The well-known and much loved Gaelic games commentator, Mr Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh (Michael Moriarty), has passed away at the age of 93. Mr Ó Muircheartaigh sadly passed away this morning, while in the care of staff at the Mater Hospital, Dublin.
Mr Ó Muircheartaigh was born in Dún Síon, near Dingle (Daingean Uí Chúis), in Co Kerry in 1930. Educated locally, he grew up on the family farm, before graduating from both Coláiste Íosagáin in Baile Bhúirne (Cork Gaeltacht) and St Patrick’s College of Education, Drumcondra, Dublin, as a teacher. He completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1952, from University College Dublin, remaining employed teaching economics, accountancy and Irish, in primary and secondary Christian Brothers schools in Dublin, until the mid-1980s, when he accepted the post of full-time broadcaster with Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE).
Following a successful competition, to commentate in the Irish language; his first assignment for RTÉ was to provide an all-Irish commentary on the 1949 Railway Cup Final, held on St Patrick’s Day.
Mr Ó Muircheartaigh married Ms Helena McDowell in 1970 and together they raised eight children; Éamonn, Niamh, Aonghus, Cormac, Neasa, Nuala, Éadaoin and Doireann.
Mr Ó Muircheartaigh later took over as RTÉ Radio 1’s premier radio commentator, following the retirement of fellow broadcaster Mr Míchael O’Hehir in 1985.
His last All-Ireland GAA game as commentator, came in 2010, when he commentated on the All-Ireland final between Cork and Down; retiring from broadcasting in October of that same year. Mr Ó Muircheartaigh had been awarded an honorary doctorate by NUI Galway in 1999 for his lifetime service to broadcasting. He was awarded the only All Star of 2020, shortly after his 90th birthday.
Ní fheicfimid a leithéid arís. In ár gcroíthe go deo.
Long ago, when we spoke of education we talked about the 3 Rs: reading, writing and arithmetic. Nowadays we strive for something better- the 3 As: arts, academics and athletics. Here in Thurles we are extremely fortunate to have outstanding schools that all champion the 3 As.
The summer holidays are here for almost everyone. Our students are graduating to new classes, schools and contexts and the song hereunder entitled “Time of Our Lives” sung by Tyrone Wells, captures the feelings of joy and sadness our graduating students often feel, as they look forward to their future; but must say fair well to the security of their past and the wonderful 3As education they received.
We wish the graduating students of the Class of 2024 every success for their future endeavours.
Time Of Our Lives.
Vocals: American singer-songwriter Tyrone Wells. Lyrics: American musician, singer-songwriter and record producer Tim Myers.
Time Of Our Lives.
This is where the chapter ends. A new one now begins, Time has come for letting go, The hardest part is when you know, All of these years, when we were here, are ending, But I’ll always remember.
[Chorus] We have had the time of our lives, And now the page is turned, The stories we will write. We have had the time of our lives, And I will not forget the faces left behind. It’s hard to walk away from the best of days, But if it has to end, I’m glad you have been my friend, In the time of our lives.
Where the water meets the land, There is shifting in the sand. Like the tide that ebbs and flows, Memories will come and go. All of these years, when we were here, are ending, But I’ll always remember.
[Repeat Chorus]
We say goodbye, we hold on tight, To these memories that never die. We say goodbye, we hold on tight, To these memories that never die.
[Repeat Chorus]
I’m glad you have been my friend, In the time of our lives.
The ‘Gratuitous Relief Ration Record Book,’(or the ‘Distribution Book,‘ as it was also called), for the Electoral Divisions of Holycross, Thurles and Ballycahill, dated 1847/48, has now been fully digitized and is uploaded hereunder, allowing yet another search facility, for those anxious to trace their family roots back to their once local homestead, within the Thurles, Co. Tipperary hinterland.
This afore mentioned ‘Gratuitous Relief Ration Record Book’ (Videoed on two occasions, before being broadcast on at least seven different occasions in the past, on Irish national TV channels RTE1 and TG4), contains the names of those who were classed as paupers in the hinterland / towns-lands of Thurles district, during what was the most harrowing period of the Great Irish Famine, referred to as ‘Black ’47’.
This famine also known as“The Great Hunger”, lasted between 1845 and 1849 and was arguably the single greatest disaster that ever affected Irish history.
This extremely rare ‘Rations Record Book,’ which was hand written; contains the names of the heads of each household and in many cases the actual names of all the adults in each household. It also contains the number of rations each householder was allowed and indeed received, together with remarks, sometimes suggesting fraud, under what can be viewed as an early form of social welfare system, introduced after the closure of the Bord of Works schemes which had concentrate on providing employment for the destitute poor under acts passed early in the parliamentary session of 1846, for the sole purpose of affording relief by employment.
