It’s still not too late to install a Bird nesting box in your garden. Ideally the box should have been put in place during last autumn or at least in the early part of last winter. This would have allowed regular bird visitors to your garden plot enough time to get used to its existence.
When installing, fix the box onto something solid; a sturdy garden fence, a stone or cement wall, a secure post; using screws, or if to a mature tree, use strong plastic electric cable ties. Position the nest box between 2 metres (6ft) and 4 metres (12ft) above ground level, preferably out of direct midday sunlight.
Always position the box in such a way as to ensure its front door is facing between north-east and south-east in an area well shaded by foliage, thus offering maximum shelter against Ireland’s regular south west prevailing weather conditions.
Do add a small protruding perch to your nest box, and ensure that same is out of reach of roaming, domestic, furry, feline friends or other natural predators. Try to keep nesting boxes away from bird tables also so as to allow Mum and Dad and their brood to fully relax away from unnecessary noise.
Once in place, relax, sit back, observe quietly and resist all temptation to inspect the box constantly. Such actions can disturb and drive off nesting birds, forcing them to desert their chosen home in favour of other quieter rent free accommodation.
At the end of summer or early autumn always check that any previous nesting material or unhatched eggs is removed, as old nest materials can become infested by various types of larvae, which can cause a serious infestation to any future nesting inhabitants.
Do wear rubber gloves when removing waste nest material, before pouring freely, simply plain boiling water into and over the box. This extermination process removes any hidden parasites that may have holed-up in cracks or crevices. Avoid all temptation to use insecticide, if possible.
Remember birds will often return to use your nest box for roosting outside their breeding season, so it is a good idea to install a small handful of clean hay or wood shavings or a temporary roost, for this eventuality.
Expect Earwigs to make their home in any narrow crevices in your nest box, but same will not cause any harm to tenanted birds. To avoid this Earwig problem, inviting crevices can be filled using the various types of filling compounds available in your local DIY store.
Coal– 40kg Premium bag €15.00 – a saving of €2.25 per bag.
Bord na Móna Briquettes – normally €3.85 per bale (Cheapest price currently in Thurles) are now even further reduced in price to just €3.50 per bale.
Broxo Water Softening Salt – normally €7.25 per bag – this weekend 5 x 1 bags for just €30.00.
Dog Foods – Gain and Star Brands – normally €18.70 per bag and €16.95 per bag – this weekend €32.00 and €28.00 respectively, per 2 x 1bags purchased.
There are huge reductions also on Household Paint and special offers on other DIY Goods including Stanley, Bacho and Tata branded hand tools.
The Black Friday Sale will continue into Saturday only, to ensure that those unable to take advantage, due to work or other commitments, are given an opportunity to take full advantage of the huge discounts on offer.
Refresh Thurles – Tidy Towns Group Annual General Meeting (AGM) for 2016 will be held on Tuesday night next, October 11th, at 8.00pm in the ‘Commercial Room’ of Hayes Hotel, in Thurles.
This year’s National Tidy Towns Competition; generously sponsored for the past 25 years by SuperValue(part of the Musgrave Group), saw Thurles marked under Category E, and receiving 285 marks out of a possible total of 450.
Please find full ‘Adjudication Report’ (Thurles. Ref 627, in Alpha Order), HERE
Marks given by National Tidy Towns Judges in respect of Thurles Town, following their 2016 adjudication.
The local Thurles Tidy Town Committee have some new projects in the pipeline, for discussion at Tuesday’s AGM, that should contribute to the towns continuing upward trend of results in this competition. They point out that the National Winner in 2016 had just 327 marks, so winning this Competition should be seen as realistic and an achievable objective for Thurles into the future.
Thurles Tidy Town Committee would like particularly to acknowledge and thank, most sincerely, everyone over the past year, who contributed to making Thurles Town attractive; a nice place to live and indeed an exceptionally nice place to visit.
Please do remember that the Thurles Tidy Towns Annual General Meeting will take place on October 11th at 8.00pm in Hayes Hotel and please do make an effort to attend this important community meeting.
