Having languished for eighty-three years in an unmarked grave in Mountjoy Prison, most wrongly convicted, and having been executed for a murder in which he had neither hand act or part; Mr Gleeson’s remains may soon finally rest in peace, having been declared a totally innocent man. Betrayed by the very system of law, which should have protected him, it has since fallen to others to restore his good name and bring him back home to finally rest.
Requiescat in Pace.
Re-interment Arrangements.
The earthly remains of Mr Gleeson will be received into the former Cistercian Monastery Abbey at Holycross, Thurles at 1:30pm, to repose for Requiem Mass at 2:00pm on Sunday afternoon next, July 7th, followed by re-interment immediately afterwards in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Holycross, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
For those persons who are unable to attend the re-interment service for Mr Gleeson, same can be viewed streamed live online, HERE.
The extended Gleeson family wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time, and have made arrangements for those persons wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.
May his innocent soul now enjoy the happiness of Heaven knowing that truth and justice has finally prevailed.
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.
Bunratty Castle and Folk Park in County Clare will host ‘The Big Top’ of Ireland’s national circus this coming weekend, Saturday and Sunday (June 15th/16th 2024).
As stated, this award-winning Fossett’s Circus is visiting the country’s most famous medieval castle on Saturday and Sunday June 15th/16th and will feature the very best of international circus acts, including jugglers, aerial acrobats and dare devils.
Ms Charlotte Rebers, (Operations Manager at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park), said, “We are excited to welcome back Fossett’s Circus to the Folk Park. Circus goers will receive free entry to the Castle and Folk Park, which guarantees a fun-filled day out, for families and people of all ages at our visitor attraction.”
Ms Marion Fossett, the ringmaster of Fossett’s Circus has been carrying on a family tradition that has lasted for generations.
Ms Fossett said, “All of our performers and crew have very fond memories of our previous Bunratty visits and this year, we promise to put on an even bigger and better show to the people of the Mid-West Region, which includes the counries of Tipperary, Clare and Limerick . Highlights of our circus include the Globe of Speed featuring FMX Stunt Motorcycle riders, The Wheel of Death, and the thrilling Flying Trapeze high in the roof of the Big Top.”
Ticket bookings for Fossett’s Circus, at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, can be made at HERE. Remember: Each purchased ticket provides free entry to the Castle and Folk Park. Circus Shows will be staged at 1.00pm on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th.
Love Will Survive (from The Tattooist of Auschwitz)
The book “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” is an truly an extraordinary book, which relates a true story about the extremes of human behaviour existing, each side by side; the calculated brutality alongside impulsive and selfless acts of love.
This true story relates to a fact that in April 1942, pre-war business man Lale Sokolov, [born Ludwig Eisenberg on October 28th 1916 ], latter a Slovakian Jew, was forcibly transported to the WWII concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover thatLale speaks several languages, he is forced to work as a Tätowierer (German word for tattooist), tasked with the permanently marking of his fellow prisoners arms.
While imprisoned for more than two and a half years, Lale, (latter prisoner number 32407), witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism, but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Now, often risking his own life, he uses his privileged position to exchange money and jewellery, same taken from Jewish prisoners already murdered in the camp, using same to acquire food, thus keeping his fellow prisoners alive.
One day in July 1942, Lale comforts a nervous young woman, latter waiting in line to have the number 34902 tattooed onto her arm. He discovers her name is Gita [(Giselle) Cycowicz (née Friedman)] born in 1927 in Chust, Czechoslovakia, (today Khust, Ukraine), and from his first encounter with her, Lale vows to somehow survive the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp and marry her, same marriage in fact come to pass in 1945.
Love Will Survive (from “The Tattooist of Auschwitz”)
Vocals: American singer, actress, songwriter, producer and director Ms Barbra Streisand. Lyrics: American songwriter and record producer Charlie Midnight, in collaboration with German-born American film score composer and music producer Hans Zimmer, composer for film and television MsKara Talve and American record producer and songwriter Walter Afanasieff.
Love Will Survive (from “The Tattooist of Auschwitz”)
Until I find you and walk beside you, Until we face every heartache together, I’ll keep believing, feel your breathing, hear your cries, With every season of sorrow, somehow our love survives. As nights grew longer, our prayers grew stronger, And in the darkness, we kept hope alive. We made a promise that love will survive. And in our dreams, we are running from shadows, Leaving behind the tears and the ghosts. Until I’m near you, somehow, I’ll hear you, Your voice will echo inside me forever. And in our dreams, we are running from shadows, Leaving behind the tears and the ghosts, Whilst our years were taken, our spirits shaken, But in the darkness, we kept hope alive. We made a promise that love will survive. Love will survive.
End
The book is a vivid, harrowing, yet ultimately hopeful re-creation of Lale Sokolov’s experiences, as the man who tattooed the arms of thousands of fellow prisoners with what would eventually become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust, which was Nazi Germany’s deliberate, organized, state-sponsored persecution and genocide of European Jews. During WWII, this Nazi regime and their collaborators systematically murdered over six million Jewish people.
The book, “The Tattooist of Auschwitz“ is a true testament to the endurance of love and humanity, under the darkest possible conditions of a concentration camp during WWII.
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