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 Mr Richard Dowling & Mr Cormac Gollogly. (Picture Courtesy Getty Images.) The first Irish same sex marriage has taken place in Ireland today following the newest Marriage Law of 2015, coming into legislation.
A currently Dublin based couple, Mr Richard Dowling and Mr Cormac Gollogly, have become the first same-sex couple to ‘tie the knot’ here in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary this morning
The couple who have been together for 12 years, officially got married in the presence of the Senior Registrar for Co. Tipperary M/s Mary Claire Heffernan, latter who confirmed that they were the first same sex couple to be civilly married in the Irish Republic.
The couple who had gotten engaged in Spain several years ago, were legally married just two months after they had entered into a Civil Partnership at the luxurious, 1822 established, Kilshane House Hotel situated on Bansha Road, Tipperary; latter also the former wedding venue of Thurles native and ‘The Saturday’s’ girl band member, Una Fodan (nee Healy).
Mr Gollogly’s mother was originally Rosemary Ryan from Roscrea in Co. Tipperary, while Mr Dowling’s mother was Kathleen Rafter from Rathcabbin, in Co. Tipperary.
The couple had already enjoyed a honeymoon in the Maldives islands, (Latter situated in Indian Ocean), just last September and following today’s ceremony in Clonmel, they both returned to Dublin to enjoy a celebratory lunch.
To Richard and Cormac go all our best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous long life together.
The Templemore-Thurles Municipal District of Tipperary propose to make bye-laws regarding Thurles Town Park; under the powers conferred on them via Section 199 of the Local Government Act 2001 and as amended by Schedule 3 of the Local Government Reform Act of 2014.
 Aerial view of the magnificent Thurles Town park area. (Courtesy P. Corbett Video.)
These, to be welcomed, bye-laws will in future govern the use, operation, protection, regulation and management of our town’s newest and most enviable of park assets and same will make provision for the imposition of fixed payments in respect of the contravention of these soon to be enacted bye-laws.
A copy of these draft Bye-Laws are now available for inspection at the offices of Templemore-Thurles Municipal District Offices, situated at Slievenamon Road, Thurles, and can be viewed between the hours of 9.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m., until Friday 18th December 2015. Templemore-Thurles Municipal District will accept and consider any future submissions or observations, which are made to them in writing, which are received on or before 4.00 p.m. on Thursday 31st December 2015.
Details of these proposed Bye-Laws can also be inspection at Thurles Library, situated in the Source building, Cathedral Street, Thurles and can also be viewed by clicking HERE.
The proposed Bye-Laws can be inspected free of charge, or if so desired, copies may be purchased during the inspection period for a nominal fee of €3.00, available from the aforementioned offices of Templemore-Thurles Municipal District in Thurles.
The winter has well and truly arrived. I state this not because of any strong winds and torrential downpours of rain experienced over the past week.
Rather because that keen environmentalist and green fingered hill poet Mr Gerry Cullen has returned to sit by his fire to reflect, share thoughts; writing rhyme about happenings, as he observes them in his native County of Tipperary.
Here he reflects so accurately on the recent crime wave that has hit our county; the failure of our justice system and the need for proper Garda resources.
Freedom ?
Latest poem courtesy of our resident Tipperary Bard, Mr Gerry Cullen. ©
 Poet Gerry Cullen. “There was ne’er a Guard for ages and then ‘Operation Thor,’
They were on the cross this mornin, to check if me tyres were wore.
Speed checks in the 50 zone and checkpoints, ten a penny,
And all the scum-bags out on bail; all thanks to Enda Kenny.
Now rural crime is handy cash, for all who take their chance.
The dirt-bags and their legal teams, enjoy a merry dance.
They’re laughing at the victims, and laughing at the law.
It’s child’s play for the low-life, there’s a justice systems flaw.
But then the Guards are doin the job, they nab the average Joe,
It’s pointless nabbin dangerous crooks, the Judges let them go.
So no point getting hurt or killed, the guards are plagued by rules.
So they do the handy numbers, in this Island run by ‘Tools.’
Now don’t be fooled by power of vote, to choose a different crew.
No bloody feckin difference, to the likes of me and you.
Promise this and promise that and give the usual spin.
One thing certain, memories fade the minute they get in.
The aim is ‘line their pockets’, ‘look after number one’.
Your vote goes to recycling, once election time is done.
But I think I feel a rumble, like a roaring thunderous wave
But it’s just our Easter heroes, all turning in the grave.”
