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 Hayes Hotel, Thurles, Co Tipperary Enda Kenny was busy down in Castlebar today, attempting to make 60 Senators redundant.
Meanwhile back here in Thurles, Co Tipperary, those placed with the custodial responsibility for the property of others, were also busy little bees, behaving in a somewhat secretive and similar fashion, attempting to reduce the turnover of one of our town’s historical landmarks and a world renowned place of annual pilgrimage.
Receiverships, even in Ireland, are normally observed as an equitable solution whose purpose is to protect a distressed company’s tangible and intangible assets. The obligations of receivers, both moral and otherwise when appointed, come under two headings;
(1) Secure and realise the entity and assets of the company to which they are assigned and where possible retain employees.
(2) Manage the affairs of the company in order to resolve all / any debts outstanding.
As a former employee of the hotel industry for many years, I find myself, when in need of a cup of coffee or a bite to eat, being drawn more to Hotels rather than the Tea Shop or the local Take-Away. As a lover of local history and folklore, you can therefore usually expect to find me supping my cup of coffee in a quiet corner of our famous landmark hostelry known worldwide as Hayes Hotel, home of the GAA and situated here in the very heart of Thurles.
In April last, Hayes Hotel, Thurles, went into receivership. No great shame on its current owners, who had dared to dream, taken a business gamble which if successful would have offered badly needed and considerable full time and part-time employment to our rural community. Six years ago encouraged by our now retired bankers they borrowed and were encouraged to do so, in the name of further necessary business expansion. This encouraged business accepted finance, gambled and lost heavily, when those who had offered umbrellas on sunny days recalled same at the first sign of cloudy sky. (Our readers will have met some of these same banking fraternity today, who despite being in receipt of vast pensions, were contracted to ‘strut their stuff’ behind polling booth tables, drawing lines through voters names, practically everywhere around this island of ours. This is despite the needs of 410,000 unemployed persons who could have happily undertaken this work and supplemented their meagre incomes.)
Having fallen on hard times, KPMG appointed receivers to Hayes Hotel, who confirmed that business would continue as normal and there would be no noticeable interruptions to current day-to-day trading activity. The hotel would continue to fully honour all customer bookings, all deposits and all current memberships.
The appointment of this new management operation was seen here by Thurles residents and business people as yet another blow to an already ailing uncertain rural town economy forced to resort to the use of savings to retain their essential staff and fund new trading stock.
I had noticed during my past few visits to Hayes that my favourite good humoured receptionist was missing, so on my visit this morning I had reason to query her absence as two friends had asked me to book a double room for next weekend. “She does not work here any more and we do not offer accommodation presently,” came the rather apologetic reply from the polite receptionist. With offers of help to obtain alternative accommodation I retreated to the bar area and having concluded other business, I left to make further discreet local inquiries as to the hotels welfare.
The following information gleaned from others, including previous employees, (Current Management point blankly refused to discuss the situation) revealed that since going into receivership in April there has been a systematic down grading of the profitable aspects of this establishment.
Hard working staff have now been cast out to exist on the generosity of the Irish Free State via Dole and Redundancy payments. In recent weeks essential staff; e.g. two Receptionists, two Night Porters, a Resident Disc Jockey and two House Keepers have had their employment terminated. Bedrooms are now closed, the nightclub is closed. Unconfirmed reports from these staff also state that essential maintenance is being undertaken by non local contract operators.
Is it impossible to make a profit from an already established popular weekend Nightclub and is it impossible not to make a profit from bedroom accommodation, even if staff employed were being paid slightly over and above the minimum hourly wage? Why are profitable aspects of this trading enterprise now being closed up?
Local readers stop and think for a moment and ask the questions; “What would Liberty Square be like if this hotel is to be abandoned?” Is Hayes Hotel being deliberately reduced to a valueless entity in time for the next AllSop Space auction? Is it now to be a case of “Last out, please turn off the lights?”
KPMG and their appointed receivers know the answer, but may need reminding that Hayes Hotel is not simply just another property. For many it is a place of annual pilgrimage and a national monument, whose patrons should not be angered. Politicians would do well to remember that Tipperary fired the first shots of the war of Independence once before and just may decide to do the same again before the next election.
