Thurles Information

History Rhymes: Mufti, Nazis, Fight Over Jewish Refugees In 1943.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” — Attributed to philosopher George Santayana.

Antisemitism, or prejudice and discrimination against Jewish people, has existed for centuries but has sadly seen renewed global concern in recent years due to rising hate crimes, extremist rhetoric, and worst of all, online misinformation.

An example of this is the rise in anti-Semitism and growing tensions around the Ireland v Israel soccer match, causing deep concern across Irish communities. While people have strong views on the middle east conflict, there is an urgent need for restraint, calm language, and respect for public safety. Calls for protests by poorly informed individuals around the match have increased in recent weeks, but many believe demonstrations should be halted to avoid further division, intimidation, or violence, and to ensure the focus remains on peace, dialogue, and the protection of all communities from hate crime.

“Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.“ — Quote attributed to Sir Winston Churchill.

On May 6th, 1943, one of the most controversial figures in Middle Eastern history, Muslim leader Amin al-Husseini, (1897-1974), sent a letter to the Bulgarian government objecting to a proposal that would have allowed thousands of Jewish children to escape Europe and immigrate to British Mandate Palestine.
This letter remains one of the clearest documented examples of the Mufti’s▲ active collaboration with Nazi Germany and his opposition to Jewish rescue efforts during the Holocaust.

▲ Mufti: An Islamic legal scholar qualified to issue fatwas (religious decrees).

During World War II, the former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem became closely aligned with the Axis powers. After fleeing the Middle East, following anti-British unrest in Iraq, Husseini settled in Berlin, where he was welcomed by senior Nazi officials and supported by the German government.

While in Germany, he broadcast pro-Nazi and antisemitic propaganda in Arabic; encouraged resistance against Britain and the Allies; opposed all Jewish immigration to Palestine, and recruited Muslims into Waffen-SS units operating in the Balkans.
In November 1941, Husseini met directly with Adolf Hitler in Berlin. Records of the meeting show that both men discussed opposition to Jews and British influence in the Middle East.

The Bulgarian Rescue Proposal.
By 1943, reports of the mass murder of European Jews had begun spreading internationally. At the same time, efforts were underway to rescue Jewish children trapped in Nazi-controlled territory.
One proposal involved allowing approximately 4,000 Jewish children and several hundred accompanying adults to leave Bulgaria for British Mandate Palestine. Husseini strongly opposed the plan. According to historical records cited by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and multiple historians, he contacted German and allied officials to block the transfer.
In correspondence connected to these rescue efforts, Husseini argued that Jews should not be allowed to emigrate to Palestine and suggested they instead be sent to places where they would remain under tighter control, including Poland.

**Jews Being Deported To Treblinka 1942.**

What “Poland” Meant in 1943.
By May 1943, Nazi-occupied Poland had become the centre of the Holocaust. Extermination camps including Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka, Sobibor, and Majdanek were operating there, and hundreds of thousands of Jews had already been murdered. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising had just been crushed weeks earlier.
Children sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau,Treblinka,Sobibor,and Majdanek were primarily targeted for immediate extermination, with the vast majority murdered in gas chambers upon arrival. Jewish children were deemed “unfit for labour,” leading to instant separation from parents and death. In Auschwitz-Birkenau, over 200,000 children were killed immediately upon arrival, together with over 700 babies born there, murdered prior to late 1944.
Treblinka and Sobibor in fact were pure death camps (Operation Reinhard). Children, alongside adults, were usually sent immediately to the gas chambers upon arrival. Majdanek Functioned as both a concentration and extermination camp, where children were either immediately murdered or faced death through starvation, disease, and, in some cases, older children were kept for forced labour.

Some children were kept in “family camps” (often to be murdered later) or used for sadistic medical experiments. Only about 700 children were alive upon liberation in January 1945.

Historians generally agree that senior Nazi collaborators, such as Husseini, were aware that deportations to Poland placed Jews in grave danger, though scholars continue debating precisely how much he knew about the mechanics of the extermination process itself.

Collaboration Beyond Propaganda
Husseini’s wartime role extended beyond speeches and diplomacy. Historical documentation confirms that he worked closely with senior Nazi figures including Heinrich Himmler and Joachim von Ribbentrop. He also helped recruit Muslim volunteers for Nazi military formations in Bosnia and the Balkans.
Photographs and wartime records additionally place him visiting Nazi facilities and meeting SS leadership during the war years.
At the same time, many historians caution against exaggerating his role. Institutions such as Yad Vashem▲, note that while Husseini was unquestionably a Nazi collaborator and antisemite, there is no evidence he was one of the architects of the Holocaust itself.

▲ Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre.

