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 Fianna Fáil’s Mr Seamus Hanafin today succeeded Fine Gael’s Mr Michael Fitzgerald as the new Cathaoirleach (Irish – Chairperson) of Tipperary County Council, having been proposed by party colleague Mr Jackie Cahill and seconded by Mr Roger Kennedy.
Councillor Hanafin described today as being a very proud one, not just for himself, but also for those he represents, together with his family; namely his wife and three children, his mother Peg, Mrs Mona and her husband former Senator Mr Des Hanafin, latter who himself was also, in the past, a Chairperson of North Tipperary County Council some 60 odd years previously.
Accepting his new post, Councillor Hanafin spoke of the need for a comprehensive plan of action with regard to employment, stating that current unemployment stands as the single biggest issue that must be brought under control here in Tipperary and pledged that same is something that he will strenuously battle and fight to redress, particularly during his term as current office holder.
The popular Councillor was later congratulated by his fellow Council colleagues, who unanimously agreed that he would greatly enhance and introduce even greater qualities to this, his newly elected office.
Today also saw widespread tributes paid to outgoing Chairperson Mr Michael Fitzgerald; describing him as fair minded, especially with regards to the very tough tasks undertaken, while taking over a reformed and newly amalgamated North / South Tipperary Council.
Chief Executive, Tipperary County Council, Mr Joe MacGrath stated that Mr Michael Fitzgerald’s name would now go down in the history books as the first ever Cathaoirleach of a new combined Tipperary County Council and thanked him for his unfailing commitment to the office of County Cathaoirleach.
Local Thurles and Co. Tipperary TD, Mr Michael Lowry, has successfully challenged a Revenue Assessment which alleged that his tax affairs were not in order. This appeal decision comes as the former government minister faces trial on four charges of allegedly filing incorrect tax returns and a fifth count, latter relating to an alleged breach of the Ltd Companies Act. Following some two days of hearings before the Appeal Commissioners, same have resulted in official confirmation that Mr Lowry’s tax affairs were completely in order. The case against the 60-year-old alleged he had filed incorrect tax returns in 2003 and 2007.
In a statement this lunch time the local Deputy has confirmed that he is now seeking to have all charges struck out; on foot of this ruling by the Tax Appeal Commissioners.
Statement by Tipperary T.D. Mr Michael Lowry this lunchtime
 “It is a matter of public knowledge that the Revenue Commissioners initiated a criminal prosecution against me before the courts. They took this extremely serious action on the grounds that I had committed a criminal offence by filing incorrect tax returns. This presumption by Revenue has now been proven to be unfounded.
I am very pleased to confirm that the Tax Appeal Commissioners have unanimously ruled that I have no tax liability and that my tax returns were correct. Two days of hearings before the Appeal Commissioners have resulted in official confirmation that my tax affairs were in order.
Garuda Ltd. T/A Streamline Enterprises was also successful in its appeal against a Revenue assessment for PAYE and PRSI tax.
From the outset the Revenue Commissioners were informed by my Legal team, my Accountants and by independent experts that their assessment was incorrect and that their assertions were grounded on false information. My professional advisers cooperated fully providing all relevant information and documentation which has disproved the allegations.
Further to the Appeal Commissioners decisive, clear-cut rejection of Revenue’s position, my legal team will now be asking the Courts to dismiss the Prosecution against me.”
Statement ends.
Mr Lowry’s legal team had already initiated a High Court Judicial Review of the Prosecution’s case prior to today’s decision.
 Mr Jackie Cahill The former Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association President, Mr Jackie Cahill (Thurles), has been selected to represent the Fianna Fáil party in the recently formed new constituency of Tipperary, in the next general election.
Currently an elected County Tipperary Councillor, Mr Cahill won 260 of the first preference votes in the first count, some 40 votes behind Mr Michael Smith Jnr, latter son of former Minister and a long-time North Tipperary TD Mr Michael Smith.
In the fourth election round count however Mr Cahill was deemed elected, ending up with 454 votes to Mr Smith’s 381 total.
Dr Martin Mansergh surprisingly polled the fewest first-preferences votes, just 37, from among the overall 852 votes cast from some 980 delegates present; all eligible to vote in last night’s election convention.
A second candidate is now expected to be added to the ‘Tipperary Ticket’ by Fianna Fáil party headquarters in the coming months. This is seen as an attempt to provide a more geographical balance across this large county. It is now expected that one of the defeated female candidate at last night’s convention, either M/s Siobhán Ambrose (Clonmel) or M/s Imelda Goldsboro (Coalbrook) could now also be added.
Presently representing Co. Tipperary are the Minister for the Environment Mr Alan Kelly of the Labour Party, Fine Gael Minister of State Mr Tom Hayes and his party colleague Deputy Mr Noel Coonan; together with Independent TD’s Mr Michael Lowry, Mr Mattie McGrath and Mr Séamus Healy.
