Thurles Municipal District Enhancement and Painting Grant 2025.
Thurles Municipal District Council, is seeking to improve the streetscape and public realm of Thurles Town, Templemore Town and Roscrea Town, through supporting owners of buildings in improving and enhancing their properties and public areas generally, by such means as, but not limited to:-
Removal of inappropriate contemporary signage, fittings, and general clutter and replacement with shop fascia signage (with an emphasis on hand-painted signage).
Painting and general improvements to the frontages of commercial and residential buildings.
Erection of planters, floral hanging baskets, or other environmental improvements.
For those of you planning on heading to the shops this weekend, hereunder, please find opening and closing times of your main Thurles Town supermarkets, over this 2025 St Patrick’s weekend.
Liberty Square, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Pic: G. Willoughby.
St Patrick’s weekend 2025:
Aldi Opening Hours
DunnesStore Opening Hours
Lidl Opening Hours
TescoOpening Hours
SuperValu Opening Hours
Friday 14th
08:00-22:00
08:00 – 21:00
08:00-22:00
08:00-21:00
08:00-21:00
Saturday 15th
08:00-22:00
08:00 – 19:00
08:00-22:00
08:00-21:00
08:00-21:00
Sunday 16th
09:00-21:00
09:00 – 19:00
09:00-21:00
09:00-20:00
09:00-09:00
Monday 17th
09:00-21:00
09:00 – 19:00
09:00-21:00
10:00-19:00
08:00-10:00
“Go placidly amid the noise and haste, while enjoying this upcoming bank holiday weekend.”
An Bord Pleanála has confirmed that proposed plans to establish a €650m hydroelectric pumped storage power project, to be located at the former mine site at Silvermines, Co. Tipperary, has been now been deemed developed enough to enter the permit granting process for ‘Projects of Common Interest’, latter an essential infrastructure project regarded as aimed to strengthen European energy markets, thus assisting EU energy and climate goals.
The appeals board will now evaluate the project under an EU procedure which aims to streamline the consenting process for trans-European energy projects.
This Silvermines Hydroelectric Energy Storage Project, when eventually operational, is expected to store as much as 296 Megawatts (MW), with a daily storage capacity of up to 2,175MWh of electricity, same sufficient to power 185,000 households or 21,000 small businesses daily in Ireland.
Not a new idea, but like the existing ESB Turlough Hill (292 MW) Power Plant in Co. Wicklow, first commenced in 1968, this project will see water pumped from one source, starting at ground level and delivered to a reservoir higher up, which in turn will then be released through turbines that in turn generate electricity.
The 148-hectare (366 acre) site, chosen for the project, in Co. Tipperary is situated on the Northern ridge of the Silvermines Mountain range and was first proposed initially some 9 years ago. The project, when first made public in January of 2016, suggested that wind energy, from awind farm on the site would be deployed at night time, during periods of less demand, to pump the water from the downhill lake to the uphill storage area.
This Silvermines Hydro project is being developed and managed by Siga-Hydro Limited, an Irish company based in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, working with the Foresight Group, a global infrastructure investor.
Accounts for a connected firm, Silvermines Tipp Hold Co Ltd, shows that it received a capital injection of €14.5m in 2023. It is estimated that the project will create some 400 jobs during its construction phase and employ as many as 50 qualified personnel in the pumping hydro station, during its operational phase.
Following the announced permit granting procedure, An Bord Pleanála will now make a final decision on the project.
EPA Announce Funding Of €14.5m For New Research To Address Climate & Environmental Challenges.
EPA announces funding of €14.5 million for 25 new research projects to address climate and environmental challenges.
EPA funding is building essential research capacity in Ireland with 50 per cent of applications in 2024 submitted by researchers new to the EPA Research Programme.
The funding supports research in the areas of climate change, the natural environment, the green & circular economy and the environment & human health.
