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Cllr. Jim Ryan Confirms Destruction Of 175 Year Old Great Famine Double Ditch.

The Great Famine Double Ditch that Thurles Elected Councillors
say does not exist.

The following email from Cllr. Mr Jim Ryan was sent to me in the last few days. Same now confirms that, sadly, the Great Famine “Double Ditch” is to be destroyed, to construct an inner relief road to benefit the new Thurles Town centre, being developed at Slievenamon Road. [The former town centre at Liberty Square, Thurles, having been destroyed by Tipperary Co. Council assisted by Thurles Municipal District Councillors].

The Email from Cllr. Mr Jim Ryan, Mill Road, Thurles, sent on March 1st, 12:21pm, is show hereunder.

Dear George
In a follow up to your concerns regarding the removal or closure of the double ditch walkway in Thurles I can now confirm the following as presented to me by Roads Section of Tipperary County Council.

The proposed new Thurles Link road from Clongour to the Mill Road will be going through a small section of the double ditch or College Lane walkway on the Mill Road side.
The walkway will remain fully accessible with a newly opened access point from the new link road on the Mill Road side after construction.
The construction of the new Link Road will require the removal of the existing walled entrance on the Mill Road side along with the removal of a small section of the walkway itself on that same side.
The council stated that a full and comprehensive Archeology (Read as Archaeology) and Envirnomental (Read as Environmental) Assessment was carried out as part of the process that highlighted no concerns to the council or An Bord Pleanala
The Double Ditch or College Lane walkway will not be closed off to the public or removed once the construction of the new link road is completed. It will however be reduced slightly in length with a new access point on the Mill Road side.

I hope this clarifies some of the issues raised by you.
Yours,
Cllr Jim Ryan
Comhairle Contae Thiobraid Árann
Tipperary County Council.

The content shown in the above email, to say the very least, is a watered-down version, designed to affect my silence.

One example of this is that Mr Ryan has failed to notice that a further two-lane exit through the double ditch is designed to allow traffic onto the new road, from the new housing estate; see area/map reference indicated between F4 & F3.
A second exit is designed possibly to connect to the rear of the Mary Immaculate College (formerly St. Patrick’s College). See between F6 & F5 on the map immediately published hereunder.
Also on the map hereunder the Double Ditch has been shortened, by almost one half, compared to the cover map on our first video shown above. Same map referred to above is the first map ever recorded of this area in the 1800’s. This is deceit of the first order, by Council officials.

We now learn that none of our Municipal District Councillors can be trusted following the disclosure by Cllr. Ryan.

Tonight, I have replied to Cllr. Jim Ryan, Member of Thurles Municipal District, Council.

Sir,

Thank you for your communication of the 1st instant.
My sincere apologies for failing to respond to your communication earlier.

I am fully aware, since June 3rd, 2019, that it was the intention of Tipperary Co. Council to demolish the Great Famine Double Ditch, latter situated within 500 meters of your principal private residence on the Mill Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

It was to that end, indeed, that I contacted, in November 2019, Ms Rosin O’Grady, (Latter Tipperary Heritage Officer and Creative Ireland Co-ordinator), asking that she contact the National Monument Service, with a view to granting protection to this historic area. I was soon to realise that Ms O’Grady, despite her official title, is not fully independent of her titled duties, governed indeed by Thurles Municipal District Councillors and senior officials within Tipperary Co. Council.

Suffice is to state that Ms Rosin O’Grady has been instructed not to enter into further communication with me or has failed in her required duty as a County Heritage Officer.

You and your Council colleagues and Co. Council officials, including Chief Executive Mr Joseph MacGrath were informed regarding this wanton destruction of our local Thurles history, on May 24th 2020 (almost 10 months ago).

You Sir, including your County Council C.E. Mr Joe MacGrath, together with all elected Thurles Municipal District Councillors, and the Lowry Team, deliberately and with ill will, chose to ignore every communication sent to each and every one of them, while failing to acknowledge or even reply to any and all of my communications.

Following my complaint to the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) regarding you and others of your Council colleagues, including TD’s Mr Jackie Cahill and Mr Michael Lowry; you were contacted by Registrar, Mr David Coleman, (Administrative officer, Corporate Services) regarding your failure to maintain proper standards of integrity; conduct, and concern for the public interest. It took you Cllr. Ryan, almost 3 years to inform me of what you knew, refusing to confirm the information which I had already informed you.

