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 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.
 St Mary's Church, Thurles, burial place of Elizabeth Butler (alias Poyntz) progenitor of the present Heirs to the British Crown. According to reports, by our top Tipperary Radio station ‘Tipp FM,’ today, we learn that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of England will visit Cashel and Coolmore Stud near Fethard, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, during her forthcoming historic visit to Ireland in May.
Deputy Tom Hayes has announced that a trip to South Tipperary will be included on Queen Elizabeth II’s itinerary, when she visits as speculation still surrounds this two-day state visit, beginning Tuesday, May 17th, though this date has yet to be fully officially confirmed. Confirmation of her visit to South Tipperary, however, was given to Deputy Hayes by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
“The Queen’s visit will be a huge boost for the County“, Deputy Hayes stated on Tuesday evening. He said he had made strong representations for the Queen to come to South Tipperary and he was very happy with the commitment that Taoiseach Enda Kenny had given him.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s visit will be the first to the Irish Republic by a reigning British monarch since her grandfather George V visited Ireland in 1911.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch here in Thurles, Political leaders, Tourism Marketing Groups, County Councillors, Urban District Councillors and those with paid responsible for promoting Thurles, have once again failed their public in promoting Thurles and North Tipperary.
Fifteen miles up the road from Cashel, lies the town of Thurles, the ancestral home of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Yet, as far as I am aware, no invitation or representation has been made to indicate, nay insure, that Her Majesty visits Thurles her home town, during this her first visit to Ireland.
It would now appear that there are more public representatives in North Tipperary requiring ‘motions of censure’ than Mr Michael Lowry TD.
In the days when Urban District Councillors received no pay, just expenses, made real decisions regarding our community and were not associated with individuals who write identifiable misspelled anonymous poison pen letters to the local press, we had governance. Amongst their many progressive decisions made was the raising of a plaque to commemorate Elizabeth Butler, progenitor of the present Heirs to the British Crown, which they erected at St Mary’s Church in Thurles.
In those unpaid days, these Councillors knew the value of visitors from across the water.
Now, in possibly a waisted attempt to educate our present overpaid Councillors, allow me to demonstrate the unharnessed value of English Tourism to our town, through statistics shown hereunder, supported by the Irish Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Estimated Number of Overseas Visitors to Ireland 2000-2007 (’000′s.)
Visitors to Ireland – Year:—-2000.– 2001.– 2002.–2003.–2004.—2005.–2006.—2007.
Great Britain:——————-—-3,559.—3,462.—3,579.—3,719.—3,681.—3,822.–4,060.—4,032.
Other Europe:——————–—1,453.—1,357.—1,392.—1,497.—1,600.—1,917.–2,281.—2,590.
USA and Canada:—————--1,043.——912.—–849.—–904.——977.——953.—1,055.—1,073.
Other Areas:—————————256.—–260.——245.—–249.——317.—– 285.——314.——317.
Total Overseas Visitors:——-6,310.—5,990.—6,065.–6,369.– 6,574.—6,977.—7,709.—8,012.
Failure to study these figures and act, gives licence and credence to “Ireland : A Rough Guide: distributed by the Penguin book Group, to publish the following untruths:- “Having seen the Rock of Cashel, most people head out of Tipperary for the West, and frankly this isn’t a bad idea – the north of the county has little to distract you.” “You’re unlikely to be immediately enticed by a first sight of counties Tipperary and Waterford, much of whose countryside could well vie for the title of Ireland’s dullest.”
I am at pains to point out, of course that this information contained is “Ireland : A Rough Guide,” is always to found under the armpit of every American tourist who visits our Fair Green Isle. Perhaps our Public Representatives and Marketing Groups, presently over funded, while charged with the responsibility of promoting our public and business interests locally, would like to use this website, to explain to our Hoteliers, Nightclubs, Bed and Breakfasts, other Local Businesses, and, I nearly forgot, our numerous unemployed people, why they have failed to take advantage of this golden business opportunity, afforded us. Indeed I suspect that the wonderful American poet Robert Lee Frost in writing ‘The Road Not Taken‘ had just read this aforementioned ‘Comic Travel book.’ Quote:
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both,
And be one traveler, long I stood, And looked down one as far as I could,
To where it bent in the undergrowth;( ‘Undergrowth possibly refers to Thurles ‘) Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear.”
