Art - Thurles Information

Unrequited True Love Story For St. Valentine’s Day.

Dare any of you lovers out there, forget that St. Valentine’s Day, is on Tuesday next, February 14th.

Talking of people in recent history, who fell in love, let’s not forget the sadly unrequited* love story of that great Irish poet, Patrick Kavanagh (1904-1967), and Ms Hilda Moriarty in 1944.

* Unrequited love occurs when one person yearns for unconditional love, from another individual who doesn’t always feel the same way.

It was sometime in the Autumn of 1944, while living on Raglan Road, in Ballsbridge, Co. Dublin, that the poet Kavanagh spotted Ms Hilda Moriarty, herself a native of Co. Kerry, as she wended her way to attend Dublin City University, where she was studying to become a medical doctor.

Ms Moriarty was then 22yrs old, while Kavanagh was some 20 years her senior. For Kavanagh, it was love at first sight, and though she would regarded him as a close friend, her true feelings toward him were never of a romantic nature.

In 1947 Hilda would marry the handsome Mr Donogh O’Malley, a rugby union player, who later served as Parliamentary Secretary to the then Minister for Finance (1961 to 1965); Fianna Fáil Minister for Health (1965 to 1966), and Minister for Education (1966 to 1968). It was the same O’Malley who first announced the notion of free education for Irish students, on September 10th, 1966, unknown to his cabinet colleagues; thus updating Ireland’s antiquated educational system, same unchanged since Irish independence.

Sometime later, Kavanagh was inspired to write the poem, that we refer to, today, as, “On Raglan Road”, published in the Irish Press in 1946, under the title, “Dark Haired Miriam Ran Away”. Kavanagh’s poem was later set to the melody of an old Irish song called, “Fainne Gael an Lae”; (Irish loose translated, “The Dawning of the Day”).

On Raglan Road.

Lyrics: Irish Poet and Novelist, Patrick Kavanagh (1904-1967).
Vocals: Singer, Folk Musician, Banjoist and Actor, the great Luke Kelly (1940 – 1984).

On ‘Raglan Road’ of an Autumn day,
I saw her first and knew,
That her dark hair would weave a snare,
That I might one-day rue.
I saw the danger and I passed,
Along the enchanted way,
And I said, “Let grief be a fallen leaf,
At the dawning of the day.”
On Grafton Street in November,
We tripped lightly along the ledge,
Of a deep ravine where can be seen,
The worth of passion play.
The Queen of Hearts still making tarts,
And I not making hay.
Oh, I loved too much and by such, by such,
Is happiness thrown away.
I gave her gifts of the mind,
I gave her the secret sign,
That’s known to the artists, who have known,
The true gods of sound and stone.
And word and tint, (I did not) without stint.
(For) I gave her poems to say,
With her own name there and her own dark hair,
Like clouds over fields of May.
On a quiet street, where old ghosts meet,
I see her walking now,
Away from me so hurriedly,
My reason must allow,
That I had loved, not as I should,
A creature made of clay,
When the angel woos the clay, he’d lose,
His wings at the dawn of day.

END

American Composer Burt Bacharach Passes Away.

American legendary composer, record producer, songwriter and pianist Mr Burt Freeman Bacharach (1928 – 2023) passed away yesterday, of natural causes, aged 94 years.

One of the most important composers of 20th-century popular music, he composed hundreds of pop songs, often in collaboration with fellow lyricist Hal David, which he met at the Brill Building in New York City, and thus began their writing partnership which included:- ‘The Story of My Life‘; – ‘Make It Easy on Yourself ‘; – ‘This Guy’s in Love with You‘; – ‘Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head‘; – ‘I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself‘; – ‘Wishin’ and Hopin‘; – ‘Walk on By‘; – ‘Always Something There to Remind Me‘; – ‘What the World Needs Now is Love‘; – ‘What’s New Pussycat?‘; – ‘The Look of Love‘; – ‘I Say a Little Prayer‘; – ‘Do You Know the Way to San Jose?‘; – ‘They Long to Be Close to You‘, – ‘Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)‘ and ‘That’s What Friends Are For‘.