The Core Message of Husseini Letter.
The May 1943 correspondence remains historically significant because it demonstrates that Husseini was not merely sympathetic to Nazi Germany in abstract political terms. He actively intervened against efforts to rescue Jewish refugees.
The central theme of the Mufti’s correspondence was unmistakable; Jewish refugees must not be allowed to reach Palestine. Historical records show that Husseini urged Axis-aligned governments to prevent Jewish emigration to the Middle East and instead redirected Jews to territories where they would remain under Nazi authority and surveillance. One of the most chilling lines associated with these communications was his recommendation that Jews be sent to countries “where they would find themselves under active control, for example, in Poland.”

For many historians and commentators, this episode illustrates how antisemitism, wartime Arab nationalism, and Nazi ideology intersected during World War II. Others caution against using Husseini’s actions to generalize about all Palestinians or all Arab political movements, noting that political views across the Arab world were never uniform.

What is beyond serious historical dispute, however, is that the Grand Mufti aligned himself with Nazi Germany, spread antisemitic propaganda, and opposed attempts to allow Jewish refugees to escape to Palestine during the Holocaust.

That aside, there is a strong current argument that sport should continue independently of politics. Supporters of that view see international sport as one of the few arenas where countries and peoples still meet under shared rules, even during periods of political conflict.
They further argue that former Ireland manager and women’s captain Brian Kerr and Louise Quinn; together with Shamrock Rovers captain Roberto Lopes; musician Christy Moore; bands Fontaines DC and Kneecap, are not elected government ministers, and that ordinary supporters should not automatically be treated as representatives of Irish State policy.
Anger tends to be most effective when it is channelled into a coherent ethical stance rather than confrontation for its own sake.
Targeting Jewish people, Israeli civilians, or individual athletes with abuse, undermines the moral credibility protesters may want/wish to project.

Bodies like UEFA and FIFA generally resist team exclusions unless there is overwhelming international consensus or direct breaches of competition rules. The FAI has publicly argued that refusing to fulfil fixtures could damage Irish football competitively and institutionally.

A Health System Measured In Corridors: UHL And North Tipperary Paying The Price.

Ireland’s trolley crisis has become more than a seasonal emergency or a political talking point. It is now a defining feature of the country’s healthcare system. The latest figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation reveal a staggering reality; more than 1.7 million people have been treated without a proper hospital bed since 2006. Behind that number are exhausted patients, distressed families and healthcare workers trying to deliver care in conditions that should never have become normal.

The fact that over one million people have been placed on trolleys in just the last decade shows how dramatically the problem has escalated. Despite years of economic growth, repeated promises of reform and countless government strategies, overcrowding remains deeply embedded in hospital life across Ireland. For many patients, entering an emergency department now means preparing for the possibility of spending hours, or even days, waiting in corridors for a bed to become available.

The figures from University Hospital Limerick are particularly alarming. Nearly 195,000 people have been left on trolleys there since 2006, making it the most overcrowded hospital in the country. Crucially, UHL serves not only Limerick but large parts of the Mid-West, including North Tipperary, meaning communities across the region are directly impacted by the ongoing crisis. Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Galway have also faced enormous pressures, highlighting how widespread the overcrowding problem has become.

What makes these numbers especially troubling is the human impact behind them. Patients on trolleys often experience a complete loss of dignity, treated in open corridors with little privacy, while waiting for care. Elderly and vulnerable patients are particularly affected, while frontline nurses and midwives continue to work under immense strain trying to provide safe treatment in overcrowded conditions.

The INMO survey reveals the growing toll on healthcare staff. More than two-thirds of respondents said staffing levels were inadequate to meet patient needs, while many reported burnout, stress and declining psychological wellbeing. Alarmingly, large numbers have considered leaving their work areas because of unsafe staffing conditions, creating fears that the crisis could worsen further if experienced staff continue to leave the system.

There is increasing concern that Ireland is beginning to normalise overcrowding in hospitals. Yet no modern healthcare system should accept corridors and trolleys as routine treatment spaces. Despite economic growth over the past two decades, many patients still face unacceptable waiting conditions when they are most vulnerable.

The warning from the INMO is not simply about statistics. It is a stark reminder that the healthcare system remains under severe pressure and that patients and staff across regions such as North Tipperary continue to pay the price for a crisis that has gone unresolved for far too long.

Thurles Planning Alert From Tipperary County Council.

Application Ref: 2660370.
Applicant: Aidan & Valerie Murphy.
Development Address: 18 Iona Drive, Thurles , Co. Tipperary.
Development Description: Demolition of existing attached lean-to ancillary to side facade and extension of dwelling including associated works.
Status: N/A.
Application Received: 29/04/2026.
Decision Date: N/A.
Further Details: http://www.eplanning.ie/TipperaryCC/AppFileRefDetails/2660370/0.

Why Ireland’s New Proposed Government Savings Plan Is Causing Concern.

The Irish Government is preparing a new savings and investment scheme that is expected to be announced during the next Budget. The main political figure behind the proposal is Mr Simon Harris, who is currently serving as Ireland’s Minister for Finance, with the Department of Finance also heavily involved in designing this plan.

