Archives

Future Death Inevitable If Neglect Of Mill Road, Thurles Continues.

The pictures hereunder show the state of neglect of Thurles by Tipperary Co. Council, as was observed on Tuesday last, along less than a 40 kilometre (¼ ml) stretch of the Mill Road, here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

The first picture, hereunder, demonstrates what is left of repairs undertaken by Tipperary Co. Council only a few weeks ago. Here over the past 4 years it has become obvious that this Mill Road surface is slowly sinking into the River Drish.

Mill Road sinking into the River Drish.
Pic: G. Willoughby.

Since the half upgrading of Liberty Square, (For the benefit of non residents, latter is situated in the town centre), a considerable volume of traffic including heavy duty vehicles, now veer off to use this route to avoid inevitable delays, now an everyday occurrence, when attempting to enter into the town centre.

Most traffic travelling on the Mill Road route do so in breach of existing speed limits, resulting in some 3 single vehicle collisions in as many months.
Evidence of this can be viewed, hereunder, in picture number two, where a motor vehicle has, in recent days, been removed, having collided with a signpost, leaving crash debris scattered nearby.

Evidence of one of 3 single vehicle collisions, which occurred in recent months on the Mill Road, Thurles.
Pic: G. Willoughby.

On Tuesday morning last many areas of the town were flooded, (see picture three hereunder), mainly due to the failure by Thurles Municipal Council to provide staff to clean out drains; not only in our streets, but also on this same Mill Road area.

Cathedral Street Floods again due to water flowing past clogged drains from top of Kickham Street to Barry’s Bridge area, before crossing into the area east of ‘The Source building.
Pic: G. Willoughby.

On the Mill Road, picture four shows the road flooded at the narrow bridge which crosses the River Breagagh. This flooded area sits just 4 meters (15 ft) from the river ‘s edge which is not, itself in anyway flooded, and for the past 3 years Tipperary Co. Council has failed to dig a small trench, to allow the flood water escape into the river.
This stretch of roadway now prevents all use to school going students and other pedestrians, unless those who are wearing wellingtons.

Mill Road junction flooded just just 4 meters (15 ft) from the River Breagagh.

Soon this road surface will disintegrate, resulting in yet another resurfacing project and the continued wasting of public money, by Tipperary Co. Council.

Facebooktwitterlinkedinmail

Waste By Tipperary Co. Council Officials Continues.

Three men arrived on Kickham Street, Thurles on Monday January 9th last, their target to fill craters caused by one miserable shower of rain. It was the second visit by Co. Council employees to the street in just 15 days.
On Monday last they came armed with a new piece of machinery, namely a pickaxe.
I fool you not, the purpose of the pickaxe was to try out a new modern engineering technique, same never before used on a busy 3 year old disintegrating road surface.

Filling the potholes on Kickham Street, Thurles, for the second time in 15 days.

The technique involved on Monday last was to make the existing road craters deeper, using the new pickaxe to loosen the area lying below the non existing road surface, before filling the craters, once again, with cold tarmac.

Our forensic team here at Thurles.Info have spent two days debating the logic behind this new technique being used by the gentleman featured in the centre of the picture above.

Questions being asked include:-

  1. Is this technique being used to allow the vast puddles of rain water, permanently lodged in these craters, to escape into the hard stony subsoil?
  2. Was the pickaxe operator working under the instruction of Ms S. Scully (Thurles District Administrator) or Mr Tomas Duffy (District Engineer) or Mr M. O’Connor (Director of Services Roads and Transportation), or maybe Mr J. MacGrath (CE Tipperary Co. Council) or indeed all of the afore named?
  3. Some of our forensic team are of the opinion that it may have been a gold digging operation. [Remember the lyrics of the song “Mountains of Mourne”, They don’t sow potatoes nor barley nor wheat, but there’s gangs of them diggin’ for gold in the street”.
  4. Where is Tipperary County Council’s new Velocity Patcher equipment, purchased in November 2023? I am sure I read somewhere under a photo of Mr MacGrath (Chief Executive of Tipperary County Council) stating: “Our continuous advancement towards modernising our works programme delivery is greatly benefited by the purchase of these new vehicles over the past three years”.

These Velocity Patcher machines certainly haven’t been engaged in physical activity on Kickham Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, latter the now forgotten rural Tipperary town, boasting two resident TD’s, both supporting the present Irish government.

Facebooktwitterlinkedinmail

Thurles New Street Sweeper Machine Needs Better Brushes.

