We joked about it first on September 17th, 2018. Now 2 years and almost 5 months later, it has finally happened. Heavy vehicles, in the coming days, can soon hopefully travel without obstruction or other hinderance; same caused by the stupidity of Council road engineers.
Road junction structure first introduced in September 2018, at the junction of Clongour Road and Slievenamon Road.
But just how much of taxpayers money has been wasted by these same Tipperary County Council officials, led by Tipperary Chief Executive Mr Joe MacGrath and Mr Marcus O’Connor (Director of Services Roads, Transportation, Infrastructure).
Same junction at Clongour Road and Slievenamon Road being properly realigned today, February 22nd, 2021, but at what cost to Thurles taxpayers?
Perhaps latter named gentlemen would like to inform our paid, elected, public representatives at the next online meeting of Council reps, or perhaps Mr Jackie Cahill or Mr Michael Lowry could find out through a freedom of information request, while condemning the wanton waste.
Meanwhile, the waste continues within the town, as a ‘not fit for purpose Thurles Chamber of Commerce’ also remains in hiding, incapable of supporting Thurles business interests.
We here at Thurles.Info always give credit where credit is justified.
To this end we have sought nominations for Thurles Municipal District Councillors Mr Sean Ryan(Fianna Fáil) and Mr Jim Ryan(Independent) to be considered for the Kluge Prize, which recognizes the highest level of achievement and impact on public affairs, and today is considered one of the nation’s most prestigious awards.
According to my copy of the Tipperary Star Newspaper, both men demonstrated what was observed by a reporter as demonstrating unreasonable or foolhardy contempt for danger, by verbally speaking out, accusing Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) of neglect in relation to investment and an overall failed responsibility for roads, here in our rapidly deteriorating Thurles town.
Their remarks were addressed through Mr Marcus O’Connor, (Director of Services Roads, Transportation, Infrastructure), who appears to have taken on the role of Chief Executive (CE) within Tipperary Co. Council, in an as yet unpublished Coup d’état, dislodging the reigning Chief Executive Mr Joe MacGrath.
Mr Marcus O’Connor of course felt that it was not right to be criticizing Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) at this time, because quote “they are playing their part”.
Evidence of failed ability either by Mr Marcus O’Connor himself or TII however is evidenced in the video hereunder.
The video above shows again the same repair work being carried out every 3 days, using cold tarmac; while wasting taxpayers money, through the use of necessary machinery, inferior materials and man hours.
Further along Cabragh Road heading out, towards the stronghold of Mr Michael Lowry TD; run-off areas designed to remove water off the road surface are blocked. Outside Cabragh Business Park the footpath, for at least the past 10 years, has remained 10 centimeters (4 inches) below the actual road surface itself, gathering muck and troughs of water, rendering it useless to pedestrians.
Further wasted Money. In the past few weeks a new tributary of the river Suir has emerged to flow on the Mill Road, flooding out through the gates and through the walls of residential gardens.
Believing that a pipe had burst, immediately Irish Water were summoned. Tests were done, showed no presence of Chlorine. Thus this water was deemed to be a “newly developed underground spring”.
Today this new river Suir tributary continues to flow along the surface of Mill Road, passing residential houses, local businesses and forcing oncoming pedestrians to use the wrong side of the road.
A few hundred metres further up, on higher ground, the new half completed housing estate is flooding our ‘Double Ditch’ (near to its centre) as the estate builder, now in lockdown, is allowed to drain this land, latter a flood plain of a choked River Suir.
This drain, ripped out by Tipperary Council contractors some years ago, for the first time in its history, now contains thousands of gallons of contaminated water, 1.3 Metres deep (Over 4ft), carrying clay, sand, and what appears to be an oily paint-like substance.
This created trench ripped out at the side of the Great Famine Double Ditch by these Tipperary Council contractors, has no proper drainage pipes connecting it to the river thus allowing this contaminated water to pass through the Double Ditch into the adjoining fields on the other side.
One must ask is this the same water causing this new fast flowing Suir river tributary to appear at a lower level in the Mill Road gardens.
Meanwhile, our video clearly demonstrates the complete failure by Mr Marcus O’Connor and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in serving the needs of Thurles town.
Perhaps Mr Marcus O’Connor might like to get up from his office desk and visit the streets of Thurles and surrounding roads, to experience at first hand the failures now being tolerated by the people of Thurles.
Well as you know, Councillor Jim Ryan claims he had it eventually repaired on Monday February 8th 2021.
