‘Aghast’ at lane to Collegiate

Monaghan County Council has been urged to explores measures to allay safety concerns for pupils, staff and parents at one of the country’s oldest second level education institutions.

Dangers posed at the laneway leading from the main road at Corlat to the campus of Monaghan Collegiate School were highlighted at the Council’s July meeting. The school was founded in 1570 and operates under the patronage of the Church of Ireland and Presbyterian churches, with an enrolment of 249 pupils.

The situation prompted a motion from Cllr Seán Conlon (SF) asking the Council’s Roads Section and Active Travel Unit to examine whether an off-road drop-off and pick-up area for both public and private transport can be installed at the Collegiate, similar to a provision introduced at the N2 entrance to St Macartan’s College in the town in 2020. The motion also requested examination of the feasibility of a pedestrian walkway leading up to the school gates.

Cllr Conlon said he was “aghast” when he saw conditions at the pathway leading up to the school, with children having to negotiate passing 53-seater buses. He the local authority to intervene, perhaps through a Safe Routes to School programme initiative.

Cllr Pauric Clerkin (FG) in seconding the motion said a number of Oireachtas members and north Monaghan councillors have met a school delegation on the issue. “Hopefully we can provide a safe route to the school for children as the current situation is unsafe,” he stated.

Cllr Raymond Aughey (FF) said that, while there is nothing the Council can do about the private lane, there is an area that can be used for pick-ups and drop-offs and he agreed the Council should examine this.

ACTIVE TRAVEL SCHEME

The Collegiate situation also surfaced for discussion during consideration at the meeting of proposed Active Travel Scheme works which will see the development of a shared cycle path and pedestrian footway from the Corlat roundabout to the school.

Senior Executive Planner Toirleach Gourley said 24 public submissions were received in relation to the proposal, which raised issues relating to the private laneway leading up to the school, traffic congestion, pedestrian safety and difficulties experienced by vehicles in making passing manoeuvres.

“These issues are separate to this proposal, which is specifically for Active Travel pedestrian and cycling facilities along the road leading out to the college,” stated Mr Gourley, pointing out that the Council has no control over a private laneway.

Cllr Alan Johnston (FG) agreed the issues are separate but said it is important that people have safe access to the school. “It is very unfortunate we can’t address all the issues when we have this Active Travel opportunity.”

Welcoming the Active Travel scheme, Cllr Richard Truell (FG) said Monaghan appears to lag behind their neighbours in Cavan, where there are Active Travel measures on every approach road, and it is not before time that projects like this happened.

The Active Travel project was approved on the proposal of Cllr Johnston, with Cllr S Conlon seconding.