Video « Thurles Information

Thurles For Sale Or To Let

One would be forgiven for thinking that the above was a ‘Promotional Video,’ for the benefit of Auctioneers & Estate Agents.

Those who choose to view the above slide show do please understand, Thurles is the most wonderful place to live, to raise a family & to eventually retire. However in the case of this town presently our local community has become despondent, cynical, unenthusiastic & lifeless. Our business people, because of economic pressure, are being forced to uproot, move or just simply vanish.

In my walk around Thurles, yesterday, I believe I counted some 15 businesses which have closed in the past 9 months in less than a half kilometre stretch, from Westgate to Bowe’s corner alone. With the decline & closure of these businesses departed the hopes & dreams of not just business people, whether owners or tenants, & their landlords, but also some 67 dependant employees. Some have been able to afford to emigrate, while the rest have joined our growing social welfare queue.

Either way Thurles is now ‘For Sale,’ or ‘To Let,’ with little view of either buyer or tenant visible on our immediate horizons.

Some change in local leadership is now immediately required to recover lost fortunes, but with our national interest bill on public debt (forget personal private debt,) running at over €10billion or close to €2.800 for every man, woman & child still choosing to remain in this country, our very futures look bleak on this wintry Monday morning, January 28th 2013.

President Obama May Return To Moneygall In 2013

It is rumoured that behind-the-scenes moves are currently being planned to arrange for US President Mr Barack Obama to attend one of a number of events being held this year to mark the 50th anniversary of former President John F. Kennedy’s Irish tour back in 1963.

Members of the Kennedy clan are expected in Ireland to oversee the official opening of a new John F. Kennedy visitor centre during this summer and this may coincide with President Obama’s expected visit to Co. Fermanagh for the G8 summit.

President Barack Obama’s Irish relative, Mr Henry Healy, (a cousin eight-times removed) latter who resides in Moneygall situated here on the Tipperary / Offaly border, recently attended the US Presidents Inauguration and Ball. Mr Healy has stated he knows the US President and Mrs Michelle Obama would greatly like to return to his ancestral home, having felt the warmth not just from the people of Moneygall, but from the Irish nation as a whole, following his last visit.

Noel Coonan TD – Water Funding & Entrepreneurs

The video, above, is taken at one of Tipperary’s most picturesque, pure waterways, situated is the beautiful dense natural occurring wooded area, adjacent to the banks of the Clare River known as the Clare Glens. Latter forms a natural boundary, dividing County Tipperary and County Limerick. Same comes courtesy of Mr Garry Butler, Thurles, (Member Hidden Tipperary.) & introduces the very talented young violinist Miss Eva McNally, also from Thurles. Please enjoy.

Thurles Water Treatment Plant

Today Noel Coonan TD has welcomed the announcement of funding for the Thurles Water Treatment Plant Networks and Fethard Water Conservation project. The Deputy explained that an European Investment Bank loan will provide €200 million to support improvements in Ireland’s Water Services Investment Programme (WSIP) by financing some 23 projects nationwide to provide new water mains, water and waste-water treatment facilities and reservoirs, as well as measures to improve water conservation.

“The water investment initiative includes replacement of over 300km of old water mains in South Tipperary, Galway, Limerick and Dublin City. In addition waste water treatment will be enhanced through six new treatment plants in North Tipperary, Kildare, Kerry, Galway and Roscommon,” said Deputy Coonan.

Deputy Coonan explained that the European Investment Bank will provide a 25 year loan and enable quicker implementation of the investment programme. Following agreement of the €200 million loan, a first tranche of €100 million will support immediate investment and a second tranche will follow, as this investment programme progresses.

€500,000 Social Entrepreneurs Awards Programme

While speaking with Thurles.Info today Deputy Coonan TD also highlighted a €500,000 awards programme run by Social Entrepreneurs Ireland to supports individuals with new solutions for social challenges in Ireland.

“This Awards Programme will see eight social entrepreneurs selected to partake in one of two support Programmes: the Impact Programme and the Elevator Programme. Three social entrepreneurs will be selected for the Impact Programme and will each receive direct funding of €130,000 over two years, as well as over €70,000 worth of training, mentoring and support. Under the Elevator Programme, five social entrepreneurs will each receive direct funding of €22,000 over one year. On top of this, they will receive over €10,000 worth of mentoring and training,” explained Deputy Coonan.

