News
Illegal parking prevents special needs bus from accessing cathedral
E
EXCLUSIVE
By Sean Moriarty
A specially adapted mini-bus, used for transporting people with mobility issues - was unable to gain access to St Mary’s Cathedral on Friday as a result of illegally parked cars on the school run.
Bus driver Patrick Clifford works as a care assistant for people with special needs.
On Friday last he wanted to bring three of his clients to visit the crib display at the cathedral.
His passengers were a man in his 70s that needs a zimmer frame to get around, a man in his 20s with Down Syndrome, and a man in his 50s with special needs.
On arrival at the entrance to the cathedral, he was unable to drive his mini-bus into the grounds as there were several cars parked across it.
“I asked one woman to move and she would not even roll down the window,” Mr Clifford told the Killarney Advertiser. “I had to walk past her, supporting the man in the zimmer frame and with the other two holding on to me. She just sat there and watched me do it. She must be very proud of what she does.”
Friday’s incident was just another in a series of issues related to illegal parking near the schools at New Road.
The street provides access to three secondary schools, two primary schools and one special needs facility – bringing an estimated 2,800 users to the area on a daily basis.
There has been several calls for the Gardai and Traffic Wardens to take action against illegally parked motorists in the area.
Last month the Council promised to change the rota of traffic wardens so they could monitor the area.
Other issues include cars parking on the footpath, forcing pedestrians and wheelchair users on to streets full of live traffic.
Last Thursday was also particularly bad with at least seven different cars parked on footpaths and double yellow lines at school pick-up time.
“It’s a disgrace - one was completely on the footpath,” he added. “It was just left there - they had abandoned it.”
Killarney breaks national May temperature record
Killarney became one of the hottest spots in the country this week as Ireland’s nationalmaximum air temperature record for the month of May was officially broken.
According to data issued by Met Éireann on Tuesday, the weather station at Muckross House recorded a blistering 29.1°C on Tuesday afternoon.
The extraordinary reading comfortably surpassed the previous county May record of 28.4°C, which had stood for nearly three decades after being set in Liscahane Ardfert, on May 31 1997.
The historic warmth came as Northwest Europe was trapped under an intense high-pressure system, frequently referred to as a heat dome.
The unseasonable weather pattern began pushing temperatures toward record levels on Monday when provisional records were initially breached across several nationwide monitoring stations.
Among Met Éireann’s 25 primary synoptic stations, Shannon Airport in County Clare also surpassed the 1997 milestone by reaching 28.6°C.
The Climate and Automatic Monitoring Program (CAMP) network captured the peak of the heatwave, with three independent stations eclipsing the old record on Tuesday and Wednesday, led by the historic high at Muckross House.
Pauline Healy-Reen and her sister Frances at the Gap of Dunloe on Tuesday,
Cars & Coffee for Jack & Jill Foundation
Ballymac Vintage Club will host a Cars & Coffee morning on Bank Holiday Monday, June 1, at Glenduff Manor (V92 YH32).
The event runs from 10:30am to midday, with all proceeds raised on the day going directly to the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation.
An optional short local road run will take place immediately after the meetup, with participants returning to Glenduff Manor afterward. All vintage, classic, and modern interest vehicles are welcome to attend.
Ballymac Vintage Club members launching the upcoming Cars & Coffee morning at Glenduff Manor. Left to right: Tom Glover, Kian O’Connor, George Glover, Joan Glover, Brian Glover, Paul Ahern, Mary Lynch, Ivan Groves, Michael Horan, Trish Horan, and Philip Blennerhassett.
Killarney breaks national May temperature record
Killarney breaks national May temperature record Killarney became one of the hottest spots in the country this week as Ireland’s nationalmaximum air temperature...
Cars & Coffee for Jack & Jill Foundation on Monday
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