Yes, actually it was repaired. Then three days later, February 11th2021, same having been filled with a few shovels of cold tarmac, (view the result hereunder). Could this 3 day repair be rightly headlined “Money Wasting”?
Junction of Mill Road and N62 west of the Archerstown Industrial Estate and south of Thurles Golf Club.Photo: G. Willoughby.
Meanwhile, attention all Councillors, one other little job that needs doing, (sure anytime before Xmas 2024, no rush!)
Trying to save on cement. Photo: G. Willoughby
While your electorate fully understand that you must neglect salaried council work, due to extreme pressure from your main occupations, e.g., teaching online, furniture sales, refrigeration repairs, accountancy, refuse collection, Facebook updating and God knows what else, etc. etc.; please see image above, captured near Thurles Cattle Mart, Cabragh Road, Thurles.
This heavy kerb collapse came about on February 12th last, following the snowfall.
[No laughing please, this is not a laughing matter.]
What you have read is a statement sent to Tipperarylive.ie. with the keyword or hashtag ‘potholes‘.
Everyone knows that Tipperarylive.ie do not fill potholes, so we must assume that Councillor Mr Jim Ryan in his statement, was in contact with them, simply to build his dwindling profile as a public representative.
In this statement Councillor Mr Jim Ryan congratulates, quote, “our local District Engineer and his outdoor team for all that they have done within the district and they are fully aware of these roads and have been filling in potholes, but the problem is that these works are getting washed away with heavy rain.”[No mention of the ‘Double Ditch’ issue, latter situated 2 minute walking time from Mr Ryan’s home; to Tipperarylive.ie.]
Truth is “local District Engineer and his outdoor team” do not know how to fill a pothole. Too much cold tarmac sitting above in their yard.
No Sir, Councillor Mr Jim Ryan; these slovenly works are being unravelled by heavy traffic e.g. large tractors wheels, heavy laden cattle trucks, eighteen wheeler container trucks, not to mention inadequate drainage; before this ‘maintenance team’ reaches the next pothole.
Reported by : George Willoughby(Not a local councillor [MDCC]).
Attention Tipperary County / Municipal District Councillors – Please Take Special Note.
Councillers, I am aware that you have received very little training during this COVID-19 pandemic, (except on how to fill-in claims for salary and expenses). So carefully try to learn, the correct way to report Pot Hole issues, Broken Pavements, Street Lighting, Fly Tipping, Rotten Trees, Weeds, and unacceptableRoad Surfaces.
The beauty of this link is that you must supply your name and email address, thus automatically giving you a God-like profile in time for the next local election, when you continuously report an issue.
If the issue has already been reported then they will inform you. The race is on — first to report the issue and get your profile promoted. [See picture above, look who stole the fame, renown and prestige resulting from this great achievement.] and I won’t need to go running to TippFM or Tipperarylive.ie, since none of the latter undertake any road repairs, whatsoever.
Should any County / Municipal District Councillor need help operating the programming on FixMyStreet , we here at Thurles.Info will be happy to assist (for a small Fee of course).
We also reported the “Crater at Turtulla Cross”, latter which has been ignored for seven weeks, by “local District Engineer and his outdoor team“.
Report confirmation again received by : George Willoughby
I should point out that any frustraited motorist can contact the site FixMyStreet to report an issue. This also helps when you are seeking compensation for damage to their vehicle or a death caused due to neglected road works. Tipperary Co. Council or TII can no longer use the excuse in court, “We were not aware of the problem”, since the MYGOV website FixMyStreet notify the relative authority immediately and also notify the person making the complaint of any future progress.
Who needs money wasting, powerless, County / Municipal District Councillors in the 21st century? We can do their work and eradicate Local Property Tax charges.
Today’s work being carried out on Liberty Square was initially the brainchild of visionary Mr Tomas (Tom) Barry, latter former Thurles Town Manager.
Back in 2002, following discussions with his Council Administrative Staff including Mr Michael Ryan, (latter then holding the post of Town Clerk), Mr Barry decided to promote a proposal to Thurles District Councillors [Today’s paid elected Municipal District Councillors], to increase the town’s overall ‘Commercial Rates’ by 25%, in the upcoming 2003 Budget estimates, bringing it into line with other Irish towns of a similar size.
His forward looking plan was that some 15% of this 25% increase would be immediately ‘ring fenced,’ to meet local contributions required for a possible number of future Capital Projects within the town. It was anticipated back then that this 15% would yield some €200,000.00 per annum.
Barry’s 2002 Vision for the Future of Thurles.
Liberty Square, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Photo January 2021, George Willoughby.
