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Cllr. Grogan – Calls for Thurles Munster Final to Celebrate 125 years of the GAA

dsc_6162Thurles Town Councillor Michael Grogan has strongly backed a motion that the newly revamped ‘Field of Legends’ Semple Stadium should play host to the 2009 Senior Munster Hurling Final.

Monday’s Munster Council GAA meeting received a motion from outgoing Tipperary chair John Costigan that Thurles would be the venue for the final to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association in the Cathedral town.

Munster Council Chairman, Jimmy O’ Gorman of Waterford is said to be “strongly considering” the request and a response is expected in the near future.

Speaking to Thurles. Info Cllr. Grogan said:

“We have a facility for the game of hurling that is second to none in the country. I would go as far as to call on the Munster council to issue a regulation that, where possible, that the Munster hurling final would be played every year in the home of hurling here in Thurles. The current stadium chairman Con Hogan and his team have done a fantastic job and have built on the work of previous stadium committees done through the years. We now have a stadium that is the envy of counties the length and breadth of the country, and one that generates a lot of money for the town and the local economy. In Thurles we have the history, the town facilities, the hurling tradition, the passion and the capacity for such an event.  I feel that the majority of the general GAA public would be supportive of the notion that Thurles would hold the Munster Hurling final annually. Every hurling fan enjoys the pilgrimage to Semple Stadium, and I feel that it would be an unbelievable boost to the town of Thurles if the Munster hurling final was held here every year.”

Councillor Michéal Lowry – Funding Allocation For Cabra Road Improvements

miclCouncillor Michéal Lowry has announced the immediate release of additional funds to allow for the completion of major road resurfacing works on the Cabra road, Thurles.

A further allocation of €200,000 will be used to finish the stretch of road between the oil distribution centre and the old sugar factory entrance at Cabra. This follows the completion of road resurfacing in the Stradavoher area.

Also included is a measure to realign, resurface and make safe the junction leading into Ballycurrane that has gone into serious disrepair.

This work is to begin and be completed in January 2009.                                                                                                                           mapdata

This investment ties into funding Independent TD Michael Lowry had previously secured for works on the Dublin and Templemore roads in Thurles.

Speaking to Thurles.Info, Cllr. Lowry stated:

“I have made the restoration and improvement of Thurles approach roads a priority.  Once these are completed the image and appeal to Thurles town will be further enhanced. The Lowry team and I will continue to work with the relevant government agencies and departments to provide quality, safe approach roadways for local residents and the towns commuters in general.”

Corrigan Brothers – There’s No One As Irish As Barack O’Bama

corrig-bros1Three Irish brothers, born in the picturesque village of Puckane, Co.Tipperary, may well find themselves performing at Barack Obama’s presidential election celebrations in 38 days time. This is following the launch of their, now, household ditty and ode to the Illinois senator’s Moneygall ancestry. The song, “There’s No One as Irish as Barack Obama” which was officially launched worldwide today at Ollie Hayes’s bar in Moneygall, Co Offaly by Tipperary’s Local Radio station, Tipp FM, on the popular Fran Curry’s Classis Cafe live radio show, broadcast direct from Moneygall.

The Band consisting of Ger, Brian and Donnacha Corrigan, are presently living in Castletroy, Co.Limerick and have been gaining infamy over the last two years with their comedy ballad rap style band trading as the “Hardy Drew and the Nancy Boys“.  The band have made themselves well known to the Irish nation through their regular appearences on RTE’s Podge & Rodge and John Creedon shows. They are also well known through their lampooning  of Irish Soccer players, Cork man Roy Keane and Thurles native Niall Quinn.

