Photography - Thurles Information

Thurles Potholes Photographed At Low Tide.

Although the weather has been extremely cold here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary over the past week, it has remained extremely dry with very little rain.

We therefore took the opportunity to photograph two x 22.86 centimetre (9in) deep giant potholes or craters; call them what you will, currently available to view on the Mill Road, in Thurles, which we first highlighted on April 20th, 2023; again on October 15th, 2023 and more recently on November 24th, 2023 at high tide.

**One crater on Mill Road, Thurles, unattended since before April 20th, 2023.**

Today, again we photographed same, at low tide, in an effort to warn the public of the dangers when travelling on the Mill Road, with the craters existing just 600 meters (0.373mls) from the residence of one local Councillor.

**Second crater on Mill Road, Thurles, unattended since before April 20th, 2023.**

Since April last, yet another local town Councillor has been calling to local residents on this same Mill Road, canvassing for road frontage to enable the installation of a footpath and has failed to notice this piece of roadway sliding into the Drish river.

Today, we contacted Tipperary Co. Council Webform to report this issue. Same have replied as follows:

Dear Sir,
Thank you for your e-mail regarding ” Road or path defects “
I have forwarded your e-mail to the Thurles District Office for their attention and direct reply to you. Should you wish to follow up on this case, please contact Customer Service Desk quoting reference number T-233557-V8T6.
Regards,
Customer Service Desk, Tipperary County Council.

The Mill Road, over the past two years, as our readers will attest, has become the preferred route for increased car and heavy duty vehicles, same anxious to avoid Thurles town centre, because of major traffic delays caused by the recent upgrading of half of the Liberty Square town centre area.

**Evidence of vehicle tyre tracks on our half updated, expanded, footpaths on Liberty Square**, **Thurles**, **as vehicles attempt to find a non-existent parking or set down space.**

Picture above indicates that some of our Thurles traffic have already begun to avoid our lack of town centre parking spaces and now park on our overextended footpaths. It is this lack of set down spaces, which has driven most of our town centre traders, out of the Thurles town centre.

Last few remaining traders will certainly move out of Thurles town centre, if the Munster Hotel car park, situated on the junction of Cathedral Street and Kickham Street closes. The car park is used extensively and daily by local school buses, business consumers and those attending nearby Church services in the Cathedral. Closure is threatened in February next, in a dispute over failure to agree on a future rent, between the owner of Thurles towns greatest eyesore, (the Munster Hotel), and Tipperary County Council.

Tipperary Co. Co. & Thurles Municipal District Officials Ability Called Into Question.

One must seriously call into question the ability of Tipperary County Council and Thurles Municipal District officials, together with their supposedly qualified engineering department, when it comes to street design and basic planning decisions.

**Location: Liberty Square, Thurles. Crossroads sign no longer fit for purpose for those drivers, unfamiliar with the town centre.**
*Pic: G. Willoughby*.

Thurles.info has consistently warned of the complete waste of money, when it comes to positioning signposts; pedestrian lighting lamp standards and more recently, giant flower-pot street furniture; latter positioned too close to high sided vehicles, and indeed all vehicles attempting to manoeuvre their way through the mostly narrow medieval streets of Thurles.

Location: Liberty Square, Thurles. New carpark sign supposedly directing parking to the new carpark, no longer fit for purpose, for months pointing in the wrong direction for those visitors unfamiliar with Thurles town.
*Pic: G. Willoughby*.

The very existence of these high sided vehicles are testament to the failure of two resident TD’s, namely Mr Michael Lowry and Mr Jackie Cahill, who have consistently failed miserable, to obtain a long promised ring-road diversion; now no longer being discussed until 2040, at the very earliest.

**Location: Liberty Square, Thurles.** A giant, now skewed, flowerpot just installed recently. Latter street furniture has become the latest victim to suddenly change its position, courtesy of a vehicle attempting to find a non existent parking space.
*Pic: G. Willoughby*.

Liberty Square, Thurles, Perplexity.

Of course not all of Thurles streets were medieval, until current local elected councillors voted (Part 8) for what can only be described as the total destruction of Liberty Square from a business and traffic perspective, with no imput from local residents or business people being embraced during the planning stage. All businesses remaining in the area and interviewed report at least a 60% drop in customer footfall as a direct result.

Note, the above three pictures are taken within just a few metres of each other on the newly, half updated Liberty Square area of the town centre, where we learn even goods delivery vehicles, same prevented simply attempting to go about their daily business, are being issued with tickets for inescapable parking violations.

WARNING – Thurles Cyclists Beware.

Pictures hereunder currently show the present state of just a two meter (6.56ft) stretch of roadscape in Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

State of roadscape currently on Friar Street in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, latter a town with two Dail Éireann politicians both currently in residence, who have their constituency offices less than 500 meters from the above.
*Pic: G. Willoughby.*

The craters have developed over a period of 12 weeks, on Friar Street in the town, and can be easily located just east of Supervalu.

