Tipperary parents call for road safety improvements after daughter’s death

Bronagh English, a Leaving Cert student, died in April of last year when her Ford Fiesta went over a damaged bridge parapet and into the swollen River Aherlow in Tipperary. According to her parents, Bronagh was a “very safe, slow and decent driver” who did not speed. Her body remained in the semi-submerged vehicle for nearly seven hours while emergency services kept her mother away from the scene on the nearby roadway.

Lack of Safety Infrastructure

Michael English detailed a complete absence of protective systems at the site of the accident. He stated that the bridge parapet, which was intended to prevent vehicles from entering the water, was only nine inches high and had been broken by multiple vehicles over several years.

Further hazards cited by Mr. English included:

• A 90-degree bend in the road with no warning signs.
• An absence of illuminated chevron signs on the bridge.
• No road markings or illuminated cat’s eyes on the road surface.
• An offshoot road to the left of the bridge that added to driver confusion.

Mr. English noted that there were ongoing road works on the route and heavy rainfall on the night of the crash, but no signs to warn drivers of the bridge’s location or the bend in the road.

Appeal for National Improvements

The English family first spoke publicly about the death of their daughter to raise awareness of her character and to ensure safety measures are implemented to prevent other families from experiencing similar heartache at the same junction.

Speaking to RTÉ Radio’s Today with David McCullagh, Mr. English questioned why road safety is not being prioritized given Ireland’s road fatality rate, noting that Tipperary had the highest number of deaths in Ireland in 2023. He asserted that there is no issue with central government funding, stating, “Bronagh should not have died that night, but she did not have a chance given the road and the conditions.”