Residents and motorists using Kickham Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, faced fresh disruption this morning after crews moved in to carry out further fibre/telecoms-related works along the street.
Newly installed footpaths ripped up yet again, with no notice of single lane Stop & Go traffic delays by Tipperary Co. Council; by Virgin Media or by WhiteKight Civils & Utilities latter undertaking the work.
The works, understood locally to be connected with Virgin Media infrastructure, involved barriers, cones and a mini-digger fitted with a jackhammer operating immediately outside homes and businesses. The activity has caused concern among residents, particularly as the pavements affected were only newly installed in recent weeks.
Locals claim no written warning or advance notification was given to householders before machinery arrived. Residents also expressed frustration that one of the busiest routes into and out of Thurles was reduced to a single lane, creating delays and raising fears of heavier congestion later in the day, particularly when parents travel to collect children from local schools.
Concerns have also been raised about the manner in which the works were being carried out. Residents reported personnel operating in a confined roadside area, with traffic moving nearby, while householders said vibrations from the jackhammer caused homes to shake. Some also complained of difficulty contacting Tipperary County Council, with one resident claiming it took roughly 20 minutes to get through, but without receiving any satisfactory clarification. Directly on a triple junction personnel have no radios and no con saw, resulting in stop signs not in use and an incessant vibrating high pitched hammering sound.
This latest disruption follows earlier concerns reported on Thurles.info regarding fibre/telecoms cabling repairs and the lack of written notice to affected homeowners. That earlier report also highlighted questions around responsibility, communication and delays linked to fibre infrastructure in the area.
The immediate issue for Kickham Street residents is not simply the inconvenience of roadworks. It is the apparent lack of communication, the repeated disturbance to recently completed public footpaths, and the effect on householders, pedestrians, businesses and motorists.
With evening school traffic expected to add further pressure, motorists are advised to avoid the Kickham Street area where possible and use alternative routes until the works are completed.
Residents are now calling on Tipperary County Council and Virgin Media, or their appointed contractors, to explain why newly laid pavements are being disturbed, why householders were not notified in advance, and when the street will be fully restored.
Ireland must accelerate investment in reliable public transport and EV infrastructure to reduce emissions and exposure to fossil fuel shocks, says Climate Change Advisory Council.
Transport remains Ireland’s largest source of energy demand, accounting for 42.3% of total final energy demand in 2024 and 21.8% of national emissions.
Transport emissions fell by only 1.3% in 2024, while the sector is estimated to have exceeded its first sectoral emissions ceiling (2021-2025) and is projected to exceed its second sectoral emissions ceiling (2026-2030) if urgent action is not taken.
The Climate Change Advisory Council has warned that Ireland’s dependence on fossil fuels in transport is leaving people, businesses, public services and the wider economy exposed to repeated fuel price shocks, as geopolitical instability continues to disrupt global energy markets.
Launching the Transport chapter of its Annual Review 2026 today, the Council said Ireland must reduce this exposure by accelerating investment in public transport, active travel, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and the grid capacity needed to support cleaner transport.
The Council says recent temporary emergency responses to fuel price increases have not been sufficiently targeted. It recommends that Government addresses the regressive components of emergency measures and introduce targeted supports within the transport sector for those most exposed and least able to avoid fuel costs, while maintaining planned carbon tax increases and continuing to ring-fence revenues for climate action and a just transition.
The Council is calling for targeted measures to increase EV uptake among lower-income households, particularly in areas with limited access to public transport and high car dependency. The Government’s recent pilot ICE2EV grant to incentivise the purchase of new electric vehicles by owners of 13 year or older fossil fuel cars is welcome.
In the review, the Council also warns that Ireland needs to accelerate the expansion of EV charging infrastructure, including the real time mapping of EV charging points to give people and businesses confidence in the alternatives to fossil fuel use.
However, continued grid constraints and charging infrastructure gaps are hampering Ireland’s ability to fully embrace electric vehicles. Publicly accessible charging infrastructure remains well below the EU average, while further investment is needed to support the electrification of cars, buses, school transport and commercial fleets.
Public transport passenger journeys increased by 6% in 2025, with TFI Local Link services recording a 19% increase. However, largely unchanged passenger journey data across some bus, rail and Luas services may indicate that parts of the public transport system are operating close to capacity.
