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TV3 news made the perilous trip to the town of Tipperary in Co. Tipperary yesterday. Normally TV crews only appear occasionally in the county, to capture, digitally, and on video camera, Horse racing, GAA matches, or as Mikey Ryan interjected during our discussions in the Arch Bar Liberty Square, Thurles tonight; serious assaults carried out by those residing in quality social housing, provided by the Irish State, in our larger Irish cities.
“This scum arrives from places like Limerick and Dublin in fast, stolen cars, like the Viking hordes of old, gaining access into rural Tipperary homes, to raid, seriously assault, torture, and hold to ransom our children, our elderly pensioners, particularly those living alone.” said Mikey.
“By God, that TV3 crew were doing us a great favour today”, said I, “highlighting and hopefully demonstrating the failings by Tipperary Co. Council staff, Tipperary County Councillors and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (T.I.I.) “.
“Who the feck is this T.I.I. that elected Councillors fear so much”, queried Mikey; a look of confusion on his jaw.
“Sure, they are the Irish State agency responsible for all national road and public transport infrastructure”, says I, “wasn’t they established quietly back in 2015, by merging our former National Roads Authority and our Railway Procurement Agency. They were introduced by the former Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Mr Leo Varadkar; him that now runs our present Fine Gael minority government”.
“I wonder was it the T.I.I. the wife and I spotted before lunch on Thursday morning last, dodging speeding cars on the Cathedral / Kickham Street roundabout”, queried Mikey.
“I can’t confirm it was them”, said I, “but I can tell you, if it was the T.I.I., they are in serious financial difficulties, despite the 10% increase inflicted by Co. Councillors (without our permission), on our 2018 Tipperary Property Tax (T.P.T.) charges”.
“I don’t understand how you came to that feckin pecuniary conclusion”, said Mikey. “Isn’t is bloody obvious”, said I, “you go down to the Cathedral Street Car Park this Saturday morning; you know the place where people are required to fork out €1.20 per hour in order to go shopping. Now check the main entrance area, only the medium size holes are filled, obviously to simply save tar and stone chippings. Smaller holes and a very large road subsidence on the main thoroughfare itself has been totally ignored”.
“And do you think the lads undertaking last Thursdays work, will get paid for their product saving workmanship?”, asked Mikey.
“Of course, they will Mikey”, said I, “sure who is to know? County Engineers won’t be checking, local Councillors and TD’s won’t be checking, and remember tax payer’s wallets will, on demand and without question, always provide an endless supply of the old spondulux; unless of course you are an American multinational technology company called Apple Inc., head-quartered in Cupertino, California”.
“So, I wonder why did TV3 head down that perilous “Long Way to Tipperary,” asked Mikey.
That is a simple question to answer Mikey, me ‘auld segotia’, [latter vocabulary Dublin people will understand – meaning a term of endearment, good friend, mate, buddy, pal, rarely used beyond the Pale],“ said I, “sure to find a pothole you have to travel on a ‘wing and a prayer’ to Tipperary. Have you ever heard of a pothole or a gravel roadway like Barry’s Bridge, around O’Connell Street, Dublin; Donnybrook, Dublin 4, or the Westgate Business Park, Ballymount, Dublin 24.”
“Listen, I’m off Mikey”, said I, “now you be careful walking home, those bloody footpaths, heading up your way, are truly treacherous”.
 A man has appeared in court today in connection with the death of 68 year old Mr Michael Stapleton, a Co. Tipperary pensioner.
Mr Stapleton was tragically struck by a hit-and-run driver just metres from his home at Poynestown, near the village of Glengoole, (about 14 km or 8.5 mls) from Thurles town, at around 10.20 p.m. on Sunday July 30th of last year.
Mr Philip Breen, aged in his 40’s and with an address at Lisduff, Gortnahoe, Thurles appeared before today’s sitting of Cashel District Court. The alleged offender faces a number of charges including careless driving causing death; together with failing to stop at the scene of the accident and failing to produce vehicle insurance.
