‘Scenic view diminished by council salt depot’ in Kerry
Dooneen, in Gleansharoon, at the entrance to Kerry, on the N21, is the valley of the secrets. From the valley underneath, Glean Seathrúin gives out no inkling of its sweeping views.
High over the entrance to Castleisland, it allows the eye to extend across Kerry to Tralee Bay, to the west, and the MacGillicuddy’s Reeks and the Gap of Dunloe.
However, “a monstrosity” of a county council depot has been placed at the beauty spot. Two separate motions came before a meeting of Killarney Area Municipal, which incorporates Gleansharoon and Castleisland.
“It is grossly irresponsible of a local authority to locate a council yard at this panoramic location,” said Cllr Bobby O’Connell (FG), mayor of Killarney. “To add insult to injury, the depot serves the Tralee area, not Killarney. We pride ourselves as a tourist county. There is plenty of bog and forestry where this depot can be located,” he said.
He said if an individual applied for planning at the area, they would “be laughed out of it. I’m not calling, I’m insisting this be removed,” he said.
Cllr Michael Gleeson, South Kerry Independent Alliance, had placed a similar motion on the agenda, seeking “the tourism potential of the viewing area be maximised”. The Killarney councillor said the view had been undermined. “But it’s spectacular, and the council should open its eyes to it and remove the unsightly brick-and-sand depot,” Mr Gleeson said.
The county council, meanwhile, said the depot had been there for decades, “strategically positioned” for salt storage for winter-road maintenance, and surface-dressing chip storage. The depot has reinforced, concrete storage bays, security fencing and security lighting.
“To relocate this depot would require land acquisition and the construction of a new compound,” a written report to councillors stated.
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