Devastated Tipperary familiy highlight dangers of bridge where their daughter lost her life

The family of a young girl who lost her life in a tragic Tipperary road traffic accident last April has had their worst fears realised by new information they received under the Freedom of Information Act.

After 18-year-old Bronagh English lost her life at Kilmoyler Bridge her devastated parents Mike and Danielle said they wanted to get answers to a number of issues they had about the condition of the bridge, the condition of the road and the poor road signage at that location.

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They felt at the time that had a number of measures been implemented to address issues at the location of the accident by Tipperary County Council, their daughter’s death could have been averted.
Now, nearly a year on since the tragedy, the family has released information they discovered under the Freedom of Information Act.

Mike English said the information contained in the engineers’ reports highlights the poor condition of the bridge.

Above- Bronagh English who lost her life in a road traffic accident in April last year

An engineer’s report completed on January 21 2025, 90 days before the accident, identified serious issues with the bridge.
“The engineers’ report should have been acted on immediately and the issues addressed as they were so serious. 90 days later, nothing had been done and Bronagh lost her life at that bridge,” said Mike English.

The following was contained in the engineers’ report: “There are four areas of missing stonework to the upstream wall and two areas to the downstream wall.A 5m length of wall has collapsed at left hand side on both upstream and downstream walls. The capping of the downstream wall has been partly removed.”

Mike English said he spoke shortly after the accident about a section of the bridge wall that seemed to act like a ramp.
Now, he said the engineers’ report confirmed this view by stating that capping on the wall had been removed.

“To see that the capping on that wall had been removed is devastating for our family. It meant effectively there was a ramp for any car to end up in the river. The capping was gone at exactly the point where a car would go in coming off a blind 90 degree turn,” said Mike English.

“Where that ramp was created by the removal of the capping there is a 6m drop into the river. There is no possibility of anybody surviving once they go over at that point,” said Mike English.
Mike English said there were three blatant failures and that if any one of them had been addressed, it could have saved his daughter’s life.

He said those failures were the condition of the bridge and the removal of the capping, a speed limit of 60mph was in place when it should have been 35mph, and there was no Chevron sign at that bend.

“Nothing was done to address any of those failures. I believe that even if a cone had been placed at that point, that Bronagh could still be alive today,” said Mike English.

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“The engineers’ report found the capping had been removed. Nothing was done about it and 90 days later our daughter was found dead in the river,” said a heartbroken father.