meeting Cllr O’Connell at this location to review his concerns.

Photo by John Reidy The Barrack Street team: Anne Courtney (left) pictured with:Jim Lordan, Kerry County Council Engineer Breda Mulryan; Breda Brooks, Cllr Bobby O’Connell and John Lordan.