The brothers were forced to sing for visiting relations from an early age. They admit, however, tongue in cheek, to having received enough therapy to continue a musical career through their adulthood. Gerard, Brian and Donncha are multi instrumentalists who have individually had varied musical careers. Ger played in a rock band in the 80’s and competed in the Irish National Song Contest on two occasions while Brian and Donny followed  a more folk style singing carreer which stretches back to the early nineties. The Corrigan Brothers came together four years ago as “Hardy Drew and the Nancy boys” and came to prominence with a rap in the native Irish language called “Cupla Focal” (meaning ‘a few words’). This year saw The Corrigan Brothers embrace the Irish roots of Barack Obama.

They have appeared on TV stations all over the world with this their new iconic song. They have featured in countless documentaries and performed the song on election night in Moneygall Co. Offaly, the confirmed ancestral home of Barack Obama.

Soon to be President, Obama’s Moneygall roots were brought to the forefront last year by Stephen Neill when it was revealed that the Illinois candidate’s third great grand grandfather, Fulmuth Kearney, (on his mother’s side) was the son of a Moneygall shoemaker who emigrated to the US in 1850.

Here’s the video.

And here’s the lyrics.

There’s no one as Irish as Barack O’Bama

You don’t believe me, I hear you say
But Barack’s as Irish, as was JFK
His granddaddy’s daddy came from Moneygall
A small Irish village, well known to you all

Toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a lama
There’s no one as Irish As Barack O’Bama

He’s as Irish as bacon and cabbage and stew
He’s Hawaiian he’s Kenyan American too
He’s in the white house, He took his chance
Now let’s see Barack do Riverdance

Toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a lama
There’s no one as Irish As Barack O’Bama

From Kerry and Cork to old Donegal
Let’s hear it for Barack from old Moneygall
From the lakes if Killarney to old Connemara
There’s no one as Irish as Barack O’Bama

O’Leary, O’Reilly, O’Hare and O’Hara
There’s no one as Irish as Barack O’Bama
From the old blarney stone to the great hill of Tara
There’s no one as Irish as Barack O’Bama

2008 the White House is green, their cheering in Mayo and in Skibereen.
The Irish in Kenya, and in Yokahama,
Are cheering for President Barack O’Bama

O’Leary, O’Reilly, O’Hare and O’Hara
There’s no one as Irish as Barack O’Bama

The Hockey Moms gone, and so is McCain
They are cheering in Texas and in Borrisokane,

In Moneygall town, the greatest of drama, for our Famous President Barack o Bama

Toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a lama
There’s no one as Irish As Barack O’Bama

The great Stephen Neill, a great man of God,
He proved that Barack was from the ‘Auld Sod’
They came by bus and they came by car, to celebrate Barack, in Ollie Hayes’s Bar

O’Leary, O’Reilly, O’Hare and O’Hara
There’s no one as Irish as Barack O’Bama

Littleton and Horse & Jockey Bypassed and The Farm Installation Scheme

The Tipperary villages of Littleton and Horse & Jockey are today enjoying a new lease of life with the removal of 16,000 vehicles per day from them.

Independent Deputy Michael Lowry (Pictured here turning on the Thurles Christmas Lights) has welcomed the official opening of the Cullahill to Cashel road project by the Minister for Transport, Mr. Noel Dempsey T.D. over 7 months ahead of schedule.

The new road involves 10.5 kms of motorway between Cullahill in Co. Laois and Urlingford in Co. Kilkenny and 29 kms of dual carriageway between Urlingford and Cashel in Tipperary.

Michael Lowry expressed his happiness at the early delivery of the project that will cut journey times, improve safely standards and reduce congestion.

Speaking to Thurles.Info Michael Lowry stated:

“I am delighted that such an important piece of our national infrastructure has been delivered in such a timely and effective manner. The credit for this has to go to all parties involved including the councils, the land owners and the contractors. From a Tipperary point of view, I feel the real winners today are the villages of Littleton and Horse & Jockey who are now in a position to plan for an exciting new future without the massive throughput of traffic and congestion that they have endured for years.”

