Planning « Thurles Information

Thurles Bypass Formally Included In Revised National Development Plan.

Thurles Bypass confirmed in the updated NDP today, a major step forward.

Major Step Forward as Project Enters Pre-Approval Stage Under Government’s Updated Framework.

Now classed as a priority project, it will advance through design & planning, with a push to be construction-ready by 2030.

The long-awaited Thurles Outer Bypass has been formally included in the revised National Development Plan (NDP), announced today, November 26th, 2025. The confirmation marks a significant milestone for the town of Thurles and the wider mid-Tipperary region, placing the long-discussed project back onto the national agenda and ensuring it will now advance through the required planning and design phases.

**Damage caused on a regular basis by heavy goods vehicles.**
*Pic: G. Willoughby*.

Project Confirmed Under Appendix A of the National Development Plan.
According to today’s announcement, the Thurles Bypass is listed within Appendix A of the NDP and designated to progress through the Pre-Approval / Gateway 1 stage. However, this represents only the first formal step in the Government’s project-delivery process, enabling detailed assessment, updated design work, and the preparation of a preliminary business case.
The scheme is viewed as essential to addressing long-standing congestion and safety concerns, as well as supporting the town’s commercial and residential development.

Associated Road Projects Also Advancing.
Today’s publication confirms that the Thurles Bypass will sit alongside other significant transport projects for the area, including:

Thurles Inner Relief Road.
Local realignment schemes intended to improve connectivity and traffic flow.
Additional regional investments aimed at strengthening transport infrastructure across County Tipperary.

These projects combined form an integrated approach to improving mobility, safety, and economic prospects for Thurles town and surrounding areas.

Next Steps: Planning, Design and Approvals:
While the Thurles bypass’s inclusion in the NDP does not indicate an immediate start to construction, it does secure its place within the Government’s investment programme through to 2030. The project will now move into:

Updated design and engineering work.
Preparation of statutory documents.
Preliminary business case development.
Environmental and route-corridor assessments.
Progression through further Government approval gates.

List of Strategic Regional Road Projects Scheduled to Commence Construction by 2030.

Project.	Sponsoring Agency.	Current Stage of Project Lifecycle.	Next Approval Gate.	Procurement Timeline.	Construction Timeline.	Successful Tenderer.	Cost Range.
Thurles Inner Relief Road.	Tipperary County Council	Final Business Case	AG1	Procurement by 2026	Commence by 2027	Not yet awarded	€10m- €20m
Appendix A. Thurles Bypass.	Various	Pre-AG1	AG1	?	?	?	?

See table above:
“There’s many a slip ‘twixt the cup and the lip.” King Ancaeus of Samos.

It is now important, unlike in the past, that local representatives, at all levels, emphasise their intention to push for tangible, measurable progress on this project, so that the scheme can be construction-ready by 2030.

A Long-Awaited Boost for Thurles.
The bypass is widely regarded as a crucial infrastructure project for Thurles. Heavy traffic, including a high volume of HGVs, currently passes through the town centre, particularly in Liberty Square where national routes intersect. Business groups, residents, and community organisations have repeatedly highlighted the impact on safety, air quality, congestion, and commercial activity.

Today’s confirmation is seen as the first real movement on the project in many years, following earlier plans which stalled during the economic downturn.

Thurles Businesses & Parish Alarmed At Munster Hotel Car Park Closure.

Thurles businesses and parish alarmed, as Munster Hotel car park in Thurles, faces closure, yet again, with effect from 1st December, 2025.

The decision to close the car park, situated beside the former Munster Hotel, yet again, on December 1st next, 2025, has sparked deep concern and outrage among local business owners, churchgoers, and the wider Thurles community.
What was once a lifeline for retailers, consumers, parishioners and school-bus users, east of the town is now threatened, just as the town prepares for its busiest season of the year.

**Former Munster Hotel car park threatened with closure on December 1st next, 2025.**

A Blow To Faith, Commerce and Community.
The car park’s closure will leave attendees at Thurles Cathedral, for Masses, funerals, and other important rites, struggling to find parking, creating potential hazards and serious access issues.
Small local businesses, already feeling the strain from limited footfall, now fear a catastrophic drop in trade at the worst possible time: the run-up to Christmas.
With the Thurles Market Quarter car park still closed for over a year and ‘The Source’ building car park closed for nearly three years, the looming loss of this space could be a tipping point.

**Public car parking spots on Kickham Street reallocated to school bus services**.

Shockingly, in what many see as “salt in the wound”, a number of previously public parking spots on Kickham Street, have recently been reallocated, without prior notice, to school bus services.

Ownership, Influence And Frustration:
The Munster Hotel and its adjoining car park are understood to be owned by Mr. Martin Healy, a high-profile local businessperson and a former member of the Thurles Chamber of Commerce, latter the very organisation that is tasked in promoting entrepreneurship and supporting small enterprises in the town.
The irony is not lost therefore on local small business owners: the private owner closing a facility that is absolutely vital to the community.

