EPA Quote “This is now a matter for Tipperary County Council to investigate and take action.……”
On September 4th, 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed that Tipperary Co. Council are directly responsible for failure to protect the River Suir from pollution here in Thurles. (Complaint Ref. COM021813).
One small section of Suir riverbed in Thurles town centre. This area is governed by a Municipal District by-law (latter a regulation made by a local authority), banning the consumption of alcohol in a public place.
The following communication was received from the EPA today, September 9th 2025, which we now publish hereunder in full.
Dear Sir, Further to our previous correspondence with you relating to the above referenced matter, we acknowledge receipt of your permission to refer it to Tipperary County Council on your behalf.
We have now sent a copy of your correspondence to Tipperary County Council for their attention and action. We have also requested that they contact you directly, regarding this issue.
Please note, a referral from the EPA obliges the local authority to log the complaint, open a case file, investigate the matter and report back to the complainant (you in this instance) as to any assessment or action either planned or taken.
This is now a matter for Tipperary County Council to investigate and take action as appropriate as they are the responsible authority. Please continue to engage directly with Tipperary County Council any further enquiries regarding this matter for their attention and direct response to you.
As requested, please find attached copy of correspondence from the EPA to Tipperary County Council, our Ref COM021813.
Please use the reference number above in any further communication with the EPA regarding this matter.
Trusting this is of assistance to you. Yours etc(Name withheld)
Correspondence forwarded to Tipperary County Council by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Subject: COM021813 Alleged pollution of river Suir in Thurles, Co Tipperary. Environmental Complaints E.Complaints@epa.ie(Name withheld)
To Tipperary County Council, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received correspondence on 01/09/2025 relating to concern regarding alleged pollution of river Suir in Thurles, Co Tipperary. Our Ref COM021813.
Please see attached copy for your attention and action.
Tipperary County Council should take steps to investigate this matter using appropriate enforcement actions. Your Council is also requested to directly contact the complainant in relation to this matter and to advise them how Tipperary County Council is investigating and dealing with the complaint.
Please use the reference number above in all further correspondence with the EPA regarding this matter.
Kind regards, etc(Name withheld).
This will now be the second case-file opened within the last 10 days, with no action taken in relation to this major problem in Thurles and no communication, as yet and as usual, entered into by Tipperary Co. Council.
A 19-year-old teenager has been charged with the murder of Tipperary resident Mr Ian Walsh, latter found dead in his Carrick-on-Suir home, in Co. Tipperary, on August 4th last.
Mr Nathan Hanlon, allegedly, is understood to have met the 49-year-old victim on the dating application ‘Grindr’, before Mr Walsh picked him up in the early hours of August 2nd last.
Mr Walsh’s body, sadly, was later discovered with multiple stab wounds in his bathroom. Gardaí have also not established, as yet, a motive for the crime, which reportedly showed no signs of being premeditated.
The High Court heard evidence linking Mr Hanlon to the scene, including fingerprints, DNA on clothing, and CCTV showing him leaving the estate with bags that Gardaí believe were later discarded in the River Suir in Tipperary. Items located following a search at his family home also contained traces of blood, though the suspected murder weapon has not, as yet, been recovered.
Gardaí opposed bail, citing the seriousness of the charge and strength of the gathered evidence. Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford refused Mr Hanlon’s bail application, adjourning the case until later this month.
“You Will Die in Prison”, is a Tipperary man’s true story, which will be featured on RTÉ One Tonight, September 3rd, at 10:35pm.
A Tipperary man, wrongly imprisoned in Iran, states that he continues to suffer following his treatment in an Iranian prison. Mr Bernard Phelan, a Tipperary man who spent some seven months in an Iranian prison, has said the trauma of his ordeal continues to affect both him and his family.
Mr Bernard Phelan
Mr Phelan, originally from Clonmel, Co Tipperary, revealed that he recently suffered a stroke, which doctors have conclusively linked to post-traumatic stress disorder.
The 65-year-old, who holds both Irish and French citizenship, had been travelling to Iran since 2017, first as a tourist and later to develop trekking holidays. In October 2023, he was arrested, accused of providing information to an enemy state, before being held in prison until May of 2023. He was forced to go on hunger strike, before finally being pardoned and released on humanitarian grounds.
