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Mr Jim O’Regan reports on today’s ‘Hidden Tipperary’ tourism meeting.
 Farney Castle, Co Tipperary. A meeting of the Hidden Tipperary Tourism group was held today (Tuesday February 4th, 2014), at Farney Castle, convening at 11:00am. The attendance included Tom Noone (Chairperson), George Willoughby (P.R.O.) St. Mary’s Famine Museum), Cyril and Margie Cullen (Farney Castle), Nuala Ryan (Upperchurch Development Assoc.), Pat Slattery (Cormackstown Heritage Centre), Liam Ó Donnchú (Acting Secretary) and Jim O’Regan (Lár na Páirce).
Apologies: Una Ryan (Marketing Eye), Councillor Evelyn Nevin (North Tipperary Tourism), Johnny Enright (Thurles Sarsfields), David Morgan (Semple Stadium), Michael Long (Cabragh Wetlands) and Adam Tozer (Holycross Abbey).
Hosts of this mornings meeting, Mr Cyril and Mrs Margie Cullen both took the group on a tour of Farney Castle, before the meeting commenced. (A visit to this venue is Highly Recommended, I might add.)
The Chairperson began by first asking for ideas on how the group might further advance the marketing of itself. The group agreed that a brochure should be printed, in addition to the web-based promotion currently being undertaken. All agreed to provide the Hidden Tipperary website administration with information, both for use on the website itself and for the preparation of a new brochure. It was agreed to only include information that is relatively permanent and to keep information of a more temporary character for website use, where it can be more easily updated.
Members spoke of encouraging the use of local media and in particular highlighted the recent coverage by the “Tipperary Star Newspaper” which had come on board since the beginning, providing coverage of recent meetings. The use of radio and its willingness to air programmes about the group was also discussed. There was general agreement that the latter should be further pursued once the contents of a brochure had been prepared.
The Chairperson then asked if anyone had further information relating to bus tour operators. It was pointed out that Farney Castle had recently been added to the Marathon Tours brochure. However other tour organisers saw Thurles as a problematic place to visit, because of traffic difficulties and parking.
Chairperson Tom Noone encouraged the group to continue to promote Thurles as a central location, both within Tipperary and in Ireland, particularly as North and South Tipperary are soon to be united, while strongly highlighting past and recent personal observances.
It was pointed out that there were no Hotel or B&B representatives as yet among the group, and attendees were encouraged to talk to the Hotel, Restaurant and B&B sectors locally and encourage them to send contact details and other relevant information.
Derrynaflan Hoard
P.R.O. George Willoughby updated the group on efforts to bring the Derrynaflan Hoard back to Thurles in 2015 on a visit, (Marking the 35th anniversary of it’s finding). He reported that through the continuous efforts of Alan Kelly (Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport), a meeting had been convened with the Director and Assistant director of the National Museum. With space for the meeting kindly afforded in Ministers Kelly’s private office in Kildare Street, presentations by the Minister and himself had examined policy ideas with both assembled senior Museum Officials for some 80 minutes. During these discussions Minister Kelly whittled down many of the major issues which arose, with main important start off points being identified; e.g. (A) Suitability of possible identified and named venues, (B) Insurance costs & required security issues. Further discussions in relation to the latter will now be further investigated with recommendations expected to be forwarded by the newly appointed County Tipperary CEO Mr Joe MacGrath, together with North Tipperary Councillors and their official staff to the Minister & National Museum Officials. Venues suggested were The Source, Lár na Páirce and St Patrick’s College with a preference for the latter, due to current town traffic congestion and delays.
Chairman Tom Noone proposed that the next ‘Hidden Tipperary Tourism Meeting’ be held four weeks from today. In keeping with the already agreed principal, that by the group meeting in each other’s facilities, they would better learn the range and variety of current visitor assets. Mr Pat Slattery invited the group to hold the next meeting at the Cormackstown Heritage Centre, thus setting a venue for Tuesday, March 4th, at 11:00 am.
The meeting concluded at 12:30pm with the Chairman, on behalf of the group, thanking both Margie & Cyril Cullen for their excellent hospitality & the Tipperary Star Newspaper for their solid local support in promoting Hidden Tipperary’s tourism activities.
Support Hidden Tipperary Tourism Group – Our very economic futures may greatly depend on it.
  
 In 2008, it was Mr John McGuinness TD, once Social Protection.’
