Council calls a halt to 'stad' signs
A COUNCIL has been forced to remove a number of 'Stop' signs in the Gaeltacht, because they are written in Irish.
Signs with 'Stad' -- Irish for 'halt' -- have been put up at locations around the Donegal village of Kilcar, but they will now be replaced by 'Stop' signs.
The man who made the complaints, who has a holiday home in the village, said there was no mandatory sign in the Department of the Environment traffic signs manual with 'Stad' on it.
Donnchadh O Baoill, a spokesman for Udaras na Gaeltachta, the regional authority responsible for the development of the Gaeltacht, said the Irish signs were not putting motorists at risk.
"The word 'Stad' has been used traditionally in Donegal to mean stop, halt or pause. The people of Kilcar are putting great effort into village renewal and they are, quiet rightly, encouraging Irish signage. While the signs are in Irish, they also come with an international pictogram which makes them instantly recognisable," Mr O Baoill said.
But the complainant, who has not been named, said: "I've been watching with interest the ongoing roadworks and I have been intrigued by the 'Stad' signs.
"I've travelled extensively and have always taken a keen interest in road signage. In every country -- even those using the Cyrillic alphabet which doesn't have the letter S -- 'Stop' signs appear at junctions with major roads."
Donal Murphy, executive engineer for road design, acknowledged there was no mandatory sign in the department manual with the word 'Stad' on it.
"The signs do not pose a high risk to motorists as the shape and colour of the sign is internationally recognisable and does identify them as stop signs," he said. "However, Donegal County Council, as a matter of urgency, will change the signs to read 'Stop'."
- Harry Walsh
