Two major events taking place in Upperchurch in the coming weeks; The Upperchurch Dromane Vision Walk on Sunday July 28th 2013 (Note full details shown on poster displayed above,) and the Upperchurch Drombane Cycling Club (UDCC) which are inviting you to join them in Upperchurch, Thurles, Co Tipperary for their Annual Charity Cycle on Sunday 1st September 2013.
Their Irish National Tandem-Para Time Trial Champions (2013) Peter Ryan and Damien Shaw will be present at this cycle.
Peter Ryan of Drombane, a member of UDCC, suffers from Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy which leads to the loss of central vision. Peter first experienced the effects of LHON at the age of 20 with his condition worsening by the time he turned 21, when he effectively lost sight in both eyes, Peter is now just 23.
Prior to Peter experiencing the effects of LHON, he was a keen GAA player for the Upperchurch/Drombane Minor and Under 21 Hurling teams. He also played football and soccer for Upperchurch/Drombane. Peter was employed locally by OMC engineering; and has been unable to work since his condition deteriorated.
Following his sight loss, Peter has been focussing on building a life and finding a passion to take on. Following the success of the Irish Olympic and Paralympic teams in London 2012, the Cycling Ireland call for Para-cyclists in October 2012 was the catalyst that brought Peter and cycling together.
Peter had his first race (a time trial) in March 2013 and while the team finished 3rd, it was a very respectable result for a new comer to cycling. Since then, Peter has focussed on his training and was fortunate enough to get a pilot for the National Tandem-Para Time Trial Championships in June 2013, and along with his pilot Damien Shaw, put in a brilliant effort to post the fastest time on the day.
In the past UDCC with your help has raised money for other local charities (Suir Haven Hospice and Nenagh Rehab), this year the Upperchurch/Drombane community have chosen to support Peter as he attempts to get on the Irish Cycling team for the World Tandem-Para cycling championships in Canada in September.
They would greatly appreciate your support by letting your club members know that this event is on. There will be 100km, 50km and 25km routes available on the day. Refreshments will be provided on the longer route and following all of the cycles events in the Upperchurch village Hall.
Enjoy the challenge and of course the wonderful scenery, as you cycle in the pure clean air of the Slieve Felim mountains.
The Thurles Sarsfields Third International Hurling Festival 2013, held this weekend here in Thurles, is over for another year but not before being acclaimed a ‘rip roaring success,’ by the organising committee, under the chairmanship of John Enright. Hotels, B/B’s & other tourist services providers in the area are reporting a massive surge in tourism business over the past number of days.
The organising committee wish to thanks their sponsors, namely IBP Insurance, The Gathering Ireland 2013, Thurles Sarsfields and Thurles Town Council for their generous sponsorship of this ever growing annual Thurles festival event.
The now coveted Semple Cup this year went to the team of ‘Causeway,’ in Co Kerry and was presented by Ann Gunning, latter daughter of the late great Tom Semple.
‘Setanta,’ in Donegal were winners of the Culhane Cup presented by Paddy Kenny, while Dublin won the Carew Cup, latter presented by Michael Maher, Chairman of Thurles Sarsfield.
In the ‘Caman Abu,’ competition action, winners of the Plate were Thurles Post Office; with the Thurles branch of Tesco deserving winners of the Cup. Runners up of ‘Caman Abu,’ were Noal Ryan’s, Parnell Street, Thurles & ‘Larry’s,’ Dempsey Square, Thurles both licensed premises.
All in all this was a most successful and enjoyable sporting weekend for all in attendance and a welcome boost for a Thurles ailing economy.
Imitation; The Sincerest Form Of Flattery
That said, of course I would not like to be an employee of Aer Lingus or ETIHAD Airways respective PR teams going to work tomorrow. It will be disappointing for them to discover that they have been ‘Taken in,’ (as we say in Tipperary,) by the Galway International Hurling Festival, latter which claims to be “the first hurling competition of its kind, ” taking place in September.
As Lady Marguerite Blessington, Countess of Blessington is reported to have once stated: “Borrowed thoughts, like borrowed money, only shows the poverty of the borrower.”
A little comment also for GAA President Liam O’Neill; Pablo Picasso once stated “To copy others is necessary, but to copy oneself is pathetic.”
To the Galway organisers; Galway Supporters Club, Terry O’Flaherty (Mayor of Galway City,) and Terry Welby (Mayor of Galway County,) we wish you the best of luck with your weekend, but visitors do remember that Thurles is the real home of the GAA and any other hurling festival is just a cheap imitation, plagiarised from Thurles Sarsfields.
