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The arrival in Thurles on Thursday afternoon of RTÉ -TG4 television journalist Tomás Ó Mainnín to St.Mary’s Famine Museum, has given a huge boost to the campaign by the Thurles tourist group ‘Hidden Tipperary,’ latter who are calling for the repatriation of the Derrynaflan Hoard back to The Source Exhibition Centre in central Thurles.
The programme went out on Sunday evening 28th April last on Nuacht TG4.
Hidden Tipperary wish to thank Flan Quigney, Tom Noone, Stewart Willoughby, Brian Corbett & Michael Bannon for their assistance during the filming of this event.
Thurles Town Bell
Hidden Tipperary are also now requesting the return of Thurles Town Bell which was once suspended from a wooden tower above the Thurles Market House in Liberty Square, latter which was demolished in 1901 by Thurles Urban Council, following the erection of the “Stone Man,” more accurately referred to as the 1798 Memorial.
This Thurles Bell is understood to be currently stored somewhere in the possession of North Tipperary Co. Council.
The Thurles Market House
Thurles Market House was originally erected in 1743, in the centre of Main Street, now named Liberty Square. It was an oblong structure with stone stepped balconies at both ends, giving access to the top storey of this structure. The upper storey was used as a courthouse and assembly room, until the erection of the present Courthouse now in Rossa St. For a short time this upper floor was also used as a protestant Church.
Under the balconies arched-gateways, made of cut-stone, were the doors which led to the ground floor chamber, the entrance to which, on either side, contained small cells used for the detention of prisoners awaiting transportation to larger jails. The centre part of the under chamber, to which side gates also granted admission, were occupied & rented by butchers’ stalls selling fresh meat. This meat market or “Shambles,” sometimes referred also contained tables on which on occasion other traders displayed their goods for sale.
The greater part of the building fell as a result of a fire about the year 1870. It’s aforementioned Town Bell escaped injury and was given to the local workhouse (Hospital of The Assumption) or county home, where it remained in use, with the title of ‘Famine Bell,’ until resent years & prior to the revitalisation of the buildings in this area.
It is on record that Ger Grant, the highwayman, spent a period of incarceration in Thurles Market House. He once attempted to escape from there, however a blow on the head from an iron implement, by a woman, one Jenny Crowe the jailer’s assistant, rendered him unconscious and he was thrown back into his cell. Near this Market House, on this public street, up to about the year 1800, were also to be found the “Stocks,” for the detention of disorderly individuals, deemed in need of physical punishment involving public humiliation.
Here at Thurles.Info we get regular requests, mainly from elderly Irish people living & working abroad, asking for details of publications containing stories, anecdotes etc. which would remind them of home & past memories. Two such books have appeared in recent months, both of which make for most enjoyable holiday reading and both of which come from the imaginative pen of Co. Clare native & now retired Thurles school teacher, Mr Flan Quigney.
SCHOOLDAYS – Cool days or cruel days? By Flan Quigney
“Schooldays- Cool days or cruel days?” is a snapshot of what primary school life was like, to some degree, for the average child in 19th century Ireland but, to a greater extent, during the 20th century and up to the present day. This account takes us on a journey from the Hedge Schools to the Information Age of 2011.
To assist him along the way the author, a retired primary school teacher and former school principal, elicited the school-day experiences of 23 people ( and a group of 6th class boys ) ranging in age from 11 to 85. These enthusiastic, willing and supportive people shared their many thoughts and experiences on such topics as clothes, hairstyles, footwear, playground games, fights, corporal punishment, songs, funny incidents, sweets, past-times outside school, Confirmation, First Communion, Primary Cert, illnesses, cures, homework, myths and superstitions of childhood and much more.
This book is a chance to relive all those encounters of one’s school-days once again and to form your own opinion on that well worn adage, Aoibhinn Beatha an Scolaire. (Translation from Irish; “The scholar loves life.”)
TO THE BANNER BORN! By Flan Quigney
This publication is a sociological study of a cross-section of the Banner County’s passionate followers – the type who would go to see fifteen Clare jerseys hanging on a clothesline. It explores their experiences of encountering different kinds of supporters; of memorable games and venues; of banter, humour and the hunt for, and location of tickets.
“To the Banner Born,” examines modes of transport to matches from walking, cycling, thumbing, driving by pony and trap, travelling by boat, truck, car, bus, train, helicopter and aeroplane. It unveils anecdotes pertaining to hostelries, food, team colours, betting, slogans, songs, music and match day routines. Furthermore, the book charts Co Clare’s greatest triumphs, disappointments and injustices as seen by the fans.
