Crime « Thurles Information

Rearrest Made Following Murder In 2024 Of 89-Year-Old Nenagh Woman.

A man in his 50s, and the chief suspect in the suspected murder, has again been rearrested in connection with the death of an 89-year-old woman in Nenagh, Co Tipperary.

Mrs Josephine (Josie) Ray (née O’Meara), also known as Joan, with an address at St Joseph’s Park, Nenagh, Co Tipperary, was found with severe bruising to her face. Blood was also found close to her body and a pillow seized as part of the murder probe, was subjected to a full forensic examination. Emergency services located Mrs Ray’s deceased body just after midday, on Sunday August 4th, 2024 last.

The male arrested today remains detained under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
Previously, two people had been arrested, under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, in connection with the investigations into her death, but were both released later, without charge, with files prepared for the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP). We understand that this rearrest today, by gardaí, follows new information recently received in the case.

The couple arrested by gardaí on the same day as the funeral of Mrs Ray; were named as Mr Hasan Ali Gori and Ms Mary Ray (latter her daughter), both aged in their 50s, who both strongly deny any role in the death of Ms Ray’s mother.

Mrs Josephine Ray was well known throughout Nenagh, especially in her community of St Joseph’s Park.
Following her murder, her funeral took place at St Mary of the Rosary Church, in Nenagh, where she was remembered as a woman of remarkable presence and a beacon of the town.

It was reported that gardaí had been called to Mrs Josephine Ray’s home on several occasions, during the weeks prior to her death; in an effort to deal with a number of different alleged complaints.

Gardaí will continue to investigate all of the circumstances surrounding this suspected murder.

Tipp-Clare Garda Division Under Resourced In Fight Against Drugs.

Drug Searches Drop By 44% In Tipp-Clare Garda Division Says Fine Gael TD, Mr Joe Cooney.

Clare Fine Gael TD, Mr Joe Cooney has expressed deep concern at the significant decline in both the sharp reduction in drug-related searches carried out across the Tipperary/Clare Garda Division and the number of Gardaí serving in County Clare.

Deputy Cooney said he would be raising the matter directly with the Minister for Justice, calling for urgent action to boost resources and personnel allocated to the Divisional Drugs Unit and An Garda Síochána more broadly throughout the region.

New figures provided to Deputy Cooney reveal that Garda numbers in County Clare have fallen by over 8% since 2020 — decreasing by 27 from 314 to 287. In Ennis alone, Garda numbers have dropped from 190 to 167, while Kilrush has seen a reduction of eight Gardaí over the same period, with 55 now stationed there.

Meanwhile, the number of searches conducted under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977/1984 across the Tipperary/Clare Garda Division has plummeted by a collosal 44%; from 2,726 in 2022 to 1,546 so far in 2024. There has also been a drop in overall detections of ‘Possession of Drugs for Sale and Supply’ and ‘Simple Possession’.

Deputy Cooney pointed out that just 18 Gardaí, same comprising 15 Garda members and 3 Sergeants, are currently assigned to the Tipperary/Clare Divisional Drugs Unit, which is tasked with covering a vast geographic area, stretching from Loop Head and Ballyvaughan in Co. Clare to Carrick-on-Suir in South Co. Tipperary.

“The Tipperary/Clare Divisional Drugs Unit has been doing outstanding work in tackling the scourge of illegal drugs in our communities, but they urgently need more resources to sustain and strengthen that effort,” said Deputy Cooney. “I am calling on the Minister for Justice and Garda management to allocate additional personnel and resources to the Divisional Drugs Unit to support the great work they are doing, as evidenced by recent significant drug seizures. We need to ensure that Gardaí on the front lines of this fight have the tools, support, and numbers required to disrupt drug networks, protect our young people, and safeguard our towns and rural communities.”

Deputy Cooney said that while he welcomed Government initiatives such as Operation Tara and the substantial increase in national policing budgets, more targeted resourcing is urgently needed in the Mid-West region.

“Tackling drug dealing and targeting the work of organised crime groups, who inflict intimidation, violence, and misery on families and communities across Ireland, must be a top priority for this Government,” he added. “I fully support the measures being taken at national level as part of Government plans to tackle illegal drug use, but there is a clear and pressing need for greater resourcing of our Drugs Units in areas like Tipperary and Clare.”

