It’s no wind up – the clock hasn’t gone fast

The scene at College Square at 6.30pm today with Plunkett Street cordoned off to traffic

IT was too early, surely, for the new summer-wintertime rules, inspired by MEP Seán Kelly, to click in so maybe it was just a simple case of the battery running low on the town clock.

Either way, Killarney looked as if it was getting ahead of itself somewhat this Thursday evening when it came to closing off Plunkett Street to vehicular traffic.

The street was out of bounds by day and by night during summer months – which were long but not longer than the traffic jams – and the wintertime trial period kicked in on September 3 with no traffic allowed to enter or exit from 7pm to 7am.

There are exceptions to the rule, of course, as was evidenced in the early hours of Wednesday morning when one motorist opted to negotiate his way around a barrier and take off down the street before it all ended in turmoil – and the arrival of a squad car – shortly after 1am.

This Thursday evening was another exception, obviously, as motorists attempting to make their way home via Plunkett Street found themselves cut off shortly after 6.00pm – a full half an hour before the street was scheduled to close.

Not only that but a new steel barrier was put in place to leave drivers in no doubt that it was a no-go zone.

The Toyota Yaris on Plunkett Street at 1.10am on Wednesday

KillarneyToday.com attempted to get an explanation but the town hall was closed and the councillors we managed to contact were initially completely oblivious to the situation and were not made aware of any changes to the pedestrian-only time frame.

And all the while, like Dr Seuss, frustrated motorists were left wondering how did it get so late so soon?

There is – as always – a simple explanation, of course. One of the councillors did a little out-of-hours research on our behalf and it seems that prior to the encounter with the boys and girls in blue int he early hours of Wednesday, the errant motorist became a little too acquainted with the traffic bollards along Plunkett Street and, suffice to say, they weren’t looking their best after their early morning introduction to a Toyota Yaris.

Killarney Municipal District Council set about replacing the Plunkett bollards this Thursday and, in the interests of safety, the street was closed off while the task was being seen to.

Normal service will resume, we presume, at 7am tomorrow.

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