Thurles Information

Regular maintenance is essential in every village, town or city. Same enables us to keep our work environment clean, safe and reliable. Inadequate maintenance leads eventually to dangerous situations, near accidents and even serious health problems.

Here in Thurles local political factions are ‘quick off the mark’ to announce something new, whether involved or not, mostly not, each failing to realise that we the taxpayers are paying the bill for what they are announcing. If we raise issues, we are being negative, non-progressive and failing to be positive in our attitudes, as same TD’s and Councillors crowd around waiting to have their photo taken.

As our elected representatives announce “that new something”, they fail to put into place even a smidgen of required maintenance in their thought process. Now, having watched the slide-show above, let us take a look at the undeniable evidence of which I speak about here in Thurles.

Tipperary planning authority granted developers on the new Lidl site, (latter accessed from Slievenamon Road in Thurles), permission to remove 150 meters of mature deciduous Blackthorn (Prunus spinosahe) during the nesting season, same against EU law. They sowed 8 small saplings to replace same. Today 4 of these tree saplings are dead. No maintenance.

All over the town, buildings both public and private display poor quality graffiti, (no evidence of the pseudonymous England-based street artist Banksy so far), now a common site. After weeks of watching the offensive graffiti “Vaccines Kills“, we contacted Thurles Town administrator, Ms Sharon Scully last. Ms Scully immediately replied, “Mr Willoughby, Thank you for your email. I have asked the Town Foreman to remove the graffiti at his earliest convenience”. It was still there today. No maintenance.

Exercise areas beautifully provided in our town park, which was officially opened by Councillor Mr Seamus Hanafin (27th March 2016 only 5 years ago), are now badly vandalised, smashed up over 2 years now.
‘Hedge Bindweed’ (Calystegia sepium) climbs the metal fences.
Here again spray-can graffiti is everywhere.
Bye-laws governing consumption of alcohol are openly flouted.
Some 22 metres, exactly from a public toilet and in an area where children play and adults walk, we have undeniable evidence of human excrement.
Emulsion paint spread over newly dried cement now lies on the ground at the new foot bridge, since last winter. No attempt to sweep it up.
Electric lighting is working day and night on the footbridge and Thomond Road. No maintenance.

Clothing Pods and Glass Pods in Parnell Car-Park and elsewhere is left unattended and regularly overflowing. No maintenance.

River Suir is turned into a cesspit.
A stone embankment beside Barry’s Bridge, built by the late Mr Wilbert Houben and myself, was destroyed over the past 14 days when several ton of sand and other building materials were dropped onto its surface by those employed to repair the underbelly section of the bridge.
A Grundfos stainless steel pump, generously donated by Cantwell Electrical, Gortnahoe, and which airated the river, as a performing fountain, has vanished without a mention. No maintenance.

‘The Source’ building is now the dirtiest looking building in Thurles town. Initially paid for by rate paying local businesses, same is run by Tipperary Co. Council.
Tipperary Co. Co operate this latter complex, plus a gym and swimming pool, in competition with other local restaurants, pubs, hotels and theatres. It greedily eats up massive arts grants not readily available to its competitors.
Alongside ‘The Source’ the 3 wooden tubs have now disintegrated over 3 years ago and their Box hedging contents remain an embarrassment. No maintenance.

Now let us take a look at the Liberty Square upgrade.
First let me say the actual workmanship is very professional, while the design itself is an absolute disaster.
Allow me to explain. The 3 tiny litter bins provided in this area to date overflow by noon every day. An employee armed with a handheld mechanical reach extender (grabber arm, helping hand, trash picker, picker-upper, extended gripper, long arm gripper, extended reach grabber, grabber tool, call it what you like), wanders about grabbing objects that should have found a home in a litter bin.
Some shopkeepers now work on the assumption that they are no longer responsible for the plastic cups, cans, cardboard cups and other disposable item discarded by their customers, same involved in outdoor eating outside their premises, sitting on free furniture paid for by the taxpayer. Should we insist that no further disposable items be used on Liberty Square one wonders?
Signage is erected too close to narrow lanes of traffic. Same are already bent after just a 3 day exposure. Engineers have learned nothing from previous pedestrian crossing traffic light problems and associated money wasting.
Tyre tracks are already evident on pedestrian areas, as motorists attempt to find parking @ €1.60 per hour.
Will this new granite brickwork be regularly cleaned? Presently there are no plans. No maintenance.

Perhaps our five local elected councillors and two Tipperary elected local TD’s would like to join me for a stroll, before dark some evening. I promise to give each and all of you massive publicity, as I record your lame excuses.