Irish Phrase Of The Day "Dia duit" - God to you.
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 A satisfactory roads network is essential for the efficient operation of any successful economy, particularly in rural Ireland. Our roads are also an essential communication link in supporting community development and facilitating, in particular, movement in rural areas, thus fostering social inclusion.
To this end, news that funding of over €10 million has just been announced for the upgrading, repair and development of some roads here in North Tipperary, is welcomed, but not before time.
An estimated €425,000 is expected to go towards the patching up of sections of the R503 which runs east-west from Thurles, County Tipperary to the N7 west of Limerick City. These long overdue repairs are said to take place targeting, in particular, surfaces around the villages of Rearcross and Newport. Another much needed €250,000 is targeted to provide resurfacing on the Portroe/Ballina road.
Work is also expected to be carried out on the Bridge at Templeree (€85,000) on the Templemore to Templetouhy road, while Rossestown Cross, Fogarty’s Junction in Clonmore and the Ragg Road, Templemore, are also targeted for repairs and upgrade.
Nenagh and Thurles Town Councils will each receive approximately €195,000 while Templemore Town Council will get €139,000 in funding for pre-approved schemes.
North Tipperary County Council will also receive €1.507,000 for use in funding other discretionary grant aid.
Expect the “Welcoming,” public relations, press releases from North Tipperary Politicians, claiming responsibility and credit, to begin appearing, just as soon as they find out.
 The Thurles to Holycross Road has now reopened following a serious collision at about 6.40pm yesterday evening.
A technical examination of the scene on the R661 Thurles road at Beakstown was completed by police this morning
Two people are understood to remain in intensive care following last night’s three car collision.
In total five people were taken to South Tipp General Hospital, with two elderly people reported as having life-threatening injuries.
Gardai in Thurles would like to hear from anyone who was in this area at around the time of the crash.
Gardaí can be contacted at Telephone 0504 25100.
 The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar has announced €100 million worth of funding for new road safety and upgrading projects at locations across Co Tipperary in 2012.
Several North Tipperary road safety projects and upgrades are to benefit under the National Road Authority’s programme of works for 2012.
The Congar/Ballylusky realignment project is included on the NRA’s programme of works. This is a 2.2 kilometre stretch of road between Ardcroney and Borrisokane and has been a major bottleneck on the N52 and the scene of numerous crashes over the years. There is no mention of the 11 year old promised Thurles Bypass, however €500,000 has been allocated to Clare County Council to allow the Shannon Crossing Project to go to An Bord Pleanála stage.
However this latest programme of works does, at last, include the long promised repair of Turtulla Bridge, Killough Bridge, Drish River Bridge and the River Suir Bridge (Barry’s Bridge).
Engineers threatened weight restrictions recently on Barry’s Bridge, in Thurles, while Turtulla Bridge was threatened with single lane and weight restrictions, way back in 2009.
Local Authorities will be advised by the NRA, during the course of the coming days, as to the exact allocation of funding for each individual project. Work is not expected to begin until at least this Summer.
The purpose of the community website Thurles.Info, since its conception just over 3 years ago, was to highlight issues which effect our wonderful town of Thurles, its people, its businesses and environs. To record and highlight our magnificent history, our successes and our failures, but most of all to give a voice to our residents on issues which effect their everyday lives. Our success has gone beyond our wildest dreams, with close to half a million readers, world wide, having visited our site over the past 30 months.
Our aim in 2012 is to continue to pursue these aspirations, following in a similar vein and yes your voice does count, so do please comment on issues raised and let your views be aired publicly. Debate will contribute to real and positive change, for the betterment of all, here in Co Tipperary. In the words of Google today, “Geniuses are not always A grade students. We welcome all mavericks.”
What is our “Rant” today? Well most of us have had an opportunity to read our local weekly newspaper the “Tipperary Star,” and in particular, the article by journalist Sinéad Goldsboro, headed “Angry Visitor Lashes Thurles Signage.”
Well in the words of Frederick R. Barnard “One look is worth a thousand words.” These pictures were taken just yesterday and highlight / confirm that local government is just not working.
This signage has been in this totally unacceptable state, since November of last year. Each week our salaried, expenses guzzling Politicians, our Local and County Councillors drive out the Dublin road and around our town, but it would appear not one of them has any influence over the National Roads Authority (NRA).