Mr Tom Barry, in his five point visionary plan to drag Thurles town into the 21st century and into line with other Irish towns of similar size, unveiled the following projects as listed hereunder:- (1). Thurles Town Centre Enhancement. (2). A Regional Arts Centre. ✓. (3). A Leisure Centre. ✓. (4). Thurles Town Park ✓ and a River Walk. (5). Upgrading / Extension to Thurles Council Offices, ✓, (Latter then grossly overcrowded and unfit for day to day business transactions.) In relation to the Town centre Enhancement Scheme, he stated that such would dramatically augment an overall appearance of Thurles town centre.
Having shared his vision with Town Councillors, Mr Barry’s proposals were considered 19 years ago, at the 2003 Budget Meeting, latter which was held on Thursday, December 19th 2002. This aforementioned Budget meeting, which called for the introduction of this 25% Commercial Rates increase, was formally adopted by Thurles Council, by a 5 votes majority, with two other councillors unavoidably absent from that meeting.
One of those councillors who voted ‘Against’ Mr Tom Barry’s future vision for Thurles, was current day, Thurles Municipal Councillor, Mr Jim Ryan. Nevertheless, despite Councillor Jim Ryan’s objections, Thurles, within the next 16 years could rightly boast a new Regional Arts Centre, a new Library, a new Leisure Centre, an Extension to Thurles Council Offices and a new Thurles Town Park, courtesy of Thurles Commercial Rate payers.
All that is missing from Mr Barry’s vision today, is a properly maintained River Walk and the full completion of the enhancement to the Thurles Town Centre, latter now currently well advanced.
Alas, those were the days when rate payer’s money was carefully minded; local councils had employees; streets were kept clean and potholes were filled.
Note: All of these facts, above stated, are contained in Thurles Town Council Minutes, requested by me in the past, for my own perusal and available on request by the public for little charge.
Today, February 2nd, 2021; as part of the current upgrade to Liberty Square, it appears that sewer pipes are being installed.
It is therefore interesting to note that not one single politician or Municipal District councillor was present at a meeting in Thurles on Friday November 13th 1846, when the first ever sewage system was installed.
Present were the administrators of varying churches; Rev. Dr. Henry Cotton (Chairperson), Rev. Mr Laffan, Rev. Dr. O’Connor, Rev. Mr Barron. Rev. P Leahy, Rev. Mr Baker, Mr Francis O’Brien Esq. (Latter Justice of the Peace) and our old friend now well introduced to present day unproductive Municipal District councillors and useless politicians, yes, Dr. Robert Charles Knaggs, who had urgently instigated the building of a “Double Ditch”, thus placing food into the mouths of those close to starvation and death.
At this meeting in 1846, which began promptly at 3:00pm in today’s Ulster Bank building on Liberty Square, (then the home of the said Dr. Robert Charles Knaggs), details of the number of paupers then in the Poor House (former site of today’s Hospital of the Assumption) were recorded by the acting secretary, yes the same Dr. Robert Charles Knaggs.
“The original Poor House built in 1840, to accommodate 700 persons, had contained within it, “84 men, 184 women, 414 children — in all a total of 682 homeless, destitute persons.“
Being a medical doctor, Dr. Robert Knaggs was well aware of problems linked to a severe lack of hygiene. There were within the town of Thurles no sewers, people merely emptied their defecation into the nearest three cornered ‘shit well’, latter located, staggered in the various back lanes within the town. Contents of same wells would be removed weekly by an operating ‘Honey Waggon’(Horse drawn covered wagon) to be spread on farm land as fertiliser and also, quickly recycled, by Crows, Jackdaws and other bird life.
“Having discussed and resolved that 20 barrels of wheat should be purchased in the local market the following day, to be ground into meal, for distribution to those starving. Meal tickets (the 2nd only provision of such in Thurles) were issued on that same day, numbered as follows:- Stradavoher 601 to 700, Garryvicleheen (Abbey Rd. Area) 701 to 800, Pudding Lane (O’Donovan Rossa Street) 801 to 900, Quarry Street (Mitchel Street) 901 to 1000, Pike Street (Kickham Street) 1001 to 1100 and Main Street (today’s Liberty Square & Cathedral Street combined) 1101 to 1120.”
However, before the meeting concluded and adjourned to 3:00pm on the following Monday, the acting secretary Dr. Robert Charles Knaggs suggested that a large number of unemployed men could be employed on making the first sewers through the town, if there was a quarry made available. Chairperson Rev. Dr. Henry Cotton offers the use of a quarry situated on his land.
