Roads - Thurles Information

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.
22-3/4	Nenagh 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.
22-1/2	Railway Bridge.	1/4
22-1/4	Union Workhouse.	1/4
21-3/4	Tyone Bridge.	1/2
19	Kilkeary Cross-roads.	2-3/4		Here keep straight on leaving the R.I.C. Barrack on the rightand a direct forward road, with better surface, to Borrisoleigh.
16-1/4	Carrick Wood.	2-3/4
12-1/4	Curraghbaba Cross-roads.	4		Almost level road, but with a few slight rises and falls to Curraghbaba Cross.
9	Ballyroan Bridge.	3-1/4		For the last 2-1/2m the road winds down the valley of the Cromoge River.
8-1/4	Borrisoleigh.	3/4	14-1/2	Entering the village, pass the Church (on right) and keep straight forward on a winding but obvious road past ‘The Rag’ public house.
6-3/4	Rathmoy House.	1-1/2
5-1/4	Inch House.	1-1/2
4-3/4	The Rag, Public House.	1/2
1-1/2	Kilyon Graveyard*.	3-1/4		300 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.
1/2	Union Workhouse.	1		Entering Thurles by New Street* to the Square
1/4	Railway Bridge (G.S.& W Railway).	1/4
	Thurles Square.	1/4	22-3/4	With 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].

Warning To Those Travelling On Mill Road Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Gardaí are advising motorists tonight to exert extreme care while travelling on the roads around Co. Tipperary, as hazardous driving conditions are being reported. Motorists are being asked to please slow down.

Vehicles travelling on the Mill Road, Thurles are particularly being warned to take extreme care as surface water is presently, despite no rain over the past week, continuing to flow out through gateways, unto a large part of the road surface.

**Surface water flowing through gateways unto the Mill Road area of Thurles, Co. Tipperary**.
*Pic. G. Willoughby*

There has been a failure by Thurles Municipal District engineers over the past 2 years to clear the drains in this area.

**Total failure, by Thurles Municipal District engineers, to clear drains despite being notified** **over the past 5 years**.
*Pic. G. Willoughby*

Due to promised temperatures of at least -2 tonight; the road surface in this area, is expected to become extremely icy; with schools reopening tomorrow, large volumes of traffic will attempt to use this area in an effort to avoid the town centre, altogether.

What is causing this sudden unprecedented excess surface water on the Mill Road, over the past 2 years has as yet not been identified.

This area is a natural flood-plain for the River Suir. Such natural flood-plains are increasingly being environmentally degraded and devalued. As a result of urbanisation and infrastructural development, natural flooding can result in the land surface becoming impermeable (watertight). Thus, natural drainage of water that once was allowed to pass through the soil and its numerous layers are often undermined by the construction of housing, the erection of pavements and tarmac surfaces, resulting in surface run-off, due to a sudden rapid increase in a river’s natural discharge.
It should be noted that some 26 houses were granted planning permission and erected on the Mill Road, in the past 2 years and the contractor was allowed to exit the site, leaving all road drains compacted with muck from heavy machinery used.

**Total failure, by Thurles Municipal District engineers, to undertake proper road repairs** **and surface drainage** **on Mill Road Thurles.**
*Pic. G. Willoughby*

Attempts to have one area of this road repaired, [View Here], on December 7th, 2023, resulted in a few shovels of cold tarmac, now rapidly vanishing, and a number of trenches being dug into the ditch, as shown in picture above.

Why in God’s name, do we continue to pay ‘Property Tax’, ‘Road Tax’ and ‘high salaries’, latter to officials, when we receive such poor response when it comes to maintaining essential services. It is becoming more evident that locally elected Councillors and their officials are no longer in control of Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the service they are supposed to supply.

Some 4 days ago, January 3rd, 2024, [View Here] on Thurles.info we highlighted the shocking state of Kickham Street’s road surface. We are delighted to report that on January 4th (and thankfully before school traffic returns) most of the multitude of potholes were filled.
This work is also a very short-term safety measure, nevertheless same is to be welcomed. It is not, however, a long-term solution. Kickham Street’s full and thorough rehabilitation and resurfacing are imperative.
This stretch of road accommodates huge volumes of traffic daily. Given the absence of a ring road and the deplorable state of the Mill Road alternative, (narrow driving conditions, potholes and severe flooding), there will be no decrease in traffic on this main route entering the town, that includes Kickham Street.
Its maintenance and improvement is, therefore, a necessary priority and plans to initiate improvements should be implemented as soon as possible.

