Cashel Library will celebrate St. Brigid, with an event taking place on Tuesday morning next, January 30th at 11:00am sharp.
This year 2024 we celebrate over 3,000 years of ‘Brigid the Goddess’, and 1,500 years of ‘Brigid the Saint’, which is what makes her legacy so enduring.
Cashel Librarian, Ms Maura Barrett, will, on Tuesday morning next, cast more light on the St Brigid story.
Dandelion Flower. (Irish: ‘Bearnán Bhríde’). The Dandelion Flower is long associated with Saint Brigid (known in Irish as ‘Bearnán Bhríde’). It is one of the first blossoms observed after Saint Brigid’s day and it is said that every time you see one in bloom you should think of the bright flame of faith that is Saint Brigid. The flower also signifies that Saint Brigid was one of the first people, thousands of years ago, to draw attention to, and champion biodiversity, through her care of flora and fauna and her knowledge of the environment.
Brigid’s Bird. (Irish: Brìd-eun meaning ‘Brigid’s bird’ or ‘Giolla-Brìghde’ meaning ‘Servant of Bride’). The bird known as the Oystercatcher is connected to St Brigid of Kildare. Legend states St Brigid was running away from a band of evil men, who wished her dead. Alone and on reaching a beach where there was no place to hide, she said a prayer to God to thank him for her life, before lying on the sand to accept her death. However, before the evil men reached where she lay, Oystercatcher birds scavenging on the shoreline, saw her, and realised her predicament covered her with seaweed, thus hiding her and saving her life. She later is said to have blessed the species and since that day the Oystercatcher bird has been linked to Ireland’s principal female saint.
The public are invited to please come along to attend this informative lecture, but please remember booking is essential, so please make contact in advance by Telephoning Cashel Library at 062 63825 or 062 63856, to be sure of a seat.
Note: Tea and Coffee will be served. [ You can locate the Cashel Library building, situated on Friar Street, Lady’s Well, Cashel, Co. Tipperary, HERE. (G487+RX) ].
It is not just the rising cost of living which is diminishing the value of Irish currency, so also is rust, if coinage, when exposed to the elements, continues to be manufactured from copper-plated steel.
Global wealth, at the end of 2022, was estimated to be about $454.4 trillion, same shrinking for the first time, since the financial crisis in 2008, by an estimated $11.3 trillion last year, 2023.
Money has been part of our human history for at least the past 5,000 years, graduating from bartering, (e.g. a dry measure of wheat from a farmer in exchange for a pair of shoes from a shoe maker), to the introduction of money, the later thus increasing the speed at which business deals could be transacted.
Above 3 coins are dated 1862 (Young Victoria halfpenny), 1853 (Young Victoria penny) and 2000 (Irish 1p), respectively.
The invention of metal coinage occurred when Lydia’s (Same country now present day Turkey), King Alyattes (r. 619-560 BCE) minted the first coins in the second half of the 7th century, before Christian era (BCE). These coins were made from electrum, latter a mixture of silver and gold that occurs naturally, and the coins were stamped with pictures that acted as the unit classification for each stated coin.
During 1260 CE, the Yuan dynasty of China, were the first to move from coins to paper money, with the stated warning, “Those who are counterfeiting will be beheaded”.
Of the above pictured 3 coins, same located buried in the ground and under similar circumstances; the first two dated 1862 and 1853 are made from bronze, while the 3rd coin; a decimal one penny Irish coin dated 2000, is coloured bronze, but made of actually copper-plated steel. As our readers can observe prone to rust if left/lost in damp clay.
It was in the 21st century that we began the form of making payments, for goods and services, using just the touch of our index finger, using a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone or tablet device.
In recent years, the acceleration of digital adoption, was brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and was the main reasons why the use of cash declined significantly. Paper money has been long seen as a carrier of germs and disease, and as that pandemic grew, some businesses insisted that consumers used plastic or contactless smartphones, to complete transactions. Indeed, going back to Victorian times the upper classes regularly washed coinage, before giving them to their children. (Interesting to note that following a study of €10 notes in recent years, nearly 80% of them showed traces of cocaine, skin bacteria, DNA from pets and viruses, but thankfully our skin remains a really good protectorof our overall health).
Cryptocurrencies and the use of smart cards has increased considerably, mainly because they offer such convenience, through speed and greater security. Worldwide, coins are no longer being manufactured to the same degree, thus saving countries millions in the mining of metal and cost of coin manufacture.
While it is accepted that coins and paper money will cease to exist by the end of this century, the stated rule, “Investment in knowledge will continue to pays the best interest”, remains steadfast.
Tipperary politicians, local councillors and self-declared community activists continued to “walk the fence” today, seeking; no demanding, extra community recognition funding for the North Tipperary area, in an effort to be seen, so as not to lose precious public and local votes. I refer of course to the proposed housing of International protection applicants here in Roscrea, North Co. Tipperary, which saw 300 people attending a demonstration this afternoon against the proposal which could see up to 160 people accommodated in 40 bedrooms at the Racket Hall, Hotel, Roscrea.
Lest Ireland Forgets.
It is estimated that some 6 million Irish people emigrated to the US since the year 1820. The peak of Irish emigration resulted from the Great Famine (1845-1852). At that time nearly two million people; about a quarter of the Irish population emigrated to the United States in just a 10 year period. In 1800 the population of Ireland was estimated at 4,500,000. By 1841 the same population had risen to some 8,200,000 soles. Mass evictions, the famines of 1861-1864 and 1879-82, and the hardships of subsistence farming, meant emigration to North America continued to be seen as an opportunity to support and improve life. Between the years 1848 and 1850 some 4,175 orphan girls were sent to Australia from Irish workhouses, of which some 477 girls were from Co. Tipperary. Two years later, in 1852, Nenagh Board of Guardians alone, emigrated 432 souls.