Cyclists in particular are warned to take great care to avoid these craters positioned close to the footpath. These craters measuring up to 15cm (6ins) deep are a particular hazard after dark, and presently force cyclists to quickly move out into often fast moving traffic, in an effort to avoid the cratered surface.

The current state of this particular streetscape, together with other areas of the town [e.g. Barry’s bridge, Kickham Street etc, etc], demonstrate a total lack of proper administration by Thurles Municipal District Council officials.

**Kickham Street, Thurles, pictured after a light rain shower.**
*Pic: G. Willoughby.*

Perhaps, this would be an opportune time for Mr Jackie Cahill TD and Mr Michael Lowry TD to invite Minister for Transport, Mr Eamon Ryan TD to visit a now forgotten Thurles. Emphasize and ensure that he brings his bicycle and pedals around the town.
Other benefits would be that the latter TD’s could have their pictures taken, together with local Town Councillors.

“Truck” Returned To Stone Man On Liberty Square, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

The finial (from Latin: finis, meaning end), which originally donned the flag on the 1798 memorial statue when it was first erected on Liberty Square, Thurles in 1901, has now, at last been, replaced.

**Pic (1)**: **1798 Memorial Flag with finical replaced**.
**Pic (2)**: **Old picture showing original finical prior to accident**.

Accidently broken, together with the tip of the Arming Sword, during the erection of Christmas lighting some years back; while the Arming Sword tip was replaced, alas the finial was not and same vanished.

Back in the 19th century, this finial shape would have been better known as a “truck”, with its original purpose meant to keep a wooden flag pole from splitting.

At the very top of every flagpole can be found a finial, which is not just a decorative piece that users construct. Most finials today appear in the form of a gold ball and a few are observed as an eagle.
Back on September 16th 1898 the flag pole finial on the White House, latter located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. United States, was replaced by a patriotic eagle, same made of aluminium and coated in a gold anodized finish.

A finial ball is truly required for pole maintenance. A number of military flagpoles were at one time topped with gold-coloured eagles, but these proved impractical because flags would become entangled and torn, during high winds; hence the switch to spheres shapes, which eliminated this unnecessary waste and expense.

In the absence of the Stone Mans finical, many local people in Thurles believed the flag pole represented a pike, but of course it never was a pike.

The new finical is made from a left over piece of lime stone slab, which was used to replace a badly cracked piece of limestone previously, in Holycross Abbey, and carved by stonemason and sculptor Mr Philip Quinn.

Irish Wolfhounds Return To Bunratty Castle & Folk Park.

**Affia Hussey, aged 4 years, walks with newly arrived Irish Wolfhounds, Rían and Míde, who today took up permanent residence on the grounds of Bunratty Castle and Folk Park.**
*Photograph by Eamon Ward*

Unlike the town of Thurles, Co. Tipperary, which has allowed its elected representatives to succeed in eradicating most of the town’s history; Bunratty village in Co. Clare, has reinstated a small but attractive piece of their medieval history, for the benifit of its well established tourist trade.

The sight of Irish wolfhounds roaming the paths and laneways of Bunratty Castle and Folk Park has now once again been reinstated.

Among the largest of all breeds of dog, Irish wolfhounds were regular guests at Bunratty Castle from the early days of its medieval banquets in the 1960’s. The dogs would roam the great hall and dining areas as would have been the custom in medieval times at the castle.

12-week-old Rían, (Irish meaning King), and 1-year-old Míde, (latter named after the 5th province of Ireland in Celtic times), today took up permanent residence on the grounds of the famous County Clare visitor attraction. They both replace Meabh and Saoirse, the two previous resident wolfhounds at the castle.

Breeder Mr James Hussey of Cúdáráth Irish Wolfhounds, delivered the dogs to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park today, where they were welcomed by farm manager Mr Niall Moloney.

According to Mr Aodhagan Behan, Operations Manager at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, “Bunratty Castle is the most complete and authentic medieval fortress in Ireland, and no 15th century Castle is complete without these iconic and noble dogs.”
“These noble creatures were regular guests at the Bunratty Castle from the early days of the medieval banquets in the 1960s and therefore it is only fitting that they make a welcome return to this iconic fortress in the same year that the castle world famous medieval banquets celebrate 60 years in operation,” he added.

Mr Niall Moloney, farm manager at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, explained that Irish wolfhounds are known for being gentle, friendly and very intelligent, and they inhabited Ireland long before the arrival of Christianity and the written word. He stated, “For many visitors, especially children, the sight of wolfhounds wandering throughout the site is the highlight of their visit. We are grateful to Cúdáráth Irish Wolfhounds for their support, and we look forward to hosting Rían and Míde for many years to come”.