Young Farmer Installation Scheme

On a totally different issue, Michael Lowry today spoke to Thurles.Info regarding his recent meetings with the Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith on the issue of Installation Aid for Young Farmers.

Deputy Lowry had been making strong and robust arguments to the Minister over the past week regarding the importance of this scheme for young farmers, attempting to set up their holdings.

Following these discussions the Minister confirmed the following to Thurles.Info today:

  • That applications that were in the pipeline but not completed by the 15th of October will now be addressed.
  • That eligible young farmers who are currently under the age of 35 and who continue their training will not be excluded from the scheme when it reopens.

Speaking to Thurles.Info Deputy Lowry stated:

“I am delighted to get these important commitments from the Minister. Over the course of its existence the Installation Aid scheme had been vital for farm restructuring, the establishment of young farmers and the encouragement of the transfer of land to young farmers.The scheme is one of few ways in which the Government can encourage new blood and assist farmers. We all recognise that cuts in government expenditure are required in the current economic climate, but the cut to installation aid as announced in the budget adversely affected young farmers who where attempting to establish themselves on the land. I am pleased that the Minister has recognised these concerns and has issued commitments to me in respect of the arguments that I have put forward to him”

This statement has been approved by the Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith in advance of publication.

Info: The objective of Young Farmers Installation Aid Scheme is to encourage young people to establish themselves in farming. The value of the scheme is a once off €15,000 payment. This scheme was agreed under Social Partnership for 2007-2013 and is co-funded by the EU. The Scheme is 42% co-funded by the EU and is vital to facilitate the smooth and early transfer of farms.

Lowry – Payment Commitment Receives Cautious Welcome

North Tipp TD Michael Lowry gave a cautious welcome to commitments from Bothar Hibernian last Friday, saying that they had reached an agreement with RAC Éire to pay all their subcontractors before the Christmas.

The Independent deputy had strongly backed local contractors from the Lower Ormond Area who have been left severely out of pocket as a result of non payment of invoices of a company subcontracting work on the M7 Limerick to Nenagh Road.

The Portuguese based company RAC Eire owes at least 4.5 million euro to local contractors. Contractors, some of whom have not been paid for up to six months, have begun to blockade work on the new road over the last few weeks.

The Deputy said that he had to work directly with all parties including the Department of Transport, the NRA and project overseers, and Limerick County Council to bring a resolution to this dispute over the last three months.

Lowry said that the situation would only be fully resolved once the contractors, affected, had money actually paid into their accounts, as there had been so many broken promises before.

Speaking to Thurles.Info the Deputy said;

“This fiasco calls into question the methods and lack of controls applied to subcontracting rules in this area. I am disappointed and concerned that a situation has been allowed to develop over the course of the last few months whereby local Tipperary contractors, who have entered into their contracts in good faith, are being made to bear the brunt of payment disputes. I fully understand that the contracts concerned are between RAC Eire and local contractors, if there is any impropriety involved in the delay of this payments to the local businesses, the full force of the government and the law should be brought to bear on the parties concerned. Situations like this should not be allowed to arise as they cause much fear and trepidation to the local enterprises involved and undermine public confidence in a project of major importance to North Tipperary”.

In a press statement issued on the 28th November last by Bohar Hibernian the company’s project manager Mr Nuno Teixeira stated;

“There is currently a dispute at the site of the N7 Nenagh to Limerick HQDC works at Birdhill. The dispute is between RAC EIRE Partnership, and a number of their subcontractors who are overdue payments for work done. RAC EIRE Partnership is a subcontractor of Bothar Hibernian N7 JV. There is no dispute between these RAC EIRE subcontractors and Bothar Hibernian N7 JV. Bothar Hibernian N7 JV has been actively working to resolve the situation and we have now achieved the terms of an agreement in which RAC EIRE have committed to paying all their subcontractors before Christmas. Payment will be in full or substantially in full. We feel that at this time, as an intermediary, it would not be appropriate to make any further comment”.