Lollipop Ladies retire after almost 40 years helping children cross the road
After almost forty years combined service, two ‘Lollipop Ladies’ have hung up their yellow coats and lowered their Stop signs after serving their local schools and communities in ensuring schoolchildren can cross the roads safely.
Retired school wardens Sally Clancy and Josie Brennan served with South Dublin County Council for 20 years and 18 years respectively.
Sally served most of her 20 years as a school warden at Bishop Galvin National School beside the Willington Roundabout in Templeogue.
Josie served for 18 years as a school warden at St Mary’s Boys National School in Lucan.
Josie was also involved in training most of the new School Wardens that joined the council over the last few years. South Dublin County Council’s Road Safety Officer Declan Keogh said that school wardens bring in all factors of their training when crossing even just one child or groups of children, and this is against all the obstacles and problematic issues which wardens are presented with on a daily basis.
“Not only do you manage large groups of pupils,” he said, “You also manage long lines of traffic and road users who may not consider the implications of their actions. You meet the nicest drivers with the greatest patience, but you also meet disgruntled, impatient and at times arrogant or aggressive drivers, but because of the training you are provided with and the lessons you have learned in your role over the length of your service as a school warden, you are able to manage all of these obstacles while at all times having the safety of the children as your number one priority.”
The role of the school warden is one which holds great importance, responsibility and engagement. School wardens are empowered under the Road Traffic Act 1961 to stop and hold traffic in order to allow schoolchildren cross the road safely.
