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 The Swiss Cottage Cahir Access to most OPW-managed heritage sites will remain free to visit on the first Wednesday of every month, again this year.
Families looking for a cheap day out in areas around Ireland, now have no excuse to remain caged up at home, over the coming weekends, for the duration of the upcoming holiday season.
So if you want to visit the towns of Thurles, Cashel, Cahir, Clonmel, Roscrea, Nenagh, or even further afield, with your family, now is your chance at very reasonable cost for your outing.
Do remember that Tickets are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and visitors are advised to arrive early to avoid delays at some of the busier sites.
Visit heritageireland.ie for more information.
Business people in the heart of Thurles and indeed in the streets surrounding Liberty Square are heaving a sigh of relief this morning, following the news that the necessary repairs to the Barry’s Bridge crossing, have at last come to an end. The single lane “Stop & Go” traffic system, which they and road users were also forced to experience over the past three weeks, is now at an end, or is it?
It would seem that our busy decision making, municipal engineers didn’t make it to Specsavers Opticians this year.
Less than 8mtres (24ft) away from the newly re-glued bridge surface, a collapsed drain under the road has gone unnoticed, despite its sunken state being in existence long before the previous glued surface, on this same Barry’s bridge, had decided to surrender and disintegrate. Yes and even before the “Beast from the East” could have obscured it, swallowing it in a white blank canvas. The clue for engineers was the obvious fact that the road surface had dropped 2ins below kerb foundations, thus leaving questions to be answered.
One would have thought that when all the heavy machinery; tar trucks, heavy duty breakers, rollers, tarmac trucks and other thingamajigs, were in place over the past three weeks, this very small close-by repair, could also have been included; thus cutting major costs for the taxpayer.
Not so; money does not seem to be a problem for the Templemore /Thurles Municipal District engineers, so expect the heavy machinery to return again, and that accompanying single lane of traffic also, to materialise yet again, and to hell with with the tax payer.
There is, however, one great saving having been made in all of this; the 2017 Christmas lights still remains in place this Easter; in plenty of time for next Christmas. This could mean that there will be no rise in Property Tax next year.
A warning to all drivers using the Mill Road out of Thurles, exiting from the N75 (Dublin Road) to Littleton & Turtulla Cross.
These Pictures Do Not Lie!
Due to increased use by heavy duty trucks and other motor vehicles, attempting to avoid necessary roadworks at Barry’s Bridge, Thurles, two seriously dangerous potholes have now been created.
The holes are situated on the left-hand side, on centre of the sharp second S-bend corner, as drivers cross the Drish River, (opposite the rather lovely reed thatched house on the right-hand side, at Lady’s Well); as drivers exit the town from the Dublin Road (N75), travelling South to Littleton (going left), and West to Turtulla Cross (going right).
The pothole pictured, marked (1) above is over 1 metre in length; almost ½ metre in width (see sides on image) and is about 26 centimetres deep. Same is quite capable of doing serious damage to any vehicle’s tracking, or in a worst scenario, force a driver to lose total control of their steering.
Picture (2) above is only a metre away from (1), with the road structure showing similar signs of disintegration. Both holes are not immediately visible to any driver.
In the words of Albert Einstein, when it comes to those who plan our roads: “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former”.
This narrow short stretch of road [known affectionately, locally, as “Fat Arse Boulevard” ], without footpaths, stupidly displays “hasten signs” allowing for speeds of 80k per hour. This is despite being used regularly by Driving Testers, Walkers, Joggers, Learner Drivers, Dog Walkers, Pram Pushers, Children & Teenagers (grouped together), our late departed flattened Tom Cat, and even boasts a Housing Estate plus an S-Bend on a Humped-Back Bridge.
Surely this Road; and not the vehicles driving thereon, should now be given an NCT.
Every person aged 66 and over, living permanently in the Irish State, are entitled to avail of the Free Travel Scheme. Some people under 66 also qualify. If you qualify for free travel, you are issued with a card that you must carry with you when using public transport. In some cases, a Free Travel Companion Card is also available which allows a person to travel with the holder (if they are unable to travel alone).
This Free Travel Scheme allows for free travel being made available on all Irish State public transport systems, e.g. Bus, Rail and Dublin’s LUAS service, with some minor exceptions.
 Left-Right: Ms Joan Farrally, Mr Vincent McNally (Group Organiser), Mrs Eilish McNally, and Mrs Brid McMenaman. Mr McNally (Pictured above) headed up a most wonderful, friendly, knowledgeable and well travelled group of 45 retired persons from Co. Dublin, on Wednesday, March 7th last, all who arrived by train to Thurles Railway Station. Answer two simple questions.
(1) “Have any of you retired persons, aged 66 and over ever visited the historic town of Thurles?”
(2) “Do you realise that you can have a most enjoyable day out in Thurles town for a maximum of €12.00?”
So what can you get for €12.00 in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, armed with a Free Travel Scheme pass card?
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First, remember your travel is free and Thurles Town enjoys the luxury of an excellent and regular Iarnród Éireann daily train service.
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Lunch in the historic Hayes Hotel, Liberty Square, offers a full Lunch Menu in the comfort of their attractive Carvery. [e.g. main course of Roast Beef & 3 Veg, plus Tea or Coffee will cost you just €11.00.]
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The Davin Room in Hayes Hotel will be made available, free of charge, for groups of twenty persons or more, with a charge of just €1 per head to attend a one-hour lecture on the Great Famine (1845-1850) and to view, up close, some of the extremely rare artefacts, collected from that period; not available to see anywhere else in Ireland.
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Other activities can also be arranged around your day trip, subject to your particular interests.
So, here is a perfect opportunity for those of you benefiting from the Free Travel Scheme, to round up a group of friends and give yourselves a well deserved day out; one to remember here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, with an opportunity to meet the friendliest and most obliging people in the world.
Tripadvisor:
A must for anyone interested in Irish history.
It was an eye opener for all of us active retirees to learn about the famine history, from a very well spoken orator, who delivered an excellent talk about this sad period in Irish history.
Tripadvisor:
Lots of very interesting displays of what life was like during the famine. Has original “Gratuitous Relief Ration Record Book” (or the ‘Distribution Book,’ as it was also called,) for the electoral divisions of Holycross, Thurles and Ballycahill for 1847. Admission is only a nominal donation.
Further details can be had by phoning at any time, Mobile – (086) 8785859, and we will endeavour to ensure you enjoy your day trip to this most historic of Tipperary towns; Thurles.
[Please Note: All money, in total, collected from these “Great Famine” lectures goes to Thurles Lions Club, for use at their discretion, with a total of €140.00, having already been handed over to this very worthy organisation, to date this year.]
It looks like the necessary surface work required to upgrade Barry’s Bridge, crossing the River Suir here in Thurles town, is at last about to start.
Health and Safety barriers were erected on the bridge this morning beginning at 9.00am, together with led digital signage, requesting drivers of vehicles, where possible, to use alternative routes out of the town centre.
Barry’s Bridge in Thurles, Co Tipperary, has provided passage over the river Suir, since around 1650, and was partially widened again circa 1820.
Bridge Castle, overlooking this seasonally shallow river crossing, has dominated the Thurles skyline since as early as 1453, built possibly by the Norman invader McRickard Butler of whom history records that he erected, in 1453, two castles at Thurles and one at Buaidlic (Boulick).
While footpaths for pedestrians remain unrestricted presently, we understand that vehicles will be curtailed to one single lane of traffic crossing the bridge, for the duration of the period deemed necessary to carry out the resurfacing work.
So, where possible do try to use the alternative entrance and exit routes indicated, in order to keep traffic flowing.
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