Thurles Information » Education

RTE Mass Broadcast From St Patricks College Sunday Next

George — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:23:57 +0000

RTE I will broadcast Sunday Mass live from St Patrick’s College, Thurles, on Sunday, February 5th next, to mark the 175 years of this historical College’s existence.

St. Patrick’s College, Thurles was originally founded in 1837. The College was built on church land, part of which was bought from the estate of a Wexford Protestant Minister. Building began in 1829 under the deceased patronage of the Dr. Patrick Everard, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, who after his death in 1821 had left £10,000 for the “purpose of founding a college to provide a liberal education for catholic youth destined for the priesthood.”

In 1850 the first Synod of bishops, since the Middle Ages, met here at this college in Thurles, commencing on Thursday, 22nd August of that year. This Synod was used to standardise many practices in the Irish Church which had evolved differently to then practices on the continent.

Over more recent years major refurbishments have taken place supporting lecture theatres, tutorial rooms, the original old library, modern computing facilities, playing pitches in the grounds, as well as to the colleges retreat and conference facilities. As well as the academic course the college runs a number of courses in pastoral care, youth work and also Irish language training courses for adults.

Starting from September last, a teaching degree programme, accredited by the University of Limerick, can be conferred on successful graduates. The degrees to be awarded are; BEd with Irish and Religious Studies and BEd with Business Studies and Religious Studies. Graduates are registered with the Teaching Council of Ireland and will be qualified to teach up to and including Leaving Certificate standard.

Note: This televised programme will be broadcast on RTE I beginning at 11.15 am, on Sunday morning next, so here is one TV programme certainly not to be missed.

The Mass will be lead by the College President, Rev. Fr.Tomas Fogarty, from the College’s magnificent modern Chapel, with students and staff taking part.

BT Young Scientist Exhibition 2012

George — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:59:32 +0000

Students from across Tipperary are well represented in Dublin’s RDS, for this years 48th BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.

In recent years the number of entries to this competition has increased dramatically, reaching an all time high last year when 1735 projects were submitted. Following submissions all entries are screened to select just over 520 projects which then go through to compete. The event each year attracts some 40,000 people, thus making it one of the largest events of its kind in Europe, and the world.

In all 21 projects from Co Tipperary are participating in this years event, which displays in total some 520 projects from all the 32 counties of Ireland.

One projects representing Tipperary comes from the Presentation Secondary School here in Thurles, whose participating students have studied ” Food Packaging Versus Taste.”

The event, which began yesterday, will run until 5.30pm on Saturday next, so do drop in and take a peep.

The winner of this years event will be announced at a ceremony, sponsored by BT, on Friday 13th next.

LIT Thurles Campus Fundraising Soccer Match

George — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:27:39 +0000

LIT Thurles Campus

Chris Richards contacted us from 1st year Sports Strength and Conditioning at the LIT/Thurles Campus.

They are organising a fundraising soccer match, which will takes place on Thursday 8th December beginning sharp at 3.00pm in the Thurles Towns Pitch, latter situated, as you are all aware, in the Thurles Greyhound Stadium.

LIT/Thurles Campus will be competing against the Thurles and District Garda team and both are attempting to raise much needed funding for North Tipperary Hospice and also to raise money for some necessary equipment.

Entry price to this match is just €5, but will also includes you in an opportunity to win some really marvelous prizes on the day.

Prizes To Be Won: These will include a €300 “One for All Voucher,” a round of golf for 4 plus overnight B & B accommodation at the fabulous Dundrum House Hotel and Leisure Centre, plus much much more.

Students will be selling tickets over the coming week around the Thurles area, so please do support their efforts generously.

Thurles Identified For Possible Schools Handover

George — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:17:57 +0000

Education

The Roman Catholic Church has identified 47 towns and suburbs in Ireland where it is considering handing over control of it’s schools to the State.

Parents of children in these 258 schools will be asked what type of school they want into the future. The areas chosen are regarded as those with the greatest need for more choice, in relation to religious and cultural changes in their society.