Remember, our valued 1,000 plus readers who visit this website each day, could see your future silence, as an admission of failure and worthlessness, so do explain the reasons for your lack of any progressive action please. See your chance to explain as a perfect opportunity for further self seeking publicity, which we can afford you and which you seek ever so diligently, through local press reports.
We, just like the present Fine Gael party, stand for H.O.T - Honesty, Openness,Transparency, so let’s publicly debate these issues very soon.
“We know you all, and will awhile uphold the unyoked humour of your idleness,” (With apologies to William Shakespeare‘s Henry IV, Part 1)
As I write this, 235,470 page readers have visited Thurles.Info over the past number of months.
To all of our viewers, go our wish to you for a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year in 2011.
To quote the words of an old Irish Toast:
When the wind is howlin’ in every one’s ears, may you hear a soft lilting breeze.
And if the rain comes crashing down, may it only be dew at your knees.
If the ground ‘neath your feet should quiver and shake, I hope you’ll be standing with ease.
May you never go hungry or wanting for much and may God grant you all that you need!
Happy New Year Everyone.
 Irish Apartheid And he climbed with the lad up the Eiffelberg Tower.
“This” cried the Mayor,” is your town’s darkest hour!
The time for all ‘Whos‘ who have blood that is red
To come to the aid of their country !” he said.
“We’ve GOT to make noises in greater amounts!
So open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts!”
This verse comes courtesy of the great and late Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr Seuss) – from his children’s poem ‘Horton Hears A Who!’
Reported details of €40 Million in bonuses being paid to bankers sparked widespread anger among the fair minded people of Ireland in the past few days. Readers will be aware that while workers on the minimum wage are about to have their pay slashed, those employed by one of the institutions who assisted in bankrupting our country has been rewarded. This reward is being dished out in the very same week that our country, which declares in its Proclamation to support “Cherishing the children of the nation equally“, has been downgraded to junk yard status.
Bonuses should be awarded, based on how much revenue individuals attracts, while operating in accordance with accepted ethical, responsible and regulated banking practices. If we as a nation can take 4% from retired pensioners and break the ‘contract’ they have, we can most certainly extract 90% of the current bonus paid to individual bank workers. But history now teaches us clearly that inequality is core to the Irish model of government.
In the decade when we had most and when we quadrupled our spending on our public health services, Ireland’s current political leaders and their supporters failed spectacularly to reform our Irish health system, which presently allows an almost apartheid system to exist.
By apartheid, I mean, if you have money to pay privately, you can get into public hospitals quicker than public patients. You will receive treatment more quickly and you are guaranteed consultant provided care, while recuperating in a single or semi-private room. In contrast a public patient is more likely to be viewed by a junior doctor and to remain in a multi-bed ward or on a trolley in a drafty hospital corridor.
Ireland is unique in Europe, in that we still permit private care to exist in our public hospital system. We allow the wealthy to skip past in the queue, ahead of our poorer public patients. The cost of the care of these private patients, passing through our public system, is largely subsidised by public money, while minimum wage patients remain verbally silent. This apartheid operated health system can also be seen clearly in our nursing homes, with two out of every three nursing home beds presently in the private sector.
We are well down the road of a privatised, double tiered provision of health-care which favours private patients over public patients, but we can undo the harm done and as citizens /patients, demand a quality and universal public health system to which we are all fully entitled too, under our constitution.
Our present government lives in fear of its public sector unions and work force and here apartheid also reigns. The cost of the public sector is currently €20 billion per annum and when their average 210 annual working days are divided into this €20 billion wage, the daily pay costs amount to around €95 million. Previously, the Department of Finance vowed to dock wages of public sector workers who would strike in protest over cutbacks. If even a fraction of public sector unions were to follow through on these threats to hold one day work stoppages, those protesting workers would be hit in their pockets and the Government’s Coffers would be boosted by millions per day. Our next government must confront the public service and their unions, head-on and take back the control that this present gutless administration have surrendered.
