Garda are seeking witnesses to a collision involving a man cycling a bicycle and car driver which happened this morning after 7am.A Garda Press Office spokesperson said: Garda are appealing for witnesses following a road traffic collision on the Oakpark Road in Tralee, Co Kerry, on 1st of October 2025.The spokesperson said: The collision involving a car and a bicycle occurred shortly before 7:05am. The cyclist (a male in his 40s) was conveyed to University Hospital Kerry for treatment of serious injuries. No other injuries were reported.Garda said that they are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.A Garda spokesperson added: Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling on the Oakpark Road between 6:45am and 7:15am on Wednesday 1st October 2025, are asked to make this footage available to investigating Garda.Anyone with any information or footage should contact Tralee Garda Station on 066 7102300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) in the Republic and Local Authority Trading Standards in Northern Ireland have issued a recall warning for users of Knog Selected Blinder 900 & 1300 Bike Lights, advising customers to stop using the product immediately.The manufacturer, Knog Pty Ltd, has issued a recall due to a fault with the battery cells, the product may suddenly catch fire or combust which can cause burns, serious injuries or damage to property.The Trading Standards warning outlines that The product presents a risk of fire due to a defect in the battery cells. Defective batteries may overheat, leading to thermal runaway and the product catching fire.Knog branded lights for bicycles included are with the type/model numbers are KNOG Blinder 900 & Blinder 1300 Bike Lights, and the batch numbers 0124AA, 0423AA, 0723AA, 0923AA, 1023AA and 1123AA, which can be found on the underside of the product.The notice on the CCPCs website said that there was a low number of the bicycle lights sold in Ireland, viewed to be just approximately 25 affected products which were sold in-store at bike accessory retailers between January 2023 and November 2024.The stores include Tommy The Bikes, Outdoor Escape, Greenaer Mobility Limited, Cycle Superstore Ltd, Adrenalin Sports & Cycles, Chaindriven Cycles, Race Right Cycles, CEKF Ltd, My Sport Ltd, LL Cycles Limited, John Piggott Limited T/A Bike Rack, and David OSullivan Cycles.It is unclear how widely the lights were sold in the UK, but the same timeframe, between January 2023 and November 2024, applies. The manufacturer Knog said on its website: The four products shown below only those with the batch codes listed are being recalled. All other Knog products are safe to use. Knog will be providing a free replacement for every recalled bike light.Replacements for residents on both sides of the border can be ordered via the recall webpage at knogrecall.zendesk.com.Due to the risk of fire, the affected lights should be disposed of using a registered electronic waste collection point. The CCPC recall notice adds: After registering, please dispose of the product at your local recycling facility that accepts Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) including lithium batteries. Do not return the product to the original retailer.

Dn Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has confirmed today that construction will begin on the DLR Living Streets Blackrock Scheme early in October. The works will include a new contra-flow cycle lane outside the library, linking the village more directly with the Coastal Mobility Route.The council stated that the project will replace the temporary measures introduced during the Covid-19 restrictions in summer 2020, transitioning the village from a temporary layout to what it referred to as a high-quality, permanent design.The news today follows the publication earlier this month of the latest element of ongoing research into the villages changes since Covid, with a focus on interviewing businesses.Researchers at TU Dublin said that there was a noticeable improvement in footfall, street vibrancy and vitality around Blackrock Main Street; a better sense of atmosphere, and village feel; a particular appreciation of the new outdoor seating, greenery and additional trading areas; and an active and welcoming business community where business development and building village identity are fostered.The new project will centre on replacing temporary fixtures with high-quality materials. It will include new seating, greening, wider footpaths, wider crossings, traffic calming, upgrading the surface of the existing bike lane, and installing a new contra-flow cycle lane that passes the library to link the village centre to the existing contra-flow lane at Maretimo Villas.IMAGE: An artists impression of the project.Dn Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said that the scheme has been shaped by consultation with local business and resident