My immediate focus is on Kickham Street, possibly the busiest street in Thurles, with traffic entering from the motorway (East) and from the South via the Mill Road (latter in an attempt to avoid a new set of delaying traffic lights at the Lidl junction near Slievenamon Road & Clongour Road).
Kickham Street over recent years has suffered from faulty planning, arrogance from engineers, and more recently downright, shoddy, construction, courtesy of ‘Tar Stone’ and contractors appointed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). How any of the latter contractors have gotten paid, remains a mystery.
My thoughts are also with the businesses on Stradavoher and Friar Street, as I write this blog. Flooding is among one of nature’s most destructive forces in terms of the irreparable damage and heartache it inflicts on homes and on business owners whose ground floor premises become immersed in flood water, due to the incompetence of Tipperary council engineers.
The most probable responses from Tipperary County Council and their officials, to last Friday’s flooding on Kickham Street; Stradavoher and Friar Street will be “Ah sure hindsight is always 20/20!”, latter a phrase used to describe the fact that it is easy for one to be knowledgeable about an event after it has happened.
Last Friday’s flooding was not a case of hindsight for a change. “Ah sure, hindsight is 20/20” is not an acceptable response or excuse when the problems were already pointed out by Thurles.Info first in August 2019. [See Link Here]. See also Link Here, posted in January(6 months ago) and See Link Here, yet again posted in February(5 months ago), with latter forwarded to all local elected councillors via their email addresses and to Tipperary Co. Council engineers, through their “Customer Service Desk”, [reference numbers T-151500-F3F1 and T-151595-Y1S0.]
Many of the pictures forwarded to Tipperary County Council’s “Customer Service Desk” are featured in the sideshow shown above and were emailed to all local Thurles councillors, with only one County Councillor, Mr Sean Ryan, Littleton, bothering to reply.
We now need more foresight from our Tipperary County Council officials and politicians. Instead of reacting to trouble and challenges after the event, we need them to take action when informed in advance, thus avoiding unnecessary trouble and the wasting of taxpayers money.
According to staff at ‘APEX Surveys’, latter who are currently surveying Kickham Street at night, they say they are unable to tell us if and when issues on the street will be sorted out.
Surely a road survey is not required to clear out a few blocked drains.
In the meanwhile, local school children cyclists and adult pedestrians; do expect to be drenched in water by passing traffic, as you attempt to walk/cycle on Kickham Street. Remember cyclists there is no room for cycle lanes on Kickham Street and note article 13 of the 1997 Regulations makes it an offence to cycle on a footpath, unless you are entering or exiting a property.
So remember also this same inconvenience come election time. We need massive changes in the ranks of our elected representatives, starting with politicians and ending with local councillors. Same are like computer service providers, they need to be changed often.
Five people have been rescued from a boat which caught fire on Lough Derg, this afternoon.
On arrival at the scene, search & rescue personnel established that all five persons on board had been previously evacuated safely on board other private vessels in the area and had been transported to safety to Portumna, where they were met by ambulance paramedics and Coast Guard personnel.
All those rescued, thankfully, were found to be unharmed and not in need of any medical attention.
It had been confirmed that there were gas cylinders on board the boat, resulting in a radio message being issued to rescue crews at the scene.
After the blaze was brought successfully under control, the badly damaged craft was eventually towed from its navigation channel into shallow waters at Carrigahorig, Co. Tipperary, [latter located 7 km (4.3 mls) east of Portumna], before the rescue operation was eventually stood down.
The €9 million plus rejuvenation of Liberty Square, Thurles is surely be welcomed. Improvements have been made both below ground and above ground, and most people will agree that the lighting fixtures and granite pavement choices for the square are aesthetically pleasing.
Nevertheless, the persistent presence of a maze of barricades, coupled with the disappearance of beloved trees and the apparent narrowing of the roadways, has prompted quite a lot of head scratching, eyebrow raising and questioning among locals of late.
With 4 traffic lanes reduced to 2, in Liberty SquareThurles ;[See HERE] how will ordinary street traffic pull out of the way, to avoid emergency vehicles, latter responding to any emergency incident. e.g. Ambulance / Doctor / Fire Brigade services? Pic: G. Willoughby
Here are just some of the questions being asked by our readers and Thurles residents.
(1) When will the rejuvenation project actually finish? Rumours abound, but at best it is estimated to be possibly March/April 2022 and at worst it could be July/August 2022.
(2) As the pedestrian areas on Liberty Square expand and increase while road space decreases, will there actually be sufficient space for ordinary traffic to pull over to avoid emergency vehicles, e.g. ambulances and fire engines, latter responding to emergency incidents, not to mention the ability of 20 wheeler delivery trucks, to pass, travelling in different directions? [See picture above.]
