Thurles Information

The Rev. Peter Massey Cole Baker will conduct the annual traditional Thurles multi – denominational Christmas Carol Service at St Mary’s Parish Church, Thurles on Friday next 18th December at 8.00 pm.

St. Mary's Church, Thurles, Co Tipperary.

Mrs Linda Stanley and Mrs Lila Stanley, ladies from the parish, will as usual, be on hand to take care of the seasonal floral decorations for this annual Christmas event.

The traditional Carol Service of “Nine Lessons and Carols” will feature readings by the first Lady of Thurles, Mayor Mrs Evelyn Nevin, aided by the President of Thurles Chamber of Commerce, Mrs Anne Strappe and Fine Gael UDC Councillor Mr Michael Cleary.

Music for the service will be provided by the talanted local musician Miss Ann-Marie Dwan, B.MUS. who will play the Church’s magnificent, century old pipe organ, which has been recently restored and from which music has not been heard publicly, now, for many years.

That much loved Christmas Carol “O Holy Night”, composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847, will be sung solo by local Thurles renowned Tenor, Mr. Michael Molumby, whose CD “Circling The Square”, recorded recently for charity, has almost been completely been sold out.

Other solo’s will be performed by local talents Miss Katie Lawless (also on flute) and Miss Rachel Willoughby, backed by members of the very talented Thurles Phoenix Production team, the churches chosen choir for this event.

All residents of Thurles and the surrounding Community, both young and old, are warmly invited to attend this truly traditional Christmas event.

Front and rear gates to St. Mary’s Church will be open, to allow for easy access and car parking, on the night.

A Memorial Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving will be held on Wednesday 10th June 2009 at 5.00pm in the College Chapel at Trinity College Dublin.

As attendance at the Chapel Service is by invitation only to accommodate to the fullest extent the relatives and many friends (including all classmates) and colleagues of the girls, all other attendees are requested to attend at the Public Theatre where there will be a live video link directly to the Chapel Service.

Trinity Provost Dr John Hegarty stated:

“The College community is deeply saddened by the loss of our graduates, Aisling Butler, Jane Deasy and Eithne Walls, in the Air France tragedy. The loss of such young, vibrant and promising women at the outset of their careers in medicine and in such tragic circumstances has stunned us all. Our thoughts are with the families and their former classmates at this difficult time. All are most welcome to join the College in remembering and celebrating Aisling, Jane and Eithne at the Memorial Service in the Public Theatre tomorrow.”

Books of Condolences which are currently located in the Enquiries Office will be outside the Public Theatre for the Memorial Service, should those in attendance wish to sign them.

Last evening over 1,000 mourners prayed at an emotional memorial service for the recovery of the remains of the  three Irish doctors who died when the plane they were travelling on crashed into the Atlantic Ocean last week. An hour before the service began, mourners began arriving filling the church to capacity 15 minutes before the mass started. The family and friends of Dr Aisling Butler cried openly and embraced each other during a heartrending mass which was celebrated in Aishling’s Parish Church in Roscrea, Co Tipperary.

In his homily,local  parish priest Fr Tom Corbett described Dr Aisling Butler as “a lovely daughter, gifted woman, great human being and fun-loving friend whose sudden and mysterious death had brought anguish, grief and desolation to her family“.

Referring poignantly to the continuing search for bodies in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil, he stated to mourners that “it is our fervent wish that we will bury Aisling here in this church”.

Fr. Corbett further stated:-

“The three young doctors, carers of the living and lovers of life, were friends on the journey of life and lived for each other, but now by a distant accident had died, together, leaving us all greatly deprived of their great skills”.

A special memorial Mass will take place in Roscrea, Co.Tipperary at 8pm next Tuesday for Dr Aisling Butler. Dr Butler is one of three young medical doctors now feared dead after an Air France jet crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris with 228 people on board. Her grieving family, friends and colleagues will be joined by a deeply shocked local community at the ceremony .

Parish Priest Fr Tom Corbett said the thoughts of everyone were with the Butler family.

Aisling’s parents, John and Evelyn and her sister Lorna, have received hundreds of messages of support at their home over the last few days.

John Butler is a well-known businessman in Tipperary through his management of  Adare International Transport. A family solicitor stated the Butler family were still attempting to come to terms with this tragedy.

Staff at Aisling’s former school, the Ursuline Secondary School in Thurles, were said to be in shock when they heard of what happened.

The principal, Sr Berchmans Whelan, said all 135 students who completed their leaving certificate in the Tipperary school alongside Aisling in 2001 would be invited to a special Mass to commemorate her life.

A date for this school memorial Mass will be finalised as soon as the Leaving and Junior Certificate exams at the school draw to a close.

Trinity College, Dublin said it would will also hold a service for Aisling and her two comrades, all who graduated from the college after studying medicine. But college authorities said they were waiting until an appropriate time for the families before releasing further details.

Meanwhile the search for the Air France jet and its passengers continues roughly 400 miles (640 kilometers) northeast of the Fernando de Noronha islands off Brazil’s northern coast.