You will now please answer for the moment the following two questions:-

(1) Do you support this decision to remove yet another piece of Thurles history, which if properly marketed would benefit, greatly, the community of Thurles.

Note: I am aware that you are a senior, active committee member, with that grouping known as “The International Garden of Remembrance Committee”, (Chairman Mr John Worth), situated at St. Mary’s Graveyard, Church Lane, Thurles.
You annually attend a ceremony in this garden to commemorate “An Gorta Mór – Ireland’s Great Hunger 1845-1849”. Indeed your group unveiled a large headstone of black marble, (latter which in the past I have strongly objected to its introduction, without planning permission), breaching, as it does, government heritage guidelines and regulations.
Are you now going to support the destruction of a real piece of Thurles heritage, which Thurles can use to attract the ever elusive Thurles tourist?

(2) Do you or any other extended member of your family, either in the past or at any time in the future, expect to benefit, through the sale of land, or other advantage, conveniences or possessory rights, which is being now brought to bear, thus aiding the future destruction of the 175 year old Great Famine Double Ditch, at Mill Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Mr Ryan, you, your council colleagues, local TD’s and Co. Council Officials bring shame on this community and you are observed as no better than delinquent, vandals.

Your answers are of particular interest to me, in relation to steps I intend to take to reverse this outrageous, wilful and destructive decision.

Yours faithfully,
George Willoughby.

I now invite Thurles Chamber of Commerce, Tipperary Tourism, Thurles Tourism groups and the Irish Government, to support the retention of this piece of valuable history.
As a right-of-way Tipperary County Council are obliged to clean up this area and restore, that which they damaged on the watch of Mr Joe MacGrath, CE. Tipperary, Co. Council, in the last 9 years since 2013.

Weekend Baking Project: Easy & Nutritious Pint Glass Soda Bread.

During lockdown many of us are discovering the joys of baking as a pastime, not to mention the self-sufficiency and satisfaction gleaned from making something from scratch.

One item we’d surely all like to master is the art of bread making. There’s nothing like the taste and smell of freshly made bread in your own home. What’s more; during lockdown, being able to make your own bread saves an almost daily visit to your local food store – helping us to keep that bit safer.

Many of us, however, avoid making bread thinking it’s too difficult, but we at Thurles.info are here to help. We have tracked down and tested what is arguably one of the easiest recipes for making bread you could find.

You don’t even need a weighing scales to measure ingredients, just a pint glass!

Ingredients to make an easy and delicious Irish soda bread:
1 pint glass of coarse flour.
1 pint glass of white flour.
3/4 pint of buttermilk.
Enough salt to coat the bottom of a pint glass.
Enough bread soda to coat the bottom of a pint glass.
Enough butter to coat the bottom of a pint glass, (or about 4 teaspoons).

This recipe was devised by a Tipperary man, Mr. Peter Ward of Country Choice, Nenagh Co. Tipperary.

View his YouTube video shown above to watch how easy it is to make this nutritious soda bread and enjoy!

Learn to Knit & Crochet Free During COVID-19 Lockdown

With level 5 restrictions set to stay in place until at least April, many people are taking up new, stay safe, hobbies; chief among them knitting and crochet.

As well as the personal pride and satisfaction one gets from creating something from scratch, knitting and crocheting have other great benefits.

Research confirms, what many knitting and crochet enthusiasts already knew, that knitting and crocheting is great for our mental health. The repetitive nature of knitting and crocheting reduces anxiety and increases a sense of calm and well-being. Knitting and crocheting also have valuable social benefits, because they bring together people who share an interest in these crafts.

Where to Start?
YouTube offers thousands of videos on beginning to knit and crochet, but the one we recommend is the HappyBerry Knitting and Crocheting Channel. The presenter uses craft materials, terms and measurements used in Ireland and presents clear and easy guides on how to get started.

Knitting for Absolute Beginners.
For step by step clear demonstrations on basic knitting stitches and patterns, visit the YouTube channel by clicking HERE.

Crochet for Absolute Beginners.
For easy to follow tutorials on the basic crochet stitches, as well as great beginner crochet projects, visit the YouTube Channel by clicking HERE

Top Tip.
ALDI regularly offer ‘special buy’ crafting events. Watch out for great deals on wool and needles in your local Thurles ALDI store, located at Kickham Street, Thurles, soon.

