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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

A Viennese Afternoon With Strauss In Thurles

What better way to spend a dreary Saturday afternoon in January than by listening to the romantic sounds of Johann Strauss. Now in its 9th year, a Viennese Strauss Gala is back here again in Thurles on tour on the stage of The Source Arts Centre, by popular demand.

This time they will arrive with a sparkling new production, authentically costumed, cleverly staged and wonderfully choreographed.

This truly breathtaking show is a magical mixture of music, song and dance and re-creates the nostalgia and romance of the grand ballrooms of 19th century Vienna. With little imagination required, you the audience will be introduced to a by-gone age of glamorous Soirees ( parties or gathering held in the evening, in someone’s home,) and the show will also highlight some of the great operettas of Emmerich Kalman, Johann Strauss and Franz Lehar, including de Fledermaus, The Merry Widow and many, many more.

The European Orchestral Ensemble will accompany four Soloists from major Opera companies including Opera North, English National Opera and D’Oyly Carte. It doesn’t get any better than this, for a truly authentic feel of a Viennese Gala this show will appeal to the romantic as much as the music aficionado.

Fine and elegant costumes simply add to the pleasure, bring home wonderful memories after an afternoon with Strauss. For lunchtime specials or afternoon tea reservations, ring Matt or Sheena at Tel: 0504-58858.

Date: Saturday 26th January, Time: 1.30pm
Tickets: €20/€15 concession.
Note: For all show bookings go to www.thesourceartscentre.ie or ring their Box Office at Tel: 0504 90204.

Highly entertaining for lovers of true romance and a ‘must see,’ for students of music in all schools.

Update On Return Of Tipperary Related Artefacts

This excellent short film, hereunder, entitled “Just Saying,” produced by Kennedy Films Ltd & written/directed by Dave Tynan, could easily be Thurles town on any given night, on any given day, in any given week, in 2012.

Sydney, London & Canada have also swallowed up our youth & our mates, latter in their need to find some kind of honest employment. Some recent emigrants raised the fare to return home to the Cathedral Town this Christmas, many did not, but all who did have chosen, for financial reasons only, to return to a foreign land. Like the comment stated in this film, here in our beloved County Tipperary, for our emigrants there were ten reasons to go & one thousand tiny reasons to stay.

Last week we received a prompt reply from Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Mr Leo Varadkar regarding our request (Open Letter) for the return of “Tipperary Related Artefacts,” currently used to the benefit of Dublin’s economy, & much to the detriment of home spun Tourism, The Gathering, Adult Unemployment and Youth Emigration in North Tipperary, much of the latter real talent presently boosting foreign economies having been already subsidised by an over burdened Irish Taxpayer.

We also wish to acknowledge communications from Noel Coonan TD, confirming that he has also forwarded correspondence to the Minister on this matter. Similar correspondence sent to Alan Kelly TD has, as yet, not received a reply.

Minister Varadkar has informed us that this matter has now been forwarded to Minister for Arts, Heritage & The Gaeltacht, for his attention & his direct reply.

We welcome An Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s statement yesterday that individual Government Ministers will now be invited, at a special Cabinet meeting, to explain how each government department will begin to create much needed jobs. We agree with An Taoiseach who stated that the drive for employment should not be left solely to just one government department, namely “Jobs Minister,” Mr Richard Bruton.

A report on the success by Mr Kenny’s previous initiatives, in attempting to create 100,000 jobs by 2016, will now be published in February and will show the success, if any, achieved over the past 12 months. This jobs meeting is expected to take place in the latter half of this month & will now focus on small and medium enterprises and local domestic economies.

Possibly the most welcome news however came via The Tipperary Star newspaper, dated December 27th last (Page 6), which reports that some local County Councillors e.g. Seamus Hanafin, Pauline Coonan & James Ryan have come out to fully support this idea.

The ideal plan, if agreed, would be to place these Tipperary related artefacts in the North Tipperary towns of Nenagh, Roscrea & Thurles, encouraging tourists to interlink with these three towns and away from the coastal gateways to Ireland, as an initial pilot project. These artefacts would be placed under the care of Tipperary County Council & would be positioned as stated in Nenagh (Nenagh Castle), Roscrea (Damer House or the now defunct Roscrea Court House) and in Thurles (The Source Exhibition Hall or St Mary’s Famine Museum).

In the words of one Tipperary man, US President Barak Obama, “Is féidir linn” / Yes we can, but only if our community leaders, like Government Politicians, County Councillors, Urban District Councillors, Chambers of Commerce etc. show a willingness to support such a venture.

Tourism is Co Tipperary’s only hope to gain real employment opportunities during 2013 and boost our dwindling local domestic economies.

Let’s, at least, publicly debate this issue & begin to change the way we do business, let’s build “The Wheel” we spoke about in our original open letter.

We only seek what rightly belongs to us.