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Angry locals have taken to social media to vent their frustrations over Killarney’s ongoing traffic and parking problems. Commenting on last week’s article (‘Has Killarney’s traffic problem reached breaking point?’) on the Killarney Advertiser Facebook page, fuming motorists expressed their dismay at the current situation, with some branding it a “nightmare”.

Congestion seems to have reached new levels this summer as residents and visitors alike are finding themselves stuck in long lines of traffic approaching and leaving all sides of the town.

As we mentioned last week (and numerous times before that), the recent TEIR 1 tourism report highlighted parking and traffic as major concerns for tourists and business owners alike. The report also predicted a 30% increase in tourism over the next seven years. Parking and infrastructure in general will clearly have to be addressed if this growth is to be sustained.

We contacted the Kerry County Council to ask if anything concrete plans were in place to tackle the issue but we are yet to receive a response. Speaking to the Killarney Advertiser in this week’s Smalltalk interview (see P16), Mayor John Sheahan admitted that parking and the interlinked issue of traffic were the biggest challenges facing the town.

He added that the new car park on the Rock Road will help alleviate the problem and also said they were looking at the Lewis Road site.

The latter has been signalled as an ideal area for development in these pages since last year, and our artist’s rendition of a proposed civic plaza and multi-storey car park was greeted warmly by our readers.

One thing is for sure: the majority of Killarney people are not happy with the current situation.

Facebook comments:

Michael Kelleher: Parking is the issue. Closing off a car park in the middle of the summer season and not providing a replacement for the temporarily lost spaces when spaces are at a premium.

Danijel Baždarić: Traffic in Killarney is really a big problem.

Brigid Mary O'Neill: Beyond ridiculous!

Carl Williams: I had to go pick up people in Cork Airport last week. It took me 1 hr 20 mins to get from Killorglin to other side of Killarney. It's a disgrace really.

Teresa Moynihan Fox: Why not set up a park and ride system?

Mary Ellen O’Sullivan: Killarney traffic is a nightmare. Roadworks are constant in the middle of the busy season. Stop and go lollipops and queues mounting, not to mention no parking spaces. It’s getting worse all the time. Will someone wake up and try to solve this huge problem that’s causing chaos in such a busy tourist town?

Jordan Naughton: Why on God’s Earth do they not build a huge multi-storey car park?