The Council is calling for increased funding for public transport and for existing Public Service Obligation services in Budget 2027. Accelerated delivery of priority projects such as DART+ South West, Luas Finglas and the National Transport Authority’s Park and Ride Investment Programme are necessary to increase capacity and to cater for the projected population growth in these areas. Ireland must deliver a modern, reliable and cost effective public transport system to encourage commuters out of their cars and onto lower emission alternatives.
The Council also warns that Ireland’s transport network must be made more resilient to extreme weather. Storm Chandra and prolonged rainfall in early 2026 exposed the vulnerability of road and rail infrastructure, underlining the need for climate risk to be built into transport planning, investment and design standards.
The Council is also calling for the updated National Ports Policy to be finalised and published, for greater investment in climate-resilient regional and local roads, and for vulnerable sections of the rail network to be assessed and climate-proofed.
Mr Alex White, (Chairperson of the Climate Change Advisory Council), said: “Fossil fuel shocks are not one-off events. As long as Ireland remains heavily dependent on petrol and diesel for transport, people, businesses and public services will remain exposed to global price volatility and geopolitical crises. The way to reduce that exposure is to give people real alternatives. That means sustained investment in public transport, a charging network people can rely on, and the grid capacity needed to support the switch to electric across cars, buses and commercial fleets. This transition also has to be fair. Supports should be targeted at those most exposed to transport fuel costs, particularly people on lower incomes and those who are car-dependent because they do not have access to practical alternatives. The Government has set the right ambition to end Ireland’s reliance on fossil fuels, the test now is delivery.”
Kickham Street Crossing Danger; Residents Say Road Safety Works Must Be Finished Before Someone Is Seriously Injured
Residents of Kickham Street, Thurles, are calling for urgent action from Thurles Municipal District Council over what they believe has become a serious and growing danger to pedestrians, particularly older people, people with disabilities, and those who are visually impaired or blind.
Several tactile slabbed and paved areas were installed on Kickham Street last year, apparently to assist visually impaired and blind pedestrians when crossing the road. However, residents say that these areas, on their own, are not enough. They do little or nothing to slow down traffic, and in the absence of clear road markings, painted lines, or properly designated crossing areas, many drivers appear to be treating the improved street surface as an invitation to increase speed.
Section of Tactile Slabbed Paved Area with Associated Proflo Access Cover.
This is especially noticeable during the late evening and night-time, when traffic speeds are reported to be significantly higher and visibility is reduced. For local residents trying to cross the road, especially elderly people, what should be a simple daily task has become a frightening and dangerous ordeal.
The tactile paving may help identify a crossing point underfoot, but it does not by itself control traffic, slow vehicles, or clearly warn drivers that pedestrians are likely to cross at these points. Without completed road markings and visible crossing designations, pedestrians are left exposed, and motorists are given no clear visual instruction to reduce speed or behave with caution.
Residents are now asking a very simple question: why were these works started but not properly finished? The situation is made even more concerning by the presence of Proflo access covers, measuring approximately 450 × 450 mm, located near the tactile slabbed areas. These covers were presumably installed to provide access to underground utilities while maintaining the continuity and visual safety of the tactile paving. Yet they now appear dormant, adding to residents’ concerns that this scheme has been left incomplete or neglected.
This is not a cosmetic issue. It is a road-safety issue. It is a pedestrian-safety issue. It is a disability-access issue. Most importantly, it is a potential danger-to-life issue.
Residents in the area have therefore come together to sign a petition requesting that Thurles Municipal District Council immediately complete the necessary painting of lines and road markings between the tactile slabbed areas already installed last year. These markings are needed to clearly designate safe crossing areas, alert drivers to pedestrian movement, and help regulate driver behaviour before a serious accident occurs.
Tipperary County Council’s own road-safety approach recognises the need to prevent fatalities and serious injuries, and local authorities have powers to provide traffic-calming measures such as road markings, signs, modified surfaces and other interventions to reduce speed and improve safety.
Kickham Street residents are not asking for anything unreasonable. They are asking for the job to be finished. They are asking for safe, visible, properly marked pedestrian crossing areas. They are asking that elderly residents, visually impaired pedestrians, children, and all local people be able to cross the road without fear.
The longer this issue is left unresolved, the greater the risk. Action is needed now, not after someone is injured.
Tipperary County Council has confirmed a temporary road closure in Thurles to facilitate pedestrian access for the upcoming Liberty Music Festival 2026.
