|
|
Public Transport Minister and North Tipperary Labour TD Alan Kelly has decided to involve himself in a court action with a 70-year-old neighbour, regarding access to a narrow laneway adjoining both their lands.
 Disputed Property The Irish Independent informs us today that this dispute has led to Mr Kelly, hiring a private security firm to block access to the 70 year old pensioner, named as Diana Whitehead, from access to this disputed access road.
The woman, who is reported as separated and living on her own, uses the road, together with local small farmers, who rent land from her, to access fields in rural Tipperary where Ms Whitehead tends to a small number of animals, including goats and donkeys.
A fence had been erected to block the road off, forcing Ms Whitehead to obtain an interim court order, allowing her pedestrian access to her property. She had previously used mechanical vehicles on the lane.
Mr Kelly and Ms Whitehead live alongside each other, outside Portroe, with both of their houses enjoying a spectacular view out over beautiful Lough Derg.
It would appear that the North Tipperary TD Mr Kelly, like his Labour party colleagues, have lost their long held belief in the teachings of James Connolly, whose education in socialism was derived from the writings of Karl Marx.
Marx, you will all remember wanted to take advantage of then existing rebellious chaos and used a newspaper, the ‘Neue Rheinische Zeitung,’ to launch his famous ten point plan, the first point of which was “The abolition of the property /ownership of land.” To use the words of Marx, “The hierarchical structure of land ownership, and the armed bodies of retainers associated with it, give the nobility power over the serfs.”
It would appear I must now re-visit and examine my own personal definition of Socialism “Men with nothing, wishing to share it with everyone else.”
Picture courtesy Independent
A new integrated transport ticketing system called the Leap Card, has been announced today for, yes you guessed it, the Greater Dublin area. As many as 40,000 holders of smart cards on Iarnrod Eireann (30,000) and Luas (10,000), will immediately have their cards replaced with these Leap cards.
North Tipperary’s TD Alan Kelly was on hand, as usual, for photographs and a wee opportunity for a TV spot. (Matthew 18:20 springs to mind “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.“)
The new Leap Card is expected to be available to all commuters by the end of this year. €48m has been spent on the system to date over the last eight years and €55m will have been spent by the time the system is ready to roll.
So now you know why Thurles has no funding for it’s proposed and identified €48m, 8-kilometre, 100 metre wide corridored by-pass. The estimated €48M was spent on an integrated transport ticketing system for Dublin.
 The new Thurles integrated transport system Some good news however for Thurles. We may not have to leap over the shallow end of the river Suir to go shopping this Christmas.
Traffic was at a standstill for 2.5 hours today as workers dropped cement bollards and sand bags into the river to protect the only vehicle crossing into our town. Note, I can not confirm that this means that badly needed repairs to the decaying Barry’s Bridge connecting Thurles to the rest of the world is now imminent. It might have been undertaken because of a severe weather and flood warnings from our good friends in Met Éireann.
Like the new Dublin integrated transport Leap card, one of our resident frogs also came out for a look, but he was to be dissappointed, there was no sign of Alan Kelly, RTE or any other of our North Tipperary politicians in attendance.
Still, all is not lost, Thurles Co-Op are offering a great deal in wellingtons and waterproof waders at present.
 Old Water Mains Water charges are definitely on the cards or else all the leaking water mains in Dublin are now fixed. This statement is borne out by the fact that grant assistance of €1.29 million has been approved for proposals to carry out extensive water mains rehabilitation work in the Thurles area, under the Water Conservation Stage 3 contract.
While this will no doubt be branded by our local TD’s as part of the present Government’s ongoing efforts to improve infrastructure in the Town, trust me when I say it smells to high heaven as the start of preparation for the implementation of domestic water charges.
North Tipperary County Council plan to replace 4km, approximately, of existing cast iron water mains within Thurles, replacing old cast iron pipes laid during the reign of Queen Victoria.
These water mains have been the cause of substantial leakage in the past, and went ignored during the “Tiger years.” Replacing these pipe sections now will minimise future disruption to consumers.
We understand the scheme will go to tender immediately, with the works advancing to the construction stage as soon as possible.
