The twin towns of Killaloe in County Clare and Ballina in County Tipperary are celebrated in RTÉ's Nationwide programme this evening - 7pm on RTÉ One television The show will look at the history of the 17th century bridge over the Shannon that links these towns and the contemporary new bridge scheduled to open at the end of May and how it will impact tourism into the future weather & more in Nenagh and County Tipperary All the latest breaking local news from Nenagh and County Tipperary Keep up to date with the latest sports news Read all the latest Irish news and updates from around Ireland Find whats happening in and around Nenagh and County Tipperary Enjoy our award winning photos and picture galleries taken in Nenagh and County Tipperary Catch up on all the latest business news in Nenagh and County Tipperary Read about the latest properties available in Nenagh and County Tipperary Enjoy our latest and up to date motoring review and news in Nenagh and County Tipperary Nenagh and County Tipperary Met Eireann Weather Forecast Recent death notices and obituaries from Nenagh and County Tipperary Latest environmental and climate change news in Nenagh Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter Support our mission and join our community now you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism Fianna Fáil TD for North Tipperary, Ryan O’Meara, has urged that the new Shannon Crossing between Ballina and Killaloe be opened without further delay emphasising the importance of having the route operational in advance of the busy Easter weekend there is no clear reason why this crucial piece of infrastructure should not be open to the public,” Deputy O’Meara said “Any remaining snag list items should be addressed as a matter of urgency over the coming days.” Deputy O’Meara acknowledged the significant effort and investment that has gone into delivering the Shannon Crossing noting the patience shown by the people of Ballina throughout years of construction People have lived with the disruption because they believed in the long-term benefit—and rightly so with construction largely complete and all major safety checks signed off the priority must be to deliver access as soon as possible,” he said READ NEXT: Tipperary actor set to star in new film from BAFTA-nominated writer/director He added that the Shannon Crossing will play a key role in easing congestion and improving connectivity in the region: “The opening of this new bridge will transform local travel and bring lasting benefits to the twin towns and beyond It’s important we don’t allow small outstanding tasks to stand in the way of that progress particularly ahead of what will be a busy Easter weekend for local residents and visitors alike.” Deputy O’Meara concluded by calling on the relevant authorities to act promptly: “There is a strong public expectation that the Shannon Crossing will open imminently I believe that expectation is entirely reasonable and I’m urging all those involved to ensure it happens without further delay.” " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g please subscribe and support local journalism Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news The Foster & Allen '50 Years Of Hits' concert will be filled with all the songs that made them worldwide famous The new fixture list will mean that clashes are a thing of the past Frank O'Mara is hoping these awards will inspire others Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie A pothole on the existing bridge between Ballina and Killaloe will be repaired once the new bridge opens The problem was raised at last month's meeting of Nenagh Municipal District by local councillor Phyll Bugler She said the pothole in the centre of the bridge is "decomposing very fast" "It has been filled a number of times but it's still unravelling," Cllr Bugler said Executive Engineer Paul Keane said temporary repairs have been carried out on the bridge There would be an opportunity for a longer lasting repair once the new bridge opens later this year between elected members of Killaloe and Nenagh Municipal Districts and officials from Clare and Tipperary County Councils both local authorities have agreed to pedestrianise the existing Killaloe Bridge for a trial period The pedestrianisation trial will start in a number of weeks after the opening of the new bridge which will allow an interim period when both bridges operate for vehicles provided for under Section 38 of the Road Traffic Act 1994 aims to pilot a more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly route on the existing bridge between Killaloe and Ballina The trial will also enable further detail and evidence of traffic flows and pedestrian movements between the towns to be gathered economic and tourism benefits to be measured The trialled pedestrianisation of the existing 18th century Killaloe Bridge follows significant public engagement in Killaloe and Ballina in recent months The timeline for the trial will be announced closer to the opening of the new Shannon Bridge Crossing Clare County Council is leading the preparation of a significant joint Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) application for the commencement of the detailed design and feasibility of a number of projects and improvements to the public realm in Killaloe and Ballina under the Killaloe-Ballina Town Enhancement and Mobility Plan The Killaloe-Ballina Town Enhancement and Mobility Plan sets out a co-ordinated vision for public realm improvements in Killaloe and Ballina A number of projects are envisaged under the plan including improvements to public spaces in Killaloe and Ballina and the provision of additional car parking in both towns Central to the Killaloe-Ballina Town Enhancement and Mobility Plan is the proposed pedestrianisation and reimagining of the existing Killaloe Bridge to make it safer and more enjoyable to walk and cycle between the two towns https://www.tipperarylive.ie/section/1235/advertise-with-us Keep up to date with the latest news in Tipperary as it happens with TipperaryLive.ie The latest Tipperary news,sport and business from TipperaryLive.ie National - Tipperary Live - Find the latest Tipperary Clonmel Ireland Local County Region breaking news What's on - Tipperary Live - Find the latest Tipperary Clonmel Ireland Local County Region breaking news sport and business from Tipperary with the team from TipperaryLive.ie sport and motoring as it happens from TipperaryLive.ie Tipperary Live Met Eireann Weather Forecast Deaths - Tipperary Live - Find the latest Tipperary Clonmel Ireland Local County Region breaking news Tributes have been pouring in for Gerard 'Gerry' Lovett of Nenagh, Tipperary following his passing after a long illness Friends and family have left messages of condolences on Gerry's rip.ie page in the wake of his passing to wish his family well during this time and also to reflect on the memories and stories he left behind One person said: "Have fond memories of him teaching bridge in Nenagh READ MORE: Council staff worked 2,000 hours gritting Tipperary's priority roads during recent snow An former neighbour said: "I have very happy memories of all our time at Dromin Road Another person said: "Gerry was a gentleman in every sense of the word An old friend recalled: "He was one of the first people i met when i came to nenagh in the 1970s Gerry was a consummate gentleman and was a wise and shrewd honest businessman." Sadly missed by his partner Sousie and her family Also by his sons James and Robert and their mother Anne his sister Mary (Kells) and brother Anslem (Cavan) Gerry’s Funeral Mass and cremation will take place in St. Edmund's Church, Beckenham, London, U.K. on Monday, February 10, at 11.15am, and can be viewed on the church livestream 5 March at the Halla Na Féile in Cashel In Pictures: Meet the cast of hit play 'The Ferryman' including a 'very well behaved baby' Night of nostalgia at Tipperary Museum with 125 year Clonmel High School reunion Tipperary captain Karen Kennedy lifts the cup after the Very Camogie League Division 1A Final between Tipperary and Galway at Croke Park Very National Camogie League - Division 1A Final Tipperary are camogie league champions for the first time since 2004 after edging a thrilling and epic Very National Camogie League Division 1A final in Croke Park on Sunday afternoon In what was a nail-biting finish to the game Tipperary looked to have just done enough with the clock in second-half injury time late injury time free which would be the final act of the game come what may - but to do sheer delighted and ecstasy for the Premier team and management the free from Carrie Dolan drifted left of the post as referee Aaron Hogg blew the full-time whistle straight away after It was just deserts for this group of Tipperary players who have experienced so many disappointing days in the home of Gaelic Games in recent years and it cannot be understated how big these results could be going forward into the championship as it shrugs a considerably large money off their backs the game may be remembered in the immediate aftermath for that missed free which ultimately decided the game but Tipperary lead score came from an unlikely source in the 58th minute of the game - at a time when the teams were level and Galway had scored four points in a row - as corner-back Karin Blair intercepted a pass out of the Galway defence with a class first touch and weaved through a few defenders before drilling an effort over off her right A brilliant piece of individual play from the Cashel King Cormacs woman There were heroes all over the field on the day for Tipperary with Karen Kennedy playing a captains role in scoring 1-3 from play over the course of the 64 minutes while Eimear McGrath again impressed in her free taking duties particularly when Tipp were taking on water in the first half.  There also has to be huge credit given to the defence with Mairead Eviston immense at full-back while Caoimhe McCarthy put in an incredible shift at wing-back all game and covered serious ground up and down the wing which set the tone throughout Subs used: Clodagh Quirke for McIntyre (25); Julieanne Bourke for Cunneen (25); Mary Burke for O’Brien (43); Mary Ryan for T Ryan (51); Aoife McGrath for Hennessy (58); Ciardha Maher for Heffernan (61) Subs used: Niamh Hanniffy for Black (36); Niamh Kilkenny for Hesnan (42); Niamh Mallon for Donohue (45); Olwen Rabbitte for O’Reilly (53); Niamh Niland for McPeake (53); Sabina Rabbitte for O McGrath (60) A MOVE to pedestrianise the old bridge across the River Shannon in Ballina-Killaloe has met with vehement opposition from people living in the two towns Local traders say the highly controversial proposal not to allow motorised traffic on the 18th century bridge would be bad for business and a major inconvenience for residents of Ballina and Killaloe and surrounding areas “We are all completely disillusioned over the fact that this could be even considered,” Killaloe businessman owner of the Killaloe River Cruises company Mr Whelan said that due to major traffic congestion people living on both sides of the river had been waiting for a new bridge for over 30 years he said the plan to pedestrianise the old bridge from the day the new bridge opened had never been considered He said there was a reference in the Town Mobility Plan for Ballina-Killaloe to look at introducing pedestrianisation of the old bridge on a trial basis But no trader in the community thought full pedestrianisation was going to be introduced once the new bridge opened “I have yet to meet a businessperson on either side of the bridge that accepts this proposal The old bridge is the vital link between the two communities,” said Mr Whelan He said many of the vital services of Ballina-Killaloe were located on the Killaloe side of the river Pedestrianisation of the old bridge would force people living in Ballina to drive a significant distance out of their way onto an outer loop route to cross over the new bridge situated 1.2 kilometres downstream of the old bridge to get to Killaloe “This move to pedestrianise the old bridge would be totally discommoding for people.” Mr Whelan said the move to close the old bridge to motorised traffic would also have major impacts on the Killaloe side All traffic coming in from Ennis and West Clare would bypass the town via the new Killaloe bypass and new bridge “If we send them all out on the bypass they are going to end up in Limerick We need to keep things convenient for visitors,” he said As for the impacts on his own river cruise business Mr Whelan said: “It is not feasible for my customers to park in Killaloe and walk across the bridge it is not feasible for customers from Ballina to be expected to walk across to Killaloe We are a small rural community and we need to keep ourselves connected.” Business would also suffer in Ballina as traffic coming in from the Birdhill direction would bypass the town via the new bridge Mr Whelan said nobody was against the move to introduce a three-ton weight limit on vehicles using the old bridge which he said had to be kept