News
Time to revive the Safe Cross Code
SAFE CROSS CODE: Killarney Municipal District wants to revive the legendary 'Safe Cross Code' television advert that was sung by Brendan Grace and promoted by Gay Byrne.
EXCLUSIVE
By Sean Moriarty
A legendary road safety television advert from the 1970s could be revived if a plan by Killarney Municipal District members gets national support.
The Safe Cross Code, a catchy road safety advert and sung by legend Brendan Grace encouraged children and adults alike to engage in safe practices while crossing busy streets.
The ‘Safe Cross Code’ song was used extensively in a campaign fronted by 'Judge', the star of the 1970s childrens' television show ‘Wanderly Wagon’.
A generation of school children grew up on words and messages of the advert and locally elected councillors are calling for it to be revived.
Cllr Donal Grady raised a motion at Wednesday’s special meeting between elected members and executive staff.
Grady said he was concerned that pedestrians in Killarney did not understand rules of the road at uncontrolled crossings where people step out into passing traffic.
At such crossings it is at a driver’s discretion to stop but Grady called for KMD to put up notices at the crossings “informing the public that they do not have the right to just walk across”.
Grady’s motion led a lively debate on the legendary advert with Cllr Niall ‘Botty’ O’Callaghan threatening to sing the words of the song until he was politely advised by colleagues that they did not need to hear him sing!
“It is time to revive it, it is very relevant today,” Cllr O’Callaghan added and asked for the Council to write to the Road Safety Authority (RSA).
Killarney Municipal District Engineer John Ahern agreed with the elected members.
“This is a national issue but Killarney could take the lead,” he told the meeting.
The RSA did re-release the song with the help of Brendan Grace and Gay Byrne a few years ago before both men passed away, but KMD staff believe it is time to do it again.
CCTV system moves closer to tender
Plans for a long-awaited community-based CCTV system in Killarney town centre have taken a major step forward, with Kerry County Council expected to publish a tender for the project in the coming weeks.
The local authority confirmed that significant groundwork has now been completed, including obtaining approval from An Garda Síochána, completing a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA), and finalising technical specifications.
The progress follows an official response in Dáil Éireann to a Parliamentary Question raised by Kerry TD Michael Cahill, who has repeatedly pressed the Minister for Justice and local officials for updates on the long-delayed scheme.
The introduction of modern CCTV is strongly supported by local businesses, residents, and the Killarney Chamber of Tourism & Commerce to help deter criminal activity and support Garda policing.
Once the tender process is completed, the installation will move ahead under updated national guidelines for community CCTV schemes.
St Brendan’s College student Franciszek (Frank) Jakubowski has claimed a title on the national martial arts stage after winning a gold medal and championship belt at NAGA Ireland, one of the country’s premier Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitions.
The 17-year-old Killarney resident fought through five matches to secure first place in his category at the event. The Fifth Year student trains locally at BJJ Killarney under coach Wilson, who guides his daily skill development. He also credits his older brother Filip, who competes in Cork, for helping him fine-tune his technique, prepare for tournaments, and support his athletic journey.
Jakubowski is a regular competitor on the Irish and international circuit, having built up a strong record across major events. Along with his latest NAGA Ireland belt and gold medal, his recent achievements include two gold medals and a silver medal at the Irish Open, four gold medals at the Grapple Series, and a gold and silver medal performance at the Ground Game Cup in Suwałki.
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