To commemorate the Centenary of the founding of the GAA, RTE broadcast a documentary in 1984 entitled ‘Sunday after Sunday.’ In an hour-long programme, the Clare jersey was visible for about ten seconds. The programme was dominated by action involving the small group of very successful counties. Between senior, junior, intermediate, minor, under-21 and senior club, Clare had won just eight Munster titles and two All-Irelands between 1884 and 1984, most before RTE were established.
However, in the intervening twenty-seven years to 2011, ‘The Banner,’ have won seventeen Munster titles and eight All-Irelands. Sufficient reason for the loyal sons and daughters of Dál gCais to once more keep the bodhrán beating, the spirits raised and the throats cleared for “The Banner Roar,” and “The Clare Shout.”
All profits from the sale of both books go to Pieta House – The Centre for Prevention of Self- Harm or Suicide & The Irish Association of Suicidology. Copies are available in Ennis Bookshop, The Bookworm (Thurles), at Eason’s branches in Thurles, Nenagh and Clonmel, Co Tipperary.
Of course a limited edition only of signed copies by the author can be had direct from flanquigney@yahoo.ie .
 Efforts to organise the repatriation of the Derrynaflan Hoard back to its native home in Thurles Co. Tipperary were highlighted in yesterdays morning’s edition of the Independent newspaper & today’s Irish Examiner (page 4)
The leading Irish newspapers stated that an organisation in Tipperary, called Hidden Tipperary, is calling for the permanent relocation of the Derrynaflan Hoard, now housed at the National Museum of Ireland, to be returned back to its county of origin.
Derrynaflan Hoard
The treasure trove known as the Derrynaflan Hoard consists of one highly decorated ninth century silver chalice, a large eighth century paten and stand, an eighth century liturgical strainer, and an eighth to ninth century bronze basin. A stone slab, found on the site and now also in the National Museum, and much associated with the original location of this treasure & inscribed “Or doan main Dubscull,” (Translated; A prayer for the soul of Dubscuile,) is also being sought.
Abbot Dubscuile mac Cinaeda, mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, is understood to have died around 962 AD & was the son of Cinaedh, and one of the eventual successors of St. Colum Cille (521 AD – 597AD).
St. Columcille or St. Columba was an Irish Abbot and missionary credited with spreading Christianity in present-day Scotland. He founded an important abbey on the island of Iona, which became a dominant religious and political institution in this region for centuries. He was highly regarded by both the Gaels of Dál Riata and the Picts of Scotland, and is remembered today as a Christian saint and one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland.
Derrynaflan Island
The monastery at Derrynaflan was originally founded by St. Rhuadhan of Lorrha in the sixth century. Derrynaflan was an important monastery in the then eighth and ninth centuries and came under the patronage of the King-Bishops of Cashel. After the death of Feidlimid mac Crimthainn the King-Bishop of Cashel in 847, this monastery fell into decline & nothing of this early monastery’s structure now remains, except some very faint outlines of the original enclosure and the ruined walls of a slightly later church.
Suitable exhibition space has been identified in The Source complex beside the river Suir, and new high definition CCTV currently being installed in the town centre is expected to be incorporated into any required security deemed necessary by the National Museum, should an agreement to repatriate be reached.
Employment
Any repatriation of the Derrynaflan Hoard is expected to create at least 300 full-time & part-time jobs in the region, particularly in the tourism associated sectors, like Restaurants, Hotels, Theatres, as Guides etc, not to mention local associated SME’s. The estimated costs of €100,000 required to transport the Derrynaflan Hoard could be recouped within the first year, if a minimum of only €1 was implemented as a charge, during this initial start-up period.
Hidden Tipperary
“Hidden Tipperary,” are a new voluntary tourism promotion group, membership of which insists that all belonging to the organisation must be fully skilled professionals, prepared to volunteer their respective talents at no charge and to the benefit of all persons residing in County Tipperary.
Their committed membership include; local fully qualified I.T. professionals, qualified video camera operators, professional video editors, dedicated historians, award winning short story & script writers.
Tipperary Tourism Offices
Hidden Tipperary today also report that Tourism Offices, marked for closure in both Nenagh ( Bamba Square ) & Cahir ( Castle Car Park ), may re-open in the coming weeks, despite Failte Ireland recommendations. Over 40 per cent of tourism information offices across Ireland have now been dumped on local interest groups and businesses with little financial support from Failte Ireland, who charge for all materials supplied, despite in many cases free space being provided at the expense of the former.
Hidden Tipperary now invite all various tourism sectors in Tipperary, to ensure that all brochure & advertising materials are sent to these offices if & when the future of same are announced.
It has just been announced that more than 807,000 visitors attended the new Titanic centre in Belfast during its first year. The attraction, built at a cost £77 million, overlooks the slipways, where the legendary liner was launched, attracted tourists from some 128 countries worldwide in one year.