groups, and informed by an independent evaluation of the temporary measures conducted by TU Dublin.The council added that following the Covid-period collaboration with local groups, including the Blackrock Business Network and Blackrock Village Rejuvenation Action Group, it has worked closely with stakeholders to refine the longer-term scheme, particularly around the design and placement of planting, seating, loading bays, bike racks, parking spaces, and traffic flow.Funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA), the council has signed a contract with Clonmel Enterprises to start construction on the scheme.Cllr Jim Gildea, Cathaoirleach of Dn Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, said: This scheme delivers significant public realm upgrades for Blackrock, including planting, play areas, and a sustainable drainage system.He added: This extension of the active travel infrastructure expands our active travel network in the area, offering safer, greener transport options for residents and visitors to Blackrock.Frank Curran, chief executive of Dn Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, said: Weve had successful collaborations with Clonmel Enterprises on projects like the Coastal Mobility Route and Druids Glen Road Phase 2. This strong working relationship will help ensure the smooth delivery of the Blackrock scheme.He added: This project is a great example of where trialling ideas, assessing the impact and then building towards a permanent project benefits all. We hope that this scheme will provide a roadmap for other schemes.MAIN IMAGE: Cllr Tom Kivlehan, Cllr Lorraine Hall, Cllr Maurice Dockrell, Cllr Marie Baker, Trevor McArdle who is contracts manager with Clonmel Enterprises, Cllr Jim Gildea who is the Cathaoirleach of Dn Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Frank Curran who is the chief executive of Dn Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Cllr Dan Carson, Cllr Carrie Smyth, and Cllr Conor Dowling.IMAGE: Trevor McArdle, contracts manager with Clonmel Enterprises, Cllr Jim Gildea, Cathaoirleach of Dn Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, and Frank Curran, chief executive of Dn Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. (Photo: Shane ONeill, Coalesce).

A Dublin-based Green Party councillor has said there should be scrutiny of public spending, but also cautioned against overreacting after senior Sinn Fin figures last night took to social media to call for an active and open tender process for new bicycle parking for hospital staff to be scrapped.The hospital is seeking companies to remove its existing bike shed, which is overloaded, and to design and build a new structure to accommodate additional parking capacity.But Sinn Fins leader and the partys finance spokesperson have both objected to secure bicycle parking for staff at the National Maternity Hospital as outrageous spending, comparing a planned secure bicycle shed at the National Maternity Hospital to the Leinster House bicycle shelter, which was incorrectly and widely reported to be a bike shed. The scandal over the Leinster House bike shelter involved costs of 335,000, while the tender value for the National Maternity Hospital is less than a third of that, at 100,000.The hospital is tendering on the basis of whats called the Most Economically Advantageous Tender. In other words, the main factor that will determine which bid is accepted by the hospital is the lowest cost bid that meets the requirements set out. The final amount may be lower than the estimated tender value.The bidding process remains open for companies interested in submitting a bid for the work, which is being advertised in an open tendering process on the eTenders website, the central facility for all public sector bodies to advertise procurement opportunities.In eTenders documents, the National Maternity Hospital said it is Open to any and all design options that will help maximise the number of bikes to be stored in the existing footprint in a corner of its car park at its Holles Street hospital.IMAGES: The images show the location of the bicycle shed in the car park. MAIN IMAGE ABOVE: Bicycles parked inside the current unit.The documents outline that the new shed must include an appropriate storage solution for bicycles, sensor lighting, and reinstating the security locks and security camera on the current shed. The hospital looked for details of how elements of the existing structure would be disposed of or possibly reused. The hospital said that, as well as designing and building the new shed, the approved contractor will be responsible for: deconstructing the existing bike shed, removing waste created from that work and the existing waste around the shed, levelling the ground to ensure it is entirely even and solid, including removing any tree stumps that are in the way.Images in the documents show the current oversubscribed