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Templemore Garda Training College here in Templemore, Co Tipperary, was once among the most elite of police academies in Europe. Its future seemed excellent with the purchase of a further 220 acre site at Clonmore, situated close to Templemore, for the inflated price of €5.5 million. Latter was ear marked for use as a firearms and tactical training facility almost four years ago.
Political Promises All Lies
In June of last year, at the Garda Training College, outgoing Fianna Fail Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern indicated that a new recruitment campaign would be implemented in late 2010.
The same Minister for Justice, Mr Dermot Ahern stated:
“For the people living here in Templemore this college is very important – it’s a fine facility here and its here will be used for the new recruits and indeed for their training. I know there were some suggestions that this place might be mothballed, however there is no question of that.”
 Templemore Garda Training College Confirmation from the Minister for Justice that the Garda College in Templemore was safe, was received by Independent Deputy Michael Lowry. Mr Lowry sought assurances after local Templemore Town Councillors spoke of ‘rumours of imminent closure‘ due to the current recruitment embargo. Deputy Lowry communicated this information to a specially convened meeting of Templemore Town Councillors and North Tipperary Oireachtas representatives, in Templemore town hall.
It now appears Mr Lowry was badly deceived by the government he so willingly supported and Tipperary’s largest employer in North Tipperary, this same Garda Training College, has been forced to lay off dozens of catering and housekeeping staff, together with large numbers of resident officers also being redeployed out of the facility.
This exodus of local employment and resources is currently having a severe negative impact on Templemore town and the surrounding region. We now see the volume of business and young people diminishing and the local families, who would previously have provided lodgings for the student Gardaí, are feeling the impact of the present recruitment ban.
It now appears that Garda recruitment will not take place until 2014 for full time members, with selection being made only from persons who have already joined up from the Reserve Gardaí volunteer members within An Garda Síochána, who provide support to full-time members and supposedly help to strengthen links between the force and local communities throughout the country.
It is envisaged that these Reserve Members will form 10% or more of the full-time professional force into the future. It now also appears that, thanks to the mismanagement of the outgoing government, Ireland can no longer afford to properly protect its citizens in the future.
 Hayes Hotel, Thurles, Co Tipperary The trial of two barmen charged with the unlawful killing of a man, who died from acute alcohol intoxication, appears to be likely to go ahead next May.
Mr Gary Wright, a bar manager at Hayes Hotel in Thurles, aged 32 and Mr Aidan Dalton, a barman, with an addresses at Kilfithmone, Borrisoleigh, Co Tipperary aged 27, are both charged with the manslaughter of Mr Graham Parish, at the hotel on 30th of June 2008.
Yesterday, Nenagh Circuit Court heard that an expert pathologist and witness, due to give evidence on the behalf of the defence, was outside the jurisdiction of the State and was not available to the court.
Judge Tom Teehan, then adjourned the case to the next session of Nenagh Circuit Court which is on the 3rd of May.
 North Tipperary Independent TD Michael Lowry Judge Margaret Heneghan has refused, Independent TD Mr Michael Lowry, a declaration that he was defamed by journalist and broadcaster Mr Sam Smyth on TV3’s ‘Tonight with Vincent Browne‘ programme and in a newspaper article.
Mr Lowry TD, Holy Cross, Thurles, Co Tipperary, had sought the declaration under the 2009 Defamation Act, which allows for a legal short-cut by way of summary judgment on the contention that Mr Smyth had no possible defence to the politician’s claims.
Judge Heneghan, in a reserved judgment today in the Circuit Civil Court, said she was satisfied Mr Lowry had not established that Mr Smyth had no defence to the allegations of defamation.
Mr Lowry’s claim may now go to a full hearing before another judge. The case to date has been dealt with on the basis of sworn statements by both Mr Lowry and Mr Smyth and today’s decision has no significance in any eventual overall outcome.
The case centres on comments made by Mr Smyth concerning the Mc Cracken and Moriarty Tribunals and their inquiries into matters relating to Mr Lowry’s finances. Mr Lowry alleges that Smyth made false and defamatory remarks about him in an Irish Independent article and again on the TV3 current affairs show.
Mr Lowry claims that the newspaper article and a comment by Mr Smyth on television, that Mr Lowry had been “caught with his hand in the till ” were false and malicious and remarks that he was a thief, a corrupt politician, dishonest, untrustworthy and unfit to be a Minister or a TD.
Mr Lowry had sought a declaration that he had been defamed, asking for a court order directing publication of clarifying statements and an order prohibiting further publication of the alleged defamatory remarks.
Mr Smyth, The Gasworks, Barrow Street, Dublin, has stood over his comments and argues that they were true and based on his honest opinion and constituted both fair and reasonable publication in matters of public interest.
The journalist has been covering matters concerning Mr Lowry since the mid-1990’s and his story in November 1996 about Mr Lowry’s home having been renovated paid for by Dunnes Stores, led to Mr Lowry’s resignation as Minister for Communications.
Mr Lowry claimed the Irish Independent article under the heading “Tribunal will reveal findings on money trail to ex-minister” was about a matter yet to be adjudicated on by the Moriarty Tribunal, which was looking into whether any payments were made to him while he was a Minister.
Mr Smyth, in the newspaper article, had stated regarding English property transactions in Cheadle, Mansfield and Doncaster that “the total value of all of the property transactions involving Mr Lowry was around £5m.”
This, Mr Lowry claimed, meant by way of innuendo he had unlawfully benefited from the transactions by awarding, as Minister for Communications, the Esat Digifone mobile phone licence to Irish and Malta businessman Denis O’Brien.
Barrister Eoin Mc Cullough, S.C., who appeared for Mr Smyth, applied for an order for costs against Mr Lowry, but the matter was adjourned on the application of Martin Giblin S.C., for Mr Lowry, to allow both sides “reflect” on the court’s judgment.
 Fianna Fáil Cabinet ministers are considering a report on changes to Irish gaming laws. This report has being fast tracked ahead of next Tuesday’s austerity budget vote and will be signed off on, in the last meeting before the Dáil ends for the Christmas holidays.
The controversial report on the licensing of super-casinos has been fast-tracked for circulation to all government ministers and their departments in the last number of days.
A spokesman for the Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said that ministers will sign off on the report at the final cabinet meeting, before the Dáil shuts for the Christmas recess.
The Tipperary Venue Project, a proposed €460 million casino, near the village of Two-Mile-Borris in Tipperary, being developed by Richard Quirke, a former garda who currently runs Dr Quirkey’s Good Time Emporium on O’Connell Street in Dublin, is planned to include a 500-room hotel and a new all weather racecourse facility.
To further proceed, this project requires major reform to the present Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956. Major changes to the present Irish gaming laws are now likely to advance the Tipperary Venue project, which has already received local planning permission.
The proposed project cannot proceed further due to legal constraints in the present Irish gambling laws and also an appeal by An Taisce against the projects planning approval, granted by North Tipperary County Council.
 Gardaí are understood to have arrested thirteen men as part of an investigation into organised crime in the Southeast of Ireland.
The men, all aged between 18 and 45, were arrested following a number of organised searches in Tipperary,Waterford, Cork and Dublin.
A number of hand made weapons, satellite navigation equipment, documents, together with a small quantity of cocaine and cannabis were recovered by the investigating gardaí.
The arrested men are being detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007, at a number of garda stations in the southeast.
The arrests are believed to be part of a wider investigation into organised crime, including the murder of a settled 48 year old horse dealer and father of four, Willie Stokes, in Bridge Street, Tipperary town last year. Mr Stokes was stabbed to death in front of his eleven year old son on the 18th of December last.
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