A Cork primary school is experiencing difficulty finding someone to become their new lollipop person after the last one retired - partly due to "abuse from angry motorists."
For the past three months, over 245 children in Castlemartyr have had no crossing guard at the junction where the N25 Cork to Rosslare and the road to Garryvoe intersect, to get to Castlemartyr N.S.
From 7 am onwards, heavy traffic floods the village as busy commuters rush to get to the city. And this junction is one of the busiest in East Cork.
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The last, much-loved lollipop lady had been doing a great job but the return to post-pandemic traffic levels appears to have been accompanied by a very poor attitude from some commuters and she reported regular shouting from motorists who didn't feel like they should have to wait for kids to cross.
Chair of the Castlemartyr N.S. Parents Association, Dave Scully, told Cork's C103 radio on Monday that the abuse from drivers was a big factor in the lollipop lady's decision to retire. And in the three months since she's been gone, they have been struggling to get someone to take on the role - and the angry commuters.
He said: "We were only told in November that our lollipop lady was retiring, and before she left she said found the position to be 'dangerous' and that she was getting abuse."
"Since then, Cork County Council have been trying to recruit someone to take up the role, but there has been no success. What we understood is that the people who interviewed for the role never ended up taking the job.
"The abuse was a big factor for the previous lollipop lady - but it was also about the safety of the position and how narrow the footpaths are, and how cars were accelerating away at 50km/h near a school zone."
There have been talks about a bypass for Castlemartyr but that won't be completed "overnight", and could take at least 2 years.
Dave said: "These kids are enduring this now, they need short-term relief to help ease the traffic in the area. At least until we hire a lollipop person."
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