EDITOR -It is perhaps a cliché to talk about excess traffic on a bank holiday, but it felt like we endured something of a perfect storm on West Cork roads this past weekend. I drove east to Clonakilty and back on Sunday afternoon and I was amazed at the long lines of slow traffic going both directions. I am not an advocate of speed, but neither am I a fan of being in the seventh or eighth car back from a slow-moving camper van or a large tractor pulling a trailer. Both of these were in abundance. Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of a camper holiday, and I absolutely understand the need for our farmers to make hay (or silage) while the sun shines. What concerns me most is the actions that other drivers take when presented with such ‘obstacles’ on the road. I try to imagine that every driver making a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre is in some dire emergency that justifies their actions, but are they really? A degree of understanding all around would go a long way. Drivers of slow vehicles should watch their mirrors for a build-up of traffic behind, consider the greater good, pull in when safe to do so and let others pass. Drivers who find themselves stuck behind a slow vehicle should in turn consider the reason for the pace, and assume that safety is a big part of it. Tourists driving campers or rental cars may not be used to the vehicles, they may be unaccustomed to driving on the left, and remember, we could be that person on our holiday some other time. And for goodness sake let’s not encourage drivers of large agricultural machinery to do so at speed. After all, these vehicles are a fact of life in rural areas, and farmers and contractors are just doing their jobs. Forcing them to drive dangerously, or choosing to drive dangerously because of them really isn’t going to solve the issue, but it may well cause a much more serious one.

Eamon O’Donovan

Camper vans add to the summer traffi c volumes across West Cork.

Proper sewage plant needed for Rosscarbery

EDITOR – I read with interest your article about waste water contaminating the Warren Strand at Rosscarbery. It has been my family’s favourite swimming beach for many years but we have found it closed in recent years due to pollution. It is not hard these days to do a bit of Google research on this and a few taps on any computer will soon tell you that all the waste water in the area is sent to settlement tank/s at Creggane. There is NO actual treatment of the waste there just big settlement tank/s. To my knowledge solids are tankered away periodically but if there is rain or an increase in usage the untreated overspill of mixed solids and foul water simply pours into the lagoon and the local sea only to be pushed in and back with the tide. It is a scandal and one that is not being addressed. Local folk lead by you need to demand an explanation and a proper sewage plant.

Sophie O’Sullivan.

Surprise and dismay over father’s ‘demise’

EDITOR –Imagine my surprise as I sat down last Sunday to peruse my copy of the Southern Star only to learn that my beloved father, Bobby Blackwell had passed away. That my family and I had spent a wonderful afternoon in his company that very same day, leaving him hale and hearty only 45 minutes prior to reading this article, heightened my shock of learning of his demise. An urgent phone call to my dear mother immediately ensued during which she assured me that Bobby was ‘ very much alive and had just made a cup of tea’. Whew! I gasped aloud ! Regrettably this is not the first time that incorrect information has been reported in the Southern Star relating to the Blackwell family but it is undoubtedly the most egregious. Given that there are established reporters and correspondents in our bloodline and that I have several friends that are esteemed writers and journalists I have always held a deep respect and passion for the journalistic profession. It is, therefore, even more disappointing to witness such a significant error in reporting in such a paper of record. I urge you to exercise greater diligence in fact-checking to prevent such misunderstandings and misinformation being published in the future.

Raymond Blackwell.

Discovering the delights of Pena Sagra region

EDITOR – Recently I had the privilege of travelling to San Sebastion de Garabandal, a rural village in the Pena Sagra mountain range of northern Spain. Travelling from Dublin Airport to Bilbao, I joined up with other pilgrims, mostly from Northern Ireland, on a coach to the same destination. On the trip up there we came across beautiful scenery, lovely views and lush green fields with attractive wooden paddocks. We eventually got there and the the place itself is amazing. Mostly stone buildings and because of the village location and lack of easy accessibility it has remained largely the same as it was in 1961 when thousands of apparitions took place there. Messages were given to four young schoolgirls about the present times and the role of Russia in the future. It is amazing how accurate some of these messages are proving to be. The place itself and these messages are not recognised by the Catholic Church but it would be worthwhile for any person to look into them and perhaps go there. Castleblaney man Joe Duff brings groups of people there occasionally over the year.

Jeremiah McCarthy, Clonakilty.