Coming to America
Vocals: American singer-songwriter and seller of more than 130 million records worldwide, Neil Diamond. Lyrics: Neil LeslieDiamond.
Coming to America
Far We’ve been travelling far, Without a home, But not without a star. Free, Only want to be free. We huddle close, Hang on to a dream, On the boats and on the planes, They’re coming to America, Never looking back again, They’re coming to America. Home, Don’t it seem so far away, Oh, we’re travelling light today, In the eye of the storm. In the eye of the storm. Home To a new and a shiny place, Make our bed and we’ll say our grace, Freedom’s light burning warm. Freedom’s light burning warm. Everywhere around the world, They’re coming to America, Every time that flag’s unfurled, They’re coming to America. Got a dream to take them there, They’re coming to America, Got a dream they’ve come to share, They’re coming to America, They’re coming to America, They’re coming to America, They’re coming to America, They’re coming to America, Today, today, Today, today, today, My country ’tis of thee (today), Sweet land of liberty (today), Of thee I sing (today), Of thee I sing, Today, today, today, Today, today, (today, today).
On January 29, 1886, Carl Benz applied for a patent for his vehicle, latter powered by a gas engine. The patent – number 37435 – may be thus regarded as the birth certificate of the auto-mobile industry.
The first car imported here into Ireland was a Benz Velo, which arrived in 1898. Cars were costly, and in 1904, only 38 motor vehicles were registered with in the Irish State. This figure currently equates to a private fleet of close to some 2.5 million vehicles
Back in 1879, the Irish Cyclist Touring Club was founded which resulted in the publication of the Irish Road Book of 1899. Subscribing Members were charged 3 shillings for this publication, while non-members were charged 10s-6d.
To the Irish peasantry, back then, this very costly publication would not have been readily available, but amongst the gentry of that period, same would have been the then ‘cyclists satellite navigation’, of the late 19th century.
Route 131 A – Killenaule To New Birmingham.
Places on the road.
Intermediate.
Comprehensive.
General description of the road.
Kilenaule.
—–
—–
Proceeding northward out of the village (Killenaule),keep to the left just after passing the R.C. Chapel (St. Mary’s Church Bailey Street, Killenaule, Thurles, Co. Tipperary), on the left and then straightforward on an almost level road, to New Birmingham. Good surface.
The Four Roads.
1.3⁄4 mls
—–
—–
Waterloo Lodge.
3⁄4 ml
—–
—–
Shelbourne Lodge.
3⁄4 ml
—–
—–
New Birmingham.
½ ml
3.3⁄4 mls
—–
Killenaule to New Birmingham (Reverse) – Proceed Southward out of New Birmingham and thence straight forward to Killenaule.
Now a question for our readers. Where was Waterloo Lodge & Shelbourne Lodge, back then, located? Thurles.Info would love to know. Please contact us HERE
‘Extraordinary’ 315-million-year-old fossil sponge found near the Cliffs of Moher
An extraordinary new species of fossil sponge, dating back to a time when County Clare was located close to the Equator has been discovered in the rocks that make up the Cliffs of Moher, by Dr. Eamon Doyle, geologist for the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark.
The 315-million-year-old sponge, named Cyathophycus balori, is up to 50cm tall and is the largest known example of its kind anywhere in the world.
When it was alive the vase-shaped sponge featured a circular opening at the top surrounded by a ring of eyelash-like structures. It would have resembled the modern-day Venus Flower Basket sponge, which is found the Pacific Ocean and often features on deep sea wildlife documentaries.
The new species was named after the mythological giant Balor, whose eye wreaked havoc on his enemies when opened.
Commenting on his discovery, Dr. Doyle said, “This is an exceptionally large example of a type of fossil sponge that was previously only known from much older rocks elsewhere in the world. It is the first record of this type of fossil sponge from Ireland and its excellent preservation is highly unusual.”
He continued, “The sponge was originally composed of a rectangular meshwork of tiny spicules made of silica, held together by a thin organic membrane. When they die, they usually fall apart quickly, and often only scattered remains of the spicules are preserved as fossils, so I was delighted to find these largely intact specimens. The excellently preserved fossil dates back to a time when the Atlantic Ocean had not even started to form and what we now call County Clare was part of an earlier sea, located near the Equator,” explained Dr. Doyle. “Discoveries like this help us to promote awareness about the wonderful geological legacy we have on our doorstop here in County Clare and to encourage a new generation of palaeontologists, that is, geologists that specialise in the study of fossils to visit and learn more about the unique geology of Ireland’s west coast.”
The new discovery has been published in the latest edition of international geological journal Geobios, with the collaboration of lead author and international fossil sponge expert Dr. Joseph Botting and co-author Dr. Lucy Muir, both Honorary Research Fellows at National Museum Wales (Amgueddfa Cymru), who worked closely with Dr. Doyle.
According to Dr. Botting, “I was amazed to see the size and excellent state of preservation of this fossil; this was totally unexpected. This find offers important insights into the evolution of sponges and how some species can survive in niche environments where few other species can live. Finding such large and intact specimens is exceptional.”
Dr. Lucy Muir commented, “This is a wonderful find and reminds us that there are still new and interesting fossils to be found which help us understand the story of Life on Earth.”
Sponges are creatures with a very basic body plan, they do not have a nervous system or circulatory system, but they are very abundant and form an important part of our biodiversity today. They filter large volumes of water for microscopic organisms that they feed on.
Recent Comments