A striking new bronze artwork planned and in place at the entrance to FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles; celebrating Tipperary’s unique place in the history of Gaelic games.
The permanent public artwork was commissioned by Tipperary County Council in partnership with Tipperary GAA and the management of FBD Semple Stadium. It is installed near the stadium entrance, and expected to create a new landmark for supporters, visitors and the wider Thurles community.
Set to be unveiled; artwork celebrating Thurles as birthplace of the GAA. Pic: G. Willoughby.
Rather than honouring one individual player or official, we understand the sculpture is intended to represent Gaelic games more broadly. The original commission sought a bronze design featuring male and female sporting figures, reflecting the traditions of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football and ladies’ football.
The location is particularly significant. The Gaelic Athletic Association was founded in Hayes’ Hotel, Thurles, on November 1st 1884, while the Ladies Gaelic Football Association was also established in the town in 1974. The artwork will therefore recognise Thurles not only as one of Ireland’s great sporting towns, but as the birthplace of organisations that have shaped Irish community life for generations.
Semple Stadium itself has played a central role in that history. It is the home of Tipperary hurling and football and one of the country’s most famous GAA venues. The stadium was named after Mr Tom Semple in 1971 and hosted the historic 1984 All-Ireland Hurling Final, during the GAA’s centenary celebrations.
Full public details of the completed sculpture, including the selected artist and the formal unveiling arrangements, have not yet been clearly published on the council’s official project page.
When unveiled, the new bronze tribute should provide a lasting reminder of Thurles’ proud contribution to Ireland’s national games.
Where else in Ireland would a crossroads, latter situated on a blind hill, be allowed to have traffic approaching and exiting at 100 km/h?
Well this remains the case at Turtulla Cross, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. The proposed replacement of Turtulla Cross with a roundabout has been welcomed by local councillors as a major step forward. Nobody disputes that this junction has a serious safety problem. It has been associated with one pedestrian fatality, numerous collisions and long-standing concern among residents, motorists and public representatives.
Turtulla Cross, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, showing blind hill, which, despite previous TII intervention, remains flooded for 10 months of the year. Pic: G. Willoughby.
The present 100 km/h limit is a maximum permitted speed, not an instruction to drive at that speed. Nevertheless, allowing traffic to approach a known hazardous junction under a 100 km/h limit sends entirely the wrong message. Drivers travelling at or near that speed have less time to recognise danger, react to another vehicle and stop safely.
However, welcoming action should not mean giving Transport Infrastructure Ireland and Tipperary County Council a blank cheque. Before large sums of public money are committed to constructing a roundabout, the authorities must explain why a significantly cheaper and quicker safety measure has not been properly trialled; namely reducing the speed limit on the approach and exit to Turtulla Cross from 100 km/h to 50 or 60 km/h.
A roundabout would inevitably force approaching vehicles to slow considerably. That raises an obvious question: why not introduce lower approach speeds now and assess the results before committing to an expensive construction project?
The Government’s own Speed Limit Review recommended lower limits, including a proposed reduction of the default limit on national secondary roads from 100 km/h to 80 km/h. Official guidance also recognises 60 km/h transition zones on national and other significant roads entering areas where traffic conditions become more complex.
A properly designed trial could include a 60 km/h transition zone, a further 50 km/h limit immediately approaching the junction, prominent warning signs, refreshed road markings, flashing speed indicators, improved lighting and targeted Garda enforcement. The trial should be supported by speed surveys and collision-risk assessments, with the results published openly. A few hundred metres closer to Thurles town such signs exist, so just grab a screwdriver or pliers and move them.
According to Tipperary County Council’s May 2026 management report, preliminary design has commenced for a safety scheme involving a roundabout. The project is expected to enter the Part 8 planning process in 2026, with construction anticipated in 2027, or 2028 or maybe 2030.
That timetable provides an opportunity to test lower-cost interventions before construction begins. Public money must be treated with respect. A roundabout may ultimately prove necessary, particularly if the junction’s layout, visibility or traffic movements cannot be made acceptably safe through speed management alone. But that conclusion should be demonstrated through real evidence, not just simply assumed by councillors wishing to take advantage of a video opportunity.
TII and Tipperary County Council should publish the up-to-date collision history, traffic speeds, projected construction cost, alternatives considered and the reasons those alternatives were rejected.
Spending millions without first testing an enforceable speed reduction would be a failure of common sense and responsible public administration. Safety must come first, but value for money, transparency and evidence must come with it.
A 17-year-old boy has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a man, following a fatal incident in County Tipperary last year.
The teenager appeared before the Central Criminal Court today Wednesday, July 22, where he was formally charged with murdering the man at an undisclosed location in Tipperary on March 10th, 2025.
Because the defendant is under the age of 18, he is legally protected from being identified publicly. When the charge was put to him, the teenager entered a plea of not guilty to murder. However, he admitted responsibility for the lesser offence of manslaughter.
