Thurles Information

Death Of Alice Morris, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

It was with a great sadness that we learned of the death, yesterday Saturday 16th May 2026, of Mrs Alice Morris (née Graham) No 6. St. Brigid’s Terrace, Littleton, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Pre-deceased by her husband Billy, her parents Billy and Annie, brothers Danny and Paddy; Mrs Morris, passed away peacefully at her place of ordinary residence, while in the loving care of her family.

Her passing is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her sorrowing family; daughters Ann, Marian (Fogarty), Leisha (Quinn), Bernie, Sue (Quinn) and son Richard, sons-in-law Michael and Ger, Ann’s partner Paddy, daughter-in-law Marie, grandchildren, great grandchildren, sisters Mary, Ann and Peggy, brothers Joe and Marty, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended relatives, neighbours and many friends.

Requiescat in Pace.

Funeral Arrangements.

The earthly remains of Mrs Morris will repose at her place of residence (Eircode E41 DW92) on Tuesday afternoon next, May 19th, from 5:00pm until 7:00pm same evening.
Her funeral cortège will be received into the Church of Our Lady and St. Kevin, Littleton, Thurles, (Eircode E41 HD90), on Wednesday morning May 20th, at 10:40am, to further repose for Funeral Mass at 11:00am, followed by interment, immediately afterwards, in the adjoining graveyard.

For those persons who would wish to attend Requiem Mass for Mrs Morris, but for reasons cannot, same can be viewed streamed live online, HERE.

The extended Morris and Graham families wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time, and have made arrangements for those persons wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.

§ The family of Mrs Morris would like to express their sincere thanks to the Palliative Care Team for their exceptional care and to Dr. Liam Meagher (Killenaule) and Carmel and Staff at Sammon’s Pharmacy for their care and kindness.§

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dílis.

Licence Fees, Million-Euro Bailouts & Executive Pay – RTÉ Faces Fresh Scrutiny.

RTÉ is once again at the centre of controversy after new figures revealed that more than 200 people at the broadcaster were earning over €100,000 a year by the end of 2025, including 18 individuals paid more than €200,000 annually.

This latest revelation lands after years of scandals involving hidden payments, secret commercial deals, undisclosed barter accounts, and repeated failures in transparency from Ireland’s national broadcaster.

The public was already furious after the 2023 payments scandal exposed how RTÉ had understated presenter earnings, while continuing to demand television licence payments from ordinary households struggling through a cost-of-living crisis. Trust in the organisation collapsed, senior executives resigned, and multiple government and committee investigations followed.

Yet despite the outrage, RTÉ has continued to rely heavily on taxpayer support.

In recent years, the broadcaster has effectively received two major state financial rescue packages funded by the public:
► A €725 million annual public funding model through licence fees and state support.
► An additional government-backed financial bailout package worth hundreds of millions aimed at stabilising RTÉ after the payments scandal and declining revenues.

At the same time, licence fee inspectors continued pursuing households across Ireland for non-payment, even as questions mounted over excessive salaries, waste, governance failures, and opaque contractor arrangements inside the organisation.

In Ireland, thousands of people have been prosecuted over non-payment of TV licences, but only a relatively small number have actually been jailed.

Historically; in 2012, there were about 11,500 prosecutions for TV licence non-payment. Of those convicted, 242 people were jailed, though most were imprisoned only for a few hours and six overnight.
In 2008, 49 people were jailed over licence-related fines.
Between 1973 and 1993, at least 15 people were imprisoned during a civil disobedience campaign linked to Irish-language broadcasting activism.
More recently, prosecutions and convictions have declined sharply after the RTÉ payments scandal damaged public trust:
Irish courts dealt with 7,263 prosecutions in 2022, falling to 6,555 in 2023.
Nearly 15,000 court summonses were issued in 2022 alone for non-payment.
Convictions for non-payment reportedly fell by around 30% over recent years amid the fallout from RTÉ controversies.

People are generally not jailed directly for “not having a licence” itself, but for failing to pay court-imposed fines after conviction. Fines can reach up to €1,000 for a first offence.

The newest figures also show nearly 1,300 people received between €50,000 and €100,000 from RTÉ in 2025, while thousands more contributors were classified as contractors.

