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Garda Traffic/Twitter

Bus driver caught doing 20 km/h over the speed limit by unmarked garda car

National Slow Down Day was held on Friday to encourage drivers to slow down.

A BUS DRIVER was caught travelling 20 km/h over the speed limit by an unmarked garda car this weekend.

Monaghan’s garda traffic unit detected a bus doing 102 km/h in an 80-zone on the N2 while it overtook an unmarked patrol car.

A Fixed Charge Penalty Notice for the offence is to follow, according to gardaí.

On Friday, National Slow Down Day, gardaí across the country checked 134,739 vehicles over a 24-hour period and found 226 to be travelling in excess of the speed limit.

Some extreme examples of the speeders caught include 100 km/h in a 60 zone on the R418 at Youngstown, Athy, Co Kildare; and 131 km/h in a 100 zone on the N3 at Daggan, Co Cavan.

Read: The rain was so bad yesterday it flooded parts of Dublin’s north inner city

Read: By 2018, transport fleets like Bus Éireann will have green energy buses

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78 Comments
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    Mute Brian MacCarthaigh
    Favourite Brian MacCarthaigh
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    May 28th 2017, 4:58 PM

    Major scoop theJournal well done.

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    Mute Kevin Farrell
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    May 28th 2017, 11:51 PM

    @Brian MacCarthaigh: I don’t think I have ever seen a bus on a motorway abiding by the 80km/h speed limit that applies to (single decker) buses, not to mention HGVs which not only constantly break their 80 km/h speed limit but also regularly illegally drive in the overtaking lane. Seen plenty of gardai pass speeding HGVs too.

    55
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    Mute Stephen Duffy
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    May 29th 2017, 5:53 AM

    @Brian MacCarthaigh: Bus driver caught sticking to the speed limit would be news. A quite bizarre story… What next? Tin of beans stolen from local Tesco store…

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    Mute Peter
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    May 29th 2017, 6:01 AM

    @Kevin Farrell: Some places buses can do 100km/h and also trucks can do 90km/h.

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    Mute Brian O Dwyer
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    May 29th 2017, 6:15 AM

    @Kevin Farrell: bus can do 100 on motorway and can use the overtaking lane. Hgv can do 90.

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    Mute Mike Power
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    May 28th 2017, 4:35 PM

    How is 102kmph 40kmph over an 80km speed zone?

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    Mute john g mcgrath
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    May 28th 2017, 4:52 PM

    @Mike Power: well you know the boys in blue double up figures !!!

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    Mute Chris Creagh
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    May 28th 2017, 5:17 PM

    @Mike Power: it says 20kmph

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    Mute Mike Power
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    May 28th 2017, 5:35 PM

    @Chris Creagh: It does now after the author changed it, and still got the maths wrong.

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    Mute Florence Bass
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    May 28th 2017, 6:51 PM

    @Mike Power: the article says 20 km over the limit.

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    Mute Joy Keppel
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    May 28th 2017, 9:13 PM

    @Mike Power: read it again

    1
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    Mute Mike Power
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    May 28th 2017, 10:20 PM

    @Florence Bass: Yes it does, see comment above.

    12
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    Mute Martin Critten
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    May 28th 2017, 5:06 PM

    What a stupid waste of resources.. as an activity they uncovered 0.16865671641791% of motorists speeding out of 134, 000 observations.

    2 billion journeys made each year, by 2.5 million vehicles; resulting in bad outcomes of 0.0000159% .. You’d need a microscope to work out the risk assessment.

    Meanwhile we can’t get sufficient revenue to spend on mental health services for the 600 or so poor souls who take their own lives..

    Cop on ..

    270
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    Mute Nick Allen
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    May 28th 2017, 5:11 PM

    @Martin Critten:

    The objective of the initiative was to stop people from speeding rather than to catch people, hence the heavy advertising. maybe a life or two was saved.

    Cop on….

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    Mute Martin Critten
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    May 28th 2017, 5:22 PM

    @Nick Allen: doubt it. As stated of 2 billion annual road activities (2,000,000,000) which pass without incident, are u trying to tell us all that such measures can be effectual to the value of 1. We are not divine beings. Thats the farce of all this pure nonsense. At this level is pure mathematics of chance. Which 8 million to 1 is willing the lottery 300 million to 1 in being killed on the roads.

