Transport « Thurles Information

Thurles Student Jailed For Dangerous Driving Causing Death Of Friend.

Mr Sean Fitzpatrick with an address at Kilpurcell, Ballybrophy, Portlaoise, Co Laois, aged 22 year, has been jailed for 18 months, after he admitted to dangerous driving causing the death of a college friend, when they were both on a night out together, in Thurles, Co Tipperary, in March of 2023.
The accident occurred at College Green, Monakeeba, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Nenagh Circuit Criminal Court were informed that Mr Fitzpatrick had driven for more than a kilometre with the late Mr Adam Kirwan standing on the door frame, hanging out the driver’s door, with one hand on the roof of the car and the other on the open driver’s door.

Sadly Mr Kirwan, aged 20 and a former Laois minor and under-20 hurler, died when the car driven by Mr Fitzpatrick hit a kerb, after he misjudged a corner, in a single vehicle collision, less than 50 metres from their intended accommodation that fatal night, in Thurles town.

Both young men had been studying to become teachers and were attending, as students at Mary Immaculate College (Previously St Patrick’s College Seminary ), Cathedral Street, in Thurles.

Mr Fitzpatrick admitted driving with excess alcohol causing death and driving without motor insurance. Both men had been on a night out with a third college friend when they decided to move Mr Kirwan’s car from a car park in Thurles, in case the car received a parking fine, before they could retrieve it the following morning.

Both men drank pints of beer and ‘Jagerbombs’ (a shot of Jägermeister flavoured liquor, usually mixed with an energy drink), while watching a match in a local pub, before later attending a house party on the night.

Considered less intoxicated, Mr Fitzpatrick drove the car, however, his alcohol reading was found to be more than twice the acceptable drink driving limit.

Mr Kirwan clung onto the roof and the open door of the moving vehicle for the 1.3km journey (0.80mls) from the centre of Thurles to the house where they were being accommodated

Mobile video footage was played in court at the sentencing hearing, recorded by a third passenger, who sat in the rear seat of the vehicle together with Closed-Circuit Television video (CCTV) footage gathered by investigating Gardaí.

Presiding Judge Ms Catherine Staines sentenced Mr Fitzpatrick to three years in jail, with the final 18 months suspended. In sentencing the Judge stated that Mr Kirwan’s death was what resulted when people mixed drinking with dangerous driving.

Train Collides With Car At North Tipperary Level Crossing.

The 9:00am Ballybrophy to Limerick (via Nenagh) train; same carrying 16 passengers and two crew members; (the driver and a ticket checker), were on board the train, which collided with a motor vehicle on the user-operated level crossing, just west of Nenagh town at around 10:00am this morning.

It is understood that two persons were seated in the car at the time of the collision, but reports state that while they suffered from severe shock, thankfully neither were otherwise seriously injured. Passenger on board the train are also understood to have received no serious injuries.

Emergency services, including Gardaí, were alerted and attended at the scene, while later a bus was arranged to transfer train passengers to their original destinations.
The Railway Accident Investigation Unit at the Department of Transport were also notified.

Contract Delays Mid-West Helicopter Emergency Medical Service.

Co. Clare TD Mr Joe Cooney has requested that Minister for Transport, Mr Darragh O’Brien, TD, investigate why the procurement of a new operator for the Irish Coast Guard Search and Rescue (SAR) Helicopter base in Shannon has resulted in the service being unable to attend medical evacuation calls on behalf of the HSE.

Deputy Cooney said Bristow Ireland, unlike the previous operator CHC Ireland, is currently not licensed to take stretchers onboard, if responding to an emergency medical support call-out, due to Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) regulatory approvals not being met.

The Clare TD, while acknowledging that the Department has confirmed that full resumption of the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service is anticipated; expresses his concern that a vital component of the service previously provided by CHC Ireland, was not prioritised during the procurement process.

Deputy Cooney has also asked for clarity on why Bristow Ireland only assumed full 24-hour cover at Shannon on April 1st, almost 5 months after it commenced operating from 8:00am to 8:00pm at Shannon, suggesting that the terms of the new contract were not adhered to.

Deputy Cooney stated, “The Department of Transport faces serious questions about its procurement process and the resulting gap in emergency medical response coverage from the Shannon base,” he explained. “Given the well documented delays in ambulance cover for much of the mid-west region, and the reliance on and importance of the helicopter to provide the necessary emergency medical cover, the concerns expressed to me by constituents have revolved around the impact this issue might have had for those in need of such a critical service.”

Deputy Cooney continued, “At present, Shannon is the only one of the four bases operating under the new contract. Bristow Ireland is scheduled to commence operations at Dublin Weston on 1 July 2025, Sligo on 16 December 2025, and Waterford on 1 February 2026. The absurdity of the situation is underscored by the fact that, due to the failure to meet the 30th of June deadline for Bristow Ireland’s commencement at Dublin, Waterford and Sligo, CHC Ireland is still responding to medical evacuation calls on behalf of the HSE from these bases.”

