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 Tipperary’s Deputy Michael Lowry TD has today welcomed funding announced by Minister of State for Regional Economic Development, Mr Michael Ring TD.
The total funding for Tipperary amounts in total to €59,456, allocated under Measure 4 of Clár under the 2017 Clár Programme. (Clár is funded by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs under the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development.)
This funding supports organisations that are involved in a voluntary capacity in responding to emergency situations, with some three Tipperary projects in total being successful.
These recognised projects are:-
(A) Community Rapid Response Tipperary – receiving €7,150.
(B) Tipperary Mountain Rescue – receiving €50,000.
(C) Newport Community First Responder – receiving €2,306.
Deputy Lowry stated, “Services being supported through this funding will help greatly to provide essential services in rural areas; while leaving those visiting our picturesque countryside for recreational purposes, with a feeling of confidence, knowing that specialist supports are in place, ready and available, should they ever find themselves in an unexpected emergency situation”
In total, some €1.21 million was approved for a range of organisations across Ireland, under the Emergency First Response measure of the CLÁR programme.
After a fine feed of Tipperary Blue Organic Cheese; latter served thickly on fresh hot crusty bread, and washed down with half a bottle of a desert wine, with the unpronounceable name of Beerenauslese, I lay back in the armchair and switched on RTE1.
 Last time we saw Mr Enda Kenny live in Thurles was on May 25th 2012. Mr Leo Varadkar and Mr Simon Coveney were arguing verbally on their princely right to become the next Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach (Prime Minister), following Enda Kenny’s abdication, (or was it abnegation. I always mix these two words up, but I know one of them means ‘rejection’).
Was my perception-altering effect brought on by the fact that I had spent time as a guest of the HSE recently? Could it have been the cheese? Could I be one of the 400,000 Irish water drinkers being targeted by trihalomethane toxins?
Either or, suddenly I found myself sitting in the forum area of Dáil Éireann. The TD’s surrounding me had all metamorphosed into organs of the body, each one arguing on their right to be the one to take control of all the other body parts.
“I should be in command,” said the Brain, “Because I am the body’s microprocessor, the central processing unit (CPU) that run the body’s various systems. To be honest without me, you organs would all be useless.”
“No, I should be in charge,” said the Blood, “I circulate oxygen all through the pulmonary arteries and veins of the body, and so without me body organs do not survive”
“I should be in charge,” said the Stomach,“Three times each day I process the food that give all of you organs your necessary energy.”
“No, I should be in charge,” said the Legs, “Because I carry the body organs wherever they needs to go.”
“I should be in charge,” said the Eyes angrily, “Without me the organs of the body would be unable to observe and see exactly where they are going.”
“You are all incorrect,” said the Rectum, “Without me taking responsibility for waste disposal, none of you would survive for long.”
The other body parts began to snort and hoot with laughter, following this claim made by the Rectum, so now, feeling intimidated, insulted and partially terrorised he decided to prove a point and shut down tight his normal daily cleansing operations.
Within hours the Brain had developed a terrible headache; the Stomach became bloated; the Legs got weak; the Eyes became itchy and began to water, and finally the Blood developed mild septic shock.
Eventually, following an emergency Body Organ Cabinet meeting of all the organs concerned, it was decided that in the interest of self preservation the Rectum should be elected to the post of Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach.
Announcing this decision Fine Gael’s party whip stated that even though the other organs do most of the work, the asshole should always be the one placed in command, regardless.
“Goal”, my brother screamed, lifting me bolt upright in my armchair. This, ‘person born of parents not married to each other’, (if you know what I mean), had deliberately changed the TV channel across to Sky Sports as I dozed, and Liverpool’s Sadio Mané had put one in the net, past Southampton.
No lads, in all seriousness, I’ll have to give up that Tipperary Blue Organic Cheese, hot bread and Beerenauslese desert wine, and start going to bed earlier. I am convinced that all this new rich foreign food, being imported weekly into Thurles by Aldi, and Lidl is now seriously affecting the neural circuits of my brain; adding to these perception-altering effects.
Membership of the Review Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland unveiled.
The Cabinet have approved a 12 member Review Commission to undertake a ‘root and branch’ review of an Garda Síochána.
In announcing the Commission, An Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality Mrs Frances Fitzgerald has stated that along with a final report; this new Commission will also introduce and hasten immediate recommendations, which it justifiably feels requires to be implemented within the immediate or short term.
