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“I hate race discrimination most intensely and in all its manifestations. I have fought it all during my life; I fight it now, and will do so until the end of my days. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” Nelson Mandela.
For many South Africans, he was simply Madiba, his traditional clan name. Others affectionately called him Tata, the Xhosa word for father, but yesterday on December 5th, 2013, the world revered South African anti-apartheid leader and recipients of the Tipperary International Peace Award, Rolihlahla (Nelson) Mandela, regrettably died at his home in the Johannesburg suburb of Houghton, aged 95.
Our Video Hereunder Follows His Life And Times.
A state funeral will now be held, and the South African President Jacob Zuma has called for mourners to conduct themselves with “the dignity and respect,” that the former President had personified.
“I would like to be remembered not as anyone unique or special, but as part of a great team in this country that has struggled for many years, for decades and even centuries. The greatest glory of living, lies not in never falling, but in rising every time you fall.” he once stated.
With Rolihlahla Mandela now at peace, South Africans and indeed all residents of our planet are left to try to embody his promise and his idealism.
Go ndéana Dia trócaire ar a anam dílis.
Following a meeting last month with a representative from the Thurles Tourism Group ‘Hidden Tipperary,’ and called by the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport Mr Alan Kelly TD, an open meeting of Tourism Service Providers are now invited to meet directly with the Minister, in St.Mary’s Famine Museum at 5.30pm on Thursday, December 5th, 2013 next.
Those providing Tourism Service, e.g. Restaurant owners, Fast Food providers, Publicans, Travel Agents, Accommodation providers (Both B&B and Hotel) and those providing /managing local visitor attractions, are all invited to be in attendance.
Those expected to be in attendance will include representation from Lar na Pairce GAA Museum, St.Mary’s Famine Museum, Slattery Museum, Upperchurch Development Association, Hayes Hotel, Cabragh Wetlands Development Group, Holycross Tourism Group, Una Ryan of Marketing Eye, Thurles Chamber of Commerce and Tipperary Tourism Board, to name but a few.
Thurles Town Must Continue To Progress – A Lot Done, More To Do In The Coming Year
The Minister is anxious to hear from those in attendance, new constructive ideas which could lead to job growth and greater tourism traffic in the Thurles and greater surrounding areas.
The venue, St.Mary’s Famine Museum was decided as an appropriate meeting place to enable unfamiliar Tourism Service providers to observe at first hand an attractions readily available to their visitors and situated on their front door. Similar future meetings are expected be organised with Lar na Pairce, Upperchurch, Holycross and Cabragh Wetlands etc.
The Minister is hoping that by this meeting an umbrella group, formally non existent, can now be formed which will work closely together to improve the tourism sector in Thurles and surrounding areas and has committed himself to adding his shoulder to the wheel where possible, in an effort to progress local tourism needs.
The Hidden Tipperary Tourism group state that they strongly support and welcome Minister Kelly’s initiative and look forward to working closely with his department.
It is now hoped that as many Tourism Service Providers as possible will turn out to meet with the Minister.
Directions To Thurles Famine Museum.
(Click on Icon on Map hereunder for Directions & type present position in Box A provided underneath Map.)
[mappress mapid=”32″]
Free parking has been extended to Thurles town car parks in the run-up to Christmas, well that’s if you are prepared to leave your Christmas Shopping until the very last minute.
Same has been introduced in a bid to encourage consumers into the town centre and hopefully put funding into the cash registers of those businesses trading at a major disadvantage and situated in the area of Liberty Square and surrounding streets, latter forced to compete with free car parking permitted elsewhere on the Towns outskirts.
Obviously the Town Manager and Town Clerk were feeling in Festive Mood last night, allowing our Local Councillors apparently to run riot, thus making at least one real decision on their own, for this year.
Whatever, Thurles Town Council have now announced that free parking will be available in the local authority car parks in Thurles with effect from December 21st to December 24th inclusive.
I wonder was there any debate on the tender being sought for the planning, design and delivery of a proposed new car park on the ‘money side’ of Liberty Square, Thurles, last night? No matter this is possibly information that would only further confuse the average struggling businessman/woman in our town centre and better off not being discussed by the great unwashed.
I don’t often support Minister Phil Hogan, but thank God that as and from June 2014 local secret societies like Town Councils will be banned.
In the words of that minor character Timothy Cratchit, called “Tiny Tim”, is the 1843 novel ‘A Christmas Carol,’ by Charles Dickens, “God bless us, every one!”
“Fairytale of New York.”
“They’ve got cars, big as bars,
They’ve got rivers of gold,
But the wind goes right through you,
It’s no place for the old.”
(Lyrics written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan.)
Is North Tipperary native and ‘Fairytale of New York’ singer Shane MacGowan about to make a Christmas appearance on the much loved ‘soap,’ Coronation Street? Well according to his website last month he may well be.
