Thurles Information

Let It Be Me

Let It Be Me.

Lyrics: Song adapted it into English by American songwriter, the late Mann Curtis (1911-1984), originally born Emanuel Kurtz.
Vocals: American singer Brenda Mae Tarpley known professionally as Brenda Lee.

The song was originally written in French by Gilbert Bécaud and Pierre Delanoë, it became an English-language standard before Brenda Lee brought her own warmth and emotional power to it. With its simple plea for devotion and Lee’s unmistakably expressive voice. This timeless ballad speaks straight from the heart.

Let It Be Me.

I bless the day I found you.
I wanna stay around you,
And so I beg you let it be me.
Don’t take this heaven from one,
If you must cling to someone,
Now and forever,
Let it be me.
Each time we meet love,
I find complete love.
Without your sweet love,
What would life be?
So never leave me lonely.
Tell me you love me only,
And that you’ll always,
Let it be me.
And so I beg you,
Let it be me.
Each time we meet love,
I find complete love.
Without your sweet love,
What would life be?
Never leave me lonely.
Tell me you love me only,
And so I beg you,
Let it be me.
Let it be me.

END

Despite Local Radio Report On 21st August, Lifebuoy Still Floating Unrecovered In River Suir Today.

On 21st August 2026, Tipp FM reported Councillor Mr Jim Ryan’s warning that lives were being put at risk after a lifebuoy was thrown into the River Suir, behind the shopping centre in Thurles.

Despite the publicity and confirmation that the relevant bodies had been contacted, the lifebuoy remains visible in the overgrown, stagnant, cesspool-like, stretch of river today, 6th September, 16 days after the initial report.
The photograph hereunder accompanying this post was taken today.

Sixteen days later following a report on August 21st 2026, the stollifebuoy remains floating in River Suir in Thurles town centre. The waste of taxpayers money by Municipal District Council officials continues.
*Pic: G. Willoughby*.

Despite a new buoy being replaced, there appears to have been no successful effort to recover this vital piece of lifesaving equipment. If action has been taken, the public deserves to know why the buoy is still in the river and unavailable for use in an emergency.

Each lifebuoy reportedly costs approximately €55.00, with the rope adding further expense. More importantly, its absence from its proper station could have had life-or-death consequences.

Tipperary County Council has previously warned that damaging or taking a ring buoy is a criminal offence and has urged the public to report missing or damaged equipment to the council or Water Safety Ireland.

Condemning vandalism is not enough. This lifebuoy must now be recovered or replaced, the location made safe, and responsibility taken for ensuring that essential rescue equipment along the Thurles river walk is inspected and maintained.

A stolen or abandoned ring-buoy is a stolen life.

River Suir At Thurles, Co. Tipperary Launches Ireland’s First Underwater Cycle Lane

Anyone looking for a ride in Thurles, tonight, then an unwanted, submerged Crossway Merida bicycle could be your best bet.

Local wildlife was left baffled this week after a bicycle was discovered taking an unscheduled bath in the River Suir.

The bike, believed to be a Crossway Merida variety, was found lying beneath the water with all the dignity of a cyclist who had confidently shouted, “Watch this!” moments before disaster. As yet no body has been located.

**Competition** – **Spot the Bike**.
*Pic: G. Willoughby.*

Witnesses say the bicycle may have entered the river after misunderstanding Ireland’s new transport policy. “It heard everyone talking about greener travel,” one duck explained, “and apparently decided to join the actual green overgrown rush bed.”

The River Suir is already famous for its salmon and brown trout. Now it can add mountain bikes to the list, although anglers are reminded that bicycles must be returned to the water if they are under eighteen gears. Fishing in Ireland has yet to confirm the correct bait, but experts recommend using a fluorescent jacket and shouting, “Who left this here?”
The bicycle itself declined to comment, although one wheel appeared distinctly tired. Its chain is reportedly rusty, its brakes are feeling pressured, and the saddle has requested immediate relocation to somewhere less damp.

Thurles Municipal Council officials and local Councillors are considering several explanations; illegal dumping, a dramatic relationship breakup, or an ambitious attempt to cycle directly to France without paying ferry charges.
Environmental campaigners “Refresh Thurles” have stressed that rivers are no place for unwanted bicycles. Anyone wishing to dispose of an old bike should use a proper recycling facility, or give it to someone who promises not to test whether it can swim.

At press time, and for several months previous the bicycle has remained submerged at low tide, awaiting rescue, repair, and a very stern lecture about not wearing its water wings.

Now with public transport prices being increased by 15% from January, an immediate rescue could be advantageous.

The Burning At Dromcollogher – An Irish Village Tragedy Remembered

Percy French celebrated the County Limerick village of Dromcollogher in his comic song Drumcollier, [ Vocals:- The late Irish Tenor Brendan O’Dowda, (1925–2002 ) ], also recorded under spellings such as Dromcolliher. After receiving a particularly warm welcome there during a visit in the 1890s, the songwriter immortalised the village and its famously compact main street.