open to motorised traffic to allow the fire brigade and gardaí stationed in Killaloe to get across to Ballina swiftly Mr Whelan said the current numbers of pedestrians using old bridge to walk between Ballina and Killaloe did not justify it closure to motorised traffic He said the local committee was planning a campaign of action aimed at preventing the pedestrianisation of the bridge “We have spoken to a lot of public representatives on the Tipperary and the Clare side and hopefully people power will have an impact.” Contacted for his reaction by The Guardian said of the pedestrianisation plan: “It would be an absolute disaster for the area You are adding three or four times to the journey length taken by local people to move between Ballina and Killaloe by forcing all motorised traffic out onto the bypass.” Mr Farrell said local businesses were still recovering from all the impacts of the Covid pandemic as well as the major traffic disruptions in the subsequent years since building works started on the new bridge and Killaloe bypass Mr Farrell urged the local authorities involved to undertake surveys to access traffic trends before making the radical move to close the old bridge to motorised traffic “Why not gather data first for 12 months and see then Mr Farrell said a lot of people on boths sides of the river were  very angry over the proposal which is currently going through a public consultation process Clare Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe said that following his meetings with local business people he felt the old and new bridge remain open to traffic for a number of months to enable an informed decision to be made While he accepted the argument that pedestrianising the old bridge might be beneficial for tourism he did not agree that locals should be forced out onto an outer loop route via the new bridge and bypass to move between the two towns “I think we should be facilitating the local motorist making the local route.” Predeceased by his parents Mick and Peg Gleeson and his sister Peggy Very sadly missed by his loving wife and best friend Margaret sons Ronan and Cathal and his daughter Gráinne wonderful neighbours and a wide circle of friends Reposing on Saturday February 8th at Keller's Funeral Home Nenagh (E45 XO94) from 5pm until 7pm Funeral arriving on Sunday to Our Lady of Lourdes Church Silvermines followed by burial in Ballinaclough Graveyard Liam's Funeral Mass can be viewed on (link to follow) The Gleeson family would like to acknowledge the excellent care and dignity provided to Liam who passed away peacefully surrounded by her family in the Palliative Care Community Hospital of the Assumption Thurles brothers and sisters John and Ann in infancy Deeply regretted and sadly missed by her loving daughter Mairead (Murray) great grandchildren John Milo and Ruth Margaret Hickey sisters in law Mary and Maura (Manchester) nephews nieces many friends and very kind neighbours May Bridie Rest in PeaceReposing at O’Dwyers funeral home Upperchurch (E41 FN34) on Saturday 8th of February from 5pm to 7.30pm followed by removal to St Mary’s Church Drombane Funeral Mass on Sunday at 1pm followed with burial in Upperchurch Cemetery.Family flowers only please Donations in lieu to Milford Hospice and the Palliative Care Bridie's family would like to thank the staff of Palliative Care Milford Care Team and community nurses who cared for her during her illness and final days Bridie's funeral mass can be viewed on the link https://churchcamlive.ie/upperchurchdrombane-parish/ It is with great sadness the we announce the death of Barry Fuller Co Cork) who passed away peacefully on Wednesday 5th February 2025 surrounded by his loving family He will be deeply missed by his beloved wife Eleanor Lovingly remembered by his twin sister Carmel and his brothers Tom and Oliver Clonmel (E91PK19) on Friday 7th February from 5pm with removal at 7pm to St Requiem Mass at 12noon on Saturday followed by burial in St The death has occurred of Aaron Healy Ballyanny Lower Peacefully surrounded by his heartbroken family partner & friends at University Hospital Limerick on Feb 5th 2025 Deeply regretted by his loving parents David & Martha and his brothers & sisters Ceri his loving partner Katie & her parents Caitriona & Trevor nieces nephews cousins relatives neighbours & friends His remains will arrive at St.Patrick's Church Puckane on Sunday for Requiem mass at 11 o'c followed by burial in Dromineer Graveyard Donations in lieu if desired to Limerick University Hospital" Passed away peacefully at home on February 5th 2025 Predeceased by her husband Liam and brother Pat Will be sadly missed by her daughter-in-law Margaret on Friday February 7th from 5.00pm to 7.00pm Requiem Mass on Saturday February 8th in St followed by burial in the adjoining Cemetery Mass will be live streamed by following the link below from 2.00pm on Saturday No flowers by request donations in lieu to Alzheimers Association of Ireland It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Richard Needham Ballinacloughy Mullinahone Pre-deceased by his loving son baby Richard ,parents Val and Josie Richard died Wednesday February 5th 2025 peacefully in the loving care of the staff in the Oak Ward Waterford University Hospital surrounded by his family Richard will be deeply missed by his loving wife Ann aunt Evelyn daughters-in-law Kim and Claire brothers-in-law Mullinahone (E41 EW94) on Saturday February 8th from 3pm to 5pm with mass and vigil prayers at 6pm Requiem Mass on Sunday February 9th in St Michael's Church Mullinahone at 12noon followed by a cremation service in The Island Crematorium Messages of sympathies for The Needham family may be left on the condolence section below. For those who would have liked to attend but cannot, you may view Richard's Funeral Mass on the link below: https://irishlivestream.com/bretts-funeral-directors Donations if desired to the Waterford Hospice Palliative Care Team :https://www.paypal.com/ie/fundraiser/charity/4614226 Goals win games and in this County Under 19 ‘A’ Hurling semi-final on Sunday Holycross/Ballycahill bagged three of them to send them into the decider and into a strong position to defend their crown won at the expense of Toomevara twelve months ago GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Under 19 ‘A’ Hurling Semi-Final the goal scored by the swashbuckling full forward Pierce Briody in the fifth minute was the difference between the sides for most of the game and catapulted the Mid men into a lead they would not surrender for the entirety of the game thereafter The victors suffered a number of hammer blows in the game but still had the wherewithal to eke out the win Centre back Jim Ryan departed the scene at the end of the first quarter having shipped a heavy tackle from Darragh McCarthy who was perhaps fortunate that the yellow card was not of a deeper hue Ryan was later air-lifted from the adjoining Templemore Athletic Club as concerns for his health escalated after he had deteriorated upon being substituted the centre back is recovering and will be okay Holycross were 1-3 to 0-4 in front – Toomevara responded to the goal setback by hitting six of the next seven scores in their best spell– Darragh McCarthy (3) Jack Hogan and Jake Hackett all adding to Austin Duff’s opener The game was opening up nicely at this stage with Holycross keeping their noses in front despite erratic shooting Robbie Ryan and substitute Sean Ryan pointed to cancel an Austin Duff effort and when they hit four in succession through Ryan the excellent Tony Maher (2) and Tiernan Ryan for a four point advantage as half time approached That lead was to be halved by the time referee Joe Leahy sounded the halfway whistle with Cathal Frend striking a fine long-range score to go along with another from Darragh McCarthy who was being well marshalled by the Holycross defence the signs were ominous for the North champions especially when Seanie McGrath pointed for Holycross within fifteen seconds of the re-start and then followed up with another two minutes later – McCarthy notching one for Toome’ in between But Holycross suffered another injury blow when midfielder and senior star James Doyle was forced off with a hand injury in the 35th minute – a big concern especially with two seniors now out of the team subs Sean Ryan and Eoin Hickey made significant contributions upon introduction with Hickey striking a peach of a point to break Cody Quirke and Austin Duff’s scoring momentum for Toomevara The breeze was beginning to tell now and Holycross were delivering clever ball into their attacking unit where Robbie Ryan who was struggling to find form thanks to the close attentions of the Toomevara defence added to by Sean Ryan – Darragh McCarthy (2) responding for Toomevara But Sean Ryan’s kicked goal in the 53rd minute was a superb effort having taken on the defence and run some forty yards before beating Darragh Hayes with a great finish – it was the score which broke Toome’s resistance and suggested that there was no way back for them the air ambulance helicopter was descending next door to Páirc Shilean and there were a number of delays as concerns mounted in the stands and the deafening sounds of the rotary blades dominated It took some minutes for play to resume and when it did Holycross found the scores to seal the game Darragh McCarthy and Patrick Hackett (2) had points for Toomevara put the match beyond the North men and gave the Holycross the victory they deserved albeit at a very high cost considering the injuries picked up – Liam Doyle and Jake Hackett trading points before the end as the match petered out The game never really reached the expected levels of excitement and the stoppages didn’t help matters either Holycross/Ballycahill were the better side but Toomevara will be disappointed not to have gotten into their rhythm apart from that spell in the first half Player of the Match: Tony Maher (Holycross/Ballycahill) Holycross/Ballycahill: James Dwyer (7); Cathal O’Reilly (7) 7) for J Doyle (35 inj); Conor O’Sullivan (NR) for Lohan (60+5); Jake Galvin (NR) for R Ryan (60+7) Toomevara: Darragh Hayes (6); Jack Ryan (6) Subs: Liam Hackett (6) for Farrell (38); David Conway (6) for O’Brien (46); Colm Maher (NR) for Gleeson (60+1) CAMOGIE: AIB Munster Club Intermediate Championship Semi-Final Player of the Match: Patrice Diggin (Clanmaurice) SCORERS – Moneygall: Caithlyn Treacy 0-8 frees; Mairead Teehan 1-1 Clanmaurice: Patrice Diggin 0-6 (5 frees); Jackie Horgan 1-2; Amy O’Sullivan 1-1; Aoife Behan 0-3; Laura Collins 0-2; Ann Marie Leen It’s the end of the road in 2024 for the Moneygall intermediate camogie side after defeat at the hands of the reigning All Ireland club champions Clanmaurice of Kerry in the Munster club semi-final on Saturday The newly crowned Tipperary champions can have very little complaint as they were second best on the day and despite a strong start to the second half where they had the gap back to just four points and were well on top a 48th minute goal from Jackie Horgan halted all Moneygall’s momentum and ended their challenge as the defending champions would then see out the game fairly comfortably While it was a disappointing end to the year for Moneygall they can be very happy with their year overall as they achieved their main aim for the year by capturing the Tipperary intermediate championship and will return to the senior ranks next year Despite being second best for most of the game the North Tipp outfit never gave up and showed great spirit all through and can be very proud of their efforts against what is a very strong Clanmaurice outfit who backbone the Kerry county team and Patrice Diggin who seemed to cover every blade of grass on the pitch Clanmaurice were first on the scoresheet with two points in the space of thirty seconds in the third minute with Laura Collins first up after being setup by Jackie Horgan and then Amy O’Sullivan added a second with a fine individual effort Moneygall were nearly in for a goal following a strong run from Mairead Teehan and after laying a pass off for Niamh Larkin but there was too much on the pass and the ball ended up going wide where a goal at this stage might have giving the game a totally different outlook The red & blacks did open their account in the fifth minute through a Caithlyn Treacy free but from the resultant puckout Laura Collins pointed for Clanmaurice Treacy added another free for the home side in the sixth minute but after this the Kerry side upped their game and Moneygall struggled to cope with what was a very strong forward unit who would hit 1-6 unanswered Aoife Behan would be first up with a superb score from distance followed by two scores from Julieanne O’Keeffe and Jackie Horgan following a mis-hit free from Moneygall keeper Eimear Ryan Clanmaurice were in for their first goal in the thirteenth minute following a wonderful team move which ended with Amy O’Sullivan hitting a powerful shot to the back of the net Aoife Behan hit another fine point from distance before Patrice Diggin added a free from near halfway which was followed