Speaking about his time in captivity, Mr Phelan said he was haunted by fears that his father would die before his release. Their reunion following his eventual return was he stated, “deeply moving”. He later got a chance to meet President Michael D Higgins, latter who failed to criticise Iran for its constant call for the total destruction of the state of Israel and for its funding and the arming of terrorist organisations, namely Hamas and Hezbollah, not to mention its violations of human rights against its very own citizens. In mid-2024, Irish President Mr Higgins had written to Iran’s new president Mr Masoud Pezeshkian to congratulate him on his new appointment. The letter was not officially published by the President’s office, but was circulated online and received some criticism, including from members within Fine Gael, who rightly accused President Higgins of being “tone deaf” to civil rights issues within Iran. Former Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Charlie Flanagan had rightly informed the Press that he felt Mr Higgins’ views on Iran were “somewhat misplaced”. The Irish President then falsely accused the Israeli embassy in Ireland of circulating the letter, when in fact it was proven to have been circulated by the Iranian embassy as a “Look Ireland Supports Iran” PR stunt.
Mr Phelan now called for stronger EU action in securing the release of European citizens wrongly imprisoned abroad. Mr Phelan believes, and with justification, that European citizens are not being helped by EU authorities.
His story will be told in a new RTÉ documentary entitled, “You Will Die in Prison”, being airing tonight on RTÉ One at 10.35pm.
Two men have been arrested after leading Gardaí on a high-speed chase, following a series of incidents in Tipperary and Clare in the early hours of Saturday.
At approximately 4:20am, Gardaí received a report of a burglary at a residence in the Parkmore area of Roscrea, North Co. Tipperary. A number of items and a sum of cash were reported as stolen. Several similar incidents have since also been reported in the Parkmore area. Later at approximately 5:45am, Gardaí in Killaloe, Co. Clare responded to an attempted burglary at a commercial premises on Convent Hill.
While in the course of responding to this incident, a vehicle deliberately collided with an official Garda patrol car. Gardaí pursued the suspect vehicle at a safe distance into Ballina and towards Birdhill, where a number of items were subsequently thrown at the patrol car. The suspect vehicle proceeded onto the M7 motorway and continued to drive in a dangerous manner, travelling southbound in the northbound carriageway.
With assistance from the Limerick Armed Support Unit, the vehicle was brought to a stop on the Golf Links Road in Ballysimon, Co. Limerick. Two men, aged in their 40s and 20s, were arrested at the scene and detained at a Garda station in the Clare/Tipperary Division under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.
A number of items reported as stolen were recovered at the scene. The vehicle was seized by gardaí and removed for technical examination. No injuries were received by Garda members involved.
Gardaí are now appealing for any witnesses to these incidents to come forward. Any persons who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) in the Roscrea, Co. Tipperary and Killaloe, Co. Clare areas between 3:00am and 6:00am are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí.
In particular, gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the movements of a Laois (LS) registered black BMW 520 in these areas in the early hours of Saturday, August 30th, 2025. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Nenagh Garda station TEL: 067 50450, the Garda Confidential Line on TEL: 1800 666 111, or indeed any Garda station.
A comprehensive knife crime analysis report has been published by An Garda Síochána.
However, this report, appears to be somewhat contradicted by a press release/statement, issued by Fianna Fáil’s Minister for Justice Mr Jim O’Callaghan’s office on Friday last, August 29th.
First let us read Minister Mr Jim O’Callaghan’s press release/statement.
Statement by Minister Jim O’Callaghan on “An Garda Síochána – Knife Related Crime Analysis 2015-2024” report published today.
“I welcome today’s comprehensive knife crime analysis report published by An Garda Síochána. There are several positive aspects to the findings, including an overall drop in assaultsinvolving knives and an increase in knife seizures by Gardaí and prosecutions.
The data shows ‘Assaults Causing Harm’ with a knife accounted for, on average, less than 7% of Assault Causing Harm incidents over the past 10 years. The findings also show a 40% reduction in robbery with a knife, in retail spaces and a 35% reduction in robbery with a knife, in public spaces since 2020. This downward trend is to be welcomed.