    Now whose being played stupid.

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    Mute Live at Oriel
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    May 28th 2017, 5:40 PM

    @Martin Critten: agree totally.If they were to spend a half hour on a road I know they would catch a lot more people speeding than they did for 24 hour national clamp down.Gardai have no resources.This is why the total national detection rate is so small for this weekend

    19
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    Mute Martin Critten
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    May 28th 2017, 5:51 PM

    @Live at Oriel: my question is what are we doing the detection for in the first place. More like chasing rainbows. The fanciful idea that somehow this is going to effect something ..

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    Mute George Salter
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    May 28th 2017, 6:19 PM

    @Martin Critten: Martin, your stats are incorrect. Your calculations only work if each person takes exactly one trip per annum. This is patently absurd. Many, if not most, people, take a minimum of 600 trips per annum- work and back 5 times a week and a shopping trip at the weekend.

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    May 28th 2017, 8:27 PM

    @Martin Critten:

    You are not getting it are you? It is proven that reducing the speed of traffic on the roads reduces the number of deaths on the road.

    12
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    Mute Jonnie Mac Carthy
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    May 28th 2017, 11:55 PM

    @Nick Allen: if they really want people to adhere to limit s bell should go off in car at 120kph or cars would have limiters. But it is easy income

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    Mute Daniel Wilson
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    May 29th 2017, 9:57 AM

    Eh @George Salter: he said 2 billion ‘road activities’, at ~3 million cars that sounds roughly correct to me

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    Mute George Salter
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    May 29th 2017, 10:23 AM

    @Daniel Wilson: Point still stands

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    Mute oh i dunno
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    May 28th 2017, 4:55 PM

    wow, crime of the century,, anyhow, the thicko gaurd hasn’t realised the bus either has a faulty limiter or no limiter at all if he was doing 102 kph, there must be a range of other offences here in that regards.

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    May 28th 2017, 5:13 PM

    @oh i dunno:

    What makes you think the limiter was faulty?

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    Mute oh i dunno
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    May 28th 2017, 5:37 PM

    @Nick Allen: The fact he was doing 102? Its pretty self explanatory, why does everything have to explained in detail to the commentators here? Is there a requirement to be monumentally pedantic here to comment? If he was doing 102 it was either faulty i.e not calibrated/not working or none installed, why does this need further clarification?

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    Mute John Cummins
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    May 28th 2017, 5:48 PM

    @oh i dunno: busses can do 100 kph on a motorway, 2% is an acceptable margin of error for a limiter.

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    Mute joe o hare
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    May 28th 2017, 6:09 PM

    @oh i dunno: could have been going downhill.

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    Mute oh i dunno
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    May 28th 2017, 6:48 PM

    @John Cummins: Only Single and double deck buses and coaches (with accommodation for more than 8 passengers but not carry standing passengers) , he was still going over the speed limit and should get the limiter fixed, calibrated or one installed, a 2% margin of error is unacceptable when receiving speeding fines points on licence.

    11
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    Mute oh i dunno
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    May 28th 2017, 6:50 PM

    @joe o hare: Wouldn’t be much point in limiters being installed on every HGV and Bus if they didn’t work going downhill

    11
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    Mute Nick Allen
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    May 28th 2017, 8:29 PM

    @oh i dunno:

    The limiter only has one maximum speed, this speed does not vary depending on the speed limit of the road you are travelling. So it has to allow a bus travel at 100 Km/h as that is the speed limit on a motorway. Does this need further clarification?

    11
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    Mute Stiofán Ó Cléirigh
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    May 28th 2017, 8:49 PM

    @oh i dunno: !

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    Mute stoned.walled
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    May 28th 2017, 9:22 PM

    @oh i dunno: they don’t work downhill ya snartass!

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    Mute oh i dunno
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    May 28th 2017, 9:28 PM

    @Nick Allen: The limit varies on the kind of bus, i’ve already clarified the certain types but it just doesn’t seem to be registering. If a bus with a limiter of lets say 100kph is caught doing 102kph, AGAIN he either had no limiter, a faulty limiter or on that needs calibration. If the “LIMITER” was working as it should, the bus would not be able to break the maximum speed allowed for that vehicle, the whole point of it. Some people really need a picture drew for them.

