Well-known local Thurles artist and teacher Mr P.J. O’Connell was approached by a rare enough spectacle in Thurles this week; that of a couple of English tourists who had lost their way, but both asking where they could find a sign indicating that Thurles was truly twinned with the town of Bollington, in Cheshire, England.
From personal vague recollection, I seem to remember that, some years ago, signs did exist on the three major roads leading into Thurles, but all have now vanished; removed it is believed locally, by wicked fairies wearing reflective yellow jackets, seen operating in the area.
Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
On behalf of local elected town councillors I wish to state, using the most passionate of discourse; that the idea of twinning Thurles was not an idea dreamed up by a local elected representative, to gain access to junkets abroad; to be paid for by unsuspecting local ratepayers.
Thurles, Co. Tipperary is twinned with Bollington, (locally nicknamed “Happy Valley”), Cheshire East, in England, once a major centre for cotton spinning. The twinning of Bollington and Thurles made history in its own right, being the first such act between an English town and an Irish counterpart here in the Republic of Ireland.
It was Mr Claude Charles Harlington, (MBE); the first Town Clerk of the newly created Bollington Town Council, back in 1979, and the former Thurles Town Clerk, Mr Michael Ryan, who both correctly and energetically supported the decision to twin both towns.
Thurles of course is also twinned with Salt Lake City, in the State of Utah, United States of America.
Artist Mr O’Connell naturally contacted Thurles.Info to further confirm that no such signs currently existed, and “to be sure, to be sure”, like the Dublin man, we here at Thurles.Info did our living best to locate same, including having a ‘tête-à-tête’ with the head buck cat of the fairies; but alas to no avail.
Of course, we were however delighted to see two other important signs vividly displayed and greatly encouraging tourism; positioned on the entrance roads into Thurles; e.g. (A) “Failte go Durlas Eile, Welcome to Thurles, Home of Erin Foods” and (B) “Thurles.ie.”
Hold on here a feckin second; did I not read somewhere that Erin Foods, which had been in operation in Thurles, Co Tipperary, for some 46 years, had closed nine years ago this month, (June 2008), with the loss of 95 jobs, the latter which were never replaced.
As for the sign for the website ‘Thurles.ie’; (I beg of you readers please, do try not to laugh out loud) for it is with sadness I report that someone in our Municipal District forgot to pay the annual €9 charge for the host name ‘Thurles.ie’. On the 21st March 2017 it was snapped up by Mardukas Technologies Limited, latter who are currently cybersquatting on the name.
Go on, I dare you; try typing ‘Thurles.ie’ into your top Google address panel and experience the thrill that shows that it points to a Swedish casino site, who in turn are informing possible Ireland Ancient East tourists in Swedish that, “Vi guidar dig till de bästa casinobonusarna”, which translated means, “We will guide you to the best casino bonuses.” (Sure maybe tourists will think that the Two-Mile-Borris Casino is up and running.)
It was the Greek philosopher Plato, the founder of the first institution of higher learning in the Western world, in Athens, who stated “If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools.”
There’s a plaque on the old town council office in Slievenamon Road commemorating the twinning. I heard during the week that the Garda fixed penalty offices are supposed to be moving to that building as it’s owned by the OPW apparently. Why not knock it and build social housing/appartments on the site. It’s a big enough site to accommodate it.