Sir, – Thomas Daly (February 4th) seems unaware of the three tenets of navigation by road signs.
First, one has to start from the right place, and Doolin was certainly not that.
Second, one has to take into account that road signs are only placed by people who already know the way.
Finally, you only finds signs when you already know where you are going.– Yours, etc,
Sir, – Your readers do not understand the fundamental policies that appear to govern the locations for road signage in many parts of our country.
It’s based firstly on, “Ah, shur, everyone knows where that road goes”, and secondly on, “If by chance you find the road, the sign will surely be about 50 yards further on”.
I had a similar experience a few years ago travelling to Maynooth via the main Limerick to Dublin road. I could find no sign for Maynooth anywhere near Naas and only by intuition managed to reach my destination.
I did phone Kildare County Council subsequently to pose the question of signage to a fairly sizeable university town from the Naas dual carriageway to be told that I should have turned at the road marked for “Straffan”.
Now that would come under the first policy for road signs, “Ah, shur, everyone knows the road for Maynooth is through Straffan.” – Yours, etc,