Meanwhile the total visitor figures to the 4 sites owned by the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin for 2011 were 1,096,027.
 The Dublin Kildare Street Museum houses “The Treasury – Celtic and Early Christian Ireland,” exhibition, a collection of masterpieces from Celtic and Early Christian Ireland, which contains the recently conserved Tipperary owned Faddan More Psalter & the Tipperary owned Derrynaflan Hoard.
These above named two items in this Dublin exhibition, should by now be sitting in the Exhibition Centre at The Source Arts Centre, complex, but alas, due to in fighting amongst local councillors, and helpless Co Councillors & TD’s same remains to the benefit of Dublin’s continuously rising economy.
This Dublin Museum now boasts, at the expense of employment in Thurles, that it has had the 2nd highest tourism figure ever, with an overall 10% increase on the previous year 2011. You do not believe me? Then please CLICK HERE folks.
Thurles – Imagine For Just One Moment
Let us all imagine, for just one moment, that if only one third ( 365,342 visitors ) of the National Museum of Ireland’s visitors arrived in Liberty Square, Thurles, in any one year period, the difference it would make to our rural economy, in relation to full-time & part-time employment. Imagine the increase in revenues that would be returned to this present sleepy government.
A Pinch Of Powdered Rhino Horn Anyone?
Rhino heads and horns worth €500,000 were ‘pinched,’ possibly by an Irish organized crime gang, from the National Museum of Ireland’s warehouse, in Swords, Co Dublin, late on Wednesday night last. The National Museum’s previous excuse, which usually stated that only it had the necessary security to protect our national heritage, has just evaporated. This also now begs the question, why were there any artefacts stored, not being made available for viewing by our visiting guests of the Irish Nation, especially during the year of “The Gathering.”?
In our submission to Minister Jimmy Deenihan some five months ago we stated:
“Finally, we would request the Minister (Jimmy Deenihan) to immediately order a full audit of the National Museum’s present artefacts, with special emphases to be placed on items currently not on display, e.g. Sheela-na-gigs, guns, swords etc, which would further benefit other tourist centres / museums etc. within the Irish mid-lands in particular & which would in turn further encourage / tease visitors to travel …”
It would appear that despite the existence of so many small wonderful museums, right throughout the heartland of Ireland, Dublin has decided that if history cannot be viewed by tourists in “The Pale,” Irish history cannot be viewed at all.
Where now are the Thurles chests, proudly displaying the powerful “Chains of High Office,” & those others claiming to be Community Leaders, when we need them?
Note: According to the Irish Examiner, dated yesterday, employment levels in firms supported by the IDA/Enterprise Ireland (EI) have decreased by more than 19,400, or 6%, to 281,965 in the past five years. Dublin and Cork accounted for three-quarters of all net job increases at IDA companies in 2012. At the same time, Tipperary, Kildare & Leitrim, experienced net losses, yet our County & Town remains silent.
 Written by Mary Kenny and soon to be performed at The Source Theatre Thurles, “Allegiance,” is a dramatization of reported events that possibly did change Irish history.
In 1921 Eamon de Valera ordered Michael Collins under sufferance, to travel to London, with the Irish delegation, his task to negotiate a Treaty that followed the truce in the Irish War of Independence.
Winston Churchill was then the Colonial Secretary in charge of Ireland and the two men met, equally prepared to totally detest one another. Yet, at a point when the Treaty talks seemed to be in deadlock, both Churchill and Collins spent a night drinking together in Churchill’s London home, both arguing, singing & reciting poetry. In the play, both men recount & compare family memories, Collins smiling at the memory of the elderly father he worshipped, Churchill blubbering on his own fond memories experienced prior to the death of his young daughter.
They both are to emerge from this encounter with high regard for each other & following this event Winston Churchill appears to soften somewhat his attitudes towards Ireland, thus giving Michael Collins and the Irish Free State, the latter he represented, greater support.
The play is a moving portrait of two great leaders who began as antagonists, yet at a certain level came to respect one another, each recognizing the leadership qualities of the other. Not many people are aware that Churchill had as many links as Collins to north County Kerry, having spent his childhood summers as his cousins’ estate at Tarbert House.
This play has previously had a very successful run in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2006, starring Mel Smith as Churchill with Michael Fassbender reprising the role of his direct descendant Michael Collins.
This is a superb and very entertaining play and promises to engage the audience right from its very commencement.
Date: Thursday 7th March 8.00pm, for one night only.
Cost: Tickets €16/€14 concession.
So why not make a night of it and come early to enjoy a meal or bar bites at The Source Café from 7.00pm? Ring Matt on Tel No: 0504-58858 for more details. The Source Bar will also be open from 7.00pm.
For bookings click HERE or ring the Source Box Office on Tel No: 0504-90204.
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