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 Sweet Daisies - Photo G.Willoughby When it comes to promoting and highlighting all that is great about Tipperary, the Credit Unions in the county have been, over the past number of years, doing the work for which Bord Failte are paid. ( See ‘Places To Go,’) and find Tipperary on their Map.)
This year is no different, while Bord Failte are squandering large sums on promoting already established tourism destinations like Kerry, Waterford, Limerick and that area known as The Pale (Dublin), the Credit Unions of Tipperary in association with Tipperary Libraries have come up with their own novel way of promoting the neglected Premier County.
The Credit Unions of Tipperary and Tipperary Libraries are offering all photographers an opportunity to showcase their work and through this promotion compete for a share of a €1,200 prize fund. The theme of this photographic competition is “Gardens and Parks of Tipperary,” and photographs can include scenes from the small domestic household garden to the large parkland areas, showing Tipperary at its best.
Over the past eight years the Credit Unions of Tipperary have produced an annual calendar which has been proven extremely popular, with many thousands of copies being distributed throughout the county and indeed internationally, through Tipperary natives now forced to work abroad. Similarly, Tipperary Libraries have encouraged photographers to showcase their talents through competitions based on a number of themes highlighting the many and varied attractions of our beautiful unspoiled County Tipperary.
Broadening the scope of the competition is now the aim of these two great organisations. Four major prizes will be awarded this year and at least 36 of the entries entered in this competition will be chosen for publication in the calendar for 2012.
So drop in to your local Credit Union office and look for a copy of the rules.
Remember: The latest date for receipt of entries is close of business August 31st 2011, so get out there snapping.
Note Participating Credit Unions:
Cahir Credit Union, Clonmel Credit Union, Carrick On Suir Credit Union, Cashel Credit Union, Borrisokane Credit Union, Roscrea Credit Union, Nenagh Credit Union, Tipperary Credit Union, Thurles Credit Union, and Templemore Credit Union
 Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Girl Guides in 1937. On the 7th of May 2011, the Dome, here in Thurles Co, Tipperary saw over 6,200 disciplined, spirited, inquisitive and members of the Irish Girl Guides gather to celebrate 100 years of their organisation, and what an organisation.
One of the disappointment felt by me, reflecting on the ceremonies organised for the recent visit by Queen Elizabeth II, was the visual absence of senior officials from the Irish Girl Guides Association. While we appear to have fitted in an invite for every other member of the ‘great and the good,’ there was not a sign of a Girl Guide anywhere in sight, despite celebrating their 100th Irish Birthday this year. The fact that Queen Elisabeth herself and her late sister Margaret were both Girl Guides, with the Queen presently the associations patron, this appears to have been a major oversight on behalf of the organisers.
Yes disappointing, no matter, no doubt this will be corrected when US President Barack Obama comes to Ireland on Monday, especially since his wife Michelle is President of the American Girl Scouts. But enough about this, ‘Dedication and Organisation,’ always has it’s own reward and real leaders are ordinary people with extraordinary determination.
Against the background of our hallowed Semple Stadium, this Girl Guide celebration was packed with Avitars, Moving Statues, Circus Performers, TD’s, Government Ministers, Giant Pigs, Helter Skelters, Musicians, Line Dancers and to close off this fun day an Abba Tribute Band.
The day got off to a brisk start with a Gold Award Ceremony, where 78 teenage girls each received the prestigious ‘Gold Award,’ the highest achievement that a Girl Guide can ever attain. These same group a short time later led the Members Parade, themselves kick starting the groups centenary celebrations, which fully demonstrated the total dedication and commitment by not just Girl Guides, but their leades representing the whole of Ireland.
Fine Gael TD, Frances Fitzgerald, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs was on hand to officially opened this 100th birthday event. The Minister in addressing the large crowd stated “This is a wonderful, historic, colourful day for you all. It is truly inspiring to see so many young people, and their leaders of all ages, latter still so young in spirit, gathered together to celebrate 100 years of success and true dedication. The organisation has an incredible role to play in supporting the young people of this country; helping them to develop our greatest natural resource to their fullest potential.”
The remainder of the day was spent by the girls becoming involved in their different age group activities. These activities included Circus Skills, Drumming, Dancing, Science Workshops, Animal Roadshows, together with having the time to enjoy a free flow area, which housed a Helter Skelter, many large scale Inflatables, a Carousel and numerous Street Entertainers. The excitement of the day’s events were clearly written and easily read, on the faces of all those in attendance.
