Transport - Thurles Information

Status Orange Wind & Rain Warning Issued For Tipperary, Due To Approaching Storm Debi.

Note advice to all schools hereunder.

A ‘Status Red’ wind warning has been issued for counties bordering on Co. Tipperary, as Met Éireann warn of expected extremely gusty winds tonight; courtesy of Storm Debi, and posing a potential danger to life.

According to Met Éireann, when a Status Red warning is issued; which is rare, action should be taken to protect both yourself and your property. So it might be a good idea to check your garden at this time,for items of furniture, children’s play houses, Trampolines, plastic slides etc, all easily moved by high wind gusts.

From midnight on tonight, the whole of Ireland will be placed under a ‘Status Yellow’ wind and rain warning; same remaining in place until 3:00pm tomorrow afternoon, with motorists warned of poor visibility and potentially dangerous travelling conditions.
From 2:00am tomorrow morning, a ‘Status Orange’ wind warning will come into effect for counties Tipperary, and neighbouring counties Kilkenny, Limerick, Kildare, Laois, Offaly, Clare, together with counties Carlow, Dublin, Longford, Louth, Meath, Westmeath, Wicklow, Kerry and Galway. This evening’s warnings come in the wake of the devastation caused by preceding storms, e.g. Babet and Ciaran.

The first ‘Status Red’ wind warning will come into place at approximately 3:00am tomorrow morning, Monday, and will impact, in particular, counties Clare, Galway, and south Roscommon, remaining in place until 5:00am, before impacting counties Offaly and Westmeath.

Met Éireann warn that ‘Storm Debi’ could potentially cause damage to exposed and vulnerable structures, while causing disruption to services and transport, with significant power outages, including localised flooding, hail, hazardous travelling conditions, and fallen trees and branches.

From midnight tonight, the whole of Ireland will be placed under a ‘Status Yellow’ wind and rain warning remaining in place until 3:00pm tomorrow afternoon, with motorists warned of poor visibility and potentially dangerous travelling conditions.

Note according to RTE: All schools and pre-schools in 19 counties affected by Status Red and Status Orange warnings are being asked to remain closed until 10:00am tomorrow morning.
[Advice from Keith Leonard, National Director of Fire and Emergency Management.]

WARNING – Thurles Cyclists Beware.

Pictures hereunder currently show the present state of just a two meter (6.56ft) stretch of roadscape in Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

State of roadscape currently on Friar Street in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, latter a town with two Dail Éireann politicians both currently in residence, who have their constituency offices less than 500 meters from the above.
*Pic: G. Willoughby.*

The craters have developed over a period of 12 weeks, on Friar Street in the town, and can be easily located just east of Supervalu.

Cyclists in particular are warned to take great care to avoid these craters positioned close to the footpath. These craters measuring up to 15cm (6ins) deep are a particular hazard after dark, and presently force cyclists to quickly move out into often fast moving traffic, in an effort to avoid the cratered surface.

The current state of this particular streetscape, together with other areas of the town [e.g. Barry’s bridge, Kickham Street etc, etc], demonstrate a total lack of proper administration by Thurles Municipal District Council officials.

**Kickham Street, Thurles, pictured after a light rain shower.**
*Pic: G. Willoughby.*

Perhaps, this would be an opportune time for Mr Jackie Cahill TD and Mr Michael Lowry TD to invite Minister for Transport, Mr Eamon Ryan TD to visit a now forgotten Thurles. Emphasize and ensure that he brings his bicycle and pedals around the town.
Other benefits would be that the latter TD’s could have their pictures taken, together with local Town Councillors.

Nightmare On Croke Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

We have seen, or at the very least heard of ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’, the 1984 American supernatural slasher film; the plot of which concerns a group of teenagers who are targeted by Freddy Krueger, latter an undead former child killer, who can murder people through their dreams; as retribution against their parents, who burned him alive.

Well our picture above shows ‘Crater on Croke Street’ which today measured 71.12cm (28ins) across at its widest, and 12.7cm (5ins) at its deepest, and which can be found at the junction of Croke Gardens and Croke Street.
The hole, which has grown considerably larger since first observed, has the ability to slash tyres, or break the axle of a vehicles. [Compare its size to the now defunct small Uisce manhole cover.]

So do take care when driving in this area, as local Thurles Municipal Council officials seem to have become entirely unforthcoming with their shovel of cold tarmac and also with regard to their responsibility as highly paid administrators.

Thurles Tourism promoters take note: I bet you won’t see one of these beauties outside Leinster House on Kildare St, Dublin 2.

Attention Local Councillors: Time to chat-up the Minister for Transport as promised at recent talk shop.

Yet Another Road Fatality In Co. Tipperary.

A man, believed to be aged in his 50s, has sadly lost his life today, following his vehicle coming into collision with a truck in north Co. Tipperary.

The crash occurred just after mid-day, today on the N62, at Whitefields, Templemore.

The male truck driver, also understood to be a man in his 50s, was thankfully uninjured, while the deceased man was the sole occupant of the other vehicle when it collided.

A technical examination of the accident scene, by forensic collision investigators, is scheduled for tomorrow morning.

Gardaí in Thurles, Co. Tipperary are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the collision to contact them [TEL: 0504-25100]. They are anxious to speak to any road users who were travelling on the N62, between 11:45 and 12:30pm and who may have dash-cam or other footage and information, to make same available to Thurles Gardaí, citing reference: PR20554/2023.

The above sad news comes following confirmation of a further five deaths, in separate crashes on Irish roads, since Friday evening last, bringing the overall death total to 150 deaths on Irish roads, so far this year.

Motorists Beware When Travelling On Mill Road Thurles.

Motorists travelling south on the narrow Mill Road out of Thurles town, are being warned to take exceptional care.

Not one but two major potholes have developed, just some 10 metres apart close to the bridge at Brady’s Mill.
One large pothole has developed over the past two months; while the second one has been developing since January 12th 2022, latter last featured in our ‘Spot the Pothole Competition’, which featured on April 20th, 2023 last.

Yes, Thurles is now, without doubt, the most neglected town in Co. Tipperary, which begs the question why are we continuing to pay road tax and property tax.

There has been no effort to repair either of these wide deep craters, pictured above, but then locals are fully aware and have become used to the total neglect by (1) Thurles Co. Council and (2) Transport Infrastructure Ireland, of road surfaces and drains here in Thurles.

With massive delays in traffic entering Thurles town centre; Mill Road, Thurles has now become a popular alternative route for heavy traffic and machinery, same attempting to gain faster access to the town centre.
The vast majority of this traffic can be found breaking existing speed limits currently in place.