Before we update details of our annual St Patrick’s day celebrations; note, today is Sunday March 10th 2024, and tonight the 96th Academy Awards Ceremony takes place at the Dolby Theatre, in Hollywood, Los Angeles. In addition to reporting on who won what, magazines like ‘Vogue‘ and ‘Harper’s Bazaar‘ will be reporting on what the movie stars were wearing. Designer gowns by ‘Fendi‘, ‘Valentino‘ and other famous Italian designers will, no doubt, top the best dressed lists. But do our readers realise that Liberty Square, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, has historical links to ‘Vogue’, ‘Harper’s Bazaar’, ‘Fendi’, ‘Valentino’, and the wider Italian fashion industry? No we will not be just talking about labels on existing garments. So if you want to know more, tune in tomorrow, to read a fascinating piece of history, to add to Thurles Town’s already existing treasure trove of heritage.
Thurles St Patricks Day Parade Update.
A special thanks to Mr John Kenehan for his parade update.
Following many months of preparation the Thurles St Patrick’s Day Parade Committee has confirmed that the annual event is shaping up to be a good one, and they are praying for good weather on the day for the viewing public and the participants
We remind the public and visitors that the Thurles St Patrick’s Day Parade 2024, will take place on Sunday 17th March 2024, beginning at 2.30pm sharp in Liberty Square, Thurles.
This year’s theme is “Youth: Our hopes for the Future’. Our special “Guest of honour”, will reflect this theme, with CBS Secondary School pupil and twin category Young Scientist Award winner (2024), Luke Blackwell in attendance.
The continued success of the parade, over past years, is based largely on the generous sponsorship of local businesses, groups and Tipperary County Council.
The quality of entries and effort by clubs and organisations also ensure this annual level of success and we look forward to viewing this year’s presentation.
Note: Entry forms are still available from hello@thurlestouristoffice.ie or direct from the Tourist Office, Slievenamon Road, Thurles.
Live Music in Liberty Square will begin from 1:00pm with face painting and side attractions.
In keeping with the national day of celebration the Parade Committee are asking that all shops and businesses dress up their display windows and business fronts in green and national colours to signify our special day of celebration. Note: There will be awards for the Best dressed Window and runner-up and best Traditional Window and runner-up.
We look forward to fair weather for this most enjoyable of national holidays, and we look forward to meeting with you at the Parade on Sunday 17th March next
The committee would like to thank the people of Thurles, Upperchurch/Drombane, Holycross/Ballycahill and Moyne for their generous support to our annual fundraising appeal.
We would also like to thank also our local business sponsors for their generous support again this year:
Business Sponsors.
The Anner Hotel, Thurles Lions Club, Hanna Curtains & Blinds Ltd, The Thurles Irish Countrywomans Association, Linnane Carry-Out, Sammons Pharmacy, Vale Oil Company Ltd, Lyons Tyre Services, Denis Kinnane Motors, EuroGiant Thurles, Tipperary County Council, Barry’s SuperValu Thurles, SHE Boutique Thurles, Ronayne’s Hardware, Air Impact Ltd, Premier Surgery, Supermacs’ Thurles, O’Dwyer Transport, The Premier Credit Union, The Mall Curios, Hanafin’s Furniture & Flooring, Tim Looby Accountants, Thomas Murphy & Sons Machinery Ltd, Londis The Square, Thurles info, Butler & Young Tyres, Stakelum’s Home & Hardware, Dinan’s Timber, E. Cleary Motors Ltd, Ryans Cleaning, Hugh Ryan’s Funeral Directors, Centenary Thurles Co-op, Michael’s Jewellers, Noel Ryans Pub, Michael Lowry T.D., Pat Brennan’s Bar Thurles Ltd, Flowers R Us, Jackie Cahill T.D., Jennings Opticians, Bowe Travel, Tipp FM, Kings Mobile, Kennedys County Bar, Hickey’s Pharmacy, Mobile Tek, Kambo Chinese Restaurant, Q Mobile Thurles, The Tipperary Star, Tipperary Live, Thurles Tourist Office and Thurles Chamber of Commerce.
Currently growing in the centre of Liberty Square Thurles, replacing what use to contain parking spaces, which in turn generated town centre footfall for once thriving businesses, we now find growing ‘Hydrangeas’. Same are of the medium-sized deciduous shrub variety known as ‘Limelight’.
‘Hydrangea Limelight‘, (Liberty Square, Thurles, Co. Tipperary). Note: Because the street is now so narrow, due to poor planning; heavy traffic (In this case, more recently, a tractor and trailer) is forced unto the flowerbed in order to progress forward. (See also recent picture below). Pic. G. Willoughby.
The leaves on this shrub are pale green, same attached to grey-green stems and from mid-summer to autumn their flowers display magnificent conical shaped panicles, emerging as a delicate ‘pistachio green colour’, before fading slowly to ‘death brown’ as it naturally drops its leaves. An easy plant to grow and particularly beautiful; they will bloom year-after-year in the right location with little maintenance required, other than pruning them, once a year, enabling it to generate new flowering wood.
Hydrangea Limelight holds the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Award for Garden Merit.
Traffic forced to invade Liberty Square flower beds in Thurles town centre due to simply poor planning. Pic. G. Willoughby.
It is a very important task, each year, to prune ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas, as they flower only on new wood (In other words the shrub develops its flower buds only on new growth), with annual pruning producing a flush of new stems to carry the future year’s flowers. ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas are commonly pruned between late fall and late winter, when the plant is most dormant, and before the plant sets its buds for the next upcoming summer. With the shrub having lost its leaves; one can get a better look at its shape and also get easier access, to the branches, to make clean pruning cuts.