The recipient of our letter is a male aged 21 years, holding recognised University qualifications, who unfortunately like so many Irish born individuals is currently in receipt of €100 weekly, as an unemployed person residing in the State. To retain issues of privacy we now refer to this individual as Pat.
Pat has to the complete satisfaction of an accountant, supplied full documentation in every respect to The Department of Social Protection, from which he currently receives his assistance here in Tipperary. Since October last Pat has only been employed for an eight weeks contract, on a minimum wage for 18 hours per week, to enable the setting up of a new retail business venture. His employer has made full returns to Revenue as required at years end, the true facts therein, thus generating this nonsense and lazy double check.
Implications In The Coming Weeks For Small Business & Thousands Of Unemployed
The document shown above was posted in Dublin city yesterday, postmarked 23/1/2014, at a cost to the taxpayer of €0.60 and received mid-day today. According to the date on the content of this communication, it obviously lay in an ‘Out Tray’ on some public servants desk for five days, before someone ran it through a franking machine and dropped it in a post bag.
Note: According to a female public servant at the Tipperary Social Protection Office and who refused to check Pats file, she claims that thousands of these letters have been already posted or are about to be posted to recently unemployed people, over the coming weeks. Same must be completed by employers supplying all necessary documentation sought.
The text of this letter states; “The Department of Social Protection has been notified by the Revenue Commissioners that, according to their records, you are working /having worked for/received a pension from ….
(a) Click on picture above for larger image and note that 3rd line of page one, names the last employer, and now blacked out.
(b) Part one, on page two, require the employer to confirm remuneration details paid to short contract employees, confirming details already supplied in many cases to Social Protection on termination of this contracted employment, thus doubling the workload on these employers.
(c) Since the original communication was delayed some six days prior to issue, based on the date shown on the letter, unemployed persons now have only 6 working days to respond to Social Protections request. Pat has been informed by his last employer that he must wait until time permits their accounting officials locate and copy payslips and time sheets.
(d) From our unemployed man’s point of view, who has already confirmed all of this information, two other issues now arise;
- Will he be cut his €100 if his previous employer fails to provide yet again this required information on time?
- Will he have enough money to attend an interview in Kildare in 12 days time for which he must expend €50 of his unemployment income in travel expenses, to attend?
(e) Since, as stated, Pat is aged 21 and has only worked six weeks in his entire life, how could he be accused of being in receipt of a pension?
One cannot feel but genuine sympathy for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Mr Brendan Howlin and Minister of State, latter with responsibility for Public Service Reform, Mr Brian Hayes, as they both now attempt to implement overdue reform on a specially protected and over paid organisation controlled by unions who in turn protect deliberate daily incompetence, latter which is begun at the highest level and is silently sanctioned by other servile supervisors through the downward chain of command.
We invite your comments please.
 New Gardaí are to be now recruited again, on a rolling basis, to assist in maintaining the existing force’s overall strength at 13,000.
Approximately one hundred new recruits are expected to be admitted to the Garda training college in Templemore, Co Tipperary, at intervals of three to four months with the first batch of one hundred to arrive in Templemore next summer, graduating as fully fledged members of the force two years later.
Details of this new recruitment to the Gardaí, which has been dormant since 2009 because of a moratorium on public service numbers, is understood to be officially announced today.
It is understood that more than 32,000 applicants have already expressed an interest in joining the Garda force and same will form the bulk of those competing for the initial one hundred places.
These applications are currently being examined and the Public Appointments Commission will set an initial online test for interested parties in early January 2014. Further assessments will then be carried out and the numbers whittled down before a group is chosen for a full interviewing process.
What do you buy the man who has everything? Mr Sports Gift based in Nenagh, just now, maybe the perfect answer to that age old question. Thanks to Mr Sports Gift, Christmas Day, Father’s Day and Birthdays can no longer be a source of frustration for that lady looking for something very different and special for the man in her life.
 By using cutting edge, patented technology, Mr Sports Gift can personalise a sports ball in almost any imaginable way, creating a unique gift for any occasion. Mr Sports Gift can print a photograph, logo, family crest or an affectionate, humorous or congratulatory message, directly on to a Hurley, Sliotar, Rugby ball, Gaelic football, Soccer ball or a range of other sports items, for that personalised ‘one of a kind’ gift.