A copy of this report has been sent to senior officials; sharon.scully@tipperarycoco.ie, to joe.macgrath@tipperarycoco.ie, and marcus.oconnor@tipperarycoco.ie.

State Of Kickham Street Thurles, Over Christmas Period.

It would appear that our elected politicians; our Municipal District Councillors and our Thurles Municipal District officials no longer have the will or indeed the power, to organise the filling of a pothole in Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

**Just a section of the road surface on Kickham Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary**.

The pictures shown here demonstrate a small section of road conditions being experienced by motorists over the Christmas holiday period.
It must now be clear to our electorate the need to seek out fresh blood, come the local elections next March 2024, and the need to replace those who have demonstrated total contempt for our towns; its needs, while further demonstrating their total lack of respect and courtesy to those who elected them to highly paid posts.

**Another view of the numerous pot holes that vehicles encounter on Kickham Street, Thurles**, **latter the busiest exit and entrance into the town**.

Page 8 of Tipperary Co. Council’s Management Report to Council (VIEW pdf HERE), published in February of 2023, stated that the N75, Liberty Square to the Anner Hotel, (which includes Kickham Street, the most used road surface in Thurles), would involve the rehabilitation of approximately 1km of road pavement on the N75 National Secondary road within the town of Thurles, from its junction with Mitchel Street to the Anner Hotel; with the scheme then at a preliminary design stage. Back then it was anticipated that works would commence in Q4 of 2023. We now understand that this date has been postponed until possibly Q3 of 2024.

Provisional Review Of Road Fatality Data For Year 2023.

The Irish Road Safety Authority (RSA) has a statutory remit to report on fatal, serious and even minor injury collisions on our public roads.

According to the RSA, as of December 31st, 2023 last, there have been 173 fatal collisions, resulting in 184 fatalities.

The above figures represent 24 higher fatal collisions and 29 more deaths, latter an increase of 19% when compared to provisional data supplied by An Garda Síochána; when again compared to the year 2022, and the highest since 2014, when, sadly, there were recorded 192 fatalities.

Of the 2023 fatalities, 57% lost their lives in single vehicle collisions, while 7 of these fatal collisions resulted in more than one death; four collisions resulted in 2 fatalities; two collisions resulted in 3 fatalities; and one collision resulted in 4 fatalities.

Statistics show that almost half of all collisions occurred under the cover of darkness, despite lower traffic volumes on our roads; with some 50% occurring on weekends.

Sadly 16 persons lost their lives due to road accidents here in Co. Tipperary in 2023, latter an increase of 7 deaths on the previous year’s total.
Of these, often avoidable deaths, nationally; 78% were males and 22% were females.

Last December a meeting of Tipperary Joint Policing Committee was informed that there was a 37% increase in speeding offences detected in the first 11 months of 2023, with a total of 16,696 offences detected, when compared to 12,182, during the same period. in 2022.

Let’s all make it a new year’s resolution in 2024 to SLOW DOWN.

Truck Rearranges Street Furnishings In Half Upgraded Liberty Square, Thurles.

**Truck rearranges Liberty Square, Thurles, town Railing**

Sadly, the area was the scene of a pedestrian death on January 20th 2014. Since then the nearby railings, supposedly placed there to protect pedestrians, has since been replaced on three different occasions. Now for the fourth time, in possibly the past 36 hours, a large truck has again rearranged these same railings, at the junction of Liberty Square south and Slievenamon Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Yes, this is the Slievenamon Road, on the N62 route which is destined to be soon upgraded, by reducing its carriageway width, by widened/extending footpaths, by some 1.8m to 2.5m.

Any of you haulage contractors out there, with a truck missing a mudguard? Your driver failed to take it with him, having demolished railings, when failing to manoeuvre a left lane turn in Liberty Square Thurles. Co. Tipperary.

Peculiar, that with two currently resident Teachtaí Dála, both supporting the present government, no necessary funding has been acquired to provide a ring road for heavy traffic, thus relieving our medieval choked streetscapes.