Early this morning two road sweepers made an appearence on Kickham Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

The big road sweeper machine passed up and down the street at least 3 times, same gathering up the gravel it failed to suck up on Friday last.

New street sweeper machine continues to be operated, while unable to suck up filth and dirt. The waste of taxpayer’s money, by Tipp. Co. Co. continues without any reduction in intensity or strength.
Pic: G. Willoughby 29th January 2024.

The small road sweeper machine with the worn out left hand brush was taxed with sweeping the footpaths; in an attempt to remove the gravel flung at the fronts of homes of street residents and unsuspecting pedestrians, by the daily heavy traffic.

You will note that this editor didn’t use the word ‘cleaned’ in any of the above text, since this small machine only collected and left a ridge of dirt and filth behind it; same neatly piled in the centre of the footpaths. (See image shown above).

Something we have learned over the years here in Co. Tipperary is that politicians, councillors and their officials are chosen mainly by their ability to provide spin. Such silence is also displayed by our local newspapers and some local radio broadcasters; latter who are supposed to generate a certain power and remain important to our democracy, but no longer can be perceived as promoters of community responsibility.

In the interests of openness and transparency, Tipperary Co. Council senior officials have been notified.

Facebooktwitterlinkedinmail

For What Are Thurles, Co. Tipperary Residents Paying Property Tax?

Yesterday, January 22nd 2024, the road sweeper unit made several passes up and down on Kickham Street, east of Thurles Town centre, Co. Tipperary.
Their purpose for the crew’s occupancy, was not to collect litter or debris relating to ‘Storm Isha’, but rather to suck up loose gravel, generated by the cold tarmacadam that had been brought into play, to fill giant craters just 14 days before.

Street sweeper unit gathering gravel on Kickham St. Thurles.
Pic: G. Willoughby. Mid-morning January 22nd 2024.

Thankfully, the cold spell experienced over the past two weeks had held this tarmac together, now that the rainy season has arrived, as we have experienced since Saturday last; unprecedented heavy traffic and heavy rain has, as expected, loosened the cold tarmacadam, resulting in the road surface becoming one long gravel driveway. (See image hereunder).

Gravel on Kickham Street, Thurles, before the Road Sweeper Unit arrived; brought to my attention by stones striking the toughened glass on my front window, latter broken by flying surface gravel, sometime previously.
Pic: G. Willoughby. Early Morning of January 22nd 2024.

Yesterday’s road sweeping exercise resulted in a two man operation. One driving the sweeper unit, while another employee attempted to keep pace, slightly to the fore, using a leaf blower to drive loose gravel from pavements; slung their by the wheels of vehicles and aimed at unsuspecting pedestrians.

Mr Joe MacGrath (Chief Executive Tipperary Co. Council), was busy yesterday, rubbing shoulders and having his picture taken with Fianna Fáil’s Minister Mr Darragh O’Brien and Tipperary Fianna Fáil TD Mr Jackie Cahill (Thurles); all 3 individuals attempting to boost both their images and personal expenses, while officially opening a children’s playground in Newport, Co. Tipperary, which by the way, cost almost €3 million to deliver.
They were then later joined in their promotional picture by Mr Michael Lowry TD. (Thurles), who climbed in on the act, at Woodview Close, Nenagh, where Mr Darragh O’Brien officially cut the ‘Munster GAA blue ribbon’, suitably chosen, to open 10 social homes.

Meanwhile, back on Kickham Street, in forgotten Thurles, Co. Tipperary, within 4 hours after the sweeper had sucked up much of the loose gravel and departed, the last remnants of the streets cold tarmacked surface broke loose, leaving behind massive crates. (See image hereunder).

Kickham Street, Thurles yesterday afternoon, after the road sweeper unit had returned to base.
Pic: G. Willoughby. Afternoon of January 22nd 2024.

We ask the question again and again, “For what are Thurles residents paying property tax ?”
We get absolutely nothing in return, except silence or arrogance from officialdom, same disposed to exaggerate their own worth or self importance; often dished out in an overbearing manner”.

Time has now come to name the Tipperary Municipal District officials responsible.

Ms Sharon Scully (Thurles District Administrator), together with Mr Joe MacGrath (Chief Executive of Tipperary Co. Council) and Mr Marcus O’ Connor, (latter Director of Services Roads and Transportation, Active Travel, Health and Safety) have all been notified.
[We have been made aware that Mr Joe MacGrath will be away from his office until Friday next, January 26th, with limited access to his emails. To this end a communication has been forwarded to his secretary Ms Evelyn Harty, since this matter now requires urgent attention.]

