Tomorrow morning, September 8th, a few Thurles Municipal District councillors will gather for their monthly meeting, latter a time-honoured event where the real challenge isn’t making decisions, but finding a topic colourful enough to secure a quote or a photograph in the paper, or even a 10 minute clip on local radio.
This month, however, two burning issues (one quite literally) await them:
Issue (1)Liberty Square’s “Shock Feature”.
Motorists exiting the shiny new, half finished, Liberty Square area, into the new car park, may notice an ESB junction box/cabinet, carefully positioned where nobody can see it until it’s too late. Local observers have described it as “Thurles town’s first drive-thru toaster,” raising concerns that a poorly placed cabinet and a passing bumper could one day combine to produce Thurles’ first-ever flame-grilled shopper. One lady has suggested that the engineer responsible should be castigated. (I hope I have spelt that word correctly). While some might view this as a design flaw, others see potential: “It could be an electrifying tourist experience,” said one local. “Where else can you risk being fried without paying an admission fee?” But look on the dark side; for the first time in 3 years, the lights in the pavement no longer work during daylight hours. I wonder where that white piece on the side went? (See image above).
Issue (2) Parnell Street’s Garment Pod Avalanche.
Meanwhile, the town’s clothing recycling pods are reportedly following a “fill once, empty never” maintenance schedule/policy, as I observed today. Overflowing bags and the odd suitcase now cascade gracefully onto tarmac, creating what locals have dubbed “The Thurles Textile Centre.” Some residents are calling for official walking tours of the mounds of garments, while others suggest the pods be reclassified as public art. “At least it adds colour,” remarked one passerby, “though the smell in Summer could be as bad as the Suir-side walkway.” Speaking of the Suir-side walkway; other observers suggested that those responsible for this littering should have thrown their ‘unwanted couture‘ behind the bushes at the swinging gates on Emmett Street, like other considerate idiosyncrasies.
Local Councillors New Dilemma. Faced with these pressing concerns, councillors must now decide; will tomorrow’s headlines read “Councillors Prevent Electrocution” or “Overflowing Pods Finally Emptied”? Or, more likely, with Xmas on the way, will they spend 45 minutes debating the colours of fairy lights, before returning to their other places of employment.
But keep in mind the writings of St Matthew 6:24 on double jobbers councillors, quote; “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other”
Tipperary County Council has confirmed it now owns all the land needed for the long-promised Thurles Inner Relief Road. But with no funding in place for construction, locals fear it is yet another stalling tactic while the badly needed, long awaited Bypass Ring Road is left on the back-burner until at least 2040.
The now forgotten ‘Thurles Bypass’ plans.
The scheme, first floated years ago, would provide a 1.1 km road link from Slievenamon Road at the Clongour Road junction (N62) to Mill Road. It would include five new junctions, a 50-metre arch bridge across the River Suir, and associated lighting. The land, all of it lying within the Suir River floodplain, has been purchased by the Council, though the cost of same remains undisclosed.
Land granted courtesy of other residents along the Mill Road will allow for a long awaited footpath extension to form part of a safe walking route in the area, affectionately known currently as “Fat Arse Boulevard”.
Traffic modelling suggests the additional bridge might, cut congestion in the town centre at best by 15%.
But for many residents, the fanfare around this land acquisition rings hollow. Without construction funding, the Inner Relief Road risks remaining just another paper project for between 3-5 years.
Locals argue this recent announcement is designed to mask the continued failure to deliver a 50 year old Ring Road plan; latter a project seen as essential to tackle an ever increasing gridlock in the town.
Once again, they say, Thurles has been left waiting and badly let down by local politicians latter who have two offices funded by taxpayers within the town centre.
Mr Dermot O’Halloran, Public Relations Officer with Dualla Show, Cashel, Co. Tipperary Reports:
Free Shuttle Bus direct to Dualla Show 2025 from Thurles Town Centre.
A FREE shuttle bus will run from Thurles town centre to the Dualla Show, Cashel Co. Tipperary, on Sunday next, August 31st 2025.
First Bus:10.30am from outside the Arch Bar, No 66 Liberty Square, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, (Eircode E41 RH29). Service: Every hour throughout the day. Destination: Direct to the Dualla Showgrounds. Fare: Completely FREE
Do come along, leave your car at home, and enjoy a stress-free trip to one of Tipperary’s biggest family events.
NOTE: Hereunder see complete Bus times running from Thurles to Dualla Show: 10:30am – 11:30am – 12:30pm – 1:30pm – 2:30pm.
€30 Million realignment project has finally received approval for the R498, an area situated between Thurles and Nenagh.
The R498 realignment will take place in the Latteragh area between Thurles and Nenagh.
Funding of €20 million approved for civil works.
€4 million already allocated for design, consultancy, and land compensation.
Tipperary County Council has confirmed that a major road improvement project for the R498 is now set to proceed.
The scheme, with estimated costings of some €30 million, is expected to deliver significant safety upgrades through the realignment of a section of the R498 route close to Latteragh. The Department of Transport has approved €20 million in funding to appoint a civil works contractor, who is expected to undertake a two-year programme necessary to complete the works.
R498 Thurles to Nenagh Road , Co. Tipperary.
This funding is in addition to some €4 million which has already been set aside to cover design fees, consultancy services, and compensation payable to landowners, affected by the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) process. Compensation offers issued to all landowners, have been accepted by some, with the remainder under negotiation with valuers.
The existing R498 at Latteragh is a single carriageway, 4.3km in length, which follows the contours around the Latteragh hills, adjacent to the meandering Nenagh River. These bends have led to the road having a sub-standard cross-section resulting in numerous vehicle collisions in the past. The scheme is located approximately 7km south-east of the M7 Nenagh Bypass and as stated, involves the improvement of approximately 4.3km of the existing R498 route.
A shared footway/cycle track is proposed along the length of the scheme, utilising sections of the old road alignment and within the proposed verge along one side of the road, which will have a design speed of 85km/h. The existing three junctions are being improved as part of the scheme, with the provision of a right/left staggered ghost island junction at each junction. There are also two single span bridge crossings over the Nenagh River with reinforced soil construction proposed for the wing-walls.
Some advance works have already been undertaken since last year, which included fencing and site clearance, along with archaeological investigations.
This project will be seen to represents a major investment in road safety and regional infrastructure, with the realignment of this section addressing long-standing safety concerns and providing a modern, reliable transport link between Thurles and Nenagh.
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to a single vehicle collision which took place last night on the Old Dublin Road (Route 445) on the outskirts of Nenagh, in North Tipperary.
The collision is believed to have taken place shortly after 10:00pm and Gardaí and the Emergency Services were quickly alerted.
The driver of the vehicle, a male, understood to be aged in his 40s was sadly discovered unresponsive at the scene and his body has since been removed to University Hospital Limerick, where the county Coroner has been notified. The accident scene was preserved for technical examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators, however we learn that the road has since reopened to public access.
Nenagh Gardaí are appealing for witnesses who may have any information regarding the crash to come forward. Gardaí are anxious to obtain camera footage, including dash-cam video, from any persons who may have travelled this route between 9:00pm and 10:30pm last night
Persons with information are asked to contact Nenagh Garda StationTel 067-50450, the Garda Confidential Line Tel 1800 666 111, or indeed any Garda station.
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