News
“More lives will be lost” at Finnegan’s Cross
By Sean Moriarty
Locals fear more lives will be lost unless works are urgently done to make safety improvements to Finnegan’s Cross.in Kilcummin.
DEPUTATION: Cllr Marie Moloney brought local residents Tony Sugrue and his neighbour Tom O’Shea to a Killarney Municipal District meeting so they could air concerns about the lethal Finnegan's Cross junction.
DEPUTATION: Cllr Marie Moloney brought local residents Tony Sugrue and his neighbour Tom O’Shea to a Killarney Municipal District meeting so they could air concerns about the lethal Finnegan's Cross junction.
The accident blackspot has been the scene of several serious accidents including a double fatality there in January 2020.
Elected councillors have been pushing for improvements works at the junction for years but it's been pushed back for various reasons including lack of funding, expired funding and land acquisition issues.
Frustrated by the lack of progress, Councillor Marie Moloney invited local residents to outline their concerns at Wednesday’s Killarney Municipal District Meeting.
“I could have filled the room with people spitting fire,” she said, explaining the frustration felt by people in the locality.
Retired Garda Tony Sugrue and his neighbour Tom O’Shea outlined their concerns and fears to elected councillors and members of Kerry County Council’s management executive.
Mr Sugrue, who said he was aware of two different fatal accidents in the area over the last four years, proposed that the junction coming from the Coolick side should be staggered and that the line of sight from the Lawlor’s Cross road should be extended.
During his Garda career he cited a similar issue that was prevalent in Donoughmore in County Cork and that a staggered junction eventually solved that problem.
All of the councillors gave their accounts of near misses and serious accidents in the area.
Cllr Donal Grady, who is a retired Fire Officer who worked in the Killarney district, witnessed the aftermath of several accidents there during his career.
“We are not doing enough, lives have been lost and there will be more lives lost,” he said.
Cllr Brendan Cronin said that recent road surface improvement works had actually “increased the speed of traffic" travelling towards the junction from the Lawlor’s Cross side.
“It is a very risky manoeuvre trying to cross the road there,” Cllr Cronin told the meeting, while Cllr John O’Donoghue called for a staggered junction in a similar proposition to the one made by Mr Sugrue.
Cllr Niall ‘Botty’ O’Callaghan offered to use his and his colleagues annual funding allocation to speed up works in the area.
“The locals feel nothing is being done,” Cllr Moloney added.
Killarney Municipal District Engineer, John Ahern said, in the short term, he will put "yellow bar road markings" on the approach roads but this job would require an extended spell of dry weather.
Other works in the area fell foul of very strict funding requirements. Money was allocated during previous road funding scheme allocations but the job requires land acquisition and the Council did not have the budget to both buy land and do the works under the one scheme.
He said he was very hopeful that additional funding will be made available this year under the same funding allocation. That round of funding is expected to be announced around February 15.
“It is our priority number one,” he said.
He praised locals who were engaging and receptive towards potential property acquisitions but warned that such moves take time.
Ahern was hopeful that progress would be made in the first months of this year.
Hauliers bring fuel debate to Killarney
Killarney will take centre stage in the national debate over rising fuel costs next month as the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) gathers for its Annual Conference at the Gleneagle Hotel on Friday, September 4, and Saturday, September 5.
Thousands of transport operators and hauliers from across Ireland are expected to attend the two-day event, which takes place as the industry faces increasing regulatory pressures and potential cuts to government fuel supports.
Senior political leaders are scheduled to address the conference. Minister for Climate, Environment, Energy and Transport Darragh O’Brien TD, alongside Minister of State Seán Canney TD, will address delegates at Saturday evening’s gala dinner. Other political speakers over the weekend include Michael Healy-Rae TD, MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, Carol Nolan TD, and Sean Kelly MEP.
IRHA President Ger Hyland warned that any government plans to unwind existing fuel supports would place severe pressure on hauliers and the wider economy.
“The attendance of both Ministers with responsibility for transport underlines the importance of the issues facing our industry. Hauliers are once again dealing with rising fuel prices at a time when operating costs remain exceptionally high. We believe now is not the time to withdraw fuel supports, and that message will be delivered directly to Government during our conference,” Hyland said.
“Any decision to wind down fuel supports at this time would drive inflation and have a severe impact on households and families across the country who would see higher food, and transport costs – driving the cost of living crisis to unsustainable levels. Adding 30 cents back onto a litre of fuel will mean that many haulage businesses simply will not make it to Christmas.”
Massive vintage truck display at Gleneagle
Alongside the policy discussions inside, one of the country’s largest public commercial vehicle displays will take place outside the Gleneagle Hotel on Friday, September 4, and Saturday, September 5.
The outdoor exhibition will feature a major display of vintage trucks celebrating Ireland’s rich haulage heritage, while leading manufacturers and suppliers will showcase the latest heavy goods vehicles, trailers, and cutting-edge transport technology. The display will be open for public viewing across both days.
Push to protect Killarney bathing spots
Lochanna Beo is urging local swimmers and water enthusiasts to help identify popular bathing spots across Killarney’s lakes and rivers as part of a Kerry County Council public consultation.
The group is seeking official designation for heavily used local locations, including Dundag, Rosie’s Beach, and Colleen Bawn Rock on Muckross Lake, alongside Ross Bay and Victoria Bay on Lough Leane, to ensure they receive enhanced protection, safety infrastructure like life rings, and regular water quality monitoring under EU and Irish standards.
Highlighting the importance of official recognition, Valerie Harrington of Lochanna Beo said:
“Popular swimming spots in Killarney and local rivers deserve the extra protection, recognition and facilities that official designation can provide.”
Members of the public can submit their nominated bathing areas directly to Kerry County Council by emailing environ@kerrycoco.ie, writing to the Environment Department on Maine Street, Tralee, or contacting Lochanna Beo via lochannabeo.regening.ie.
The deadline for submissions is September 25.
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