(3) If plans are being aimed to deter traffic and attract pedestrians, what impact will this have on our surrounding streets and roads?
(4) Having removed our healthy trees in an act of what can only be described as sheer savagery, are there any plans to replant same?
(5) We have beautiful pavements and an abundance of pedestrian space, but what is going to be done to get foot fall on these footpaths?
(6) What plans are in place to support and stimulate the Liberty Square economy?
Finding the answers to these questions is proving difficult based on current plans.
Although limited consultations have taken place with local residents, business owners and other interested parties, same appear to be little more than token in nature with none of the submissions by residents being implemented.
Indeed, it would appear that a final version of the plan for Liberty Square’s rejuvenation has yet to be released to the public. Some locals worry that the absence of a final plan and completion date may be indicative of inadequate planning. As the saying goes “fail to plan and you plan to fail”. Let’s hope that this isn’t the case.
Two more, very healthy, mature trees on the sunny side, east on Liberty Square, Thurles, alas, have been removed courtesy of an unforgiving chainsaw massacre.
“They took all the trees, and put em in a tree museum And they charged the people a dollar and a half to see them No, no, no Don’t it always seem to go That you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot.” Extract from song ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ (Lyrics by singer Joni Mitchell).
Same were 7 year old trees initially, when sown by myself and 4 others, all members of a Thurles Tidy Towns committee, back in 1988, giving them an age of just 40 years.
On the day we sowed them some 5 members of Thurles Chamber of Commerce, came along to protest, claiming that their window displays could no longer be observed by the general public.
These trees had been subjected to having gravel and resin replaced at their base late last year, which in turn left people with the hope they would be retained. More money, again wasted, but rate payers have very deep pockets for such dainty projects.
While promising to return trees to the now, new look, upgrading of Liberty Square, one wonders why no unpaved areas are being left to accommodate new replacement trees. Then again, maybe same are to be planted where the old street ESB standards are waiting to be removed. Who knows? As many will attest, there has been only a token public consultation with residents within the town; with local unqualified councillors calling the shots.
Temporary Road Closure on the R-660 Abbey Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Temporary Road Closure on the R-660 Abbey Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary are expected from 07:00am on next Monday July 12th 2021, to 7:00pm on Friday August 20th 2021. This temporary unexpected closure, [the second this year] will be in place to facilitate road resurfacing and safety improvement works to the Abbey Road Roundabout, opposite Lidl Supermarket E41 N520. Traffic Management will be in place and major delays are to be expected.
Traffic Lights
Meanwhile, the newly erected perplex of traffic lights at the junction of Clongour Road and Slievenamon road, Thurles, will come into operation, (that is according to Tipperary County Council) on the morning of Tuesday July 13th next. (No local politician, armed with a scissors, has as yet volunteered to officially cut any ribbon). One wonders how long 12 wheeler trucks will delay traffic, as they wait to get around the junction leading south unto Clongour Road west, when forced to cross into oncoming lanes to avoid one traffic light column, latter erected unnecessarily too close to the corner on the Clongour Road section. (See left side of picture above).
Lidl Supermarket. The new Lidl Supermarket retail outlet, (also pictured in the background above), at the junction of Clongour Road and Slievenamon road, Thurles will open on Thursday July 15th next. We wish them well in their future endeavours, as a new town centre for Thurles sadly materialises, reducing the former status of Liberty Square, all courtesy of Tipperary Co. Council’s parking charges, sanctioned by Thurles elected officialdom.
A male, understood to be aged in his 80s, has died following a two-car collision on the M8 in Co. Tipperary, late this afternoon.
The collision occurred shortly before 4:00pm on the M8 southbound between junction 6 Thurles and junction 7 Cashel North.
The deceased man was the sole occupant of the car and was pronounced dead at the scene. His body has since been brought to the mortuary at South Tipperary Hospital, where the local coroner has been notified.
The sole occupant of the second car, a woman believed to be in her late 30’s, was brought to Cork University Hospital, while her injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening.
Warning: Gardaí have stated that they are fully aware of video footage and images of the collision currently circulating online. They have therefore requested that out of respect for the family of the deceased man and those involved in the collision, that people should not publicly share this material.
Investigating Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to come forward with information, particularly road users who were travelling on the motorway at this time and who may have dash-camera footage.
Anyone with such information is asked to contact Thurles Garda Station Tel: 0504-25100 or the Garda Confidential Line Tel: 1800 666 111.
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