by a fine effort from Horgan from out by the sideline Moneygall responded in the 22nd minute through another Treacy free but the team from the kingdom would hit the next two scores through a Diggin free and then Ann Marie Leen after a puckout went wrong for Moneygall Moneygall would have the final say of the half through another Caithlyn Treacy free to leave the score at the break Clanmaurice opened the scoring in the second half after 68 seconds through a Patrice Diggin point from play Moneygall would respond through another Treacy free before Mairead Teehan found the back of the net in the 35th minute with her sides first score from play after a fine run from Niamh Larkin after the ball broke to her and she passed to Teehan who unleashed a bullet of a shot to the net Diggin added another for the away side from a free but then Moneygall would go on a scoring streak and hit the next four points as they started to slowly work their way back in to the game Caithlyn Treacy hit two frees which was followed by a fine effort from Mairead Teehan with the same player having a goal chance soon after but her effort was blocked Treacy added another to leave just four in it and all the momentum seemed to be with the Tipp champions now but that soon evaporated in the 48th minute when following a fine move involving Diggin and Amy O’Sullivan ended with Jackie Horgan finishing to the back of the net This goal killed off all momentum for the home side and Clanmaurice saw out the game comfortable scoring the final three points through Aoife Behan and two frees from Diggin TEAMS – Moneygall: Eimear Ryan (6); Katie Hayes (6) Subs: Emma Costello (6) for Larkin (53); Amy Ryan (6) for Hayes (55); Orlaith Cleary (6) for A Maher (56) Subs: Elaine Ryall (6) for O’Keeffe (51 mins) Shannon Bridge Crossing and R494 Improvement Scheme is anticipated to be completed in spring 2025 On completion of the new Shannon Bridge Crossing and on the date of its operation to traffic Tipperary County Council and Clare County Council intend to pedestrianise the existing Killaloe-Ballina bridge to close the existing bridge to vehicular traffic and provide pedestrian and cycle access will commence in January 2025 under Section 38 of the Roads Act In advance of the formal Section 38 process in January it is intended to hold an informal public information session for the communities of Ballina and Killaloe on Wednesday 18th December 2024 in the Kincora Hotel Communities and residents are invited to drop in at any time between 5pm and 7pm to view the proposals for the closure to vehicular traffic of the existing R496 Ballina-Killaloe bridge Proposals to provide pedestrian and cyclist access and planned enhancements of the existing bridge in accordance with the Killaloe-Ballina Town Enhancement and Mobility Strategy The information session will be hosted jointly by Tipperary County Council and Clare County Council and staff from both Councils will be available to discuss the proposals The new bypass of Killaloe is due to open to traffic before the end of the current year while the new bridge across the River Shannon in the same locality is scheduled to be opened in March or April of next year elected members were informed at a meeting of Tipperary County Council on Monday in Nenagh Work on upgrading the R494 between Birdhill and Ballina is ongoing and that too is expected to be completed next March or April Members of the council are due to visit the area before Christmas to inspect the works especially the long-awaited new bridge that should greatly reduce traffic congestion in the Ballina and Killaloe areas The existing bridge between Ballina and Killaloe will have to be closed for repair work though this will not happen until after the new crossing opens next year a meeting of Nenagh Municipal District was told Local councillor Phyll Bugler wanted Tipperary County Council to repair a break on the bridge which she understood would require a specialist sealant and a specialist company to carry out the work A reply to her notice of motion stated the break is in a section of the bridge that was designed to open to allow for passage of large boats but which has not been open for many decades The road surface has “failed” at this location and the council is continuing to monitor it with a view to closing the bridge for repair work after the new Shannon crossing opens Cllr Bugler said cars are being damaged on the bridge District Engineer Barry Murphy said an interim repair was carried out in 2019 The council could not contemplate closing the bridge now “unless an absolute emergency” It would tackle the problem once the new bridge opens Residents of a housing estate on the Killaloe side of the new Shannon crossing have signed a petition seeking a high wall and crash barriers for their estate Construction of the new bridge and Killaloe bypass is making good progress with both of these elements of the project on target to be complete by early next year But the work has resulted in the creation of a new road running adjacent to the Shantraud Woods estate the height of which has sparked concern among local residents “The road is currently over a metre higher than the boundary wall and lots of houses have big safety concerns should a vehicle leave the road,” said Shantraud resident Karen Hickey “Our homes and gardens should be safe spaces for our children.” the residents point out that the road will carry a significant volume of traffic once the new bridge between Ballina and Killaloe opens will pose safety issues as well as noise and light pollution for houses in the estate some of which are already below the road level and “subject to strong lights from site machinery and vehicles” “Knowing a high wall and crash barriers are in place will reduce the fear that current safe spaces where our children play will be under constant threat of a vehicle crashing through endangering lives,” the Shantraud residents’ petition states The residents also raise concerns in relation to security and privacy claiming that the absence of a boundary wall or barrier “leaves our homes at high risk from opportunistic break-ins and burglaries” They also make the point about property being devalued A wall would assist the residents in maintaining Shantraud enhancing their estate and keeping it litter-free “We believe that the construction of a wall and addition of crash barriers would greatly benefit the residents of Shantraud Woods by addressing these concerns,” the petition concludes “We urge Clare County Council and relevant stakeholders to take our petition into serious consideration and initiate these two actions the residents are open to discussions and are willing to collaborate to ensure the wall is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.” The residents have been in contact with local representatives as well as Clare Co Council about the situation Ms Hickey made it clear that “as residents safety of the children in our estate and residents in their gardens is paramount.” The matter was discussed at a meeting of the council’s Killaloe Municipal District last week Civil engineer with the council and project liaison officer Padraic Cullen said a request was made for a meeting with a small delegation of residents This is to be facilitated by local councillor Tony O'Brien Mr Cullen said the council has referred the residents’ concerns to project consultants RPS and the meeting would take place after they have been addressed “We are aware of their concerns and we have forwarded their concerns to the project consultants,” Mr Cullen said “We're waiting for the consultants to provide a response.” He added that there have been “numerous political representations” made on the residents' behalf As lead local authority in the three-phase Shannon crossing project Mr Cullen said Clare Co Council is satisfied with the progress being made Completion of the Killaloe bypass is targeted for the last quarter of this year The new bridge between Shantraud on the Killaloe side and Roolagh on the Ballina side is targeted for completion in for Q1 Mr Cullen anticipated that the upgrade of the R494 Ballina-Birdhill road would be fully complete by the middle of next year Update on the traffic management in place from Monday Southbound lane is live with the northbound land closed under temporary traffic lights Section 3: Construction of ATC2 to commence adjacent to Larkin’s Garage Road narrowing in this location but two lanes of traffic Section 6: Temporary traffic lights to move further south and bridge Section 6 & 7 following permanent surfacing of new carriageway and Kilmastulla Bridge Section 7: Temporary access formed into Shannon Side Business Park and connecting to existing R494 for residents is ongoing Kincora Roundabout: Manned plant crossing during work hours for plant entering the works area Hill Road: Staggered junction in effect as per permanent design Staggered junction in effect as per permanent design Three-way temporary traffic lights in place utilising the new roundabout surface the alarm was raised when a vessel with two persons on board got into difficulty at Ballina Quay The vessel lost control in strong currents and ended up stuck under the first arch on the Ballina side of the bridge It had been damaged in the impact but fortunately was not taking on water A multi-agency response involved units from Killaloe Coast Guard R115 from Shannon Airport and the National Ambulance Service from the Scariff station Killaloe Coast Guard set up a line from Ballina Quay and manoeuvred the rescue boat back onto the causality vessel A crew member was transferred on board and removed the two occupants from the vessel The Coast Guard boat then brought the two persons to Ballina Quay and once everyone was safely ashore and no injuries were reported After an assessment of the vessel Killaloe Coast Guard attempted to tow the vessel but failed on the first attempt due to strong currents Following discussion between the officers on scene the Killaloe Fire and Rescue service set up a winch from the stern of the vessel back to Ballina Quay; the Coast Guard crew also set up a tow line from the stern of the vessel The vessel was safely removed from the bridge after almost four hours of great teamwork between both crews and moored at Ballina Quay Nenagh steelwork company Mack Engineering provided the bridge for a major new infrastructure project at Athy Officially opened by An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the end of last month the bridge was one element of the €13 million Athy Distributor Road project It is part of a new 3.4km section of road that crosses the River Barrow and provides a southern bypass of the existing town The fabrication and assembly of the beams were carried out by Mack Engineering at the company's Nenagh base and transported to Kildare where they were re-assembled and installed by the company were delighted to attend the official opening of the road on October 31 along with other members of the team involved in the project delivery It is the latest chapter in the success story of this rapidly-growing Nenagh business which specialises in everything from the design through to the fabrication delivery and fitting of often complex steel structures the business relocated last year to its state-of-the-art custom-built production facility on a four-acre site at Stereame Mack Engineering has grown from an initial operation of just four people to employing more than 50 The company also works closely with a number of local subcontractors It is involved in major building projects throughout Ireland Among other notable recent projects is the new Cllr Dan Joe Fitzgerald Boardwalk in Mallow The Nenagh company is presently assembling the steel components of all six bridges for the Limerick-Foynes railway line which is to reopen for freight transport next year Mack Engineering also provides the structures for hospitals schools and pharmaceutical plants around the country; another recently-completed project was the new Limerick Educate Together Secondary School at Castletroy The extent to which this new Nenagh business has come in such a short time has been recognised as they continue to work on and deliver on key projects around the country including the new Eli Lilly factory in Limerick and several data centres in the Dublin region You can watch a video about Mack Engineering's involvement in the Athy bypass project here Supply chains to contractor affected by Russia’s war The disruption to supplies of materials that has resulted from the invasion of Ukraine by Russia more than four months ago has now become an issue for a major road and bridge scheme in this area The commencement of work on the major upgrade scheme on the R494 Birdhill to Ballina road and the construction of a new crossing of the Shannon at Ballina has been impinged upon now by the war situation which has erupted since the awarding of the contract for the €44m scheme the lead authority for the scheme has confirmed that “supply chain issues” are currently under discussion with the contractor to clear the way for work to commence