Deputy Cooney also pointed out that Bristow Ireland, has yet to move into its own hangars at its base in Shannon and is currently sharing a hangar with an aircraft maintenance company.

“I have spoken with the Department and will be asking the Minister to review the procurement process,” he stated. “Clearly a vital piece of the service was omitted from the tendering process, an acknowledgement of these shortcomings is important in identifying the lessons that need to be learned here.”

In a written response to his Parliamentary Question, issued this week to Deputy Cooney, the Department of Transport stated, “On April 8th 2025, Bristow Ireland was notified by Irish Aviation Authority that the stretcher arrangement in use required modification to meet Helicopter Emergency Medical Support (HEMS) regulatory approvals. This decision does not apply to Helicopter Search and Rescue Operations and only applies to the Shannon base. The Coast Guard continues to provide nationwide HEMS support to the National Ambulance Service from its bases at Sligo, Waterford and Dublin. My department has been notified by Bristow Helicopters that it will shortly have a revised solution in place and anticipates full resumption of HEMS, shortly thereafter. It is important to note that this review has no impact on provision of day and night aeromedical support to the offshore island communities, from any of the four bases.”

2,800 Drivers In Ireland Detected Speeding Over Easter Weekend.

Over the 2025 Easter bank holiday weekend, a Garda roads policing operation was put in place countrywide, between 7:00am on Thursday last, April 17th last, and 7:00am today, Tuesday, April 22nd. During this Garda Operation 2800 drivers were detected for speeding offences.

During the above stated period, sadly, there were three fatalities, including that of a four-year-old boy; together with 11 other serious traffic accidents on our Irish roads, resulting in a total of 12 persons being the subject of serious life-threatening injuries.

Police officers carried out more than 912 mandatory intoxicant testing checkpoints over the same stated holiday period, which saw some 4,500 breath tests and 213 oral fluid tests being performed; leading to 149 arrests for driving under the influence of an intoxicant.

Fixed Charge Offences detected during this period included:-
Divers exceeding the speed limit → 2800
No seatbelts → 73.
Using Mobile Phones → 225.
Unaccompanied learner drivers → at least 160.
Vehicles seized for having no tax or insurance → 438.
Vehicles seized from learner permit holders driving unaccompanied → 109.

Speeds detected in some county speed zones:-
110km/h in a 50Km/h zone on the Naas Road, Dublin 12, Co. Dublin.
165km/h in a 100Km/h zone on N18 Ballinacurra (Weston), in neighbouring Co Limerick.
179km/h in a 60km/h zone on R194 Granard, Co Longford.
139km/h in a 80km/h zone on R157 Dunboyne, Co Meath.
125km/h in a 50Km/h zone on R394 Milltown Castlepollard, Co. Westmeath.
80km/h in a 50km/h zone on Ballymount Road, Dublin 24

Families should note that one in three people, who have lost their lives on Irish roads this year, were under the age of 30 years.

Thurles Town Strangled By Traffic Admits An Taoiseach Mr Micheál Martin.

Speaking in Dáil Éireann the newly elected north Tipperary Fianna Fáil TD Mr Ryan O’Meara, has concurred that the town of Thurles is being strangled by traffic issues; requiring immediate attention for an inner relief road. Same, if funding was provided, would link the N62 at Slievenamon Road to the Mill Road, thus providing a third vehicle bridge.

**Proposed Inner Relief Road for Thurles**

[Funny that, VIEW HERE. Back in 2021, we here in Thurles were previously informed that funding had already been acquired.]

However, many residents believe that Mr Ryan O’Meara has been fed false or inaccurate information and most business leaders see the proposed inner relief road as further waste of public funding.
An inner relief road already exists via the Mill Road, same entering and exiting south of Thurles at Turtulla Cross on the N62, which has seen 3 vehicles crash and be written-off, within the past 12 months.

Any new inner relief will only permit the exit and entering of vehicles closer into the town centre, with HGV traffic still required to travel to the four corners of Ireland, directly through our medieval streetscapes, which for the past 4 years have become a bottle neck, currently existing for all vehicles attempting to pass through Thurles town centre.

The only piece of common sense and perhaps even a small glimmer of hope was expressed by An Taoiseach, Mr Micheál Martin TD, responding to our misinformed, raw recruit, Mr Ryan O’Meara.
Mr Martin stated that the long queues of traffic being experienced, would become a thing of the past, if Thurles had a ring road/bypass and he would try to feed that into an expected review of the present National Development Plan.

As for Fianna Fáil TD, Mr Ryan O’Meara’s speech interjection in Dáil Éireann; same was perceived and smelled of the scent of a vote catching press release, same greedily accepted from his Nenagh office by local press, who were obviously experiencing a slow news day.