Hereunder, the Site Notice displayed on the old Erin Foods site, signed by Mr Matt Shortt, former Town Manager, Thurles Town Council, on the 6th of January, 2014 last.
Hereunder, the Tipperary County Council map, which appears to indicate either an encroachment or the absolute partial destruction of a National Monument known as the ‘Double Ditch’; same a public right-of-way and a ‘Mass Path’, continuously used by Thurles dwellers for the last 175 years.
Cllr. Mr Michaél Lowry. Firsts to phone me, yesterday, regarding the above, (at approximately 5:05pm) was Cllr. Mr Michaél Lowry. Mr Lowry, (Lowry Team Member), was informed, by me, that in the interests of public transparency that he should answer the questions in writing as already requested. His reply contained a four lettered profanity contained in the sentence “Who the f..k do you think you are?” One is reminded of the Shakespearian quote from the Richard II play, “I live with bread like you, feel want, taste grief, need friends.” Our conversation lasted all of 55 seconds.
I received today (1.36pm- 11th Sept. 2020) an email from Cllr. Mr Shane Lee, (yet another Lowry Team Member), some seven weeks and one email reminder later.
His email stated:- “Hi George, In response to your query i have forwarded it to the district manager who will revert back to you directly.
Kindest regards Independent Councillor Shane Lee
Yet another Tipperary Councillor unable to find answers to simple questions.
Cllr. Mr Jim Ryan
Yesterday, we also received an email; (seven weeks and one email reminder later), from Independent Cllr. Mr Jim Ryan, (10th Sept.2020, 6:19pm). Cllr. Ryan resides 400.05 metres(437.5 yards) from the “Double Ditch”, so it was somewhat of a disappointment that it took such a long time for him to respond.
His email read:- Dear Mr Willoughby My apologies for the delay in replying to your email. Regarding your questions emailed to me, I can confirm that I have been in touch with Tipperary County Council seeking clarification on the 3 issues raised. I have been told today that the matter is now in the hands of the Thurles / Templemore District Manager, Mr Eamon Lonergan who will be formally writing to you with a detailed response. I hope this is is satisfactory.
Yours, Cllr Jim Ryan
While we thank Cllr. Ryan for his stated apology, he refused to answer any of the 3 questions asked.
And so the saga continues and we await further written responses and updates, for our readers on these developments.
Of the three questions asked seven weeks ago, actually only one question now requires an answer.
Question 1:- “Will the planned Thurles inner relief road impinge, in a negative way, on the 1846 Thurles “Double Ditch”, which has been a right of way and a Mass Path for almost 175 years and which is the property of the people of Thurles and a National Monument?”
God help us, it is like trying to draw hen’s teeth. Is it any wonder, based on the current political scene here in Co. Tipperary, that we now have here in Ireland; Serial Litigants; those seeking Direct Democracy; Yellow Vests Movements; National Citizens Movements etc. all spreading false prophesy and their populist idiotic theories.
The 1918 influenza pandemic (or Spanish Flu as it is more often referred) was without doubt the deadliest pandemic of the 20th century. It was caused by an H1N1 virus probably arriving from North American domestic and wild birds, and not from the mixing of human and swine viruses, although it should be noted there is no universal definite consensus, regarding where the virus actually originated.
It has been estimated that some 500 million people or one-third of the world’s then population became infected, resulting in an estimated death toll of at least 50 million persons worldwide, with about 675,000 deaths occurring in the United States alone.
Here in Thurles between 1918 and 1919 daily funerals were a regular spectacle travelling up Church Lane, east of the town, with as many as 9 interments per day recorded.
Kavanagh Place once site of Casey’s Coal Yard, and where, previous to that, coffins were manufactured.
Sometimes coffins belonging to the poor would be left inside the graveyard gate for labourers; the frontline workers of back then, who undertook to bury same, returning, as they did after their days work had finished between the hours of 6:00pm and 7:30pm.
Coffins were being made on the site of what was later to became known as Casey’s Coal yard, situated on Kavanagh Place on the south side of Thurles town.
Back then, there were no vaccines to protect against influenza infection and no antibiotics to treat secondary associated bacterial infections. Control efforts worldwide were limited to non-pharmaceutical interventions. Yes you have guessed it; just like our endeavours in protecting ourselves against Covid-19 virus today; back then isolation, quarantine, the practise of good personal hygiene, the use of disinfectant and limit public gatherings was encouraged.
During the influenza pandemic of 1918, people called face coverings “Chin Sails“; “Flu Fences” and “Cheesecloth Muzzles“.
The priests leading the funeral processions up Church Lane in Thurles are recorded as wearing white linen across their tall top hats. After the burials it was supposedly the then custom for to give this linen to an under privileged person attending, supposedly to make a small item of clothing for a child.
While I can find no real evidence to support this belief, I have often wondered was this small piece of cloth destined to become a ‘Chin Sail‘ or a ‘Flu Fence‘?