on the major scheme It is now approaching a quarter of a century since the plans were initially discussed for a new crossing of the Shannon at Ballina-Killaloe to alleviate the traffic congestion that has existed at the location for decades during peak times of the day and at weekends the major upgrade of the R494 from the Birdhill roundabout to the crossing point of the new bridge at Ballina the erection of a new bridge on the Birdhill side of Ballina and a bypass of Killaloe was designed and the land and property to facilitate the route acquired Following the planning procedure and an oral hearing the tender prior information for the work was published in December 2019 and the design was substantially completed in the second quarter of 2020 Tenders for the works contract were received in November 2021 and following on approval by the Department of Transport was granted in December 2021 to award the works contract to the recommended successful tenderer for the works The works contract was awarded on February 16 A minor works contract for site clearance and laying a section of sewer was completed last year A spokesperson for Clare County Council has confirmed that the works contract was due to commence on March 16 2022 with the scheme to take approximately three years to complete He explained: “The contractor is currently sorting out supply chain issues which have arisen as a consequence primarily of the war in Ukraine and is in discussions with Clare Co Co as the lead authority.” “It is absolutely great news for the impending development of the new Ballina/Killaloe bridge that the Minister for Transport has signed off on the tender to go out for its construction,” Deputy Alan Kelly said “This is a massive step in the project and one I’ve worked on and fought for for many years I initially put this project on the Government’s capital plan in 2015 Tenders will now go out and it’s aimed that a contract will be awarded to the winning contractor by the end of the year which would allow the project to commence in 2022 with an expected three year construction period There has already been extensive pre works done and CPO of lands is concluding Approximately €13/14m has been spent on the project to date and it is expected that the total cost of the project will be somewhere between €60-70m “This is a great day for Ballina/Killaloe and the wider area This project will change the landscape of the wider locality and help socially “I will continue to keep everyone informed as the project develops and I’d like to thank my colleague Cllr Fiona Bonfield the Dept of Transport and both Tipperary and Clare County Councils for all their work to date.” Nenagh councillors accept review on Part 8 proposal for development of cultural quarter A plan to redevelop Nenagh’s Historic and Cultural Quarter has been given the go-ahead by the town's nine councillors following a special meeting to discuss the Chief Executive’s report in the Part 8 public consultation on the proposal which when fully implemented could cost around €40m the enterprise hub at the former Rialto cinema and residential development It was put out for public consultation last year with submissions closing in January There were 16 submissions made by the public which were taken on board in the final report given to councillors last week said that the Council was trying to achieve a masterplan for the area that would not be funded all from the same source “These are significant heritage assets within minutes’ walk of each other and we have to see how we can utilise them and bring them back,” she said Ms Joyce said that there had been a “major amount of public consultation” going back to 2021 and the Council had met various interests and had market tested the plans through Fáilte Ireland ahead of putting the Part 8 public consultation on display it is proposed to reinstate the original entrance to Nenagh Castle via a bridge over the ruins at its barbican; refurbish the former Nenagh Gaol’s governor’s house and gaol cell block in the grounds of the courthouse and demolish the Civil Defence building in the courthouse carpark Among those making a submission were the Sisters of Mercy who have a convent at the rear of the Heritage Centre In their submission they state that they are the owners of the gatehouse the governor’s house and all the grounds from the gatehouse inwards which includes the Sisters’ residence the governor’s house and gatehouse are on lease to the County Council; no permission to carry out works has been given to the County Council by the Community of Sisters who reside on the property; to construct the proposed gantry between the gaol block is a breach of the boundary of the property of the Sisters of Mercy which was defined when the property was acquired by the Sisters in the early 1900s; the installation / construction of a County Council operated and financed entrance barrier is unacceptable to the owners and residents of the convent property; meetings between the Sisters of Mercy and TCC were attended by Nenagh District Administrator the Chief Executive’s review states that there is an indenture dated February 1906 from Tipperary (North Riding) County Council leasing the buildings to the Bishop of Killaloe and the Parish Priest of Nenagh for a period of 999 years The Sisters of Mercy provided a lease to Tipperary County Council for 50 years from October 2003 in respect of the governor’s house and gatehouse The review recommends that all development relating to the gatehouse governor’s house and the associated grounds will be carried out in consultation with and only with the agreement of the Sisters of Mercy A number of individuals also made submissions including a call to relocate the Civil Defence building ahead of its demolition and that it must be kept in the town; concerns over the loss of car parking at the courthouse; the suggestion that the plan include a space to celebrate the work of Shane MacGowan and a look at traffic management and the need for bus shelters The Council noted the submissions and pointed out that it was planned to establish a transport hub at the railway station.Another submission raised concerns over the width of footpaths under the proposal A number of submissions related to having 35 and 36 Pearse Street restored under the plan the recommendation states that the buildings are not included in the Part 8 as proposed These buildings are not in the ownership of the Council the future of the buildings can again be considered in conjunction with the Department said in their submission that it understood that some of the prisoners in the gaol in the 19th century spoke lrish They suggested that the lives of the prisoners would be celebrated as part of the project and that Conradh na Gaelige could assist with that The review states that in the development and delivery of the experience for the gaol complex consideration can be given as to how the lrish language can be incorporated into the story The review recommended no change to the plan based on any of the submissions received The review’s conclusion was that the plan be implemented Local councillor Hughie McGrath has asked Tipperary Co Council to look at ways of enhancing St John's Well at Brookwatson on the bank of the Nenagh River Speaking at the April meeting of the council's Nenagh Municipal District he described the historic site as a "hidden jewell on the walkway" St John's Well is a "tranquil place" and something should be done about it in developing the river walk Cllr McGrath also drew the council's attention to the old bridge crossing further up the river at the rear of Millersbrook estate "It's a fabulous old bridge," said Cllr McGrath who regretted that the structure has been blocked off for many years He wondered if the bridge could be made safe again Catherine Seale-Duggan of the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) said she would meet Cllr McGrath at the river to look at the sites; there may be funding available for the well Tipperary County Council is “genuinely worried” about the implications for leading construction projects planned for the county such as the new multi-million euro bridge over the River Shannon John Nolan a senior engineer with the local authority has said Speaking at the April meeting of the council Cllr Phyll Bugler said local people were worried that the new bridge planned at Ballina-Killaloe may not go ahead as scheduled due to rising costs in building materials and the high level of inflation Mr Nolan said the council’s concern about the planned project stemmed from issues such as the recent outbreak of the war in Ukraine and how that would impact on major construction projects planned in County Tipperary He said the council were awaiting the deliberations of the Department of Finance in relation to the changed economic situation and could not itself provide “a magic answer” for communities such as those in Ballina-Killaloe concerned about the implications sparked by issues such as spiralling building costs Mr Nolan stressed that the council was pushing ahead with progressing all major construction projects planned for the county In the case of the planned Shannon crossing a contract had been signed and the finalisation of a planned programme of works from the successful tender appointed to carry out the works was imminent But Mr Nolan said contractors who had signed up to major projects like that in Ballina-Killaloe were now themselves wondering how the Government was going to view such construction schemes in the light of the real challenges posed by the war and issues such as rising inflation and hike in building costs The contract for the construction of the long awaited bridge was finally signed just under four months ago and was welcomed by members of the local community who have had to put up with traffic gridlock because the centuries-old existing bridge is too narrow to cope with modern day traffic volumes Just before Christmas Tipperary and Clare County Councils announced that John Sisk & Sons (Holdings) Ltd had been award the €43.7 million contract to build the new bridge will include much more than just the bridge itself The project will include major improvement works on the R494 Birdhill-Ballina road that will lead on to the new crossing from the Tipperary side of the river The works will also include the construction of a by-pass of the town of Killaloe and a cycle lane will be developed along the length of the entire scheme The current walkway along the Nenagh River which will be developed into a greenway Major plans for a greenway along the Nenagh River were unveiled at the January meeting of Nenagh Municipal District The plan will see a four-metre wide track for walkers and cyclists stretching from Lisbunny on the Limerick road to Scott’s Bridge on the Borrisokane road Paddy Crowley of the council's environment section told councillors that the preliminary design work by Timoney Feehily was almost complete and it was hoped to lodge a planning application for the amenity this year with Cllr Seamus Morris describing it as “an important piece of infrastructure” he raised concerns over the need to cross the “dangerous and busy” road at Old Birr Road and asked that if the sightlines at the bridge could be improved He was supported by Cllr Joe Hannigan who asked if a footpath could be incorporated into the design to allow pedestrian access to Rivervale Pitch and Putt course He also hoped that the greenway would eventually reach the lakeside village of Dromineer which is served by the Slí Eala riverbank walk District Cathaoirleach Cllr Hughie McGrath also asked that the prospect of a footpath to the pitch and putt course be looked but pointed out that the brief was for a greenway and Mr Crowley would have to focus on that Cllr Morris said that staff at Rivervale Nursing Home had to walk along the narrow roadway at present to get to and from work The road was described as “blind and narrow” by Cllr Ger Darcy Cllr Michael O’Meara said that the council “should be proud of this” District manager Marcus O’Connor told councillors that the council was planning to take the walkway away from the bridge at Old Birr Road but that was going to need negotiations with local landowners Planning is progressing on a new greenway for walkers and cyclists along the banks of the Nenagh River local councillors were informed at their January municipal meeting Council official Paddy Crowley briefed elected members on the plan to create the greenway stretching along the edge of the waterway from the bridge at Lisboney just north of the town's Leisure Centre to the bridge beside the AIBP plant on the main N52 councillors would like to see a greenway stretching along the river from Nenagh to its confluence with Lough Derg at Dromineer But for now the focus is on developing an amenity on one specific stretch closer to the town itself Mr Crowley said the council received funding last year from the National Transport Authority to progress the four-metre wide greenway over the stretch from Lisboney to the main Borrisokane Road He said the council had