Reflecting the need for cross-sectoral research, the EPA is working in partnership with Met Éireann and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to co-fund a number of the research projects.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced new funding for environmental and climate research in Ireland, with funding of €14.5 million awarded for 25 new research projects. These innovative, policy-relevant projects will address key knowledge gaps and support the development of vital research capacity in strategically important areas.
The latest EPA Research Call garnered a strong response, with 50 per cent of successful lead researchers not having previously applied to the EPA for funding. This is a welcome and positive trend that reflects a broadening of the research base in Ireland relevant to environmental and climate issues.
Projects that will receive EPA funding this year include topics such as:
Attribution of weather events to climate change.
Exploring Irish people’s attitudes and values around climate change.
Investigating the risk of exposure to chemicals in foodstuffs.
Susceptibility and resistance of trees to diseases such as ash dieback.
Novel approaches to managing textile waste.
Mitigating the risks posed by electronic waste (WEEE).
Announcing the funding awards, Ms Laura Burke, EPA Director General said:“Our latest EPA State of the Environment Report highlights the scale of challenges facing Ireland and the need for determined action across climate, , sustainable consumption, biodiversity and pollution goals. This new EPA funding will help to build the vital research talent and knowledge needed in Ireland to respond to these challenges and achieve a healthier environment. I congratulate the successful research teams and look forward to seeing the positive impacts these projects will have on environmental protection in the years ahead.”
The latest EPA funding is significant in terms of further building the environmental research capacity in Ireland. It will support almost 200 research staff across 10 organisations, including funding for approximately 50 PhD and postgraduate students. Crucially, the EPA will provide hands-on support and training to the researchers to facilitate the uptake of the research outputs by policy makers and other users. Trinity College Dublin (TCD) received the highest number of successful research awards in 2024.
Dean of Research at Trinity College Dublin, Prof. Sinéad Ryan, commented:“I offer my warm congratulations to our researchers and their teams on securing this EPA funding. This funding is a key enabler for research across a number of our disciplines with a focus in conservation, sustainability and/or climate adaptation. I commend our researchers for their vision and commitment to transformative research that addresses societal challenges, and I look forward to seeing these projects develop.”
Reflecting the importance of collaboration in addressing climate and environmental challenges, the EPA is working in partnership with Met Éireann and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to co-fund a number of the projects.
The list of Funding Awards made under the EPA Research Call 2024 is available on the EPA website with full project details in the EPA’s online Research Database.
The EPA Research Programme is a Government of Ireland initiative funded by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The EPA Research Call 2025 will open for applications in April 2025. Details will be made available on the EPA website.
At first, we thought it was caused by storm Éowyn, but then we heard that it was possible that proposed notion(or was it motion, whatever), put forward last December, by Fine Gael Tipperary Cllr. Ms Peggy Ryan; latter seeking more short term parking in the centre of Thurles, that had suddenly materialised. But not so, on making enquiries, (facts not yet fully confirmed) it appears that one of the many heavy goods vehicles, laden with some 3500 kg (3.5 Metric tons) of produce; all of which are forced to pass daily through Liberty Square town centre, simply ran out of narrow road, while attempting to progress unto Slievenanon Road.
Railings removed for the second time, on entering Slievenamon Road from Liberty Square. Picture: G. Willoughby.
Thankfully, no Latte Coffee drinking pedestrians, normally seated in this general area, were killed or injured and the rate-paying businesses will happily have no problem in paying for the damaged railings. Engineers who came up with the farcical and ill-conceived planning of this area will not be found financially liable. Sadly however our one remaining local Thurles TD (we learned today) will no longer have speaking rights in Dáil Éireann, to ask for an update on funding for the 50 year old awaited ‘Ring Road’, latter the answer to this ongoing demolition problem.
Railings removed last August for the 4th time and not yet repaired. Picture: G. Willoughby.
However, look on the bright side; one additional benefit has come out of this latest piece of demolition work. Both sides of this junction, entering and exiting unto Liberty Square, are now almost a perfect match, thus greatly enhancing the Thurles town centre.
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