Legal issue stops work onvitalnew carpark

WHILE residents, visitors and local workers struggle to find parking spaces on the traffic-choked streets of Dingle, a car park that was to have been built near the town centre is now held up by legal issues.

Last September Cllr Seamus Cosaí Fitzgerald confirmed to The Kerryman that, following protracted negotiations, Kerry County Council had reached an agreement with the Diocese of Kerry’s holding company St Brendan’s Trust to lease land it owns behind the Presbytery on Green Street. The land was to have been used for an 80-space car park, which was expected to be open for this summer.

At the start of July the council was ready to begin work on the car park, but the whole project came to an abrupt halt when an issue arose concerning the lease, which was to be for an initial period of five years, with an option to extend this indefinitely.

Lawyers for the council and St Brendan’s Trust are now examining the legal issues in an effort to come to a resolution.

“The council had machines ready to start work the following day when the legal issue arose,” Cllr Mac Gearailt said. “I was very disappointed. I though t it would be ready for August, but hopefully they will sort out the problem very soon.”

In the meantime, Dingle’s chronic summertime traffic problems continue. On most days bumper-to-bumper traffic crawls through the main streets, and the congestion is made worse by drivers doing several circuits of the town in search of a precious parking space. Such is the extent of the problem that some residents in the West try to make necessary trips to Dingle in early-morning or lateevening in an effort to avoid the inevitable delays. AFTER weathering the summer drought in the safety of Dingle’s Mara Beo aquarium, 1,600 young natterjack toads were released back into their natural environment around Inch and Boolteens last Wednesday.

Ireland’s only native toad, the natterjack was in danger of becoming extinct, but since it was listed as an endangered species, its numbers have recovered well in areas such as the Maharees and Inch/Boolteens.

However, while its legal status helps keep the natterjack safe from human interference, it’s no protection against the weather – and drought is a deadly enemy.

Even last year’s weather, which was woefully wet by human standards, posed a threat of drought to the natterjack. Fine weather in May 2017 dried out ponds at a critical time for young tadpoles, and Mara Beo, along with Fota Island Wildlife Park and others, had to come to the rescue.

A similar rescue operation was necessary

Photo by Declan Malone Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne student Maisie Hall has a summer job in Mara Beo aquarium and although balancing natterjack toads on her nose isn’t in her job description she was happy to do it just to show how small and vulnerable they are. “They’re so...