A native of Puckhaun, in north Co Tipperary, Shane himself was born on Christmas Day in Kent, while his parents were over there visiting relatives. Shane obtained his massive talents from both parents; his mother being a great singer and traditional Irish dancer, while his father had a great interest in literature and writing.
Shane’s partner the very lovely Victoria Mary Clarke is understood to have posted pictures of the ‘Pogues,’ singer, enjoying a drink in the Rovers Return with actor Chris Gascoyne who plays Peter Barlow. Sources have confirmed the episode will air on December 20th. Photographs show the Rovers Return clearly adorned with Christmas decorations and it was thought that the 55-year-old musician was set to star in a once off episode this coming festive season, perhaps singing his seasonal classic Fairytale of New York.
However, a spokesperson for Coronation Street has stated that “He was here doing some filming but for a little surprise VT that is not part of the main show.” It now maybe the case that, rather than appearing as a new drop-in character in the long running TV series, the Irish songwriter will instead sing alongside cast members in a charity performance that will form a centrepiece of the ‘Text Santa,’ charity appeal television gala, latter presented by Ant and Dec, Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby with Christine Bleakley and Paddy McGuinness. Text Santa raises funds for Age UK, Barnardo’s, BeatBullying, British Heart Foundation, CLIC Sargeant and Help the Hospices.
However it is not the first time Coronation Street has been visited by greats in the world of ‘Rock.’ Viewers will remember Les Battersby, played by Bruce Jones, persuaded ‘Status Quo’ to do a turn in the Rovers after their tour bus supposedly had broken down.
Regardless of what transpires, North Tipperary fans of ‘The Pogues,’ will be pleased to hear and view Shane, whose iconic song, above, is still a Christmas classic, some 26 years later and look forward to the Pogues nine-disc greatest hits collection, “Pogues 30,” due out possibly on December 2nd.
“Now the things I’ve come to know seem so confusin’
It’s gettin’ hard to tell what’s wrong from right
I can’t separate the winners from the losers anymore
And I’m thinking of just giving up the fight.“
“Good Christian Soldier,” Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson
An as yet unpublished report that will guide current Government policy on rural Ireland up until 2025, has discovered that the rural areas of Ireland have had twice the business failure rate as their larger urban counterparts, when it comes to a study of our economic downturn.
Despite 3.5 years of continuous cries of ‘Help,’ from rural dwellers, this report leaves sleepy Senior Civil Servants now considering whether perhaps a Government Department and a Minister of State should now be delegated, with responsibility for future Rural Development.
Other initiatives understood to have been identified by this Senior Civil Servants report include the re-energising of rural tourism.
I trust that the recent announcement by Cork County Manager Martin Riordan of three interpretive centres to be opened on Spike Island in lower Cork Harbour by the summer of 2015, at a cost of €40 million, will not be seen as the re-energising of rural tourism. It is also interesting to note that Bord Fáilte have confirmed it is reversing its initial decision not to grant aid for this project and will now release €2.5m for redevelopment of this island. Someone obviously had a word in someone’s “Shell Like,” (Nod, Nod, Wink and Wink.) Do tell us why this decision was reversed Mr Riordan or should we be asking Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, one James “Jimmy” Deenihan, the Irish Fine Gael Teachta Dála for the Kerry North–West Limerick constituency, how this decision came about.
Mr James “Jimmy” Deenihan and Mr Noel Coonan were two of the people who failed to ensure that the Derrynaflan Hoard, latter stolen from Tipperary, was not returned for “The Gathering,” this year thus reducing tourism numbers to Co Tipperary, by some 25%, as my email records and other unanswered communications will attest.
In the past few days the Dáil have passed the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill after 77 TDs voted in favour of these cuts and new changes announced, and with only 46 opposing the most controversial parts of our recent Budget. These changes included the scrapping of the bereavement grant (77 votes to 43), cuts to maternity benefit, and a reduction in dole for new Social Welfare claimants who are aged under 26.
Just as a matter of interest did any of our readers see even one of our North Tipperary Government representatives in the Dáil, contributing to this debate? I ask this question as my eyesight isn’t what it used to be and these people may have taken up a space at the back of the class. Fobs need to be checked on more than Friday’s here Enda.
Scrapping Of The Bereavement Grant
We the elderly do not have to worry really about this, simply just leave our bodies to Medical Science and the State via one of the 5 medical colleges /universities, latter who in gratitude will provide an embellished coffin. They will cover the expense of (1) bringing the remains to Glasnevin Crematorium, (2) your cremation and (3) your ashes will be buried in the medical school’s private plot within two years of your death. So no problem for relatives here, unless of course you object to medical students standing around your stiffened freezing torso with a smile on their faces when they observe your hidden tattoos.
Continue reading Senior Civil Servants Have Discovered Rural Ireland
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