‘Thurles Community Estates’ and ‘Streetscape Competition’ winners
Meanwhile the Local ‘Thurles Community Estate’ winners for 2016 were recently announced. This year’s adjudication came courtesy of a qualified landscape architect, latter now working in the area of Community Development. Same adjudication will lead to each estate receiving professional advice on how to improve various aspects of their particular immediate area.
Thurles Estate Winners 2016
The names of the Winners and full Adjudicated Results are shown as follows: Large Estate – Moyne Road Bellevue, Thurles, – 95% Medium Estate – Hazelwood, Dublin Rd, Thurles, – 91% Small Estate – Windsor Grove, Dublin Rd, Thurles – 82% Following adjudication, each winner will now receive a prize of €200 to fittingly reinvest in their community areas.
Alas, there were no entries in the ‘Streetscape Competition’ this year; nevertheless this competition will again run in 2017, with a late May closing date. Refresh Thurles look forward to more estates and streets entering next year.
Householders in Thurles and across Tipperary are being encouraged to avail of an upcoming opportunity to dispose of their hazardous wastes free of charge.
The Southern Region Waste Management Office has teamed up with Local Authorities across the region, including Tipperary County Council, to operate bring centres for the collection of hazardous domestic waste, one of which will be located at the Roscrea Civic Amenity Site on Saturday January 23rd from 8.30am to 3.30 pm(closed for lunch from 12.30 pm to 1.00 pm).
Waste items including lead acid batteries, cooking and engine oil, oil filters, paints and lacquers, paint strippers and cleaners, old medicines, pesticides and herbicides, fluorescent tubes and household aerosols can be deposited free of charge.
Staff from Tipperary County Council’s Environment section will be present for the event, which is funded by the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government, while information guides on green cleaning and green gardening will also be made available.
“Through hosting this free of charge ‘drop-off day’, we are providing householders throughout Tipperary with an excellent opportunity to dispose of their hazardous wastes in a manner that protects human health and the environment,” explained Pauline McDonogh, Regional Waste Prevention Co-ordinator, Southern Waste Region.
Householders are being reminded that each waste type brought to the Roscrea Civic Amenity must be clearly identifiable, segregated and packaged to avoid leaks and minimise risks.
The forthcoming drop-off day is an initiative of the Southern Region Waste Management Plan. Ten local authorities in Tipperary, Cork, Clare, Limerick, Waterford, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Kerry have been set a number of key targets in relation waste prevention activities.
Householders can get additional information about the event and about how to manage hazardous waste from www.southernwasteregion.ie.
Pictured L-R, John O’Shaughnessy (Clancy Construction, Drangan), J.J. O’Sullivan (O’Sullivan Construction Ltd, Littleton) with employees Ciaran King and Dave Fleming, pictured here adding the final touches to the Suir Haven Sensory Garden in Thurles.
With the arrival of new railings and glass panels, the Suir Haven Sensory Garden is now complete. A huge ‘Thank You’ to the many local construction industry members involved; each who donated materials, time and labour, totally free of charge.
For those less familiar with Suir Haven, same is a community based support centre where everyone is welcome; whether one is currently living with cancer or affected by it. These persons can include clients, family, carers, children and friends.
All of the cancer support services available are provided free of charge. In fact this wonderful facility is truly a ‘drop-in centre’, meaning that anybody who wishes to avail of the services provided can call in without referral from a General Practitioner (GP).
The centre which is located in a non-clinical setting, offers not just emotional support, but also counselling, practical help and information; all provided in a safe, positive and totally confidential environment.
Suir Haven Sensory Garden is expected to officially open in early Spring 2016 and we hope to bring you further details of all those involved in this worthwhile project later.
However in the meantime “What a great sense of community spirit by those involved – well done to all and again thank you.”
Black Friday Weekend begins at Thurles Centenary Co-Op today (Friday 25th- Sat 26th November 2016), with massive saving to all consumers.
Householders in Thurles and across Tipperary are being encouraged to avail of an upcoming opportunity to dispose of their hazardous wastes 
Recent Comments