Cigarette, Cigar and Pipe smokers cut flaps or little doors in their cloth face coverings. Tobacco-chewing individuals were kept busy straining on their masks, pulling them up and down to spit. The cinemas and theatres in the larger cities gave masks away free with tickets, others in the business charged for the masks.
On November 1st, 1918, Mr Eugene C. Caley, in Oakland, California is believed to have been the first man to be arrested for not wearing a mask. He was later released on bail.
Non Productive Tipperary TD’s & Councillors Commanding Large Salaries For No Work
In keeping with our decision stated yesterday, September 7th 2020; we have forwarded an email to Mr Ger Walsh (Ethics Registrar /Senior Executive Officer, Corporate Service, Tipperary Co. Council.) as advised by the Standards In Public Office Commission (SIPO). The email contained details of the refusal by Co. Councillors and officials within the Templemore / Thurles Municipal District to answer pertinent questions.
This refusal demonstrates a pattern of attitudes and behaviour from those concerned, that leaves the local electorate feeling that they are worthless or wanting of any real consideration. Such behaviour from those responsible can no longer be tolerated.
Note: The video shown above was first uploaded on October 28th 2019. Since that date this area has suffered further deterioration becoming progressively worse in its neglect. This is despite being visited by Ms Roisin O’Grady (Tipperary Heritage Officer & Creative Ireland Coordinator) in November 2019.
In the interests of full transparency, the full content of my communication with Mr Walsh is published hereunder for our readers to peruse.
To: Mr Ger Walsh: (Senior Executive Officer, Corporate Service, Tipperary Co. Council).
I now respectfully request that each of the offending elected councillors, reply to my 3 questions, apologising for their failure, nay refusal, to previously do so.
You will be aware from my post, that this issue was correctly attended to and dealt with by Cllr. S. Hanafin and Cllr. S. Ryan, with whom I have no difficulty.
In the interests of fairness, truth and full transparency, all replies received in writing or by email will be published on Thurles.Info [Note: Both my home address and my email address were included in the communication.]
I understand that the failure by Teachtaí Dála (TD’s) is a matter for the Houses of the Oireachtas (Committee on Members Interests not yet set up)
I thank you, in anticipation, for your attention to this matter. Should you have any difficulty regarding this issue; please instruct me further.
Yours faithfully, George Willoughby.
We learned from legal counsel, sought last week, that Under the Roads Act 1993, it is the responsibility of Tipperary County Council not only to protect but also to maintain the public’s right to access Public Rights-of-Way, in each local authority area.
Councillors, Mr Seamus Hanifin and Mr Sean Ryan (Elected Members Thurles Municipal District Council) have both moved quickly to confirmed that the 1798 Memorial statue, better known locally as the ‘Stone Man’, will not be moved or indeed removed from its current position overlooking Liberty Square, in Thurles town, Co. Tipperary.
1798 Memorial erected on Liberty Square, Thurles in 1901
In an email addressing a number of key questions sent from Thurles.Info, Cllr. Mr Seamus Hanafin stated; “There are no plans to move the monument on Liberty Square, either during or after the works”.
Answering this same question, Cllr. Mr Sean Ryan further confirmed this welcome news, stating; “I am informed by the council’s engineering staff that the statues in Liberty square will not be moved during the upgrade of the square”.
Fears expressed to Thurles.Info some weeks ago, were based, understandably, on an early drawing of the ‘new look’ sanctioned Liberty square, (Image shown above) which appears to indicate that the statue of Archbishop Thomas William Croke, (First G.A.A. Patron) would be moved to replace the ‘Stone Man’, latter which would be then be moved elsewhere, out of its current streetscape position.
To read more on the history of the 1798 Memorial please view HERE. To read more on the history of Archbishop Thomas William Croke, First G.A.A. Patron, please view HERE.
Portrait by Irish painter Sir John Lavery, R.A., R.S.A., R.H.A. of Lady Evelyn Farquhar.
Billionaire and former K-Club owner, Dr. Michael Smurfit, who currently resides in Monaco, aged 83, is offering for sale certain Irish art works, the collection estimated at making up to €2 million at auction.
One of the paintings being offered for auction by Sotherby’s, is a portrait by Irish artist Sir John Lavery, R.A., R.S.A., R.H.A. of ‘Lady Evelyn Farquhar‘; in impressionism style, which has an estimated price tag of some €800,000.
The oil on canvas features one of the daughters of the fifth Earl of Donoughmore; latter an old Irish family that originally hailed from Knocklofty House, Clonmel, here in Co. Tipperary.
Lady Evelyn the lady in the portrait, married Lieutenant Colonel Francis Douglas Farquhar in April 1905. Lieutenant Colonel Farquhar, alas, was killed in action early during WWI, in 1915 and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), latter a military decoration of the United Kingdom. After eight years as a widow, Lady Evelyn then remarried in 1923, one Sir Dougal Orme Malcolm KCMG (Knight Commander of St. Michael and St. George) of Poltalloch, in mid Argyll, Scotland; latter who died aged 78 years in 1955. Lady Evelyn herself died in 1966.
The painting has been described by the auction house as one of Lavery’s most successful and striking portraits.
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