Coming near to the close of events, a presentation of ’30 year service pins,’ were presented by IGG’s President Maureen Dillon, Chief Commissioner Emer O’Sullivan and special guest Mary McPhail, Chief Executive of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, to some of the older yet still dedicated leaders.
The girls and their officers ended the day singing and dancing with music and song courtesy of the ABBA tribute band, ABBAesque, and in keeping with the 100th anniversary celebrations, this band lead all in attendance with a wonderful rendition of ‘Happy Birthday.’
A special thanks to Catherine Noone, Carmelia Jordan and PRO Catherine O’Connor for their kindness on the day.
Next huge event will be “Camp 101“, which is the International Girl Guide Camp, taking place in Lough Key Forest Park, Co. Roscommon in July 2012, with Guides from around the world in attendance. Camp 101 for Girl Guides represents the beginning of a new centenary, and the opportunity to further build on a most successful past 100 years of Guiding in Ireland.
Want To Join Irish Girl Guides? Please contact the Irish Girl Guides National Office:- Telephone 01-6683898.
When US President Barack Hussein Obama visits Moneygall, on the Tipperary / Offaly border, towards the end of May next, there is no doubt that he will receive the warmest and friendliest of Irish welcomes, for which this country is renowned for bestowing on it’s visitors.
Towns all over Ireland are feeling the ‘teeth ‘ of our mainly self inflicted financial recession. During a recent visit to Monegall, we noticed, what appeared to be just one of Irelands many ‘ghost estates’ or half finished housing estate projects, blighting the village landscape. However, thanks to this strong minded local community, through research, enterprise and drive, the leader of the most powerful country in the world is coming to visit their tiny village.
This village and surrounding areas must now surely prosper, working together as they have, displaying kinship and teamwork, this community have assured themselves a proper place in Irish American lore, and highlighted a destination to which many Americans and Irish Americans will wish to visit in the coming years.
Documents show that Barack Obama’s ancestors, like John Fitzgerald “Jack” Kennedy‘s great grandfather Patrick Kennedy, from Dunganstown, Co Wexford and Ronald Wilson Reagan‘s great grandfather, Michael O’Reagan, from Ballyporeen, CoTipperary, sailed from Ireland to America in search of a dream, leaving behind them a then ‘God Forsaken ‘ island called Ireland. All left Ireland around the time of the ‘Great Famine,’ 1845-1849, as did of course later (1873) John P. Holland, inventor of the modern submarine, the ‘Fenian Ram’, in 1881 and “Father of the U.S. Submarine Service,” and earlier (1760’s) Commodore John Barry, credited as “The Father of the American Navy,” by his contemporaries.
America has been a friend to the Irish and Irish immigrantion has greatly benefited America’s progress as a nation. History will continues to identify and catalogues the lineage of great and influencial world leaders, such as US President Barack Obama, brought about through often forced Irish immigration.
Barack Obama Ancestry
President Barack Obama’s lineage is easily catalogued:-
Joseph Kearney (c.1794-1861) and Phoebe Donovan (c.1800-1876), – Falmouth Kearney (c.1830-1878) and Charlotte Holloway (c.1834-1877), – Jacob William Dunham (1863-1936) and Mary Ann Kearney (1869-1936), – Ralph Waldo Emerson Dunham Sr. (1894-1970) and Ruth Lucille Armour (1900-1926), – Stanley Armour Dunham (1918-1992) and Madelyn Lee Payne (1922-2008),- Barack Hussein Obama Sr. (1936-1982) and Stanley Ann Dunham (1942-1995)- US President Barack Obama.
Leaving his spouse and off springs here in Ireland, Joseph Kearney travelled to America to claim land. It is not documented how he got to England, however, one means of cheap travel at this time was by consenting to travel, as ballast, on an empty British coal boat. Human ballast at this time saved those transporting coal into Ireland by open sea barge, the cost of paying men to shovel sand into these empty barges, to stop them riding high in the water on their return trips to England.
History does record that he reached the port of Liverpool where he boarded the ‘Caroline Read,’ and eventually arrived in New York City on 25th of April 1849. His eldest son Falmouth Carney (Kearney) was soon to followed this 3,000-mile Atlantic voyage. The passenger list for the ship 903 ton ‘Marmion,’ which entered the port of New York on March 20th in 1850, includes a 19-year-old labourer named Falmouth Carney whose destination was Ohio.
