Gardaí catch Cork motorist doing 145km/h in 120km/h zone during National Slow Down Day

In 5 hours, gardaí caught 120 motorists driving in excess of the applicable speed limit

Gardaí speak to motorists at Garda checkpoint on Chapelizod Road, Dublin. File Picture: Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

One motorist in Cork was clocked travelling at 145km/h in a 120km/h zone during a national Garda operation aimed at combatting speeding. 

Gardaí are carrying out checkpoints on roads across the country on Friday in what has traditionally been one of the busiest days on Irish roads.

The checkpoints were established from 7am as part of National Slow Down Day. It will be the final such operation of 2023.

Between 7am and 12pam, gardaí say they monitored the speed of some 28,569 vehicles nationwide. Of these, 120 were found to be travelling in excess of the applicable speed limit.

One motorist was caught doing 145km/h in a 120km/h Zone on the M8 Ballinglanna North in Kilworth, Co Cork. 

Another motorist was caught driving at 130km/h in a 100km/h Zone on the N4 in Westmeath.

Other notable detections included:

• 119km/h in a 80km/h Zone on the N4 Ballydowd Lucan Dublin
• 125km/h in a 100km/h Zone on the M50 Tymon North Dublin24 Dublin
• 149km/h in a 120km/h Zone on the M6 An Carn Mór Thiar Órán Mór Gaillimh 
• 121km/h in a 100km/h Zone on the N13 Teevickmoy Stranorlar Donegal
• 129km/h in a 120km/h Zone on the M18 Ballyconneely Newmarket On Fergus Clare
• 141km/h in a 120km/h Zone on the M9 Coolmore Knocktopher Kilkenny
• 78km/h in a 60km/h Zone on the N4 Drishoge Carrick-On-Shannon Roscommon
• 76km/h in a 60km/h Zone on the N25 Grahormack Tagoat Wexford
• 59km/h in a 50km/h Zone on the Main Street Williamstown Galway
• 117km/h in a 100km/h Zone on the M8 Dunkettle Glanmire Cork 
• 93km/h in a 80km/h Zone on the R327 Pollanalty East Cloonfad Roscommon
• 69km/h in a 60km/h Zone on the N15 Mullandrait Stranorlar Donegal

"An Garda Síochána continues to appeal to drivers to comply with speed limits in order to reduce the number of speed related collisions, save lives and reduce injuries on our roads," a garda spokesperson said. 

As well as enforcing speed limits, gardaí say they will also be conducting drink and drug-driving tests at certain checkpoints. 

Further updates will be issued throughout the day today. 

According to the latest statistics, 181 people have lost their lives on Irish roads so far this year, an increase of 30 on the total number of fatalities recorded in 2022.