Road statistics · sourced comparison
Cahir–Cashel: 3.03× the national road-death rate
1 January 2018–31 December 2023 (six complete calendar years). In the full Tipperary–Cahir–Cashel Municipal District, including its rural areas, the derived annualized rate was 8.61 people killed per 100,000 residents, compared with 2.84 nationally. This is an area comparison relative to population, not a personal likelihood.
This page uses the full municipal district, not the populations of Cahir and Cashel towns. The linked road-deaths map and record has broader coverage and a different purpose.
The headline figures
23
people killed in 21 fatal-collision records in the district
8.61
annualized people killed per 100,000 residents
3.03×
the State rate on this population basis
36.5% of County Tipperary’s deaths and 26.5% of its population; the district rate was 37.6% above the county rate.
District results
The district’s fixed Census 2022 population is 44,532. The 23 people comprised 11 drivers, 5 passengers, 5 pedestrians, 2 motorcyclists. They were not all drivers. Annual district deaths were 6, 4, 1, 3, 3, 6 from 2018 to 2023.
County comparison
National baseline: the Republic of Ireland recorded 878 people killed across a fixed Census 2022 population of 5,149,139, an annualized rate of 2.84 per 100,000 residents over these six years.
Tipperary recorded 63 people killed, a rate of 6.25, ranking #2 of 26 counties behind Monaghan (6.38). Tipperary’s rate was 2.20 times the national rate.
A higher district comparator
Boyle Municipal District, County Roscommon, recorded 15 people killed in 14 source records from a population of 24,421: 10.24 per 100,000, about 19% higher than Tipperary–Cahir–Cashel. This is not a claim that Boyle is Ireland’s worst district; 11 districts were screened in this targeted comparison. Clonmel’s 8.67 rate is marginally higher than Cahir–Cashel’s 8.61; the largest raw count is not the highest district rate.
Public council minutes: 2024–2026
These later public records are separate from the 2018–2023 statistical comparison. They record requests, responses and planned work—not findings of causation or proof that work was completed.
James Swords: recorded response to a safety request
The minutes record Councillor John O’Heney asking for safety measures following a recent tragic incident. James Swords is listed as District Engineer present; the response is attributed to that role.
Limit: The minute does not name the bridge or specify a parapet repair. It does not say that Gardaí were to design or direct a bridge repair.
there is an ongoing Gardai investigation into the incident and if there are any recommendations from the report it will be implemented.
Excerpt from the minutes, not a verbatim speech transcript.
Máirín McGrath seconded the default-speed-limit motion
Motion 2861 was proposed by Cllr Niall Dennehy and seconded by Cllr Máirín McGrath, a Cahir LEA member. The full County Council recorded unanimous agreement. The motion sought selective application of the new default limits, rather than universal application across the county.
Limit: This was not a motion introducing a blanket 80-to-60 reduction. The December clarification below records the legal-advice referral.
Council clarification and legal advice
The minutes record Chief Executive Sinéad Carr acknowledging support for Motion 2861, while explaining that legal advice was being sought on whether a plenary motion could supersede national legislation. The October minutes were to be amended to reflect that clarification.
Limit: This does not establish a road-specific exception or a suspension of national rules.
80-to-60 implementation and weather-delayed signs
The minutes record 7 February 2025 as the commencement date for the rural-local-road default reduction from 80 to 60 km/h. They also record severe weather delaying sign-installation work and distinguish a later, wider Phase 2 review.
Limit: This is a dated implementation note, not proof of the limit or weather at any individual crash site.
477 district bridges; 14 applications; three funded
The District Engineer reported €1 million in county bridge funding, 477 bridges in the district, applications for 14 bridges requiring work and funding for three.
Limit: The minute does not establish whether Killardry was among the 14; funding is not proof of completed work.
Temporary measures considered at Rehill Bridge
Following Cllr Máirín McGrath’s request for urgent rehabilitation, the District Engineer reported that Rehill tender documents were nearly complete and temporary measures were being considered to reopen the bridge, with completion hoped for by the end of that week.
Limit: This records a plan and expectation, not verified completion.
The earlier bridge inspection
The family’s published summary of Council inspection record TY-L3151-B-010 reports “Significant Damage” on 21 January 2025 and records downstream capping as “partly removed”. That inspection predates both the 24 April 2025 collision and the 26 May 2025 meeting response.
Limit: This is a summary of a Council record held on file, not the original report online. The records checked do not establish whether or when James Swords personally received or read the inspection report.
When was the inspection circulated to the district engineering team, and what action was recorded?
Method and limits
People killed ÷ fixed 2022 population ÷ 6 years × 100,000. Populations are fixed Census 2022 references. Counts concern collision locations, not resident addresses; the result is not a rate per journey or vehicle-kilometre. Current 2024 reference boundaries are applied retrospectively. The series is provisional and subject to revision. The figures do not establish why crashes happened or measure road-maintenance spending.
Return home · Open the broader road-deaths map and record
Sources
Download the five-district CSV · Download the 26-county CSV · Download the public JSON snapshot
Factual record. No finding of causation or responsibility is made here.