We were recently informed that we have an Automated Fingerprint Integrated System (AFIS) that cost €20m lying idle. Extra civilian staff, hired by the garda were expected to run this system, but these 50 staff at the GNIB headquarters, who are members of the Civil and Public Service Union (CPSU), have now refused to operate this system, saying it is inappropriate for clerical staff to do a job that gardai should do. However they will work the system in return for extra allowances. Meanwhile, Gardai openly admit that they have no idea how many people, recently arrived into Ireland, are now claiming entitlements to social benefits, using fake identities.
Where is Berty Ahern’s ‘Towards 2016′ ?
Was Sustaining Progress and Towards 2016 a contract? What happened to the Civil Service Verification Document Section 28 ‘Modernisation and Flexibility’?
The parties to this Agreement will co-operate with flexibility and modernization ……….,
The Public Service Pay Agreement provides that payment of these (pay) increases is dependent, in the case of each sector, organisation and grade, on verification of co-operation with flexibility and ongoing change.
There will be situations where existing work procedures must be adapted to respond to work requirements and traditional methods of performing particular tasks will have to be changed.
Under the terms of Towards 2016, payment of each of the four public service pay increases is dependent on verification of satisfactory achievement in relation to co-operation with flexibility and ongoing change.
Continue reading Apartheid Alive And Kicking In Collin’s Ireland
The town of Thurles enjoys quick and easy accessibility by both train and road and as Thurles Railway Station is on the Inter-City line, there is an excellent train service with hourly trains to and from Dublin and excellent services also to Cork, Limerick and Killarney. Express buses, presently operated by Bus Éireann, also call daily to the railway station trafficking passengers to the outer areas of the county.
For me long train and bus journeys can be boring so I always unsure to accompany myself with some light reading material.
Talking of bus and train journeys and reading material, reminds me of the new splendid publication ‘It Happens Between Stops‘ which is a collection of short-stories, articles, essays, poems and a play written by current and former employees of the CIE group of companies. There is something for everyone in this collection and here is just a brief sample;
“The Eclipse on the Cheap” By John Bolton.
The morning news told of a full load of Concorde passengers who had paid some €2,000 for a figure of eight over Tenerife to see the eclipse. This way you got to see it from both sides of the plane twice.
For me, I loaded up my single decker to go to Dalkey. I got to Booterstown when I got this eerie feeling. I noticed the light change, but before I pulled back into the traffic, I noticed the start of the eclipse in the dark glass sun visor. The time was spot on between 11.18am and 11.22 am.
While watching this, an elderly lady asked if I was OK.
I replied, “It’s the eclipse, do you want to see it?”
She and all the rest queued up the centre aisle to see this from the drivers’ seat. I got a great round of applause at 11.25am, when it was all over.
I would be barking up the wrong tree to stick them for £2,000 each.
 It Happens Between Stops “Autumn Day” By Cathy Hickey
I am walking in the woods,
The Autumn wind takes the leaves from the trees,
They fall around me
And crunch beneath my feet.
I watch them dancing on the wind
And think of You.
You would wonder at this,
The sound of the river rushing by,
Breathing the sweet crisp air.
Absorbing the warmth of colour,
Enjoying the sight of a young squirrel
Busily preparing for Winter,
At the base of the magnificent old tree,
Simplistic, yet so complex,
This cycle of Life…….Nature…..
It saddens me to think, yet again,
You are missing this moment.
Then it occurs to me that you are not,
Because you are here, walking with me.
Sharing this joy !
I am not the only person to enjoy this fine witty publication, containing well observed and sometimes moving material.
It is, in the words of Lee Dunne, “As an entertaining well written, ‘dip in for a shot’ kind of book, this publication does not disappoint. So many tastes and flavours, none of them likely to give anybody indigestion.”
Irish Times journalist and RTE commentator Fintan O ‘Toole had this to say, “Witty and gritty, It Happens Between Stops is something rare in Irish fiction, a view of working life from the inside. It combines the freshness, vigour, humour and hard edge of everyday speech with the determination to transform the mundane with the power of imagination.”
‘It Happens Between Stops‘ is published by Original Writing. You can get further information on the Original Writings website or by emailing ciewriters@gmail.com
An open day will take place on Sunday next, July 25th at Matt Fogarty’s tree farm and nursery near Ballinderry, Nenagh, Co Tipperary.
Matt’s Tree Nursery holds a wide range of both native and exotic species and he has visited woods and arboretums around the world, the evidence of which can be seen growing here in Ballinderry.
