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Cashel Library To Celebrate St Brigid Of Kildare.

Cashel Library will celebrate St. Brigid, with an event taking place on Tuesday morning next, January 30th at 11:00am sharp.

This year 2024 we celebrate over 3,000 years of ‘Brigid the Goddess’, and 1,500 years of ‘Brigid the Saint’, which is what makes her legacy so enduring.

Cashel Librarian, Ms Maura Barrett, will, on Tuesday morning next, cast more light on the St Brigid story.

One of a number of models, on the life and work of St Brigid, is now available to view in St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare Town, Co. Kildare; latter building which occupies the site of the original monastery founded by St Brigid.
Pic: G. Willoughby ©.

Dandelion Flower. (Irish: ‘Bearnán Bhríde’).
The Dandelion Flower is long associated with Saint Brigid (known in Irish as ‘Bearnán Bhríde’). It is one of the first blossoms observed after Saint Brigid’s day and it is said that every time you see one in bloom you should think of the bright flame of faith that is Saint Brigid. The flower also signifies that Saint Brigid was one of the first people, thousands of years ago, to draw attention to, and champion biodiversity, through her care of flora and fauna and her knowledge of the environment.

Brigid’s Bird. (Irish: Brìd-eun meaning ‘Brigid’s bird’ or ‘Giolla-Brìghde’ meaning ‘Servant of Bride’).
The bird known as the Oystercatcher is connected to St Brigid of Kildare. Legend states St Brigid was running away from a band of evil men, who wished her dead. Alone and on reaching a beach where there was no place to hide, she said a prayer to God to thank him for her life, before lying on the sand to accept her death. However, before the evil men reached where she lay, Oystercatcher birds scavenging on the shoreline, saw her, and realised her predicament covered her with seaweed, thus hiding her and saving her life. She later is said to have blessed the species and since that day the Oystercatcher bird has been linked to Ireland’s principal female saint.

St Brigid’s Cross. (Irish: Cros Bhríde, Crosóg Bhríde or Bogha Bhríde)
A St Brigid’s Cross is correctly and traditionally made with just 7 strands of the widely distributed soft field rush (Juncus effusus) representing 7 days in the week. (In modern times, same can be woven from straw; rushes; drinking straws, or rolled paper; its construction defined by whatever building materials are available). Four (the four arms of the cross) multiplied by 7 equals 28, latter representing St Brigid’s month, being February, which has 28 days. The middle part of the cross adds up to 29 representing the 29 days in February’s ‘once in 4’ leap year.

The public are invited to please come along to attend this informative lecture, but please remember booking is essential, so please make contact in advance by Telephoning Cashel Library at 062 63825 or 062 63856, to be sure of a seat.

Note: Tea and Coffee will be served.
[ You can locate the Cashel Library building, situated on Friar Street, Lady’s Well, Cashel, Co. Tipperary, HERE. (G487+RX) ].

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Enforcement Orders Served On Food Businesses In 2023 Up 19%.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has stated that 92 Enforcement Orders were served on food businesses for breaches of food safety legislation in 2023, an increase of 19% on the 77 that were served in 2022.
Announcing the figures today, the FSAI, expressed disappointment at the increase, and reminded food businesses to train staff appropriately to produce, serve and sell food, in accordance with food safety legislation, thus ensuring that premises are fully suitable for safe food production, sale and storage.

Between January 1st and December 31st 2023, 76 Closure Orders, 3 Improvement Orders and 13 Prohibition Orders were served on food businesses. A total of 6 prosecutions were also taken. These enforcement actions were led by Environmental Health Officers in the HSE, local authority veterinary inspectors, sea-fisheries protection officers in the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority and officers of the FSAI.
Recurring issues of food safety negligence identified in food businesses resulted in the Enforcement Orders being issued, including inadequate food storage with the risk of contamination; a lack of pest control procedures such as monitoring and pest proofing; inadequate temperature control in food storage, preparation and distribution; and insufficient staff training in food safety, personal hygiene and record keeping.

Commenting on the annual figures, Dr Pamela Byrne, (Chief Executive, FSAI), expressed that she had hoped to see a reduction in the number of Enforcement Orders needing to be served in 2023. Disappointingly, this was not the case.
She stated that “As a result of the inspections carried out by Environmental Health Officers, local authority veterinary inspectors, sea-fisheries protection officers and FSAI officers, a total of 92 food businesses were served with legal orders for breaches of food safety law in 2023. While each of these Enforcement Orders was necessary for the protection of consumer health in relation to food safety, we should not be seeing such breaches of food law occurring in food businesses at all”.
Dr Byrne added “Enforcement Orders are served on food businesses only when a risk to consumer health has been identified, or where there are a number of ongoing breaches of food legislation. It is a legal obligation for food businesses to ensure that they are proactive in adhering to food safety regulations. Each month, food safety inspectors find similar, basic and fundamental breaches of food law, which are unacceptable”.
As we enter 2024, we urge food businesses to always prioritise and promote a culture of food safety in their businesses”, she concluded.

The FSAI, today, also reported that four Closure Orders and one Prohibition Order were served on food businesses during the month of December 2023 for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020. The Enforcement Orders were issued by Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive and happily none were reported in Co. Tipperary during the month of December 2023.


See further details, including Enforcement Orders/Reports, HERE.

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Increase In Numbers Attending Hospitals With Respiratory Illnesses.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) have declared that the rise in respiratory illnesses are substantial, with pressure increasing on hospital beds across the country.

