Politics « Thurles Information

Lonely & Homeless

Lonely: Defined as sad because a person has no friends or company.
Homeless: Defined as being without a home, and therefore typically residing on the street.

Streets of London

Lyrics and Vocals: English singer-songwriter and acoustic guitarist Ralph McTell.

Streets of London

Have you seen the old man in a closed-down market?
Kicking up the paper with his worn out shoes.
In his eyes, you see no pride and held loosely at his side,
Yesterday’s paper telling yesterday’s news.
Chorus:
So, how can you tell me you’re lonely and say for you that the sun don’t shine?
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London.
I’ll show you something to make you change your mind.

Have you seen the old girl who walks the streets of London?
Dirt in her hair and her clothes in rags.
She’s no time for talking, she just keeps right on walking,
Carrying her home in two carrier bags.
Repeat Chorus:

In the all night café at a quarter past eleven,
Same old man sitting there on his own.
Looking at the world over the rim of his teacup.
And each tea lasts an hour and he wanders home alone.
Repeat Chorus:

Have you seen the old man outside the seaman’s mission?
Memory fading with the medal ribbons that he wears.
And in our winter city the rain cries a little pity,
For one more forgotten hero and a world that doesn’t care.
Repeat Chorus:

END

Thurles, Co. Tipperary – Easter Saturday 2023.

“The Town Centre First policy aims to create town centres that function as viable, vibrant and attractive locations for people to live, work and visit, while also functioning as the service, social, cultural and recreational hub for the local community”. Quote Tipperary County Council.

The poem hereunder could easily have been written, following a visit by the poetess to Thurles, Co. Tipperary over the past number of years. The now abandoned, half upgraded, Thurles town centre; known as Liberty Square, once a busy hive of industry, is no more. Tipperary County Council officials, together with out-of-town consultants, civil engineers, local town councillors and not one, but two government politicians, have successfully rid this town centre of most of its thriving businesses, together with their associated consumers.
Yes, the lights continue to burn 24 hours each day on Liberty Square, but few walked the street area, on what should have been one of the busiest days of the 2023 calendar.

**Liberty Square, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.**
*Pic: G. Willoughby. [Easter Saturday, 3:15pm. 2023]*

“Progress”

Poem borrowed courtesy of the authoress Ms Julie Axford.

I don’t go down the High Street now, there’s nothing for me there.
It’s full of shops that do your nails, or cut and colour hair.
I don’t go down the High Street now and neither does my wife.
What used to be a thriving hub, is now devoid of life.
They’re building shops way out of town, there’s nowhere else to go.
The High Street, I’m afraid to say, has hit an all-time low.
The High Street used to sing and dance, at least it did to me,
But now it’s sadly out of step and painfully off-key.
But way back in the heyday when the High Street was the King,
Oh you could spend all day down there and buy just anything!
But now the King has lost his Crown, no longer does he reign.
He’s been dethroned by hyper stores and supermarket chains.
Just like a vampire in the night, they swooped down from the sky.
They forced the people out of town and sucked the High Streets dry.
We used to have so many shops for all that we might need,
For furniture, for shoes and clothes and cakes or books to read.
Butchers, bakers, fishmongers, sold fresh and wholesome stuff,
And though our families were not rich, we all ate well enough.
But now they’ve gone, it’s progress see, yes all have been replaced,
By takeaways and coffee shops with all their plastic waste!
With automatic checkout tills appearing everywhere.
No conversation, pleasantries or anecdotes to share.
I heard it said that money talks, at first I had my doubts,
And I was right, it doesn’t talk, money bloody shouts!
It’s always been the same of course, it’s human nature, see.
We have to travel with the times, that’s how it has to be.
The kids today they say I’m old and I of course agree.
They say the future is for them and not the likes of me.
My answer flutters on the breeze, a flag that’s flown half-mast.
“I wouldn’t want your future kids…I much prefer my past.”

END.

Was Thurles Business & Innovation Centre Really A Pig In A Poke Or A Re-Election Stunt.

It was just before the last Irish general election, [same which took place on Saturday February 8th 2020], that we learned on September 10th, 2019, of a new exciting project for the town of Thurles.

The news of a new ‘Business and Innovation Centre’, was broken by then Independent TD Mr Michael Lowry, who prophesised that this new project, quote; “Heralded a bright and progressive future for the town, (Thurles)”. He further added in his press release, “This investment and ‘state-of-the-art development’, will generate jobs, wealth and create a massive boost to the local economy,”

You can watch the full video announcement HERE.

Mr Lowry went on to further add in his written Press Release,

“The Erin Foods site project will also facilitate the future development of the town providing the first phase of the long-awaited Thurles Inner Relief road, which will link Slievenamon Road to the Mill Road. This link road will afford the opportunity to access lands for commercial and residential development while also facilitating the proposed future expansion of Mary Immaculate College. (Note: latter formally St. Patricks College, Thurles).

Tipperary County Council have reached agreement, exchanged contracts and are about to close on the purchase of land in excess of 20 acres at Clongour, Thurles for a Business Development Campus.

These lands will be then be serviced with sewerage, water, telecommunications and road infrastructure. The lands will be developed by Tipperary County Council, as serviced sites and available for marketing by the Council, Enterprise Ireland and I.D.A.

Thurles had lost out on inward investment because it did not have accommodation and facilities to attract business and Industry.

The combination of these projects should now have a formative impact on the economy of Thurles. It will create opportunities to attract business / enterprise and during the process deliver much needed jobs and economic regeneration within the town.

After a period of stagnation these developments should now herald a new bright beginning and positive future for Thurles.

We can now look forward with optimism and with greater confidence in the future of Thurles“.

Some weeks back, we watched the erection of a “FOR SALE” sign (shown above) for this same ‘Business and Innovation Centre‘ site containing circa 2.2 acre.

