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A large number of sporting events taking place in Thurles this week as part of the Thurles Annual Sports Fest.
 Pictured yesterday evening: This group, some in period costume, who arrived in Thurles to attend the 1916 hurling final re-enactment between Tullaroan (Co. Kilkenny) and Boherlahan (Co. Tipperary). From 11.00am today an Indoor Bowls Competition will get under-way in the Premier Hall; while at 12.00 noon, a Road Bowling event will begin on the Cormackstown Road.
Tomorrow Sunday a 6k Fun Run will take place from the Thurles Croke’s grounds (Nenagh Road) at 11.00am, while an under 18’s and adult Ladies Rugby Matches will all kick off at the Thurles Rugby Club (Moyne Road) from 12.00 noon.
So if you are ‘out & about’ today and tomorrow do trot along and join in.
  
We understand from the Thurles Sports Fest Committee that two errors appear on the recently published programme brochure, issued publicly to homes throughout Tipperary today. One of these errors regrettably is also carried presently on their website, for which the committee humbly apologise.
Firstly the Thurles Sports Fest Committee wish to point out that the Festival will run from July 1st to July 10th 2016 and not July 1st to July 9th as published on the brochure.
Secondly, and more important, the ‘Scór Bowls for Special Needs’ event, scheduled originally for Friday July 8th 2016, will in fact open this year’s festival on Friday July 1st 2016 at 11.00am. We wish the best of luck to all of those set to take part.
To remind you all of this upcoming event, please see pictures on video hereunder from the very first successful Bowling occurrence in 2014.
To watch in HD please click HERE.
The Thurles Sports Fest will now in fact get off to a flying start with a well attended official ‘Indoor Target Bowling’ competition, and with all competitors playing for the coveted Olden Cup, together with associated individual medals for runner’s up and winning team members.
You can find an up-to-date Calander of correct Sporting Events for the festival HERE
The 45th International Miss Macra Festival this year returns to Thurles, Co. Tipperary
 Pictured L-R: Declan Ryan (Pres. Clonoulty/Rossmore Macra), Simone Loughman (Int. Miss Macra Secretary), Susan Willis (2015 Int. Miss Macra Winner), Anne Marie Lyng (Chairperson), Helen Hayes, (2015 Int. Miss Macra Runner-Up), Jamie Driver (Anner Hotel), Geraldine Henchion (Tipp FM Radio), at the official launch of the 2016, 45th International Miss Macra Festival to be held in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, on August Bank Holiday Weekend 2016. Clonoulty-Rossmore Macra na Feirme are delighted to confirm that this year’s International Miss Macra Festival will take place over the 2016 August Bank Holiday weekend, from Friday the 29th of July to Monday the 1st August, here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary. This will be the Festivals 45th year and is an exceptional representation of what just one farming organisation can achieve; through hard work, determination and the full support of its local community.
This year will once again see young ladies travelling from all over Ireland, in the hope of following in the footsteps of last year’s winner, Miss Susan Willis (Co. Carlow); in being crowned International Miss Macra 2016. This, as stated, 45th year of the festival, will see many new initiatives and a change of scene, but first a brief history lesson.
International Miss Macra Festival History
The International Miss Macra Festival is a personality competition, a mini Rose of Tralee, if you will, for Macra na Feirme Clubs and their members. The festival was founded by Mr Paddy Heffernan, Mr Tom Horan and Mr Michael Slattery back in 1971. Initially Macra Members were met with little enthusiasm from Macra National Headquarters, but the Clonoulty / Rossmore club did not allow this to deter their ingenuity. As a rural farmers organisation they ploughed on (pardon the pun), regardless, with their plans and year on year since its conception this festival has blossomed with as many as 32 contestants competing annually each year, from Ireland and abroad.
The 90’s saw an interest from rural youth and agricultural organisations abroad, e.g. 4H clubs in America and Scottish Young Farmers, begin to develop. The International Miss Macra Festival is somewhat unique in that it is run by the same local Macra Club every year; rather than a County Executive and their scale of success is a testament to both the dedication of the Clonoulty-Rossmore Macra members and the massive support of the local Tipperary community.