If ten jobs had being made available in Thurles this morning, Enda Kenny, RTE, the head of the IDA (whatever his name is), Richard Bruton, Noel Coonan and their ‘handlers’ would have all been strutting around town displaying puffed up chests, spitting out dodgy CSO statistics on their success in creating employment. Unemployment like emigration on the other hand are dirty words best not discussed in any great detail.
Let us see if our Dublin orientated national news seeking journalistic friends will cover this catastrophe, concerning rural Ireland, in their newspapers this week.
 Leinster House Dail Bar Authorities in Leinster House are being asked to consider shortening our Dáil Bars hours of trading. Ceann Comhairle Mr Sean Barrett has added this ‘after hour’s issue,’ to an agenda for consideration at the next meeting of the Dáil’s main technical committee.
This once unlicensed “speak easy,” which recently has been in the spotlight, since it emerged that several TDs had been drinking heavily during one of the Dáil’s rare late-night recent debates, beats local competition for the price of its tipple. Customers can avail of ‘Guinness,’ costing €4.30 a pint, and ‘Heineken,’ for €4.70 compared to an average €4.80 and €5.20 usually paid outside this club’s precinct.
This subsidised alcohol price, saw turnover increase at this once “No Women Allowed Síbín,” by 5% from €138,600 to €145,623 in the twelve months to the end of December 2012. (Not bad consumption rates for 166 people on a three day week.)
Anyway, could over fraternizing at this favoured watering hole be the reason then why Ministers, TD’s and their staff, fail to answer e-mails; e.g Leo Varadkar, Allen Kelly and Richard Bruton.
Here on Thurles.Info we wrote to Minister Leo Varadkar requesting why a rail ticket from Thurles to Monasterevin had increased by over 100% – no reply. We wrote to Minister Richard Bruton last April hoping to discuss job creation in the town. We received the standard automated customary, “Thank you for your communication …. Will talk soon,” communication, and then no further contact. With Alan Kelly and e-mails, well he and his staff operate a contemptuous “Pretend and deny we ever got it,” system, which if pushed is then excused by an e-mail whitelist/blacklists anti-virus filtering system.
Some weeks ago we received a call to meet Mr Kelly to discuss issues here in Thurles on some Friday he had in mind. Despite an e-mail reminding him and requesting a date suitable for him to meet us, alas no reply. (Curses; foiled yet again by his anti-virus filtering system.)
On the other side of the Coalition North Tipp Fine Gael Deputy Noel Coonan has credited The Gathering with the increase in overseas visitors to Ireland, informing Tipp FM that the increase of 5.4%, announced by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) nationally is proof of what he is being told from business owners in Tipperary, that the Gathering has given tourism here a welcome shot in the arm. Here is a TD who obviously is unaware that at least 8 hotels in the county are in receivership with two now completely closed. He also has not read the Draft North Tipperary Tourism Strategy & Action Plan 2012 – 2014. Please, please, please take the time to skim down through this short draft document.
See page 6 [Table 1.1 Tourism Numbers in Mid West (Preliminary) 2010, Source Fáilte Ireland.]
The number of people visiting Ireland in the first half of this year, according to the Central Statistics Office possibly did increased by 5.4 % with those coming from north America up by over 15%, but how many of these statistics identify labourers and builders coming from Canada (Yes, latter is part of North America) as recent emigrants on a visit to their families back home. Note none of this 5.4 % increase certainly hit North Tipperary and British tourists fell by 1.1% nationally in April and June compared to last year, down from 735,200 to 726,900, despite the massive funding spent marketing by Tourism Ireland on just Dublin city alone.
It is also imperative that our readers see the funding handed out through Leader under the heading; (See pages 6 – 11 Inc.) North Tipperary LEADER Partnership, Summary of Tourism Related Rural Development Programme Investment, 2009.
Thurles Summer Arts Festival 2011 [Total Investment Cost or TIC] €24,009.18 – Thurles Halloween Festival 2012 (TIC) €67,472.50 – The Source Arts Centre, Thurles (TIC) €57,398.00. This financial figure does not include bucket collections on Liberty Square. Were any job’s created, was one tourist attracted I ask?
Yet, a call for the return of the Derrynaflan Chalice, latter stolen from our midst to assist and promote a Dublin economy, was found by North Tipperary Co Council, according to the same Deputy Noel Coonan, to be financially not viable and would cost €100,000 to accommodate here in Thurles.
