Politics « Thurles Information

Proprietors Of A Thurles Home Refusing To Accept Another Winter Of Council Inaction.

For the second consecutive year, the proprietors of a house on the Dublin Road, east of Thurles, is being relentlessly flooded, and they are refusing to accept another winter of inaction.
The cause is not a natural calamity, but a man-made one: a raised, sloped footpath, installed by Tipperary County Council, now channels rainwater directly into their home.

**Photograph of internal damage and rising damp caused by water ingress**.
*Pic: G. Willoughby*.

Despite repeated calls to Thurles Municipal District Council staff, and despite entreaties to local elected councillors, not one single corrective step has been taken in the past two years.
After the heavy rain early this morning, we filmed video evidence-plain and unmistakable-that identifies water streaming down the garden path to flow under the front door, thus saturating the front hallway and creating rising damp, which today is visible, creeping mercilessly upward on the interior walls.

Outside, the tarmac footpath, which the council built, same is already sinking, forming a dangerous slope unto the property, turning the approach to the house into a funnel for floodwater.

We have this evening sent copies of the video and images to Ms. Sharon Scully (Thurles Municipal District Administrator) and Ms. Sinead Carr (CE, Tipperary County Council), asking that they immediately contact the elderly occupants, whom we have named in our correspondence.
The proprietors are terrified that a night of heavy rain will see their furniture floating, their home destroyed, and their security swept away.
The proprietors are now seeking immediate and urgent remedial action and full restitution for the damage caused by the councils inaction.

Martin Mansergh, Key Irish Peace Process Adviser, Dies Aged 78.

Mr Martin Mansergh, former Irish Minister of State and key Irish peace process adviser, sadly dies aged 78 years.

Martin George Southcote Mansergh, former Minister of State, historian, and one of the most influential advisers in the Northern Ireland peace process, has died at the age of 78 years, while on a trip to the Sahara with fellow retired parliamentarians.

Born in Surrey, England, in December 1946, Mr Mansergh was the son of historian and Oxford academic Nicholas Mansergh, a renowned authority on Anglo-Irish relations, and Diana Mary Mansergh. He was educated at The King’s School, Canterbury, before going on to study at Christ Church, Oxford, where he obtained a doctorate in history. His academic background and deep interest in Irish and European affairs shaped both his intellectual outlook and his later political career.

Although English-born, Mr Mansergh made Ireland his home and dedicated his professional life to Irish public service. His historical awareness, combined with a sharp political mind, made him a trusted adviser to Fianna Fáil Taoisigh Charles Haughey, Albert Reynolds, and Bertie Ahern. He was regarded as a central figure in the complex and often secret efforts to open dialogue with Sinn Féin from the late 1980s, laying the groundwork for the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Elected to Seanad Éireann in 2002, he served until 2007, when he was elected TD for Tipperary South. In government, he was appointed Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works. While his parliamentary career was significant, it was his quiet, steadfast role in shaping government policy on Northern Ireland and his contribution to peace that most defined his public legacy.

Tributes following his death have described him as a man of integrity, intellect, and generosity. His early negotiations on behalf of successive Taoisigh, his resilience during years of painstaking dialogue, and his commitment to reconciliation earned him the respect of political leaders across divides. “Few on the Irish side were more crucial to the Peace Process,” one tribute reflected, “whether through his role as an intermediary or in crafting a new political and intellectual framework for peace.”

He is recalled as being a key figure in establishing contacts and building trust in the years leading to the Good Friday Agreement. His contribution, alongside that of Mr John Hume, senior government officials, and Sinn Féin representatives, was pivotal in transforming the political Irish landscape.

Away from politics, Mr Mansergh was known as a historian and writer, contributing to Irish and European scholarship and offering reflections on politics and history that drew on both his academic training and his practical experience.

He is remembered as a warm and thoughtful man, generous with his time, devoted to his family, and proud of his roots in County Tipperary, where he lived for many years.

Mr Mansergh is survived by his wife, Elizabeth and their five children. His passing marks the loss of a figure whose intellect, dedication, and quiet determination were instrumental in securing peace in Ireland and whose life leaves behind a proud legacy of service and reconciliation.

In ár gcroíthe go deo.

Next Week – 96 Additional Beds Will Become Available At UHL.

University Hospital Limerick (UHL) is set to open 96 additional beds in the coming days, in what health officials say marks the first step in a long-term plan to ease chronic overcrowding at the Mid West Region’s main hospital.

