Clon could have country’s first ‘rainbow’ crossing

WEST Cork could be the first place in Ireland to have a rainbow crossing if an Independent councillor gets his wish.

At a meeting of the West Cork Municipal District in Dunmanway, last Monday, Cllr Paul Hayes (Ind) said the local authority should explore the possibility of creating a pedestrian crossing that promotes inclusivity.

The councillor said he had discussed the issue with Bród (the Irish word for pride) and representatives of the West Cork group – which campaigns for the rights of the LGBT community – were in favour of it. In the motion he put before Council, Cllr Hayes said there are rainbow crossings in countries like Australia and the UK, but there are, as yet, none in Ireland.

He suggested that the pedestrian crossing leading to Spiller’s Lane in Clonakilty and outside the gates of the Catholic Church would be the ideal location for the first of many such crossings in Ireland. ‘At a time when people have been driven half daft by Covid-19 and the troubling issues underlying the Black Lives Matter campaign, it would be good to promote a message of acceptance and inclusivity,’ he said.

Undeterred by the engineering staff’s adherence to the strict rules governing road markings, Cllr Hayes said: ‘Clonakilty was the first Fair Trade town. Someone has to make a start. Rainbow crossings are something that could be rolled out nationwide.’