McDonald’s has confirmed that its new drive-thru restaurant in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, is scheduled to open on Wednesday, August 19th, 2026.
The opening will come almost one year after An Coimisiún Pleanála issued its final approval for the controversial development, bringing a lengthy planning process and months of local debate to an end. The new restaurant is being constructed on a former industrial site at the junction of Slievenamon Road and the now once again delayed “Thurles Relief Road“, close to the Lidl supermarket and approximately 700 metres from Thurles town centre.
Plans provide for a single-storey restaurant measuring almost 479 square metres, together with a drive-thru lane, customer-ordering points, digital menu boards, car parking, accessible spaces, electric-vehicle charging bays and bicycle parking. The development will also include outdoor seating, landscaping, lighting, signage, an electricity substation and changes to the existing vehicle entrance from the relief road.
Recruitment Begins Ahead of August Launch. McDonald’s has begun recruiting full-time and part-time staff members for the new Thurles restaurant. The recruitment advertisement confirms the August 19th opening date and states that successful applicants will receive paid training at other nearby McDonald’s restaurants during the weeks leading up to the launch. Advertised hourly pay for some adult employees is up to €14.25, depending on age and the terms of the new positions. The recruitment drive is expected to create a significant number of new low paid hospitality jobs in the Thurles area, although the company has not publicly confirmed the restaurant’s total anticipated workforce.
Plans Attracted More Than 20 Objections. McDonald’s Restaurants of Ireland submitted its planning application for the Thurles development in September 2024. The proposal proved controversial from the beginning, attracting more than 20 objections from residents and other interested parties. Concerns raised during the initial planning process included the location of the outlet, traffic levels, road safety, litter, noise, opening hours and the proximity of the proposed restaurant to residential properties and childcare facilities. Some objectors also raised public-health concerns relating to fast food and childhood obesity. The development was originally intended to operate around the clock. However, permission ultimately restricted its opening hours to between 6am and 10pm, meaning the Thurles restaurant will not be permitted to trade on a 24-hour basis.
Tipperary County Council initially sought additional information from the applicant, including further details concerning traffic and the proposed operation of the development. Documents submitted during that stage included an analysis indicating that the site would have space for a queue of approximately 32 vehicles, before waiting traffic would potentially reach the adjoining public road.
Council Permission Was Appealed Tipperary County Council granted permission for the restaurant, subject to conditions, on April 9th, 2025. That decision was subsequently appealed to the national planning authority by a third party, while a number of additional observations were submitted for consideration. An Coimisiún Pleanála examined issues including traffic and pedestrian safety, flood risk, residential amenity, visual impact, town-centre development and the site’s proximity to the River Suir and the Lower River Suir Special Area of Conservation. The Commission issued its decision on August 26th, 2025, upholding the council’s decision and granting permission with revised conditions. In its formal order, the planning body determined that the development would not seriously damage the amenities of nearby properties or create unacceptable risks in relation to public health, flooding, traffic, pedestrian safety or visual amenity. It also considered the mixed-use zoning of the former industrial land, Thurles’s status as a key regional town and the planning policies applying to the area.
Construction Work Underway Site-clearance activity began in early 2026, allowing construction of the restaurant and associated infrastructure to proceed. Information published locally indicated that the principal works were expected to take place between February and July, leaving several weeks for completion, staff training and final preparations before the planned August opening. The development represents the latest chapter in efforts to bring a McDonald’s outlet to the former Erin Foods lands. A previous application connected to a proposed drive-thru restaurant at the wider site was submitted as far back as 2020 but was deemed incomplete shortly afterwards.
While the current project has continued to divide opinion locally, the August opening will introduce one of the world’s largest fast-food brands to Thurles and hopefully provide new employment opportunities for the town For supporters, the development represents investment, additional consumer choice and the productive reuse of former industrial land. For critics, concerns about traffic, litter, public health, late-evening activity and the effect of drive-thru development on the character of the area remain.
Barring any construction or operational delays, the first customers are expected to be welcomed through the doors of the new Thurles McDonald’s on August 19th.
Undeclared milk in a mispacked batch of Doritos Chilli Heatwave Flavour Corn Chips.
Alert Summary dated Friday, July 17th 2026.
Allergy Alert Notification: 2026.A22 Allergen: Milk Product Identification: Doritos Chilli Heatwave Flavour Corn Chips; pack size: 140g Batch Code: GBC 209 184C; best-before date: 05/12/2026 Country Of Origin: United Kingdom
Message: Part of the above batch of Doritos Chilli Heatwave Flavour Corn Chips was mispacked with Doritos Tangy Cheese Flavour Corn Chips. The product contains milk, but the packaging only contains a precautionary “may contain milk” statement. This may make the batch unsafe for consumers who are allergic to or intolerant of milk and therefore, these consumers should not eat the implicated batch.
FSAI warn of undeclared mustard and celery in a batch of Diggers Chicken Curry and Chips.
Alert Summary Dated Thursday, 16th July 2026.
