Picture shows part of the base for the new inner relief road, wiping out Thurles heritage, and already christened by locals residents as “Hanafin’s Folly”. Double Ditch is now fully demolished. Pic. G. Willoughby(28/3/2022)
During a recent meeting of Templemore-Thurles Municipal District Council; councillors and those in attendance were informed that there was to be a move from the current County promotion which had been predominantly about heritage, to a more “heritage plus outdoors focus” which is currently now taking place. Who thought up this fool notion remains a mystery.
This is possibly because, in the case of Thurles town at least, most of our heritage has been removed by those positioned to promote the area.
The phrase ‘Time for Tipperary’ will now be the new buzz word. It appears the five year old failed slogan “Tipperary, the Place, The Time”, used to attempt to attract multinationals and tourists has gone out the window.
Still “Time for Tipperary”; a bit like “Trip to Tipp”, is much shorter than “Tipperary, the Place, The Time”; when “tripped off the tongue” by stuttering politicians.
Like the launch of “Tipperary, the Place, The Time”, here is a great opportunity also for Tipperary Co. Councillors; officials and politicians to banquet at Kilshane House, Bansha, you know the place where Dita von Teese & Marilyn Manson, Una Healy & Ben Foden were all married.
But the leading questions remains; will Covid-19 infected tourists continue to journey past the M50, at Junction 9 on the Red Cow roundabout?
Should we now hijack this proposed new logo and promote “Time for Thurles”, but sure what have we left to use as an attraction?
That wonderful organisation, Tipperary Search & Rescue, are operating a Humanitarian Collection on behalf of war victims fleeing war torn Ukraine.
Mr Brian Keady reports:- Next Sunday morning, March 6th, 2022, Tipperary Search & Rescue will operate two humanitariancollection points, from 9.30am to 12.30pm.
Collection Points are as follows: – *Kenyon Street Carpark, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. *The Source Carpark, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
If you would like to assist us in our endeavours, please contact us via our Social Media page, foundHERE.
What we are looking for: –
* Medical Supplies, first aid kits, bandages.
* Toiletries of all kinds, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and shampoo.
* Blankets, sheets, sleeping bags and towels.
* Flashlights and batteries.
Already our membership has come together and purchased items to send to help those fleeing the situation in Ukraine. We are now asking the people of Co. Tipperary, if at all possible, to further assist in this Humanitarian effort.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are we doing for others’?
Elwira Patan, Aneta Hughes(Proprietor Polish Shop, Thurles), Monica Kowalska, Janus Dobrowolski and Krzysztof Hryc wrapping clothing and medical supplies bound for war torn Ukraine.
Today, on the border with Belarus, a Ukrainian delegation continues to hold talks with hostile Russian officials. French President Mr Monsieur Emmanuel Macron has been speaking by phone with President Mr Vladimir Putin, urging him to halt his oppressive offensive against Ukraine.
Here in Thurles Co. Tipperary, the ‘Polish Shop’, (Sklep Polski Jelonek) with an address at Stradavoher, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, today deal with a continuous flow of Tipperary people, all anxious in particular to help refugees crossing over the polish border.
Speaking to the proprietor of the ‘Polish Shop’in Stradavoher, Mrs Aneta Hughes, this afternoon, confirmed that volunteers continue to work in shifts packing the many donations of food and clothing being brought to her retail premises.
Medical supplies bound for Poland & Ukraine
Indeed, as we talked a courier arrived (see poster in top image above) to transport yet another donated cargo, picked up free of charge for delivery to Poland’s northern border. Donated items to-date have included clothing, ground sheets and tinned or dried food goods. Proprietor, Mrs Hughes has pointed out that she is no longer seeking clothing items, but is continuing to accept medical goods, ground sheets and tinned or dried food goods. She is also seeking help from hauliers who can transport, free of charge, medical and food supplies into North Eastern Europe. [Tel: Contact (0504) 36081]
Meanwhile, Western placed sanctions on Saturday last, triggered by this wanton Russian invasion, have sent Russian currency (The ruble lost about 25%) plummeting, forcing ordinary Russian inhabitants to line up at banks and ATMs.
Liberty Square(Ulster Bank)Carpark, Thurles Closes.
Tipperary County Council have announced that planned works to the Liberty Square (Ulster Bank) carpark in Thurles, will commence on tomorrow Monday 21st February 2022.
The carpark will remain closed from tomorrow, Monday February 21st until Saturday 26th February. According to Mr Thomas Duffy, (Executive District Engineer), once the work is completed, there will be approximately 54 parking spaces available in the car park, including spaces for ‘Age Friendly’ parking and ‘Autism Friendly’spaces.