 The nursery is situated between Terryglass and Ballinderry close to beautiful Lough Derg. There are over 12 hectares of hardwood trees, hundreds of species, in varying sizes. The Deer and Pheasant run freely here and there are also an abundance of wild fowl living in and around the on-site pond area.
Matt won Farm Forester of the year in 1995 and Amenity Forester of the year in 2000. Warning however, Matt and Mary Fogarty’s passion for Mother Nature is very highly contagious, as seen when they guide groups, families or individuals through the tranquillity of their tree heaven.
As stated, there are over 12 hectares of different species to be admired and studied: e.g. Walnut, Oak, Copper Beech, and Spanish Chestnut, to Maple, Hornbeam, and the magnificent California Redwood, plus many others in different stages of maturity.
Imagine, If You Can, A World Without Trees
The American Soldier, Journalist and Poet Alfred Joyce Kilmer probably best described our love of this perennial woody plant in this simple poem.
“Trees” by Poet Alfred Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918)
I think that I shall never see – A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest – Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day – And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear – A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain; – Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me, – But only God can make a tree.
Another American poet Frederic Ogden Nash (1902–1971) well known for his light humorous verse, slightly changed the wording of this poem, lamenting the unnecessary destruction of our forests and the erection of massive wooden highway billboards, both adding to the destruction of our scenic environment.
“Trees” By Poet Frederic Ogden Nash (1902–1971)
I think that I shall never see, – A billboard lovely as a tree.
Indeed, unless the billboards fall, – I’ll never see a tree at all.
So if you are out and about this Sunday, you fancy a tree to enhance your dwelling place, don’t miss this opportunity to learn, at first hand, how you can grow a wide range of wonderful trees, many of which you will not be familiar, but which are very well suited to our Irish climate.
Question: What leading Irish Television Production Company produced the following programmes?
- The Award winning programme Ear To The Ground now on its 16th Year, for RTE One,
- Northern Star for BBC Northern Ireland, latter shortlisted in 2008 for the prestigious Grierson British Documentary Award, in the Best Science Documentary category.
- Heist, a crime series for RTE ONE.
- The Ultimate Guide To Everything on RTE Two.
- What Am I Worth?, a factual entertainment series for RTE One.
- The Pressure Cooker aired on RTE One.
- Behind Closed Doors aired on BBC.
Answer: Independent Pictures, part of the Agtel Group with offices at 22 Fitzwilliam Street Upper, Dublin 2.
 Their other credits include Show Me The Money, and I’M an Adult Get Me Out of Here plus the very popular and controversial Rip Off Republic presented by Eddie Hobbs, achieving a massive 54% share and an audience of over 838.000 viewers on its very last episode.
Independent Pictures continue to provide the TG4 schedule with a diverse range of programming. The travel series Thar Sáile, the consumer series Luach Ár Linne, the food & travel series Cósta uí Chatháin and the much loved history series Ar Bóthar Na Smaointe have all aired in the early 2009 TG4 schedule.
Ar Bóthar Na Smaointe, however will draw most attention from TV viewers in Thurles Co.Tipperary when a programme featuring Thurles Famine Museum takes to our screens possibly in September of this year.
This picture shows Irish poet and writer Teo Dorgan (Programme Presenter), Brid Bhreathnac (Film Producer / Director), Seamus O’hAoda (Lighting Camera Man), Stewart Willoughby (Assistant Museum Curator), Michael Edge, (Sound ), Marilyn de Burca (Crew Assistant) and Monsignor Maurice Dooley DD, parish priest of Loughmore, Co.Tipperary, at work filming this week, in the Thurles Famine museum.
Monsignor Dooley is no stranger to Thurles, having been born and reared in the town, indeed, he is no stranger to RTE Radio and Television either, as listeners /viewers will confirm. Educated at Thurles CBS, he was later ordained to the priesthood in Maynooth in 1959. Following post-graduate studies, he went on to teach in St Patrick’s College, Kiltegan, for two years, and then back to his home town and to St Patrick’s College, Thurles, where he taught continuously for 28 years, holding the post of professor of Canon Law. For over 20 years he has also acted as a representative for the Holy See at Council of Europe committee meetings in Strasbourg dealing with health and bioethics. He became PP of Loughmore in 1992. Monsignor Dooley is also a noted historian and it is therefore no surprise that Independent Pictures sought him out as a spokesperson on Thurles history, in the making of this their new programme series. Monsignor Dooley was also an advisor to the committee responsible for the setting up of St. Mary’s Famine Museum, in 1995, where this filming was undertaken.