Week one of 2024, encountered 1,628 cases of flu, resulting in 414 patients being hospitalised. It is acknowledged that similar influenza activity will continue in an upward trend in the coming weeks.

Added to these above flu case numbers, there was also 1,200 cases of COVID-19, of which some 459 sufferers have been hospitalised; the highest number of COVID-19 cases identified since August of 2023.

The number of Respiratory Syncytial Virus cases, (RSV), have further increased to over 465, resulting in 147 patients admitted into our hospitals. This automatically follows greatly increased socialisation over the Christmas season, with the spread encouraged by the return by children at all school levels, and child care facilities.

The HSE is warning people who feel unwell to remain at home for up to 48 hours after their symptoms appear to decline or are over and done with, thus avoiding contact with other people, especially those who are vulnerable to Covid-19.

Those who are aged 65 or older, who are pregnant or have a serious medical condition, are urged to seek medical advice if their condition has not improved after a seven day period.

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Cyclists’ Touring Club – Irish Road Book Part 1 – Tipperary South 1899.

On January 29, 1886, Carl Benz applied for a patent for his vehicle, latter powered by a gas engine. The patent – number 37435 – may be thus regarded as the birth certificate of the auto-mobile industry.

The first car imported here into Ireland was a Benz Velo, which arrived in 1898. Cars were costly, and in 1904, only 38 motor vehicles were registered with in the Irish State. This figure currently equates to a private fleet of close to some 2.5 million vehicles

Back in 1879, the Irish Cyclist Touring Club was founded which resulted in the publication of the Irish Road Book of 1899. Subscribing Members were charged 3 shillings for this publication, while non-members were charged 10s-6d.

To the Irish peasantry, back then, this very costly publication would not have been readily available, but amongst the gentry of that period, same would have been the then ‘cyclists satellite navigation’, of the late 19th century.

Route 131 A – Killenaule To New Birmingham.

Places on the road.Intermediate.Comprehensive. General description of the road.
Kilenaule.—–—–Proceeding northward out of the village (Killenaule),keep to the left just after passing the R.C. Chapel (St. Mary’s Church Bailey Street, Killenaule, Thurles, Co. Tipperary), on the left and then straightforward on an almost level road, to New Birmingham. Good surface.
The Four Roads.1.3⁄4 mls —–—–
Waterloo Lodge.3⁄4 ml—–—–
Shelbourne Lodge. 3⁄4 ml —–—–
New Birmingham. ½ ml3.3⁄4 mls—–

Killenaule to New Birmingham (Reverse) – Proceed Southward out of New Birmingham and thence straight forward to Killenaule.

Now a question for our readers. Where was Waterloo Lodge & Shelbourne Lodge, back then, located?
Thurles.Info would love to know
. Please contact us HERE

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‘Extraordinary’ 315-Million-Year-Old Fossil Found At Cliffs Of Moher.

‘Extraordinary’ 315-million-year-old fossil sponge found near the Cliffs of Moher

An extraordinary new species of fossil sponge, dating back to a time when County Clare was located close to the Equator has been discovered in the rocks that make up the Cliffs of Moher, by Dr. Eamon Doyle, geologist for the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark.

The 315-million-year-old sponge, named Cyathophycus balori, is up to 50cm tall and is the largest known example of its kind anywhere in the world.

315-million-year-old fossil sponge found near Tipperary Mid-West tourist attraction – the Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare.

When it was alive the vase-shaped sponge featured a circular opening at the top surrounded by a ring of eyelash-like structures. It would have resembled the modern-day Venus Flower Basket sponge, which is found the Pacific Ocean and often features on deep sea wildlife documentaries.

The new species was named after the mythological giant Balor, whose eye wreaked havoc on his enemies when opened.

Commenting on his discovery, Dr. Doyle said, “This is an exceptionally large example of a type of fossil sponge that was previously only known from much older rocks elsewhere in the world. It is the first record of this type of fossil sponge from Ireland and its excellent preservation is highly unusual.”

He continued, “The sponge was originally composed of a rectangular meshwork of tiny spicules made of silica, held together by a thin organic membrane. When they die, they usually fall apart quickly, and often only scattered remains of the spicules are preserved as fossils, so I was delighted to find these largely intact specimens.
The excellently preserved fossil dates back to a time when the Atlantic Ocean had not even started to form and what we now call County Clare was part of an earlier sea, located near the Equator,” explained Dr. Doyle. “Discoveries like this help us to promote awareness about the wonderful geological legacy we have on our doorstop here in County Clare and to encourage a new generation of palaeontologists, that is, geologists that specialise in the study of fossils to visit and learn more about the unique geology of Ireland’s west coast.”

The new discovery has been published in the latest edition of international geological journal Geobios, with the collaboration of lead author and international fossil sponge expert Dr. Joseph Botting and co-author Dr. Lucy Muir, both Honorary Research Fellows at National Museum Wales (Amgueddfa Cymru), who worked closely with Dr. Doyle.

According to Dr. Botting, “I was amazed to see the size and excellent state of preservation of this fossil; this was totally unexpected. This find offers important insights into the evolution of sponges and how some species can survive in niche environments where few other species can live. Finding such large and intact specimens is exceptional.”

Dr. Lucy Muir commented, “This is a wonderful find and reminds us that there are still new and interesting fossils to be found which help us understand the story of Life on Earth.”

Sponges are creatures with a very basic body plan, they do not have a nervous system or circulatory system, but they are very abundant and form an important part of our biodiversity today. They filter large volumes of water for microscopic organisms that they feed on.

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