Writes Leo McMahon
‘This is the most ignored ‘Stop’ sign in Ireland’, claimed Ciaran Gilligan, a resident of Ballyfeard in support of the long running campaign by his neighbour Martin Quinn for traffic calming, a major overhaul of the blind and dangerous junction in Ballyfeard - known as ‘Quinn’s Corner’ - and other improvements in the South Cork village.
This reporter recently visited the location and while speaking to residents, witnessed for himself the high speed of every type of vehicle through the village coming on the R611 regional road from Belgooly and Kinsale, especially driving up the hill to either Ballymartle (Riverstick) or Carrigaline as well as downhill to the totally blind junction at the edge of the Quinn household.
One man who knows more about this and has been pro-active in trying to make the junction safer for all is taxi driver and part time tillage farmer Martin Quinn who has lived there almost 60 years.
He recently erected on his property, directly across from his corner house home, a large sign which reads: ‘Stop Now – Blind Junction – You are on CCTV’. Over the years, he has also put up a mirror facing the Minane Bridge road as well as other warning signs and placed protective cones at the corner of the family home because he deems the existing council signs and markings lack impact.
In former times, said Martin, Ballyfeard had a pub run by his late parents John and Margaret Quinn. ‘I currently reside in the house at the dangerous corner with my wife Mary, sons Cian and John and daughter Laura.
‘For years I have been trying to get Cork County Council to bring in traffic calming at this blind and staggered junction. The only thing they did was to put a ‘Stop’ sign and a line across the road at the corner itself (instead of slightly further back previously) as one drives from Ballymartle (Riverstick) or Carrigaline. All road markings have faded and I attempted to paint a stop line myself because several drivers are failing to stop and go straight through but this has worn out. In the other direction, many go at high speed in order to get up the two hills, especially the one for Ballymartle,’ said Martin who claimed that the roads hadn’t been properly lined in the past 20 years.
With the increase in traffic and size of vehicles, the total abuse of the blind junction has got out of hand’, he complained. ‘I have done my level best to try and make Ballyfeard a safer place for everyone by putting up my own signs at my own expense on my own property because in many instances, there simply isn’t enough room for two vehicles to pass each other at the corner without wing mirrors clipping. Our own house was struck by a lorry and trailer three years ago’.
‘Up to about 60 years ago, Ballyfeard was a vibrant village with a pub, over ten houses, a shop, filling station, a dispensary, a post office, a Garda station and a mill. It may look semi-deserted today with just four families living there but with over 200 metres of footpath from the bridge to our house, it is still a village that has sadly been neglected’, said Martin.
Martin introduced me to his neighbours, Ciaran and his wife Anthi with baby son Conor with their dog Finn who were out going for a walk. The young family reside a short distance up the L3207 Ballymartle road and close to the junction which for drivers coming downhill comes upon them suddenly.
‘We’ve been living here almost six years and this is the most ignored ‘Stop’ sign in Ireland’, declared Ciaran pointing to the existing official sign. ‘There needs to be traffic calming because signage doesn’t seem to work’, adding that he had experienced numerous near misses going in both directions because of speeding when going for walks two or three times a day and trying to cross over to the family home at the start of the Ballymartle Road.
Further up at the middle of Ballyfeard, we met George Buttimer who has resided in the village for over 45 years with his wife Isabel and previously ran a shop, filling station, fuel and tyre business on both sides of the road.
‘What this place needs is a couple of ramps because they’re flying through and it’s the only thing to slow them down’, said George pointing out that it was on the main R611 route from Belgooly to Shannon Park roundabout near Carrigaline.
Further along the village towards the bridge and doing a fine job restoring and upgrading in recent years what used to be the dispensary into a home for he and his partner Erin Kingston from Ahiohill, Carrigaline born Jack Roberts said he regularly saw vehicles speeding at 60 or 70 miles per hour at all hours on what is a busy main road. He too called for traffic calming including a speed limit.
On a separate issue, both Jack and George stressed the need for measures to prevent a repeat of flooding from the nearby Minane River which had come right up to their properties.
Summing up, the requests of Ballyfeard residents were:
-Ramps to curb speeding approaching the junction on both sides and in the middle of the village.
-Fresh and improved road markings and signs (the black and yellow sign coming from Carrigaline incorrectly describes the existing junction).
To continue reading please see our online edition; https://subscriber.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/subscribe.aspx?eid=c946bff2-f434-4a7b-a75d-621998d7e750
Comments