Facebooktwitterlinkedinmail

Cyclists’ Touring Club – Irish Road Book Part 1 – Tipperary South 1899.

I recall the phrase, accredited to French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr in 1849, who wrote “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” – translated from the French “The more things change, the more they stay the same”, and meaning that despite apparent changes or advancements, certain fundamental aspects or patterns remain unchanged over time.

Following our history tale of two days ago, (January 9th, 2024), news that a number of Tipperary routes are to be included in a 3,500 kilometre cycle network, have been announced by the National Cycling Network (NCN).

NCN aim to link 200 towns, cities and destinations across Ireland with a safe, connected and inviting cycle network integrating with other cycle infrastructures including greenways; encouraging people away from their cars onto bicycles, for at least 4 months of each year and expect to serve 2.8 million people upon these new network completions.

Routes expected to be put in place here in Co. Tipperary, are expected to include, Clonmel to Limerick through Thurles, [The report claims that existing railways in Tipperary can be repurposed into a tourist connection between large population centres in County Tipperary through the underserved midlands region]; Cahir to Cashel and possibly Roscrea to Birr. A cycleway, same linking Limerick to Waterford could also take in Tipperary Town, Cahir, Ardfinnan, Clonmel and Carrick on Suir.

Today, here on Thurles.Info we feature the Nenagh To Thurles Route, as once set out in the 125 year old Cyclists’ Touring Club – Irish Road Book Part 1, for Tipperary South, same compiled and edited by R.T. Lang, (published in 1899).
Hopefully, the National Cycling Network (NCN), will publish and continue the practise hereunder of describing the areas passed through, in a fluent and persuasive manner, in advance of the opening any future network.

Route 153. Nenagh To Thurles.

Mls from Thurles.Places on the road.Intermediate
Milage.
Comprehensive
Milage.
General description of the road.
22-3/4Nenagh Post Office…..—–From the post office turn to the left into Barrack Street and then straight on up same and over the railway bridge by an indifferent level road to Kilkeary cross-roads.
22-1/2Railway Bridge. 1/4
22-1/4Union Workhouse.1/4
21-3/4Tyone Bridge.1/2
19Kilkeary Cross-roads.2-3/4Here keep straight on leaving the R.I.C. Barrack on the rightand a direct forward road, with better surface, to Borrisoleigh.
16-1/4Carrick Wood.2-3/4
12-1/4Curraghbaba Cross-roads.4Almost level road, but with a few slight rises and falls to Curraghbaba Cross.
9Ballyroan Bridge.3-1/4For the last 2-1/2m the road winds down the valley of the Cromoge River.
8-1/4Borrisoleigh.3/414-1/2Entering the village, pass the Church (on right) and keep straight forward on a winding but obvious road past ‘The Rag’ public house.
6-3/4Rathmoy House.1-1/2
5-1/4Inch House.1-1/2
4-3/4The Rag, Public House.1/2
1-1/2Kilyon Graveyard*.3-1/4300 yds further bear to the left at a fork, then straight on to Kilyon*, where ascending the hill bear to the left, before reaching the graveyard and then to the right at same, then forward and over the railway bridge (Great Southern and Western Railway) into Thurles.
1/2Union Workhouse.1Entering Thurles by New Street* to the Square
1/4Railway Bridge (G.S.& W Railway).1/4
Thurles Square.1/422-3/4With the exception of the short easy hill, at Kilyon*, a practically level road, with good surface.

Nenagh To Thurles Reverse, – Leaving Thurles Square by New Street *, pass over the railway bridge and at the workhouse turn to the left. At Kilyon* graveyard bear to the left again and 100 yards further, just as the road slopes downward towards the bog, keep to the right, and thence forward through Borrisoleigh, to Ballyroan Bridge, where turn to the right, and cross same, and then forward into Nenagh. On reaching Castle Street, turn to the right, to the post office.

Note Please * Kilyon Graveyard, is known today as Killinan Graveyard. * New Street is known today as Parnell Street, following changes to the names of certain Thurles streets and lanes by Thurles Urban District Council in more recent years.

The information, above, has been passed to Green Party Minister Mr Eamon Ryan, in an effort to progress ideas and implement this network as soon as possible on behalf of Thurles towns currently non existent tourism. [eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie].

Facebooktwitterlinkedinmail