bicycle parking unit is nestled between boundary walls and stacked shipping containers in a corner of the hospitals car park.The issue was reported on by RTE today with the headline Sinn Fin calls for 100k National Maternity Hospital bike shed tender to be scrapped. The article quoted a post from X by Pearse Doherty, Sinn Fins deputy Dil leader and finance spokesperson, but Dohertys post was also quoted by the partys leader, Mary Lou McDonald, who called the tender outrageous.IMAGE: Part of the documents showing photographs showing the existing structure, and waste between it and the containers beside it. Deputy Doherty said: So remember the bike shed that Fianna Fil and Fine Gael wasted 335,000 on? We just found out tonight that 100,000 of taxpayers money is to be spent on another bike shed at the National Maternity Hospital.He said: It is outrageous wasting money like this when so many people are struggling. Things should not be this way. This plan must be stopped.Mary Lou McDonald said: The Bike Shed Scandal is back! This time its a plan to pay 100,000 of your money for a bike shed at the National Maternity Hospital. Another outrageous waste of public money on the watch of Fianna Fil and Fine Gael. Its unacceptable and must be stopped.Cllr Eva Dowling, a Green Party councillor for Stillorgan and mother-of-four who cycled during her pregnancies, said there should be scrutiny of public spending, but also caution overreacting.She said: Prudent spending matters, and a 100k price tag deserves scrutiny, but lets not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Safe, accessible bike parking at a maternity hospital is imperative to enable healthy, lower-impact travel for staff, patients and visitors.I cycled through all of my pregnancies. Theres a persistent misconception that pregnant women shouldnt cycle, when in fact it can be a very healthy form of low-impact exercise at a time when we are advised to stay active, she said.Cllr Dowling added: At the Coombe Hospital, my own experience was that there were no cycle facilities for patients or visitors. I worked with the hospital, and this has now changed. We absolutely need better value for money, but lets caution before we abandon the kind of practical infrastructure that really helps women.IMAGE: Cllr Dowling pictured cycling while pregnant (Photo: Marc OSullivan).

The mother of Shane OFarrell whose killing by a driver was subject to a States apology has told The Irish Times that Heather Humphreys is not fit to be the President of Ireland because she was unable to properly represent the people of Cavan Monaghan as a TD.Shane OFarrell was killed while cycling on the N2 near Carrickmacross in Co Monaghan, and his family was given a State apology earlier this year because of the authorities handling of the case.Zigimantas Gridziuska, a Lithuanianman who was out on bail when he ran into Shanes bicycle and left him on the side of the road, had been stopped by the Garda drugs squad an hour before the fatal collision. He had 42 previous convictions for crimes including road-traffic offences, theft, heroin possession and smuggling.Gridziuska was prosecuted in February 2013 for dangerous driving, causing Shanes death, but he was acquitted of that charge by direction of the trial judge.In an interview with The Irish Times, his mother, Lucia OFarrell, told the newspaper that she thinks that the Fine Gaelpresidential candidate is not capable of being the president for the people of Ireland, when she cant represent her own people in Monaghan.OFarrell told The Irish Times that their campaign to get answers on why Gridziuska was driving or even out on bail received a wide level of support from politicians from a range of political parties, including Humphreys colleagues in Fine Gael, as well as Sinn Fin, Fianna Fil, and independents. OFarrell outlined how the family had contacted Humphreys, who was the familys local TDs, but the Fine Gael politician never seemed to support theMonaghanfamilys campaign for a public inquiry into the States failings; she did not meet them when requested, did not ask any parlmernty questions on the issue, and did not even contact them after the State apology.A spokesman for Humphreys told The Irish Times that the family had endured terrible pain since the loss of Shane, that Humphreys has spoken with Lucia in the past and that she welcomes the State apology to the family.When giving the States apology in May, Minister for Justice, Jim OCallaghan: said: In light of the failings in the criminal justice system that I have outlined in this speech, it is incumbent on me, as Minister for Justice, to apologise to Shane OFarrell and the OFarrell family for the fact that the criminal justice system did not protect him as it should have. I do so apologise.He added: However, we should also remember Shane not just because of how he died but also because of how he lived and what his life may have been.