We waited for an explanation from our Elected Teachtaí Dála; Thurles Chamber; local Co. Councillors; Municipal District Officials, and Tipperary Co. Council. As always, all have remained totally silent.

I find it hard to believe that no discussion has taken place regarding this issue, all be it in private; but certainly I have not heard or indeed read publicly, anything regarding this broken promise to the Thurles electorate.

Joe Soap Got It Right Again.

Every ordinary unqualified ‘Joe Soap’, in Thurles town, forecast that the design put on display for Bowe’s corner, early last October, would be a disaster.
The issues raised by these unqualified ‘Joe Soap’s’, raised real concerns with regards to large trucks and buses making a left hand turn from Butler Avenue and Railway road, in their effort to access Abbey Road, (R660), Garryvicleheen, Thurles, without having to enter a wrong, oncoming vehicle lane. But sure what would ‘Joe Soap’s’ know about road engineering.

Thurles and Templemore Municipal District Engineer, Mr Thomas Duffy pleaded for patience with the Bowes’ Corner project, after a lot of ‘Joe Soap’s’ and some local councillors expressed concerns about the unfinished layout.
Mr Duffy was to go back to the road designers to discuss these many local concerns.

Fianna Fáil, Councillor Mr Seamus Hanafin, lacking somewhat in forward thinking; refused to be critical of this new design, since, as he stated, it remained incomplete.

According to Mr Duffey, the designers of this €650,000, project (€500.000 plus the €150.000 later added we are told) had run their ruler over their design, on numerous occasions, and he appealed to the unqualified ‘Joe Soap’s’ to have patience and wait until the project was completed and the overall plan was fully in place, before casting judgement.

**Speed Hump *(Black/Yellow)* Safety Sign Adjusted by Traffic on Butler Avenue, close to Bowes Corner**.

Well, as evidenced by the picture above, one high sided vehicle turning from the Cork side of Thurles Railway Station, unto Butler Avenue, now has a dirty great scratch along its side. It was attempting to get behind traffic already trapped, queued on the yellow diagonal box in the centre of the road; which happens so often, when traffic ahead is forced to comes to an unexpected sudden halt, at junctions.

When you erect a sign on a restricted narrow road; same jutting out over a kerb, expect it to be adjusted by heavy traffic, each and all attempting to use a restricted route.

Yes, not for the first time, has Councillor Mr Seamus Hanafin and District Engineer Mr Thomas Duffy, got it completely wrong. But sure taxpayers’ pockets are deep, so what does €650,000 for a little road alignment, matter anyway.

Measure twice, Cut once.
See the new Liberty Square update for example: HERE and HERE and HERE and the new R-660 Abbey Road Roundabout HERE. Obviously, someone has cut a meter or so out of the centre of the engineer’s tape measure.

Time for Tipperary Co. Council to change their road designers and maybe employ ordinary unqualified ‘Joe Soaps’.

Launch Of Updated Information Sharing System Across EU, Welcomed.

The Schengen Information System (SIS) Recast, will allow for enhanced information sharing on people and objects, allowing national authorities to better pursue and prevent serious crimes and terrorism.

The SIS Recast, by the European Commission has been fully implemented by An Garda Síochána, working in close collaboration with the Commission and other participating States.

It is the largest and most widely used IT system for public security in Europe and has received new functionalities through this upgrade, which went live this week.

Minister Harris has been discussing the upgrade with his EU Justice and Home Affairs colleagues at a meeting in Brussels today.

Ireland connected to SIS in March 2021 and since then it has proven to be an extremely effective tool for An Garda Síochána, in tackling crime domestically and also in contributing to international criminal investigations.

The system enables law enforcement agencies, including An Garda Síochána, to share and check data in real time on wanted persons, missing persons, persons who may not have the right to enter or stay in EU member states, and objects/vehicles that may have been stolen.

Under the updates this week, new types of biometrics, such as palm prints, fingermarks and DNA records (only in relation to missing persons) will be included on SIS to confirm and verify the identity of people registered in the system.

Authorities can also enter preventive alerts to protect certain categories of vulnerable persons, such as children at high risk of parental abduction, children at risk of becoming victims of trafficking in human beings, and children at risk of being recruited as foreign terrorist fighters.

Minister Mr Simon Harris said; “Gardaí must have access to the most up-to-date technology and data in order to continue to provide the world class policing service we have come to expect as we work together to build stronger, safer communities.
Crime does not respect borders, and new technologies, along with strong cooperation with our friends in Europe and beyond, is crucial in ensuring that people are safe and can feel safe in communities across Ireland.
I am confident that SIS RECAST will prove invaluable for An Garda Síochána and I commend the detailed work that An Garda Síochána has carried out over many months to ensure that Ireland has implemented this upgrade alongside the rest of the EU.”

Under the developments which went live this week, new alerts have been introduced across the SIS system.

These include:

*Introduction of a new alert category of “unknown wanted persons” connected to a serious crime, e.g., persons whose fingerprints are found on a weapon used in a crime;

*Extension of the existing category of “missing persons” to “vulnerable persons who need to be prevented from travelling,” e.g., children at high risk of parental abduction, children at risk of becoming victims of trafficking in human beings, and children at risk of being recruited as foreign terrorist fighters;

* Creation of the new category “inquiry check” allowing national law enforcement authorities to stop and interview a person in order for the issuing Member State to obtain detailed information;

* Introduction of the category of “objects of high value,” e.g., items of information technology such as laptops, which can be identified and searched with a unique identification number.

* Obligation for Member States to create SIS alerts for cases related to terrorist offences;

* Obligation to inform Europol of hit alerts linked to terrorism in order to help to “connect the dots” of terrorism at the European level.