Through its assault reduction strategy An Garda Siochana will continue to use proactive measures to reduce even further the number of assaults using knives. This strategy is informed by high-visibility patrols and an early investigation approach.
We now have a comprehensive and robust legal framework in place in Ireland with respect to knife crime. Maximum sentences for knife-related offences such as trespassing with a knife, and producing a knife to unlawfully intimidate another person has been recently increased from 5 to 7 years imprisonment. In addition, the Government doubled the maximum penalty for assault causing harm to 10 years. The offence of assault causing serious harm already has a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
However, I am concerned that the findings also show that most incidents of harm involving a knife occur in residential settings. I intend to raise the findings of this report with incoming Commissioner Justin Kelly when we meet early next week.
My message has always been clear – carrying a knife without lawful authority is illegal and I condemn the use of knives to threaten, intimidate or harm others.”
Press Release Ends.
“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics” Quote by Benjamin Disraeli.
Now let’s take a look at the actual report itself, as was issued by offices of An Garda Síochána. Keep in mind the Fianna FáilMinister’s above text issued to the press; particularly the phrase “There are several positive aspects to the findings…..”
Note: Since the report, (contained in pdf format), is some 13 pages in length including charts, we will just quote a few paragraphs. Our readers can read the report in full here, should they so wish.
Immediately hereunder, are 10 quotes from this precise Garda report.
(1)“The total number of crime incidents in which a knife was used was ranged from approximately 1,100 to 1,400 incidents per year between 2015 and 2022. In 2023, there was an increase to almost 1,600 and then a further increase to just over 2,200 incidents in 2024.”
(2) “The annual count of reported incidents of ‘Assault causing Harm’ has been overall upward trending over the ten year period from around 3,500 incidents in 2015, to just under 5,800 in 2024 (peaking at just over 6,000 in 2022)“.
(3)“The number of ‘Assault causing Harm‘ incidents, where a knife was used, has trended upward since 2016, in line with an overall increase in Assaults, and was highest in 2022 at 337 such incidents.”
(4) “The overall proportion of these Robberies which involved the use of a knife has been quite consistent at between 26% and 30% every year except 2020 (note Covid arrived February 29th 2020). At least 40% of these Robberies each year occur in retail locations and at least another 28% occur on the street/ in open spaces“.
(5)“The number of criminal proceedings (charges/summonses issued) for knife possession offences has increased from just over 1,600 in 2015 to just under 2,000 in 2024″.
(6)“2022 also marked a peak period in terms of incidents of Murder/ Manslaughter, where a knife was used, (15 reported incidents).“
(7)“The total number of crime incidents in which a knife was used ranged from approximately 1,100 to 1,400 incidents per year between 2015 and 2022.”
(8)“When considering murder – ‘Threats to Kill’ or ‘Cause Serious Harm’, the last five years have generally seen higher volumes involving the use of knives when compared to 2015 to 2019. In 2024, there were 125 incidents of ‘Threats to Kill’ or ‘Cause Serious Harm’, involving knives.”
(9)“The count of knives seized during 2024 (2,172) was similar to 2023 and in 2022. Record high numbers of knife seizures were recorded in 2020 in line with extraordinary levels of proactive policing during the Covid pandemic.”
(10) “Over the ten year period between 43% and 58% of ‘Assault causing Harm’ incidents involving a knife occurred in residential locations. The number of such incidents were notably increasing between 2015 and 2020.“
Note: Nowhere in the Minister’s Press Release does it mention that changes in data recording practices have increased the number of knife crimes detected and allowed for improved data insights on possession of knives, as offensive weapons.
To me it would appear that this report was never fully digested by the Minister’s PR Department. Presenting facts and events from a specific viewpoint in an effort to promote a particular issue to make it more favourable, is just not acceptable. The Department of Justice, above all others, should be seen to set the highest standard of honesty and be the most reliable and transparent, when it comes to press releases.
Meanwhile, Gardaí have reopened a number of areas around O’Connell Street in Dublin city centre that were sealed off following a serious assault this morning, Sunday 31st August. The assault took place in Westmoreland Street at around 6:30am. Take advice Minister, refrain from boasting about walking alone, on Dublin Streets.
No Minister, sadly, there are no ‘positive aspects‘ to these published Garda findings.
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