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    Mute oh i dunno
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    May 28th 2017, 9:38 PM

    Yes they do

    4
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    Mute Dave Cremin
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    May 28th 2017, 11:16 PM

    @Nick Allen: the speed limit on a motorway is 120kph.

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    May 28th 2017, 11:20 PM

    @oh i dunno:

    Nice try to redeem yourself. U got it wrong. Accept it rather than try to argue the point. A 2% margin of error of perfectly acceptable. When you have have screwed up with a comment you should either say ‘fair cop’ or go silent. Arguing something you will never win is a bd idea

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    Mute Mark Nugent
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    May 28th 2017, 4:36 PM

    Overtook???? Should loose his bus license completely for that

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    Mute Brown Boots
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    May 28th 2017, 4:50 PM

    @Mark Nugent: it overtook the unmarked car, so I was under the assumption that you need to be stationary to take a speed reading etc. Or has technology changed and I need to slow down

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    May 28th 2017, 5:13 PM

    @Brown Boots:

    Your assumption was wrong.

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    Mute Brown Boots
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    May 28th 2017, 5:26 PM

    @Nick Allen: thank you Nicholas, always open to correction. I know the plate scanners can get tax and insurance details but didn’t know could do speed. I will say though I don’t actually speed anymore, I just use cruise control to set it to whatever it is,, just dial it up or down, grand job, never thought I’d actually use it for that, but at the end of the day, if keeps people safe and me with less points it’s a win win.

    29
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    Mute Stephen murphy
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    May 28th 2017, 6:25 PM

    @Brown Boots: They may have been doing the max, as the wheels on the bus went round and round?

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    Mute psychiatrist
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    May 28th 2017, 7:49 PM

    @Mark Nugent: Most certainly one of the “out of service” buses, which are always very fast, compared to the rest I mean.

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    Mute 8bitplebian
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    May 28th 2017, 6:08 PM

    What’s that, a little over 11mph? Clearly a master criminal. Is there a prison secure enough to hold him?

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    Mute Peter
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    May 29th 2017, 6:03 AM

    @8bitplebian: That doesn’t make it slower.

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    Mute Nomis Andrews
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    May 28th 2017, 7:09 PM

    If the unmarked Garda car was moving around 60 kph it would be safer for the bus to increase to maximum speed to pass it safely before slowing down again to 80 kph.

    58
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    Mute James O'Brien
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    May 28th 2017, 5:05 PM

    And the Garda never go over the limit.. Jeez…

    68
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    Mute winston smith
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    May 28th 2017, 4:54 PM

    The lads won’t take this too well back in the garage..could be a national go slow in the works after this…a rookie Garda straight out of Templemore I reckon.

    53
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    Mute Wayne Scales
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    May 28th 2017, 5:20 PM

    He probably had to hurry home to get up early the next morning.Thanks Leo.

    33
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    Mute Joseph Dempsey
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    May 28th 2017, 6:33 PM

    Can’t contain my excitement at the figures TGE traffic corps will release tomorrow. Travelled from Midlands the Kerry, over to cork and back and not a single speed trap, albeit did witness a sneaky squad car hidden at school entrance coming into my village, Gosh that will achieve so much. I heard inspectors where also handing out tickets at checkpoints in Dublin, I guess too insure the numbers tallied up. ( Does anyone really take these campaigns seriously anymore?)

    33
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    Mute Evangelos
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    May 28th 2017, 4:56 PM

    Article is wrong the driver was 22km over the limit not 20.Just saying

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    Mute Cram Wood
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    May 28th 2017, 5:18 PM

    Yeah so what. Big swinging….

    23
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    Mute Shane Delaney
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    May 28th 2017, 5:08 PM

    Fair enough. Bus driver over the limit. Sick of buses on the motorway overtaking trucks and holding up traffic and then they speed through the towns.
    But that picture if the driver of the cop car took it shouldn’t he be done also.

    19
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    Mute Adam O'hEidhin
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    May 28th 2017, 7:49 PM

    And the Garda on twitter, using a speed gun, breaking the speed limit and tailgating all at the same time haha

    19
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    Mute S Mac Giolla Choin
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    May 28th 2017, 8:26 PM

    @Adam O’hEidhin: also dated 20/05/17 which was a week ago.