“When a social entrepreneur comes up with a great new solution to social problems, Social Entrepreneurs Ireland believe they should get the funding and support that they need to scale and grow, so that they can impact as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. This awards programme will support these same individuals who bring new ideas and fresh perspectives to social problems. Social Entrepreneurs Ireland have arranged an information evening which will take place on Tuesday, 29th January at 6.30pm in the Waterways Ireland Visitor Centre, Grand Canal Quay, Dublin 2. Previous Awardees will share their experiences and the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland team will be available to answer any questions you may have about the application process,” continued the Deputy.

Those interested in attending the latter, should now register their interest at http://seiawards2013infoevening.eventbrite.ie.

Ireland Come Dine With Me

The Food Safety Authority (FSA) have confirmed that Beef Burgers, containing Horse Meat & Pig DNA, have been on sale widely in supermarkets Tesco, Dunnes, Lidl, Aldi and Iceland over Christmas.

Tesco, Dunnes, Lidl & Aldi all have outlets here in Thurles and this disclosure is now observed as a major blow to the reputation of the Irish food industry & methods used by wholesalers & manufactures with regards to accurate traceability.

The FSA analysed a total of 27 Beef Burger products and found horse DNA in over one third of these products, while 85% of the 27 products also tested positive for pig DNA. These products were produced by two processing plants here in Ireland namely Liffey Meats and Silvercrest Foods and also one processing plant in the UK, namely Dalepak Hambleton. Other products like Cottage Pie are understood to also have been identified & found contaminated. The problem is understood to have been identified last November in supermarkets & not in the manufacturing plants where Department of Agriculture vets are employed to identify traceability.

One sample analysed from the supermarket chain ‘Tesco,’ accounted to 29% of Horse meat in the content, however the Food Safety authority state the findings posed no threat to public health.

Aldi Stores (Ireland) have now removed their “Oakhurst Beef Burgers,” (8 pack) from their shelves and have launched an investigation into the matter, seeking information from one particular supplier, Silvercrest Foods. They now state that any customers who return this questionable product, to their stores nationwide, will receive an immediate refund.

Now I understand what my Granny was saying when she spoke about “Horses for Courses.”

Thurles Man Michael Walsh To Walk The Way Of St James

In April 2013 Thurles resident & Co Galway native Commandant Michael Walsh (Retd & former aide de camp to H.E. the President of Ireland), will join forces with Yvonne Tyler to undertake a 2500k trek on foot. Their trek will begin here from Holycross Abbey, Thurles, in Co Tipperary, ending eventually in Santiago de Compostella Galicia in Spain, and will follow the Ancient Pilgrims Route, known as “The Way of St James.”

Note, “The Way of St. James” was one of the most important Christian pilgrimage routes taken during medieval times & legend holds that St. James’s remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain, where he was buried on the site of what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela.

The final goal of Michael & Yvonne’s three month trek, however, is to increase an awareness of Autism nationally here in Ireland and highlight, not just its effect on family members and persons with Autism, but also to raise much needed funds for two specific Autism related charities, namely the Tús Nua Autism Residential and Resource Centre here in Thurles and Cottage Autism Network based in Co Wexford.

Michael is seeking your support for this trek and in particular the charities he hopes to support. Both Yvonne and Michael know, from first hand, the effect that Autism has on families and in his own case, his son Cian who is cared for in the recently opened Tús Nua Autism Residential and Resource Centre (a ‘RehabCare,’ project ) in Thurles. Yvonne’s niece Anna Gill and family receive great support from Cottage Autism Network in Wexford and without the generous support both of these groups give to all families in similar situations they are not sure how they and many other families could cope.

Before they set off on this trek in April 2013, they have planned many varied fundraising events, in the realisation that it has never been a more difficult time financially to find funds, but nevertheless they are seeking your generous support for the many fundraising events planned.

Both Yvonne & Michael are anxious to make it known, that all monies donated through fundraising events will go directly to the chosen charities and all costs relating to their proposed trek will be personally funded by the participating individuals themselves.

We at Thurles.Info will be reporting regularly on Michael & Yvonne’s progress, as they walk across northern Spain on this Pilgrim Route.

They both hope that they can count on your support & if you require any further information or want to make a small donation, do please contact Michael at Telephone (Mobile) 087 2755445, (Land-Line); 0504-22408 or Email mjtwalsh@eircom.net