Road Transport in the Past
Pony and Trap as a Mode of Transport
A man with a pony and trap, Liberty Square, Thurles around 1985.
Photograph courtesy of Thurles Camera Club.Pony and Trap as a Mode of Transport
Photograph courtesy of Thurles Camera Club.
Photograph courtesy of Thurles Camera Club.
Pony and Trap as a Mode of Transport
A man with a pony and trap, Liberty Square, Thurles around 1985.
Photograph courtesy of Thurles Camera Club.Years ago in Tipperary, people travelled by foot, horse, car and bicycle. There have been big changes on our roads in the last fifty years. There are now hundreds of thousands of cars in the country, when during our parents' and grandparents' time, there were much fewer.
People walked or cycled
to school and the roads were much narrower and rougher. Some people even used horses and carts to get around.
Fifty years ago, many more people travelled on foot or by bicycle. In Ireland around this time, only well-off people owned cars.
Walking to School in the Mid-1900s
The journey home from school was often leisurely in the past. Sometimes, students had to walk several miles to school, especially in the country.
Image courtesy of Fáilte Ireland.
Fifty years ago, many more people travelled on foot or by bicycle. In Ireland around this time, only well-off people owned cars.
Road Transport Today
Today, there are many different ways to get from one place to another. Cars are the most popular form of transport. They have become so popular that there is not enough room for all of them on the roads, especially in cities and larger towns. This results in traffic jams, which cause long delays for people travelling to and from work and school.
However, not everyone travels to work and school by car. Some take the bus, while others use the train. There are dozens of school buses in Ireland that travel to and from schools every day.
School Bus, by John O'Gorman, 2006.
John O'Gorman, 2006
John O'Gorman, 2006
These buses bring children to school in both towns and in the countryside. They are very important to children who live in the countryside. If they did not exist, many children would have to walk or cycle miles to get to school, like they did years ago in Tipperary. Today, people often cycle and walk mainly for fitness or relaxation.
The Future of Road Transport
Building a New Motorway
Since Ireland joined the EEC (now the EU) in 1973, Irish roads have begun to change and many new roads are have been, and continue to be, built.
By permission of John O'Gorman, 2006.Building a New Motorway
By permission of John O'Gorman, 2006.
By permission of John O'Gorman, 2006.
Building a New Motorway
Since Ireland joined the EEC (now the EU) in 1973, Irish roads have begun to change and many new roads are have been, and continue to be, built.
By permission of John O'Gorman, 2006.Since Ireland joined the European Economic Community (now the European Union) in 1973, Irish roads have changed. With the help of European funds, many new roads have been built and this continues to be the case. With so many cars, buses and trucks on the roads, it is important to keep them in good condition
. Sometimes it is also necessary to build bigger, wider roads to make more room for the huge volumes of traffic.
Poor-Quality Road
A photo of a poor road in Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
By permission of Thurles Camera Club.
M7 Heath Mayfield Motorway
Built in conjunction with Kildare County Council, this motorway has improved journey times on main routes, such as Dublin to Limerick. The approximate costing was €80 million.
M7 Heath Mayfield Motorway
M7 Heath Mayfield Motorway
Built in conjunction with Kildare County Council, this motorway has improved journey times on main routes, such as Dublin to Limerick. The approximate costing was €80 million.
On nearly every drive we take today in Ireland, we meet roadworks and see men with shovels and diggers improving roads. One of the biggest roads in the country is being built at the moment outside Cashel
.
When it is finished, it will take huge amounts of traffic from Cork to Dublin much faster than was possible before. This kind of road is called a motorway.
N8 Improvements
This shows the traffic on the N8 entering Cashel, which is the site for the development of one of the biggest roads in the country. It will ultimately prevent long traffic jams for those who travel between Cork and Dublin.
By permission of Kilkenny County Council, 2001.
When it is finished, it will take huge amounts of traffic from Cork to Dublin much faster than was possible before. This kind of road is called a motorway.