Employment « Thurles Information

‘One19 Coffee’ May Be Coming To Thurles.

Notice has been given in accordance with Section 183 of the Local Government Act 2001, pursuant to powers contained in Section 211 of the planning & Development Act 2000, with regards to the disposal of property known as Thurles Market Place, Cathedral Street, Thurles, which is now set for consideration at a meeting of the Council on Monday next, September 8th, 2025.

**Up-to-date** **state of Thurles Market Place, currently under construction.**
*Pic: G. Willoughby*.

We understand that Tipperary Co. Council sought submissions from interested parties to operate a Cafe within the soon to be fully developed/completed ‘Thurles Market Quarter‘ area.
Same was part of a regeneration initiative, funded through the Rural Regeneration & Development Fund (RRDF begun in 2019), and was designed to enhance the vibrancy, in this case Thurles town, which over the past 4 years has lost over 60% of its footfall, through poor forced planning.
Following an assessment of submissions by the Council it is now recommended that ‘One19 Coffee’ be awarded the contract under a 5 year lease period.

One19 Coffee.
On any given weekday, as you drive through Templemore Town, you will be greeted by the sight of people queuing outside of ‘One19 Coffee‘. What began as a small coffee shop, has successfully expanded to offer cakes, snacks, sandwiches, açaí bowls (latter a thick, smoothie-like nutrient-rich fruit treat made from pureed and frozen açaí berries), together with a wide range of other ‘light bites’.
It now enjoys a devoted and ever-growing customer base, with young and old traveling from Thurles and indeed all over Tipperary, to enjoy great coffee and quality food.

Today we just learned that a coffee and light bite from ‘One19 Coffee’ may no longer require a trip to Templemore. In a move that many will welcome, ‘One19 Coffee’ may soon open its doors in Thurles, in the old re-constructed stone 1849 shed building on Cathedral Street in the town.

The quality reputation of ‘One19’ will surely boost footfall to the Thurles Town Park, if confirmed. If ‘One19’ are successful they will rent this stone building at a cost of €1,750:00 per month and will commit to signing a 5 year lease.

Who wouldn’t agree that this seems great in theory?
In terms of local development, ‘One19’ coupled with an attractive albeit costly canopy roofed marketplace yet to be completed and paid for by taxpayer funding; same is arguably positive steps in the right direction.

Nevertheless, as they say in real estate circles, a property’s worth boils down to three things – location, location, location!
‘One19 Coffee’ in Templemore has greatly benefited from its prime location near one of Tipperary’s most beautiful parks. Latter is meticulously landscaped and looked after; boasting a recently upgraded playground, Templemore Park is indeed a tourist attraction in and of itself.

The Playground in Thurles Town Park is also enjoyed daily and is adjacent to an excellent Library, Theatre and Leisure Centre. Although all these man-made structures are attractive (the permanently closed skating park being the exception), in contrast to Templemore the natural surroundings in Thurles Town Park are seen as sorely neglected; even abandoned; polluted and smells to high heaven, caused by a lack of action on the part of Council Officials.

Time now to call on Tipperary County Council to see this project to a successful end and once and for all invest funding to clean up the river and develop the riverside walk.

At a minimum can the rent from ‘One19 Coffee’ and funds raised from other market and festival events being paid for by taxpayers, be reinvested in Thurles and not simply disappear back into the coffers of Tipperary County Council.

Wouldn’t we all relish the sight of happy families and customers queuing for food and enjoying the beauty of a revitalised River Suir and Riverside walk? Here’s hoping it will be part of our near future.

Dundrum House Golf & Leisure Resort, Co. Tipperary Shuts Down With 48 Jobs Lost.

The Dundrum House Golf & Leisure Resort situated in Co Tipperary has been forced to close with immediate effect, resulting in the loss of 48 jobs.

The company said the business had continued to operate at a loss and was no longer able to meet its financial obligations.
A 30-day collective redundancy consultation process with employees is expected to begin later this week.

**Dundrum House Golf & Leisure Resort**. *Pic: G.Wlloughby*.

An IPAS accommodation centre on the Dundrum House campus, which is operated independently, is not expected to be affected by the closure.

Brogan Capital Ventures, which owns and operates the golf resort, informed staff today that the company would cease trading. The decision affects the restaurant, bar, golf course, driving range, golf shop and leisure centre.

In a statement, Brogan Capital Ventures said it very much regretted the adverse impact of this decision on its valued employees, golf and leisure centre members, customers, suppliers, the local community and other stakeholders. However, they state that the closure is unavoidable given the state of the company’s current financial affairs.

€30 Million Road Project Approved for Thurles To Nenagh Road.

€30 Million realignment project has finally received approval for the R498, an area situated between Thurles and Nenagh.

