History is NOT there for you to like or dislike. It is there for you to learn from and if it offends you, even better. Because then you are less likely to repeat it. It’s not yours to ERASE. It belongs to all of us.
According to Tipperary County Council’s online policy statement on heritage, the role of their Heritage Office is, “To promote awareness and appreciation of our rich heritage and to protect and enhance it for future generations”. View HERE.
According to the same Tipperary County Council’s online policy statement on planning the purpose of the Planning Section is “To ensure the protection of the natural built heritage and amenity of the county”. View HERE.
One would believe that same policies should allow for Tipperary dwellers to feel safe, same policies having been signed off on by Tipperary Chief Executive Mr Joe MacGrath. Alas, eight weeks on and no direct written communication from the same Mr MacGrath or his nominee Mr Marcus O’Connor.
No written communications either from:-
roisin.ogrady@tipperarycoco.ie, – Supposedly the Tipp. Heritage Officer & Creative Ireland Coordinator. (Last positive communication from Ms O’Grady was November 2019)
Councillors
jim.ryan@tipperarycoco.ie,
shane.lee@tipperarycoco.ie,
micheal.lowry@tipperarycoco.ie,
noel.coonan@tipperarycoco.ie,
peter.ryan@tipperarycoco.ie,
eddie.moran@tipperarycoco.ie,
michael.smith@tipperarycoco.ie.
Teachtaí Dála (TD’s)
malcolm.noonan@oireachtas.ie, – Green Party T.D., Minister of State for Heritage & Electoral Reform.
jackie.cahill@oireachtas.ie, – Tipperary Fianna Fáil TD.
michaellowrytd@gmail.com, – Tipperary Independent TD.
We also await communication from the recently re-assigned Ethics Registrar, Mr. David Coleman, Administrative Officer, Corporate Services, (Tel: 0761 065000) with regards to the failure by the above named local councillors to follow their required Code of Conduct.
We gather from the reply by Ms Janice Gardiner or Mr. Eamon Lonergan, (we are unsure of the actual author – View HERE), that it is the full intention of Tipperary Co. Council to destroy the historic 1846 Thurles “Double Ditch”.
Both have stated that the Double Ditch does not exist, but of course it does and its stone clad sides can be viewed with the naked eye. So can be viewed the one step, stone, stile at one end, latter destroyed by Tipperary Co. Co. and the swinging rotary gate at the other end, erected by Tipperary Co. Co.. Do watch the video above again.
Our video shown above indicates clearly; as you enter from the College Lane side of the Double Ditch, in Kickham Street, the abject failure by local politicians to attract any industry into Thurles over the past 30 years. The failure to generate even one long term job, can be observed simply by viewing the abundance of graffiti on the walls of an area; same having such a strong bearing and mutual relationship with our past local history.
Tipperary Co. Council has over the years eradicated much of the town’s history. Just two examples are the Moat and Moat Lane and in more recent years Hickey’s pub (Griffins Shop). In both cases using rate payer’s money back then to build the Parnell Street car park and more recently, (yet to open), the new car park. In turn both these tax payer funded projects are being used to generate further taxes, laughably at the expense of the very same tax payers who funded them in the first place; result the destruction of the town centre, through parking charges.
We are now aware, sadly, that some of our local elected representatives and county council officials are faithless; treacherous and deceitful, showing a willingness to act dishonestly, by failing to communicate directly with those who elected them and who pay their wages.
This deceit is further borne out by a communication from Ms Josepha Madigan TD, former caretaker Minister for Heritage, who stated, and I quote, “So far as we understand, there is no direct impact on the “Double Ditch” from any current development. The Department is a statutory consultee in the planning and development process, but our role in this regard is to respond to particular development proposals as referred to us by the planning authority.” Of course we now know that the ‘statutory consultee’ appears to have been misinformed by the “planning authority” as were the staff who provided the Environmental Impact Assessment Screening Report and those involved in the conjuring up of the Archaeological Impact Statement.
Perhaps the time has come for a locally-led task force for Thurles, akin to that same recently appointed force in Tipperary Town.
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