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Where Is €500,000 Funding For Bowes Corner Project In Thurles?

“You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”

It was in January last, when all our elected representatives, representing various political blandishments, came together with the glad, positive tidings, stating that each and all were fully responsible in acquiring a “grand chunk of auld funding”. Same which of course had been initially sucked from the veins of the Irish taxpayer, latter already lacking enough healthy red blood cells, with which to carry adequate oxygen to their bodily tissue.

Thurles Independent Councillor Mr Jim Ryan; him being the fastest keypad operator, was first to express his particular delight that half a million of taxpayers money was to be spent in the area of “Bowes Corner”, here in west Thurles.

Just two metres of Roadway existing on “Bowes Corner” Thurles today, April 18th, 2022.

Not surprisingly, half a day later, Tipperary Fianna Fáil TD, Deputy Mr Jackie Cahill, persuaded someone to upload details of his absolute delight in receiving confirmation from none other than his “colleagues in Government”, that this “Bowe’s Corner Junction Improvement Scheme”, had been allocated €500,000 for major alterations. He further expressed his joy in seeing his hard work paying off; while including fellow local Fianna Fáil councillors, namely Mr Seamus Hanafin and Mr Seán Ryan, for working on this and other numerous road and footpath projects, that he couldn’t name.

Independent TD, Deputy Mr Michael Lowry, despite his “Lowry Team” supporters, was last to hear of this success from county council staff, but eventually also got around to find someone to write and welcome this overall allocation, stating that this funding would help make urban centres, throughout the county and the country, more attractive places to live, work, visit and, in the case of Thurles, to remain unemployed.

Now today, three months later, take a look at the state of “Bowes Corner”, in the picture provided above.

What Thurles residents now want to know is where did this €500,000 go?
Did Mr Cahill forget to collect our cheque from Minister for Finance Mr Paschal Donohoe?
Was it spent on the Clonmel Blue Way by accident?
Why is tarmac being laid on our natural walk ways, without our permission and against the wishes of those who enjoy biodiversity; while our streets in Thurles remain perforated, every couple of feet, in giant potholes?

Is it any wonder that individual pedestrians are taking Tipperary County Council officials into the High Court, seeking thousands in compensation for ankle injuries and falls.

Man Dead Following Road Collision In Co. Tipperary.

A male, aged in his 30s, has sadly lost his life in a single-vehicle road collision here in Co. Tipperary last night.

The collision occurred on the R664, at Christ the King, Garyduff, Aherlow, some 6km south of Tipperary town, at approximately 9.45pm last night.

The man, who was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene, before his body was removed to Waterford University Hospital mortuary.

The road this morning was closed for a technical examination and local diversions were in place.

Gardaí are now appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this collision to come forward. Any road users who may have dash-cam footage or were travelling in the area at the time, are now asked to assist investigating Gardaí.

Indeed, anyone with any information is asked to contact Tipperary Town Garda station Tel. No. 062 806 70, the Garda Confidential Line Tel. No. 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

No Banksy Street Art Appearing On ‘Bosheenkay’ In Thurles.

As most people are aware Banksy is an pseudonymous England-based street artist; a political activist and possibly a film director, whose satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humour with graffiti executed using a distinctive stencilling technique. His real name and identity continue to remain unconfirmed and indeed the subject of huge speculation.

Here in Thurles, as you can see, most certainly Banksy can’t be accused of spraying his graffiti images on College Lane, east of our town.

Local Municipal Districts councillors would like people to believe that they have now created a new walkway for locals people and tourists. But of course College Lane, as we know, has been there for centuries and the walkway we know today as ‘College Lane’ was originally known as ‘Bohereen Keagh’, long before the Monakeeba housing estate was built.

With nationalist fervour, following on from Irish independence back in the 1920s, many Thurles streets were renamed to honour our Irish heroes and patriots; hence we have Parnell Street, Croke Street, Kickham Street, O’Donovan Rossa Street, Mitchel Street, Cuchulainn Road, etc.

College Lane was, back then, officially renamed “Eliogarty Road”, but the name didn’t catch with local people failing use the name, whereas some older people today still used the older name, pronouncing it ‘Boreenkay’ or ‘Bosheenkay’, just as other boreens used to be known as ‘bosheens’.

The area now is viewed sadly as a ‘no go’ area in Thurles, particularly in the late evening and after dark, with elected councillors and municipal district officials failing miserably to act in controlling anti-social behaviour and angry dogs, the latter permitted to roam about uncontrolled, often we learn attacking local residents.

Man Dead Following Single Vehicle Accident In Tipperary.

One man in his 20s, is dead this morning, following a road accident in Co. Tipperary.
Tipperary Town Gardaí were alerted to a single car road traffic accident at Greenane, Tipperary Town at around 12.45am this morning.

The male driver of the car, sadly ,was pronounced dead at the scene and his body has since been removed to University Hospital Limerick.
Three other passengers in the vehicle; a male and two females, also aged in their 20s, suffered what are believed to be, thankfully, non-life threatening injuries, and have been taken to University Hospital Limerick.

The road remains currently closed, with diversions in place, to allow for a technical examination by Forensic Collision Investigators.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Tipperary Town Garda station on Tel. No. 062 806 70; or via the Garda Confidential Line Tel. No. 1800 666 111 or indeed any Garda station.

Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018 To Include Motor Cyclists With Unaccompanied Learner Drivers.

As and from May 1st, 2022, as part of the Clancy amendment (Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018), Gardaí will seek to penalise motor cyclists who knowingly allow their vehicles to be used by an unaccompanied learner driver.

The law allows the owners of these motor cycles to be fined and grants Gardaí the power to seize their vehicles, if being driven by unaccompanied drivers.

Garda authorities will issue Fixed Charge Notices in relation to any such offences of Learner Drivers and this new act, which passed through the Dáil last Saturday, also makes it illegal for the owner of a motorcycle to knowingly allow an unaccompanied learner or an unlicensed person to drive it, with effect from May 1st next.

The Clancy Amendment came into effect first for motor vehicles in December 2018 and was announced by then Minister for Transport Mr Shane Ross.

The new law will also include Ride-On lawn mowers, and Quad bikes found being driven on public roads and country lanes.

A learner motor cyclist now faces disqualification and a six-month driving ban together with seventeen penalty points, if they are found to offend. Other penalties could include a fine of up to €2,000 or six months in prison or both, if prosecuted.

Commenting on the introduction of the new Act, the Minister for Justice has stated that: “I am very pleased that this new law is coming into effect at last”.

Under this same extension of the existing Clancy Amendment, an Garda Síochána have seized similar 4 wheel motor vehicles, on over 5,000 occasions in the past two years, newly released figures just published today, have shown.