Independent Ireland leader and Cork TD Michael Collins challenged Taoiseach in the Dil on the use of compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) for the Cork to Kinsale Greenway last week claiming there had been a summer has been one of huge discontent and serious upset for farmers and landowners, but this was after Collins was involved in spreading misinformation which implied that peoples homes were at risk. Cork County Council has no plans to use CPOs to demolish houses for the Cork to Kinsale Greenway. However, as IrishCycle.com reported over the summer, some objectors spread multiple baseless claims about homes at risk fromthe project.One group went as far as to use a photo of the half-demolished house where Alan Hawe murdered his wife and children to spread the misinformation about the greenway plan being a risk to homes. It took a video in which the image was used in down after IrishCycle.com covered the issue.IMAGE: The posters held by children in the video include the previously reported posters, which include the text No greenway through our land & homes, and Greenways are a great space if in the right place not through our homes.Deputy Collins has posed with photographs of protesters holding posters implying that homes are at risk. However, in a speech posted on Facebook by the Irish Rural Association in July, he went further by more directly implying that peoples homes were at risk.He also brought up the fact that Irish people were thrown off land in some periods in history. Collins said: In this situation, you either take it or [its taken from you] and that we must resist. For God Almighty, we were thrown out of our land many, many years ago, many decades ago, and its back to that carry on again in there again.The phrase in there is an apparent reference to the public consultation event, which was held inThe Viaduct Restaurant and Bar on the Old Bandon Road two days before the video was posted.He questioned why Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) could dictate to people with a thing called a CPO, right through your own land. For God Almighty, our own property.In the next section in the video clip, the TD said: Id like to think that if they [refering to TII or council officals] had a house and a law like this, if somebody came up to them in the morning and said were taking half your house or half of your lawn away, by Christ, theyd take you to every law in the land to stop you.As previously reported, the High Court have ruled the CPOs can be used for greenways. Judge Richard Humphreys wrote in a judgment related to the South Kerry Greenway: The applicants quibble with the reference to community need, but that is only a recognition of the reality and a legitimate consideration. Necessity for compulsory acquisition does not require absolute necessity. It requires a determination that the acquisition is desirable or expedient having regard to public benefits such as the creation of public infrastructure and meeting community need.Humphreys added: That involves a judgement as to public benefit and does not require some sort of artificially high threshold like a finding that the existing infrastructure is dangerous. The Supreme Courtrefused to hear an appeal to override the High Court ruling.But despite Collins being heavily involved in baseless rhetoric implying homes are at risk, he outlined in the Dil how the summer has been one of huge discontent and serious upset for farmers and landowners without hinting at the origin of a lot of the fear, and he implied officials in Cork developing the greenway were not peaceful in their negotiations with landowners.He said: This summer has been one of huge discontent and serious upset for farmers and landowners on the proposed greenway walk from Cork to Kinsale. I begin by saying that a walkway anywhere in our country has to be welcome, but with peaceful negotiations as was done in the world-renowned Sheeps Head and Beara Way. That is the model to do this, not the TII model with its sword over the head called CPO.CPO has its used for infrastructural projects as a last resort, but to use CPO to grab land from farmers and landowners for recreational purposes is one step too far, he said.Collins said: This peaceful campaign in west Cork has opened up similar nightmares for landowners throughout the country who had or will have their lands taken from them from by TII with CPO for walkways in counties Mayo and Kerry and other parts of the country.He also pointed to Government policy is to mainly use State-owned land for greenway walks, but said that the Cork to Kinsale route was 90% being put on privately-owned farms and land, but the policy in question which was agreed with farming groups does not rule out using a majorty of farmland where publcilly own lands are not available or not suitable.He claims that the route would be destroying in particular many farms, splitting them in two and making them unworkable, but the project is only a preferred corridor level, and the council or TII have not given any indication that they would split farms. In other greenway routes, Cork County Council have developed under and overpasses at farms so that greenway users are kept separate from busy routes across farms.Collins added: Will the Taoiseach stand with these landowners and force TII to drop CPO for any greenway negotiations going forward?Taoiseachand Fianna Fil leader Michel Martin said: I am not familiar with the particular background negotiations with TII. I have walked the Seven Heads peninsula walk, which was developed by the Forige youth organisation, working with the farmers and those who owned the land in that area and with the local community.There was no talk of anybody. There was no TII; there was nothing. They just did it as a local community endeavour, and it has been one of the most enjoyable recreational walks that people come from all over the country to participate in. That is the kind of spirit that should inform any developments, he said.The Taoiseachsaid: Sometime I say to TII that it needs to ease up on the spec too. People want to retain the biodiversity. They want to retain the natural pathways. We do not need super spec in my view, or intrusions on the landscape either. I will certainly have a look at it and see what is happening there.He added: Once you get into the CPO, you are in trouble in terms of any greenway.