Deputy Coonan it appears has not yet worked out that “Customers only create Jobs.”
Yes it appears our ‘know all,’ TD’s do not wish to listen or communicate with those who elected them, outside the precincts of the Dail Snug. Our voices are only required on voting day. Their deafness reminds me of the yarn told about an elderly grumpy member of our envied Irish justice system, who had a similar hearing problem.
“Have you anything to say before I pass sentence?” asked the Judge.
“Feck all,” said the defendant.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that,” replied the ageing Judge, & turning to the Clerk of the Court, he enquired as to what the man had said.
“He said ‘Feck all,’ Your Honour,” responded the Courtroom official.
“Really?” puzzled the judge. “I could have sworn I saw his lips move.”
One of the world’s greatest social musical commentators, New Jersey and rock legend Bruce Springsteen is appearing in Kilkenny this evening. I am sure his first number as usual will be “Death To My Hometown.” Do you remember the lyrics ?:
“They destroyed our families’ factories and they took our homes,
They left our bodies on the plains, The vultures picked our bones,
So listen up, my Sonny boy, Be ready for when they come,
For they’ll be returning sure as the rising sun.“
[From Springsteen’s Album “Wrecking Ball.” (2012)]
 A Welsh steam-engine crossed the Irish Sea yesterday and is to be placed on display in Dublin’s Heuston Station as part of the Gathering Ireland 2013.
The narrow gauge railway engine ‘Princess‘ from the Ffestiniog Railway in Snowdonia was built in 1868, just 30 years after Stephenson’s Rockets and was shipped the 175.4 km to Dublin on board the Stena Adventurer, latter following the Holyhead-Dublin Port route.
The steam-locomotive, one of six remaining out of a total of six built by George England of London, today representing one of the oldest surviving narrow gauge locomotives in the world & which was originally used to haul empty slate wagons between Porthmadog Harbour and the slate-quarrying town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, a distance of some 13.5 miles.
Public Transport Minister & Tipperary TD Mr Alan Kelly has stated that the Princess represents a piece of our transport history that we will rarely see and for rail and history enthusiasts and the general public, it is great that this locomotive has come to Dublin. “It is important we recognise our history of rail travel and this being the year of “The Gathering,” the Princess locomotive is the perfect way to do so,” he stated.
With rail tickets, Thurles to Dublin, costing €46.50 (Day return,), €51.50 (Monthly open return,) or €27.99 (Booked on line,) for a journey distance of 139.05km one way, with passenger usually positioned in a ‘standing only,’ pose for 1.25 hours, it is unlikely many locals will be tempted to take the trip solely, over the six week period this engine will remain on public display.
This is the same powerless Tipperary TD Mr Alan Kelly, who remained silent when asked to locate the Derrynaflan Chalice back to its home town of Thurles, just 152.3km away, claiming deceitfully, through his office, via Tipp FM radio that he received no communications in relation to same.
Meanwhile, in a recent conversation with Tipperary Deputy Noel Coonan, we learn that officialdom in North Tipperary Co Council and in Thurles Town Council, are solely to blame, in that no submission was ever made to the National Museum in relation to Tipperary artefacts, currently financially benefiting our capital city of Dublin, at the Tipperary Taxpayers expense.
Three Questions: (1) Who is paying for this return trip of a train to Snowdonia? (2) How many extra rail fares & jobs would have been generated, by locating the Derrynaflan Chalice back to Thurles? (3) With the Tipperary electorate mad to vote Labour, when is the next local election?
Grafton Street Dublin
Work to replace the red brick paving on Grafton Street, Dublin, is to begin shortly at a reported cost of €4 million, (Compare Tipperary funding below,) to be replaced with a more durable granite paving. The City Council stress that the revamp is needed because the current red brick surface has become “somewhat worn.”
This granite paving, we are informed, will be similar to that currently existing on Dublin’s O’Connell Street and Henry Street, sourced partly from Co Wicklow, while the rest will be Iberian granite sourced from Spain. Street lighting and bollards on Grafton Street will also be replaced.
This work is scheduled to be undertaken in sections, over an 18 months period, allowing for an eight-week break for Santa Claus. The street will remain open to pedestrians, but delivery trucks & vans will be restricted regarding access. In other words the overall scene will be reminiscent of Thurles Town for the past 20 years.
