How five years of campaigning transformed north Wicklow’s biggest school hub
The Wicklow PeopleIf you’ve ever been involved with the school drop off at the Blacklion Manor campus at 8:40am, you know the drill: the frantic three-point turns, and that low-level panic as students dodged wing mirrors just to get to the gate.
It was a mess, it was loud, and according to most parents, it was only a matter of time before someone got seriously hurt.
But as of this month, the standoff is officially a thing of the past.
The launch of the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) project for Temple Carrig, Greystones Educate Together, and Gaelscoil na gCloch Liath has turned the campus from a traffic bottleneck into a bit of a local hero.
The near €500,000 makeover is more than just some fresh tarmac; it’s a total rethink of how nearly 2,000 students get to class every day.
It started with locals like Cllr Lourda Scott and a group of fed-up parents who were tired of near misses being part of the morning routine.
Back in 2021, the feeling was clear: the roads weren't safe enough to let kids walk or cycle, so everyone drove, which made the road more dangerous,
Cllr Scott’s advocacy for this specific route was spurred on by emails from worried parents after several children were almost knocked down.
As a mother of three school-going children herself, Cllr Scott brought a personal perspective to her political lobbying. She repeatedly raised the issue at council meetings for five years to ensure the project remained a priority.
She successfully lobbied the National Transport Authority to include Blacklion Manor Road in the first rounds of SRTS funding.
She was instrumental in securing a 30 kph speed limit specifically for school times on the Blacklion Manor Road as part of the 2023 County Speed Limit Review.
Cllr Scott also conducted a comprehensive community survey that highlighted the safety concerns of parents, which helped build the case for the redesign.
Most recently, she successfully campaigned to get St. Brigid’s National School in Greystones added to Round 4 of the national programme. She argued that the safe route shouldn't end at one campus, instead it should be a connected network across the whole town.
If you drive or cycle past the school now, the change is impossible to miss. It’s bright, it’s colourful, and it’s very obviously built for kids, not cars.
There’s now a proper, two-way cycle track that’s physically separated from the road. No more cycling in the gutter while cars fly past.
Those iconic giant pencil bollards aren't just for show—they’re there to stop people from parking on the paths and to tell drivers to slow down. The road itself has been narrowed, which makes drivers naturally tap the brakes because the space feels tighter.
With seven schools finished and 17 more on the way, the Wicklow’s active travel projects are more advanced than in most places.
Tánaiste Simon Harris showed up for the ribbon-cutting last week, calling the Greystones setup a "lighthouse" for the rest of Ireland.
Speaking at the official opening the Wicklow TD said the programme is one that just makes sense.
“Safer roads, kids walking and cycling more and less congestion at the school gate. The fact that we now have 24 schools across Wicklow included in this programme, with works completed at seven already, is something I'm proud of. “I want to thank Wicklow County Council, the NTA, An Taisce and LAWpro for their partnership in delivering this and I look forward to seeing this programme continue to grow across the county."
Car trips to the campus are already down by about 17pc. That is hundreds of fewer cars clogging up the morning commute, less diesel smoke at the school gates, and a lot of students who finally have the freedom to cycle to school with their friends instead of being stuck in the back of a car.
Despite the celebrations at Blacklion, the work is far from over. The council’s active travel team is currently managing a total of 24 schools in the programme. The list of those waiting for their upgrades includes a mix of urban and rural locations.
Schools like Kilmacanogue National School and Scoil Mhoire na n-Aird in Shillelagh have already been allocated funding for 2026 works. For schools like Scoil Naomh Bríd in Talbotstown, the council is using oversized signage to slow down traffic in 80 kph zones.
The success of the project at Blacklion Manor proves that the school run does not have to be a daily battle. By prioritising students over cars, they have changed the daily lives of their community. As more schools join the programme in Round 4, the vision of a connected, safe, and sustainable journey to school is becoming a reality for thousands of children.