Roads Closed: L-4201 Emmett Street and Thomond Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary
Closure Period: From 00:00hrs on Saturday, 4th July 2026 to 00:00hrs on Monday, 6th July 2026
Alternative Routes: Traffic travelling north on the N62 will be diverted to Liberty Square to join the N75 east and continue their journey.
Traffic travelling west on the N75 will be diverted into Liberty Square, turning left onto the N62 to continue their journey.
The closure is being put in place to safely facilitate pedestrian access to the Liberty Music Festival.
Motorists are advised to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, and follow all diversion signage in place.
The whole thing kicked off in the Arch Bar in Thurles, Co. Tipperary last Friday night, when Mikey Ryan burst through the door looking like a man who’d just witnessed either a miracle or a tractor on fire.
“Lads,” he says, gasping for breath, “Tipperary County Council have given up.” Now that got attention. Even Pat Hayes behind the bar stopped drying glasses. “What d’ye mean given up?” says Pat. “Gone altogether,” says Mikey. “No more speed limits.” The pub fell silent. Jimmy Bourke slowly lowered his pint. “No…” says he in his usual languid manner of speaking turning his single syllables into multiple sounds. “Oh yes,” says Mikey. “They’re replacing every speed sign in the county with signs saying: ‘SLOW DOWN – POTHOLES AHEAD.”
A woman at the corner table crossed herself. Pat blinked twice. “Sure isn’t that just every road in Tipperary?”
“EXACTLY,” says Mikey, lowdly slapping the counter so hard that a bowl of peanuts nearly declared independence.
Apparently the Council realised there was no point changing from 80 km/h to 60 km/h when the average human spine couldn’t physically survive 40 km/h anyway. Mikey claimed he saw three council workers outside Littleton removing a brand-new speed sign only four hours after initially installing it.
“One lad looked exhausted,” says Mikey. “Poor devil, a native of Co. Cork says; ‘What’s the point, bai? The road itself is enforcing the speed limit.”
And according to Mikey, the council has gone fully committed now. Outside Thurles there’s allegedly; a pothole deep enough to baptise a child; another has been classified by NASA as a “seasonal crater,” and one near Templetuohy village that is supposed to have swallowed a Nissan Micra and returned it as a Ford Focus.
“Jaysus,” says Jimmy. “That’s nothing,” says Mikey. “A fella hit one outside Roscrea last week and it activated his airbags, windscreen wipers and Eircode and all at the same time.”
The Council, according to recent rumour, have now stopped measuring potholes in inches. They’re measuring them in sizes; “small dog,” – “washing machine,” and “possible entrance to the underworld.” Meanwhile crews are driving around replacing all official speed signs. 80 km/h sign?Gone. 60 km/h sign? Gone. Now every road in Tipperary just has giant yellow signs reading: “SLOW DOWN – POTHOLES AHEAD”
Mikey says one poor tourist from Ukraine thought it was the county slogan, while another from Gaza asked if “Potholes Ahead” was a village near Cashel. But the best story came from near The Ragg. Council workers arrived with cones, flashing lights, diggers, rollers and enough machinery to invade a small European nation. Locals thought: “Grand. They’re finally fixing the road.” No, they installed six massive warning signs around a pothole before announcing that it was now “part of local Tipperary heritage.” Another engineer apparently referred to it as, “Traffic calming infrastructure.”
At this point the pub was in ribbons laughing. Even the old lad asleep beside the fire woke up laughing and he hadn’t previously been conscious since the 2022 All-Ireland Final.
Mikey took a deep dramatic gulp of Guinness. “But wait till ye hear the newest plan.” “Oh sweet suffering Jaysus,” muttered Pat. “They’re thinking of renaming roads altogether,” announced Mikey “What?” said Pat. “Yeah. Instead of the N62 or the R498…”; He leaned in over the counter. “…they’ll just call them according to the size of the potholes.” Examples include: ‘The Shaky Mile’; ‘Axlebreaker Avenue’; ‘Suspension Lane’ and one outside Nenagh simply called, ‘Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here.” “And what about the speed vans?” an unknown someone asked. “Cancelled,” says Mikey. “Why so?” “No car in Tipperary can physically reach speeding pace anymore,” said Mikey.
At this stage the entire pub was gone completely feral with laughter. Mikey drained the last of the pint, straightened himself proudly and delivered the final line, like a prophet descending from Slievenamon mountain itself; “Mark my words lads… within five years every road sign in Tipperary will simply say: ‘Best of Luck.”
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