Roads « Thurles Information

Thurles Taxpayers Tolerate Tipperary Co. Council’s Continuous Waste Of Finances

The picture, hereunder, highlights once again the waste tolerated by Thurles, Co. Tipperary taxpayers.

Recently the narrow roadway stretching from Butler Avenue unto Innisfallen Avenue, had a number of Flexbrite Flexible Bollards (each costing we understand €49.50 ex VAT) installed on the footpath on the aforementioned stretch of Roadway in recent months.
The reason for their installation possibly was to highlight the edge of the footpath and to avoid traffic mounting an area where pedestrians are fully entitled to walk.

Already, two of these Flexible Bollards on Innisfallen Avenue have been adjusted by heavy traffic and one signpost close to the junction of Bowes Corner on Butler Avenue.

The word “Flexible” [meaning capable of bending easily without breaking] appears to be false advertising by the manufactures, so let us get our money refunded

The word “Flexible” also meant absolutely nothing to the engineer or administrator who instructed same to be erected, at a cost of at least surely €I,000; including their installation.

Thankfully, no one was walking on the footpath when large vehicles traversing this area, collided with these bollards, in a bid to avoid a now choked Liberty Square town centre.

As for the bent road sign on Butler Avenue, near Bowes Corner, “Joe Soap Got It Right Again”, Read HERE.

Thurles – What Happened Was!

**The Leaning Pedestrian Crossing lighting standard, Brittas Road, Thurles**, **Co. Tipperary**
*Pic: George Willoughby*.

One of the Pedestrian Crossing lighting standards, situated on Brittas Road, Thurles, (N62) continues to stands, bowing in a northerly four-degree lean.
While some believe this phenomenon is designed as a tourist attraction, and as yet not advertised as part of the 10 things you need to know about Ireland’s Ancient East.
Sorry folks, this is not an attempt to emulate the leaning, yet free-standing bell tower of Pisa in Italy.

What Happened Was!

What happened was that an unsuspecting vehicle driver, obviously a fluent Irish speaker and possibly travelling south, noticed the blatant misspellings and grammar errors relating to two of our directional signposts*. Having briefly taken his/her eyes off the road, a devious Pedestrian Crossing lighting standard; taking advantage of this situation, and without any warning, jumped out in front of the oncoming vehicle, striking it before hopping back into its original place.
No, the qualified Tipperary Council engineers, who have recently taken it upon themselves to construct narrower streets, leaving signposts too close to the edge of pavements are not responsible, as some would secretly claim, latter harbouring such unspoken thoughts behind closed doors.

* Within five hundred yards of each other are two signs both displaying grammatical misspelling of our native language. The housing estate direction sign entitled ‘Cluain Glas‘, (English translation – “Green Field”). Correct spelling should read ‘Cluain Ghlas‘.
Just a few yards closer to Thurles town we find the housing estate direction sign ‘Gort na tSagaire‘, (English translation – “The field of the priest”). Here we find two mistakes. Correct spelling should read ‘Gort an tSagairt‘. Latter correct spelling can be found in the official book “Liostaí Logainmneacha Contae Thiobraid Árann (County Tipperary)” same published in 2004, by the place-names Branch of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

**Three neglected road signs situated on Mill Road, Thurles, all within 800 metres of each other.** **To avoid a choked Liberty Square; this is the same route now being used to avoid Thurles town centre altogether.** **For Gardaí anxious to get a few prosecutions under their belts, before the end of each month, this is the place to sit and point your Traffic Radar Gun.**
*Pic: George Willoughby.*

We have highlighted the problem of the “Moving Road Signs of Thurles” previously with Tipperary Co. Council, but due to the unavailability of a workforce, little or no correction has ever been undertaken.
Hopefully, with the grant of €30,000 in funding, to fill two road craters on the long neglected Cuchulain (Cuchulainn) Road Junction, joining this same Brittas Road, someone will have a spanner in their arse pocket, to turn a lurking STOP sign, to face in the right direction.

Signs in the neglected town of Thurles are not to be trusted. (See the picture above). These signs hide behind hedges, turn their faces in the opposite direction and even resort to camouflage, in an effort to fool and confuse unsuspecting, oncoming and unwary motorists.

Neglected Cuchulain Road Junction At Brittas Road To Undergo €30,000 Repairs.

Earlier this month (April 18th 2023), we highlighted the unacceptable state of Brittas Road, Thurles and the adjoining Cuchulain (Cuchulainn) Road junction.
On Monday last, April 24th, 2023, we learn that Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) have approved funding of €30,000 to resurface at least some of this area.
All eyes will now be focused on this area, to observe at first-hand what those paying motor tax actually receive for their €30,000 outlay.

**Brittas Road, outside Veterinary Clinic.**

We understand that Thurles Municipal District made their application under the TII’s Geo App funding stream. The grant is made available for works on national routes estimated as being under €50,000, with the responsibility of TII, under this funding stream carried out by local authorities. The Exchequer Capital Allocation notified to TII for national roads for 2023 is €254 million for Asset Protection and Renewal, and €237 million for New Roads.

**Centre of junction joining Brittas Road and Cuchulain Road**.

Due to the sheer wanton past neglect and the poor condition currently experienced by motorists on this arterial route; this road, which services not just traffic from the midlands, but the transport needs of some 1,500 second level students, including numerous 48 seater buses, will now need to be closed, during any repair period, date for which has not been released publicaly.

Chief Executive Of Tipperary Co. Co. Breaks Silence To Respond To Thurles.Info.

In a reply, received from Mr Joe MacGrath (Chief Executive of Tipperary County Council), through his Secretary Ms Evelyn Harty, Mr MacGrath breaks a 3 year silence to discuss road craters on Thurles Roads.