A Westport-based councillor has said that people should get out and experience the upgraded Great Western Greenway between Westport to Achill, which he says dispels myths and misinformation about the possible effects of the Westport to Louisburgh greenway on farming and nature.Cllr Peter Flynn (FG) highlighted that the last section of the Great Western Greenway at Atterish has now been resurfaced, making it easier and more attractive for people using bicycles, wheelchairs, and prams.He said 4 million in funding from Transport Infrastructure Ireland was used to upgrade the route to Achill over the last three years, and also thanked landowners along the route for their help in providing an amazing amenity for everyone to enjoy.Before the upgrade with a bonded surface, users of the greenway reported that a significant portion of the dust surface was being washed away, causing the route to be uneven, uncomfortable, and possibly dangerous. Similar issues are being reported on sections of the Royal Canal Greenway where there is no solid surface. For the first section of the route to Louisburgh, its unclear whether Mayo County Council officials will use a Part 8 process, where councillors vote on the permission project directly, or if the project will be sent to the national planning body, An Coimisin Pleanla, for approval, as is the case with some larger greenways.However, support from councillors in the Westport-Belmullet Municipal District is seen as crucial for the projects future.There has been opposition from some landowners along the route IrishCycle.com reported last year how another local councillor, Cllr John OMalley (independent), invoked Cromwell and said that if an inland route from Westport to Murrisk goes ahead, you will never see a war in Ukraine like it.Local media, including the Mayo News and the Western People, have recently reported how a second councillor, Cllr Brendan Mulroy (Fianna Fil ), is now using similar rhetoric about how therell be war if the project, as proposed, goes ahead.Cllr Mulroy was quoted as stating: The majority of people I know are against the preferred route, so the bad news is that TII is going to come and offer you money, and if you refuse, they will CPO your land anyway for the council to own it. That is morally wrong and reprehensible. As the saying goes, bring on the war.The opponents to the route claim their objection to the project is the use of compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) for the route, but Cllr Flynn has repeatedly highlighted that their suggested alternative route along the Westport to Louisburgh road would also require CPOs.Cllr Flynn said that the original greenways in Mayo are outliers in not being State-owned, with 14 out of 16 of the countrys regional and national greenways now under State ownership.Cllr Flynn said: The anti-greenway campaigners around the country will reference greenways as tarmac roads which are destroying ecosystems and farmers lives so Im including some photos from Tuesday along the route. Have a look and you decide. Even better, get out on it and experience an amazing amenity thats available year-round to both locals and visitors at no cost.He said the Code of Best Practice for National and Regional Greenways, which is used when routes are being developed, leaves landowners far better off now than on older routes.He said: People often say the greenway was only possible because it was an old railway line. They dont mention though that the 176 landowners along the route paid the state for the land 80 years ago and turned it back into farmland. They dont tell you that farmers lost their single farm payments along the route, and unlike the new greenway code, got no compensation for the loss.They wont tell you that they received no compensation for any impact on their farming practices, unlike the new greenway code. They wont tell you that they got no cooperation payments of 20,000 plus for the equivalent of a half acre of greenway, unlike the new greenway code. They wont tell you that they got no payment for the land that the greenway is built on unlike the new greenway code, he said.He added: In fact, they wont tell you that the landowners havent received one cent in compensation over the years and that they are simply extremely proud to have created an amazing amenity for everyone to enjoy. Thank you to the 176 landowners for what you have given to us all free of charge and for keeping it open year-round for everyone, young and old, to enjoy.