since commissioned consultants to design the greenway and to liaise with stakeholders Cllr John Carroll said the greenway would be a hallmark development for the town He expressed the hope that a greenway along the river could in future be developed on to the mouth of the river at Dromineer Mr Crowley said the greenway currently in the pipeline was just part of what everyone hoped would be a bigger jigsaw ultimately But for now the focus was on creating the stretch that was “the urban greenway” Cllr Michael O' Meara said a huge amount of negotiations had taken place with landowners to get to the current stage of planning “It has taken a fair bit of work to get it to this stage with input from all sides,” he said He said councillors had played a vital part in the negotiations which he felt was important as landonwers knew who they were dealing with Cllr Seamus Morris described what was proposed as a very important piece of infrastructure for the town he felt a potential hazard to users lay midway along the proposed greenway - the narrow bridge situated on a sharp bend on the road on the town side of the pitch and putt course He said the road here was “very dangerous” and he felt ways of making it safer would have to be examined for people travelling on the greenway there was a need to address the hazard as many people from the town walked over the bridge when going to and from the local pitch and putt course and Riverdale Nursing Home but he felt that one should be provided to lessen the traffic hazards posed to pedestrians Cllr Morris agreed with Cllr Joe Hannigan that it should be possible to extend the existing pathway over the bridge and on to the pitch and putt course and nursing home Cathaoirleach Hughie McGrath agreed that a footpath be developed He said the owner of lands in the locality was willing to cooperate with such a plan One difficulty he saw was that the area in question did not qualify for Active Travel funds which is the source of many footpath developments But he said an alternative source of funding should be looked at Council Director Marcus O' Connor said the local authority would try to take the greenway crossing at the Old Birr Road at Kyleeragh away from the dangerous bridge Such a move would involve negotiations with landowners Mr O' Connor said extending the footpath from the bridge to the pitch and putt course and nursing home was something the council would have to work on funding streams were limited as the new footpath was outside the urban speed limit An artist's impression of what the new bridge will look like A major infrastructure project that will see a new bridge be created between Ballina and Killaloe across part of the River Shannon has received the green light Tipperary County Council were pleased to announce that approval has been granted by the Department of Transport to Clare County Council to award the contract for the Killaloe Bypass Shannon Crossing and R494 Road Improvement project to John Sisk & Sons (Holdings) Ltd The contract value is €43.7-million plus VAT and the scheme will include a cycle lane over its entire length The Project Team for this scheme consisting of Clare County Council Department of Transport and scheme consultants RPS Consulting Engineers have been progressing the delivery of this important piece of infrastructure for the Mid-West over the past number of years Nenagh councillors disagree on hail-prone M7 Cathaoirleach of the Municipal District said: “This is fantastic news for Ballina/Killaloe and the wider North Tipperary/East Clare area It will get rid of the long-standing queues at the old bridge and improve the quality of life in the twin towns and allow them achieve their full potential as a premier destination in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands" Tipperary County Council said: “We have been working on this scheme with our colleagues in Clare County Council and the Department of Transport for over 15 years It’s one of the biggest non-national road schemes in the country and will have a transformative impact on Ballina and its hinterland."The proposed Killaloe Bypass Shannon Bridge Crossing and R494 Improvement Scheme will provide a western bypass of Killaloe a new bridge crossing of the River Shannon and an upgrade of the existing R494 regional road from Ballina to the N7 at Bridhill The entire scheme is approximately 6.2km and will cross the River Shannon approximately 1km to the south of the existing Killaloe Bridge and will cross the Kilmastulla River (a tributary of the River Shannon and part of the Lower River Shannon SAC) on the R494 The proposed scheme has been broken down into three sections as follows: Killaloe Bypass: This part of the scheme aims to create a western bypass around the town of Killaloe which will connect the R463 to the north of town with the proposed Shannon Bridge Crossing section and R463 to the south of the town Shannon Bridge Crossing: This section of the scheme will cross the River Shannon approximately 1km south of the existing Killaloe Bridge and will connect the proposed Killaloe Bypass with the R494 R494 Upgrade: This section will involve widening regrading and local realignment of the R494 from its junction with the R496 and proposed Shannon Bridge Crossing south of Ballina as far as the junction with the R445 (previously known as N7) north of Birdhill Christmas and New Year opening hours for services and amenities in Nenagh Tipperary County Council have announced intention to close the R-494-0 from the Birdhill roundabout to Ballina (Roolagh) each night from 8pm to 5am from Thursday The alternative route via R-496-0 at Ayrestown to Ballina will be sign posted The work marks another stage in the process of completing the re-alignment of the Birdhill to Ballina road in conjunction with the construction of the new bridge crossing of the Shannon at Ballina and bypass of Killaloe which has now reached an advanced stage of completion The new crossing of the Shannon will relieve traffic congestion back up on the Birdhill road at peak times which has caused long delays to road users The completion of the project will provide an excellent link from Killaloe via the new bridge to Birdhill to link with the Limerick-Dublin M7 motorway at the Birdhill intersection Members of Nenagh Municipal District have praised Tipperary Co Council on the volume of road works achieved in what they agreed was a difficult year with a lot of bad weather Cllr John Carroll was particularly happy with bridge work progress in Templederry and at Tyone Cllr Ger Darcy asked the council to look at a section of road at Ballinamurra where potholes are forming despite works being carried out recently He also drew the council's attention to an "unmerciful bump" on the Nenagh side of Carrigahorig where milk lorries are spilling some of their load Cllr Joe Hannigan said there is a similar problem on the Portumna side of the village Cllr Phyll Bugler wanted to the council to remedy a four-foot drop off the side of the R503 between Millbrae and Annaholty District Engineer Barry Murphy said road markings could be used to highlight the edge on the R503 but it would not be possible to put a barrier on the bog rampart there The council resurfaced the road and put signage in place Carrigatoher: council to revisit bus stop request Nenagh Municipal District Council is to revisit an appeal by Cllr John Carroll for a bus stop at the Yellow Bridge The council had previously refused permission for a stop at the same location Cllr Carroll said the facility would serve four parishes and people had to travel out of their way to catch a bus He also pointed out that traffic numbers had reduced on the road Cllr Hughie McGrath has welcomed the announcement that the costings to develop Gills Garden in Nenagh are being examined by Nenagh Municipal District Council The project will be developed by Nicholas de Jong Associates “I welcome the progress being made on Gills Garden It will be a great asset to the town,” said Cllr McGrath Tipperary County Council's environment section is to be asked to investigate Cloughjordan bottle bank after Cllr Ger Darcy revealed that bottles are being left beside it and are being broken The environment section is also to examine the issue of people dumping domestic rubbish in public bins in Borrisokane following a request by Cllr Joe Hannigan Re-alignment of R494 from Birdhill to Ballina Work is progressing on construction of the re-aligned R494 from Birdhill to Ballina towards the expected completion of the €40m plus project of a new crossing of the Shannon and new infrastructure on both sides of the river which will see a restructuring of the road from the intersection with the village of Birdhill and the link road to the M7 Motorway at Birdhill to the village of Ballina marks a long awaited redevelopment to ease traffic congestion on the route The realignment of the road involves the upgrading of sections of the existing road with newly constructed sections to achieve overall higher quality of the route and ultimately lead to an easing of the major traffic congestion which has been the experience for many years on the approach to the village of Ballina Among the more major parts of the work on the Birdhill side are the crossings of the Limerick-Ballybrophy railway line A new bridge over the Kilmastulla river is nearing completion at Coole where an adjacent farm underpass has also been provided the preparatory work for the construction of the new bridge over the railway line is continuing with substantial work to be carried out on the elevation of the new road lever to align with the height of the new bridge and eliminate the humpback bridge While traffic delays are currently being experienced for road users with traffic lights controlled single line traffic arrangements in place to facilitate the work the current system has avoided complete road closure so far in the execution of the work It is now approaching a quarter of a century since the plans for a second crossing of the Shannon at Ballina-Killaloe and upgrading of the R494 road Birdhill to Ballina as well as a bypass of Killaloe were being drafted The completion of the project in 2024 will bring long awaited ease to road users and hopefully eliminate or reduce the long delays that have been endured by motorists using the R494 for many years which were particularly exacerbated at evening time and weekends Congratulations to Abbie McInerney and her teacher Ms Lee for their work in the St Angela’s Healthy Home Chef Competition 2024 Abbie was selected to travel to Sligo to make her dish The competition was open to all post-primary schools on the island of Ireland as well as Youthreach Centres in the Republic Congratulations and a heartfelt well done to Áine and Aoife who represented Newport College in Rowing Ireland’s School Regatta recently in O’Brien’s Bridge The girls joined each other to race together in the doubles WJ16 and placed first Best of luck to our class of ’24 who have started their practical exams for their Leaving Certificate over the past week We are very proud of Newport College student Ike Manjor who has togged out for the U15s Ireland national squad in Italy Ike will be taking part in the Torneo Delle Nazioni in Udine against UAE and North Macedonia Well done to all of our athletes who competed recently in the Tipperary Schools Athletics competition in Templemore Our U19 squad drew with Coláiste Mhuire Co-Ed in the Dan Cotter Memorial Cup Final Thanks to Newport Town AFC for providing the venue for the match and for allowing the use of their wonderful facilities Work is progressing quite satisfactorily on the R494 Killaloe Bypass and Shannon Crossing and you are advised to note the traffic management currently in place across the project including upcoming changes that has been issued by Sisk Section 2 (Roolagh to Equestrian Centre): Southbound Lane to become live on December 4 with the swapping over of the Stop/Go system currently in place Section 3 (Equestrian Centre to Larkin’s Garage): No change Section 6: Southbound Lane to become live on November 22 with swapping over of the Stop/Go system currently in place Section 7: (Hayes’ farm to Birdhill Roundabout): No change Shantraud: Extending of works area to proposed tie-in points of new design The same traffic management scheme with temporary traffic lights in place to accommodate construction of roundabout Creeveroe Road: No change – Stop/Go plant crossing in place during work hours Hill Road: No change – Stop/Go plant crossing in place during work hours Senator Timmy Dooley and MEP Billy Kelleher visited the Killaloe Bypass/Shannon Crossing sites While they are delighted to report that the entire project is at an advanced stage they feel that it will be about 18 months before the new Shannon crossing will be operational Last week the people of Killaloe/Ballina were delighted to see the first steel beam in position as part of the new Shannon crossing This section is 40m long and a 500-tonne crane was needed to lift the beam into place a new bridge crossing of the river Shannon and an upgrade of the existing