The €96 million development, which has been under construction over the past three years, will deliver 96 single en-suite rooms, all of which are new bed stock. It is understood the unit will be fully staffed once it becomes operational next week.

This is the first of three 96-bed blocks planned for the UHL campus, with the second expected to open in 2027 and the third in the 2030s.

UHL has consistently been ranked the country’s most overcrowded hospital. This morning, figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) recorded 86 patients waiting on trolleys across the hospital’s emergency department and wards, while on the previous day, the figure stood at 118.

The hospital has come under repeated scrutiny from the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), which has found UHL to be understaffed and posing significant risks to patient safety. Inspections reported that patient dignity and privacy were routinely compromised in the overcrowded emergency department.

Public concern over safety at UHL intensified following the death of 16-year-old Ms Aoife Johnston in December 2022. An independent review by former Chief Justice Frank Clarke concluded her death was “almost certainly avoidable” after she waited 13.5 hours for life-saving medication. The report warned that without urgent action to address staffing and capacity, further avoidable deaths would remain an “inevitable” risk.

The emergency department at UHL is the only 24-hour facility serving the Mid West region-covering North Tipperary, Limerick, Clare, and parts of Cork and Kerry – since a controversial reconfiguration of services by Fianna Fáil government, back in 2009.
Campaign groups, including families bereaved at the hospital, continue to call for additional emergency departments to be established in the region.

Irish Government Appoint New Director General Of Forensic Science.

Irish Government announce the appointment of Dr Ciarán Seoighe as Director General of Forensic Science Ireland (FSI). His appointment will take over from his predecessor Mr Chris Enright, with effect from October 6th next, 2025.

Dr Seoighe brings senior experience in the fields of science and research, most recently as Deputy CEO of Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland. Dr Seoighe joined Science Foundation Ireland in 2018, which amalgamated with the Irish Research Council to form Taighde Éireann in 2024.

He has led the Strategy and Transformation Directorate and played a key role in shaping Ireland’s strategic direction in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies.

Prior to this appointment, Dr Seoighe spent nearly two decades as a global management consultant, advising leading organisations across ICT, finance and more.

Communications Update On Pollution Of River Suir In Thurles Up Until Today.

Communications update on pollution of the River Suir In Thurles town centre as received, up until today, September 23rd 2025.

Regarding my last communication updating details on the 12 year old River Suir pollution problem, four emails were sent on Friday last September 19th 2025 to:- Ms Sinead Carr (CE Tipperary Co. Council), [sinead.carr@tipperarycoco.ie]; Environmental Complaints section EPA [E.Complaints@epa.ie], Ms Sharon Scully, (Thurles Municipal District Admin) [sharon.scully@tipperarycoco.ie]; Mr Robert O’Brien (A/Executive Scientist, Environment & Climate Action, Tipperary County Council, Civic Offices, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary).[robert.obrien@tipperarycoco.ie]

To date we have received only two replies shown hereunder.

A reply from the Environmental Protection Agency, latter supposedly a public body responsible for protecting the environment in Ireland has sent the following email.

Dear Mr Willoughby,
The EPA acknowledges receipt of your further correspondence relating to this matter.
We have written to Tipperary County Council and await their response on any actions taken or planned regarding the matter. We will provide you with an update in four weeks.
In the interim, we recommend you continue to report any further issues relating to this matter to Tipperary County Council.
Please use the reference number above (COM021813) in any further communication with the EPA regarding this matter.
Kind regards etc.

Today, I have received a reply from Mr Robert O’Brien, (A/Executive Scientist, Environment & Climate Action, Tipperary County Council, Civic Offices, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary), acknowledging my previous email sent on September 19th. We understand that Mr O’Brien who is on holidays since Friday last has also communicated as follows:-

Hello George,
I acknowledge your email sent Friday 19th September. We need time to review your questions, and we will respond in due course.
Kind regards etc.

My email sent to the above named on Friday last September 19th has now been sent to the following elected personnel this evening:-

Mr Darragh O’Brien (darragh.obrien@oireachtas.ie) (Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment & Minister for Transport).
Mr Alan Dillon (alan.dillon@oireachtas.ie) (Minister of State with responsibility for Small Businesses and Retail.
Minister of State with responsibility for Circular Economy)
Mr Timmy Dooley (timmy.dooley@oireachtas.ie) (Minister of State with responsibility for Fisheries, Minister of State with responsibility for the Marine).