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.
Plastic Bag Levy regulations in Ireland came into operation on July 1st 2007. Today, if a customer requests a plastic bag, the retailer must, generally, since that date, charge €0.22 per plastic bag supplied. Of course there are exceptions; these are for bags of certain sizes, and for bags which contain fresh fruit, unpackaged vegetables, meats and certain other products.
Hereunder, Leitrim native Seamus O’Rourke, writer, director, actor, poet and independent producer extoles the unvirtuous over use of such outer packaging, as only Seamus can.
The plastic bag levy’s primary purpose was to reduce the consumption of disposable plastic bags by influencing consumer behaviour.
Moneys gathered by this levy is, we understand, remitted into the ‘Circular Economy Fund’, which is supposedly used to support initiatives in reducing waste and to promote the reuse and recycling of goods. On a positive side, it has had a major effect on consumer behaviour since its introduction. Annual sales of lightweight plastic bags have dropped from a high of more than 130 million to just 8.3 million at the end of 2022, with all the associated benefits for Ireland’s environment.
Alternatives to disposable plastic shopping bags, such as reusable bags are now available in shops around the country, and the consumer has changed to using these alternatives. In the grocery sector, disposable plastic bags have largely been replaced by reusable shopping bags.
Plastic shopping bags designed for re-use are exempt from this levy provided the retailer charges at least 70 cent for each bag.
If we held a minute of silence for every victim of the Holocaust, we would be silent for eleven years and 4 months.
Do listen, hereunder, to the voice, on video, of noted traditional ballad singer Miss Delia Murphy(1902-1971), (now sadly forgotten), whose mother was Ann Fanning, a native of Roscrea, North Co. Tipperary situated just a 33 minute drive north from Thurles. Delia’s wealthy father, Mr John Murphy encouraged Delia’s interest in Irish traditional music from a young age, most of which she learned from being seated around the campfires of Irish travellers, which her father allowed to camp on his estate, at Mount Jennings in Roundfort, Co. Mayo.
But Delia was more than an Irish singer. Between the years 1941 to 1946, Dublin born Dr Thomas Joseph Kiernan, Delia’s husband, was appointed Irish Minister Plenipotentiary to the Holy Sea. Residing in Rome and a close friend of Pope Pius XII, together with his wife, Delia Murphy they worked with Co. Cork born priest, Right Reverend Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, (1898-1963), latter a significant figure in the Catholic resistance to Nazism; nicknamed “The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican”.
Working together, they saved some 6,500 Jews and escaped prisoners of war. Jews conducted religious services in the Church of San Clemente of the ‘Collegium Hiberniae Dominicanae’, which had Irish diplomatic protection. When German troops began occupying Rome, Ms Delia Murphy began smuggling Jews and Allied soldiers out of the city, by hiding them beneath rugs in the back of a car.
In 1946 she was awarded the rank of Dame Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, latter a Roman Catholic order of knighthood, internationally recognised, under the protection of the Holy See.
Silent Jewish protestorMs Lior Tibet.
Sadly; here in the Ireland of 2025, Ms Lior Tibet, aged 37 years, was physically dragged out by her arms, across the floor, from Ireland’s official Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony, which took place on Sunday last (Jan 26th, 2025). Same lady was dragged out by security staff, after she, along with other Jews, dared to stand up and silently turn their back on Irish President Mr Michael D. Higgins. A further 19 Jews also walked out in protest following her forced removal. This silent protest, against a forceful and bitter verbal attack on Israeli operations in Gaza, by the current Irish President, now raises fears regarding the future of Ms Tibet and her children residing here in Ireland.
Holocaust survivors Tomi Reichental and Suzi Diamond had specifically asked President Mr Higgins not to bring up references to Gaza in his speech, since it had little to do with Holocaust Memorial Day, latter each year held to commemorate the genocide of one-third of the Jewish people (some 6 Million persons), by Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945, together with the murder of countless numbers of other individuals and minority groups. President Higgins; a known critic of Israel’s conduct in the war, since the October 7th attack by Hamas terrorists in 2023, had made a point in his Holocaust memorial speech of equating anti-Semitism and the mass murder of 6 million Jews, with issues in the present day, including homophobia and Islamophobia.
LateRabbi Yitzhak Halevi Herzog(1888-1959).
