News
Kind-hearted Killarney woman at centre of Turkish recovery
By Michelle Crean and Sean Moriarty
A kind-hearted Killarney woman - who could be described as a real life angel - is helping devastated people piece their lives back together following earthquakes which claimed the lives of almost 50,000 people.
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Turkey and Syria were ripped apart by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on February 6 and by smaller quakes in the aftermath.
As people there began searching for loved ones and piecing what's left of their lives back together, the country was further devastated this week by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake in the Hatay area which damaged even more buildings.
Majella Moloney has been working for the Irish Embassy in Turkey for the last seven months. After witnessing the destruction she wanted to make a difference and now she and her colleagues are volunteering as part of the rescue mission to work as coordinators for aid workers and hospital staff.
Although the Marian Terrace woman is based in the capital city of Ankara some 600km from the earthquake’s epicentre, Majella is also working with local hospitals after victims were transferred there.
She is in daily communication with aid workers who are working in the most affected areas of southern Turkey and northern Syria.
While she is very appreciative that Irish people have donated essential goods to the aid mission, Majella said cash is better. A truck load of goods could take a week to get there but money allows the coordinators to buy what is needed when it's needed.
She told the Killarney Advertiser the harrowing story of a young boy who lost an arm and leg in the devastation as well as his father and some of his siblings who were killed. The youngster is all alone as his injured mother is currently in a different hospital many kilometres away.
“The hospital told us they needed a tablet so he could FaceTime his mother and we were able to organise the purchase of that,” she explained.
“We can get what is needed on the ground to the disaster area quicker. I am in touch with rescue workers and they tell me they need coats and tents. I know people driving up there at the weekend so I can go and buy coats and tents and get them to that car.”
Majella has also received cash from friends in Killarney – via a mobile banking App – including funds raised by her sister-in-law Cllr Marie Moloney, her friend Pauline O’Shea from Muckross and the local Soroptimists group.
For anyone who'd like to donate they can do so via a list of approved charities available on www.dochas.ie/turkey-syria-earthquake-response/.
Frustration mounts over morning gridlock at Coolcorcoran
Mounting traffic gridlock at the Coolcorcoran junction onto the N22 Killarney Bypass is causing daily delays for commuters, with local motorists calling on Killarney Municipal District and elected representatives to take immediate action.
Early morning traffic coming from the Tralee side has become severely backed up past BG Motors during the peak 8.15am commute.
Motorists attempting to enter the bypass from the Coolcorcoran side face long queues and increasing frustration as they struggle to join the main road.
Local drivers point to a specific design issue at the exit, where a raised kerb and a section of unused footpath prevent left-turning vehicles from merging smoothly into the traffic flow.
Road users are requesting a simple layout modification to resolve the bottleneck: converting the exit to left-turn only, removing the kerb obstruction, and directing driver traffic to loop via a U-turn at the Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre roundabout. Similar left-turn measures were previously implemented at the nearby Lewis Road junction to improve safety and traffic flow.
The request comes as broader plans for the N22 bypass upgrade and new link road infrastructure remain under progression by Kerry County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
Motorists wishing to share their views on local road issues can email info@killarneyadvertiser.ie.
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