Thurles Municipal District officials wishes to acknowledge the disruption these works will cause to businesses in the town. However, in order to minimise disruption, commencement of this work was chosen to coincide with what is a nearby school’s mid-term break.
This represents a substantial investment by tax payers, towards local infrastructure, thus allowing Tipperary Co. Council to glean even more money to waste.
Kickham Street, Thurles this afternoon Feb 20th 2022 @ 3.00pm
Note above, the car parked in 10 centimetres of stagnant water, with the surrounding images, further evidence of Thurles Municipal District Council’s inability to administrate the clearing of drains, identified and reported to the afore mentioned Mr Thomas Duffy, (Executive District Engineer) on July 26th 2021.
But then car parks generate more Council revenue, than pedestrians, businesses and private homes.
In a communication from Ms Sharan Scully District Administrator stating that, quote : – “Mr Tomas Duffy, District Engineer inspected the location on Kickham Street, outside your property on the 8th February. Mr Duffy reported that the water ponding is directly due to reinstatement works associated with water main works, carried out by Irish Water recently. The complaint was referred to Irish Water in order to rectify this matter. Mr Duffy then followed up the report directly with the Water Services in Tipperary County Council and impressed on them the urgency to have this work rectified”.
Regrettably, no one in Irish Water paid any attention to Mr Duffy and repairs have failed to materialise, with water flowing from Willowmere Drive, west into Kickham Street, using the road surface as a drain.
See picture section, featured above at centre bottom, shows Irish Water’s handiwork on Kickham Street, with one of their manholes loose and sinking into the road surface.
National Driving Licence Service “blackguarding” the elderly, says McNamara
Junior Transport Minister Hildegarde Naughten has confirmed that the temporary Covid downgrading of all National Driving Licence Service (NDLS) offices across the State, including the Tipperary offices in Clonmel and Nenagh, has now been made permanent.
“The walk-in service previously available was originally discontinued to ensure social distancing and compliance with occupational and public health requirements,” she told Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara in the Dáil this evening (Thursday), continuing: “the current NDLS contract, which was put in place with the front office service provider in 2021, no longer offers a walk-in service.”
She outlined that an online service is available for all application types but stated that a “verified MyGovlD account, which requires a public services card (PSC), is needed” to avail of the online service. “This is despite a Data Protection Commission investigation into the legality of the Public Services Card which found that there was no lawful basis for a person to be told they needed the card for anything other than accessing social welfare or benefits,” Deputy McNamara explained.
In the Dáil this evening, Deputy McNamara raised the issue of difficulties encountered by his constituents in availing of the NDLS service in Ennis and explained to the Minister that not everybody was able to go online. He pointed out that government TDs were rightly critical of banks moving their services online because of the effect it had on various sectors, especially the elderly, and here was a government agency doing exactly the same thing.
He told the Junior Transport Minister that a man of retirement age in his constituency had to get his grandchild to make an online appointment for him, as he could no longer walk into the NDLS Centre. Having completed the forms at the office, he received a form in the post to be signed and he returned same to the NDLS and the form would not be accepted. The man subsequently went to the TD’s office, where he was assisted and the paperwork was emailed.
Another constituent took time out of work to attend his appointment in the NDLS Centre in Ennis and his paperwork was in order – only to discover that the staff would not accept cash from him and he did not have a card. He rang his wife for card details but this would not be accepted as his wife was not present.
McNamara informed the Minister that a woman in her 80’s had told him she spent an hour and a half on the phone trying, in vain, to get an appointment. The TD’s office rang the NDLS and spent 45 minutes waiting, but nobody answered.
Minister Naughten claimed that no ‘show rates’ at the Ennis office in January were 12.3% of all booked appointments and to date in February same were 13.3% and she urged customers to ensure that they attend at their appointed time as, where appointments are not held on time, this affects the service for following appointments.
However, Deputy McNamara said he had received reports from neighbouring businesses of elderly customers leaving the office in distress, as they had been turned away for being a couple of minutes late, but within their 10-minute allotted slot which, he said, might account for the apparently high “no-show” rate.
Minister Naughten confirmed to the Clare TD that an additional staff member was due to commence employment at the centre which, she said, would enable the Ennis office to operate at a two-booth capacity. She also confirmed that she would have the long telephone wait times looked into.
McNamara insisted that the NDLS were “blackguarding the elderly” with the service currently being provided.
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