R494 regional road from Ballina to the N7 at Birdhill The entire scheme is approximately 6.2km and will cross the Shannon approximately 1km to the south of the existing Killaloe Bridge and will cross the Kilmastulla River on the R494 construction work on the long-awaited new bridge between Ballina and Killaloe is to commence imminently together with difficulty sourcing building material as a result of the war in Ukraine had led to fears of the project being further delayed Director of Services with Tipperary Co Council Marcus O'Connor has confirmed that contractor John Sisk & Sons would be commencing work in the next week or so As well as a new crossing between Ballina and Killaloe which will be located approximately 1km downstream of the existing bridge the multi-million scheme will involve a bypass of Killaloe and an upgrade of the R494 Ballina-Birdhill road It has a projected timeframe of three years who has been campaigning for the new crossing for years “This project has been an absolute priority for me all my political career,” he stated I ensured that this project was put in the capital plan and that’s how we have got to this day There have been many ups and downs with legal objections and delays but the preliminary works that began in 2020 showed this project would go ahead Now that all issues have been resolved with the contractor “I spent a significant amount of time over the last week informing locals about this progress as many had questions when they saw works commencing I want to thank the Office of Government Procurement and the Department of Transport for getting this work commenced surface stripping to allow for archaeological checks the creation of a temporary access road and excavating for piling of supports on the riverbed “I expect construction to go on until late 2024 I have been in touch with the council and an Garda Síochána regarding the traffic management plan for the area during this construction phase There will be challenges but we will get through them The benefits of this are enormous to the locality Local councillor Phyll Bugler warmly welcomed news of the project commencement something she said people in Ballina and Killaloe have been waiting for “for a very long time” She said the need for a new crossing is particularly apparent at this time of year with regular traffic jams in the twin towns Cllr Bugler has been campaigning for a new bridge and comprehensive improvement of the Ballina-Birdhill road since 2004 She anticipated that the project would bring short-term difficulty with traffic diversions closure of the R494 and use of the R496 Portroe road Cllr Bugler said she would be meeting with the project team to ascertain precise details with regard to the phases and timescales of the project Tipperary TD Jackie Cahill has also welcomed news that the long-awaited works are commencing “I’m pleased with the very positive news that works are commencing at long last on the new Shannon crossing in Ballina/Killaloe,” Deputy Cahill stated “There had been some worry locally in recent times that this major infrastructure project had been delayed and I am pleased to say that following significant efforts Minister Michael McGrath announced that the State would ensure that key infrastructure projects would not be delayed as a result of the increasing cost of construction by covering much of the inflationary costs it is vital that the Government stepped in to avoid obstructive delays in a number of such projects,” Deputy Cahill said “I am glad to learn that progress has finally been made in relation to the new Shannon crossing and I would like to thank Minister McGrath personally for his work with me in relation to this Ballina and Killaloe are currently choked with traffic The new bridge over the River Shannon at Ballina/Killaloe is scheduled to open well into the year of 2025 local Labour Party TD Alan Kelly as ascertained Deputy Kelly recently put down a question in the Dáil for Transport Minister Eamon Ryan asking when the bridge would be completed The minister said it was his  understanding that the scheme will be completed in in the third quarter of 2025 There was great delight throughout the district last weekend at the announcement that the R494 is scheduled to re-open on this Friday Please note the following update on R494 upgrade and Killaloe Bypass: R494: Section 1 (Roolagh Roundabout) – Lifting of beams at East Abutment of STO1; demobilisation of crane has commenced; Stop & Go in place to remove sections of jib Section 2 (Roolagh to Equestrian Centre) – New Traffic Management plan in place from May 3 Sections 6/7 – Both sections will open to two-way traffic from Friday Kincora Roundabout: manned plant crossing during work hours for plant entering works area Traffic management to swap to southbound lane until May 20 Clarisford Road: Temporary diversion to facilitate earthworks will be in place from Wednesday Four Nenagh women marched 90,000 steps out of lockdown by walking the Lough Derg Way in a single day last month Geraldine Kyne and Majella Moyles - all members of Nenagh Triathlon Club - donned their walking boots and hiked the epic 70 kilometres - or 90,000 steps - from Limerick to Tipperary The mammoth hike began at 5.45am from Limerick City’s tourist office and finished at Dromineer outside Nenagh at 8.30pm on Saturday The women’s journey involved walking a foot blistering 70 kilometres of the Lough Derg Way and included an elevation gain of 993 metres The Lough Derg Way follows parts of the River Shannon and includes a variety of terrains and views including: old stone narrow bridges along the canal mountain trails and across a number of fields and farm land “The experience of walking Lough Derg Way was enjoyed by all of us The day we did the hike we got perfect weather which made it much more enjoyable The craic throughout the whole day was mighty and we were joined for the last 30km by others who had fresher legs and motivated us for the final leg of the hike,” said Majella Moyles The women trained for the day-long walk during lockdown and after restrictions were lifted “During Covid-19 restrictions we all remained fit and active within our own 5km radius,” added Majella Coum and the Galtees to improve our strength and endurance During one of those hikes we agreed to do the Lough Derg Way in a single day as a challenge,” explained Geraldine Kyne The four women all enjoyed different parts of the Lough Derg Way “I really loved the route going up to Tountinna and down the other side Moylussa across the lake in Co Clare and looking down onto Ballina/Killaloe are spectacular,” commented Geraldine Kyne “I loved walking along the raised banks of the Shannon from the village of Clonlara to the Parteen Weir before descending onto country roads The stillness of the water and the quiet calm morning made it such a peaceful part of the walk,” added Majella Moyles hiking the canal walk and trails through woods and coming into O’Briens Bridge was my favourite,” said Margaret Hogan Gillian Kennedy’s favourite part of the walk was hearing and seeing the rowers out training on the still waters The four women told The Guardian they would definitely walk the Lough Derg Way again in parts and not all of it in a single day It was the longest distance hike in a single day to date that any of us have undertaken but it was a brilliant experience and we would highly recommend any part of the route to people,” pointed out Margaret Hogan but friends and family welcomed the women home when they arrived to Dromineer has confirmed to this newspaper that he will contest the next general election and is hoping to regain a place in the Cabinet Rumour has been rife that Mr Kelly was going to retire from politics come the next election after he was forced by party colleagues to step down as leader of the Labour Party in March 2022 But on Monday the former MEP and junior and senior government minister confirmed to this newspaper that he will contest the forthcoming election predicted by many to take place as early as next month or at the very latest in February of next year And he predicts that the Labour Party will win sufficient seats to make it a contender for a place in a new coalition government holding out the prospect that he too could once again sit around the Cabinet table “I feel a great loyalty to all those people who supported me through my political career and I want to give into the future,” said Mr Kelly He confirmed that he did question his future in politics after losing the Labour leadership “I would be lying about what happened two and a half years ago if I said I wasn’t disappointed “But time has healed a lot of that and I have had good conversations with party colleagues and they are delighted I am going to continue my work as a TD for the Labour Party.” Community and Local Government from 2014 to 2016 said having a senior government minister in the constituency resulted in major investment in North Tipperary He now has his eyes on a similar position - if Labour manages to do a deal with other parties to form a new coalition government after the next election I delivered as best I possibly could for North Tipperary Because of that I think Nenagh has become one of the best towns but also in Munster and the entire state,” he said and helped create the enterprising climate that attracted companies like The Lunch Bag to Nenagh both of these companies creating hundreds of jobs in the local community Mr Kelly said being a minister also helped him secure funding for a new community nursing home in the town the new bridge project now almost completed linking Killaloe and Ballina and he says he created the conditions that led to the decision to develop the primary healthcare facility now under construction at Tyone he also announced the plan for a multi-million euro project to build a hydro-electric generating station in the Silvermines Mountains - now almost set to go for planning permission - as well as having the influence that brought much investment in local sports clubs schools and new town parks for Nenagh and Newport Mr Kelly says all these projects were delivered in difficult times after the country went through an economic crash Now that the economy is in a much more financially buoyant position he says he gets excited about what Labour could do for the country - and North Tipperary - if it became part of the new government “I believe the Labour Party will be there when it comes to negotiations in the formation of a new coalition I plan on making sure that North Tipperary is at the top table when it comes to decision making,” he says As for his own prospects of what role he might play he says: “I believe I am well placed to be a minister because I served in cabinet before To be at the top table is a huge motivation and ambition for me “If you are a senior minister you can get a lot of things done I was last a minister when the country was in dire straits Imagine what could be done now with the feast of money available to the country and I hope to be in government to ensure that North Tipperary gets its slice of the economic pie.” had put their faith in him ever since he was first elected to the Dáil in 2011 and he urged them to deliver that support once more in the next election He said the decision to commit had been made against a challenging family background as his elderly parents had both had more than their share of illness was critically ill following a heart attack and his two children were in secondary school “I have had to learn how to balance work and family and I have great support from people like my wife Regina and councillor Fiona Bonfield without whom I could not function “My constituency office in Summerhill is really busy and my assistant Roisin Horrigan takes in hundreds of queries every week on a huge number of issues that we try to help people with.” Mr Kelly said his party was on a high following the election of two extra Labour councillors to Tipperary County Council in the elections back in June He said the new local councillor Louise Morgan Walsh was working hard making her presence felt in the Nenagh Municipal District and he thanked all his backroom team for the great support - support that now needed to be doubled as general election time looms closer A PROPOSAL to develop a greenway between Nenagh and the scenic lakeside village of Dromineer has received the full backing of Jackie Cahill the only Government TD in County Tipperary The decision by Mr Cahill to get behind such a proposal has been greeted with enthusiasm in Nenagh and Dromineer with representatives from both areas stating that it would be a magnificent boost for the tourism sector and a wonderful amenity for visitors and the local community who visited the village on Friday last to meet with local promoters of the project said a greenway would attract tourists and stimulate the local economy But he stressed that better infrastructure was first needed in Dromineer to cope with the crowds who flock to the idyllic village on warm days in summer.  