South Meath Driving School

Close to Tralee is the rural parish of Abbeydorney where one Michael Buckley was born over ninety  years ago. In time, he took over the family farm and married Breda. Land was in the blood for generations and Michael knew the ins and outs of the scene from a young age.

In his spare time, Michael pursued the game of the smaller ball in his younger days, hurling for the Kilflynn Club and, in 1957, landed a North Kerry Senior Championship and added another later on.

The children began to arrive and, to any unassuming Abbeydorney or Knocknagoshel man, the Buckleys were a chip of the old block, set in their ways as tradition would have it. Not exactly, mind you, as there was a latent streak of the Tom Creans lurching in this Mike fellow.

He had observed the  hardships endured by farmers engaged in bringing cattle to fairs at crossroads and market squares and the thousand year old method of buying and selling, or, maybe, not selling at all on the day. Michael was a founder member of Tralee Mart, Cork Marts and FBD Insurance for the farming community.

He looked at his own farm, probably with the same jaundiced eye as Kavanagh when he penned the lines, ‘… They said

That I was bounded by the whitethorn hedges

Of the little farm and did not know the world …’

Soon he was talking to the local Land Commission officer with a view to moving to greener pastures, though now in his early 40’s. Mick and Breda found themselves viewing farms in Straffan, Beaupark,  and Trim. Being forward-thinking people, it was easy settling for the Navan Road, Trim, for its proximity to the town and a good choice of schools.

When Mick told his neighbours of his plans they told him he was mad; he was moving kit and kin. The decision was made and there was no time for tears before, during or after the big move. It was grist to the mill. Cattle, a farm horse and all the farm implements were transported from Kerry in lorries. Michael, accompanied by Breda and their three small children, drove their new Ford Anglia car – Reg. No. FIN-756 and priced at £350.00 – all the way to Trim, a distance of nearly 200 miles. They arrived on the evening of the 26^th of March, 1965, almost fifty years ago. It was in its own right, somehow, comparable to the brave men and women who, in the 1840s onwards, took the Oregon and California Trails West, except that the Buckleys didn’t raft down the Boyne on their run-in to their newest conquest. For this family, it was a monstrous undertaking, a once in a lifetime move that was near irreversible.

At that time, other families from the kingdom also arrived, like the Gouldings, Brosnans and Foleys; they attracted the attention of Telefis Eireann whose News crew interviewed them about their great venture North. Word has it that Buckley was, there and then, offered a job in the RTE Newsroom.

But, it was no soft  landing for those trekkers. While they had a new house to move in to, there was no electricity for Breda for some months to come. Mick embarked on building outhouses and sheds and there were new farming systems to be learned. For, it should be known that Kerry has a climate that’s more akin to the Mediterranean than that of these parts. Well, slightly, they say they are a month ahead of the North-East with their crops and in their first year here a late April frost was a setback to Mick’s early plantings.

In their first years in Trim, Breda’s uncles and cousins arrived from Kerry to assist with the crops and out-buildings, staying a few weeks at a time in the process. Between their ‘foreign’ accents and demands for pints of Single X porter, Marcie Regan is reported to have been at a rare disadvantage.

If neighbourliness was as regular as tea making in Kerry, so the new arrivals found it likewise in their new found land where the likes of Dick Fitzsimons, Paddy Browne and Major Thompson were always on hand to give advice and good counsel.

Trim was a small town in the mid 60’s, but Buckley was soon expanding. He rented land near Navangate and, it was a common sight to see cattle being walked the short mile in and out the Navan Road to this land. Incidentally, Griffin Park was later built on that pasture.

It was common then to have cattle tended in the heart of a town and it isn’t so long since James Brogan and his late father, Michael, were milking cows in the yard of Brogan’s Hotel; Jim Taafe did likewise on Haggard St. And, it seems only like yesterday that Betty McEvoy walked her cattle out the Dublin Road, with bales of hay stacked on her bicycle, to her farm at Maudlins. All a pretty sight.

