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Thurles.Info are pleased to report that two Thurles natives, currently visiting in Oslo, are safe and well. Both men who were luckily out of their hotel when the explosion occurred, report tonight that they are without their baggage, passports and other belongings, but have been successfully in touch with the Irish Embassy in Oslo who have promised them every assistance.
The Thurles natives, both male, were staying at the Comfort Hotel Xpress, when the explosion occurred.
All residents have been evacuated from the badly damaged building and some are now resident at the Clarion Hotel Royal Christiania, formerly the Hotel Viking. Both report that the bomb blast tore through central Oslo, shattering windows and leaving at least seven civilian people dead and many injured.
The Thurles visitors report that large sections of the center of Oslo have now been evacuated. “There was a huge explosion, the windows just blew out. Glass everywhere covers the streets. There is much debris, people are injured. It was like a grenade explosion.” the couple report.
Using their iPhones they have been able to send us exclusive pictures of the devastation in the streets, prior to police urging people to stay away from the center of the city and to limit their use of mobile phones.
The attack is understood to be the deadliest in Europe since bomb blasts at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport in January last left at least 37 people dead.
Police state that they don’t expect further blasts, but the question now being asked is who is likely to be behind it. An earlier report this year, by Norwegian intelligence, claimed that there was an increased risk of a Jihadi terrorist attack, with Norwegian citizens reportedly receiving training in Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen and Afghanistan.
Oslo is the cultural, scientific, economic and governmental centre of Norway. The city is also a hub of Norwegian trade, banking, industry and shipping. It is an important centre for maritime industries and maritime trade in Europe.
 Take a walk on the 'Wild Side,' in Grange, Tipperary The annual Grange / Crag Loop Walk, here in the Slieveardagh Hills, in County Tipperary takes place on Sunday next the 17th July 2011.
Starting time is at 1.30pm and the meeting point is Hogan’s Pub, in the village of Grange, where light refreshments will be served.
Directions to this worthwhile event will be signposted from the surrounding villages of Glengoole, NewBirmingham, Ballingarry, Urlingford, Gortnahoe, Ballysloe and all approach roads.
Directions to Grange [Map Ref:]
If you are a visitor coming from outside the area, from the town of Urlingford on the N8, take the R690 in the direction of Mullinahone. After 2km stay on the R690 as the road splits – the R689 goes to Killenaule. Continue for almost 5km with the impressive stone wall of Kilcooly Abbey to your left, to a junction where you turn left (Following the natural wall line.) off the main road and after 2km you will enter the village of Grange. The trail-head is located opposite Hogan’s Bar.
Grange is a small village in the Slieveardagh Hills on the Tipperary border with Kilkenny. It lies just east of the magnificent ruin of Kilcooly Abbey founded in 1182. Grange derives its name from it being an out-farm or in Gaelic the ‘Gainseach,’ of Kilcooly. The medieval tower-house castle, situated here, would have protected the area of the abbey estate.
The Grange area is widely acknowledged as extremely scenic and interesting in its historical heritage, and is host to a range of wildlife, including fallow deer, red squirrels and many species of rare native flowers.
There are two interlinked looped walks in Grange. The shorter walk is the Grange Loop [3km] and the longer the Crag Loop [6km]. Close to here, Kilcooly derives its name from the Gaelic, Cill Chuile, “The church of the corner,” or angle. The Abbey and all of the Slieveardagh region does indeed lie in a corner, between the hills to the east and the bog and on its west. It is no mystery therefore that this beautiful scenic area is referred to as ‘Tipperary’s Hidden Corner.’
Enjoy your visit, but remember, as in all walking adventures, do bring stout walking shoes, a camera, suitable rain wear, a snack and fluid!
See ya there and for any queries regarding this event:- Tel: 052 9156165 or Tel: 085 1169650.
 Bridge being replaced in 2008. Restoration work currently being undertaken on Portumna Bridge is nearing completion. A works programme costing in the region of €2 million has been underway, on this five-span road bridge over the Shannon, since October of last year.
North Tipperary Co Council have now been informed that this prolonged works on the Bridge, originally designed by C. E. Stanier of London as the largest early-twentieth century swivel bridge in Europe, should be completed by mid July of this year.
The Shannon River at this point consists of two channels divided by ‘Hayes Island,’ the one on the North Tipperary side being about 79 m (260 ft) wide, and that on the Galway side being about 73 m (240 ft) wide.
Each channel is spanned by three pairs of mild-steel plate girders, either 24 m (80 ft) or 27 m (90 ft) in length, resting on 3 m (9 ft) diameter concrete-filled cast-iron cylinders.
This present restoration works follow on from the 2008 replacement of the vehicular crossing of the bridge, which has served as a key crossing point on the Shannon for North Tipperary, South Offaly and East Galway since it was first construction in 1911. This latter replacement work was completed during a 9 day road closure of the N65 at Portumna, with the road being re-opened ahead of schedule.