The move is part of a much wider shake-up in the control of primary education, latter being recommended by an expert group, set up by Education Minister Mr Ruairi Quinn, TD.

The advisory group tasked with supplying recommendations to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector, published their findings yesterday.

The towns where Roman Catholic schools may be handed over here in County Tipperary are Thurles, Carrick-on-Suir, Clonmel and Tipperary town.

Name Change For LIT Campuses Possible

George — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:27:16 +0000

Dr. Maria G. Hinfelaar, President LIT.

Confirming Limerick Institute of Technology’s (LIT) new national strategy, which is to develop into a technological university, Dr Maria Hinfelaar president of the Institute, has hinted that a change of name may be one of the Universities considerations in the near future.

Due to rapid expansion, LIT now commands three campuses in Limerick city, two in County Tipperary, with outreach centres also in both county Limerick and county Clare, employing some 550 people. Following the launch of its fifth and newest school, LIT Tipperary, in September last, LIT increased its total student population to over 7,000 full time and part time learners.

Speaking at the graduations of over 1,800 students recently, Dr Hinfelaar explained “We cannot rest on our laurels after the integration of the Tipperary Institute – we will not achieve Technological University status on our own and will have to work with our partners. So if I am to stand here again in a few years time, we may be called something else and be part of something much bigger. That is how the present landscape is being redrawn and LIT will be at the forefront of this evolution.”

Speaking to graduates, Dr Hinfelaar encouraged all present not to simply judge their future success solely on their own personal professional accomplishments, but rather on how they have contributed to society as a whole, through positive active citizenship.

Tipperary Institute Record A 50% CAO Application Increase

Volunteer Management Training Offered

George — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:14:23 +0000

The Source

Executive Librarian Miss Ann Marie Brophy at Thurles Library, The Source, Cathedral Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, informs us that the Europe Direct Information Centre (based in Thurles Library), in conjunction with South Tipperary Volunteer Centre, is offering a free Volunteer Management Training course to community based and not for profit organisations here in North Tipperary.

This year is the European Year of Volunteering and to cap a successful run of events, Europe Direct Thurles is now pleased to run this important training session in North Tipperary.

This course is divided into 4 modules and delivered over 2 sessions. These sessions will take place in Thurles Library on Tuesday 22nd and Tuesday 29th November, from 10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.

Light refreshments at both events will be provided.

On completion of the training participants will be armed with a toolkit of systems, policies and procedures to address current and potential future issues regarding the engagement and management of volunteers in the organisation.

Module 1: Planning for Volunteer Involvement & Developing Volunteer Role Descriptions

Module 2: Volunteer Recruitment, Selection & Induction

Module 3:Volunteer Support & Supervision

Module 4: Designing & Implementing a Volunteer Policy.

Please Note: If you or your organisation would like to book a place on this course, please contact Ann Marie Brophy or Lorraine Treacy at Europe Direct Thurles Library on: Phone: 0504 29720 or Email: eudirect@tipperarylibraries.ie

Photo courtesy G. Willoughby.

Thurles Beavers Enrolment Still Open

George — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 22:51:15 +0000

Thurles Beavers

The Thurles Beaver Scout Group have started back again, beginning on the 26th September last, following their Summer break, and the enrolment of new members is still continuing.

For those parents whose children may be still interested in joining this worthwhile group, note that Beavers are the Junior Section of Scouting Ireland. They meet every Monday night in the “Thurles Band Hall,” here in Stradovoher Road, beginning at 6.30pm until 7.30pm.

The Beaver section of Scouting is for both boys and girls, all aged between 6 and 8 years of age and costs are €3 per week.

I know as a parent myself, it is quite natural that I would want to be assured of my child’s safety and welfare, wherever they attend. So do be assured that as an organisation, Thurles Scouts personnel are fully committed to ensuring that all youth members learn, develop and have fun in a safe and totally secure environment. To this end they have developed robust child protection, recruitment and selection policies and procedures consistent with child protection policy and with all good practice guidelines.