Seriously, what intrigues me is how two people over 141km or two hours driving time apart, can come up with almost the same catch phrase; “Camán Home for the Hurling,” & “Camán for the Craic.” Now if that is not proof of extrasensory perception (ESP) at work, tell me what is?
Next year Thurles will be running the first ever Tour de France & later in the year the first ever Glastonbury Festival, so do stay tuned for more details.
Tipperary Ladies Gaelic Football Association have been successful in their attempt to break the World Record for the ‘Largest Football Mosaic’ at the Moyle Rovers GAA Grounds in Clonmel, Co Tipperary on Saturday July 6th last.
The world record attempt had the dual aim of promoting the sport in Tipperary while also raising funds towards the continued development of Ladies Football, throughout the county.
Local engineer, Mr Will McGarry, was responsible for designing the mosaic used, which formed & included the words ‘The Horse and Jockey,’ latter a local hotel here on the outskirts of Thurles & the generous team sponsor for the Tipperary Intermediate Ladies Football Team.
The final design was 22.2 metres wide and 3.4 metres high, covering approx 76 m². The completed design consisted of 1530 footballs in Tipperary’s famous blue and gold colours.
There were over 300 people in attendance and both young and old got a chance to lay a ball and enjoy the great family occasion generated by this event.
Despite Tipp’s best efforts, Brian Cody’s Kilkenny team put an end to Eamonn O’Shea’s Tipperary 2013 hurling championship, having secured a 0-20 (20 pts) to 1-14 (17 pts) win at Nowlan Park this evening and the former will now go on to face Waterford in Phase III of the All-Ireland qualifiers next Saturday.
In front of 23,307 spectators it had started well for Tipperary, with Lar Corbett, once again mirroring the image of the man who deservedly won hurler of the year in 2010, stealing a goal on the 14th minute, following a fatal miscue from John O’Dwyer had found its way into his possession.
However, despite this Tipperary lead, Lar Corbett suffered a hamstring injury, forcing him off the field during the first half, to be replaced by Seamus Callanan.
Both Eoin Kelly and Jason Forde missed second half goal chances that could have delivered a completely different reading on the scoreboard.
In a game full of intensity on a very hot day and played at a maddening pace, with both sides wasting equal chances, in the end it was a deserved win for the Cats, mainly thanks to the focus of Kilkenny’s Eoin Larkin, through his point-taking and defensive ability.
With just six minutes remaining, Henry Shefflin left the bench to enter the fray for Kilkenny, sending fans at Nowlan Park into deservedly rapturous jubilation.
However on the 70th minute mark, Tipperary’s failure to conjure up that badly needed goal, towards the closing stages of the game, left Kilkenny holding on for a three-point win, and a disappointed Tipperary team heading for the dressing rooms with very little to be ashamed about.
Thurles Credit Union renewed their ongoing relationship with Gaelscoil Bhríde recently for a most successful night at Thurles Greyhound Stadium.
The event, promoted as a night to “Unite – Reunite”, was the brainchild of the Parents’ Council of the Gaelscoil and was intended to achieve a double outcome. The first of these was to provide an occasion for a get-together of parents, past and present, for a great sporting and social occasion. It also provided an opportunity to raise much-needed funds for the upgrading of the school’s IT facilities, to improve car parking facilities and safety and to go some way towards offsetting the drastic reductions in Government funding in recent years.
With the generous sponsorship of Thurles Credit Union and a splendid turn-out of parents and friends, all the objectives were achieved on an outstanding evening in one of Thurles’ premier sporting locations. Some excellent racing was enjoyed, the occasional winner was backed, old friendships were renewed and new friendships were cemented.
Caroline Egan, representing the Parents’ Council, was a very efficient Bean a’ Tí and coordinated activities professionally. Seamus Ó Dubhagáin, Príomhoide of Gaelscoil Bhríde, was loud in his praise of all concerned with the organisation and staging of the evening.
Firstly, he thanked Thurles Credit Union for their very generous financial support and acknowledged the assistance they had given to Gaelscoil Bhríde over the years. He also paid special tribute to the Parents’ Council and his teaching and administration staff for all their hard work.
The school very much appreciated the cooperation and courtesy of the management and staff of Thurles Greyhound Stadium. One of the first big “Gathering” events in Thurles has certainly set the standard for others to follow, so well done, Gaelscoil Bhríde and Thurles Credit Union.
Two major events taking place in Upperchurch in the coming weeks; The Upperchurch Dromane Vision Walk on Sunday July 28th 2013 (Note full details shown on poster displayed above,) and the Upperchurch Drombane Cycling Club (UDCC) which are inviting you to join them in Upperchurch, Thurles, Co Tipperary for their Annual Charity Cycle on Sunday 1st September 2013.
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