Among his lifetime achievements were Six Grammy Awards; Three Academy Awards; The George and Ira Gershwin Award, for Musical Achievement; An Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music; The Thornton Legacy Award USC; National Academy Of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), New York Heroes Award; and The Polar Music Prize, latter presented in Stockholm by His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

In his private life Mr Bacharach was married four times. His first wife was Paula Stewart for five years (1953–1958). His second marriage, to actress Angie Dickinson, lasted 15 years (1965–1980). The couple had a daughter (Nikki Bacharach), latter who died of suicide in January 2007, at the age of 40.
His third marriage was to lyricist Carole Bayer Sager, which lasted for nine years (1982–1991) during which they adopted a son named Cristopher Elton Bacharach.
His fourth wife, was Jane Hansen, whom he wed in 1993. Together they had two children, a son named Oliver and a daughter named Raleigh.

His autobiography, ‘Anyone Who Had a Heart‘, was published in 2013.

In ár gcroíthe go deo.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade Returns To Thurles Streets This Year, 2023.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee are delighted to announce that this years (2023) the parade will return to the streets of Thurles on Friday, March 17th, after a three year absence caused by the Covid-19 virus pandemic.

The parade event will starts at 2:30pm in the town centre, with the theme this year being “The Past, Present & Future”, leaving the interpretation presented by each of the entrants or organisations wide open e.g. same may reflect a club or other organisations progress, viewed either through its past, its present, its future or all three such stages of its growth and progress, presented in a creative format combined.

Note: If you would like to contact the committee in relation to entries or sponsorships, please call their chairperson on Tel. No: 0851974620 or email hello@thurlestouristoffice.ie.

Prizes

1st Prize for Overall Winner — €1,000 plus Thurles St. Patrick’s Day Parade Trophy.
2nd Prize for Best Large Entry — €500 and a Trophy.
3rd Prize for Best Band Entry — €250 and a trophy.
4th Prize for Best School Entry — €250 and a trophy.

There will also be 12 Prizes and 600 medals, plus vouchers and trophies for further entries.

This year’s parade is currently being sponsored by Tipperary County Council, – Thurles Chamber Of Commerce, – Supermacs Thurles, – Michaels Jewellers,
– Thurles Shopping Centre and Others (Yet expected to confirm).

Mark Collins Photographic Exhibition To Open in Cashel Library.

Mark Collins, an award winning photographer and Holycross resident, will hold an exhibition of his photographs entitled; “Attention/ Intention” in Cashel Library during the month of September.

Mark is pleased to invite any interested parties to the opening night of this exhibition starting on Tuesday 13th September at 7:00pm sharp in Cashel Library.

Refreshments served. Please remember to RSVP via Tel: 062 63825 please.

Having spent 20 years working as a cinematographer in the Australian film industry; in August 2019 saw Mark returning home to the land of his birth, Ireland.
Upon his seeing what was both his past and now present with fresh eyes, Mark was inspired to photograph his surroundings.

Informed by his love of cinema, he remains driven by a longing to highlight the inherent natural beauty, form and texture, particularly in places overlooked or unnoticed.

Previously behind the lens within film and cinema; Covid-19 lockdown saw Mark return to education, whereupon he studied photography at LCFE, School of Creative Media & Visual Arts, in Co. Limerick.
His studies have reignited a passion for both his home and visual storytelling.

In this exhibition of his latest 15 Photographic works entitled; “Attention/ Intention” , he now draws from his aesthetic roots in cinema, inviting viewers to see beyond classical notions of beauty. An active focus on the decontextualising of forms, Mark welcomes audiences to look beyond the categorisations of still life, landscape etc and allow our own imaginations to adventure across the visual terrain of his works.

“The challenge is to see beyond the distraction of the conspicuous”, the observer is invited into a creative dialogue with the pictures and asked what their own impressions of the world within the art is, what kinds of characters, forms and stories inhabit these worlds?