Buckleys new house was the only one on the Navan Road between Davis’ and  Phil McArdle’s. Whether in the name of progress, all that has changed meanwhile.

Michael and Breda took their skills to Trim golf course at an early stage and his good self didn’t sacrifice all his small ball skills to Kilflynn for, in 1975, he almost stole the show on Captain’s Day when he came in second. Breda revealed a little secret about a record that Michael holds in the Kingdom, or maybe, on this little planet. They were back down there on holidays, playing golf. Mick hit a notorious drive off the 18^th tee. His ball went out of sight in the direction of the car park where Breda was gearing up for home: it landed in the boot of the Anglia and wasn’t recovered until they arrived in Trim – which has to be the longest drive not on record!

Michael loved Wednesdays and Dad’s Army outings at Newtownmoynagh in his latter playing days close to his 90^th birthday. While his fleety foot may have deserted him, his astute brain retains all the alacrity of a young fellow.

Breda drives the family car as ever while Michael quit five years ago. As I teach young people, like their grandson, David, to drive, I exhort them to adopt all the good habits at an early stage as they will stand them in good stead for 70 or even 80 years duration. They might chuckle at such a thought, but, isn’t the old master from Abbeydorney living proof. And, don’t wager too much on not seeing him make his way towards Newtownmoynagh in a grey Anglia some sunny Wednesday morn.

He says his Autumn years have fallen fast upon him recently and he misses the work in the fields and just pottering about the house. He knows, too, his many blessings in his children and grandchildren and, most of all, the brightest ray of sunshine through his good wife.

Michael took the Ralph Emerson way in life –

‘Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.’

Not too many will remember a little shimmozle at the Custom House on the 26^th of October this year when there were a few verbals showered  in the direction of no less gentlemen than Leo Varadkar, Transport Minister, the Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan and the RSA CEO, Noel Brett. Well then, the short-lived drama was over as quickly as it started. It made an appearance on that evening’s RTE News at Six and it must have alerted some of the aforementioned people.

The protagonists were ADIs (Approved Driving Instructors) and members of the GMB Union. The numbers totalled about 70, led by Eamonn Coy. The GMB appears an unusual Union for some ofour driving instructors to join. This Union is known as the National Union of General and Municipal Workers and was founded in 1924 in England and has a membership there of .6 million. In Ireland, it is based in Hollywood, Co. Down and represents its driving instructor members throughout the whole country. Coy is actively recruiting new members. I understand that membership is c.35eur annually.

Noel Brett refuses to meet Coy’s Union – it sounds or maybe rhymes a little like a Col. Eamon of  1930s fame! Apparently, Brett doesn’t see this Union to be an appropriate representative of its ADI members. The RTE snap shot mentioned above was certainly not a good advertisement for the Union as far as I observed. It was a very crude attempt in an effort to draw the attention of the RSA hierarchy and the public to their grievances.

In widely sent emails afterwards, Coy states that his Union and ADIs are a professional body aimed at bringing about necessary and responsible change to the current EDT, or driver training programme as set out by the RSA. He also thanks those who engaged in the protest saying they conducted themselves in a very professional manner!

Those little undercurrents flow unknown to the learner driver which is probably for the better. Their job is to learn to be a competent driver with a good attitude to safety and all other drivers out there. So what is Eamonn Coy concerned with?

There was no standard set down by the State for driving tests until 2007, yet the Irish Driving Instructors Association (IDIA) existed for decades preparing students for the Test. This Association was not recognised by the State as a legal setup, though its standard was the only one in existence and it was allowed to operate without official communication, advice or recognition. It was an unusual situation to have been allowed. Really it was a cry to the Government who were surely careless when, having set up the Driving Test system, they did not allow for a training standard either in written or practical form.

Then in 2006/7 the Road Safety Authority came into being with the new formula for the driving test being made official in writ and instruction method. Stringent exams had to be passed by the new instructors. Those who were in the trade, many for a lifetime, had not their experience or professionalism taken into consideration. Neither were they consulted on the new system that was manifesting. They expressed their opposition, to no avail.