Deputy Cooney confirmed he will be tabling questions to the Minister for Justice, Mr Jim O’Callaghan, and pressing for a clear plan to reverse the decline in local Garda numbers and restore search and enforcement capacity across the region.

Four 3D Printed Firearms And Ammunition Discovered In Tipperary.

During searches of five homes in counties Tipperary and Clare; as part of ongoing investigations into organised crime in the southern region, Gardaí have discovered four 3D printed firearms together with ammunition.

Gardaí also seized drugs with an estimated value of some €22,000 and have arrested one woman, understood to be in her 40s and a male, understood to be in his 30s, both of whom remain in custody for further questioning.

The firearms seized will undergo full ballistic testing and forensic analysis.

Plan On Domestic, Sexual & Gender-Based Violence Launched.

Final Implementation Plan For Zero Tolerance Strategy On Domestic, Sexual & Gender-Based Violence Published.

Priority areas include expanding refuge accommodation, advancing legislative reform, and cross-sectoral training initiatives for frontline professionals.
There are 95 actions in total across the strategy’s four pillars of protection, prevention, prosecution and policy co-ordination.
A robust monitoring and reporting framework establishes performance indicators to track progress and understand impact.

A targeted implementation plan for the final phase of Zero Tolerance, the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV) has been published.

The implementation plan contains 95 actions across the strategy’s four pillars of Protection, Prevention, Prosecution and Policy Co-ordination, with a strong focus on delivery and collective action to 2026.

The DSGBV Agency Cuan worked in collaboration with officials from the Department of Justice and in close consultation with other Government Departments, state agencies and external stakeholders to develop the plan for 2025-2026.

Priority areas include continuing national leadership and cross government alignment, expanding refuge accommodation, delivering a comprehensive national emergency domestic violence accommodation plan, and advancing legislative reform. That legislative reform includes removing the guardianship rights of a person who has been convicted of killing their intimate partner; developing a mechanism to ensure any person in an intimate relationship can be informed if their partner has a history of domestic violence; and advancing provisions to ensure counselling records are only released where the Court decides that they contain material relevant to legal proceedings.

The plan also includes actions to continue to deliver impactful awareness campaigns on sexual consent and pathways to safety, and a comprehensive set of training actions to upskill front-line professionals across the health and social care sector, DSGBV services, the judiciary, courts and other justice agencies.

The development of the plan was collaborative and evidence informed, involving research and a review of implementation to date, followed by in-depth consultations with Government departments and state agencies. It takes an intersectional approach, ensuring that actions and outcomes are responsive to the diverse and overlapping identities of victims and survivors of DSGBV, supported by the development and establishment of survivor-centred structures to ensure that victim/survivor voice is heard. The work to develop foundational structures, build networks and relationships lays the groundwork for beginning the transition to a Fourth National Strategy on DSGBV.

Also published today is the second 2024 Progress Report, covering the period July to December 2024, which highlights continued progress across government and the sector in implementing the Zero Tolerance strategy.

Notable achievements during the reporting period include:

Expanding emergency accommodation capacity including launch of a state-of-the-art refuge facility in Wexford and strengthening the pipeline for refuge and safe home expansion.
Reform of the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) Curriculum to empower students to be healthy and resilient young adults who have the skills and confidence to nurture healthy relationships.
Expansion of services for children and young people experiencing domestic or sexual violence, with €17m in funding distributed to 60 services supporting children and young people.
Enactment of the Family Courts Act 2024 providing for the establishment of family court divisions within the existing court structures including a Family High Court, a Family Circuit Court and a Family District Court.
Supporting the Game Changer campaign, a three-year initiative led by Ruhama, in partnership with the GAA and the Men’s Development Network, using sports-based advocacy to raise awareness of gender-based violence.
Convening of a National Consent Forum.
Engagement with the Central Statistics Office (CSO) to scope the development of a Domestic Violence survey to commence in 2025.

The 2025–2026 implementation plan and the Second Progress Report (2024) are available at: https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/Zero_Tolerance_Implementation_Plan_2025-2026.pdf.

Uncultured Vandal Smears Historic Thurles Bridge Castle With Graffiti.

Despite street lighting being left switched on day and night in Thurles town, no person saw the graffiti “tagger” vandalising the wall of the historic Bridge Castle in our town centre.

Sadly, over the past 6 days, it would also appear that our Thurles Municipal District Councillors and officials remain totally unaffected by this errant and infantile behaviour, which now has become systemic, right across our town.