Rabbi Yitzhak Halevi Herzog(1888-1959), after the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1921, served as the first Chief Rabbi of Ireland. He cultivated a relationship with Mr Eamon de Valera and even learned to speak the Irish language. Due to his friendship with Rabbi Herzog, Mr de Valera consulted him for his input during the drafting of our then Irish Constitution.
The Irish Constitution of 1937 specifically gave constitutional protection to Jews, which was considered to be a necessary component to the constitution by Éamon de Valera, because of the treatment of Jews elsewhere in Europe at that time. The reference to the Jewish Congregations in the Irish Constitution was removed, back in 1973, with the Fifth Amendment. This same amendment removed the ‘special position’ of the Catholic Church; the Church of Ireland; the Presbyterian Church; the Methodist Church, and the Religious Society of Friends, the Quakers.
Our current day Irish government officials would do well to remember, (especially Fianna Fáil), that in 1965, when Mr Eamon de Valera was President of Ireland, the Dublin Jewish community arranged the planting of a forest of 10,000 trees in Israel, near Nazareth, dedicated to President Mr Éamon de Valera, in recognition of his consistent support for Ireland’s Jews. Rabbi Herzog’s son, Mr Jacob Herzog, wrote that “Eamon de Valera’s leadership, integrity, deep humanity and sense of purpose have for many decades now left their imprint on the international community. The forest which will rise in his name in Galilee will, I have no doubt, be a lasting symbol of friendship between Ireland and Israel”.
Sadly, Ireland has now lost this close friendship with the recent closing of the Israeli Embassy. Dail Éireann is now clearly worried about their economic standing, having followed a current anti-Israel wave, which allowed flag waving Hamas supporters to roam loose around Ireland’s capital city. Even before last weekend, there has been a slow withdrawal on Ireland’s proposed ‘Occupied Territories Bill‘, for fear of annoying the pro-Israel American President Mr Donald Trump and the annual March 17th bowl of shamrock invitation.
Further afield Australian authorities in Sydney are currently investigating a large explosive find, same discovered in a caravan, understood to be intended for an anti-Semitic attack, possibly in their city. (Wonder who was behind that?)
Perhaps, in the words of the learned Mr John Selden(1584-1654), English Jurist, Politician and Scholar, “Old Friends Are Best”.
The 2025 Garda recruitment campaign will open for applications on February 6th, 2025, for a 3 week period.
New trainees eligible for increased training allowance of €354.00 per week.
The provision of more than €2.48 billion in Budget 2025, will support the recruitment of new Garda members, Garda staff and Garda Reserves. The Programme for Government also commits to providing funding to recruit at least 5,000 new Gardaí over the next five years.
Recruitment into An Garda Síochána has accelerated following the forced closure of the Templemore, Co. Tipperary, Garda College during the pandemic. The 2024 Garda recruitment campaign received a strong response, with almost 6,400 applications, one third of which were from the 35-49 age group. That was the first time that those aged over 35 could apply.
The new Programme for Government outlines a number of measures intended to strengthen An Garda Síochána; expand the organisation’s resources and modernise support to tackle crime. These include:
A reform of the Garda recruitment and training processes to increase capacity.
Examining the introduction of an accelerated graduate entry programme to An Garda Síochána.
Implementation of a new Garda Capital Plan to deliver modern, well-equipped Garda stations across the country.
Prospective candidates can visit publicjobs.ie in the coming days, hopefully, for more information on how to apply.
Budgets don’t balance themselves, it takes fiscal discipline, and those whom we elect to rule over us must show us fiscal discipline or resign.
It was in mid-March of 2022, when the now retired Fianna Fáil Cllr. Mr Seamus Hanafin, backed by his devious officials and council colleagues, collaborated to destroyed yet another piece of Thurles town’s rich history; namely the Great Famine Double Ditch constructed in 1846. This Double Ditch was destroyed to provide an inner relief road, which to-date since its conception 8 years ago, has never received funding, despite, up until last November 2024, two Dáil Éireann TD’s Mr M. Lowry (Ind.) and Mr J. Cahill (F.F.), both supporting the outgoing government; being resident within the town itself.
Scene mid-March 2022: The last image to identify what was once the Great Famine Double Ditch, built in 1846, funded by Thurles business people then resident in Liberty Square, Thurles.
Because of the existing medieval streets, within Thurles, for almost 50 years now, the town has sought government funding for a ring road, in an effort to remove at least some of the current heavy goods vehicles, forced to pass through, on an hourly basis, but alas, to little avail.
