Tipperary County Council Continue To Waste Public Funding.

Chest Waders required for Thurles ‘Lady’s Well’ river walkway.

“We have a situation here in Thurles where tarmacadam is being put everywhere except in our street surfaces, ever enlarging potholes.”

In late April 2022, Thurles.Info posted their disappointment following the announcement by local Municipal councillors, led by Fianna Fáil Councillor Mr Seamus Hanafin, regarding the destruction of biodiversity on the ‘Our Lady’s Well’ river walk in Thurles.

Following the complaint, there was total disregard shown for Section 40 of the Wildlife Act, by Green Party Minister Mr Malcolm Noonan and his staff at the National Parks & Wildlife Service.

Section 40 of the Wildlife Act 1976 as amended by the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 and the Heritage Act 2018 states : –
(a) It shall be an offence for a person to cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy during the period beginning on the 1st day of March and ending on the 31st day of August in any year, any vegetation growing on any land, not then cultivated.
(b) It shall be an offence for a person to cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy any vegetation growing in any hedge or ditch during the period mentioned in paragraph (a) of this subsection.

The main purposes of introducing Section 40 of the Wildlife Act, nationally was to protect bird life during the nesting season, to help prevent forest fires, thus protecting vegetation and wildlife habitats during the months of growth and reproduction.

The Minister and his department had been warned in advance of this intended destruction, but same was allowed to continue without any explanation or reply, to the numerous communications sent to the aforenamed Green Party Minister.

As the above video above shows, the Suir River bank in this area was lowered, (see video above), before cold tarmacadam was later poured over the area, eradicating the naturally occurring Bluebells, Primroses, Dandelions, Daffodils, Cowslips, Woodland Violets, Cow Parsley, Cuckoo Flower, Buttercups, Yellow Iris, Brassica, all previously evident and enjoyed by the leisurely walker.
Three seats/ benches were also removed, each a rest stop for the unhurried visitor and those elderly and unsure of foot.

No proper levels were taken in the lowering of the riverbank walkway; trees and their roots were severely damaged, while the quality of mainstream water, plus the build-up of silt and various uncontrolled obstructions in the main body of the river Suir itself were totally ignored; all courtesy of Tipperary County Council, led by Chief Executive Mr Joe MacGrath and his ill-informed officialdom.

Picture (above) taken this evening shows the now flooded tarmacadam pathway, with water over 30cm in depth; which is also flooding the land to the south of the area, and all because of a failure to deal with the main body of water that is the River Suir.