Thurles Information

Death Of Emily Carney, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

It is with deep sadness and regret that we learned of the death on Tuesday 28th September 2021, of four month old baby Emily Carney, No.27, St Patrick’s Gate, Gortnahoe, Thurles, Co. Tipperary and Kildare / Carlow.

Baby Emily passed away while in the care of staff at St. Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny City, Co. Kilkenny.

Her passing is most sadly missed by her heartbroken parents Suzanne Carney and Martin Clingain and her grandmother Ann.

Requiescat in Pace.

Funeral Arrangements.

The earthly remains of Baby Emily will be received into the Church of the Sacred Heart, Gortnahoe, Thurles, on tomorrow morning, Friday October 1st to repose for the Mass of the Angles at 11:30am.
Mass will be followed by interment in St. Benignus Cemetery, Staplestown, Co. Kildare, arriving at approximately 2:00pm.

[NB: Due to Public Health Guidelines, regarding C-19 virus restrictions; those attending will continue to observe strict adherence to social distancing and face covering.]

The extended Carney and Clingain family wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time and have made arrangements for those wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.

In ár gcroíthe go deo.

Coronavirus Cases Confirmed At 2,434 Today On Irish Mainland.

The Department of Health has confirmed 1,271 new cases of Covid-19 in the Irish Republic over the last 24 hours.

There are 297 patients identified with the virus in our hospitals, down 3 on yesterday, with 59 of these in intensive care units, a decrease of 1 since yesterday.

There have been, sadly, 17 Covid-19 deaths in the 7 days to last Tuesday, official figures confirm. This brings the number of deaths in September to 102, same the highest monthly death total since last March.

Not before time, YouTube has at last confirmed it will remove videos that falsely claim that approved vaccines are dangerous, as social networks seek to crack down on health misinformation around Covid-19 and other diseases.

The total direct expenditure as a result of Covid-19, between February 2020 and 2021 was €17.1 billion, according to the annual report published today by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, over the past 24 hours, yet another 1,163 cases of the virus have been notified by their Department of Health, while, sadly, a further 2 patients have died, who had tested positive for the virus.
There were 342 Covid-positive patients in northern hospitals this morning, 31 of whom were in intensive care units.

Coronavirus Figures confirmed north and south on the Irish mainland, over the past 24 hours, total 2,434.

Vaccination continues to offer the best protection against the most severe effects of COVID-19, including hospitalisation and death.

Old Metal ESB Lamp Standards Gone From Liberty Square, Thurles.

They are gone at last, the old metal lamp standards/poles that, over many years, lit up Liberty Square, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Until today, these lighting standards were the only freestanding, yet silent witnesses, that watched in recent times as traders fled from Liberty Square, each avoiding being slowly strangled to death, by parking charges introduced by Tipperary Co. Council.

The new, slim lighting standards, however, will pose a problem for Tipperary politicians and local councillors, since they do not offer similar opportunities for the erection of photoshopped election posters.

Then of course, ESB Networks have, since 2017, been reminding election campaigners that the erecting of posters on electricity poles is “strictly prohibited” and could result in serious injury to both ESB staff or members of the public.

Posters erected on electricity poles in the run up to previous elections and referendums have led to electric shocks, falls, and poles falling and catching fire, according to the electricity network. Posters on these poles also distract motorists, while restricting visibility to traffic.

To this end, the ESB reminds members of the public, contractors and would be elected representatives that erecting posters on electricity poles is strictly prohibited, and same will in future be removed by ESB staff when & where possible.

September 29th, Is Feast Day Of St. Michael & All Angels.

Today, September 29th, of course was Michaelmas Day, the Christian Feast day of Saint Michael and All Angels.

**Michaelmas Daisies**.
*Pic. G. Willoughby*

One of the few flowers still left blooming at this time of year is the Michaelmas Daisy. (Asters). There is a traditional rhyme about Michaelmas daisies that explains their connection with St. Michael, the Chief of the Archangels

“The Michaelmas Daisy, among dead weeds,
Bloom for St Michael’s valorous deeds.
And seems the last of flowers that stood,
Till the feast of St. Simon and St. Jude.”

Archangel Michael is regarded as the greatest of all the angels and is honoured for defeating Lucifer in the war in heaven. Religious believers always call therefore upon the Archangel St. Michael, when seeking protection.
The name ‘Michaelmas’ comes from a shortening of “Michael’s Mass”, rather like ‘Christmas’ is “Christ’s Mass”, or indeed ‘Candlemas’, latter the Mass where traditionally the candles to be used throughout the year within the church and elsewhere would be blessed on. These same blessed candles serve as a symbol of Jesus Christ. The Gospel according to St. John Chapter 8. Verse 12. states, “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Michaelmas Day falls near the Autumn Equinox, (September 22nd), and is associated in the northern hemisphere with the beginning of Autumn and the shortening of our days. Today, here in Ireland, was also considered a “gale day” when rents became due, under English rule.

Interestingly in folklore, Lucifer, when defeated by St. Michael, was said to have landed on earth in a briar patch. He became so annoyed, he pissed on their fruit, the humble blackberry; cursing them to be always inedible after September 28th of any future year.

Warning, if you made a batch of apple and blackberry jam today, it may not pass testing by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, (FSAI).

Tipperary Co. Council Engineers Continue To Waste Tax Payers Money.

Work on the new R-660 Abbey Road Roundabout, first hailed in press releases by Councillors on February 1st, 2019, (Just before the local elections) eventually got underway in August 2021; some 2.5 years later; all paid for, having been extracted from the deep pockets of the Irish taxpayer, supposedly costing €75,000.

Last August here on Thurles.Info, we spoke about how unhappy agricultural contractors; members of the farming community travelling to Thurles Mart and indeed the general public were, with the overall upgrade. They claimed the roundabout centre area itself was too large, thus restricting the towing of trailers and other large machinery.

Ordinary motorists were condemning the use of motorway signage used in the roundabout’s construction, claiming that the eight massive signs then introduced, blocked driving visibility; particularly when facing west into late evening blinding sun light. This they claimed, endangered pedestrians using the newly constructed pedestrian crossing.

The work was for the most part completed some 6 days ago and as we forecast, already one set of the large motorway signs has been struck by what appears to be some high sided vehicle, forced to mount the kerbing in order to traverse the narrow road surface circuit.

It seems engineers did not take into consideration that the basic diameter of a 16 wheeler truck measures at least 3.8m wide x 9.8m in length; difficult enough to manoeuvrer, especially if you are towing a trailer, on a narrow road surface.

But, sure look at it this way, thankfully no one was killed or injured and if asked maybe the taxpayer won’t mind paying a second or even a third time. Then again, it’s rare that the taxpayer is ever asked about anything in Tipperary.

Of course we could rip it all up again and do it properly, like we did with the junction of Clongower Road and Slievenamon Road; taxpayers won’t mind.

Remember, our report on September 24th last, regarding a street light cover dangling dangerously overhead, close to the Town House Deli, on Slievenamon Road, Thurles. Six days later it is still dangling dangerously overhead, but hopefully the promised gusty southerly winds may dislodge it.

Watch your heads.