The present work is being overseen by the National Roads Authority, with the contract being carried out by specialists L&M Keating engineers. The work is being carried out under difficult working conditions, with traffic being managed by the installation of a traffic light system, which has resulted in traffic tailbacks on both sides of the bridge, causing understandable, yet necessary, annoyance to both workers, travellers and local business in the area.
So if you are travelling in that direction over the next month, do plan your journey to allow for some delays.
 J. Austin and son Matthew. Photo courtesy of Irish Independent Newspapers US President Barack Obama is due to visit his ancestral home in Moneygall, situated on the Tipperary-Offaly border, on Monday May 23rd next, however his visit may be the subject of change, to Sunday 22nd, depending on his busy Irish schedule.
I visited Moneygall village yesterday, to find the locals residents as busy as bees in a hive, armed with ladders, paint brushes, shovels and power-washers, all engaged in a total revamp of their small hamlet. All locals are intent on ensuring that no stone will be left unturned and all will be ‘Ship Shape and Bristol fashion,’ for when the intense glare of the global media is brought to focus on ‘Obama Land.’
One Tipperary family, are most certainly pulling out all the welcome stops for this highly anticipated homecoming and State visit, with local Jason Austin and his family having painted their home, in the village, with the Stars and Stripes and the Irish Tricolour.
A continuous stream of tourists and day trippers have already begun to seek out Moneygall. Locals tell of a group of lawyers who arrived visiting from Chicago recently, all boasting connections with President Obama. The CIA and security personnel are currently undertaking their necessary preparatory work and visitors from overseas are beginning to show a distinct tourism interest and appear eager to associate themselves with Obama’s true ancestral Irish roots.
Almost daily now visitors from all over Ireland, are veering from intended destinations anxious to take a peep. When filming in the town recently, we ran into well known photographer Paddy Phipps, who had travelled from Co Longford and the equally well known Fionán O’Driscoll, member and PRO of the Waterford Male Voice Choir, who had travelled from Waterford.
United States Ambassador to Ireland and Chairman Emeritus of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team Mr Dan Rooney has also gifted the village some Pittsburgh Steelers memorabilia for the occassion.
Moneygall village presently offers a rare opportunity to watch a small, yet lively community, passionately engaged in their preparations for when the worlds spotlight focuses brightly on their community and historical connection. So if you have a chance to visit Moneygall in the weeks ahead, do so and observe at first hand contented people, attired in paint splattered overalls, all playing their part in ‘Welcome Home Mr President’ preparations, and demonstrating what is needed to take us out of our financial recession.
Regrettably, nationally, republican and other members of the far-left fringe of ‘career protesters,’ namely Republican Sinn Féin, the new kids on the block Éirígí and People before Profit, latter organisations with all the problems and no solutions, will be attempting to attract attention for themselves by protesting at all our up and coming high profile visits by heads of State. Hopefully all press cameras will remain pointed in the opposite direction. I believe it was John Steinbeck sums it up when he said, “It is the nature of a man as he grows older, to protest against change, particularly changes for the better. A dying people tolerates the present, rejects the future, and finds its satisfactions in past greatness and half remembered glory”
Watch out for our short video on Moneygall, to be uploaded soon on this site.
Blazing Bikers is a club, who along with the help and support of some very good friends have for the last 15 years organised and participated in Cycling and Motorbike events in aid of the National Council for the Blind of Ireland along with other charities for the Blind, including the Irish Guidedogs, Fighting Blindness and Deaf Blind Ireland.
This club has raised over €450,000 over the last 15 years in aid of all these Charities.
On the May Bank Holiday Weekend, 2011, Blazing Bikers will take on a Charity Motorbike Road Run in a Challenge attempt to cover all 32 Counties. The Challenge, which will begin in Thurles on Friday, April 29th and continue until Monday May 2nd, will attempt to cover 1,000 km over the three days in aid of that worthy cause ‘The National Council For The Blind Of Ireland.’
I bet my very good Moto Guzzi friend Patrick Hayes in Fremont CA, who is long due an Email from me, wishes he was here for this event. Maybe we can tempt the Loughmore exile to come with the promise of a bed!
However, prior to this event a Table Quiz, in aid of ‘The National Council For The Blind Of Ireland’ will take place in the ‘Monks,’ (A popular and very excellent watering hole.) in Mitchel Street, Thurles, on Friday March 11th next, at 9.30pm sharp.
Tables of 4 persons costs €20.00. A Raffle with some excellent prizes will also be held, so come prepared to enjoy, what promises to be a really special event.
For More Information: Visit www.bikerschallenge.com or Contact: Katriona Shanahan Tel: 087 4106861– Email: blazingbikers@gmail.com or Billy Shanahan Tel: 087 9253225 Email: billy05@eircom.net
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