On the one road
November 27, 2011Enda Tyrrell was employed as construction manager during the design and construction phase of the M3 motorway between 2007 and 2010, having joined Eurolink in the Spring of '07. The former Killyon hurler is currently operations manager on the M4, which means he effectively oversees the day-to-day running of the motorway, ensuring that the users of the motorway have a safe and pleasant journey.
On December 12th, 2011, Eurolink will mark the end of its sixth year operating the 36km M4 from Kilcock to Kinnegad, which also runs through parts of the Royal County at Enfield and Clonard and they also marked the first anniversary of operating the M3 Motorway on 3rd June last. Eurolink are here for the long haul and are committed to providing and maintaining these vitals elements of the country's infrastructure over the coming years
Ireland's biggest-ever road project, the M3, which runs from north of Kells - close to the Cavan border - to Clonee - on the Dublin border - opened two months ahead of schedule on June 3rd, 2010.The €1billion, 60km motorway bypasses Dunshaughlin, Navan and Kells, cutting an hour or more off peak-time journeys between north Meath and Dublin. The M3 motorway was conceived as a Public Private Partnership between the National Roads Authority (working with Meath County Council) and Eurolink Motorway Operations (M3) Ltd., who designed, built, financed and now operate the motorway.
Eurolink employs 53 people directly between the M4 and the M3 and also employs 75 people indirectly as subcontract staff. Thus, in total, Eurolink provides steady employment to 130 people approximately - a huge boost in these dark economic times.
The new routes have been a Godsend not just to those making regular or intermittent journeys to the capital but also in terms of boosting the industrial infrastructure of the Royal County, as Enda confirms: "The M3 effectively runs the full length of Meath, from the Dublin border to the Cavan border, and it couldn't have come at a better time to entice industry into the county. It's a brilliant network, offering convenient access to the M50 and Dublin Airport and will become the economic artery for the County over the coming years. "From Day One, the reaction to the new motorway has been favorable. People are becoming more and more used to the road and traffic is increasing month on month. During the snow storms last December, we kept the road open at all times and demonstrated to people using the motorway that we will do whatever is necessary to keep the road in a good condition during inclement weather conditions"
Today, Enda is based in Kilcock, the base from which he ensures that the M4 is managed in accordance with the terms as stipulated in Eurolink's contract with the NRA. He ensures that everything relating to the upkeep of the motorway is maintained to the highest standards all the year round. For GAA fans, the end result is a quicker time spent travelling to Croke Park and back on big match day. This means they have plenty of time to grab a quick cup of tea and some Jaffa Cakes before sitting down to watch the highlights on The Sunday Game!
Enda fits very snugly into the category of GAA fan himself, having hurled extensively for Killyon from U13 level right through into the senior team. "I was lucky enough to come through with a very good bunch of lads and we won U13, U14, U16, minor and U21 titles," he reflects.
Enda's senior career was disrupted by college commitments and also by spells spent abroad in London and Australia, but - as a 20-year-old - he lined out on the Killyon side that defeated Rathmolyon in the 1984 county SHC final and also played in two more county deciders - beating Trim after a replay in 1991 and losing to Kilmessan in '99. As a young hurler, Enda Tyrrell was talented enough to attract the attention of the intercounty selectors, representing Meath at U16 level and winning an All-Ireland 'B' medal with the Royal County in 1980. Two years later, he featured on the Meath minor team that was unluckily beaten by Kerry - by one point after a replay - in the All-Ireland MHC 'B' final.
Enda's brother Lar has remained heavily involved with the Killyon club down through the years while Enda himself is starting to get involved in the national game at club level again as his son has recently started to tog out for the Raharney club in Westmeath.
Enda's innate love of hurling has not been diluted in any way by the passing of time: "I love hurling and I've always enjoyed watching the game at intercounty level, going back to the 1980s when there were some great duels between Kilkenny, Tipperary, Galway and Cork. I suppose it's the same today but the standard has gone through the roof. There's no comparison between the game they're playing today and the one we used to see 20 or 30 years ago.
"The standard is absolutely unbelievable and the level of commitment and skill being produced by the players today is unreal. It's bordering on professional and they have everything down to a fine art, from playing to preparing - not just at county level but also in the clubs.
"They are teaching the young lads the technique of how to strike the ball from a very early age now and U14 hurling is totally different now than when we played it. The game has changed and it has changed for the better. Hurling is an astonishing spectacle and the last three All-Ireland finals have been testament to this. You wouldn't get better contests in any sport."
And any Meath folk who want to savor the spectacle of a big GAA match in Croke Park for themselves can now do so with the minimum of fuss thanks to Eurolink's invaluable contribution to the roads infrastructure of the Royal County. Tweet