The local Clonoulty / Rossmore community, in particular, play a most important part in this festival, with households taking on the role as ‘Host Families’ for each of the contestants, year after year. This tradition remains very strong; seeing the contestants receive the warmest of welcomes, as they become adopted into the hearts of the local host families. To these ‘Host Families’ go our committee’s gratitude for their never ending support, generosity, overall commitment and loyalty, each year.
International Miss Macra Festival Returns to its Roots
This year, 2016, sees the festival returning to its initial roots; coming back to Thurles, Co. Tipperary for the full duration of the weekend. Such is the high calibre of the venues in Thurles that the Festival this year will take place in three separate areas, as we showcase the best that Thurles and Co. Tipperary has to offer: Hayes Hotel (Birthplace of the GAA), on the Friday night, The Dome on Saturday and the magnificent family-run Anner Hotel (Graded Four-Star by Fáilte Ireland), on Sunday night.
This year, the festival will kick-start on Friday the 31st of July when contestants will meet the festival committee in Clonoulty village. Friday afternoon also offers contestants a chance to take a personal tour of the world famous Coolmore Stud Farm, followed by lunch in the Anner Hotel restaurant. Next the contestants will take part in a Zumba class in Clonoulty Community Hall where contestants, host families and local people will get their chance to ‘meet and greet’; a long-standing tradition of this festival.
International Miss Macra Judges
The judges for the 2016 competition this year are:-
(A) Joan Pollard Carew, representing Michael Carew Jewellers, Friar Street, Thurles. Joan, whose husband is main sponsor of the festival, is herself a published poetess and well known nationally in Irish Art and Irish Dancing circles. Joan and her husband also contribute greatly to the festival in terms of invaluable support, time and advice.
(B) Geraldine Henchion, representing Tipp FM, Tipperary’s No 1 Local Radio Station. Geraldine also well known in Art Circles, joins the panel for the first time this year.
(C) Declan Ryan, who has held every known post of responsibility on the International Miss Macra Festival committee and also currently holds the title of President of the Clonoulty/Rossmore Macra club.
Continue reading International Macra Festival Returns To Thurles
Large numbers of visitors are expected to converge on Thurles for this year’s ‘Thurlessportsfest’ which will lumber up on Friday July 1st 2016; beginning at 11.00 am and continuing until July 10th 2016 inc.
The Thurles Sports Festival Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank, in particular, Tipperary County Council, LIT, Thurles Chamber of Commerce, Failte Ireland, Thurles Credit Union, The Anner Hotel, Tipperary Star and Tipp FM for their support of this 10 day festival event.
‘Thurlessportsfest’ will officially kicks off on Friday morning at 11.00am with a ‘Scór Bowls for Special Needs’ event. This official ‘Indoor Target Bowling’ competition, will compete for the coveted Olden Cup, together with associated individual medals for runner’s up and winning team members.
At 6.30pm a ‘Horse (or Pony) and Trap Parade’, will be found heading in the direction of ‘Semple’s Field’, to the nearby Thurles Sarsfields Pitch, for possibly the most historic of this years super 10 days of sporting events.
 Picture shows – Mr Liam O’Donoghue (Lár Na Páirce), Miss Fiona O’Sullivan (Tipperary Rose of Tralee & Irish TV Presenter), Mr John Enright (Thurles Sarsfields and Thurles Sports Festival Member) examining the new specially designed 1916 style hurley’s ahead of ‘Thurlessportfest’, July 1st – July 10th next. (Photo G.Willoughby.) This historic parade on Friday evening will culminate with a 1916 ‘Hurling Final Re-enactment’, match, beginning at 7.30pm sharp in the Sarsfield’s Pitch, and same will be an admission free spectator event for all comers. The two teams taking part in this re-enactment will be Tullaroan (Representing the Premier Counties oldest rivals, Co. Kilkenny), playing Boherlahan (Representing the honour of our own Co. Tipperary).
