Road safety fears voiced over entrance to Ballyragget National School

High volumes of heavy traffic passing by a school entrance is causing concern for members of the Castlecomer Municipal District who are calling for safety measures to be put in place.
Chairman of the Castlecomer Municipal District, Councillor Pat Fitzpatrick, had two motions before the meeting of the municipal district relating to road safety concerns in Ballyragget.
In his first motion Cllr Fitzpatrick called on Kilkenny County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), as a matter of urgency, to address the road safety concerns in Ballyragget on the N77 between Glenvale and Castle Gardens.
“This is the gateway to the West with people driving through Ballyragget to go on to Durrow and up the country and across to Galway,” he said. “The level of traffic and trucks is frightening, it is very, very dangerous.
“Children are trying to cross the road to get into the Ballyragget Junior School. With the junction as it is and the level of traffic I am very concerned. I am begging - we need to do something. For the people of Ballyragget this is an accident waiting to happen. There is a dangerous volume of traffic and children are trying to duck in and out. I am calling for the TII to investigate and come up with solutions,” he added.
Cllr Michael McCarthy supported the motion and said that he had received a number of representations from people living in the area on the issue.
Cllr John Brennan described it as ‘a very serious situation’.
“It is time that some works take place as a matter of urgency before an accident happens. We need to secure funding from the TII,” he said. Sinn Féin councillor, Denis Hynes also remarked that it is ‘a very dangerous stretch of road’ while Cllr Mary Hilda Kavanagh said that it was ‘absolutely terrifying to watch it at schooltime’.
“The volume of traffic has increased enormously in recent years,” she said and mooted the possibility of installing a lollipop lady at the junctions on a temporary basis.
“You can’t put a price on safety. We should be proactive and make the area safe,” she added.
Cllr Pat Fitzpatrick also put down another motion at the meeting calling for Kilkenny County Council, as part of the plan, to address the safety concerns at the entrance to Station Avenue, Ballyragget which would also include safety measures at the National School.
“The traffic there is horrendous, it is a massive issue for the people of Ballyragget and the people passing through,” he said.
Local area engineer Phillippe Beubry said that there had been provision made for a pedestrian crossing but added that it was tied to a proposed housing development which didn’t proceed.
“In the meantime we are engaging with the TII and trying to get provision for a pedestrian crossing,” he said.
Cllr Fitzpatrick said that the council ‘can’t wait for these private developers’.
“It could be years down the line if ever. We certainly can’t wait,” he said, adding that the council should look at funding for a lollipop lady.