Our next General Election expected to be held early next year here in Co. Tipperary will be the first time ever to see a unified reduced five-seat constituency, thus replacing the former Ridings of Tipperary South and Tipperary North, which in the past when joined together made up an overall six seat constituency.
 Picture shows the foundations for the well advanced pedestrian bridge, over the river Suir, joining the new and as yet unnamed Thurles town park, latter to be seen in the background. Major decisions came before both our national parliament and our local Templemore – Thurles Municipal District legislature this week.
Nationally our Dublin orientated Fine Gael / Labour government, after no real debate, rushed through a decision to sell-off possibly our only remaining Irish owned piece of family silver, namely Air Lingus, without the permission of the owners, the Irish people.
Here locally our Sinn Fein and Non Party Councillors, representing the Templemore – Thurles Municipal District, were calling for our new Thurles Town Park to be named after the seven signatories of the 1916 Proclamation. Thankfully, from a local decision making perspective, none of the proposers knew the names of the signatories written on this important document and probably just as well; as the name ‘MacDonagh MacDiarmada Plunkett Clarke Pearse Ceannt Connolly Park’, would have contained more letters than the existing village known as Llanfairpwllgwyngyl (pronounced: ɬanˌvairpuɬˈɡwɨ̞nɡɨ̞ɬ) situated on the island of Anglesey off the north-west coast of Wales.
Earlier of course they had discussed whether or not it should be named after one of themselves. However it was agreed that since none of them had, as yet, either died for their country or indeed (with the exception of Thurles Councillor Seamus Hanafan it must be said) had succeeded in achieving any one, real, single, positive contribution to this same Templemore – Thurles Municipal District since elected; same should be placed in temporary abeyance for perhaps a more opportune occasion into the future.
From a Fine Gael perspective it was felt that perhaps this New Park should be named after the now EU deported Minister Phil Hogan, due to the fact that same park is situated in close proximity to water and the fact also that his UISCE Eireann (Irish Water) company is currently being popularised by Alan Kelly, latter a Tipperary Labour Minister in government.
All Joking Aside
OK, joke over folks as it would appear that Thurles people and their elected representatives have very short memories. As my Grandmother, God bless her, used to say; “Eaten bread is soon forgotten”, meaning that great deeds are often forgotten by beneficiaries, once same have been delivered.
Cast your minds back to the decade prior to 2008 and to a man who left a massive positive imprint on Thurles his adopted town. Yes I refer to the late, great Wilbert Houben, affectionately known to us all here in Thurles as the “The Dutch Man”.
Next let’s ask ourselves who designed and contributed greatly to the building of ‘Pheasant Island’? Ask ourselves who built, without any remuneration, the limestone lined river bank, the fish friendly weir in the River Suir and who was it that introduced the now resident and pleasing duck population into the River Suir. Let’s ask ourselves who was one of the first people to suggest the purchase of land from St Patrick’s College with the aim of providing a Thurles Town Park? Who was it that fought so vocally to encourage our then Town Council to refrain from allowing sewage to flow unabated into the river Suir?
Not surprisingly you will find the answer to all of the above questions was Wilbert Houben.
As a community activist, Wilbert’s contribution to voluntary community groups in Thurles was endless; e.g. Thurles Lions Club, the once successful Thurles Tidy Towns Committee, Thurles Gun Club, the current Cabragh Wet Lands project, the once Thurles John Player Tops entertainment group and St. Mary’s Restoration Committee, just to name but a few.
Wilbert’s endless environmental knowledge, his personality, his generosity were only ever superseded by his gifted pair of hands which could, so perfectly, design and manufacture anything from “a needle to an anchor”, as any local farmer, small business or factory in Tipperary, to this very day can strongly attest.
Thurles poet Mr Gerry Cullen best summed up our feelings back in 2008, in his wonderful poem which he penned following Wilbert’s unexpected and sudden passing.
Tranen Voor Wilbert. (Tears for Wilbert.)
There’s terror on the Wetlands, the mighty guardian’s gone.
The Mink will get the edge again, and nature’s war is on.
The shadows chase the Moor-hen, and Magpies wait and see,
No form along the walkways, no Eco-referee.
Now winter’s at its darkest, and spirits weighted low,
And minds are left in why-land, where answers never go.
But spring will come in ripples with light all fresh and new,
Then clouds above the wildness will rain the tears for you.
Of course there is an alternative name we could call our new town park. Perhaps Sinn Fein would see this proposed name as being in the interests of unemployment, good neighbourliness, foreign direct investment, tourism, symbolic normalisation and even further clarification that the Good Friday Agreement is being put into full effect. Let’s call this park the “Queen Elizabeth 11 Park” and invite Her Majesty to officially do the honours, sure even the elusive President Michael D. Higgins would attend. This would be an immense boost for Tipperary tourism and would highlight to the world the fact that Her Majesty is a native of Thurles.
After all let us not forget that we currently have a fine residential area known as Windsor Grove, so how is that not ‘national symbolic normalisation’ being demonstrated by a forgotten Irish rural town.
