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.
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.
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.
A serious vehicle accident took place this morning, on the R498, north of Thurles Town. The accident happened at approximately 11:40am, when a car crossed the roundabout at Racecourse Road, opposite the TUS Thurles Campus entrance, before completely blocking the exit unto the Jimmy Doyle Road at Gortataggart.
Vehicle ploughs through Nenagh Road roundabout, north of Thurles, having demolished signage. Pic: G. Willoughby.
The car appeared to veer across the centre of the roundabout, through the existing flower beds, removing heavy metal signposting in its path.
Thankfully, no serious injuries were reported and the scene was attended by sections of Thurles Fire Services, whose firefighting personnel directed traffic, until the offending vehicle was eventually removed, thus reopening the busy roadway. Dismembered pieces of signage remain strewn at the accident scene this evening.
Intention to close the M8 Motorway, at Junction 6 northbound, Horse And Jockey, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Vehicle drivers are asked to take notice that Tipperary County Council propose to Temporarily close Junction 6 Northbound, on the M8 Motorway, Horse and Jockey, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, also known as the Horse and Jockey/Thurles junction.
This period of closure will be Nightly from 6:00pm until 5.00am on Thursday next, April 10th, 2025 and again on the following Wednesday, April 16th, 2025 through until Friday, April 18th, 2025.
Suggested Alternative Routes: Exit the M8 at Junction 6, Horse and Jockey, turn left, in Horse and Jockey, onto the R639. Follow the R639 through Littleton, Ballyshane and Urlingford, before turning left onto the R693 after Urlingford, to re-join the M8 at junction 4.
Recent Comments