Thurles Information

“A house divided against itself, cannot stand”

Excerpt from a speech made by Abraham Lincoln (Later to become President of the United States of America), on June 16th, 1858.

Thurles Shopping Centre in Co. Tipperary could be under threat of closure by January 1st, 2020.

Once again Tipperary Co. Council has ‘bounced’ the town of Thurles into the national spotlight and again for all the wrong reasons. Previously it was six new uninhabited ‘state of the art’ houses erected for members of the Travelling Community; latter costing in excess of €2 million, when High Court costs are added.

Now the High Court is involved yet again and the future of Thurles Shopping Centre in Co. Tipperary could be under threat of closure. That is according to its owners GL Ireland ICAV, latter who purchased the shopping centre at Slievenamon Road, here in the town, just some four years ago.

Owners GL Ireland claim that the Thurles Shopping Centre will have to close if it is forced to comply with three enforcement notices issued against it by Tipperary County Council, in respect of conditions attached to the planning permission already granted to the shopping centre’s previous owners back in 2007.

From what we can gather the enforcement notices received relate to, (1) the undertaking of landscaping works on lands the current owners claim is not their property; (2) the removal and repositioning of external windows and doors, and the construction of significant structures including a maintenance building and a bicycle park; and finally (3) the closure of the only entrance which the shopping centre currently uses and has used for the past 12 years, in the delivery of goods and services.

Same notices have now resulted in a challenge being brought by the owners before the High Court. Permission to bring this challenge against Tipperary Co. Council was granted on an ex-parte application basis, by Mr Justice Seamus Noonan. [An ex parte application is a request made to a court where only the party making the request is represented and the other side is not given any notice.]

Mr Justice Seamus Noonan has now placed a stay on Tipperary Co. Council officials, from taking any further steps in respect of their enforcement notices; pending the outcome of this expected High Court action, which is understood will be heard during the month of December next.

Thurles residents are at pains to understand why the owners paid possibly €10 – €15million Euros in 2015, for a building containing several nationally recognised retail stores e.g. Elverys, Boots, Carraig Donn, Dunnes Stores, Easons, Paul Byron, Costa, Specsavers, etc, a Multiplex Cinema and had also recently attracted Thurles Post Office; without first checking that all planning was in keeping with the requirements of Tipperary Co. Councillors, prior to their purchase.

In the words of William Shakespere “Ay, there’s the rub” – Thurles Post Office

Blame for the possible loss of the 127 full time jobs currently enjoyed in the Thurles Shopping Centre, is now being blamed, rightly or wrongly, on 3 local factions – Thurles Chamber of Commerce; local Municipal District Councillors and those involved in the recent S.O.S (Save Our Square) Campaign. This latter unsuccessful campaign, which also came to national attention this year, saw some Liberty Square retailers attempting to prevent Thurles Post Office from moving to the Thurles Shopping Centre.

Speaking to some consumers today, same were critical of retailers operating in Liberty Square, whom they stated, “closed their premises during lunch hour (1:00pm – 2:00pm) forcing same consumers to shop outside the town”.

When asked regarding the loss of foot fall due to the absence of An Post from Liberty Square, one housewife stated “Liberty Square, Thurles contains 3 banks and within another 30 metres, on Parnell Street, one busy Credit Union office. Some 6,000 students attending schools alight on this square daily, and yet the shop keepers appear to be caught in a 19th century time warp, protected by a Chamber of Commerce, who for the last 20 years have totally failed each and every business. How many of you men ever tried to push a buggy containing a child through the doors of the old An Post offices, I wonder? If they had they might have understood why An Post moved”, she concluded.

One elderly gentleman waiting on a train to Limerick Junction wisely remarked to me on this issue, “The Chamber and local Councillors have successfully divided Thurles town into two halves. People fail to understand that when you remove one or more main components from a body, it dies. Tipperary Co. Councillors permitted the introduction of parking charges, resulting in the extermination of footfall on Liberty Square. This in turn lead to the destruction of Liberty Square retailing. Now, if permitted same individuals will destroy Thurles Shopping Centre also. A house divided against itself, cannot stand and Councillors responsible should resign”, he concluded.