He revealed that he had contacted the county council in relation to "multiple complaints" he received in regard to the lack of parking facilities evident in high season.  Referring to scenes in Dromineer during recent spells of sunny weather Mr Cahill said: "I have been informed by a number of constituents that the parking situation was atrocious I have made contact with the council regarding this and I am hoping we can get something moving to solve the congestion”,  Turning to the proposal for the greenway Mr Cahill said: “A greenway between Dromineer and Nenagh would be a significant asset to the local area and the development of such would encourage more tourism initiatives in the region It would be an excellent amenity to have for locals also and would bring additional revenue to the area by means of visitors.” He said he decided to get fully behind the greenway plan because of the huge success that was evident from the development of the highly popular Waterford Greenway.  Mr Cahill said he hoped a similar development could be achieved locally and he also wanted to see the greenway along the River Suir from Carrick-On-Suir to Clonmel extended all the way up the river to Thurles.  "I would be very interested in getting involved with groups to push this Dromineer initiative," he said He stressed that any plan to have a greenway along the banks of the Nenagh River would have to take into account the concerns of local landowners along the route between Nenagh and Dromineer.  The 10 kilometre long Slí Eile pathway currently extends along the river from Nenagh to Annabeg Bridge Huge numbers of our population are now walking and cycling," he said who runs The Lake Cafe and the Lough Derg House guesthouse in Dromineer "It's absolutely fantastic and is to be welcomed," he said.  He expressed confidence that securing the necessary land between Annabeg Bridge and Dromineer could be achieved to allow the greenway to be developed It would mean a particular type or style of fencing but a deal can be done."  Mr Collison added that there was huge potential to go beyond what Mr Cahill was proposing by creating a much larger greenway He said the Independent councillor Joe Hannigan from Lower Ormond had done a lot of work on planning to extend the Lough Derg Way right up into Portumna and beyond.  Mr Collison said a greenway could be developed all along the River Shannon from Limerick to link up with the Grand Canal taking in all the villages along Lough Derg and into Portumna and further north up the river.  "So essentially you would be creating a walkway from Limerick to Dublin Even if the Lough Derg Way was extended all the way to Portumna that would be absolutely magic," said Mr Collison He added that there was huge scope in the Nenagh area for greenways even proposing that the concept could be extended along the loss making local rail line between Limerick and Ballybrophy If closed down it could be transformed into a walking and cycling route.  He said the existing spur off the line to Silvermines could also be turned into a similar amenity to give walkers and cyclists access to the scenic mountainous terrain of Silvermines which has been closed since the end of March due to the Covid-19 pandemic was "a horrendous waste of taxpayers money" and shutting it down and developing a greenway along the line would be something positive to boost local economies along the line "You can't have a Calcutta-style express train from the 1930s running parallel to a modern motorway I can cycle faster to Cloughjordan than that train can go because of the speed restrictions on the line so it might as well be a greenway," said Mr Collison The Chairman of the Nenagh Municipal District said it would be fantastic if the development of a greenway between Dromineer and Nenagh was to proceed It's a no-brainer," he declared.  Councillor Morris said he had previously spoken to the Chief Executive of Tipperary County Council about prospect of develoing the greenway.  "I'm absolutely delighted at what Jackie Cahill is on about and I hope he can get funding for it because it would be a massive asset People could cycle out from Nenagh to Dromineer and back and have the Nenagh River the whole way."  Councillor Morris added that extra public parking facilities were urgently required in Dromineer and he suggested that the visitor attractions could be enhanced even further with the provision of camping and camper van facilities Dromineer is after being found by the Irish public and they love it." He said the greenway concept fitted well with the booming wellness industry and eco-economy These sectors had massive potential and could be developed further locally generating a big boost to the local economy Councillor Morris said he has had talks with a local Green Party officer who had informed him that the Greens "would be very proactive about getting a greenway from Nenagh to Dromineer" He also revealed that he had recently negotiated a deal to extend the Slí Eile walk upstream along the Nenagh River as far as Lisboney Industrial Estate Any UK Government contribution to the rebuilding of Casement Park would not bridge the current funding gap for the project Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has said Mr Benn also said he will not make promises he cannot keep by committing to helping with the cost of redeveloping the derelict west Belfast GAA stadium while a Government spending review is ongoing The Stormont Executive committed to redevelop Casement Park in 2011 as part of a strategy to revamp football’s Windsor Park and the rugby ground at Ravenhill While the two other Belfast-based projects went ahead the redevelopment of Casement was delayed because of legal challenges by local residents the UK Government ended hopes that the west Belfast venue would host Euro 2028 games when it said it would not bridge a funding gap to deliver the redevelopment in time Mr Benn said he had recently had a meeting with Stormont’s Communities Minister to discuss “challenges” with the Casement project Mr Benn said: “It has been an Executive commitment since 2011 a lot of that has been due to planning objections from the community around Casement Park which were eventually resolved when planning permission was granted if I am in a position to make an announcement about a UK contribution I will do so “But I am not going to make a promise I can’t keep “We are in the middle of a spending review that will conclude in June.” The Stormont Executive committed £62.5 million in 2011 to the Casement project The Irish Government has offered roughly £42 million and said this funding remains in place even without the stadium being built for the Euros The GAA has pledged to contribute £15 million It has been reported that the cost of the project has fallen to £270 million since it was confirmed the ground would not host Euros matches still leaving a funding shortfall of about £150 million Mr Benn added: “I have also been clear when I met Gordon Lyons that even if there were to be a contribution it is not going to fill the hole “Therefore all of those who are interested in seeing this project developed are going to have to sit down and say where are we going to get the funding from “There is £124 million in the pot currently they have taken out some things that would have been required for the Euros that are no longer required “How are you going to bring the cost of the development closer to the cost of the funds that may eventually be available?” The Northern Ireland Secretary pointed out that planning permission for the Casement redevelopment expires next summer He added: “If no work begins on the Casement site then planning will have to be applied for again and we will have another two or three years of delay “The practical thing to consider in those circumstances is what might you be able to start on the site with the money you have got so you secure the planning permission and don’t end up with a further delay.” Shannon Bridge Crossing and R949 Improvement Scheme set for completion early this year, Tipperary County Council and Clare County Council have announced their intention to pedestrianise the existing Killaloe-Ballina bridge a formal community consultation period is underway this month under Section 38 of the Roads Act whereby Tipperary and Clare County Council will be seeking public engagement on how to progress plans for the existing 18th century bridge In advance of this public consultation period an informal public information session for the communities of Ballina and Killaloe and all stakeholders was held in the Kincora Hotel in Killaloe on 18 December.  Months of work by a group of craftswomen in Ballycommon has resulted in the creation of an artwork featuring scenes from the village itself and all the surrounding areas of Kiladangan parish who call themselves The Ballycommon Crafters have created a large and beautiful wall hanging depicting almost 40 well-known features and locations that evoke the uniqueness and beauty of a parish that is bejewelled with streams The women employed the craft of appliqué – sowing fabrics shapes onto large pieces of cloth – to depict the many scenes collected from the parish All their dedicated work occurred during their weekly class held each Monday in the Muintir na Tíre Hall in Ballycommon under the tutelage of Lian Callaghan a teacher commissioned by the Tipperary Education and Training Board Once the idea for the exquisite wall hanging was hatched Lian set out on a tour of the village taking numerous photographs of its unique features and landmarks The photographs were then brought back to the class and presented to each of the crafters who selected individual scenes to make templates on which they created their works of appliqué Each crafter completed a ten-inch square appliqué all of which have now been put together to create the beautiful wall hanging that is to adorn the community hall “The whole artwork is just amazing,” one of the crafters “There’s some absolutely exquisite individual pieces featuring scenes such as the Thatched Cottage in Ballycommon itself – it has to be seen to be believed.” “At first Lulu was only going to confine her work to the bridge and the Nenagh river that flows underneath,” Geraldine revealed “But then she did some research on the history of the location and ended up incorporating an old mill that once occupied the scene She even gives some of the history of the place that she has embroidered in words beside the scene.” Other individual pieces that have gone in to creating the wall hanging include scenes from Dromineer and there’s one of the church and school in Puckane The old telephone box and wishing well in Ballycommon also feature The final artwork is to be revealed to the public on this Sunday when the Muintir na Tíre Hall Committee stage a Christmas Community Fair to raise funds for improvement works on the property which has been at the centre of community life in the village for decades The wall hanging is then to be put on permanent display in the hall alongside a framed memento featuring the list of names of the crafters that created the artwork This latest initiative by the crafters follows a successful initiative they undertook last year to create sensory quilts for people in the community who live with Alzheimer’s Anxiety and agitation are common symptoms of the disease have a calming and pacifying impact on people with dementia All are invited to Ballycommon craft fair in the Muintir na Tíre Hall this Sunday where they can view the beautiful wall hanging is now undergoing phased upgrading to provide an improved service to passengers The latest phase of upgrading on the Limerick-Ballybrophy railway Train services on the line have been suspended with an announcement from Iarnród Éireann that the works and meantime a bus service will operate for intending train passengers Buses will depart at the normal scheduled train times with the exception of the 7.45am Nenagh to Limerick service This will instead depart at the earlier time of 7.30am serving Birdhill at 7.52am and Castleconnell at 8.05am The work will see a further two miles of track renewed along the line which will facilitate journey time improvements during 2022 A further 3.5 miles of track renewal was carried out on the line during November and December last and was in addition to extensive upgrading on large portions of the track carried out over the 15 month period during which the line had been closed due to the pandemic The work during the prolonged period of closure involved five miles of track renewal Iarnód Éireann has pointed out that the extensive track renewal will not be the sole determining factor for line speeds as there are also 126 level crossings on less than 53 miles of track Irish Rail is engaging with the Department of Transport on possible funding to address level crossings and other improvement works which would allow for the operation of reduced travelling times on the line the line was identified as operating at a substantial loss and threatened with closure unless there was an increase in the number of fare paying passengers using the service The line through Birdhill