Mark’s careful and meditative approach to the detail and materiality of subject examines a notion to look more closely at the world around us and discover beauty, in unusual or unexpected places and moments.

Opening night on Tuesday September 13th, 2022 at 7:00pm. These photographs are unique editions of 5 per piece, and will be on show at Cashel Library for the month of September.

Note: Images are available for purchase through the front desk or by emailing the artist directly at contactmarkcollins@gmail.com.

A Peregrine Falcon For Liberty Square, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

**Pictured above; graphic design artist Mr Dan Leo at work, creating his painting of a Peregrine falcon, which is expected to be completed shortly**.
Photo courtesy G. Willoughby

Artist Dan Leo was born in London in 1984, before moving to Ireland at a young age. He admits to having always a keen interest in art; his enthusiasm growing from his consumption of 90s cartoons and having a keen interest in American sports logos and graphic design.

His style has evolved over the years, as he moves forward exploring new approaches as well as improving on existing ones.

Animals have always been something he has had respect for and as the viewers of his work can observe; same feature almost exclusively in his work.
To Dan, nature remains a never ending source of inspiration, while painting continues to give him the opportunity to travel and meet many like minds, while allowing him to work at what he loves most.

This project is one of at least two such projects to be undertaken within the Thurles area, over the coming weeks.

Readers can view more of Dan Leo’s work by logging on HERE.

Should this mural not have been a Greyhound?

Perhaps I should explain myself.

The area where this mural is being painted was once the home of publican Larry (Lawrence) Hickey, (more recently J. Griffin’s Newsagent, Liberty Square, Thurles), same building having been demolished in June 2018, to make way for a car park.

On the night of March 9th 1921, five masked and armed policemen raided the pub of Larry Hickey. He was ordered out of his upstairs bedroom, in his night attire, together with his pregnant wife, and when he reached the top of the stairs, he was tripped and thrown down the said stairs by an R.I.C. man named Jackson.

In the fall, Hickey’s neck was broken. While he was in great pain at the foot of the stairs, Sergeant Enright, who was in charge of the raiders, shot him dead, to put an end to his agony.

Larry Hickey was a well-known republican in Thurles at this time, and a detailed account of his death was given to republican James Leahy during the truce period, by Sergeant Enright himself.

Mr Larry Hickey would have collaborated with his republican next door neighbour, Mr Mixie O’Connell, latter who sent the coded telegram with the wording, “Greyhound on train”, giving the time of the departure of the train to brothers Tom and Mick Shanahan at the Coal Stores, in Knocklong, Co. Limerick, regarding the sending of the IRA prisoner Sean Hogan to Cork city, on May 13th 1919.

Lovers of factual Thurles history can read the full story HERE and HERE.

On August 22nd, 2022, exactly 100 years ago, Michael Collins (the Big Fellow or the Long Fellow), then chairman of the provisional government of the Irish Free State, was shot dead on a roadway in the county of his birth; Co. Cork.
On Sunday last, August 21st, 2022, an Taoiseach and Tánaiste rightly addressed a crowd of thousands, who had gathered at Béal na Bláth, in Co. Cork, to commemorate the centenary of his death.

In Thurles there were no commemorations over the past number of years for those Thurles men and women, who including Loughnane, Quinn, Hickey, O’Connell (Mixie), Leahy (James), Kelly, Fitzpatrick (Bridget), Ryan (Col. Gerry), McCarthy (Goorty), or indeed Mulcahy (Richard).

But then, that is what you get when you elect public representatives including two TD’s, who are mis-informed, mendacious and self-serving.

Meanwhile, the last mentions of Peregrine falcons in Tipperary was in July/August of 2013, when 3 nesting birds were deliberately shot dead in a spate of attacks in south Tipperary; and again in Nenagh, North Co. Tipperary in 2021, latter located nesting close at the top of the spire of Nenagh’s Saint Mary of the Rosary, Catholic church.