Mr MacGrath has specifically requested that we publish his reply, now shown hereunder in full.
To refresh the memory of our readers, please read HERE, the blog which we published seven day ago, highlighting the current state of just about every road in Thurles town, and to which Mr MacGrath now replies.

But First It’s Competition Time:

**Guess on what road surface this 15.24 centimeter *(6 inch)* deep crater exists in Thurles. Answers can be posted** **HERE**.
**A prize of a €20 Eason book token awaits the first person to identify the spot.** **Competition** **is open to all** **Tipperary Residents**.

The reply sent by Mr MacGrath via his secretary Ms Evelyn Harty was composed on Tuesday April 18th at 10:02am, but did not arrive in my mailbox until yesterday morning April 19th.

Note: A copy of my initial email correspondence to Mr MacGrath HERE was carbon copied to Mr Eamon Lonergan, Ms Sharon Scully (Thurles M.D) and engineer Mr Thomas Duffy, by Mr MacGrath or an instructed staff member.

In accordance with Mr MacGrath’s wishes, please find his reply printed in full hereunder:

“Dear Mr. Willoughby,
Thanks for your email in relation to damage to roads at various locations in Thurles.
I have arranged to have these locations examined and can advise that:
The first photo is an Uisce Eireann excavation which is not the responsibility of Tipperary County Council.
The second photo is on the N75 bridge crossing in Thurles. TII has programmed works for this section of road which we expect will be undertaken by the end of May.
The third photo is Clongour which is on the 2023 works programme to get a full road reinstatement within the next month.

I note that you have published this matter on social media in advance of giving the Council an opportunity to respond, which is disappointing.
Please confirm that you will publish the full text of this response on the same social media outlets to ensure that a full, fair and balanced picture is conveyed to readers.

Best regards,

Joe.

In a reply sent today, we seek to thank Mr MacGrath for his reply and indeed we express our surprise at receiving such, since over the past 3 years; and despite forwarding a complaint to the Standards In Public Office Commission (SIPO), Mr MacGrath had failed to reply to information requests sent directly to him.
Complaints were also sent to SIPO regarding elected local councillors and their officials, but to no avail. Please see full details in relation to SIPO published on September 8th 2020, HERE and HERE.

Instructions sent by Corporate Services, at Tipperary Co. Council, in September 2020, regarding the then Code of Conduct by local Municipal District Councillors, their local officials, you Mr MacGrath and Mr Marcos O’Connor, in relation to the destruction of Thurles Heritage, namely “Great Famine Double Ditch”, were totally ignored; hence the need to publish “this matter on social media in advance of giving the Council an opportunity to respond” and which you describe as “disappointing”.

Your intending ‘chastising statement’, quote “I note that you have published this matter on social media in advance of giving the Council an opportunity to respond, which is disappointing”, is viewed by me personally as being gravely duplicitous, since you and your officials have refused to respond to any previous queries sent by me in the past.

In relation to all pictures in our report; Thurles.Info identified where the craters were to be found, in order to allow your engineers to quickly grab a shovel.
I should confirm that Picture No. I was not caused by operations undertaken by Irish Water, and was repaired on same day as was reported by us, (on April 13th, I am reliably informed on Facebook).
Irish Water or not; please look at the picture again while noting that Tipperary Council retains responsibility for Irish Water and queries continue to be accepted by the Water Services Section of the Council.
This initial pothole repair was undertaken by ‘Highway Maintenance’, before it ravelled yet again and was left for some 5 weeks, before local residents got fed-up driving around it.

The crater on Photo No. 2, at the Barry’s Bridge crossing, latter the main escape route out of Thurles when seeking employment, and which you expect to be fixed by the end of May next, was fixed two days ago, having existed since before Xmas.

The crater on Photo No. 3; one of a multitude of such on Clongour Road, caused by machinery which operated on the now sinking, newly built, Slievenamon Road area, (between Thurles Shopping Centre and Lidl); local residents are happy to note that same “will get a full road reinstatement within the next month”. However, based on my experience, we warn residents of that area about holding their breath.

We now invite Mr Joe MacGrath, when driving next to Nenagh District Office, “To Halt Awhile” here in Thurles and view the state of our current road structure.
We haven’t identified the area of the crater posed in the Competition Picture shown above, other than to state that same is on a roadway in Thurles. By failing to identify the positioning of same, it is hoped that those responsible for road maintenance in Thurles, may be stirred into action, thus winning our Eason book token.

Competition Clue: The crater in the picture above has existed since at least November of last Year (2022).
Same further confirms that Thurles residents get nothing in return for paying vehicle road tax and nothing for paying local property Tax (LPT), as successive governments continue to permit the ‘skinning’ of motorists through the purchasing of diesel, petrol, electricity and parking charges.

Warning: Thurles Road Hazards.

Motorists and the drivers of long high sided vehicles are being asked to drive with extreme caution coming up to the Nenagh Road Roundabout.
During the course of last night or early this morning, someone or rather something collided with a motorway, directional, road signs on the R498 roundabout, leading onto the Jimmy Doyle Road or back into Thurles Town.

one section of the sign, for the past 10 hours at least has remained swinging over the inner lane of the roundabout, and persons failing to operate proper diligence could lose their wind-scream and/or severely damage vehicle bodywork.

Road Craters

Meanwhile, vehicles travelling south on the N62 Section of Brittas Road, Thurles, and the junction of Brittas Road and Cuchulain Road, (travelling both westward and sothward); please note expect to encounter giant road craters.

**Centre of the junction between Brittas Road and Cuchulain Road**.

Someone joked with me the other day that to get a pothole filled in Thurles town, local councillors are insisting that local residents apply for planning permission to Tipperary Co. Council; hence the long delays.