On the week before the 2024 Local Elections (June 7th), the then existing crushed railing at the junction of Liberty Square and Slievenamon Road (N62) were replaced, with a somewhat frailer version of the same.
Well between ourselves, this replacement did stop those awkward door stop questions, as our double jobbing local councillors moved from door to door, canvassing for votes. There was always the hope that they could be re-elected and continue to re-offend, while receiving their €35,000 plus, annual salaries for doing and achieving f..k all.
And the voting public didn’t fail to fulfil their hopes and expectations. These same councillors would go on to draw back their lips in a show of amusement, with no evidence of any shyness, embarrassment, or shame, when all were once again re-elected, for another 5 years of indolence.
Pic: G. Willoughby.
Today, August 13th, just a mere 9 weeks later, not surprising, disaster has struck once again. The design of this new junction railing has been totally adjusted by an 18.75m heavy goods vehicle (HGV). (See image above). The driver was happy to leave behind the gift of a mudguard from one of his rear wheels.
Please do read Proposed Liberty Square Layout Phase 2 again and weep.
It is interesting to note that according to the Road Safety Authority (RSA), a large Tractor Cab is permitted to tow two trailers and exceed 18.75m in overall length, but NOT in any town with a population exceeding 10,000 people. Here in Thurles, on our medieval streets, we meet at least 4 x 22m HGV’s on a daily basis, due to the constant failure by two resident politicians to acquire funding for a ring road.
The population of Thurles, (according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in 2022), stands at 8,185 and since then we have welcomed Ukrainian families (62 x 2 bed modular homes built within the town), latter fleeing their war-torn land, together with a large number of International Protection (IPAS) residents of all nationalities, into our midst. Add also recent births since 2022, a few tourists resident in two hotels, a large number of students currently residing in accommodation in the town, while attending our two 3rd level institutions.
While each of these additional variables, inclusive of the official CSO population number of 8125, may not yet put the town directly in the category of 10,000 persons (not just yet), responsible and considerate mitigation and planning must now be set in motion, as we continue very soon to sprawl closer to this 10,000 person threshold.
Meanwhile, as I have stated on numerous occasions, the massive waste of taxpayer’s money by Tipperary Co. Council engineers and Thurles Municipal District officials/councillors and those they employ to do surveys, continues unabated.
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