Travel « Thurles Information

Irish Government Warns Against Fuel Price Gouging.

Irish Government warns against fuel price gouging amid current Middle East tensions.

Taoiseach Mr Micheál Martin has said there is “no excuse for prices going up at the pumps yesterday, or indeed anywhere”, warning fuel and home-heating suppliers against taking unfair advantage of consumers in response to escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Speaking ahead of a Cabinet meeting, Mr Martin said Ireland currently has adequate supplies and noted that much of the State’s oil is sourced from the North Sea, including Norway. He acknowledged the situation could have implications over time if it does not stabilise, but said immediate price rises are not justified.

The Taoiseach said he has raised the issue with Minister for Energy Mr Darragh O’Brien and has engaged with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). The Government has asked the CCPC to examine the sector for any unfair pricing practices. He also pointed to ongoing work on energy affordability and wider EU-level discussions on energy pricing structures.

Enterprise Minister Mr Peter Burke said energy price rises are a concern for the economy, noting prices increased on Monday, while emphasising the country has continued to see solid growth despite geopolitical instability.

Tipperary Secures Major 2026 Roads Investment Package Worth About €57.7m

A significant roads funding package for 2026, announced in February 2026, has been outlined for Tipperary, covering both regional/local roads and national roads.

Regional & Local Roads (Tipperary County Council): €49,379,670.
The largest share of the allocation is directed toward the day-to-day upkeep and long-term resilience of the county’s regional and local network.

Over last weekend, you’d be forgiven for thinking Thurles, Co. Tipperary, had been abandoned, judging by the state of our streets. Once again we’re driving on loose gravel, while yesterday’s potholes are “repaired” with cold tarmac tipped straight into puddles, as if water were a suitable foundation.

Worse than that, a drain cover was left open since last Thursday, near to the junction at Bowe’s corner; the grate cover having been dislodged in direct line with vehicle wheels. (See picture featured hereunder.)

*Pic 1 Left:* **Grate cover dislodged.**
*Pic 2 Right:* **On Barry’s Bridge, once again, a sinking surface**, **as 18 wheelers bounce over a raised pedestrian platform.**
*Pictures: G.Willoughby.*

**Parnell Street, Thurles beginning to sink and unravel with footpath now at a distinct sloaping angle.**
*Picture: G. Willoughby*.

“Protection & Renewal”: €36,234,670.
Within the regional and local roads budget, €36,234,670 is assigned to Protection & Renewal. This funding supports a wide range of works and programmes, including:

restoration, improvement, and maintenance works
discretionary schemes
bridges and structures
drainage projects
road safety measures
climate adaptation works
community involvement initiatives (and other related supports)

National Roads (Tipperary): €8,360,343.

In addition, €8,360,343 has been allocated for national roads within Tipperary, supporting key routes that play a major role in commuting, freight, and regional connectivity.

A Combined Local Package of Approximately €57.7m.
Taken together, the figures referenced locally bring the overall roads investment package for Tipperary to around €57.7 million for 2026.

National Context: Over €1.5bn for Roads in 2026.
For broader context, the Department of Transport has stated that more than €1.5 billion was provided nationally in 2026 for national roads and regional/local roads, placing the Tipperary allocation within a substantial nationwide investment programme.

Vehicle Drivers In The Area Of HolyCross Village Take Care.

Vehicle drivers are being asked to take care, if travelling the R659 roadway, between the junction of Galbertstown Lower and Holycross village this morning.

The area was the scene, last evening, of a single vehicle collision, which saw an English registered Land Rover strike a ditch. Thankfully the driver was uninjured and the vehicle was subsequently removed.

However, early this morning a telephone pole, close to the area collapsed, blocking the roadway.
Members of the Thurles Fire Brigade attended at the scene at approximately 7:20am and were joined later by telephone technicians, both of whom currently remain at the scene.
Note: Stop and Go signs are currently being manually operated on a very narrow road section close to a dangerous blind bend.

Pedestrian In His 60s Dies – Struck By Lorry On L8109 In Co. Tipperary.

Gardaí and emergency services have confirmed that a man in his 60s has died following a fatal collision with a lorry on a rural road in County Tipperary yesterday afternoon.

The incident occurred at approximately 2:35pm on Thursday, 19th February, along the L8109 road at Ardloman, Breansha, near the Glen of Aherlow, in the west of the county.
Emergency services, including local Gardaí and ambulance crews, responded swiftly after the alarm was raised informing them that a pedestrian had been struck by a heavy goods vehicle.

Despite the rapid response by first responders, the pedestrian, latter a male aged in his 60s, was pronounced dead at the scene. Gardaí have confirmed that no other injuries were reported in connection with the incident.

A technical examination of the collision site has been conducted by Garda forensic personnel to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash. Standard procedures have been followed, with both the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and the Coroner notified as part of the ongoing process. Representatives from the HSA have acknowledged the fatality and indicated that a formal investigation has been launched.

Gardaí say that investigations remain ongoing, and they have not released further details regarding the victim’s identity or specific causes at this time.
Gardaí are encouraging anyone who may have witnessed the collision, or who may have relevant dash-cam footage from the L8109 area around the time of the incident, to come forward to assist with inquiries.

No additional information has yet been provided about the circumstances leading up to the collision, and it is not yet clear if road or weather conditions were a contributing factor.

Sinn Féin’s White House “Boycott” Meets A Blunt Response – No Invitation Issued.

Sinn Féin’s decision this week to stay away from St Patrick’s Day events at the White House has taken a new turn, after the US embassy said the party wasn’t invited in the first place, and is not expected to be.

In a statement issued to Irish press, Mr Edward Walsh said that “no members of Sinn Féin have been invited to the White House, and none are expected to be invited”. He added that announcing a boycott “of an event for which invitations have neither been extended nor finalised is premature”.

What Sinn Féin said and why it said it.
Earlier in the week, Sinn Féin leader Ms Mary Lou McDonald said no party representatives would attend White House St Patrick’s Day events, citing the situation in Gaza Strip and the need for international attention to remain focused on Palestine.
The party position was framed as a protest and a statement of principle. Sinn Féin also indicated it was working on the assumption an invitation would again be issued, noting that invitations are often made close to the event itself.
It will be remembered that critics have long pointed to Sinn Féin’s past engagement with Hamas, including meetings, as a political vulnerability, even as the party insists its position is rooted in international law and support for Palestinian statehood.

The key update: “not invited” and “not expected”.
The embassy statement, however, cuts across that narrative. The message from Washington, via Dublin, is effectively, there is no invitation to decline.
The ambassador also pointed to what he described as unusually strong demand for access to this year’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations at the White House, presenting it as a sign of the “depth and vitality” of the US–Ireland relationship.

Wider context: who is going and who isn’t.
While Sinn Féin is opting out (and now being told it wasn’t on the invite list anyway), Taoiseach Mr Micheál Martin has confirmed he has accepted an invitation to meet Donald Trump at the White House on St Patrick’s Day (March 17).
Separately, Sinn Féin’s senior leadership in Northern Ireland has also indicated it will not attend: Michelle O’Neill has said she will not go to this year’s White House events, also citing Gaza.

Why it matters
This is now less a simple “boycott” story and more a three-way political dynamic:–

A party staking out a moral position on Gaza, and seeking to use the St Patrick’s Day spotlight as leverage.
A US administration controlling access tightly, signalling who is , and isn’t, welcome in a high-profile diplomatic theatre.
An Irish Government continuing the annual engagement, arguing that the relationship is too economically and strategically important to step away from, even amid controversy.