A wonderful illustration showing how much public space we’ve handed over to cars

One point I'd add is an economical one.

Cars drive a big economy. Dealerships, mechanics, fuel stations, the fuel supply and distribution network, parts manufacture and supply, car cleaning, repairs etc etc. It's a significant industry generating a big amount of money and tax revenue. What happens if militants get their way and private cars are all but gone?

Also retail etc, for example if I want to buy a new couch, I'll drive around a few furniture stores and pick one out to be delivered. Take away the use of my car I just go onto Google to search for one I like which will inevitably be from one of the big main furniture outlets. I foresee a society where we stop going out to the smaller and local businesses to buy. Instead buying from the usual multinationals like Amazon. This is happening already, but the more difficult we make motoring this will be an inevitable side effect. We'll sit at home clicking on our phones and computers. Everything delivered to us. More convenient and efficient, yes. But is the point of life to be as convenient and efficient as possible?

I know none of my points disprove the ops original post. But worthy of concern.

We also don't make bicycles, trains, bus's, taxis etc.

Just because we don't make them doesn't mean there's not a big industry, as I listed. Car dealerships, servicing, parts, fuel etc etc.

This is why it's pointless commenting in any of these debates and why I don't usually bother. People just dance around points. Yes a lot of money is sent out of the economy to buy cars built abroad. The point I raised and which you're ignoring is the thousands of people employed in and the revenue generated from the selling and maintaining of peoples cars. It's not an insignificant amount.

Ask anyone who commutes on foot or by bicycle how often it rains and I can guarantee you that all will say that the weather rarely impacts them.

If you're not willing to wear raingear at an outdoor event like a football match then there is not much anyone can do for you.

Presumably you get to choose what time you run: in Galway, at least, if it's raining now, just wait 20 mins and it will probably have stopped

Lots of people have jobs which don't allow that: they need to be at work, on time, every time

Eg, In my current gig, I need to be at my desk in the office I Parkmore strictly by 9am two days a week. Other days can be flexible or WFH, those ones cannot due to operational needs. So sometimes I do get wet.

The issue that it's "Too wet in Ireland to cycle" isn't true at all, apart from the fact that we're not all made from Sugar...

The real issues are that there's not enough protected cycle routes into any Irish City.

Bicycle theft is rampant in Dublin, and Ireland... It's not uncommon to see younglads walking around town with angle-grinders and cutting off bicycle locks, they have ZERO fear of being caught or stopped by anyone least of all the Gardai.

Cycling to sporting events or to the shops? See above...

Offices/Workplaces tend not to have secure bicycle rooms/areas and even if they do it's not uncommon to see bicycles being stolen from "secured" areas.

Also very very few workplaces have a locker room to store your clothes and a place to hang/dry your rain-gear/clothes.

Until all of the above is addressed then we're not going to see a massive shift in the numbers of people swapping the car for a bicycle..

(And yes I know there's going to be someone who'll reply to all of my above points and tell me i'm completely wrong and that's their opinion!)