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The Library Service of Tipperary County Council is undertaking an exciting and important project that will see library staff digitise a wealth of historical documents currently held by the service.
These documents include Poor Law Union Minute Books, Rate Books, and Workhouse Registers. Since January 2021, staff have focused on digitising the 90 or so books in its collection that relate to the pre-famine and Great Famine era beginning in1846.
These books provide a fascinating and detailed insight into the harrowing life and workhouse conditions faced by our ancestors across the six Poor Law Unions of Thurles, Borrisokane, Cashel, Clogheen, Clonmel, Nenagh, Roscrea and Tipperary.
Once digitised, the records will be made available to view in full and for free via the Tipperary Studies digital website tippstudiesdigitsl.ie.
The scope and significance of the project, the bulk of which will be undertaken in Thurles Library, deserves much praise and recognition. By digitising these records and making them freely accessible, people across Ireland and the world will be gifted with details and descriptions that will further enrich our understanding of the Great Famine era. The digitised records will also enable individuals, no matter where they are in the world, to research their ancestry. For more information on this welcomed and praiseworthy initiative visit tippstudiesdigital.ie.
Double Ditch, Mass Path, Right of way
Another artifact from the Great Famine era of significant historical importance to the town of Thurles is the Double Ditch Mass path. Built by our starving Thurles ancestors during the Great Famine, this historical walkway now faces destruction as part of a planned development by the same Tipperary County Council.
Thus it would appear that as one branch of Tipperary County Council dedicates its efforts to the preservation of history from the Great Famine era, another branch seems determined to demolish it.
It is difficult to understand this contradiction in practice, between Tipperary County Council departments, led by Chief Executive Mr Joe MacGrath. The admirable actions of the Library Service are regrettably inconsistent with the actions of other services. One service sets out to preserve history, as another sets out to destroy it.
Although the future of the Double Ditch remains uncertain for the moment, its fascinating history and related primary sources have been documented on Thurles.info, together with aerial video and photography of the walkway as can be viewed today.
Maybe the digital records shown on Thurles.info will be all that remains of the Double Ditch for future generations, particularly if local TD’s, councillors and council officials get their way?
Let’s hope other historical treasures don’t succumb to the same fate and find that their only record is a digital one.
For more information on the Thurles Double Ditch click HERE and HERE.
Today, April 30th is “Hairdresser Appreciation Day” and in 2021, we have never come to appreciate our hairdressers more. In the absence of their services many of us are going around looking like our cavemen and women ancestors. Many others are sporting the dreaded do-it-yourself ‘Covid Cut’.
Last night, positively, we learned that from May 10th, by appointment only, hairdressers, barbers and beauty salons will reopen. Walk-in services will not be available.
Hereunder a List of Lockdown Changes Coming Our Way.
From May 4th:
Outdoor workers can return to work and all construction can restart.
From May 10th:
Travel: You can travel between counties.
Garden visits: Up to 3 households can visit or 6 people from different households.
Training and Outdoor Events: Maximum 15 people.
Hairdressers, Barbers and Beauty Salons: Can reopen by appointment only. No walk-in services.
Retail: Click and collect by appointment only can restart along with outdoor retail.
Libraries: Can reopen.
Funerals: Maximum 50 mourners at Religious Services.
Weddings: Maximum 50 guests at service and maximum 6 guests at indoor reception or 15 at outdoor reception.
Public Transport: 50 per cent of services will run.
Vaccination Bonus: Click HERE for detailed information on the bonus for vaccinated persons.
From May 17th:
All remaining retail can reopen.
From June 2nd (Depending on the public health situation at the time).
Hotels, B&Bs and Self-Catering Services can reopen but services will be limited to overnight guests and residents.
From June 7th (Depending on the public health situation at the time).
Visitors: You can have visitors from one other household inside your home.
Restaurants and Bars: Outdoor services can resume with groups of up to no more than six people.
Weddings: Maximum number of reception guests increases to 25.
Outdoor Sports Matches: Can resume with no spectators.
Gyms, Swimming Pools and Leisure Centres: Can reopen but only for individual training.
Please continue to protect yourself and others by following public health advice.
If you enjoy solving riddles and brainteasers, try resolving the video content hereunder.
Try to also solve the following questions, without peeking immediately at the answers, latter also supplied herewith.
1. What gets wetter the more it dries?
2. What goes up and never comes down?
3. I am full of keys but I can’t open any door. What am I?
4. When you look for something, why is it always in the last place you look?
5. You find an old coin and declare that the date inscribed on it is 150 B.C. Could this be correct and why?
6. I’m light as a feather, but even the strongest man can’t hold me for more than one minute. What am I?
7. What occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment, and never in one thousand years?
8. What has three feet but cannot walk?
9. What runs and never walks; murmurs – but never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth but never eats?
10. If you are running in a race and you pass the person in second place, what place are you in?
Answers: 1. Towel. 2. Your age. 3. A piano. 4. When you locate it, you stop looking. 5. B.C. is counting backwards from the birth of Christ. If Christ hadn’t been born yet, there would be no such dates as B.C.. 6. His Breath. 7. The letter M. 8. A yardstick. 9. A river. 10. Second place.
