Education - Thurles Information

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.

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 ml	3.3⁄4 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

‘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.

Turkey Timing Panic.

Not sure how long your turkey should be in the oven. Don’t stress, instead simply visit HERE

The Safefood website offer a turkey cooking timer calculator and a whole host of other handy tips on how to cook, store and reheat food this festive season.

Happy Christmas.

Free Walk-in Clinics for Children to Receive Nasal Flu Vaccine.

Due to a significant increase in flu cases, the Health Service Executive (HSE) are offering free walk-in clinics to administer the nasal flu vaccine for children aged between 2 years-17 years.
Clinics will be available from December 27th to 29th.
Recent data has indicated a surge in influenza cases across all age groups, with children being twice as likely to contract the virus when compared to adults.

Dr. Aparna Keegan, (Consultant in Public Health Medicine at the HSE National Immunisation Office), emphasizes the importance of parents getting their children vaccinated. The vaccine not only protects young children from the effects of the flu, but also helps prevent the spread of the virus within families and communities.

The nasal flu vaccine can still be obtained from GP practices and pharmacies participating. Additionally, the HSE continues to provide the free nasal spray flu vaccine to children in Senior Infants and all children in Primary Age Special Schools.

According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), the number of confirmed influenza cases notified to HPSC has increased in the past week, with 283 confirmed influenza cases notified in week 49 (week ending December 10th) and 170 cases reported in week 48 (week ending December 3rd).
During week 49, 2023, influenza increased in almost all age groups but mainly in those aged 0-4 years.

The common symptoms of flu in children include high temperature, muscle pains, headache, and extreme tiredness.

The locations of the clinics are as follows:

Tipperary—Thurles Primary Care Centre, Mitchell Street, Thurles on December 28th, from 11:00am – 3:00pm.
Limerick—Great National South Court Hotel, Raheen Gardens, Raheen, Limerick on December 27th, from 11:00am – 4:00pm.
Clare—Ennis Primary Care Centre, Station Road, Ennis on December 28th, from 10:00am – 2:00pm.

For a list of participating pharmacies, please visit the Flu Finder website.

This initiative by the HSE aims to combat the rising flu cases and ensure the well-being of children during this flu season. Getting vaccinated remains the most effective way to protect against the flu virus.