The R498 realignment will take place in the Latteragh area between Thurles and Nenagh.
Funding of €20 million approved for civil works.
€4 million already allocated for design, consultancy, and land compensation.

Tipperary County Council has confirmed that a major road improvement project for the R498 is now set to proceed.

The scheme, with estimated costings of some €30 million, is expected to deliver significant safety upgrades through the realignment of a section of the R498 route close to Latteragh. The Department of Transport has approved €20 million in funding to appoint a civil works contractor, who is expected to undertake a two-year programme necessary to complete the works.

**R498 Thurles to Nenagh Road , Co. Tipperary.**

This funding is in addition to some €4 million which has already been set aside to cover design fees, consultancy services, and compensation payable to landowners, affected by the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) process. Compensation offers issued to all landowners, have been accepted by some, with the remainder under negotiation with valuers.

The existing R498 at Latteragh is a single carriageway, 4.3km in length, which follows the contours around the Latteragh hills, adjacent to the meandering Nenagh River. These bends have led to the road having a sub-standard cross-section resulting in numerous vehicle collisions in the past.
The scheme is located approximately 7km south-east of the M7 Nenagh Bypass and as stated, involves the improvement of approximately 4.3km of the existing R498 route.

A shared footway/cycle track is proposed along the length of the scheme, utilising sections of the old road alignment and within the proposed verge along one side of the road, which will have a design speed of 85km/h.
The existing three junctions are being improved as part of the scheme, with the provision of a right/left staggered ghost island junction at each junction.
There are also two single span bridge crossings over the Nenagh River with reinforced soil construction proposed for the wing-walls.

Some advance works have already been undertaken since last year, which included fencing and site clearance, along with archaeological investigations.

This project will be seen to represents a major investment in road safety and regional infrastructure, with the realignment of this section addressing long-standing safety concerns and providing a modern, reliable transport link between Thurles and Nenagh.

Government Announces Launch Of Tenders For Family Justice Initiatives.

Children’s Court Advocate Pilot.
Family Law Reporting Project.

As stated above, the initiatives are the Children’s Court Advocate Pilot and the Family Law Reporting Project.

In the Report on Consultations with Children and Young People for the Family Justice Oversight Group in 2022, it was identified that children want more information, to be given a choice in how to have their voice heard and they also want professionals providing the support to show genuine care and interest. This development also follows the Review of the Role of Expert Reports in the Family Law Process published in 2024.

The Children’s Court Advocate pilot seeks to improve how the voice of the child is heard and considered in private family law proceedings. The aim is to ensure children can access child friendly and appropriate information about the legal process and are given meaningful opportunities to express their views in a manner appropriate to their age, development, and individual needs. The pilot reflects the objective of the Family Justice Strategy to make the reformed system more child-centred.

The pilot will initially be established in two District Court locations – Waterford City and Clonmel – and will apply to all applications made for guardianship, custody and/or access.

A review will be carried out no later than 18 months into the project and, subject to the outcome of that review and availability of funding, it is intended that phase two will expand the scope of the pilot to include incoming Circuit Court divorce and judicial separation cases. It is expected the total pilot period will be three years.

The second tender is for a Family Law Reporting Project, a commitment under goal six of the Family Justice Strategy. The overall aim of the Project is to enhance transparency both for the public about family law proceedings and confidence in the judicial determination of family law disputes, while continuing to ensure the privacy of those proceedings for children and families. The systematic reports on aspects of family law cases that the Project will produce and publish will further public understanding and awareness of, and confidence in, the judicial determination of family law disputes.

Information on both tenders has been posted HERE.

The closing date for submissions for both tenders is September 15th 2025.

Hope For Continued Horse Racing At Thurles, Co. Tipperary Following Positive Discussions.

As yet, unnamed and undecided individuals are understood to have expressed a keen interest in taking a lease on the Thurles racetrack.

The future of racing at Thurles Racecourse remains hopeful following a “positive” meeting between Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), the Association of Irish Racecourses (AIR), and members representing the current owners.

The Molony family recently announced that they were stepping back after more than a century of running the Thurles, Co. Tipperary venue, raising fears it could close altogether.
However, the family has left the door open for new investors or managers to take over the complex.

We understand that Thurles still has six fixtures scheduled for the current year and has been allocated 11 dates pencilled into the draft 2026 fixture list, thus showing confidence that racing can and will continue.
AIR chief executive Mr Paul Hensey said he was “hopeful” of an agreement, noting the track’s importance for winter National Hunt racing.

The Molony family’s surprise decision was linked to several factors including retirement plans, the rising cost of doing business, and the impact of recent tragedies in the racing community.

A former racecourse manager Mr Angus Houston has urged authorities to ensure the Thurles track remains open, calling it “too important to lose” and suggesting the situation could be an opportunity to strengthen support across all other Irish horse racing tracks.