Launched in early May of this year by Mr Noel Cahill and his son Aidan, the new company is growing from strength to strength and has already moved from off the kitchen table, to a state of the art manufacturing unit in Nenagh.
Speaking to Thurles.Info this week Mr Sports Gift’s Managing Director Noel Cahill said “We’ve had a huge reaction to our product so far and we are trying to get to as many events as possible to market and gain the maximum exposure for our products. We have a weekly spot at the Nenagh Indoor Market and we also make regular visits to Thurles Shopping Centre as well as other locations around the country. The National Ploughing Championships, Tullamore Show and International Hurling Festival were particularly good for us and we were fortunate to be invited on to Ireland AM recently, for the “Boost my Business,” slot which was a fantastic experience.”
Here, having successfully pitched to an assessment panel, Noel secured a place on the TESS (Tipperary Enterprise Start-Up Support) Programme run by LIT Tipperary and based in the new Thurles Chamber Enterprise Centre. TESS is based on the highly successful LEAP and FAST programmes run by LIT over the past five years and participants on these types of incubation programme have much higher potential and greater success rates.
During the 12 month programme, which commenced in July 2012, TESS provided a range of integrated supports based around strategic planning, management training and business coaching. “All of these supports worked together to challenge and guide all of us into developing a sound business plan and building a sustainable and profitable business. I walked in with a couple of prototypes in a carrier bag and graduated with a real live business,” Noel said.
Noel has been working in the business on a full time basis since September 3rd 2012, having taken a career break from the Civil Service with over 17 years service, most recently as Press Officer for the Department of Social Protection. A former player and Secretary of Toomevara GAA club, Noel also played rugby with Nenagh Ormond and all of these connections are proving useful in establishing the new business.
While the majority of Mr Sports Gift customers so far have been female choosing gifts for men, extensive market research has identified other opportunities as Noel pointed out “Our research has thrown up a number of problems that we think Mr Sports Gift can solve including the difficulty of commemorating a sporting achievement outside of the usual trophies, medal and plaques. There is also an issue finding new corporate gifts that are not already on the market. Diaries, pens and umbrellas have a limited attraction when you’ve got them more than once. We also believe that in the sliotar we have a uniquely Irish gift that is not already on the gift market and so there is worldwide potential.”
With Christmas in mind Mr Sports Gift has introduced a number of new offerings including personalised Christmas ornaments, baby blocks and even pet balls so even our four legged friends don’t feel left out. Ordering is easy either through the online shop on the Website www.mrsportsgift.com or by Email to info@mrsportsgift.com. Just send the photographs and instructions and Mr Sports Gift will do the rest and get your personalised gift back to you in just a couple of days.
For customers in the Thurles area there is a selection of personalised balls on display in Lár na Páirce and Mr Sports Gift will be in Thurles Shopping Centre (Beside Tipp FM broadcast unit) on Friday 22nd and 29th November.
Contact Details: Unit 3J, Connolly St Business Centre, Nenagh, Tel: 067 37813
Are you producing a Tipperary manufactured product, something which you feel would make a welcome Christmas Gift? Then don’t be shy, please do tell us about it by clicking HERE.
 Employees at the former M&J Gleeson plant in Borrisoleigh may decide to take strike action this evening in an ongoing dispute over the takeover, just last year, by the multi-national C&C group plc. This threat comes following a recommendation by the Labour Court calling on the multi-national drinks firm to recognise a newly established union at the Borrisoleigh/Tipperary facility, which would allow for negotiations on future redundancies and pay cuts.
C&C took over from M&J Gleeson (November 2012) and Bulmers in Clonmel (May2013), but while Bulmers in Clonmel are fully unionised, the SIPTU union have only recently been established at the Borrisoleigh plant.
C&C are now refusing to recognise SIPTU, citing the previous Union stance of M&J Gleeson. Employees however claim that this has greatly impacted negatively in a number of areas including lower redundancy packages, pay cuts and new employment terms and conditions.
On October 30th SIPTU sought a hearing with the Labour Court, latter which recommended M&J Gleeson and C&C should engage with SIPTU for the purposes of ongoing collective bargaining. However the multinational company refused to attend the hearing and staff have yet to get a response to this Labour Court recommendation.
Workers will now meet in the Marian Hall, Main Street, Borrisoleigh this evening to further discuss these developments and ballot the workforce, with a view to possible strike action at the company.
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