(1) Sign to our only tourist attraction, St Mary’s Famine Museum, was destroyed by County Council workers, during work on the Cathedral Street Roundabout two years ago, and re-erected as if nothing happened, please replace.
(2) Thurles Shopping Centre is not on the Nenagh Road as is currently directed.
(3) Many signs face blank walls.
(4) Traffic lights are being removed by large vehicles or are bent. Truth is that 80% of all signs are no longer standing perpendicular due to disgraceful planning.
What you have viewed here is just a fraction of our towns neglect.
Message to our Politicians, our Local and County Councillors, Sirs, we have paid our taxes, please now provide the promised services.
 It has been officially confirmed, Thurles is between nowhere and nowhere in Ireland’s grand scheme of things, all thanks to the time wasting of those we elected to represent our interests, both presently and in the past.
I refer of course to the slow decision making process in the choosing of the preferred route for the N62 by-pass for Thurles which has now, at last, been decided. The proposed 8-kilometre by-pass was chosen by the Mid West Design team over two other options and will consist of a 100 metre-wide corridor to the east of the town stretching from Brittas to Turtulla.
This proposed single carriageway by-pass will run from Brittas through to Turtulla via Loughtagalla, the Moyne Road and the Dublin Road and will require four roundabouts and three river crossings without the demolition of any present existing structure.
This final decision will now also allow other corridors under review and situated west of the town, halted from immediate development, to revert to their previous zoning status.
Details of this plan can be viewed by the public from Tuesday next through to November 10th at Town Council offices on Slievenamon Road Thurles, the Council Civic Offices in Nenagh and at Thurles Library in the Source, Cathedral St.
We are unlikely, however, to see the usual gombeen type press releases from politicians, each claiming to have delivered on this 10 year promise. So, before local residents begin jumping for joy, believing they will no longer have to witness the daily chaos caused by HGVs maneuvering around Liberty Square from the town’s very narrow, tight side streets, there is a catch. Well a €48 million catch to be precise, so there is no immediate prospect of this by-pass ever being built in North Tipperary’s present political and financial climate.
Our only ray of sunlight, perhaps is the freeing up of hundreds of acres of land which has been effectively sterilised due to the planning process.
Ah, sure as me granny used to say “If it wasn’t for venetian blinds sure it would be curtains for us all.”
God knows, if it were raining soup, our hard pressed local Town Councillors would be out there standing, holding knives and forks. Only just back from the seaside and with local footpaths still not repaired since the tremors of our last earthquake, sure you would think they had enough problems for the weeks ahead.
But as the poet, Billy Shakespeare, once said to me “When trouble comes they come not in single spies, but in battalions,” and true to form, now our strategic escape route, Thurles road bridge, is falling down.
The bridge’s problems are visible on the north west side facing Pheasant Island, where two dressed limestone triangular cutwater supports, protecting arch supports are now about to collapse.
I do not want to panic any of our residents, but I worry that the large numbers of unemployed workers, heading out of this forgotten town to experience adventure on the emigrant trail, could find themselves marooned, until after the rainy season.
(Click on image for larger photo.)
Barry’s Bridge, in Thurles, to give it it’s true title, has provided passage over the river Suir, since it was originally built circa 1650. It remained unchanged until circa 1820, when its upper, side protection walls were partially reconstructed, removing two semi circle areas, which had provided safety to pedestrians from splashes from high speeding coaches and galloping horses. In the twentieth century both of these walls were removed and replaced by steel railings and the bridge road surface also was widened with a pedestrian footpath added on the south side.
This original 17 century bridge was constructed using a combination of rubble and dressed limestone materials, and has provided textural variation and interest, which gave scenic value to the amenity areas to the south and north. (Well it did until certain individuals placed assorted pipes and wires across its seven beautiful arches.)
Only one Thurles Councillor, so far, has asked Co Council engineers to inspect the bridge, but he states “there is no cause for panic,” however to use the famous riposte spoken by Mandy Rice-Davies, a Welsh former model and showgirl, best known for her role in the Profumo affair, “Well, he would, wouldn’t he?”
 Speed Camera Vans Judge Mary Devins dismissed two cases taken against motorists over in Castlebar, Co Mayo last week. The accused had been supposedly detected breaking speed limits by Ireland’s new speed camera van system.
The two defendants informed the court that they had never received fixed penalty notices in the post, informing them that they had been detected speeding and therefore did not pay the imposed fine.
