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Death Of John Healy, Formerly Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

It was with great sadness that we learned of the death, today Saturday 28th February 2026, of Mr John Healy, No. 4 Avondrive, Sydney, Crewe,
and formerly of Foyle Ballingarry (South Riding), Thurles, Co. Tipperary

Pre-deceased by his son Michael (Mikey), parents Patrick and Mary, brothers Philip, Pat and Gerry, sisters Cathy, Mary, Ann and Bridget; Mr Healy passed away peacefully following a short illness, most bravely borne,

His passing is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his sorrowing family; loving wife Val, son PJ, daughters Maria, Kay, Bernadette, Anita, Grace, Irene and their mother Anna, stepsons Danny, David and Darren, daughters-in-law and sons-in-law, cherished grandchildren and great grandchildren, brothers Bob and Albert, sister Bernie (Stokes), nieces, nephews, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, extended relatives, neighbours and a wide circle of friends

Rest In Peace

Funeral Arrangements.

A private service of cremation for Mr Healy will take place in England.

The extended Healy family 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.

Death Of Maura Molumby, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

It was with great sadness that we learned of the death, today Saturday 28th February 2026 of Mrs Maura Molumby (née Purcell), No.4 Ikerrin Close, and formerly of Moyne Road and Lisdonowley, Moyne, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Pre-deceased by her husband Gus and her parents Tomás and Bridget, sisters Nano and Bridie, brothers Pat and Tommy; Mrs Molumby passed away while in the care of staff at St. Theresa’s Nursing Home Thurles and University Hospital, Clonmel, South Co. Tipperary.

Her passing is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her sorrowing family; loving sons Seán and Tomás, daughters-in-law Deirdre and Maureen, grandchildren Dylan, Amy, Luke, Apryl and Darragh, her brother Fr. Seán, nieces, nephews, extended relatives, wonderful carers, neighbours and friends.

Requiescat in Pace.

Funeral Arrangements.

The earthly remains of Mrs Molumby will repose at Kennedy’s Funeral Home, Upper Kickham Street, Dublin Road, Thurles, (Eircode E41 XY 47), on Monday afternoon next, March 2nd, from 5:00pm until 7:00pm, before being received into the Cathedral of the Assumption, Cathedral Street, Thurles, at 7:30pm.
Funeral Mass for Mrs Molumby will be offered on Tuesday morning, March 3rd, at 11:00am, followed by interment, immediately afterwards, in St Patrick’s cemetery, Moyne Road, Lognafulla, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

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

The extended Molumby and Purcell 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.

No. 171 “Slieve Gullion” Steams into Thurles Town.

The No. 171 “Slieve Gullion” Steams into Thurles at 11:57am This Morning, Marking Another Milestone for Irish Main Line Steam.

Great Northern Railway (Ireland) S Class 4-4-0 No. 171 “Slieve Gullion”, arrived into Thurles Railway Station at 11:57am this morning, drawing a warm welcome as the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s (RPSI) flagship steam locomotive continues its return to regular main line operation.

Today’s working forms part of the RPSI’s “An Sáirséal” Steam & Diesel Special operating between Dublin Connolly and Limerick, with No. 171 hauling the train from Dublin Connolly to Thurles, before an 071 Class diesel takes over for the onward run to Limerick.

Built by Beyer, Peacock & Co. in Manchester in 1913, No. 171 is one of the celebrated GNR(I) S Class express passenger locomotives, named after a mountain in the south of County Armagh, Northern Irelandand, is synonymous with the golden age of Irish main line steam.

Following an extensive overhaul and a long period out of traffic, No. 171 returned to steam in July 2024, officially launched back into service at Whitehead in September of that year, and later resumed main line, revenue-earning passenger work in November 2025, its first such duties since 2002.

An RPSI spokesperson said the Thurles arrival is “another proud moment for everyone who contributed to bringing ‘Slieve Gullion’ back; proof that Irish main line steam remains very much alive, and still capable of turning heads wherever it goes.”

Derek Kent Elected GAA President-Elect at Congress 2026.

Wexford delegate tops first-count ballot as Ger Ryan and John Murphy fall short.

Verified vote breakdown.
Total votes cast: 277
Quota: 139
Derek Kent (Wexford): 169. (elected on the first count)
Ger Ryan (Tipperary): 76.
John Murphy (Sligo): 32

Wexford’s Derek Kent has been elected Uachtarán Tofa (President-elect) of the Gaelic Athletic Association at GAA Congress 2026, held at Croke Park yesterday evening.
Mr Kent will become the 42nd President of the GAA at Congress 2027, when outgoing President, Mr Jarlath Burns, completes his three-year term.

A total of 277 votes were cast in the presidential election. Mr Kent secured 169 votes, reaching the 139 quota on the first count. Mr Ger Ryan (Tipperary) polled 76 votes, while Mr John Murphy (Sligo) received 32 votes.

Mr Kent, a Taghmon-Camross clubman, brings extensive administrative experience to the role, having served as Wexford GAA Chairperson (2017–2020) and recently completing a three-year term as Leinster GAA Chairperson. He has also chaired the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) and the Infrastructure, Health & Safety Committee.

In being elected President-elect, Mr Kent becomes the third Wexford native to hold the Association’s top office, following Mr Patrick Breen (1924–1926) and Mr Michael Kehoe (1949–1952).

Tipperary’s Ger Ryan had campaigned strongly to bring the presidency back to the Premier County, with Tipp GAA noting his recent service as Munster GAA Chair (2022–2025) and the county’s previous holder of the office, Mr Séamus Ó Riain (1967–1970).

Data Centres Pay Less Per Unit of Electricity Than Householders.

Data Centres Usually Pay Less per Unit of Electricity Than Households in Ireland, Official Figures Show.

New analysis of Ireland’s official electricity price statistics shows that very large electricity users; latter a category that includes many data centres, typically pay a lower price per unit (kWh) than households.

Key findings (official statistics).
Figures published by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) for January to June 2025 show:

  • Households (average, including all taxes): ~31.7 cent per kWh
  • Business customers (average, excluding VAT) ~24.3 cent per kWh
  • Very large business users (“Band IG”, over 150,000 MWh); ~ 19.5 cent per kWh (excluding VAT)

In simple terms, the biggest users pay less per unit than households, on average, in the published data.

Why this happens (in plain English).
This difference does not necessarily mean data centres are “getting a special deal.” It mainly reflects how electricity bills are structured for different types of customers:

  1. Household prices include more taxes. The household figure is reported with all taxes included, while business figures are commonly shown excluding VAT (and many businesses can reclaim VAT).
  2. Big users buy electricity differently. Large industrial-style customers can often use different contract types and buying arrangements than households (who usually buy through retail tariffs).
  3. Network charges work differently for different customers. Households and large users face different combinations of “per-unit” charges and “capacity/demand” charges. Ireland’s energy regulator, the CRU, sets and approves network revenue and tariffs for the electricity networks.

Important note
A lower “cent per kWh” figure doesn’t automatically mean the total bill is low. Very large users can still face substantial overall costs because they consume huge volumes and can have significant capacity-related charges.

Sources:
This information is based on SEAI’s published “effective electricity prices” (Eurostat-based) for Jan–Jun 2025, and CRU information on network charges and tariff-setting.

Perhaps someone will explain this to the ill informed ‘Green Party’, thus avoiding public disinformation.