Just over 3 million Irish people were being supported nationally by outdoor relief in July of 1847. To those in the Thurles area it supported, (covering the electoral divisions of Holycross, Thurles and Ballycahill), it provides records of food rations distributed during the period May – Sept. 47 and part of 1848; the same distribution being a very humiliating and indeed an insufficient system, administered under British rule. Nevertheless, it did keep starvation at bay for a very sizeable portion of Tipperary people at that crucial time in Black ’47’.
This new information can also be viewed on our other website, Hidden Tipperary.com, (under Downloads) or directly via the link located HERE
How to search this uploaded data.
Many of you will be aware that holding down the CTRL key on the keyboard of your PC or Laptop and striking the F key; a small box will appear on your screens, bottom left corner of the page being searched. Type into this box the ‘search word’ with which you hope to glean the information and press Enter.
Note: When searching for an individual or townsland, there may be several persons of the same name, so use the arrow keys on right hand side of this search box, to complete your search. [Surname first followed by Christian name]. If anyone has any queries regarding the further understanding of this new data upload, please do contact us directly HERE.
Four adorable pheasant chicks have been recently hatched near Thurles, as part of an education and conservation initiative organised by the National Association of Regional Games Council (NARGC).
First to leave the shell.
The recommended temperature, using an Incubator, for pheasant eggs is 37.6 – 37.8 degrees Celsius and pheasant eggs take between 23-28 days to hatch using this method.
Pheasants are widespread across Ireland, but contrary to popular belief they are not native to us or the UK. It is believed that pheasants were first introduced to Ireland in medieval times from Southeast Asia. Back then, as now, they were popular ‘Game birds’ for hunting.
Many readers will be familiar with the distinctive white stripe seen on the neck of many pheasants around Ireland and that particular species is actually native to China.
Pheasants are known by their hoarse call, their long tails, spotted angular markings and for eating seeds, grains and insects gleaned from the ground. They inhabit gardens, woodlands and farm hedges and are notorious for nesting on the ground. Indeed, when mowing near hedges and other ground level nesting areas favoured by pheasants, take care not to destroy or damage their nests.
To find out more about pheasants you can visit HERE or HERE.
History is being made this weekend with the hosting of the European School Chess Championships taking place in Ireland for the first time.
More than 200 children, aged between 5 and 16 years, from 14 European countries are all participating in the week-long tournament, which takes place at the University of Limerick(UL) and continues until Friday June 7th 2024.
European School Chess Championships taking place in Ireland for the first time.
The Irish Chess Union (ICU) beat off competition from four other countries to win the bid to host the event against four other countries, with the support of UL, Limerick City & County Council and the Shannon Region Conference & Sports Bureau.
“Securing this event is a major milestone in the development of chess in Ireland and demonstrates the ICU’s unwavering commitment to promoting the game nationwide and Ireland as a chess destination for future events,” commented Mr Desmond Beatty,(Chairperson, Irish Chess Union.)
Mr. Beatty said the decision to bring the Championships to Ireland reflects the unprecedented growth the game has experienced since the pandemic.
“Chess has proven to be a source of fun and intellectual stimulation for individuals of all ages and can help improve concentration,” he explained. “As a result, the promotion of chess in schools has increased significantly most notably in the classroom following continuous professional development (CPD) courses for primary school teachers now realising the benefits of chess in education, notably in social skills and critical thinking. Over 10000 children this year have taken part in competitions run by ficheall.ie, the organisation of primary teachers promoting chess.Building on the success of both Glorney Cup and Chessmates internationals, this is a remarkable opportunity for us to showcase Ireland’s thriving chess community, promote the growth of the game, and provide an unforgettable experience for participants and spectators alike,” concluded Mr. Beatty.
All games will be broadcast live on chess.com and lichess.org. Diana Mirza and Antonina Gora, both members of Ireland’s women’s team, will be providing live commentary HERE
Speaking on behalf of UL Conference & Sports Campus, Mr David Ward said, “Attracting the European School Chess Championships to UL, highlights the success of our one stop model with accommodation, catering and venues on site. We look forward to setting the stage for a thrilling tournament in June 2024 and hope that many memorable moments will unfold.”
Ms Karen Brosnahan, (General Manager, Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau) said “We are delighted to see the European School Chess Championships coming to Limerick. This is testament to the collaborative efforts of UL, Shannon Region Conference & Sports Bureau, Limerick City and County Council, and Failte Ireland working together to promote Limerick as a host city and developing strong relationships with the sporting bodies and event organisers. Tournaments like this are highly lucrative, contributing significantly to the local economy.”
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