In less than 3 weeks, by November 30th 1846, plans had been drawn up as follows: –
To construct 42 perches (231yds/211.2m) of sewers from Rich’d Ryan’s to the Derheen, costed at £84.
To construct 96 perches (528yds/482.8m) of sewers from Danl Dwyer’s to the bridge, costed at £192
To construct 66 perches (363yds/331.9m) of sewers from Butler’s Gate to James Maher’s Yard, costed at £132.
To construct 9 perches (49.9yds/44.8m) of sewers from the Barracks (Opposite todays Premier Hall) to the Main Street, costed at £185.
To construct 66 perches(363yds/331.9 m) of covered drain or sewer from the bridge to the turn of the Mall with a tunnel under the river, and open a drain from the bridge in Thurles to Byrne’s Mill with a tunnel under the Drish River to carry up the levels for the drains of the town, costed at £800.
Total for this complete work, on wages of 8p per day, was estimated at costing £1,226.
A section of the sewer built in Thurles in 1846, during the Great Famine. Pictured in 1995, note the neat hand cut stone positioned on either side of the drain, lead lined and hidden by the water a flat 2.5in slate bottom. These sewers were so well built that many years later, they were used to accommodate modern day sewage pipes, by Thurles town council.
Additional works had also been approved of earlier for the Thurles area, on Thursday November 26th 1846, by the then Board of Works, consisting of the following, using available labour: –
Construct 400 perches (2,200yds / 2011.6m) of the road from Thurles to Urlingford between Lisduff and the Fort on the Widow Keogh’s farm at Rahealty, costed at £150.00.
To lower and remake two footpaths one from the corner of Pierce McLoughlin’s Delph shop(Today’s AIB Bank building, Liberty Square) to the Thurles Court House pier, being 22½ perches (123.75yds/113.16m) and the other from John Finn’s Hardware shop corner (Todays Carphone Warehouse, Liberty Square), back to the Police Barracks on the other side, (Opposite todays Premier Hall), being 19 perches (104.5yds/104.7m) costed at £10-7-6.
To repair 600 perches (3,300yds/3,017.5m) of the road from Athlumon Ford to Godfrey’s Mills costed at £80.00.
To repair 200 perches (1,100yds/1005.8m) of the road from Patrick Lahey’s gate at Kilrush to the Widow Shea’s house, Burris Road.
“Following a meeting held on December 4th 1846 the committee confirmed that 740 persons were in the Thurles Work House, as already stated, latter built only to accommodate 700 souls.”
By Tuesday, February 9th 1847 (Black 47), 1,991 persons were now employed, receiving wages from mostly local funding, at the above works listed hereunder: –
At Ballygammane – 84 employed persons, Pierstown Road – 56 persons, Seskin – 59 persons, cutting stone at the Stone Depot – 535 persons, at Drish Hill – 40 persons, at Rossestown Hill – 100 persons, working on Thurles Sewers – 163 persons, doing ‘Pathing’ – 225 persons, working on Embankment – 116 persons, on Kilrush Road – 47 persons, on the Widow Shea’s Road – 41 persons, on Turtulla Towpath – 82 persons, on Garrenrow Road - 100 persons, in Rahealty and Lisduff - 35 persons.
The then Member of Parliament (MP) for Tipperary, Mr Nicholas V Maher Esq. (Repeal Association MP and a member of the all-male, liberal Reform Club founded in 1836), subscribed £50 to the project. The absent then owner / landlord of Thurles, Viscount de Chabot, (Louis William de Rohan) also subscribed £50 and his son Count de Jarnac (Philippe-Ferdinand-Auguste de Rohan-Chabot). subscribed £10.
Their subscriptions compared dismally with the generosity of the aforementioned committee member present at the meeting, Mr Francis O’Brien Esq. JP (Justice of the Peace), who subscribed £30, and Rev. Dr. Michael Slattery, Archbishop of Cashel & Emly who subscribed £50.
This is the Dr. Robert Charles Knaggs, whom Tipperary Co. Council officials, together with Thurles Municipal District Councillors and our ever “Welcoming”,“Paste & Copy pictures of myself standing beside achievers to Facebook “ local elected politicians, through their ignorance, over the past 12 months, have stupidly decided to erase from our rich Thurles history.
One wonders if the “Double Ditch” got a mention in the first draft of the Renewal Strategy report presented to Thurles Councillors and their silent senior officials, on Monday, January 18th, 2021.
Thurles People can now surely understand fully, the phrase, “Eaten bread is soon forgotten”.
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