The council
Other bridges, other roads — and how Killardry differed
How Tipperary County Council funds, inspects, guards and closes other bridges is a matter of public record — its own funding announcements and its own signed minutes. Set beside how Killardry Bridge was treated, the contrast is the family's question, put plainly.
The county with the most road deaths
A Provisional Review of Fatalities found 16 people died on Tipperary's roads in 2023 — the highest number of any county in Ireland that year, more than double the 7 who died in 2022. Nationally 184 people were killed.
Source: Tipperary Live, 1 January 2024 — https://www.tipperarylive.ie/news/home/1384286/tipperary-had-the-highest-number-of-road-deaths-in-the-country-in-2023.html
Where the 2026 bridge money went
In the 2026 roads programme, €1,070,000 was allocated to Bridge Rehabilitation Works on regional and local roads across the county, shared between 13 named bridges and items. The total roads allocation to the county was €49,379,670 (with a further €8,360,343 for national roads).
Named bridges in the 2026 Bridge Rehabilitation allocation. Source below.
| 2026 bridge allocation | Amount |
|---|---|
| Labbidha Bridge and retaining walls | €170,000 |
| Carrowkeale Bridge | €146,000 |
| Pallas Lower (Clodagh River) | €120,000 |
| Toberheena Well, Marlfield Road | €110,000 |
| Knocknagave Culvert | €101,000 |
| Bridge inventory and maintenance inspection | €98,000 |
| Cooldine Bridge No. 3 | €80,000 |
| Burgess Bridge | €45,000 |
| Barne Bridge | €40,000 |
| Carrick Old Bridge | €30,000 |
| Total (13 bridges/items) | €1,070,000 |
Neither Killardry Bridge nor the road it carries appears among the bridges named in the €49.4m 2026 allocation.
This states that Killardry is not among the bridges named in this published allocation; the article does not list every local road line by line.
Source: Tipperary Live, 18 February 2026 (corroborated by Tipp Mid West Radio, same day: '€1.07M is allocated for repairs to 13 bridges') — https://www.tipperarylive.ie/news/home/2018808/revealed-over-50-000-000-in-funding-allocated-to-tipperary-roads.html
The council closes and guards bridges it judges unsafe
The council's own signed minutes record that, before and after 24 April 2025, it knew how to respond to a bridge it judged unsafe — inspecting, weight-restricting, guarding and closing structures. Killardry, which its own engineer rated 'Significant Damage' with a five-metre collapsed parapet and no signage, received none of those measures in the 93 days before Bronagh English died there.
2022-04-25 · Lisvernane, Glen of Aherlow
The District Engineer confirmed remedial works; staff made the structure safe.
Source: Tipperary–Cahir–Cashel MD signed minutes, 25 April 2022
2023 · Thonogue / Knockaun, Ballylooby
The bridge was closed for 'bridge parapet works' and reopened on 2 December 2023.
Source: Tipperary–Cahir–Cashel MD signed minutes, 2023
2024-09-23 · Ardmayle bridge (River Suir)
An engineering survey and a safety-paint motion were recorded.
Source: Tipperary–Cahir–Cashel MD signed minutes, 23 September 2024
2024-12-17 · Rossadrehid / Market Bridge
The council applied for a Bridge Rehabilitation Grant.
Source: Tipperary–Cahir–Cashel MD signed minutes, 17 December 2024
2026-03-26 · Middlequarter / Newcastle (L-3503)
The bridge was closed as a 'hazardous bridge structure' with a 3.5-tonne weight limit.
Source: Tipperary–Cahir–Cashel MD signed minutes, 26 March 2026
2026-05-25 · Rehill
Closed in 2026, still recorded as blocked at the 25 May 2026 meeting.
Source: Tipperary–Cahir–Cashel MD signed minutes, 25 May 2026
Councillors do bring forward road-safety measures — elsewhere
Five months after Bronagh died in the same townland, the Municipal District passed a motion asking the council to work with Transport Infrastructure Ireland to make the Kilmoyler junction on the N24 safer. It was proposed by Cllr Andy Moloney and seconded by Cllr Máirín McGrath, who said the changes 'don't require a lot of money either and it is dangerous. It's a busy, busy junction.' Cllr Liam Browne said of the N24: 'Why are we not doing something about it? Because people will be killed.'
This concerns the N24 national-road junction at Kilmoyler — a Transport Infrastructure Ireland road — not Killardry Bridge on the local road where Bronagh died. It is included to show the council and its members do bring forward road-safety measures for other locations.
Source: Tipperary Live, 22 September 2025 — https://www.tipperarylive.ie/news/cahir/1900716/councillors-pass-motion-to-ask-for-safety-measures-at-lethal-junction.html
The dated record of how the council's elected members engaged with this road — including the speed-limit motion and the requests made after the death — is set out on the council's own record and what was asked for at Kilmoyler.
This page sets out documented decisions, funding and statements of a public body and its elected members, each sourced. It alleges no wrongdoing by any named official and makes no finding on the cause of the collision — those are matters for the proper legal process.
Last updated 2026-09-07. This is a living record — findings are added as dated entries and prior versions remain visible.