Particularly nowadays, we are all very familiar in this country with the phrase “Two Tier Society”, however for many months now, here in Co.Tipperary the picturesque village of Inch on highway R498, has been displaying a “Two Tier Speed Limit” and locals are boasting that they are the only village in the world which has this anomaly. Indeed they are hoping to gather much needed tourism revenue and expecting Shannon Development to assist them to promote this eighth wonder of the world.
How did this unusual phenomenal occur you might ask? Well to tell you the truth www.thurles.info for the first time ever admit we are totally gobsmacked.
Fairy at work in Inch Thurles.
Locals expound many theories as to how this came about and these include:-
(A) Signs were installed by a dyslexic NRA or North Tipperary Co. Council Council employee.
(B) Unhappy green fairies in the area are bitter because someone interfered with their rainbows. (Believe me there are fairies in Tipperary. They can best be seen after the pubs shut.)
(C) It is a special speed limit for local politicians and their Garda drivers, rushing to funerals and to the aid of the 7,712 Tipperary unemployed and the 36,438 households countrywide that are now in mortgage arrears.
(D) An effort by the Garda Traffic Corp to confuse drivers, so as to collect maximum money from speeding tickets, to assist in the bolstering of Anglo Irish Bank Guarantees.
(E) However the most common held theory elucidated, is that because of the imminent threat to Accident and Emergency services at Nenagh General Hospital, HSE officials and local politicians may need access to a quick getaway, the latter to survive taking part in the soon to be held next General Election.
All joking aside folks, while the National Roads Authority (NRA) reveal plans to develop a 2,000km cycle path network around the country at cost unknown and now also intend to spend €250,000 erecting signs across the motorway network, telling drivers there is nowhere to stop to eat, refuel or visit the toilet, motorist in Rural Tipperary are being fined for speeding where speed limit signs clearly do not exist or, at the very least, are confusing.
Top Local Solicitor and Thurles Councillor Mr Gerard O’Brien who runs his office from 2 Thomond Road in the town has described this scenario as “motorist entrapment, akin to shooting fish in a barrel.”
Whatever the reason for this anomaly, it would appear that after some months, no one is rushing to correct this confusion, which would include the replacement of missing speed signs traveling towards Thurles, and balancing the existing speed signs travelling towards the Nenagh direction. Our picture clearly shows the back and front of speed signs as you enter the village of Inch from the Thurles road and also as you leave the village, headed towards Thurles.
Locals inform us that a certain van regularly parks in the towns-land of Ballinahow, taking pictures of car number plates. In fact one was lurking there on the 2nd of September last at 7.00pm, we wonder if they photographed or even noticed this confusing signage. Certainly local police appeared to be unaware of it when I reported it today.
We have also notified North Tipperary Co. Council’s Health and Safety department so hopefully this confusion can be sorted out before the NRA run out of money or motorists end up in the local Courts, wasting a Judges valuable time.
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