Sadly, the ‘Russian Sage‘ plants, sown on the outside, to frame these ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas, are not looking so healthy presently. Also a recipient of a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Award for Garden Merit; this deciduous hardy plant, with its upright, bushy grey-green leaves, attached to tall silver-grey flower-stems, should this year produce violet-blue flowers, attractive to pollinators.
‘Russian Sage’ was chosen because of its tolerance to salt, and it is hoped Co. Council trucks spreading salt on the icy winter street surface, would shield the ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas, enabling them to survive. We wait in eager anticipation.
Again, poor engineering plans and even poorer administration, will decide the future of these shrubs and the town centre itself, with the upper unfinished half section of Liberty Square, now threatened with the loss of an estimated further 19 car parking spaces, if and when it is decided to undertake this now long awaited update. Sadly, soon we may have a deserted town centre, with little or no footfall, if misguided government officialdom is allowed to make its delusionary progress.
Lyric Writers: James Ingram; Barry Mann; Cynthia Weil, and James Horner, for the soundtrack of the animated feature film “An American Tail” (1986). Vocals: American singer Linda Ronstadt and American singer, songwriter and record producer, the late James Ingram.
The lyrics convey the love felt by two people separated by vast distances, but cheered by the belief that their love will eventually reunite them to be with each other once again.
Somewhere Out There.
Somewhere out there beneath the pale moonlight, Someone’s thinking of me and loving me tonight. Somewhere out there someone’s saying a prayer, That we’ll find one another in that big somewhere out there. And even though I know how very far apart we are, It helps to think we might be wishin’ on the same bright star, And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby, It helps to think we’re sleeping underneath the same big sky. Somewhere out there, if love can see us through, Then we’ll be together somewhere out there, Out where dreams come true. And even though I know how very far apart we are, It helps to think we might be wishin’ on the same bright star, And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby, It helps to think we’re sleeping underneath the same big sky. Somewhere out there, if love can see us through, Then we’ll be together somewhere out there, Out where dreams come true.
Please join us in Cashel Library on Friday evening next, March 1st, at 7:00pm with country music sensation Ms Dee Morrissey to launch our Mná Month celebrations.
Good News; Mná Month is happening again at Cashel Library and the schedule is being currently finalised.
To date the following events have already been finalised.
NOTE: All events are provided FREE of charge at Cashel Library. Booking Essential please to Tel. No.: 062 63825. Refreshments will be served at all events. [ You canlocate the Cashel Library building, situated on Friar Street, Lady’s Well, Cashel, Co. Tipperary, HERE. (G487+RX) ].
Finalised Events To Date.
Friday, 1st March, at 7:00pm: Opening Concert with Country Music sensation Dee Morrissey. Saturday, 2nd March, at 10:00am: Crafty Women Wellbeing Workshop entitled, “It is all about ME!”, with Noeleen Watson. Monday, 4th March, at 11:00am: Free Online Services with your Local Library – Learn what your Library Card entitles you to, with IT Guru Paul Devane. Tuesday, 5th March, at 7:00pm: Visit with Author Maureen O’Sullivan, “The Girl in the Tunnel”, a true story of her survival in the Magdalene Laundries. Friday, 8th March, at 2:00pm: Stone Mad with Philip Quinn – Make Stone Pendants or Worry Stones using limestone and marble. Monday, 11th March, at 11:00am: Strong Women Karaoke Sing-a-long with Claire Grant. Tuesday, 12th March, at 11:00am: Memory Café with The Alzheimer’s Society. Wednesday, 13th March, at 7:00pm: Visit with Author with Eimear Ryan, author of book “The Grass Ceiling”. Tuesday, 19th March, at 6:30pm: Women’s Health and Menopause with Nicola Ryan Menopause Pharmacist Tuesday, 26th March, at 3:00pm: Genealogy with Mary Guinan Darmody. Tuesday, 26th March, at 6:15pm:Movie Night “Shirley Valentine“. Wednesday 27th March at 2:30pm: Sustainable Jewellery Making with Gillian Tobin Thursday, 29th March, at 3:00pm: Circle Dancing with Tracey Tobin. (Circle Dance is a gentle healing way to bring mind, body & spirit together, Relieve stress and create energy).
World Book Day, 7th March 2024, is just around the corner.
Ahead of a host of annual celebrations across libraries, schools and book shops, World Book Day tokens have now been issued.
Same are valid from February 15th until March 31st 2024, and you can access your World Book Day token digitally, by simply clicking HERE.
In participating bookshops, each voucher entitles the bearer to a free World Book Day Book or €1.50 off books costing €3.99 or more. Both Easons(Thurles Shopping Centre) and Bookworm(Parnell Street), here in Thurles town are taking part and below are some of the amazing World Book Day books, that you can pick up free from our local booksellers:-
Elmer and the Patchwork Story, by David McKee.
Greg the Sausage Roll: Lunchbox Superhero, by Mark and Roxanne Hoyle.
Dinosaur Club: On the Trail of a T-Rex, by Rex Stone.
Marv and the Ultimate Superpower, by Alex Falase-Koya.
Can You Get Jellyfish in Space?, by Dr Sheila Kanani.
Loki: Tales of a Bad God, by Walker Press.
The Curious Case of the Irish Yeti: Molly Malone and Bram Stoker, by Alan Nolan.
Inis Mara, by Tristan Rosenstock.
For more information on World Book Day visit your local book shop and www.worldbookday.com.
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