Share Your Ideas.
If you have recently come across any good videos or websites dedicated to knitting or crochet post a comment on this website and share your link.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland Failing Thurles Town

We here at Thurles.Info always give credit where credit is justified.

To this end we have sought nominations for Thurles Municipal District Councillors Mr Sean Ryan (Fianna Fáil) and Mr Jim Ryan (Independent) to be considered for the Kluge Prize, which recognizes the highest level of achievement and impact on public affairs, and today is considered one of the nation’s most prestigious awards.

According to my copy of the Tipperary Star Newspaper, both men demonstrated what was observed by a reporter as demonstrating unreasonable or foolhardy contempt for danger, by verbally speaking out, accusing Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) of neglect in relation to investment and an overall failed responsibility for roads, here in our rapidly deteriorating Thurles town.

Their remarks were addressed through Mr Marcus O’Connor, (Director of Services Roads, Transportation, Infrastructure), who appears to have taken on the role of Chief Executive (CE) within Tipperary Co. Council, in an as yet unpublished Coup d’état, dislodging the reigning Chief Executive Mr Joe MacGrath.

Mr Marcus O’Connor of course felt that it was not right to be criticizing Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) at this time, because quote “they are playing their part”.

Evidence of failed ability either by Mr Marcus O’Connor himself or TII however is evidenced in the video hereunder.

The video above shows again the same repair work being carried out every 3 days, using cold tarmac; while wasting taxpayers money, through the use of necessary machinery, inferior materials and man hours.

Further along Cabragh Road heading out, towards the stronghold of Mr Michael Lowry TD; run-off areas designed to remove water off the road surface are blocked. Outside Cabragh Business Park the footpath, for at least the past 10 years, has remained 10 centimeters (4 inches) below the actual road surface itself, gathering muck and troughs of water, rendering it useless to pedestrians.

Further wasted Money.
In the past few weeks a new tributary of the river Suir has emerged to flow on the Mill Road, flooding out through the gates and through the walls of residential gardens.

Believing that a pipe had burst, immediately Irish Water were summoned. Tests were done, showed no presence of Chlorine. Thus this water was deemed to be a “newly developed underground spring”.

Today this new river Suir tributary continues to flow along the surface of Mill Road, passing residential houses, local businesses and forcing oncoming pedestrians to use the wrong side of the road.

A few hundred metres further up, on higher ground, the new half completed housing estate is flooding our ‘Double Ditch’ (near to its centre) as the estate builder, now in lockdown, is allowed to drain this land, latter a flood plain of a choked River Suir.

This drain, ripped out by Tipperary Council contractors some years ago, for the first time in its history, now contains thousands of gallons of contaminated water, 1.3 Metres deep (Over 4ft), carrying clay, sand, and what appears to be an oily paint-like substance.

This created trench ripped out at the side of the Great Famine Double Ditch by these Tipperary Council contractors, has no proper drainage pipes connecting it to the river thus allowing this contaminated water to pass through the Double Ditch into the adjoining fields on the other side.

One must ask is this the same water causing this new fast flowing Suir river tributary to appear at a lower level in the Mill Road gardens.

Meanwhile, our video clearly demonstrates the complete failure by Mr Marcus O’Connor and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in serving the needs of Thurles town.

Perhaps Mr Marcus O’Connor might like to get up from his office desk and visit the streets of Thurles and surrounding roads, to experience at first hand the failures now being tolerated by the people of Thurles.

Jigsaw – The National Centre For Youth Mental Health Comes To Thurles

We understand a lease was signed on February 5th last, on a premises to house the ‘Mental Health’ charity ‘Jigsaw’, [Registered Charity Number CHY 17439], at the Technology Park, Nenagh Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Services from the new premises are expected to be delivered from May/June next, depending on future current national public health guidelines, regarding Covid-19 virus restrictions within the building trade.

Building modifications will be required internally to facilitate Jigsaw’s preferred design and layout, however the recruitment process will commence soon, to select some seven permanent positions to staff the new unit. This qualified team is expected to include a Lead Manager, a Psychologist, a Mental Health Nurse, an Occupational Therapist and a Social Worker and Administrative Staff.

The new Thurles central venue will be the base, which will serve outreach hubs in both Nenagh, to the North and Clonmel, to the South of Tipperary; both as yet to come on stream.