Councillors and IrishCycle.com readers reported that the lack of a formal bicycle detour made cycling less safe in Clontarf some motorists were aggressively tailgating or overtaking people on bicycles but a senior Dublin City Council official said that there were no reported accidents and there is no evidence whatsoever that the road works area was unsafe.Gerard OConnell, senior engineer for all flood defence works for Dublin City Council, said: There is no evidence whatsoever that the diversion routes were unsafe in any way to cyclists. There have been no reported accidents despite an estimated one million cycle journeys past the construction works, another one million pedestrian journeys and millions of motorist journeysOConnell made the comments in a written Dublin City Council response to a motion by Cllr Paddy Monahan (Social Democrats).Cllr Monahans motion asked: That the North Central Area Committee calls on the Manager to properlyexplain why the cycle lane on the seafront in Clontarf opposite Hollybrook Road was entirely removed four months ago with no replacement measures whatsoever installed. The failure to provide a cycle diversion route is in contravention of planning conditions.In response, OConnell again claimed despite all the evidence to the contrary that there was a cycling diversion in place. Diversions for pedestrians and cyclists have been in place throughout the works, he claimed. He said there was A very small number of complaints from same in the first few weeks of the works.The An Bord Pleanla planning permission for the works was conditional. One of the conditions said that: Prior to the commencement of development, the local authority, or any agent acting on its behalf, shall prepare a Traffic Management Plan for the proposed development as described in section 4.4.1 of the Outline Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP).The condition said that Details to be included in the traffic management plan shall include the design and operation of the proposed pedestrian and cycle diversion route during the period of construction and the reason given for the condition was in the interests of public safety.But there was no diversion route; there were just signs telling cyclists to divert or dismount, with no segregated temporary cycle route provided as is common in cycling-friendly cities around the world, and no signs showing where the diversion route ended or how to return to the coastal cycle path.The cycle diversion which was never even a complete sign-based diversion was not even mapped out until after IrishCycle.com questioned Dublin City Council on its compliance with the An Bord Pleanla condition.Dublin City Councils planning section is responsible for ensuring compliance with planning conditions set by An Bord Pleanla; however, cases are typically only taken after a formal planning complaint has been lodged.OConnell also said: The number of cyclists disobeying signage reduced to zero after the first few weeks of operation with no complaints received from them by my Division after that.He added: The diversion routes were approved by Roadworks Control, the Project Supervisor Construction Stage, the Traffic subcontractor who had personnel on site during the construction of the works, and the Contractors Health and Safety Officer. Routes through the construction works area were considered but deemed unsafe from a Health and Safety point of view, for a number of reasons.He also detailed how the area has reopened after the works. Speaking to IrishCycle.com, Cllr Monahan said: Its a weak response that Im afraid is pretty typical and encapsulates the uphill struggle we face with cycling in Dublin City Council.Officials dont really seem to understand cycling, and this problem with mentality is a huge barrier to get across. Even in this response, stating there is no evidence that diversion routes were unsafe is baffling. First, as Ive said repeatedly, meeting after meeting, there was no diversion route. Cyclists were simply dumped out onto the main road with no provision made for them whatsoever. This surely cannot qualify as a diversion route, he said.Cllr Monahan said: At previous meetings, reference was made to provisions that were in place for cyclists. I have asked again and again what provisions they are talking about, and Ive never received an explanation.The suggestion that there is no evidence that the diversion route was unsafe makes no sense. Is it because there were no fatalities? Or did Dublin City Council actually measure the drop in the number of people using the route compared to before the works began? Surely that is the sensible measurement of the success of the supposed diversion route, he said.He said that commuters, families and children of North Dublin were denied one of the best cycling routes in the country for an entire summer. He uses the route a few times a week, and he said it looked to me as though the number of people on bicycles in the area had fallen dramatically.Cllr Monahan added: It is all well and good for Dublin City Council to say there have been 1 million cycle journeys past the construction works, but what does that mean? First, where did the number come from? And have they been measuring the number of people and bicycles all summer? Second, how does this compare to the number of people who used the route before the works began? I will say one thing, during the four months of beautiful summer when the cycle lane was closed, I did not see a single child cycle past the construction works.

