Skibbereen pre-school owner wants to alert others to the danger on her doorstep

A montessori school manager fears that it’s only a matter of time before a young pedestrian is injured on one of Skibbereen’s most traffic-choked streets as large lorries have very little room to pass each other

KAREN Coppinger, manager of the Yellow House Montessori on Skibbereen’s North Street has highlighted the problem of cars, vans and lorries being forced to mount the footpath outside their premises on a daily basis.

‘This is something that has been spoken about for years, but it is an accident waiting to happen,’ she said.

Karen accompanies a group of around seven pre-schoolers from their premises at 63 North Street to their premises on 59 North Street after the morning session finishes at noon.

‘First I have to look out and check to see if there are any lorries coming and if there are, we have to wait. If there are two trucks coming against each other, one has no choice but to mount the curb. That happens daily and they come so close to the wall that they block the light in the room,’ she said.

A truck on the footpath outside the premises.

‘Children in our care are not under any threat whilst walking with us as we risk-assess everything. The kids I work with are safe as I’m with them, and their hands are held. But I think it’s only a matter of time before an older school-going child is injured. I couldn’t have that on my conscience and I have to speak out about it.’

At present, there is parking on one side of the street, and bollards on the other, which limits traffic flow. The real problem is when large vehicles, such as articulated trucks try to access or exit the town via North Street.

A one-way system operated on the street from June to September in 2021, but Karen pointed out that was during school holidays.

‘I was actually hit by a wing mirror a few months ago by a van that was passing by,’ she said and called for a speed limit of 30kph to be introduced from before the playground.

‘We are very sympathetic to business on North Street and also the trucks that have no alternative but to mount the footpath outside our preschool. They often have no choice but to do so, but there has to be a solution that will protect kids.

‘I feel really strongly that an accident is just waiting to happen and it would be so negligent of us if we didn’t highlight this issue,’ she said.

Local Skibbereen Cllr Joe Carroll (FF) said he had previously been told that a sign was to be erected at the end of Townshend Street which would direct all lorries and heavy traffic from the town via Bridge Street.

‘I have to look into that, but the real solution would be to extend the bypass to the Gaelscoil, and for it take a sharp left down for Cork Road,’ he said.