Mr Dean Kelly SC, representing the Director of Public Prosecutions, informed the court that the State was prepared to accept the manslaughter plea. No details about the circumstances surrounding the man’s death were outlined during the brief hearing. The court was told that the defendant was 15 years old, when the offence occurred and has since turned 17 years of age. Mr Kelly asked for a probation report to be prepared before the teenager is sentenced. Such a report can provide the court with information about a defendant’s personal circumstances, background and prospects for rehabilitation.
Mr Justice Tony Hunt provisionally scheduled the sentencing hearing for September 28, 2026. The teenager was remanded on continuing bail and is expected to return to the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday next, July 29th. The court may reconsider or confirm the proposed sentencing date at that appearance. The judge also directed that victim-impact reports be prepared. These reports will allow those affected by the man’s death to explain the emotional, personal and practical consequences of their loss, before the sentence is imposed.
The case remains before the courts, and the teenager has not yet been sentenced.
Most of Ireland’s Local Authorities Strengthen Environmental Enforcement in 2025.
Ireland’s local authorities delivered a strong environmental enforcement performance in 2025, with 83% of assessments under the National Enforcement Priorities rated Strong or Excellent. The EPA’s latest performance report shows that environmental teams across the country carried out more than 252,000 inspections, responded to 85,500 complaints, took 23,550 enforcement actions and initiated 386 prosecutions during the year.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Galway City Council and South Dublin County Council achieved the required standard across every National Enforcement Priority. All 31 local authorities also met the required standard for tackling illegal waste. Despite the positive overall results, the EPA identified areas where enforcement must improve. Seventeen per cent of assessments fell below the required standard, while Leitrim County Council and Sligo County Council did not meet the required standard across several priority areas. Particular attention is now needed in relation to waste segregation, discharges to water and transport noise. The EPA has called on local authorities to maintain momentum, allocate sufficient resources and ensure that enforcement is consistent across the country.
Tipperary County Council. While Tipperary County Council recorded positive results across several environmental enforcement priorities in 2025, the EPA assessment indicates that improvement is needed in two important areas.
The council received yellow ratings for its performance under the Environmental Noise Directive and for discharge licences and Misconnections. These ratings indicate that the work carried out did not reach the required Strong or Excellent standard.
The Environmental Noise Directive requires local authorities to identify harmful transport-noise exposure, prepare action plans and demonstrate that appropriate measures are being implemented. Tipperary County Council should clarify what actions are planned, when they will be completed and how progress will be measured.
The rating for Discharge Licences and Misconnections is also a concern. Incorrect wastewater connections and poorly controlled discharges can result in pollution entering surface-water drains, rivers and streams. Stronger inspections, licence reviews, investigations and enforcement follow-up may be required to protect water quality.
Visual Confirmation:State of the Suir River setin the heart of Thurles today; left uncleared since the recent Liberty Music Festival, which was held on Saturday July 4th and Sunday 5th, 2026 last.
These findings do not suggest failure across the council’s entire environmental programme. They do, however, show that enforcement must be consistent across every priority area. Tipperary County Council should respond by publishing clear corrective actions, measurable targets and realistic timelines for improvement. The report also highlights targeted work carried out in Tipperary’s firewood sector. Eleven firewood producers were contacted and provided with information on their obligations under solid-fuel legislation, including EPA registration and certification requirements. Following this engagement, three producers registered with the EPA and six began working towards certification through the Wood Fuel Quality Assurance Scheme. Two newly identified producers remain subject to further follow-up.
The Tipperary initiative demonstrates how inspections, education and sustained engagement can improve compliance. It also shows that continued oversight is necessary to ensure firewood meets the required quality and moisture standards, protects air quality and supports responsible producers.
The EPA will continue to monitor local-authority performance and work with councils to improve environmental outcomes for communities throughout Ireland.
A nationwide hosepipe ban will take effect at 12.01am on Friday, 24th July, as Ireland’s continuing warm and dry weather places increasing pressure on public drinking water supplies. Uisce Éireann has extended the existing Water Conservation Order to every county including Tipperary. The restrictions will remain in force until Wednesday, 26th August, although the duration may be reviewed depending on weather conditions and the availability of water.
The order previously applied to the Greater Dublin Area, south Tipperary and parts of Kildare, Meath, Wexford and Wicklow. Its expansion means households throughout the country must now avoid using hosepipes or similar equipment for non-essential purposes.
Prohibited activities include watering gardens, washing private cars or leisure boats, filling domestic swimming pools and paddling pools, and operating ornamental fountains or garden ponds. Commercial uses that require water as part of a business activity are exempt from certain restrictions.
The measure follows an extended period of high temperatures and increased water consumption. Several groundwater sources are experiencing reduced yields, while demand in some regions has exceeded the amount of treated water that can be produced locally. Targeted overnight restrictions have also been introduced in a number of areas to allow reservoirs to recover and maintain daytime supplies for homes and businesses.
Uisce Éireann is asking the public to limit unnecessary water use by taking shorter showers, repairing leaking taps and toilets, turning off taps while brushing teeth, and running washing machines and dishwashers only when full. A garden hose or sprinkler can use a substantial amount of water in a single hour.
Met Éireann forecasts indicate that temperatures are expected to remain above seasonal averages overall, increasing the importance of conserving supplies for households, hospitals, farms, businesses and other essential services.
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