A High Court Judge ruled today (Tuesday) that An Bord Pleanla significantly mischaracterised serious concerns of privacy and security relating to a bus stop being placed outside a house without a front garden or wall, as just an annoyance, means that the planners decision to reject those concerns was legally defective.When ine Kelly of Artane Cottages Lower on the Malahide Road, initiated the judicial review proceedings against part of the National Transport Authortys Clongriffin to City Centre Bus Corridor Scheme, she stated that she and her neighbours are in favour of the BusConnects project but objected to the removal of two existing bus stops and the replacement of the two with one stop outside her home.Justice Emily Farrell said she was borrowing a phrase to say that it requires little imagination to understand a concern that by the placing of a bus stop outside of Kellys home, which would necessarily involve the congregating of passengers outside her home that there may be an adverse impact on privacy.Because of the categorisation error made by planners, the High Court Judge said that she did not need to determine the extent, let alone the outer limits, of the right to privacy. The bus stop, a design which is called a shared bus stop landing zone, was viewed by the planning inspector to be correct due to constraints with the footpath. However, the judge stated that An Bord Pleanla failed to consider relocating the bus stop.What the Applicant [Kelly] called on the Board to do was to consider whether it was feasible to place the bus stop in a less than optimal position from an efficiency point of view in order to take account of her concerns. There is no evidence that the NTA or Board weighed her concerns in any meaningful sense or took them into account. Those concerns were spelt out in greater detail in the second submission which, in fairness to it, the NTA did not have an opportunity to respond to, said Justice Farrell.IMAGE: A drawing showing the bus stop in question in the centre of the image.In that second submission, Kelly said: Due to the lack of front gardens, we have no measures available to us to protect us further that wouldnt affect daylight, ventilation and views from our homes. Most rooms are single aspect and rely solely on their only window onto Malahide Road for air, light and views.She said that the residents of the row of houses already experience disturbing behaviour from passers-by on a daily basis, including people sitting on window sills while being unaware of the fact that these are our bedrooms and living rooms, teenagers banging their hands against windows as they pass by, people digarding rubish including glass on the windows sills, and dogs being let to pee against doors and walls of the housesWith an increase in frequency of use, and an increase in time spent waiting at a bus stop outside our houses, this behaviour is bound to increase, especially late in the evening when passengers are waiting to go out in town, or after the pub closes, she said.Kelly said: The prospect of large numbers of people congregating directly in front of our home 24 hours a day (since a 24 hour bus service is proposed) is, quite simply frightening.The judge noted that the planning inspector said that [w]hilst I acknowledge the residents concerns about people sitting on their windowsills, this is not a matter that the NTA can resolve as part of the proposed scheme, but the Judge said that this was incorrect.Justice Farrell wrote: The difficulty in relation to that statement is that the windowsill problem clearly issomething the NTA can resolve as part of the proposed scheme through the simple expedient of putting the bus stop somewhere else. She said that the NTAs bus stop methodology is not so sacrosanct and mandatory to mean that moving the bus stop was something outside human control as she thinks the planning inspector implied.Justice Farrell said: NTA are not responsible for people who already sit / lean on the windowsills at the Applicants property, nor can they be required to take steps to reduce that behaviour. However, erecting a bus stop at that site will obviously be a magnet for people to congregate outside her home, who will have nowhere else to sit while waiting for the bus, as it is accepted there is insufficient space for a bus shelter. That latter situation will lead to more people sitting on her windowsills; it is not inevitable, or something that the NTA cannot resolve as suggested [by the planning inspector].The Judge said that the planning Board continues to have power to amend the scheme (something expressly reflected in section 51 of the 1993 Act), and when high level benefits of the scheme as a whole are presented as outweighing the Applicants concerns, whereas those benefits are achievable anyway and are not necessarily jeopardised by moving one bus stop.The order arising from the decision has not been finalised, but in the meantime, Justice Farrell has barred any works, including the erection of a bus stop, at Artane Cottages Lower.The Judge noted that it was submitted by the NTA and Board that it would be disproportionate to quash the entire scheme, and she said that she accepts this point at the level of broad principle, but that she would hear further submissions from the parties involved in the case. She said: I appreciate that for example the removal of one bus stop may require changes to adjacent bus stops, which may make it convenient for the Court to exercise its powers under section 50A(9) of the 2000 Act to amend the balance of the decision in some appropriate way that would not undermine public participation for example by maintaining the status quo in relation to one or more adjacent bus stops.The provisional order, subject to further submissions, quashes any works just at the row of cottages. The issue is to be heard again on October 13th 2025, at which point the Judge may adjust or make additional orders.

Dom Whiting, who attracts large crowds of people cycling, scooting and more along with him as he DJs on a tricycle, is returning to Dublin this Saturday, September 27th.Whiting said in a Facebook post: Ireland Ireland Ireland!!! Drum & Bass On The Bike is heading to Dublin this Saturday, 27th September, starting at 14:00hrs from Grangegorman Lower Dublin, Ireland.He said: Ill never forget my first visit to Dublin back in 2022, the energy was absolutely insane!As always, anyone and any mode of transport are welcome and you can of course bring your own speaker by simply hooking up to our online livestream wherever you are in the crowd, said Whiting.He said he was also putting on an after-party at Index Dublin on Saturday night.