**View the work of a delinquent, which now for 6 days remains on show in a town that craves foreign tourism**.

Known historic background to Bridge Castle in Thurles
Bridge Castle Thurles overlooks Barry’s Bridge in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, latter which provides the main vehicle and pedestrian passage across the river Suir. The latter was originally constructed circa 1650 and was partially reconstructed again circa 1820.

This medieval Bridge Castle or tower house; the now focus of our attention is quite similar to many other such buildings erected across Ireland during the middle of the 15th century. Same was an attempt to control; collect tolls or taxes and if/when necessary to defend river crossings from marauding attacks by rival clans or invaders, using the small garrisons of armed soldiers, kept housed in such buildings.

**Wash drawing of Bridge Castle, Thurles, 1779-1793**.

This wash drawing, shown above, faces westward, (Circa 1779-1793, attributed to English artist J.J. Barralet 1747-1815.) shows the town of Thurles, with Barry’s Bridge and Bridge Castle in the foreground leading into the town centre, with a castle on the left, (Today the entrance to Friar Street.) and a Market House, centre in the town square. (Latter, partially ruined by fire, and eventually demolished in 1901 following the erection of the 1798 monument or Stone Man.) The castle building today still remains in excellent structural condition.

Plan of Bridge Castle,Thurles.
The Bridge Castle itself has dominated the Thurles skyline since 1453, built possibly by the Norman invader McRickard Butler of whom history records that he erected, that same year, two castles at Thurles and one at Buaidlic (Boulick).
It is a small three storey tower with a vault over the first floor. The original doorway may have been set in the west wall and connects to a spiral stairway which rises in the north west corner, giving full access to all the upper floors.
A small fragment of the once original east facing arched gateway of this once walled town protrudes today; attached to the north facing wall of this building.
The existing small pointed, arch doorway, a ‘Yett’, also on the north wall was possibly constructed to grant immediate access from the tower, for those charged with guarding this town entrance at this river crossing.

***A ‘yett’ and the small fragment of the original east/west arched gateway which still exists on Thurles Castle/Tower House, Co. Tipperary.***

Unlike a portcullis, which is raised and lowered vertically using mechanical means, yetts are hinged in the manner of a traditional gate or door and are secured either by bolts attached to the yett or by long bars drawn out from the wall or gateway.
Little history actually exists regarding Thurles Bridge Castle, however records do exist showing that on the 17th June 1617, the castle was leased: “Thomas, Lord Viscount Thurles, by deed grants to Richard Power, Donat O’Haly and Rd. Wale, all that castle called Bridge Castle with its appurtenances, parcel of the Manor and Lands of Thurles, for 21 years at £5 per annum and one swine (pig), one sheep and three capons.” *

* Note: A capon is a rooster that has been castrated to improve the quality of its flesh, for eating purposes.

The Down Survey (1655-1656), also known as the Civil Survey, (A mapping of Ireland undertaken by Sir William Petty, English Economist, Scientist and Philosopher), lists James Butler, Earl of Ormond (1610-1688) and Lady Elizabeth Butler (alias Preston) Viscountess Dowager of Thurles, (1615-1685) as the proprietors. Both the latter named are direct progenitors to the present heirs to the British Throne.

History also records that there were great celebrations in Thurles in 1768 when Francis Mathew, 1st Baron Landaff, later 1st Viscount Landaff and again later 1st Earl of Landaff (1738-1806), was elected Tipperary Member of Parliament, a position he held from 1768 to 1783. History informs us that bonfires burned, with the castle, bridge and market house illuminated. Plenty of free drink was available, with soldiers joining the local populace in the ensuing celebrations.

Hopefully, this repair work will be cheaper than the cleaning of Dublin’s Millennium Spire (also known as the Stiletto in the Ghetto; the Pin in the Bin, the Stiffy by the Liffey, the Spire in the Mire, or simply The Spike), which cost taxpayers €420.000 in 2020.

By the way, whoever goes down to clean this unsightly eyesore, same should be charged to remove the long plastic ribbons, found fluttering in the south-westerly breeze from the bridge’s street lights.
Local street wardens with their smart phones being used to photograph car reg numbers, should turn their attention to this blatant ribbon littering and prosecute the responsible “flag waving” individual. Someone will end up with an eye cornea damaged by these same razor sharp, plastic, ribbon edges, same being caught by the wind, and blown across the faces of unsuspecting, local pedestrians.