Thurles Information

A Stronger Tourism Experience For Thurles & Tipperary.

As Promised: Time to Construct Plans and Attempt to Find a “Bookable Visitor Experience,” for Thurles.

Thurles Tourism Debate: Part IV.
Concerns over Tipperary’s ability to sustain and grow tourism have intensified following a recent council presentation on our tourism performance and marketing activity; but then in the words of T.C. Haliburton and later P.T. Barnum, “Talk is Cheap” and the words of councillors and officials come easier than their actions.

Thurles ‘A Sellable Product’.

“Thurles: Cathedral, Liberty Square & Local Stories, Lár na Páirce.” (90–120 mins)

The promise: (what the visitor gets.)
A guided, easy walking loop that explains Thurles through three stops foreigners can understand instantly:

Cathedral of the Assumption:
Big visuals + a clear “why it matters” story: architecture, stained glass, music/choir tradition, and key moments that root the town in Irish life.

Liberty Square heritage loop:
2–3 short, memorable stories (old shopfronts, civic points, photo stops); stories, the kind people repeat afterwards. e.g. See links Bridget Fitzpatrick, – District Inspector Michael Hunt. – Vogue Magazine. – King Charles III, Association. – the stories are endless the work is already highlighted.

Lár na Páirce:
Framed as “Irish life & identity through games”, sell as a cultural stop, not a sports lecture.

Why it’s easy to sell:

Walkable and simple (no specialist knowledge needed).
Weather-proof-ish if you plan “pause points” under cover (shopfront canopies / a proper bus shelter if installed is a cheap win).
Perfect as an add-on stop between other major routes.

Why Irish Rail is a big advantage for Thurles.
Thurles has a very strong practical selling point; it’s a rail town with visitor basics already in place.
From Irish Rail’s station information, Thurles station is 0.5 miles to the town centre, has toilets, passenger shelters, an enclosed waiting room, and strong accessibility (lifts to platforms, accessible toilet, ramps). It’s also on key intercity routes including Dublin Heuston – Cork (directs and intermediate), plus services connecting towards Limerick/Ennis and Tralee.

That means we can pitch Thurles as:
“Arrive by train, walk the town, back on the train.”
Ideal for weekend/day-trip groups who dislike motorway fatigue, parking stress, or long coach days.

In Part V, of our Thurles Tourism Debate, in the coming days we will assist in where to contact/sell and will provide a short, copy/paste social media advert.

Note: Since two paid tour guides with proper temperament, will be required to undertake this work, (yes we already have two knowledgable individuals, trained by myself), thus creating two jobs, which is more than our Tipperary public reps. have created in the past 20 years.

Time to increase failed footfall and reverse the deliberate destruction of our town centre, (Liberty Square), as a centre for business.

Food Allergen Alert.

Incorrectly declared almonds in Lidl Bridge Bakery Oxford Lunch Cake.

Alert Summary

Allergy Alert Notification: 2026.A05.
Allergen: Nuts (Almond).
Product Identification: Bridge Bakery Oxford Lunch Cake; pack size: 410g.
Batch Code: All batch codes and all best before dates.
Country Of Origin: Ireland.

Message:
Bridge Bakery Oxford Lunch Cake contains almonds which are not emphasised on the list of ingredients. This may make the product unsafe for consumers who are allergic to or intolerant of nuts (almonds), and therefore, these consumers should not eat the affected packs.

The implicated product is being recalled by German international discount supermarket chain Lidl.

Danone Infant Formula & Follow-on Formula Recalled.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today advises that Danone is recalling specific batches of its infant formula and follow-on formula due to the potential presence of cereulide. The implicated products were manufactured in Ireland and exported to a number of EU countries, the UK and third countries.

This recall is associated with a contaminated raw ingredient which was also implicated in the recent recall of some batches of infant formula and follow-on formula by Nestlé. An ingredient, ARA oil, which was manufactured in China, was contaminated with cereulide and added as an ingredient in base powder used to make infant formula and follow-on formula. Cereulide is a toxin produced by some strains of the bacterium Bacillus cereus, which can cause food poisoning.

The FSAI has been notified by Danone that none of the implicated products have been distributed in Ireland. The FSAI has notified the European Commission of this recall through its Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) to ensure that all affected countries are notified.

The FSAI and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, who regulate the Danone manufacturing facilities in Ireland, continue to engage with Danone to ensure that all food safety measures are being taken to protect consumers.

Former Irish MEP Brian Crowley Sadly Passes Away Aged 61.

Former Ireland South MEP Mr Brian Crowley has died aged 61, following a year-long illness.

Mr Crowley, a West Cork native, passed away in the early hours of this morning, while receiving treatment at Cork University Hospital.

Elected to the European Parliament on five occasions between 1994 and 2014, Mr Crowley served as an MEP for two decades and stepped down in 2019. He initially represented Fianna Fáil before being removed from the party after a dispute linked to his decision to join the European Conservatives and Reformists Group.

He was a wheelchair user, having been paralysed from the waist down following an accident at the age of 16. In his final term, he faced criticism over prolonged absences from the European Parliament due to illness, though he maintained he continued constituency work while hospitalised.

Paying tribute, Taoiseach Mr Micheál Martin described Mr Crowley as a “hugely impressive individual”, noting his strong electoral bond with voters and his personal resilience. Tánaiste Mr Simon Harris also expressed sympathies to Mr Crowley’s family, acknowledging his decades of public service and the affection he commanded across the Ireland South constituency.

Mr Crowley is survived by his mother, Sally, and his siblings.

In ár gcroíthe go deo.

Man Arrested After Drugs & Cash Seized In Co. Tipperary.

A 39-year-old man has been arrested following a drugs seizure at a house in the Bansha area of Co Tipperary.

Gardaí from the Tipperary Divisional Drugs Unit, the Crime Task Force and the Limerick Dog Unit carried out an operation at the property yesterday, Thursday, 22nd January.

During the search, gardaí seized suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of €8,400, a kilo of benzocaine valued at approximately €2,000, a quantity of cannabis herb, and 3,570 alprazolam tablets with an estimated value of €7,140.

More than €2,000 in cash was also recovered, along with electronic items and paraphernalia allegedly associated with the sale and supply of controlled substances.

The seized items are expected to be forwarded for analysis, with Investigations continuing.