 Ms Noeline Blackwell. The new 12 member review body will include former Tipperary Solicitor Ms Noeline Blackwell; herself a human rights lawyer who is currently Chief Executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, and was formerly the Director General of the Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC).
Ms Blackwell began her career as a solicitor here in Co.Tipperary in the mid 1970’s at the age of 21, gaining a wide range of legal experience under then employer Mr Kieran Flynn, for some 8 years, before moving to Dublin to set up in practice in the 1980’s.
Named Membership of Review Commission
Along with Ms Blackwell, the new Commission will be Chaired by Ms Kathleen O’Toole, (Seattle Police Chief), and other membership will include Mr Conor Brady (Former Editor of the Irish Times, Sunday Tribune and a previous member of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission from 2005 to 2011); Dr Johnny Connolly (Irish Research Council Enterprise Scholar at the Centre for Crime, Justice and Victim Studies at the School of Law in the University of Limerick); Dr Vicky Conway (Current Lecturer in criminal law and criminology in the School of Law and Governance in DCU); Mr Tim Dalton (Retired Secretary General of the Department of Justice and Equality); Sir Peter Fahy (Chief Constable of Cheshire and previous Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police with 13,000 staff under his command); Dr Eddie Molloy (Independent Management Consultant, Director Advanced Organisation, specialising in Strategy, Organisation Change and Innovation); Ms Tonita Murray (International Police Development Consultant); Dr Antonio M. Oftelie (Executive Director, Leadership for a Networked World and Fellow, Technology and Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard); Professor Donncha O’Connell (Established Professor of Law at the School of Law, NUI Galway), and finally Ms Helen Ryan (Former Chief Executive Officer of Creganna-Tactx Medical from 2005 – 2013).
 At Kilshane House, Co. Tipperary recently, attended by over 200 guests from the Multi-National and Indigenous Sectors, Enterprise Ireland, the IDA, as well as high profile figures drawn from the world of Sport and Entertainment were L – R; Tipperary Co. Council Chairperson Siobhan Ambrose, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mitchell O’Connor with the very able Tipperary County Council Chief Executive (CE) Joseph MacGrath. Here in Co. Tipperary we respectfully ask the questions:
(1) Is Thurles Co. Tipperary ‘THE PLACE, ‘THE TIME’ for to encourage the government to “join other leading organisations”, to couple with our “rich culture of heritage“?
(2) “Is a purchase, by Government, of the ‘Black Castle’ here in Thurles justified, given our present economic situation nationally?
(3) Should the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, M/s Heather Humphreys or Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation M/s Mitchell O’Connor be asked, by our local politicians, to bring this ‘Black Castle’ purchase matter before Cabinet, recommending its purchase?
 History of the Black Castle
For those not familiar with the historic Black Castle in Thurles, do please read on; remembering that same building has now come up for sale as part of a commercial lot, having been previously in private ownership.
The sale of the Black Castle, which is located on the west side of Liberty Square, presents an ideal opportunity for the present government to now, through the Office of Public Works (OPW) who maintain the State’s property portfolio, bring this historic castle into public ownership.
The castle was once the home of Elizabeth Poyntz, formerly of Acton Court, Iron Acton, Gloucestershire, England,[A] known as Lady Viscountess Thurles, following her marriage to Thomas Butler, Viscount Thurles, in 1608. Thomas Butler was son of Walter Butler “Walter of the Rosaries,” latter probably the first of the Butler family to take up residence in Thurles Castle.[B] Viscount Thurles was summoned from Tipperary, to England in 1619 to answer charges of treason, but the ship, conveying him, was wrecked off the coast of Wales, in an area known as The Skerries and he was drowned on 15th December 1619. His wife Elizabeth Butler (Poyntz), the celebrated Lady Thurles was now a widow and the lone parent of three sons and four daughters.
After the death of Viscount Thurles, Lady Thurles, married again, about 1620, Captain George Mathew of Radyr and Llandaff in Glamorganshire, Wales, by whom Lady Thurles had a further two sons and a daughter.
Captain George Mathew died at Tenby in Wales in 1636. A period portrait, oil on canvas, of Lady Viscountess Thurles is in the possession of the Tipperary County Library, situated in the Source building, Cathedral Street, Thurles.