That same street was to become the setting for one of the darkest episodes in modern Irish history. On Sunday, September 5th, 1926, 100 years ago today, a fire in a makeshift cinema above Mr Patrick Brennan’s hardware store killed 48 men, women and children. The catastrophe would thereafter be remembered locally by two words: “The Burning.”

The upstairs loft normally functioned as an informal community hall, hosting meetings, dances and theatrical performances. It was an L-shaped timber structure, approximately 50 feet long and 15 feet wide, positioned about 12 feet above the store floor. Access was through a single narrow door reached by a steep wooden staircase. Small windows at the back were fitted with bars, while much of the roof, internal partitioning and wall covering was made from combustible materials.

The film show was organised by local hackney driver Mr William “Babe” Forde in association with Mr Patrick Downing, a projectionist employed at a Cork cinema. The films had reportedly been removed from the Cork venue, which did not open on Sundays, and brought to Dromcollogher without their protective metal cans.

Around 150 spectators paid nine pence each and crowded onto benches in the loft. The screening was scheduled for after Sunday-night Benediction in nearby St Bartholomew’s Church. The programme began with a short film called “False Alarm”, followed by the main feature, “The Decoy”.

At approximately 9:50pm, shortly after the second film began, a candle, being used near the projector, fell and ignited exposed cellulose-nitrate film. The nitrate film was extraordinarily flammable and, once alight, burns with fierce intensity.

The fire rapidly spread from the projection area to the timber floor, partitioning and wall covering. A burning reel was reportedly carried towards the entrance during the initial panic and fell near the wooden stairs, obstructing the loft’s only normal exit.
People rushed towards the opposite end of the room. Someone eventually forced apart the bars on one of the rear windows, allowing several spectators to jump onto piles of hay below. That escape route was soon blocked, however, and many remained trapped inside.

Within approximately 10 to 15 minutes, the roof fell in and the loft floor collapsed into the hardware store beneath it. Forty-six people died at the scene. Two more who escaped subsequently died from their injuries, bringing the final death toll to 48; almost one person in every ten then living in Dromcollogher.
Fifteen of the victims were children, while more than half were under the age of 25. The youngest, James Kenny and Thomas Noonan, were both seven years old; the oldest victim, Ms Mary Turner, was 68.
An entire household was also among the dead; retired national schoolteacher Mr Jeremiah Buckley; his wife, Ellen; their ten-year-old daughter, Bridie; Ellen’s sister Mrs Kate Wall; and the family’s maid, Ms Nora Kirwan.

**An Post have issued a commemorative stamp *(September 3rd, 2026)* marking the centenary of the Dromcollogher Cinema Fire**.

A vigil was maintained through the night as the remains were recovered from the ruins. Identification was extremely difficult, and many victims could not be recognised. Forty-six of the dead were subsequently buried together in an enormous communal grave in the grounds of St Bartholomew’s Church.

President of the Executive Council W. T. Cosgrave attended the funeral. Messages of sympathy arrived from King George V, religious leaders, local authorities, trade unions and organisations throughout Ireland and abroad. Cosgrave established a national relief fund for those affected by the catastrophe; remarkably, its final payments were not made until 1958.
The disaster immediately raised questions about responsibility. Although existing legislation required commercial film venues to be licensed and to observe fire-safety precautions, temporary screenings in rural halls, stores and other improvised premises were relatively common.

Downing and Forde were arrested and charged with manslaughter, but the State ultimately decided not to proceed with the prosecution. No public inquiry was held, despite Cosgrave’s initial promise of one. Regulations governing film screenings in unofficial premises were subsequently tightened.
The site of the fire remained derelict for more than two decades. A local committee later acquired it, and in 1953 a public library was opened there as a permanent memorial. The library still occupies the site today, while a large Celtic cross over the communal grave bears the names and ages of those who died.

For decades, many families spoke little about the catastrophe. Survivors and relatives described a silence born from grief, trauma and the belief that such events had to be accepted as God’s will. Yet the memory has endured.

Now, a century later, the tragedy remains Ireland’s deadliest cinema fire. The National Library of Ireland preserves contemporary newspapers and photographs documenting its aftermath, while Dromcollogher’s memorial library and communal grave ensure that the 48 victims of “The Burning” are not forgotten.

River Suir – EPA Seeks Council Response As More Groups Promise Action.

The Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed that it is awaiting a written response from Tipperary County Council before deciding whether further EPA action is warranted concerning continuing complaints about the River Suir.

In correspondence received following a further complaint submitted on August 27th, 2026, the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement stated:

Dear Mr Willoughby,
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) acknowledges receipt on 27/08/2026 of your further correspondence below relating to the issue referenced above. Our Ref: COM021813.