This work will also coincide with the nearby construction of a new Luas line, linking the St Stephen’s Green Line with the Red Line on Abbey Street. But what the hell, after Grafton Street is completed, there are plans to replace the paving around Trinity College and Westmoreland Street in our pampered capitol city.
Tipperary
Meanwhile back here at the Ranch in North Tipperary, Labour Minister Mr Alan Kelly has announced, to a fanfare of Ceremonial Elongated Trumpets, the provision of a mere €1.7 million (Compare Dublin funding above,) worth of road maintenance funding for the County of Tipperary.
This funding is to be part of the first ever national ‘Community Involvement Scheme,’ which will see residents work with local authority personnel, to ensure drainage and resurfacing works are carried out on rural Tipperary isolated roads. Residents themselves are expected to contribute directly to the cost of the works, either through personal monetary contribution or through the supply of personal labour or machinery & is being hailed by Allan as a “new and innovative approach to upgrading rural road maintenance here in Co Tipperary.”
Three questions for North Tipperary TD Mr Allan Kelly;
(1) Will Grafton Street traders be involved in a ‘Community Involvement Scheme,’ similar to Co Tipperary? In other words will Richard Guiney, Chief Executive of Dublin City Business Improvement District be lending his valuable time or indeed a JCB digger/excavator, for this worthy urban project?
(2) Is there any chance Tipperary could get a load or two of the red bricks being dug up in Grafton Street, to recycle in our numerous and ever increasing rural Tipperary potholes?
(3) How are rural ‘Household Charges,’ proposed ‘Property Taxes,’ levied here in Tipperary, together with exorbitant Motor Taxation actually going to be used?
 An Bord Pleanála have rejected plans to build a major shopping centre on the site of the old Erin Foods factory here in Thurles.
The original decision to close the Erin Foods Factory came about after a group-wide review by the then parent company, Premier Foods, in November 2007, to consolidate the manufacturing of a number of its key brands. The plant closed the following June with the loss of 95 jobs.
Thurles Town Council had granted initial permission for the planned development on September 13th last year, subject to 19 conditions to the original plans submitted, which related mainly to the size of the property and the required modifications to various road and access routes.
Baycross Developments Limited had put forward the plans for the demolition of the old Erin Foods factory, replacing it with a retail development which had included a Fast Food drive-through outlet, a Supermarket, Restaurant, two ESB Substations, Vehicular and Pedestrian access, a Cycle Track, the provision of two Roundabouts and other associated development works on the Slievenamon Road, Clongour, Thurles Town Parks area of the town.
The initial plans had attracted considerable local opposition from the Thurles’ business community, with concerns that such a large-scale complex proposed, would delete footfall from Liberty Sq, Thurles, with many understandably fearing that this new complex would now destroy the character and commercial activity, once so vibrant in the town centre.
Over a period spanning some 15 years to date, Thurles has lost some 1,700 jobs due to factory and other business closures, with none of these jobs having been replaced to-date .
Two communications sent recently by the tourism group Hidden Tipperary, to the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mr Richard Bruton, in the hope of generating serious debate on the current jobless plight of Thurles, have as yet only received standard token acknowledgements.
Acknowledgement received:
Dear Mr Willoughby,
I wish to acknowledge receipt of your email to the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mr Richard Bruton TD.
I will bring your correspondence to the Minister’s attention at the earliest opportunity.
Yours sincerely
Helen Pyke.
Minister Bruton’s Office.
Derrynaflan Hoard
Meanwhile the decision required to seek the repatriation of the Derrynaflan Hoard back to its home here in Thurles Co.Tipperary, now remains shrouded in secrecy. No information to-date has been made available to the public confirming an earlier communications from Noel Coonan TD, (Dated April 15th. last ) which stated that the matter would be decided by North Tipperary Co Council and Thurles Town Council, following the disclosure of ‘imaginary meetings,’ some two weeks previous.
It would appear, confirmed by local press reports, that our current Tipperary elected representatives are only interested in individual political point scoring, continuous waffling and the further enhancement of a political culture that in no way helps to expand mature public interest amongst their voting public.
This supercilious self-importance must immediately be haulted and remember you the voting public can immobilize this unashamed arrogance, beginning at the next local elections.
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