The Presenter of this programme, Cork born Theo Dorgan is a poet, prose writer, editor, scriptwriter, translator and sailor. His books include the long poem Sappho’s Daughter, a prose account of a transatlantic voyage under sail, Sailing for Home, praised by Doris Lessing as “a book for everyone”, and A Book of Uncommon Prayer, which he compiled and edited. He is the editor of Irish Poetry Since Kavanagh, and co-editor of Leabhar Mór na hÉireann / The Great Book of Ireland, An Leabhar Mór / The Great Book of Gaelic, the anthology Watching the River Flow and the acclaimed collection of historical essays Revising the Rising. His translations of the Slovenian poet Barbara Korun (in collaboration with the poet and Ana Jelnikar), were published as Songs of Earth and Light. Theo translates from the Irish and from the French and his own work has appeared in Italian and Spanish editions. He is a member of Aosdána.
Watch this site for further details of when this new series of Ar Bóthar Na Smaointe will be televised.
Some facts about New Year Celebrations:
- The celebration of New Year is the oldest of all public holidays.
- It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago and was believed to be an eleven days celebration. The early Babylonian’s most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.
- The early Catholic Church condemned the festivities as pure paganism.
- January 1st.has been celebrated as a holiday by Western nations for only about the past 400 years.
- The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year was begun in Greece around 600 BC.
- Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes “coming full circle,” completing a year’s cycle.
- Dutch people believe that eating donuts on New Year’s Day will bring good fortune.
- The song, “Auld Lang Syne,” is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to celebrate the new year. At least partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700′s, it was first published in 1796 after Burns’ death. Early variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce our modern rendition.
- “Auld Lang Syne” literally means “old long ago,”
- Here in Thurles, New Year is a time for congregating with family and close friends before midnight and seeing the new year arrive in a spirit of togetherness, thus demonstrating strength for the year ahead and what it may bring to each and everyone of us.
Auld Lang Syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
And here’s a hand, my trusty friend
And gie’s a hand o’ thine
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne
From all at Thurles.Info, may we take this opportunity to wish you all , where ever you may be, a peaceful, happy, healthy and a prosperous New Year.
 For me, he left our world here in Tipperary, as he had first entered it, rather suddenly.
I can not remember exactly where or when I first met Wilbert Houben, whom readers will also identify with affection, as “The Dutch Man”.
Passionate about ecology and all things environmental, Wilbert’s quiet confident character magnetically drew people, especially those people anxious for real and positive community change. The membership list of voluntary community groups, in which he held official status was endless, Thurles Tidy Towns, Thurles Lions Club, Thurles Gun Club, Cabragh Wet Lands project, Thurles John Player Tops and St. Mary’s Restoration Committee, but to name a few.
His great gift, apart from his personality, generosity, and his endless knowledge, was of course his hands. Those hands could design and manufacture anything using simple plain lengths of metal or wood, as local farmers and factories in Tipperary will attest.
During his short time spent with us, he left, as his memorial, a strong and permanent visual memory of his having passed amongst us. Every day as I move about my daily business, I still enjoy his fountain and his ducks in the river Suir, his Pheasant Island Project, his many trees in our streets, his Victorian lamp standard in my garden, his carved cigarette ash tray, that I still use every day.
Thurles gives thanks for having known you Wilbert.
Thurles poet Gerry Cullen best sums up our feelings, at this time, in this wonderful poem which he penned following Wilberts unexpected and sudden departure.
Tranen Voor Wilbert. (Tears for Wilbert.)
There’s terror on the Wetlands, the mighty guardian’s gone.
The Mink will get the edge again, and nature’s war is on.
The shadows chase the Moor-hen, and Magpies wait and see,
No form along the walkways, no Eco-referee.
Now Winter’s at its darkest, and spirits weighted low,
And minds are left in why-land, where answers never go.
But Spring will come in ripples with light all fresh and new,
Then clouds above the wildness will rain the tears for you.
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