You Shall Not Park

Ballydonagh Lane

ard to know exactly what brought on this sudden change but, the lane access at the top of The Octagon is now out-of-bounds.

Turns out, Ballydonagh Lane is a private lane. For private people.

And they don’t want your car parking anywhere on it.

Coming back from a walk to the old ruin, we were surprised to see that, beyond the unwelcome sign at the entrance someone had gone to the bother of making and printing small notes for car windscreens too.

This one was on a car that we’d seen earlier, the occupants employing a small ramp to help their old dog step down onto the road. The bastards. The note awaiting their return read…

What part of “NO PARKING ON LANE” do you not understand
It’s a PRIVATE LANE, the up-keep of which is paid for by Residents
AND YES, the NO PARKING does apply to you
In future, Please park in Kindlestown Wood Car-Park and walk down lane

The bad grammar – and manners – is all theirs. As is the red lettering.

The sign now greeting people at the beginning of the lane is just as charming. PRIVATE LANEWAY Residents & Visitors Vehicles only NO PARKING on Lane Allow for emergency vehicles Thank You PRIVATE No PARKING on Lane Including at Glen Of The Downs Forest Entrance on LANE Please Park in Kindlestown Woodland Car Park and walk down lane.

Hey, they said please. And thank you. So, no aggression here.

We checked with town engineer Ruairí O’Hanlon, and it would appear this is a private lane. Just why, after decades of people parking at the entrance to the Glen Of The Downs woods, it has suddenly become a problem is hard to fathom though. The road is wide enough for any emergency vehicle to pass any cars parked at that point. If there ever was a case of an emergency vehicle not being able to pass, over the decades, we’ve never heard about it.

Either way, this is going to make it difficult for those with limited mobility – including dogs; the bould Max is now hitting 17 – to spend much of their energy walking to his favourite walking spot. The Kindlestown entrance is a much flatter and more manageable walk than the deep-down-in-the-valley Glen Of The Downs car park.

But, hey, we’ll live. Ballydonagh Lane could easily be mistaken as a friendly thoroughfare, but, as we’ve now learnt, this is a PRIVATE LANE.

For PRIVATE PEOPLE.

Welcome to Wicklow. The land of a thousand unwelcomes.