20th July, 2000
Well folks it has been a mixed week. Crosshaven
was and is the place to be. Ford Cork Week was the biggest and
best yet. My wife and I called down on the opening night and the
scenes reminded me of Cork City during Christmas week. The
entertainment ranged from classical music to heavy rock, pop to
disco. The organisers are to be complimented on a fantastic week
of entertainment. Roll on 2002!
By now most drivers who live in Donnybrook, Grange, Frankfield
will know that Church Road is closed. However today Tuesday,
motorists coming down the hill into Douglas West assumed they
could right at the school entrance and drive through past St.
Columba's Church and onto the Carrigaline Road, but no luck.
Drivers had to turn left and drive through Churchyard Lane, where
a tailback greeted them. Surly a few traffic signs telling
motorists that there was no through traffic would have made life
a bit easier. Also a few No Parking Cones on Churchyard Lane
coming from the Church Street would have left traffic flow both
ways. Traffic coming up Church Street from Barry's Pub direction
and wishing to turn left to go up Churchyard Lane could not do so
yesterday, because only one lane of traffic was flowing due to
parking in Churchyard Lane. Also motorists driving from the South
County direction up Church Street and wishing to turn right up
Churchyard Lane could not do so because of the situation which
meant that very little planning went into this re-route of
traffic. STOP PRESS. Traffic cannot now enter Churchyard Lane
from Church Street.
Picture the next scene. It's Sunday afternoon, the sun is shining
(which we all agree is a rare happening in Ireland these days)
one of our readers who lives in Palace Ann Lawn, South Douglas
Road decides to sit in the back garden and read a Sunday
newspaper. Several readers who live in the area have told me that
during the past few weeks their area has been under siege (again!)
from crows and rooks. Anyway this man was sitting reading the
paper when Bang! a crow crashed onto his head, it dropped onto
the ground twitching (the man's wife told me it was still
twitching hours later) The man like most of us got a nasty shock,
but had the presence of mind to take a photograph of the bird on
his patio. Later on from an upstairs window he happened to look
out and there on his neighbours flat roof was another dead or
dying crow and photographs were taken. I got a call on Monday,
and I also took some photos of another dead crow in the adjoining
grounds.
On Tuesday we rang City Hall and asked them had they put poison
on the land fill (Dump) site on the Kinsale Road. We were told no
questions would be answered over the telephone. All questions
must be written and sent in, so we faxed a few questions (see
right) and sent them.
I met a councillor yesterday in Douglas Village Shopping Centre
and told him the story. He telephoned City Hall there and then,
but there was nobody available to take his questions. As I write
this piece on Wednesday morning we still haven't heard from City
Hall.
The residents have put up with a lot for 26 years and I think
that they are entitled to know if poison is being put down to
control crows. These residents also have pets, and more
importantly young children, what if those children picked up
those birds? While I am on the subject the resident's houses,
especially roofs are covered in bird droppings. Their cars are
getting the same treatment. These people are owed an explanation,
and they want it now !
Bye for now. Michael.
