Tipperary County Council: World Leaders in Revenue Collection, but still Struggling With… Roads.
Tipperary County Council has proudly confirmed that it extracted a tidy €308,112 in parking fines in 2025, proving once again that when it comes to collecting money, efficiency is not an issue.
Fixing roads, however, remains a bold and experimental concept. See in particular Emmett Street, Westgate junction, Barry’s Bridge etc. etc. here in Thurles,
Across nine towns, thousands of motorists were “caught red-handed”, — “embarrassed even”, according to local press reports, having been photographed by traffic wardens, committing the heinous crime of allowing two wheels to exist slightly outside a faded white line or failing to have their hair permed within the 15 minute permitted free time frame.
Thurles, notably, now continues to excel in two key areas:
(1) Generating revenue.
(2) Avoiding pothole repairs.
Of course, as one would expect, Clonmel led the charge with 2,469 fines, followed by Nenagh with 1,346 fines, Thurles (God help us in a town where most car parks were closed in 2025) 1,258 fines, while Carrick-on-Suir tried and failed to catch-up with a mere 1,052 fines.
A further breakdown reveals a more refined vehicle operator:
Tipperary Town: 914 fines.
Cashel: 548 fines.
Templemore: 267 fines.
Roscrea: 256 fines.
Cahir: took the wooden spoon, with a miserable 142 fines only.
Still all admirable figures, if the goal is to run a highly efficient penalty collection service, rather than maintain public infrastructure.
Motorists are charged €40 – €80 for parking offences, rising by 50% after 28 days, because nothing says “public service” like interest rates that would impress a credit card company.
Other highlights include:
♣ €60 for failing to display a tax disc.
♣ In keeping with Health & Safety, No Charge for failing to display a NCT disk.
♣ €150 for parking in a disabled space.
Meanwhile, in Thurles, the surface of Barry’s Bridge is once again disintegrating, bravely demonstrating the council’s innovative “Natural Erosion Management Strategy.”
Residents are reportedly delighted to see their contributions; over €300,000 worth, being reinvested into… somewhere; possibly sending salaried staff on St Patrick’s weekend junkets; but certainly not road surfaces.
A spokesperson, (latter who does not wish to be named), standing carefully to avoid loose flying gravel, stated: “We take great pride in maintaining strict parking enforcement, while also maintaining a flexible, evolving interpretation of the word ‘roadworthy.”
Local drivers have expressed confusion, noting that while their tyres are expected to meet exact legal standards, the road beneath them appears to be auditioning for a gravel pit.
Experts confirm that if potholes themselves could be fined, Tipperary County Council would likely be running a budget surplus.
Until then, motorists are advised to:
♦ Display their tickets correctly facing upwards.
♦ Pay promptly.
♦ Have a suspension system worthy of Dakar Rally conditions▲ when crossing Barry’s Bridge.
{▲The Dakar Rally is considered the world’s most challenging endurance motorsport event, held annually over two weeks in extreme desert conditions.}
Wonder would Tipperary Sinn Féin TDs meet and move a motion of no confidence in Tipperary Co. Council. Ops, sorry, forgot that the Tipperary electorate failed to elect Sinn Féin TD’s, last election. I wonder why?
Yes, here in Tipperary, the fines are fixed – but the roads are anything but.
Leave a Reply