The car park is currently rented by Tipperary County Council, but unconfirmed reports suggest that lease negotiations have broken down, fuelling accusations of neglect and mismanagement.

A Town On The Brink:
Many in Thurles are now asking: how much more can local businesses absorb? How many more loyal customers will be lost because they simply cannot find a spot to park? And what message does this send when, at a time when the town should be rallying together, its own infrastructure fails exactly those who need it most?
The impending closure will also likely expose pedestrians and road-users to increasing risk. With school buses now allocated to street parking, and the Cathedral’s forecourt full, the potential for dangerous traffic congestion is all too real.

Businesses Call For Immediate Action:
Tipperary County Council must urgently intervene. This car park is not just a private asset; it is a public necessity.
Thurles Chamber of Commerce must reflect on its role: supporting small businesses means protecting their lifelines, not shutting them off.
Local elected representatives and stakeholders must demand a rapid, transparent solution that ensures parking is available for parishioners, shoppers, and visitors, especially during this Christmas season.

Conclusion:
This is more than a car park dispute. This is a story of a town’s heartbeat being squeezed: of faith, community, and commerce, all now under threat. With the Munster Hotel itself long derelict, the parking facility has become more than a convenience, it is a cornerstone of Thurles daily life.

Its closure cannot be allowed to be yet another casualty of short-term thinking.

Thurles Planning Alert From Tipperary County Council.

Application Ref: 2561146.
Applicant: Catherine Yeung.
Development Address: 49 Ikerrin Court , Thurles , Co. Tipperary.
Development Description: To construct an extension to the side of my dwelling with all associated siteworks.
Status: N/A.
Application Received: 12/11/2025.
Decision Date: N/A.
Further Details: http://www.eplanning.ie/TipperaryCC/AppFileRefDetails/2561146/0

Thurles MD – Water Quality Information Evening – Invite.

Ms Maggie Morrissey Reports:-

The public are warmly invited to attend a public meeting for the Upper Suir Priority Area, taking place on Tuesday, 25th November at 7:00pm in Murphy’s Pub, Main Street, Templemore, Co. Tipperary.

The event is seen as a great opportunity to come together, as a community, and talk about the health of our local rivers and streams.

We will be sharing updates on water quality in the Upper Suir catchment, discussing local challenges and opportunities, and exploring how we can work together to protect and enhance our shared water environment.

**Flooding on Emmet Street Thurles yesterday, totally due to the failure by Tipperary Council to remove sediment and weeds from the River Suir over a 15 year period**.
*Pic: G. Willoughby.*

Whether you’re a local resident, landowner, angler, farmer, business owner, or simply someone who cares about your local waterways, your input and ideas are very welcome.

This meeting is part of a wider effort to support community-led action for water and ensure that local voices are heard in decision-making.

There’ll be time for questions, discussion, and a chance to meet others who are passionate about the Upper Suir and its future.

Climate Change Advisory Council Calls For Faster Action.

Ireland has failed to achieve the targeted emission reductions during the first Carbon Budget period (2021-2025).

Instead of the maximum emissions of 295 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2eq) set out in the Carbon Budget to 2025, we will overshoot by about 10 Mt CO2eq. Whilst acknowledging progress made, the Council warns that this overshoot will need to be paid back in the next Carbon Budget period (2026-2030) making it increasingly difficult to achieve.

The biggest blockage to Ireland’s progress remains our dependence on expensive, harmful fossil fuels, which were subsidised by €4.7bn of taxpayers’ money in 2024.

Launching the final chapter of its Annual Review the Council once again, called out Transport, where emissions remain stubbornly high. Both the Government and the public can do more collectively and individually to make significant emissions reductions. The Council calls for increased expenditure on public transport ensuring efficient, reliable and timely services, increased grants for less expensive electric vehicles (EVs) and the rapid implementation of a demand management strategy to help drive down emissions in this sector.

In addition, the Council has emphasised the critical role that Local Authorities play in driving climate action at community level, especially with the establishment of flagship “decarbonisation zones” within each local authority area. These zones create momentum and deliver locally tailored solutions for households and businesses.

The Council re-emphasised the significant opportunity that Ireland has to invest in households, communities and businesses, rather than paying extremely punitive compliance costs estimated to be up to €26bn for failing to meet EU targets.

Commenting, Ms Marie Donnelly, Chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council said, “In our first Carbon Budget period, progress has undoubtedly been made in the built environment with the roll out of retrofits in our homes, the increased uptake of protected urea in agriculture and the growth in the development of renewable energy especially wind and solar, including on our houses. However, we need to redesign how we commute, heat homes, and power the economy. That means real investment in people, infrastructure, and communities, not more delay.”

“We have the opportunity and the resources to transform Ireland, both in terms of reducing emissions and preparing for future climate events. We must act now because if we don’t, we will pay the financial and societal price by losing out on secure and affordable energy, a healthier and more sustainable society, both today, and for future generations.”

Ahead of Ireland’s Presidency of the European Union, the Council has urged the Government to fully integrate all climate and energy-related EU directives into Irish law within the legally binding time limit.