Poetry Day Ireland 2021 takes place on Thursday, April 29th. Given our nations rich poetic heritage, it is wonderful to see Poetry Ireland actively supporting schools to bring the joy and power of poetry into the lives of our pupils. This year’s Poetry Day Ireland theme is ‘New Directions: Maps and Journeys’ and Poetry Ireland have produced some excellent resources for both primary and secondary school teachers and pupils.
Primary School Resources for Poetry Day Ireland 2021.
Packed with 41 pages of poems and fun activities, this informative and engaging online resource encourages teachers and pupils to read, write, listen to, illustrate, perform, share and above all enjoy poetry. This Poetry Day Ireland resource is available to access HERE.
For pupils and teachers celebrating Poetry Day 2021 through Irish, leighleat.com aims to provide teachers, parents and children with digital resources to support them in the teaching and learning of Irish. You can access their digital resources for poetry by clicking HERE.
Secondary School Resources for Poetry Day Ireland 2021
For secondary school pupils, Poetry Ireland, and Irish Aid Worldwise Global Schools, have a development education creative writing pack. The pack provides a series of lesson plans that aim to enable secondary school pupils to explore numerous global issues. The pack is available to download HERE.
Why not share a favourite poem?
No matter what class your child or pupil is in, why not take some time to share your favourite rhymes and poems using your chosen social media platform, on Poetry Day April 29th?
There are so many great poems to choose from, and here shown above, on Thurles.info, I share the poem, ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’, written and read by that late, great American poet Robert Lee Frost, (1874 – 1963).
Last week Fine Gael Minister for Rural and Community Development, Ms Heather Humphreys TD, announced the allocation of €2.8m for the Thurles Market Quarter, latter situated close to The Source, building on Cathedral Street.
Earlier €120,000 had been mysteriously allocated in a puzzling move, for the development of the River Walk in Thurles.
Two Tipperary Teachtaí Dála, namely Mr Jackie Cahill and Mr Michael Lowry were quickly “out of the blocks”, using news hungry radio and local press to welcome these announcement, despite having taken no hand, act or part in either of these financial acquisitions.
Meanwhile Cllr. Mr Michael Smith, (Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council), Mr Joe MacGrath (Tipperary Co. Co. Chief Executive) and Tipperary Hurling Manager Mr Liam Sheedy all united to thank the people of Tipperary for their continued support in driving Tipperary towards a cleaner, greener and more sustainable county.
Thankfully Ms Heather Humphreys TD, did not visit Thurles Town Park or the Thurles River walk yesterday, or she might have halted the transfer of taxpayers money. Of course none of the above named individuals were to be seen on the Thurles River Walk or in the Thurles Town Park on yesterday afternoon (Saturday April 24th 2021).
It is possibly best to allow our video hereunder to tell the tale of the events of Saturday April 24th, 2021.
As viewers can observe the litter bins had not been emptied prior to this weekend. The sunny weather did encourage extra persons to gather in the Thurles parkland areas, and unable to deposit their litter in the bins, they for the most part, left same beside and on top of packed unemptied rubbish containers. A warm moderate south-easterly wind took care of the wide dispersal.
It is yet another story, when it comes to the “Thurles River Walk”. Here the problem is no Litter Bins fit for purpose. Two small bin can be found behind the Thurles Shopping Centre building and the Kavanagh Place entrance, both of which can be found overflowing on a daily basis. One similar small bin is also situated on the western entrance on the Slievenamon Road, beside the new LIDL development. A third large bin situated at the junction of Emmet Street and Thomond Road on the North side of the walkway, at the “Swinging Gates”, is permanently kept filled by household domestic waste.
Perhaps it is now time for Cllr. Mr Michael Smith, (Cathaoirleach, Tipperary County Council), and Mr Joe MacGrath (Tipperary Chief Executive) to instruct Thurles District Administrator Ms Sharon Scully, to arrange for 5 large litter bins to be installed, at regular intervals, on this 1200 metre Thurles River Walk and the removal of the 3 existing miniature bins, as already stated, no longer fit for purpose; with immediate effect.
Perhaps also local Councillors, local engineers, together with Ms Sharon Scully, might also like to visit the Emmet Street and Thomond Road junction, about 33 metres inside the swinging gates, to experience and view at first hand the stench from the fast flowing effluent entering the river Suir. Best to undertake soon before someone is taken seriously ill.
Take care of the cents and the euros will take care of themselves
On a personal note, I must say Mr MacGrath, those large hand held posters in your PR photograph look smashing. Were they paid for out of the increased ‘Tipperary Residential Property Tax Fund’ or your salary?
Either way, perhaps you could cut costs next time, by simply following in the footsteps of our delusional TD’s, Mr Jackie Cahill and Mr Michael Lowry and, just like them, pay someone to write a press release on your Facebook or Twitter account.
Thurles is sadly rapidly running out of voluntary unpaid and ignored “Keep Tipp Tidy” personnel, who have no voice within their local community.
Readers Note: In the interests of openness and transparency, Mr Joe MacGrath (Tipperary Co. Co. Chief Executive) and Ms Sharon Scully, (Thurles District Administrator) have been notified. As is usual no reply or explanation is expected.
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