Education « Thurles Information

Ogham Through Clay & Scroll: A Tipperary Art Workshop.

Annual Heritage Week takes place from 16th – 24th August 2025.

All around Ireland there will be free admission to over 70 fee-paying heritage sites on Saturday next, August 16th.
The aim of Heritage Week each year is to build awareness and education about our heritage, thereby encouraging its conservation and preservation.

But perhaps one of the better happenings, involving both children and adults, is taking place here in Co. Tipperary at Cashel Library on Monday August 18th next.

Ms Maura Barrett, (Cashel Library) explains:
Firstly, Ogham is an ancient Irish alphabet primarily used for inscriptions on stone and wood, dating back to the early medieval period. It is characterized by a series of strokes or notches arranged around a central stem line. Each letter is represented by a specific number of these strokes, and the alphabet is often referred to as the “Celtic Tree Alphabet” due to its association with trees.

Experienced community artist Ms Cher Gleeson will give an engaging, hands-on workshop, exploring this early medieval Ogham alphabet, latter which was used to write the early Irish language. This workshop invites participants to translate their own names into the ancient Ogham script, connecting personally to Irish heritage through language and symbolism.

The morning workshop, 11:00am – 12:30, will be for children aged 8 years and over.
The afternoon workshop, 2:30 – 4:00pm, will be for adults.

Each participant will:

Learn the history and meaning of the Ogham alphabet.
Translate their name using a traditional Ogham reference.
Create an “Ancient Name Scroll”, a parchment-style artwork aged with natural techniques, featuring their name in Ogham script.
Shape a personal Ogham Stone from clay, inspired by standing stones and tree lore.

Participants will leave with two meaningful keepsakes and a deeper appreciation for Ireland’s rich linguistic and artistic legacy.

N.B. This workshop is free but places are limited. Please call Cashel library Tel: 062 63825, to secure your place.

Visitors attending this event can locate the Cashel Library building; situated on Friar Street, Lady’s Well, Cashel, Co. Tipperary, HERE. (G487+RX).

Bits Of Thurles Co. Tipperary Go Missing.

A head from one of the new lamp standards, first erected on May 17th 2021 on the now half upgraded section of Liberty Square in Thurles has gone missing. We cannot confirm whether it fell or whether it was removed by those responsible for lighting repairs, namely Airtricity.

**Smart / Intelligent street light vanishes from Liberty Square.**
*Pic. G. Willoughby*.

A majority of the ‘luminaires’ situated on Liberty Square still remains lit in broad daytime, since June 2022, despite so called ‘Smart / Intelligent lamp heads’ having been fitted; paid for with EU funding, having being made available back in December 2018. Back in 2022 over 56 lamp standards remained lighting in broad daylight each day, and little has changed since; with nothing having changed, whatsoever, since 2022, in Liberty Square.

**Newly fitted Holycross directional road sign gone missing from Slievenamon Road.**
*Pic. G. Willoughby*.

Another missing item, namely a recently fitted ‘Holycross’ directional road sign, pointing in the direction of Fianna Road, appears to have also vanished from Slievenamon road in Thurles.
We had pointed out, some weeks ago, that this sign had been seriously bent by a passing high-sided vehicle. A new replacement sign had been erected, but now this sign, in total, has gone missing.
A close up investigation appears to suggest that the new sign was again struck, as was fully expected, by yet another high-sided vehicle.

**Butterflies of Ireland**.
*Pic. G. Willoughby*.

Talking of signs, on a more positive note, it is nice to see a new sign appearing behind the Lidl Supermarket on Slievenamon Road, situated on the west bank of the River Suir.
This informative/educational metal sign identifying the butterflies of Ireland, is mounted on a stainless steel frame and is attracting a large audience.

Events This Week In Cashel Library.

Above are details of events taking place this week in Cashel Library.

Note: All events are provided FREE to patrons.

Visitors intending to attend these event can locate the Cashel Library building; situated on Friar Street, Lady’s Well, Cashel, Co. Tipperary, HERE. (G487+RX).
In some cases with refreshments being served, best always to contact Cashel Library, Tel: 062-63835 and let them know of your intention to attend.

All are welcome to attend.

Do Local Tipperary Co. Councillors Ever Wash Dirty Dishes?

My dear readers, I ask this question in all seriousness, having read that nine Tipperary County Councillors tabled a motion at their end of July meeting, which called on the local authority to halt their use of glyphosate weed killer.

Ballina, Co. Tipperary resident and Fine Gael Cllr. Ms Phyll Bugler, said that she was disappointed to learn that the product was still approved in the EU, until December 2033. She felt that cancer bearing glyphosate weed killer could be entering our drinking water system.

Councillor Bugler, dear lady for God sake stop worrying, sure we here in Thurles use Fairy Dishwashing Liquid and allow it to run down from our sinks and into our drains, to enter our drinking water system all the time; despite the warning on the label which declares “Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects”.

Come to think of it, now that may account for the lovely white, frothy, foam substance, often found floating down the River Suir in Thurles!

**Read the Procter & Gamble warning on their Fairy Liquid** **bottle**, **underlined in red**.

Anyway, councillors were quickly informed by their betters, that while they were committed to reducing the use of herbicides and pesticides; glyphosate is not banned in Ireland, and remains approved for use in the EU to control invasive plant species. Since glyphosate is not banned in Europe and since the EU now makes all the laws and requlations governing Ireland; this leaves Simon Harris free to jet around the world pretending he is a world leader.

Senior officials from the German manufacturing chemical company Bayer, (who bought Monsanto’s glyphosate recipe for a mere reported $66 billion in cash), who were listening at the keyhole to this Tipperary council debate, heaved a deep sigh of relief on hearing Tipperary officials support their product.

It is now my belief that the nine councillors involved in this attempted insurgency within the council chamber, have never gotten themselves involved in the insignificant, or dare I say ‘frivolous task’ of washing the dirty dishes.

But sure look, as Charles Dickens once stated in his book ‘David Copperfield’, “Least said, soonest mended”.
Let the next generation worry about it, if there is one.

FSAI Update Re. Allergens In Bao Long Soup Seasonings.

Update (2) to undeclared allergens in various Bao Long Soup Seasonings

Alert Summary dated Thursday, August 7th, 2025.

Allergy Alert Notification: 2025.A27 (Update 2)
Allergens: Crustaceans, fish, soybeans, as per table below.
Product Identification: Please see table below.
Batch Code: All batch codes and all best before dates.
Country Of Origin: Vietnam

Product Name.	Pack Size.	Allergens.
Bao Long Hủ tiếu Nam Vang Soup Seasoning.	75g.	Crustaceans, Fish and Soybeans.
Bao Long Bun bo Hue Soup Seasoning.	75g.	Crustaceans and Fish.
Bao Long Bun Rieu Soup Seasoning.	75g.	Crustaceans and Fish.

Message: Further to FSAI food allergen alert 2025.A27 and 2025.A27 (update 1), as per the table above, all batches of Bao Long Hủ tiếu Nam Vang Soup Seasoning contain crustaceans, fish and soya. All batches of Bao Long Bun bo Hue Soup Seasoning and Bao Long Bun Rieu Soup Seasoning contain crustaceans and fish. These allergens are not declared on the label.
This may make the implicated products unsafe for consumers who are allergic to or intolerant of crustaceans, fish and/or soya.
Therefore, consumers should not eat the implicated products. The affected products are being recalled.