Then in April this year those who did not have a Licence or Learner Permit had to undergo the EDT programme which entailed 12 compulsory lessons conducted by an approved driving instructor. It was the syllabus as drawn up by the RSA that has irked Eamonn Coy and indeed many many driving instructors not linked to Eamonn.  There are a few gripes. The main one is the role of the Sponsor whose input is in supervising the learner between lessons with the instructor. This ‘sponsor’ is usually a parent or other family member or friend who will do ongoing practice sessions with the learner in consultation with the instructor. Questions being asked by the ‘Coy brigade’ range as follows:

*A sponsor is not a trained instructor, therefore should not be allowed play such official role.

*A sponsor may easily give incorrect instruction, or that contradicting the instructor, thus frustrating and confusing the learner.

*Who is legally responsible should there be a collision when the sponsor is practising with the                  learner, as advised by the instructor.

*Where family members are involved in such instruction/practice, it is too often dominated by disagreement/argument.

*The ADI has a dual controlled vehicle whereas the sponsor has no control over a car should an emergency arise.

*Lesson No. 2 moves too quickly and, among others, includes the following actions – cornering, negotiating junctions, changing lanes, entering and exiting roundabouts, correct position in traffic lanes.

One might easily conclude that it takes a good driver to manage such manoeuvres. Coy surely has a point, yet I find that it is the availability of the dual control system to the ADI that enables him to undertake such tasks.

Noel Brett has intimated that the EDT programme may be up for review within eighteen months to two years of implementation. Meanwhile, I doubt if the Coy corner will throw a white towel.

Transport safety has improved vastly since pre-EU membership days and more recently since the mandatory NCT was introduced. Despite a healthy nation of vehicles, a breakdown can occur or indeed a crash can likewise halt one’s progress. The AA Ireland advise us to follow the simple rules, following, which can give peace of mind and confidence to women, especially, when driving alone.

Avoiding a breakdown

• Have the car serviced regularly by a reputable garage.
• Don’t run out of fuel. Get into the habit of filling when the tank’s half empty rather than waiting for the warning light.
• Check oil, water, and other fluids regularly. Your car’s manual will show you how, and specify the products to use if topping-up is required.
• Check tyre condition and pressure regularly. The manual will tell you the correct pressure. Damaged or excessively worn tyres should be renewed. Don’t forget to check the spare.
• Attend to any faults promptly by a reputable garage, rather than waiting for them to get worse or hoping they’ll go away.
• If a warning light stays on, check the manual for advice.  In some circumstances you can drive on safely.

Don’t get lost

• Plan unfamiliar journeys and try to stick to main roads.
• In-car navigation systems help if you worry about getting lost. Keep an atlas handy in case traffic forces a change of plans

In case of breakdown

• Carry a mobile phone, ensure that it’s charged and has sufficient call credit.
• Keep a coat, sensible shoes, blanket, torch, and money in the car.
• If possible drive on to a well lit, busy area such as a filling station rather than stopping in a dark, remote spot.
• Keep doors locked while waiting. A patrol/mechanic will carry proof of identity.  Ask to see this before opening a window or unlocking your car.
• On motorways it’s much safer to retreat up the bank, or behind a barrier rather than wait in the car. If you do feel at risk from another person, return to your vehicle by a left-hand door and lock all doors. Leave your vehicle again as soon as you feel this danger has passed.

On your journey

• Keep valuables, briefcase, laptop, handbag and mobile phone out of sight.
• Keep the doors locked during your journey and, if required, open windows only partially – particularly in town.
• You MUST stop for the police but it’s quite reasonable to ask for identification through a closed window and keep the engine running until you are satisfied.
• NEVER give lifts to strangers.
• Beware of anyone who tries to signal that there’s something wrong with your car, unless you know they’re right and it’s dangerous to drive on.

Parking

• Wait until you’re close to the car before unlocking it.
• If you park on the street choose a busy, well-lit place, and have your car keys ready as you return to the car.