Satefy petition over Kilkishen NS

IMPROVEMENT works and safety measures are to be considered and put in place to slow down traffic at Kilkishen National School, after a petition was submitted to members of the Killaloe Municipal District.

Councillor Alan O’Callaghan called on Clare County Council to carry out works at the school to slow traffic, in the interest of the health and safety of children.
At last week’s meeting of the municipal district, a petition with approximately 80 signatures was handed in on behalf of locals who were confirming these concerns.

Responding, Hugh McGrath, senior executive engineer, said, “It is accepted that there are safety concerns at this location relating to traffic in the vicinity of the school. We are to carry out improvement works to the road surface at this location in the coming months.”

In advance of the works, Mr McGrath said the local authority will give consideration to any measures that may improve road safety at this location in consultation with school management, and “to implement any improvements deliverable as part of the works”.

Councillor O’Callaghan explained that the safety issues arise as the school is located at one side of a local road, and the playground is on the other. People on the bog walk also use this area.

“The only consolation is, it is not on a regional road but it is still on a local road, and local roads can be as busy as a regional road. Then there’s the bog walk too, which is a full circle you can walk from the school, it’s a three-and-a-half kilometre walk, and you have a lot of people who are using that area,” he said.
He added that in addition to improvement works he hoped a second footpath could be instated to make it safer for the pupils of the national school to walk to and from school.

“We have one footpath that goes from one end of the village to the school, and we are hoping to get a second footpath in due course.

“We have always encouraged kids to walk or cycle to school but it has become too dangerous and we are hoping that if safety measures were put in place that young people could walk safely to school so that’s in everyone’s interest,” he concluded.

Carol Byrne