Bus driver fined for striking rail bridge

which ends up in landfill or incinerated”.

Baldoyle Tidy Towns were recently awarded the top prize in the National Tree Awards. Their project’s mission has been to plant a tree for every person in the Baldoyle area and last year reached the milestone of 7500 trees — one for every person in the locality.

They have also created a beautiful tree trail in the local park, featuring hand crafted wooden posts with Native Tree Names in Irish, English and Ogham (which is the oldest known form of written Irish).

They were made by Liam McEvoy (Glendalough Woodcraft) and Séighean Ó Draoi (sculptor) & funded by Baldoyle Tidy Towns & Fingal Council.

As founding Member Nike Ruf reminds us all: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago — the next best time is now”.

Baldoyle Tidy Towns will be out planting trees for National Tree Week 2023, which runs until Sunday 26th March, with many of the local clubs, schools & groups participating. If you would like to get involved contact: baldoyletidytowns@gmail.com

A bus driver who struck a rail bridge, shearing the top off a double-decker bus, has been fined.

Francis Leonard (60) was driving a double-decker bus taking 17 passengers — 15 school children and two teachers — to a sports game when the vehicle struck the bridge at Moyne Road, Baldoyle on March 7th, 2022. Nobody was injured in the collision.

Leonard, of St Catherine’s Crescent, Rush, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to one count of driving a vehicle under a structure.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Leonard stepped in at short notice to drive the bus. He had intended to follow another route, which would have taken the bus over the bridge. However, due to roadworks, he had to change the route.

The defendant has no previous convictions and has not come to garda attention since this incident. Imposing a €500 fine, the judge said the court would order the deferral of a threemonth prison sentence and give Leonard the benefit of the Probation Act before the case is finalised later this year.