Nice one Gerry!
 A stepfather, who sexually abused both his stepdaughters has been jailed for 6.5 years, with 18 months of his original 8 year sentence suspended. Mr John Joe Patterson, originally from Cashel in Co Tipperary, stood accused of the sexual abuse of his stepdaughters, over a 10-year period.
Emma and Vanessa Witherow both bravely waived their right to anonymity to allow that their stepfather, aged 55, a former bus driver, milk man, who also ran a Christmas hamper delivery business, be named publicly in the media.
With a current address at Kilclooney, Moyne, Templetuohy, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Mr Patterson had previously denied some 39 counts of sexual assault on his stepdaughter Emma, which it was claimed began when she was aged just nine years.
Mr Patterson did plead guilty to one of three counts of sexually abusing her sister Vanessa, who was also nine years old when she claimed her abuse began. In an attempt to evade her stepfather’s advances, Emma Witherow felt the need to leave the family home at the age of 18, taking her sister Vanessa, then aged just 13 years, with her.
Today in Nenagh Circuit Court, Judge John Hannan stated that the Patterson case represented “the dark underbelly of Irish family life”. He stated that Mr Patterson had “destroyed” both his stepdaughters childhoods and any future ongoing relationship held between their brothers, and their birth mother.
Mrs Francis Patterson, who is the girls’ birth mother, sat through five weeks of evidence at Mr Patterson trial and continues to stand by her husband.
Earlier this year a jury of his peers unanimously found Mr Patterson guilty on 39 counts of sexual assault. His name will now be added to the Register of Sexual Offenders.
Despite the much anticipated Ireland V Germany soccer match being shown live on TV last night, almost 2000 people choose to leave their television sets and gather instead in the Anner Hotel Thurles to issue a sharp rebuke to politicians and perpetrators of crime.
 Standing-room only at Thurles meeting on rural crime. The message gleaned from this large attendance last night further confirmed, (if any confirmation was needed) that rural Co. Tipperary has been virtually turned into a detention centre for the victims of crime; latter victims in many cases now being forced to barricade themselves into their own homes on a nightly basis.
Those who addressed the meeting spoke of the increasing rise in burglaries and constant break-ins, which currently leaves Tipperary farmers, small businesses and home owners terrorised.
Loughmore native and Widow, Mrs Mary Morris, was just one of many who took to the floor at last night’s meeting to share her experiences and fears, after becoming the victim of such crime. Since 2011 Mrs Morrissey spoke of the effect this incident has had on her personally; informing those present that she now goes to bed every night with a loaded shotgun.
Other victims whose businesses had been targeted by criminals on multiple occasions spoke not just of their huge financial losses, but also of the mental and emotional consequences of their experiences, together with the vast financial costs of being forced to install extra security.
Vowing that last night’s meeting would not be the end of their campaign, numerous proposals were put forward to try and tackle the problem of repeated burglaries. These including:- the immediate removal of free legal aid for career criminals, the upgrading of trespass laws, the tagging of criminals and an immediate reform of our current Bail Laws which, despite Garda objections in many cases, allows for career criminals to continue reigns of terror on rural communities.
Speaking after the meeting, small groups of Tipperary residents argued for other measures:-
(A) Police work attempting to subdue crime gangs in Limerick city had been supported by the army. “This is not a case of limited government resources, rather a case of this governments failure to use resources already available”, stated one individual. “We can send our troops to endanger themselves on the Golan Heights and not so long ago we used them as armed security on cash-in-transit vans. Remember the use of the army against gangs in Limerick City! Time now to use them, under police supervision, to halt the movement of criminal gangs in Tipperary”, he continued.
(B) “Punishments do not always fit the crime; jail time is to easy”, stated another. “Offenders should be tagged and put publicly to work on rural social schemes, instead of further burdening the taxpayer”, he continued.
 New ‘Save Our Local Community’ Committee. The meeting which lasted for almost three hours last night was chaired by crime journalist Paul Williams. A large Garda presence also attended at last night’s Thurles meeting; these included the Chief Superintendent of the Tipperary Garda Division Mrs Catherine Keogh, Assistant Commissioner Jack Nolan and Crime Prevention Officer Tom O’Dwyer, all who informed those present that they were limited in what they could truly achieve, due to limited resources.
Locals have now set up a new organisation in conjunction with the Gardaí, called ‘Save Our Local Community’ which it hopes will network to combat rural crime.
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