Mr Justice Terence Finn remanded Mr Breen on bail to appear again in Cashel court in March of this year, when the ‘Book of Evidence’ will be served.
Mr Stapleton died on the same road just metres away from where his brother Mr Eugene Stapleton was killed some 15 years previously.
One person has been airlifted to hospital and a number of other people have been injured, following a number of separate vehicle collisions, in poor weather conditions, here in Co Tipperary today.
Some thirteen vehicles were involved, in multiple collisions, on both sides of the M7 at Glenbeha, Roscrea, in the north of the county.
 A number of motorised vehicles either collided with each other; crashed into barriers or left the road between J22 and J23 on the western side of Roscrea at around 3.30pm.
Fire crews were summoned from Roscrea, Newport and Cloughjordan stations together with a fleet of ambulances, who attended the incidents, with Gardaí and motorway maintenance crews obliged to set up immediate diversions routes for those travelling the route.
The Emergency Aero-Medical Service, latter based in Athlone, was also summoned to expedite the removal of one casualty from the scene, to University Hospital Limerick. A number of others injured were also transported from the scene by road ambulances.
The various collisions are understood to have occurred on an inclined bend , following a particular heavy downpour of hailstones.
Efforts were begun immediately to clear all the vehicles and the resulting debris from the scene, with the motorway remaining closed in both directions between Roscrea and Moneygall.
 A man, understood to be aged in his 70’s, has been fatally injured, following a three-vehicle collision on the M7 motorway in Co. Tipperary this afternoon.
The collision took place on the southbound lanes of the M7, between Junction 26 Nenagh and Junction 27 Birdhill at approximately 2.00pm.
The deceased victim and one of two others injured, are believed to be occupants of the same vehicle, and have been taken by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick. The crash area is expected to remain closed overnight.
Four units of the Fire Service from Newport, Killaloe, and Nenagh attended the scene; together with Gardaí and ambulance personnel.
Road users are warned to expect traffic delays.
Anyone with information or Dash-Cam film footage are asked to contact Nenagh Garda Station on Tel: 067-50450, or the Garda Confidential line on Tel: 1800-666111 or indeed any Garda Station.
Portuguese Motorway employees allege unfair conditions by their employer, named as ‘RAC Eire Partnership’; while building a section of the N7 motorway, between Limerick and Nenagh.
Mr Armando Agostinho Alves da Silva, a Portuguese construction worker has claimed, in the High Court, that he and his colleagues lived in deplorable conditions at a work camp in Co. Tipperary. The camp, now demolished, was provided by his former employers, while they were building a section of the N7 motorway, between Limerick and Nenagh, back in the years 2007 and 2008.
Twenty workers allege they were underpaid while working for three Portuguese companies, latter who traded under the name ‘RAC Eire Partnership’. Mr Da Silva told Ms Justice Carmel Stewart that they were expected to begin work at 7.00am and continue until 10.00pm or 11.00pm at night. He and up to 90 other Portuguese workers were obliged to live in a cramped prefab outside the town of Nenagh, in Co. Tipperary, with six to eight persons allocated to a single room, latter which lacked even the very basic facilities.
Showers did not always work all of the time and clean water was undrinkable. Bags of rubbish from the facility provided, were not always collected on time and there was a constant smell from waste water. There were no cooking facilities in the building and meals were only provided by their employer on working days, while on days off they were obliged to fend for themselves. Deductions made from wages for this accommodation and for domestic laundry were not deemed as being reasonable by the workforce.
Following a later take-over by a new company, Mr Da Silva was moved into a house in the locality and received an increase in pay and shorter working hours.
The Portuguese construction workers have now taken proceedings against three allied companies, namely (1) Portuguese-based Rosas Construtores SA, (2) Constructocoes Gabriel AS Couto SA, and (3) Empresa Deconstrucoes Amandio Carvalho SA, all of which traded as RAC Eire Partnership.
This case is just the latest in a similar number of actions to come to the attention of the High Court. One similar case, back in 2016, saw 27 workers awarded €1.5 million.
The case continues.
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