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    Mute George Salter
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    May 28th 2017, 5:48 PM

    If the Gardai started monitoring Bus Eireann, they’d find that pretty much every intercity bus breaks limits constantly. And there so t be a word said until there is a tragedy.

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    Mute Keith Wizzy
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    May 28th 2017, 6:00 PM

    Took one home from the Laughter Lounge last night. I literally bounced from one seat across to another when he took a roundabout. Not sure if it was the alcohol or speed or a combination of both. Probably quickest journey home ever with only five in it. Was dying for a piddle so all good.

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    Mute dead right
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    May 28th 2017, 4:37 PM

    bursting for a shite

    103
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    Mute Alan Moore
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    May 28th 2017, 4:44 PM

    @dead right: why are you commenting, get it done, sounds urgent.

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    Mute dead right
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    May 28th 2017, 6:46 PM

    @Alan Moore: posted from the pot

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    Mute Stiofán Ó Cléirigh
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    May 28th 2017, 8:47 PM

    @dead right: in tyrellstownship that’s dropping off the kids

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    Mute Karl Monaghan
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    May 28th 2017, 7:30 PM

    MY GOD!

    He was doing 60 miles an hour in a 50 zone! Such great reporting!!!

    Before the miles to kilometers change over that 20 miles an hour over the speed limit resulted in an automatic court summons – have they converted this to 20 kmph over the limit or has this been converted properly to 32 kmph over the speed limit???

    11
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    Mute Dominic Hearns
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    May 28th 2017, 8:27 PM

    Great capture lads. Very proud moment for you boys.

    11
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    Mute joe o hare
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    May 28th 2017, 6:11 PM

    Driver should be shot. How could they. Will somebody please think of the children.

    13
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    Mute Paul Coughlan
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    May 28th 2017, 5:52 PM

    Are buses not restricted.

    8
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    Mute Stiofán Ó Cléirigh
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    May 28th 2017, 8:44 PM

    @Paul Coughlan: yes they are not allowed over the halpenny bridge

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    Mute Rob Hopkins
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    May 28th 2017, 9:53 PM

    Why is this news ?

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    Mute pat seery
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    May 28th 2017, 7:20 PM

    I presume it was an Express Bus

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    Mute Stiofán Ó Cléirigh
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    May 28th 2017, 8:43 PM

    @pat seery: no they are work to rule

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    Mute Stiofán Ó Cléirigh
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    May 28th 2017, 8:41 PM

    So what!!! Two cyclists speeding down clanbrasil street in a 30kph zone. Muppet

    7
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    Mute Ian Stephenson
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    May 29th 2017, 7:18 AM

    Ok can we officially now say that speeding is longer a serious problem. 134,000 + detections and only 226 over the limit ??? I’m sorry that just does not add up. Gardai having trouble with their numbers again ?

    5
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    Mute barreeeeeeeee
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    May 28th 2017, 6:52 PM

    It was me that told him to speed up, the wife was in labour, don’t go to hard on him judge mcbride

    5
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    Mute Rusty Nail
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    May 29th 2017, 6:24 AM

    It’s the Gardai that need to be monitored for speeding. Just because they have a badge doesn’t make it safer for them.

    3
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    Mute Noel
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    May 29th 2017, 5:34 AM

    National slush fund top up Friday

    3
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    Mute Earl Fitzgerald
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    May 29th 2017, 8:14 AM

    The bus driver should just say that he had “Just robbed a bank of millions” and that he was getting away… Probably would have got away with it.

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    Mute Peter McMahon
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    May 28th 2017, 9:42 PM

    Stupid non story.

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    Mute Bewarethebeardz
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    May 29th 2017, 8:32 AM

    Well, we can at least be assured that it will never be a Dublin bus or Bus Eireann bus.

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    Mute Malachy
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    May 28th 2017, 10:24 PM

    I overtook an unmarked once. Then kept up my speed up to which they did say they’d give me a chance to slow down after overtaking. But I didn’t. Caught fair and square. My bad.

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    Mute Seth Cheffetz
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    May 29th 2017, 9:03 AM

    I’ve been on more than my fair share of buses where the driver is driving like a maniac.

    1
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