Beaver Scouts are taught and indeed encouraged to take on tasks to find out about responsibility in a fun environment. They learn lots of new skills, but the most important thing is that they do it with other people, especially their friends, in an team building atmosphere, conducive to both fun and learning.

If you would like your child to be part of this organisation, why not find out further information by contacting Mary Tel: 086 2079213, Lyndsey Tel: 087 2139533 or Stella Tel: 087 6888799.

Note: Also if any adult is interested in helping out on a Monday night please make yourself known to the organisation, they are always grateful for any assistance.

William Ronan Tipperary First Prize At US Biomedical Conference

George — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:53:42 +0000

Winning Tipperary PhD researcher William Ronan

William Ronan, a Cloneen, Co Tipperary native and PhD student in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering at NUI Galway, has won first prize in the PhD Student Paper Competition at the American Society of Mechanical Engineering Biomedical Engineering Conference, a leading US conference in the field of Biomedical Engineering and Bio-mechanics.

Currently in his third year of PhD research at NUI Galway while under the supervision of Dr Patrick McGarry, Mr Ronan has developed advanced computational models, that predict the active response of biological cells to different mechanical environments.

Mr Ronan’s prize winning paper entitled ‘Simulation of Stress Fiber Remodeling and Mixed-mode Focal Adhesion Assembly During Cell Spreading on Elastic Substrates,’ is indeed a testament to the exceptional talent being nurtured in Irish Universities presently.

Mr Ronan is funded by an Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (IRCSET) scholarship and his research is also supported by Science Foundation Ireland Research Frontiers Programme (SFI-RFP) and the Irish Centre for High End Computing (ICHEC).

We wish Mr Ronan every success for the future.

It should be noted that this is the second major International Award won by a member of Dr Patrick McGarry’s research group in 2011, with his PhD student Emer Feerick also winning first prize at the Annual Symposium on Computational Orthopaedic Bio-mechanics in the US last January.

Advice For Leaving Certs

George — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:37:32 +0000

Of almost 58,000 Leaving Certificate students who sat their examinations in Ireland this year, close to 2,000 will have got their Leaving Certificate results here in County Tipperary today.

This mornings results will bring mixed emotions to students, with some students pleased and others possibly disappointed. Regardless of your results take the time to listen to this excellent piece of advice for your future.

The narrative you have just heard is based on an essay by Mary Schmich’s in her column in the Chicago Tribune which headlined “Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young.”

This popular and well-known essay became the successful music single “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)“, released in 1998, (Something for Everybody album) by Australian film director, screenwriter and producer, Mark Anthony “Baz” Luhrmann.

Heed it, this advice is still not outdated.

Wetland Writers Inaugural Meeting Thurles

George — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 22:31:18 +0000

Wetland Writers

Have you ever had the idea you would love to write a book, a short story perhaps, or maybe write about and leave behind details of your early life, your experiences, the highs and lows of your life and times. Maybe shyness or a lack of self confidence has held you back.

Well, no more excuses are now acceptable, because on Thursday, the 8th of September next, 8.00pm sharp, the inaugural meeting of “Wetland Writers” will take place at Cabragh Wetlands, Thurles, Co Tipperary.

This group will welcome, with open arms, all comers and hope to see current authors, aspiring writers, reciters or just listeners joining their group.

Whatever your favourite genre, be it poetry, verse, essay, short story, comedy, novel, theatre, factual writing, compilation of thoughts, ideas or memories, it will be an exciting experience to find a platform for your expression, and you never know, perhaps a ‘cupan tae,’ will be thrown in, to assist, evoke and inspire the Muses.

Perhaps there may be a J. K. Rowling, a Jeff Doyle or a Robert Hass waiting, screaming to be realised down through the nib of your pen, and all that is needed is just a little help and encouragement.

Interested – Then why not contact: Joan Pollard Carew, Tel: 086 8718819 or Una Crowe, Tel: 087 7930319.