Mr Padraic Sammon of Go Safe Ireland, latter which operates these speed camera vans, giving evidence to the court, explained that always at the end of his daily shift, he submits all the information to his headquarters, which in turn forwards this on to the Garda department located in Thurles, Co Tipperary, which then communicates a ‘Fixed Charge Penalty Notice,’ to offenders where applicable.
Judge Devins having heard the defendants excuses, informed the court: “I have no evidence that these fixed charge notices are issued, it’s putting a huge presumption on me that they are. This is a huge issue, I’m not in a position to just rubber stamp that they are.”
Gardaí are understood to have then withdrawn a third prosecution against another accused motorist, because of the judge’s ruling in the two previous cases, thus saving valuable court time.
The monetary long term value of a proposed cycle lane, to be developed as a joint project between Limerick County Council and North Tipperary County Council, along the old R445, and due to start in early October (To finish by the end of the year,) must surely and immediately be called into question by those still sane in our community.
 Dublin's rough surface cycle paths crying out for maintenance This proposed planned route will run from the Stereame Roundabout on the R445 via the Carrigatoher Junction in Birdhill, through to the Carrowkeel Junction on the east side of Limerick city and from there to the Annacotty Roundabout, immediately west of the Mulcair River.
The funding for this proposed project has been secured as part of a €4million Department of Transport plan, to create cycle lanes on our national potholed roads, and has been much criticised, even by cyclists as “Poor use of public money.”
Firstly, it seems that no past lessons have been learned by our present government and the nonsense rule of ‘Use money or lose it,’ still remains and continues to dominate the wise decision making process. Under this rule of ‘Using money or losing it,’ as is the case with this project, the usual decision is always use it, regardless of the fact that it makes no sound productive or financial sense.
Many travel groups have suggested that this money could be better spent on more worthwhile projects such as road realignments, potholes, removal of present traffic hazards or on the forgotten town pedestrian footpaths, the latter which presently cry out for repairs here in Thurles.
Many also see this €4million Department of Transport plan, recently hailed by Minister for State, Mr Alan Kelly, as the answer to unemployment in North Tipperary, as being nothing more than a ‘Lets be seen to create jobs scheme,’ that simply ignores the cyclists’ real needs for a safer interaction between motorised vehicles and bicycle riders on our public roads. While this project will create some work for those already employed, it’s benefit to the presently unemployed will be minuscule if any and certainly short lived.
Yes, cycling numbers in Dublin have increased, but are still a long way short of the previous Government’s dream targets, foreseeing 10% of trips to work by bike, being undertaken by the year 2020. Soon, more of the public purse will be spent in the Dublin area, on increased bike parking, segregated cycle lanes, lowering speed limits for motorised traffic and mandatory laws introduced, forcing employers to provide better facilities for cyclists with the introduction of showers and lockers in the work place. It is not unreasonable to foresee a road tax on bicycles now being introduced, after all who would have foreseen a tax on one of mankind’s basic human rights, I refer of course to the limed, chlorinated, Escherichia Coli ridden infected water, currently pumped to many householders in the land.
Continue reading Tipperary Cycle Lane Waste Of Taxpayers Money
 The Tipperary Senior Hurling Team Homecoming will take place at 7:30pm this evening (Monday|) in Semple Stadium.
A large crowd is expected to turn out to welcome back their heroes, who proudly represented Co. Tipperary so gallantly against our major rivals Kilkenny yesterday in Croke Park.
Despite their defeat yesterday, Tipperary people will wish to show their support to the men, who wore the ‘blue and gold,’ with such pride all year, and who gave us so much sporting enjoyment.
So if you are travelling by road, do expect some traffic disruption around the Thurles area later this evening, particularly west of the town.
A 24 year-old female driver has been killed in a road accident near Garranacool, Ballingarry South, Thurles, Co Tipperary, over last night. The driver has, as yet, not been named.
In what appears to have been a single vehicle accident, the young woman lost her life after her car, a red Toyota Starlet, left the road and overturned.
The road is currently closed pending the completion of an examination and Thurles gardaí investigating the accident believe the incident occurred sometime between midnight and the early hours of this morning. Local diversions are now in place.
Investigating Gardaí are appealing for help from any persons who may have travelled in that area, either over night or early this morning, and who may have witnessed the movements of the red Toyota Starlet.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Thurles garda station, Tel: 0504 25100, or the the Garda Confidential Line Tel: 1-800-666-111, or any Garda station.
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