Calls for one-way system to be trialled on Blarney Street

RENEWED calls have been made for a one-way system to be trialled and for further traffic calming measures to be put in place along Blarney Street.

It comes as last month CCTV footage, widely shared on social media, showed a car speeding down the street — ostensibly the longest in the country — and colliding with several parked vehicles.

A garda spokesperson confirmed to The Echo that gardaí are investigating the collision which occurred on the morning of Saturday, June 25 at around 2.50am.

There were no reports of injuries and no arrests have yet been made but investigations are ongoing, the spokesperson said.

Speaking to The Echo, community association chairman, Tom Coleman said speeding and traffic issues have become a “regular occurrence”.

At a public meeting last November, Mr Coleman said it was agreed to appeal to Cork City Council to implement a one-way system on a trial basis.

“You’d come up from Shandon Street junction, you can go right up Cattle Market Street, you go further up the street and you can go up Upper Cattle Market Street, you go right up to the very top to Baker’s Lane – as we call it locally — and from Baker’s Lane upwards towards Blarney Road it would be a two-way system,” he explained.

However, Mr Coleman claimed there has been a lack of action from the city council in progressing the residents’ suggestion.

He said there is also a need for further traffic calming measures at the narrower section of the street.

Mr Coleman said he feels Blarney Street has been “totally neglected”, saying that dereliction is also an issue there.

“Standing orders should be suspended at the local council meeting to give more concentration to the most historical street that we have in Munster and possibly nationally,” he said.

“We’re very proud of our street. There are very deep roots on Blarney Street.”

Speaking in relation to the traffic issues, Mr Coleman said the situation needs to be urgently reviewed as it is a matter of “health and safety”.

Fianna Fáil councillor in the ward, Tony Fitzgerald said that Cork City Council “has contacted the National Transport Authority (NTA) with a view to looking at various proposals to address the chronic traffic congestion on Blarney Street, the longest street in the country”.

“We’re still waiting on correspondence from the NTA.

“Running parallel to this, which has to go into the mix, is the BusConnects proposals for the Hollyhill route and the Shanakiel route.

“That has now gone out to public consultation.

“Those two routes have to factor in the needs of the traffic on Blarney Street and the residents of Blarney Street,” Mr Fitzgerald said.

“We need to see what impact BusConnects is going to have on Blarney Street while at the same time address the immediate urgency of the issues that are there for a long time.”

Sinn Féin councillor Mick Nugent said he would like to see a one-way system trialled on Blarney Street.

“If that doesn’t work you can look at something else, but something needs to happen there,” he said.

Cork City Council was contacted for comment.