Allergy Alert Notification: 2026.A20. Allergen(s): Celery and Mustard. Product Identification: Diggers Chicken Curry & Chips; pack size: 1kg. Batch Code L26032001: best-before date: 19.09.2027. Country Of Origin: China.
Message: The above batch of Diggers Chicken Curry & Chips contains celery and mustard which are not declared in the list of ingredients. This may make the batch unsafe for consumers who are allergic to or intolerant of celery and/or mustard and therefore, these consumers should not eat the implicated batch.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today reported that Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE) and officers in the Food Safety Authority (FSAI) served 13 Closure Orders and one Prohibition Order on food businesses during the month of June for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020.
Eight Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
Navan Asian Store(Closed activities: butcher counter and area including coldroom)(Butcher Shop), 4 Metges lane, Navan, Meath. Meat Stall Vehicle registration 172-C-2476 (Retailer), trading at Balbriggan Market, County Dublin. M&M Meat (Retailer), trading at Balbriggan Market, County Dublin. Foodstall – Vehicle registration 222-D-9510 (Retailer), trading at Balbriggan Market, Balbriggan, County Dublin. Branza Foodstall – Vehicle registration 131-D-40171 (Retailer), trading at Balbriggan Market, County Dublin. The establishment, trading as Liviu Lacatus, Coolnacon, Clonroche, Wexford. The establishment, trading as Adina Fusteac, Coolnacon, Clonroche, Wexford. Premises occupied by Aleksej Kardasev, warehouse at Shercock Road (Retailer), Carrickmacross, Monaghan.
Five Closure Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:
RAHA Indian Cuisine(Closed activities: The preparation and sale of ready-to-heat meals and onion bhajis to other food businesses) (Restaurant/Café), 32 Park Street, Dundalk, Louth Esquires Coffee(Closed activity: Closure of any activity requiring the storage of ready to eat high risk perishable foods) (Restaurant/Café), Unit 1F, Navan Town Centre, Kennedy Road, Navan, Meath Atlantic Chinese Restaurant, East End Ballybunion, Kerry Al Huda Grocery(Wholesaler/Distributor), 72A Summerhill, Dublin 1 Asian Delights(Take Away), Dublin Industrial Estate, 106 Lagan Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 11
One Prohibition Order was served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
Meat Stall, Vehicle registration 172-C-2476 (Retailer), trading at Balbriggan Market, County Dublin.
Among the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in June are: failure to notify the competent authority of the establishment of a food business; evidence of a pest infestation in food preparation areas, including live cockroaches, slugs, spiders and woodlice; evidence of rodent activity, including rodent droppings on shelving used to store food and on food packaging and food contact equipment; absence of suitable hand washing facilities; food not protected from the risk of contamination; absence of basic cleaning including chopping boards black with mould, cooking equipment congealed with heavy black grease and food debris; plastic wall sheeting placed around a premises including in the food rooms and the staff toilet to act as doorways; unsuitable layout and design of a premises preventing hygienic food preparation, with no designated food preparation areas; food stored at incorrect temperatures; lack of effective food traceability system in place; food worker wearing an unclean uniform that was heavily stained and covered in old food debris.
Commenting today, Mr Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive, FSAI, said: “It is unacceptable that we continue to see enforcement action being required due to basic and repeated breaches of food safety standards. Effective food safety management systems, proper hygiene practices, pest control and staff training are fundamental legal obligations of every food business. Consumers have a right to safe food, and it is the legal responsibility of food businesses to ensure that food is produced, handled and served safely. It is also concerning that, we have found instances of unregistered food businesses, operating illegally without notifying the competent authority, therefore bypassing essential food safety controls and putting consumers health at risk. Food law requires all food businesses to be notified to the relevant competent authority irrespective of the size or type of food business. This requirement ensures that food businesses will be registered and/or approved with the appropriate inspection agency to ensure food safety and protect consumer health,” added Mr Dempsey.
Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website. Closure Orders and Improvement Orders will remain listed in the enforcement reports on the website for a period of three months from the date of when a premises is adjudged to have corrected its food safety issue, with Prohibition Orders being listed for a period of one month.
FSAI warn of recall of specific batches of mispacked Capri-Sun Orange due to incorrect sugar-free declaration.
Alert Summary dated Friday, July 10th 2026.
Category 2: For Information Alert Notification: 2026.45 Product Identification: Capri-Sun Orange; pack size: 10 x 200 ml multipack Batch Code: See table below for best-before dates. Country Of Origin: United Kingdom
Message: The below batches of Capri-Sun Orange are being recalled due to a packaging error where some Capri-Sun Orange multipacks contain pouches incorrectly labelled as Capri-Sun Orange Zero. The pouches contain regular Capri-Sun Orange with the normal sugar level for that product, as correctly stated on the multipack. They do not contain the Capri-Sun Zero product.
The incorrect pouch labelling may mislead consumers who need to monitor their sugar intake, including individuals with diabetes. Recall notices will be displayed at point-of-sale.
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