Thurles Information

The winner of the coveted title of “International Miss Macra 2009” organised by Clonoulty/ Rossmore Macra Club, Co.Tipperary, was announced to a packed attendance at the annual Macra Gala Banquet in Dundrum House Hotel, Co.Tipperary, last night.

The title “International Miss Macra” went to Edel Ronan representing Carbery Club in West Cork, with 2nd and 3rd places going to Angela Wall representing Meath and Lucy Lawler representing Wexford respectively.

The talented winner of the event received a cheque for €1000, a Tipperary Crystal vase and a silver perpetual trophy kindly sponsored by Dundrum House Hotel.

Runners up received generous prizes from sponsors Marcedes Kearney, Nu-du Lounge Beauty Salon, Clonoulty and Tipperary Co-Operative respectively. All of the contestants taking part were presented with beautiful pieces of specially commissioned jewellery as mementos of the occasion, kindly sponsored by Michael’s Jewellers, Thurles, Co.Tipperary.

This annual event has now been running for the past 38 years and its popularity continues to increase with each passing year, encompassing not just the farming community. This years winners fought off strong competition from 25 other talented competitors who had been selected by their farming organisations to compete in the competition.

Attending the festival this year were visitors returning from contries such as Sweden, Egypt, Scotland, England, USA and Germany, to name but a few.

National President Of Macra Address

In a challenging address to an assembled audience of some 320 guests attending  the Gala Banquet held in Dundrum House Hotel last night, Mr Michael Gowing, County Laois dairy farmer and National President of Macra, stated:

“In these very challenging times, we the young people of Ireland must continue to show leadership in our daily activities and within our communities. Now, more than ever the important role Macra plays in the communities in which it operates around Ireland, is more critical than ever before. The International Miss Macra Festival is a classic example of how Macra members can provide a modern day positive focus within an area while encompassing all the traditional values that Macra membership includes. To all the International Miss Macra’s and your supporters, I strongly encourage you to use your membership to the full, get out there and be active, remain positive, be involved, be Macra“.

He continued:

“Throughout its history, Macra has proved to be a veritable success story. Its continued vibrancy, through decades when the number of farms and farmers has decreased, bears testimony to its longevity and staying power. Macra has played an intrinsic part in fostering and promoting a population demographic, which could easily have been overlooked, or under represented, through an era of increased urbanisation”.

Forty-two local Department of Agriculture offices are to be abolished in the most drastic re-organisation in the history of the Agri service, as part of cost cutting measures.

County Tipperary will lose four offices and twelve other Irish counties will be without a local centre. Thurles.Info understands that this plan has been given the green light by the present Government.

Location Of Enhanced offices

Enhanced offices will now be located in Cork (Cork City and Clonakilty), Kerry (Tralee), Limerick (Raheen), Waterford (Waterford City), Tipperary (Tipperary town), Wexford (Enniscorthy), Offaly (Tullamore), Meath (Navan), Kildare (Naas), Cavan (Cavan town), Leitrim (Drumshanbo), Donegal (Raphoe), Galway (Galway City) Mayo (Castlebar), and Roscommon (Roscommon town).

Location of intended closures

The offices targeted for closure in Tipperary are:  Thurles, Clonmel, Cahir, and Nenagh, while offices in  Dungarvan, Waterford Forestry Service, Sligo, Athlone, Mullingar, Baltinglass, Wicklow town, Birr, Monaghan town, Drogheda, Ballina, Claremorris, Letterkenny (two), Glenties, Donegal town, Carlow town (two), Ennis (two), Cork City (two), Mallow, Skibbereen, Tallaght, Loughrea, Tuam, Athenry, Killarney, Castleisland, Naas (Sallins Road office), Kilkenny, Portlaoise, Carrick-on-Shannon, Longford town and Dundalk will also be closed.

A large number of Tipperary farmers were among a group of over 7,000 protesters who gathered in the constituency of Minister Brendan Smith TD,  in Co.Cavan yesterday to demonstrate their views regarding cuts to the agriculture sector. Farmers say their industry is being decimated by a number of recent cutbacks and recommendations.

Farmers are irate following recommendations made in the recent An Bord Snip‘s  report, which calls for an end to the Suckler Cow Scheme and a winding down of the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS). Under REPS, the Government has stopped accepting new applicants to the subsidy scheme, but existing participants will continue to receive payments for up to five years. However, the IFA says the move is another cutback on top of cuts in Disadvantaged Area Payments and Suckler Cow Payments made earlier this year.

IFA President Padraig Walshe stated that the recommendations contained Colm McCarthy’s report were a ‘barefaced attack on rural Ireland’.

Dept of Agriculture to reorganise Tipperary office networks

Meanwhile the Irish Department of Agriculture is now most likely to re-organise its Tipperary office network which will have a major effect right across County Tipperary. A new structure of approximately sixteen offices will provide for the co-location of staff currently based in the twenty-eight District Veterinary Offices, twenty Agricultural Environment and Structures Offices and ten Forestry Offices, shedding 400 jobs of the current workforce of 4,000 employees. In this report the Agricultural Environment Structures Office in Thurles, the Agricultural Environment Structures Office in Clonmel, the Cahir Forest Service Office and the Nenagh District Veterinary Office are all recommended for closure. If recommendations in the report are followed North Tipperary will now be served by Limerick while in the south of the county, Tipperary Town will be the centralised location.

North Tipp Fianna Fail Deputy Maire Hoctor stated that she is hoping that staff  employed within Nenagh and Thurles can be accommodated locally in both the Revenue and Social Welfare offices.