Following the obvious embarrassment and annoyance experienced by Fianna Fáil Taoiseach Mr Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Mr Simon Harris in recent days, all rooted in Deputy Michael Lowry’s attempts at ‘king making’, it is now unlikely that the present coalition government will be gifting ring road funding to Thurles in the immediate future.
Almost to the date, now, just 3 years later, we revisit this area where this now destroyed Great Famine Double Ditch once existed, known by some as “Hanafin’s Folly”.
Do take the time to view the video hereunder, which demonstrates the total failure by our local councillors and officials to handle what should have been the simplest of tasks. You also may wish to scream.
Report on our findings:
Because of this councils love of biodiversity on the banks of the river Suir, the same passion was not evident in the spraying of a 1.5 acre site north of the Double Ditch as their sign indicates. The newly formed lake is proof of the River Suir flood plane now percolating through the soil, blocked by the no longer existent Double Ditch, draining the weed killer chemicals used, leaching same into the river Suir, via the river Drish.
Someone is using the Whitethorn as their source of winter fuel, while Willow trees are growing up through the tarmacadam.
Then there is the never ending parade of abandoned supermarket trolleys; I counted 21 in all .
Note from the video the newly erected fencing cut in numerous places and the last surviving piece of the great famine, 1865, erected wall, broken down to make steps.
The new tarmacadam, right the way along, is coated in leaf debris, plastic litter and overgrown briar foliage. Wait until leaves return on foliage.
Note the domestic waste, numerous plastic council bollards, burnt mattresses spray cans and no longer required clothing items.
Note the car seats, potato peelings, bed clothes, metal rubbish bin, abandoned fridges, bicycle frames, remains of a wheelchair, rubber car tyres and bicycle tyres.
Note the old fencing torn down to erect the new and never removed, a fire extinguisher cover, numerous plastic toys and finally a self-standing, metal, County Council road sign, which we first identified sitting here over 5 years ago.
For what was promised to be a place where local residents and visitors could exercise and take leisurely walks, we find that same has now become a non-contested rubbish dump and a graveyard for supermarket trolleys. We had asked Ms Sharon Scully (Thurles District Administrator), in August 20th, 2024 to contact Supermarkets with regards to their failure to retrieve supermarket trolleys from the River Suir. As was expected, daring to make such a suggestion, same was observed as ‘contempt for our betters’ and thus went unanswered, with thousands of Euro’s of taxpayer funding now wasted.
Back in February 2024, Littleton based Fianna Fáil County Counsellor, Mr Sean Ryan, in a vote catching pre-local election exercise, notified local press and radio, quote; “Tipperary County Council is ready to hit the ground running in the use of technology to tackle illegal dumping, Tipperary County Council already has the technology at its disposal – it already has the drones, it already has the cameras. They are ready to go”.
With regards the area of “Hanafin’s Folly”, we report that most definitely drones have remained grounded and camera shutters have remained closed, while the same re-elected Mr Ryan collected for himself, for the final 3 months of 2023, a salary of €13,899.83. The expenses paid by the taxpayer, to the inactive Mr Ryan, during that same 3 month period in 2023, included €1,694.28 for hotel accommodation, while attending 3 conferences [ (1) Elected Member Security, (2) Road Safety and (3) Local Authorities Members Association (LAMA) ] held at the 4 Star Rose Hotel, Tralee, (21/10/2023 €538.85); the 4 Star Clayton Hotel, Galway (18th November 2023 €414.11) and the 3 Star Ard Rí House Hotel, Tuam, (25th & 26th October 2023 €741.28) respectively.
Note: All Thurles Municipal District Council Councillors and their Officials were informed about this unofficial dumping site, first on October 28th, 2019. Please Read HERE. Absolutely no action was taken to rectify the situation within the past, over five year period, where the taxpayers funded our 9 Thurles Municipal District Councillors to the tune of at least €1,620.000 in wages. (God knows what we paid our inept officials on top of that figure).
Note: Details on salaries and expenses paid to ‘double jobbing’ and inactive local Councillors in 2023, are made available to the public, by browsing HERE.
As Thurles Municipal District Administrator, Ms Sharon Scully must now:– (1)Visit the area. (2)Debate this issue with her colleagues. (3) Make arrangements to rectify the issue immediately. (4)Apologise to the residents of Thurles for her oversight.
The taxpayer deserve accountabilityas taxes continue to increase, much of it used to fund stupid projects dreamed up by Tipperary County Council officials.
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