Meanwhile a ‘Family Fun Cycle’, will also be taking place at 7.00pm in association with Upperchurch-Drombane Cycling Club. This event will be a 10k cycle race through parts of Thurles town and out into the countryside, with all competitor standards welcome to participate regardless.
We will be highlighting further sports events taking place during ‘Thurlessportsfest’ in the days leading up to July 1st next.
The 1798 monument today positioned in Liberty Square, Thurles, Co Tipperary, is affectionately referred too, most often, as simply ‘The Stone Man’.
In the hustle and bustle of everyday 21st century living here in Thurles and mindful of hefty parking charges and indeed a not insignificant fine for those found remiss in failing to visit a parking meter; very few local people today take the time to ‘stand and stare’, while contemplating the truth of its existence.
The ‘Stone Man’ was first unveiled in 1901 (See old photograph of the official unveiling above) to commemorate the first centenary of the ill fated attempt at a rebellion in 1798. Funding to pay for this very fine monument and indeed its eventual erection, was collected voluntarily from the nationalists of Thurles and surrounding districts. However full funding came some three years too late to actually commemorate this first centenary event.
Indeed many would have believed that the wording on this monument could hardly have been acceptable to local authorities, (See nationalist rhyming principles being propagated in above picture), then subject to strong British rule.
However it would appear that those then in power felt more fear from banning this structure, than in allowing its erection. On the other hand this monument was erected to the memory of three Protestant 1798 wealthy nationalist leaders, in a town (Thurles), described in the British Parliamentary Gazetteer of 1846 as being “decidedly the most Roman Catholic town in Ireland, second only to the city of Galway.”
The Protestant Leaders Commemorated by the ‘Stone Man’ in Liberty Square, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
(1) Theobald Wolfe Tone, (20 June 1763 – 19 November 1798), today referred to by his sir-name Wolfe Tone, then a leading Irish revolutionary figure and one of the five founding members of the Society of United Irishmen, aimed at a political union between Catholics and Protestants, and is regarded today as the father of Irish Republicanism and the true leader of the 1798 Irish Rebellion.
Wolfe Tone was born in Dublin, the son of a Protestant coach-maker, who also owned a farm near Sallins, in Co. Kildare. His mother who came from a Catholic merchant family, chose to convert to Protestantism, following Theobald’s birth. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, he qualified as a barrister in King’s Inns at the age of 26 and attended the Inns of Court in London.
(2) Robert Emmet (4 March 1778 – 20 September 1803) was a Protestant; an Irish nationalist; Republican; an orator and rebel leader, who led an abortive rebellion against British rule in 1803.
Emmet was born at No. 109, St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin and was the youngest son of Dr Robert Emmet a wealthy court physician and his wife, Elizabeth Mason. Again educated at Trinity College, Dublin, before being expelled in 1798, and forced to flee to France.
Emmet was captured following his failed Dublin rebellion; was tried for treason and sentenced to be ‘hanged, drawn and quartered’, as was customary for any conviction of treason. He was hanged and once pronounced dead, was beheaded in Thomas Street near St. Catherine’s church in Dublin. Family members and friends failed to come forward to claim his final remains, out of fear of arrest, so alas today we cannot identify, in truth, his last resting place.
(3) Lord Edward FitzGerald (15 October 1763 – 4 June 1798), also a member of the Society of United Irishmen and was part of the Protestant Ascendancy; being the fifth son of Lieutenant-General James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster; an Irish aristocrat; revolutionary, who died of wounds received while resisting arrest on a charge of treason.
FitzGerald spent most of his early years at Frescati House, Blackrock, Co. Dublin and was privately educated here by a private tutor named William Ogilvie.
Details of these three Irish republican leaders and their involvement in the intervening years, up to their eventual deaths in 1798 and 1803, can be easily accessed online or from your local library.
So why then was a memorial to the 1798 rebellion erected in Thurles; a town and indeed a county who took real, little or no part in this same rebellion?
Watch out for our explanation, in a forthcoming blog, over the coming days.
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