 Memorial Plaque marking the burial place of Elizabeth Butler in St. Mary’s Church Thurles. Note Elizabeth Butler (Poyntz) was also progenitor (ancestor) to Honora “Nano” Nagle (1718-1784) the “Lady with the Lantern”, founder of the “Presentation Sisters” and a pioneer of Catholic education in Ireland. The Presentation Sisters here in Thurles this year celebrate 200 years of being resident in the town (1817-2017). Nano Nagle was declared venerable in the Roman Catholic Church on 31st October 2013 by Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio). Elizabeth and Thomas Butler (Lord & Lady Thurles), through their first son James FitzThomas Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond, is a direct progenitor (ancestor) to Charles Prince of Wales, who is the eldest child and heir apparent of the present Queen Elizabeth II.
The late Princess Diana is also connected to the history of the castle and through the daughter of Lord and Lady Thurles, (Mary Butler), and her ancestors the Hamiltons, descendants of whom married into the Spencer family. Indeed the late Princess Diana was the 12th cousin, twice removed, of Prince Charles.
Despite a visit from Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentarian army during the period 1658 to 1660, Lady Thurles and her children resided in the castle for a great deal of her life. Following her death in 1673 she was buried, at her own earlier request, in Thurles, inside the earlier pre 1820 ‘Little Chapel of St.Mary’, now St. Mary’s C of I Church. A commemorative polished limestone plaque, within the church building, recalls this historic period.
Does Rural Ireland Receive its Fair Share of Government Funding?
Here in the Thurles half of our Templemore / Thurles Municipal District of Tipperary, our appointed fiscal executives at both Municipal District and County Council level, correctly and carefully count the cost of administration, prioritising our spend. Thurles after all is part of a forgotten rural Ireland; which the present Fine Gael government fully agree has been totally neglected for at least the past 15 years.
According to our recent 2016 Census returns, between 2011 and 2016 the Thurles Urban Electoral Division population actually dropped by 115 persons (From 6,929 to 6,814), while Thurles Rural Electoral Division increased only by 14 persons (From 2,300 to 2,314 – a miserable .61% increase). Of course the figures posted in these 2016 Census returns are not in fact actually true; instead these figures reflect the numbers of persons forced to migrate or emigrate elsewhere in order to find work; with all employment prospects in the town completely absent.
On April 27th last, we posted details of Fáilte Ireland’s recently announced €11.5m funding, to be invested in the refurbishment of ten key OPW sites in Dublin, within Ireland’s Ancient East Region. I pointed out that within a 33 miles radios of Dublin’s popular O’Connell street, went the majority of funding; yes over €8m in total. This included €3m towards a new museum and viewing platform in ‘The Record Tower,’ at Dublin Castle; €300,000 towards a Phoenix Park tourism and amenity study. While twenty-five miles’ away the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre got €2.58m; and thirty three miles away Newgrange got €1m with Knowth a further €1.4m.
Continue reading Is The Purchase By Government Of The Thurles ‘Black Castle’ Justified?
County Tipperary T.D, Mr Michael Lowry has welcomed the Government’s latest funding injection of over €4 million for Energy Efficiency Upgrades in Co. Tipperary.
In a statement yesterday, Mr Lowry said; “I heartily welcome an allocation of funding from the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Mr Denis Naughten, which will see €26 million being approved for some 44 community energy projects across Ireland; over €4 million of which, I am happy to state, will be received for identified projects here in Co. Tipperary”.
The funding is being released under this year’s ‘Better Energy Communities Schemes’ which is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, on behalf of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment.
Deputy Lowry further stated, “The Better Energy Communities Schemes is intended to assist private and public buildings achieve energy efficiency upgrading. The identified Tipperary projects will see the installation and/or upgrading of energy efficient heating systems; energy efficient lighting, and solar heating. These successful projects in Tipperary will see the inclusion of energy upgrades to over 250 homes, along with works carried out to Public, Commercial and Retail Buildings. I also welcome the works to be carried out on Schools, Community Halls and GAA sport facilities, right across our county”.
Lowry continued, “Today’s total grant announcement heralds a very welcome and an important phase in the continued development of those at risk of energy poverty. This funding will continue to also assist in the development of the industry, both sustaining and developing employment in our local economy”.
Projects in Tipperary receiving funding will include:-
BEC/00633: This proposal is a collective one on behalf of a range of Eco-Merit member companies and organisations. These are a mix of commercial, public and not-for-profit entities, including registered charities with a common goal of improving their sustainability and energy efficiency. The non-domestic buildings involved in the project include: Waterford and South Tipperary Community Youth Services (WSTCYS). WSTCYS will share a grant offer of €170,586, along with other qualified projects in this section.
Continue reading Michael Lowry Welcomes €4m Energy Efficiency Funding
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