Video « Thurles Information

“My Dearest Kitty” Love Letters.

100 years ago, as the Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State, Michael Collins assisted in leading the Anglo Irish Treaty negotiations, he was also negotiating a new and long distance personal relationship with Kitty Kiernan.

Eight months ago and over the course of 11 episodes, through Kitty and Michael’s correspondence, containing some 300 letters and telegrams, we learn at first hand, [Courtesy of Cork County Council Commemorations Committee], the story of their evolving relationship, in conjunction with the then also evolving story of the Anglo Irish Treaty negotiations, both here and in London.

Episode 1. begins HERE; however we have chosen to publish episodes 11 (‘My Dearest Kitty…’ Finale), hereunder to highlight our point of debate.

It was Major General Piaras Beaslaí, who wrote the first full-length biography of Michael Collins, published in 1926, which was first to suggest that the “Big Fellow” or “Long Fellow” had little or no time for the fairer sex.

Major Beaslaí wrote, “He preferred the company of young men, and never paid any attention to the girls belonging to the Branch, not even to the sisters and friends of his male companions”.
Beaslaí makes no mention of Kitty Kiernan in the biography, nor that Collins was then engaged to be married at the time of his death, in 1922.

Collins had proposed to Ms Kitty Kiernan in the ‘Grand Hotel’, Greystones, County Wicklow, later to be renamed ‘La Touche Hotel’, where I began hotel management training in 1969.

Same hotel, which had initially opened in 1894 and closed in 2004, is now a striking luxurious residential development known as “La Touche Cove”. (But where now is Room 27, then rumoured as used by Collins?)

There was only one floral tribute permitted on the flag-covered coffin of Michael Collins; a single white peace lily from Ms Kitty Kiernan.

Frank O’Connor’s biography of Michael Collins, in 1937, also failed to mention Ms Kitty Kiernan, and essentially ignored the latter’s interaction with other females.

Twenty one years later in 1958, Rex Taylor also failed to mention Ms Kitty Kiernan in his biography.

Many women over that troubled period in Irieland had worked with Collins.
So why was Moya O’Connor, (later wife of solicitor Compton Llewelyn Davies); Lily Mernin (cousin of said biographer Piaras Beaslaí); Nancy O’Brien; Susan Mason; Patricia Hoey and our own Bridget Fitzpatrick (latter Thurles executive and courier for Richard Mulcahy and Michael Collins); Susan Killeen (secretary who worked with him in London); Eileen McGrane, Lady Edith Londonderry, and Hazel Lavery, totally ignored in various writings.

Indeed all these women worked with Collins as either trusted secretaries; incriminating document holders; providers of invaluable information or simply friends; thus these biographers exposed Collins to suspicions of being gay or misogynistic.

Close friend Moya O’Connor is noted, in 1942, as having stated “His friends who wrote about him have distorted him as much or more than his enemies”.

The Collins and Kiernan correspondence must surely now shed a completely different complexion on the private lives of both these young lovers.

Arts BLAST Residency Programme 2022.

The Department of Education has just announced that it’s 2022 Arts-in-Education BLAST Residency Programme will enable up to 425 new Arts-in-Education residencies nationally.

The aim of the BLAST scheme is to give pupils in schools all over the country, including Co. Tipperary, the opportunity to work with a professional artist on unique projects.
The artist’s fee is €1,000 per residency, which in turn is funded by the Department of Education.

Tipperary schools can get involved by completing the application form available HERE.

The deadline for receipt of applications is 30th September 2022.

For more information please visit HERE.

Josephine Tewson: “Keeping Up Appearances Actress” Dead aged 91.

Star of British sitcom television Josephine Tewson has passed away peacefully, aged 91 years.

Ms Tewson, English stage and television character actress, best-known for her roles as ‘Hyacinth Bucket’s‘ nervy neighbour, in Roy Clarke’s “Keeping Up Appearances” – Miss Lucinda Davenport in “Last of the Summer Wine”, and Samantha Johnstone in “Midsomer Murders”, sadly passed away on Thursday night last at Denville Hall, latter a retirement home for actors, situated at Northwood, London, UK.

Born in Hampstead, London on February 26th 1931; her father, William, was a professional musician and played the double bass in the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Her mother, Kate (née Morley, born 1908), was a nurse, the daughter of Haydn Morley who captained Sheffield Wednesday in the 1890 FA Cup Final. Following grammar school, Ms Tewson studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, from which she graduated in 1952.

Ms Tewson was married to actor Leonard Rossiter from 1958 until their divorce in 1961. She later married Henry Newman in 1972, latter who sadly died in 1980.

In ár gcroíthe go deo.

Thurles M D Officials Below Par, Ineffective & Lacking In Ability.

“Too many people with degrees and not enough people with qualifications to operate drainage rods.”

The video hereunder highlights why just one thunder shower flooded areas within Thurles Town precinct.

Question: How much do we pay our local councillors for representing us at Council level each month?

Answer: On average depending on position, conferences attended, training etc, about €2,667.00 per month or close to €667.00 per week.

You can check exactly what we paid each named councillor HERE.
You can check what each of the abbreviated allowances represent HERE.

Not bad pay for those who refuse to answer emails from the public, and have to attend for a couple of hours at one meeting each month.

Meanwhile, highly paid officials at all levels, each responsible for basic administration within the town of Thurles, have proven themselves to be below par, ineffective and totally lacking in ability.

Aerial Overview Of Proposed Routes For Thurles Walking & Cycling Project.

The video viewed hereunder, demonstrates the six possible routes for a Thurles Walking and Cycling Scheme, envisaged for the town of Thurles, Co. Tipperary and announced yesterday.

Details not supplied in the announced plan yesterday include:-

How many students from all levels of education within our school system actually use bicycles or walk to school? A majority of students use the school bus service, while many more are collected by cars, driven by their parents.
Surely students will choose their own cycling or walking future route – based on the logical rule that the shortest distance between home and school, going and coming, “is a straight line”.
Why is the final destination in all 6 routes, Bohernamona road, east of the town?
Regarding Route (1), The Green Route; With narrow pavements on both sides of Friar Street currently serving pedestrians, how can space be introduced for a cycling route? Are we to remove car parking completely from that area?
Has anyone driven up Mitchel Street recently? Currently there is not sufficient space for two cars travelling in opposite directions, to pass each other.
Like Bowe’s Corner funding; did someone dream up this scheme to acquire capital from the National Transport Authority (NTA), latter who are allocating taxpayers money to Ireland’s local authorities, with a view to spending €289 million on walking and cycling infrastructure in 2022, at the behest of Minister for Transport Mr Eamon Ryan?
Finally, does this mean that a cycle lane will be included on Liberty Square, whose enlarged stench ridden pavements are currently taken over by outdoor tea/coffee seating and alcohol sales.