NAAS, 20 April 2002: OPINION by John Kavanagh. Recently I spent a week in the town that is considered to be the 9th poorest town in Ireland - New Ross - and came back from that town all the richer for that experience. So much richer that I feel that the town of Naas that I have returned to is monetarily richer but is civically in the depths of poverty. A few examples:
Access to public offices
As I go by the Town Hall in Naas I see that the entrance to the Town Hall is blocked to those in buggies and wheelchairs by a flight of steps.
Then I compare it to New Ross: several years ago the entrance to its Town Hall was altered and a ramp installed that allows wheelchairs and buggies to easily enter. The Town Hall is on a narrow street, and so when the ramp was going in it could be seen that there would not be enough room for double buggies to get by without having to go on the road. A visitor and ex-resident of the town went in and said this to the authorities. Two weeks later the path had been widened. A rapid response and motorists forced to allow for the safety of pedestrians.
Road Safety
We have had a lot of talk about the need to have speed controls in Naas and, true, some have gone in, but not enough. The Monread speedway from the park to the Dublin road is still in existence. Beside children playing in housing estates we see cars doing 50 /60mph in residential areas. In the recent plans of the ring roads displayed in the Town Council Chamber, roads through residential areas and along by the Monread Park are shown as part of the ring road network.
Back to New Ross: on the outside of the town is an area called South Knock. Recently a parcel of land at the top of this went for development for houses. The residents saw that the once-safe roads of south Knock where children played could become a shortcut to this new development. So, before the development was even started, they put speed ramps into south Knock. Solving a problem before it even started.
Civic spaces
We have very few real civic spaces in Naas. Civic spaces are places where facilities are provided for people to meet and mingle. To interact and socialise. Look at the park in Monread. Cut down and cut down in size until the people said 'no more'. Its facilities consist of trees, two wooden seats and a few bins. The residents came to the council with a desire to work with the council suggesting safe 'drop zones' for children, toilets, lighting, removal of electrical hazards, and playground. The town of Naas doesn't even have a single playground provided by the local authorities. The only one in a public space is owned and maintained by the residents of that estate. The linear park has no seating provision. This in a town with over 5,000 children under the age of 11
In New Ross last week, I sat on the seats in the playground, surrounded by a kids happily playing in a playground that has been there for many years. A playground upon which 40,000 euros was spent last year on providing new amenities. I watched kids from all social backgrounds mingling and playing together. I was drawn into conversation with people I had never met until that day. We talked about parenting, social issues and our experiences. I learned about other places to amuse the children. This was a social space where social interaction and mingling of people occurred.
Traffic Lights
Those who know me know that the issue of having to take one's life into ones hands as one goes to cross the lights in Naas is a constant sore point. The Guards have list of registration numbers that I have supplied from incidents at the crossings, and some motorists have heard my statements directly on the matter. In Naas 'orange' means accelerate, and pedestrians crossing when the light is 'green' often do not appear to have right of way.
In New Ross: press the button on the main street along the quay, the lights change within 15 seconds, the traffic stops, not on the red but on the orange, and we had enough time to get across safely with time to spare.
I could go on. But I am sure you will agree New Ross may be poor in monetary terms but it is civically far richer, with a great civic spirit. Long may that continue.
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