As previously advised, with respect to the scope of your concerns as listed below, we note that the majority of the concerns and questions raised relate to matters that fall within the remit and functions of Tipperary County Council as the competent authority for these matters.

We have requested a written response from the Council on any actions taken or planned on this matter. Until we have reviewed the response from Tipperary County Council, we will then assess any appropriate actions that may be required by the EPA and communicate our decision to you.

We trust this outlines the approach undertaken by the EPA with regard to this matter and, as advised, we will contact you again in due course.

Kind regards,
Mary Murphy
(Programme Officer, Office of Environmental Enforcement, Wexford.)

**Effluent flowing into River Suir, at Thurles Town centre.**
*Pic: G. Willoughby*.

The reply is important because it confirms that the complaint remains under consideration. It also places Tipperary County Council firmly at the centre of the response: the EPA has asked the Council to account in writing for what it has done and what it proposes to do.

However, the correspondence provides no deadline for the Council’s response, no timetable for the EPA’s assessment and no indication of what evidence or remedial programme has been requested. “In due course” is not an adequate substitute for a transparent schedule, particularly after concerns about pollution, excessive vegetation, restricted flow and the condition of the river have been raised repeatedly for more than a decade.

Another River Suir organisation proposed.
Meanwhile, NoreVision has been consulting communities, landowners, river users and businesses about establishing a River Suir Trust. The proposed organisation would seek to improve the river’s ecological health, develop practical projects and increase public understanding of the river ecosystem. Consultation invitations concerning the proposed trust were publicly circulated in May 2026 through local community channels, including Holycross/Ballycahill.

**Suir Riverbed, Thurles town centre.**
*Pic: G. Willoughby*.

A properly constituted trust, supported by qualified scientific staff and sustainable funding, could provide valuable coordination, education and practical restoration work. It might also offer communities a stronger voice when dealing with public authorities.

Nevertheless, a trust remains a proposal until its governance, funding, staffing and work programme are published. Its success should eventually be judged by measurable ecological improvements, not by the number of consultations held, partnerships announced or aspirations expressed.

Most importantly, a community trust must supplement statutory action, not become a substitute for it. Volunteers and charitable organisations cannot be expected to assume the legal responsibilities of local authorities, regulators, public utilities or other State agencies.

“Save Our Suir” also established.

A separate community initiative, “Save Our Suir”, emerged following a public meeting held at Cahir House Hotel on August 26th. Contemporary notices from the Cashel, Golden and Tipperary Anglers Association and local social-media accounts confirm that the meeting took place, with a packed attendance.

This mobilisation demonstrates the depth of public concern. It could also help maintain pressure for disclosure, investigation and action. However, the appearance of several overlapping initiatives now creates a risk of fragmented effort unless their respective objectives and responsibilities are clearly defined.

**A static River Suir, Thurles, Town Centre.**
*Pic: G. Willoughby*.

The River Suir does not require another layer of meetings in which every organisation participates, but no single body accepts responsibility for delivery.

Responsibilities must not become blurred.
It is also important to describe the agencies’ roles accurately. The Local Authority Waters Programme was officially renamed the River Basin Management Service in July 2026. It works on behalf of Ireland’s 31 local authorities, providing catchment science, community engagement, funding and coordination. The renaming did not create a new enforcement authority or change the organisation’s underlying purpose. The official announcement expressly states that its purpose, services and commitments remain the same.

The EPA coordinates national water-quality monitoring, assessment and reporting. It also regulates EPA-licensed activities and oversees local-authority environmental performance. Tipperary County Council remains the competent authority for many local pollution, drainage, maintenance and enforcement matters, the position now restated in the EPA’s reply.

Inland Fisheries Ireland has responsibilities relating to fisheries protection, habitat and fish passage. Its national barrier programme has funded five projects in County Tipperary, but the published list does not by itself establish that these projects will resolve the particular problems reported in the River Suir at Thurles.
Cooperation among these bodies is necessary and essential, but cooperation without named responsibility, deadlines and published outcomes can too easily become a mechanism for delay.

The public now needs answers.
The EPA’s intervention is welcome, as are the River Suir Trust proposal and the formation of Save Our Suir. Yet none of these developments, by itself, amounts to river restoration.

After some 13 years of documented local complaints and warnings, the public should now be given:

Tipperary County Council’s complete written response to the EPA;
A published scientific assessment of the affected sections of the river;
Identification and investigation of pollution and nutrient sources;
Relevant water-quality, flow, oxygen and ecological-monitoring results;
A costed programme of remedial and maintenance work;
A clear allocation of responsibility among the Council and State agencies;
Environmental assessment of any proposed vegetation or obstruction removal;
Firm commencement, completion and public-reporting dates.

The proposed River Suir Trust and Save Our Suir may become constructive forces. They should be supported where their work is evidence-based, transparent and properly coordinated.

But the critical question remains unchanged:- What practical work will now be undertaken, who will be responsible for it, and by what date will the public see measurable improvement in the River Suir?