Meanwhile, viewers and taxpayers are still asking the same unanswered question:
How can RTÉ continue demanding mandatory licence fee payments from the public while repeatedly failing basic standards of transparency and accountability with public money?

Rest In Peace, Dennis Locorriere.

The music world has lost yet another legendary voice. Dennis Locorriere, the longtime frontman and founding member of Dr. Hook, has passed away at the age of 76, following a battle with kidney disease.

Before the huge chart success and unforgettable singalong hits, Dennis Locorriere gave Dr. Hook one of their most heartfelt performances with ‘Only Sixteen‘; a tender remake of the classic Sam Cooke song that became a worldwide hit for the band in the mid-70s.
With Dennis’s unmistakable voice full of warmth, emotion, and honesty, the song captured the innocence and heartbreak of young love in a way only he could. Decades later, it remains one of the defining songs of Dr. Hook’s legacy and a reminder of the timeless talent Dennis brought to every performance.

Best known for other timeless hits including ‘When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman‘, ‘Sharing the Night Together‘, and ‘Sylvia’s Mother‘, Dennis helped define the sound of 1970s soft rock and country-pop, alongside bandmate the late Ray Sawyer.

According to his management, Mr Locorriere died peacefully yesterday May 16th 2026, surrounded by family and loved ones, after facing his illness with “strength, dignity, and resilience.”

Born in Union City, Mr Locorriere enjoyed a career that spanned almost six decades, recording more than 18 albums and continuing to perform long after Dr. Hook’s chart success. He had also made the UK his home for more than two decades.
Though his voice may now be silent, the songs he gave the world will continue to live on for many generations.

A Sharp Decline In Roads Policing Gardaí, Raises Safety Concerns.

New figures released by the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána show that the number of Garda members assigned to Roads Policing Units has fallen by almost 40% since 2009. The total number of specialist personnel dropped from 1,046 to 645 by March this year; a reduction of 401 officers dedicated to policing Irish roads.

Dublin experienced some of the steepest declines, with roads policing numbers nearly halving over the period. One Dublin division recorded a 59% drop, leaving just 11 specialist Gardaí and two road policing vehicles covering the area.

Other regions also saw significant reductions, including Sligo/Leitrim, where staffing levels fell from 34 officers to 14. Limerick was the only area to record a slight increase in personnel since 2009.

Road safety advocacy groups described the falling numbers as deeply concerning, warning that reduced enforcement capacity impacts road safety efforts nationwide. Campaigners said roads policing units are struggling due to limited resources and staffing pressures, and believe enforcement on Irish roads has been weakened at a time when offences are increasing. Recent figures show that more than 211,000 vehicles on Irish roads were uninsured or unregistered last year, roughly one in every 15 vehicles nationwide.
Despite Gardaí carrying out over one million vehicle checks during the first three months of 2026, more than 5,000 vehicles were still seized for having no insurance during that short period alone. Thousands of additional summonses were also issued.

In response, An Garda Síochána stated that all Garda members contribute to road traffic enforcement, including those outside dedicated Roads Policing Units. According to the organisation, non-specialist personnel accounted for a majority of DUI detections, vehicle detentions, and checkpoints carried out last year.

The force also said there is no policy aimed at reducing roads policing numbers and noted that more than 80 new members have been assigned to roads policing duties over the past 18 months. However, Garda management acknowledged that staffing increases have not yet delivered the “significant uplift” desired in roads policing capacity

Banner Roar Back as Clare Crush Tipp In Thurles Showdown.

Brian Lohan’s men took control before half-time, opening up a huge lead through scores from Ian Galvin and Sean Rynne, before Galvin struck the game’s only goal just after the restart to leave Tipp reeling.

Clare delivered a massive statement in the Munster SHC last night with a commanding 1-25, (28pts) to 0-17 (17 pts) victory over Tipperary at Semple Stadium.

Things went from bad to worse for the All-Ireland champions when Willie Connors was sent off, and Clare ruthlessly stretched their advantage with points from Tony Kelly, Peter Duggan and Diarmuid Stritch.

The defeat leaves Tipperary staring at a shock championship exit, with their hopes now depending on Waterford getting a result against Limerick today.