has been in operation for more than 160 years In 1858 the line from Limerick to Castleconnell was opened and shortly afterwards it was decided to extend the line to Killaloe Birdhill was just an incidental stopping point on the way A sum of £37,000 was allocated by an Act of Parliament for that extension The line eventually reached Birdhill and was opened on July 23 A turntable was put in a couple of hundred yards up the line here and it took six men seventeen minutes to turn a locomotive to return back to Limerick again It took 45 minutes to travel from Limerick The ongoing improvement of the line should further enhance the facility as the line continues to operate towards the completion of a second century servicing the community in the area It proved to be a step too far at the moment for Toomevara in Sunday’s County Senior Hurling Championship semi-final This statement would have sounded strange ten years ago when Toomevara were on route to their eleventh title in seventeen years they have fallen on lean times over the last decade including a four year spell in the O Riain Cup and even for a club with a tradition as Toomevara such a step is too far even for them but when they reflect on the year Stabilising their top tier status would have been a good year and while there will be disappointment this week that their year is at an end reaching a semi-final is a huge statement of intent and Toome can only grow from this in the years to come if they keep progressing pick up a copy of this weeks Nenagh Guardian locally or subscribe to our e-paper to access it online each Wednesday Sean (John) O'Leary was born in Ballydribeen Sean's parents Jerome and Joan O'Leary had six children - three girls Sean's father Jerome worked as a clerk with the Mental Health Board in what was later St Finian's Psychiatric Hospital Sean took up employment in Kilkenny with the Munster Leinster Bank he was transferred to Clare where he joined the volunteers he joined the Nenagh Company of the Tipperary No 1 Brigade IRA he and six fellow volunteers destroyed a British lorry and commandeered a Black-Maria motor vehicle in the town of Nenagh his digs in Nenagh were raided by armed and masked policemen intending to murder him He was not present and after that he went on the run Sean took part in many engagements both with his own battalion and in other areas also He was part of the Flying Column at the Ambush at Kilcommon where Crown Forces suffered many casualties He survived an attack at Kilruane by the Black & Tans/RIC where his comrade Capt James Devaney was shot dead on January 26th he was granted leave from his 18-man flying column he firstly came to stay in Nenagh for those couple of days Upon arriving in the town on Easter Saturday These two men relayed the message that Volunteer Paddy McCarthy of Kilmallock was under guard in Nenagh Hospital and they intended to rescue him Sean readily agreed to assist with the plan they had rescued Paddy and took him via horse and trap to a safe house (Cooney's of Laughton who was later shot dead at Tullymoylan outside Nenagh during the Civil War.) The Mangans also hosted volunteers Tom Waters was shot in an ambush at Srahala on the Cork-Limerick border on May 1st this group of men set off to visit Pat O'Brien a senior Officer in Tipperary Brigade and subsequently a teacher in Tralee CBS He had been sick with pneumonia in another Moneygall safe house As the group approached Moneygall village from the Toomevara side There was little cover so the volunteers scattered Mangan and Starr made it to safety over a wall Ryan and McCarthy jumped a ditch into a field The British (Auxiliary RIC) force comprised of three lorryloads of soldiers and operated a machine gun from a Crossley Tender both Sean O'Leary and Tom Waters were wounded Eddie John Ryan and Paddy McCarthy were arrested The Auxiliaries wanted to shoot the wounded men but the officer in command wanted them arrested All were later transferred to Nenagh RIC Barracks Constable Kane of Wexford gloated at their capture It was believed he had murdered Lt Denis Carey and the O'Briens at Knigh Cross The wounded men were taken to Nenagh Hospital Both volunteers were attended to by brothers Dr Tony and Louis Courtney the medical staff and hospital sisters refused to allow the wounded men to be removed to a military hospital With his mother at his side (who had travelled from Cork) He was comforted by medical staff and the sisters to the best of their ability Sean gave a message to Sister Elizabeth for his mother Amidst the prayers of the sisters and sympathisers he passed away peacefully at two o'clock on Monday a steady stream of friends and sympathisers filed past and said a prayer for Sean on Tuesday in a motor hearse to Limerick Junction and taken by train to Killarney for interment in his family plot at Muckross Abbey members of the 1st Tipperary Brigade went to his family grave at Muckross Abbey On that Sunday evening before their journey home they fired a volley of shots over his grave as a final salute Sean's name is inscribed with his comrades on the North Tipperary Republican Monument at Banba Square in Nenagh A plaque to Sean O'Leary was unveiled by Kerry Co Council on the bridge over the Flesk River on the Muckross Road outside Killarney in 1966 a wreath was laid at scene of his shooting at Moneygall on March 27th Excitement is mounting for Quest Lough Derg on September 9 when over 2,000 adventurers will descend on Lough Derg for one of the most anticipated adventure races of the year Quest Lough Derg is now in its third year and involves participants running kayaking and cycling around the Lough Derg region to experience more of the area in the best way possible Participants have a choice of three exciting routes: 22km 45km and 69km that take them from Ballina up as far as Tountinna and out to Moylussa Quest Lough Derg is always looking at ways to increase the impact this popular adventure race has on the local economy and maximise its tourism potential both domestically and abroad Working with groups like Destination Lough Derg (formally the Lough Derg Marketing Group) Fáilte Ireland and Waterways Ireland make this possible who encourage the use of their inland waterways for events such as this allows Quest Lough Derg to achieve its impressive and electric finish with a run across a temporary pontoon bridge that spans the Shannon from Killaloe to Ballina A spectacle taking many days to build and put into place especially for Quest Lough Derg it attracts a significant number of spectators to the area as it is the longest temporary bridge ever built across a river in Ireland Organisers Elite Event Management extend their thanks to Waterways Ireland for their help facilitating this feat of engineering Conceived for the first Quest Lough Derg in 2019 Elite Event Management came up with the idea when faced with the logistical challenge of moving participants safely across the water In a joint partnership between Elite Event Management Tipperary and Clare County Councils and Fáilte Ireland it is Ireland’s biggest temporary pontoon over the Shannon at 130 metres and was the first time a new bridge had been built in Killaloe in 300 years The pontoon was designed and constructed by specialist contractors Pontoons Ireland with the assistance of three articulated trucks carrying specialist modular blocks was Cian Murphy and Sarah Long from Elite Event Management Sinead Cahalan from Destination Lough Derg and Brian Treacy and Damien McWeaney from Waterways Ireland to help facilitate the numbers of people looking for accommodation for the event facilities for camper vans and motor homes will be available specifically for event participants Prior booking is required and anyone interested is asked to email info@eliteevents.ie for more information and to book their place Road closures will be in place on Saturday specifically at Lakeside Drive from 6am to 6pm and the Graves of Leinstermen from 3am to 1pm Full details can be found on the Quest website www.questadventureseries.com and posted on related social channels in the lead-up to the event event organisers thank residents and local businesses for their support and patience and hope they can join us during part of their busy day for some finish line fun Why not join us the night before on Friday for Rave ar Rothar – the most fun you’ll have on a bike Rave ar Rothar is the ultimate party on a bike to get you in the mood for adventure and warmed up for race day bike lights and all the luminous gear you can find Expect free fun re-living all the dance classics on your bike Anyone who wishes to watch the construction and positioning of the pontoon is encouraged to come along to Flanagan’s on the Lake on Friday The bridge is open at certain times to the public in controlled numbers during the weekend and these will be publicised closer to the event Members of the Nenagh Bridge Centre: Batt O’Keeffe Catherine Holohan and Sean O’Gara.There are actually six bridge clubs operating in the town with a total combined membership of approximately two hundred and fifty If so you need look no further than Nenagh were the game is absolutely thriving at present the clubs’ are back in full flight to coincide with the prime bridge playing season which starts in September and ends in April The great advantage for lovers of the popular card game in Nenagh is that they have their own centre equipped with all the creature comforts one could hope for to while away those long winter nights over a game with friends The Nenagh Bridge Centre has been running very successfully for the past twelve years at John’s Lane The premises occupies what used to be part of the old Christian Brothers school and the site of an old handball alley Bridge is nothing new to Nenagh - the game has been played in the town for over fifty years it was played in various venues such as O’ Meara’s Hotel all the players got together and bought a section of the old boys school building and adjacent ball alley The semi-derelict structures were redeveloped extensively and the town can now boast one of the best bridge centres in the country The Centre now has three playing rooms and is fitted out with a licensed lounge including facilities from the physically impaired and the centre is always on the lookout for new members The good thing is that you don’t even have to know how to play the game to get involved Lessons are given to anyone who wants them and the standard of players varies from beginners to experienced Some concentrate on the social element while others prefer to be more competitive Classes for beginners are organised every Tuesday at 8pm from the first week of October a local dental surgeon who has been credited with injecting fresh momentum into the game since he came to live and practice in the area several years ago One man who has witnessed the growing popularity of the game and the development of the John’s Lane Centre over the years is Batt O’ Keeffe of Gortlandroe “We purchased the building for the Centre from the County Council,” Batt recalls “We did a lot of fund raising and raised a mortgage through the bank” Batt recalls “Initially the development cost in excess of £100,000 and more works have been done over the last twelve years.” At this stage the debt on the centre has been cleared and the premises is now rented by the various bridge clubs The entire operation is run on a voluntary basis People intending to play with one of the six clubs in town must first become a member of the Centre and then join a club - or more than one if they wish and some might even play in three,” says Batt Membership of the centre is £25 and club subscriptions average about £10 The six clubs operating out of the Centre are: The Nenagh Bridge Club Over the years the Centre has opened its doors to a number of local charities which have benefited from funds raised through the organisation of bridge competitions The benefactors include The Friends of Nenagh Hospital the North Tipperary Hospice Movement and the Children of Chernobyl Group The building has also hosted a number of County Tipperary bridge competitions bridge is played in every country by all ages and both sexes “It lends itself as an excellent introduction for anybody moving to a new country or new town,” says Bridge Centre co-treasurer John Loughnane the standard of the game can vary widely from beginners and causal players through to the serious competitor taking part in international competition The President of the Centre is Theresa Cadell of Tyone; Secretary is Patsy Gardiner (tel 067-31279) and the other joint treasurer with John Loughnane (087-2314184) is Michael Griffin (067-32216) All standards of players are welcome to join For lessons contact Jacques Lumbroso at 087-6866180 GAAWexford manager Keith Rossiter is hopeful experienced duo will be ready for crunch clash in GalwayKeith Rossiter is hopeful that he will be able to call on the services of experienced duo Liam Ryan and Conor McDonald when Wexford travel to Salthill to take on Galway in the Leinster Senior hurling championship on Saturday (3.15 p.m.).