………..ID……………NAME ………………. AGE…GENDER …FROM……..PORT……….. TO DEST……. SHIP………ARRIVED……
…….304353……Falmouth Carney……….19………M……..Ireland….Liverpool…………OHIO…….Marmion……03-20-1850…..
Later records reveal this ship ‘Marmion,’ Captained by F. W. Jordan, with 1,300 tons of coal on board, under a strong south easterly wind and in heavy seas, foundered off Cape Flattery, on November 8th. 1879. The ship was abandoned, and the crew boarded the ‘Tam O’Shanter,’ which had been standing by, and all were taken to San Francisco.
Falmouth was followed by Phoebe Kearney and her children, William and Mary, some 17 months later, entering New York again on the ‘Clarissa Courier,’ on August 28th 1851.
Two years after his arrived in America, Falmouth Kearney married Charlotte Holloway, with possibly his uncle, one William Kearney, serving as Justice of the Peace. American Census records in 1860 show that Falmouth, a farmhand, his wife Charlotte and several children are living in Deerfield, Ohio. Later, according to the census of 1870 show this same family are listed as a farmers with an address in Tipton County, Indiana.
As already shown, both Falmouth and Charlotte both died, one year apart and were survived by their five daughters and possibly three sons.
US President Barack Obama is the great-great grandson of Falmouth Kearney’s youngest daughter, Mary Ann.
Irish Americans everywhere examine your achievements and raise your heads with pride, follow the call “Yes We Can.”
Our thanks to Ollie Hayes and his bar staff, who assisted us greatly on our recent visit.
The Thurles St Patrick’s Day Parade 2011 was held on Sunday 20th March here in Thurles, where a large gathering of spectators, from near and far came to watch.
This video, of the days events, comes to us courtesy of Thurles videographer Mr Pat Corbett .
We should have further video footage of these St Patrick’s day festivities and details of the prize winners at this event, later in the week.
As we have come to expect, there was a fantastic variety of floats, vintage vehicles, clubs and bands taking part, all performing in jubilant mood and under brilliant sunshine.
We even had a surprise visit from US President Barack Obama and his full security team accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the terrible twins Jedward even dropped in to keep us entertained.
Sure why would’nt they visit, it is easily the best parade in the county.
See further footage by clicking here
 What benefits birds, also benefits humans, as those of our readers here in Thurles and Co Tipperary, who supplemented their garden’s birds’ diet, during the recent unprecedented harsh weather, can attest. By feeding the birds in your area, there is an automatically important knock-on effect for the flower lover and organic gardener, as birds will quickly get used to searching for food in your garden and will simultaneously search for pests such as greenfly, caterpillars and snails, all the year round.
By the way this video was captured on the new Flip Video Camera. Latter fits into the palm of your hand, easily fits in your jeans pocket while letting you record high quality HD footage with the greatest of ease. The rectangular shaped camera is the size of a standard mobile phone and can captures 2 hours of HD video at a time, so is ideal for the local football match, the confirmation or the children’s birthday party. On the Flip Video camera front is a zoom lens and microphone, while the back contains a 1.5 inch viewing screen, plus four directional arrows, a delete and a play button. A USB plug flips out from its side allowing you to connect it directly to a computer or laptop USB port, without the hassle of attaching messy cables, thus allowing you to play your captured content immediately without rendering. As you can see from this video, this tiny camera delivers a remarkably high quality picture on a device that any unskilled individual can use. I find it especially good in situations like observing nature, as with the aid of a tripod, it allows me to get up close and personal without being intrusive. (This extraordinary HD Video Camera is also very affordable, at around €170 .)
After the glut of each years Summer and Autumn fruits have passed and when insects are diminishing, winter is most certainly the correct time to feed our local bird population, but when should we stop?
With regard to this question, there are possibly two schools of thought. Some says you should stop gradually, once winter is over and more natural foods become available. Other state that stopping suddenly increases stress to birds, when they are already under pressure both defending territories and building their nests. There is possibly some truth in both schools of thinking, but it is true that allowing blue tits to feed their very their young babies on peanuts is likely to cause their deaths, as very young Blue Tits can’t digest the nuts fed by their parents. You could however, switch to other foods during the period, perhaps hanging up a meat bone, left over from your main meal, which offers to the birds a high protein food. There will be plenty of natural food available in your garden in Summer, with greenfly, caterpillars and snails, of all sizes, in much abundance.
The different species of our birds life have different feeding habits. Hanging food is ideal for sparrows and members of the Tit family, using a peanut or seed dispenser as shown in this video attached.
Continue reading What Benefits Birds Can Benefit Humans
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