Here’s hoping they are positioned deep enough underground to avoid a total freeze up, as was experienced in parts of Thurles this past winter.
“A speech worthy of a wider audience,” was how Tom Noone, the acting Master of Ceremonies, ably described it on Saturday night last, on the occasion of a banquet, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of Thurles Credit Union. Fully supporting Tom’s remark, Thurles.Info is proud to publish, in full, the text of this speech, made at this event, by Guest Speaker, Thurles born, Mark Fielding, Chief Executive of ISME.
Note: ISME is the independent organisation for the Irish small and medium business sector, with in excess of 8,500 members nationwide. ISME’s mission is to independently represent, promote and support owner/managers of small and medium enterprises and be vigilant, decisive, and direct in promoting and defending their interests, while helping members to better manage and grow their business through the provision of excellent information and services.
If you are a small business presently seeking direction, a Minister or Politician (regardless of your party affiliations) a Union organiser, then this text is a must read in full, and at least twice. For in this text Mr Mark Fielding amply expresses the most intimate thoughts and feelings of the people of Ireland today, especially in the light of our current financial state.
Read Mark Fielding’s Address:
“Where there is no vision the people perish.“
“The founders of Thurles Credit Union in 1961 had a vision. I would like to congratulate the Thurles Credit Union, Board, Supervisors, Management and Staff and the members themselves on your anniversary, and on the valuable work that you have carried out since the inception of the organisation in 1961.
 Mark Fielding, Chief Executive, ISME. Credit unions are economically important as they mobilise household savings as loans, and socially important, as that they help create community social capital. Guided by that philosophy, the fundamental business purpose is to provide high quality financial services at fair prices to anyone who wants them. By excelling at this purpose, they build the capital reserves needed for sustainability. They are a vital store of intergenerational capital and a facilitator of community social capital.
In time consolidation may see the network consolidate down to less than 100 larger, sustainable credit unions, while maintaining most of the existing branch footprint. Wisely used, state funding will restructure credit unions into a modern credit co-operative system.
Some local politicians have accused Mathew Elderfield of driving people into the arms of loan sharks. Perhaps they should consider why so many credit unions are in financial trouble and why others like Thurles CU are in rude health; why lending has been restricted in some and continues to grow in places like Thurles. It is important to distinguish between a credit union and the people who govern and manage them and here again Thurles is an exemplar.
With the Government and Central Bank intent on stabilising the sector, credit unions need to realise the opportunity it proposes and through prudent management, become a leader in the sector.
When I was asked to speak on this occasion I began to think about what I would have said to a gathering of Thurles people back in 1961, the year of the birth of this fine Credit Union. So Imagine, if you would, what someone like me would say about the FUTURE, back there in 1961, allowing our fancy take flight, looking forward to the next 50 years, back then.
Continue reading Mark Fielding – No Vision People Perish
It was a colourful and moving ceremony today at Dublin Castle, when Mr Michael D Higgins made his Declaration of Office and received his Presidential Seal from the Chief Justice Mrs Justice Susan Denham.
 Ireland's First Lady & Ninth President Elect. Inaugural speech of President Michael D Higgins
Muintir na hÉireann and friends of Ireland at home and abroad, there can be no greater honour than to have been elected Uachtarán na hÉireann – President of Ireland. I thank you the people of Ireland for the honour you have bestowed upon me and I accept and appreciate the great responsibilities of that office. Citizens of Ireland, you have chosen me to be your ninth President, to represent you at home and abroad, and to serve as a symbol of an Irishness of which we can all be proud. An Irishness which is carried by every citizen and which we must recall and forge anew together.
I enter the ninth Presidency with a sense of humility, but also with confidence in the great capacity of our people, the people of Ireland, not only to transcend present difficulties but to realise all of the wonderful possibilities that I believe await us in the years ahead. I wish to acknowledge the immense contribution of those who have previously served in this office, particularly the two great women who have immediately preceded me.
Continue reading Michael D Higgins Inaugurated Ninth Irish President
|
Support Us Help keep Thurles.info online by donating below. Thank you.
Total Donated 2026: €300.00
Thank You!
Daily Thurles Mass Livestream
|
Recent Comments