The Government says the aim is to encourage ordinary people to invest their savings instead of leaving large amounts of money sitting in low-interest bank accounts. Ministers believe Irish households are holding billions of euro in cash savings that could earn better returns through investment funds or shares.

Under the proposal being discussed, people could place money into a special investment account that would receive major tax advantages. Reports suggest the Government is looking at a Swedish-style model where profits and gains from investments would either face very low tax or possibly no capital gains tax at all.

Supporters of the idea say this could help middle-income families grow their savings faster and make investing less complicated. Mr Simon Harris has argued that Ireland’s current taxes on investments are too high and discourage people from investing for the future.

However, several economists are warning that the plan may mainly benefit wealthier households. Their argument is simple: people with large amounts of spare cash will gain the biggest tax savings because they can afford to invest much more money. Families struggling with rent, mortgages, childcare, or daily expenses may not be able to take advantage of the scheme at all.

Critics also fear the State could lose a significant amount of tax revenue. Taxes collected from investments help fund public services such as hospitals, schools, transport, and housing. If investment profits become lightly taxed, the Government may collect less money in future years. Economists describe this as creating “another hole in the tax bucket” because less money would flow into the State, while the largest benefits would go to those already financially comfortable.

The debate now centres on fairness. The Government sees the proposal as a way to modernise Irish savings and encourage people to build wealth. Critics believe it risks increasing inequality by rewarding people who already have money while reducing funds available for public services.

Long Grass, Ticks and “No Mow May” – So Can Biodiversity & Public Health Coexist?

Every spring, Ireland is encouraged to embrace “No Mow May”, the growing environmental campaign that asks homeowners, schools and local authorities to leave grass uncut in support of bees, pollinators and biodiversity. Wildflowers bloom, insects return and urban spaces become noticeably greener.

At the very same time, however, the HSE is issuing renewed warnings about Lyme disease and the dangers posed by ticks hiding in long grass. This has created an increasingly important conversation; how do we balance environmental goals with public health concerns?

Why the HSE Is Raising Concern.
According to the HSE and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, ticks are active from spring through autumn and are commonly found in grassy, damp and shaded environments. They are present in both rural and urban Ireland and become more active during the warmer months.
The concern is not simply the tick bite itself, but the possibility of Lyme disease, an infection transmitted through infected ticks. The HSE says “several hundred” cases of milder Lyme disease likely occur annually in Ireland, while more serious neurological forms are reported in smaller numbers each year.
Health officials are particularly advising people to take care in areas of long vegetation. HSE guidance specifically recommends that walkers “keep to footpaths and avoid long grass” where possible.

The Environmental Argument for No Mow May.
Supporters of No Mow May argue that Ireland’s obsession with closely trimmed lawns has come at a cost to biodiversity. Allowing grass to grow naturally for even a few weeks provides habitat and food sources for bees, butterflies and pollinating insects, whose populations have been under pressure for years.
Longer grass also improves soil quality, supports carbon capture and creates more resilient urban ecosystems. In many areas, wildflower meadows have become symbols of climate awareness and environmental responsibility.
For environmental groups, reducing mowing is not about neglect. It is about rethinking how public and private green spaces are managed.

Where the Two Issues Collide.
The difficulty is that ticks thrive in many of the same environments promoted by rewilding initiatives. Long grass, woodland edges, scrub areas and damp vegetation provide ideal habitats for ticks waiting to attach themselves to animals or humans passing by.
That does not mean every unmown lawn becomes dangerous, nor does it mean biodiversity projects should end. But public health experts increasingly believe unmanaged growth in heavily used public areas can unintentionally increase exposure risks.
This debate is becoming more relevant as warmer temperatures and milder winters appear to be extending tick activity in Ireland. Climate-related research and reporting suggest tick populations may continue expanding in the years ahead.

A More Balanced Approach.
What is emerging now is a more balanced idea of “managed rewilding”.
Rather than leaving all spaces untouched, many experts favour maintaining cut pathways through parks and meadow areas, trimming grass around playgrounds and seating areas, and placing public information signs in higher-risk locations.
The message from public health officials is not to avoid nature, but to become more “tick aware”, while enjoying it.
Simple precautions remain highly effective. Wearing long trousers, using insect repellent containing DEET, checking skin and clothing after walks, especially young children, and removing ticks quickly from skin surfaces, all which significantly reduce risk.

The Bigger Conversation.
The debate around ‘No Mow May’ reflects a wider challenge modern societies now face. Environmental policies and public health policies can sometimes overlap in unexpected ways. Creating greener spaces is important. So is protecting people using those spaces.
The answer is unlikely to be found in extremes, neither cutting every patch of grass short nor abandoning management altogether. Instead, the future probably lies in smarter landscape design that supports biodiversity while still recognising genuine health risks.

Ireland’s growing awareness of Lyme disease may ultimately push councils, communities and homeowners toward a more thoughtful approach to rewilding, one where nature is encouraged, but not left entirely unmanaged.