A ‘Census’ is a procedure for systematically recording information about any given population; while providing all governing bodies with a comprehensive pictures of the social and living conditions of its people. This in turn provides vital information necessary for all future planning. Here in Ireland, in more recent years, our Census is usually taken in any year which ends in 1 or 6. The last Census undertaken was 2011 with 2016 expected to be the next such event.
A Census however must also take into account the current prevailing issues being experienced by any country; issues such as war for example or other unplanned catastrophes, e.g. the census in Ireland planned for April 2001 was postponed until 2002, due to the then prevailing ‘Foot and Mouth’ epidemic.
Ireland has been conducting a census of its population since 1821. The first major census, using a household form, was the ‘Great Census of 1841’ and same was taken every 10 years prior to the year 1951, after which time they were undertaken at five yearly intervals.
It is of course necessary that the fieldwork involved in a such an operation be completed over a relatively short period of time and provide the essential tools to implement effective future policy, planning and decision making, e.g. supporting our Health Care needs through our Health Boards, our Regional Authorities, our Schools, our Heritage, our Migration Patterns, our required necessary New Development and most importantly identifying Employment Needs.
Same fieldwork undertaken should automatically indicate the number of births and deaths that have occurred. Indeed Article 16.2 of the Constitution (Bunreacht na hÉireann) lays down that the total membership of Dáil Éireann depends on the population as measured by a census (i.e. 1 TD per 20,000 to 30,000 persons).
Like most parishes in the Archdiocese of Cashel & Emly, the population of Thurles declined catastrophically in the decades during and following the Great Famine. This drop in the famine decade 1841-1851 (shown in graph above) is actually steeper than that indicated, as some 2,761 (over 23%) of the population of Thurles in 1851 remained inmates of the Thurles Workhouse (Hospital of the Assumption) and many of these inmates ordinarily would not have been naturalised Thurles residents.
Unlike most of the rural parishes in the Archdiocese of Cashel & Emly, the decline in population here in Thurles was reversed prior to 1936, due largely to the increase in employment brought by the Thurles Sugar Factory in 1934. However the Irish Sugar Company, which had already closed the sugar factory at Tuam, in Co. Galway, was to turn its attention on the factory here at Thurles; closing it completely in 1989.
The closure of Thurles Sugar Factory in 1989, then one of the largest employers in Thurles, was to now instigate a continuous downward spiral with regard to employment, which in turn would spell the death knell to other smaller retailers also within the town. Add to this now downward employment spiral, one textile factory (Phoenix Yarns), two bakeries (Sweeney’s in Mitchel Street and Crotty’s in Friar Street), the Premier Foods take over and immediate closure of Erin Foods. Continue to add to this the loss of the Jobst Medical Products factory, the GMX Moulinex factory (Electronic Engineers Electrical Components Manufacturer). With these factory’s now closed Transport Companies wholly dependent on formers business were quickly soon to follow.
The above video was taken two years ago, but little if anything has changed from a Thurles employment perspective.
In opposition government during November 2007, Fine Gael Deputy Noel Coonan expressed grave concerns about these confirmed closures declaring, “This latest news (Erin Foods closure) has sent shock waves through the area. The present Government has failed the people of Thurles and at the eleventh hour made no effort to intervene and reverse this decision. Government policies are having a devastating effect on rural constituencies like Tipperary North. A total review of Government policy is urgently required”, he stated.
Also in opposition during November 2007, Labour’s then Senator Alan Kelly stated, “Thurles has taken a severe hit over the last number of years since the closure of the Sugar Factory. It is now clear that we need direct Government intervention to address this problem and to safeguard the economic future of Thurles. It is fair to say that the manufacturing sector has been decimated in Thurles.” he stated.
Both above named politicians, Deputy Coonan and the now new Minister Alan Kelly, while now in government for the last 4 years, have done absolutely nothing to improve employment here in Thurles.
This is 2015 and last Friday night Fine Gael selected outgoing Deputy Noel Coonan, to contest the 2016 General Election, in our new five-seat constituency of Tipperary. Deputy Coonan together with Minister of State Tom Hayes were both chosen, without a contest, at a selection convention in the Anner Hotel, Thurles, chaired by Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald.
No doubt Labours Minister Kelly will also be selected to contest this same 2016 General Election and thus my simple question is this; “With an estimated almost 600,000 people having been forced to emigrate from Ireland and Tipperary in recent years, in search of work; will the Tipperary electorate continue to vote for “more of the same neglect” at the ballot box, come the next General Election?”
Lest we forget that while employment rates may have risen in the eastern half the country over the first three months of 2015, five areas in Ireland including the Midland and Western regions recorded an increase in the rate of unemployment for this very same period.
Current Government Ministers maybe jubilant over claims they have finally broken below the psychological 10% unemployment barrier nationally, but the figures, published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), demonstrate that the task faced by this Government, to spread the effects of economic recovery evenly across our land, have not yet materialised here in Co. Tipperary.
Thurles needs new, fresh, imaginative political leadership.
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