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URGENT action is being sought to address serious road safety concerns at St Macartan’s Primary School in Clogher, where parents and staff say accessing the school from the nearby A4 has become increasingly dangerous at peak drop-off and pick-up times.
It is estimated that more than 12,000 vehicles pass the school each day on the busy arterial route on the outskirts of the village. Parents fear that without intervention, the situation could lead to a serious collision or fatality.
Concerns have been raised by Mairead McCaughey, chairperson of the school’s Parent Teachers’ Association, and echoed by local councillor and former pupil Eugene McConnell. The issue was highlighted following a recent visit to the school by First Minister Michelle O’Neill.
“It’s quite unsafe coming in and out of the school at peak times in the morning and afternoon,” said Mrs McCaughey.
“Parents exiting the school have to try and get a break in traffic on a very busy road. We’ve been working with the Department for Infrastructure to find a solution, but unfortunately nothing has been agreed so far.
“Another major issue is that there is no safe facility for children or parents to walk to the school.”
Mrs McCaughey said a number of options have been explored with DfI officials, but all have presented difficulties.
“There is an historic wall on private land which blocks visibility at the entrance, and a pedestrian crossing was examined but ruled out due to the gradient of the hill leading into the school.
“The A4 is extremely busy, and the school entrance is close to the end of the 30mph zone. The Board of Governors has funded signage to highlight the school entrance, which has helped to raise awareness, but it’s not enough.”
Cllr McConnell said he will continue lobbying on behalf of parents and staff in a bid to improve safety at the site.
“For me, this is fundamentally a health and safety issue,” he said. “There have been a number of near misses here involving traffic.
“The school patrol is no longer in place because of the dangers posed by this entrance. With 12,000 vehicles passing daily, a solution is urgently needed. If nothing is done, we could be facing a tragedy.”
