Thurles Information

Today: 3,052 New Covid-19 Cases On Island Of Ireland.

The Department of Health has confirmed 1,758 new cases of Covid-19 in the republic of Ireland in the last 24 hours. There are 248 people being treated for the virus in our hospitals today, up 19 cases on yesterday’s figures,
while the number of people in intensive care units stands at 48, up a further 5 cases on yesterday.

In Northern Ireland, there are 1,294 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed today. There are 359 Covid-19 patients in northern hospital, of which 44 are in ICU. Alas, there were sadly a further 3 deaths also reported.

The above indicated figures bring to 3,052 the number of new Covid-19 cases confirmed on the whole island of Ireland, over the past 24 hours.

Ireland will now cease further deliveries of AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines.
This decision comes as the European Union focuses its efforts on acquiring mRNA vaccines. There remains currently a strong availability of mRNA vaccines here in Ireland and therefore further deliveries of AstraZeneca and Janssen will be suspended for the foreseeable future.

Today, Sunday August 15th Is St. Mary’s Day – Lá Fhéile Muire.

St. Mary’s Day, Sunday August 15th is celebrated on the Feast of the Assumption, when Mary the mother of Jesus ascended into Heaven. It was a Holy Day of Obligation in the Roman Catholic Church and observed as a festival in the Anglican Communion.

Back in 1856, history recalls that on this same date, a Roscommon protestant landlord, named Guy Lloyd, of Croghan House made headlines, when he sacked some 22 Roman Catholic labourers, who refused to work on the Feast of the Ascension of St. Mary, the mother of Jesus.

News of the sackings quickly spread creating a major scandal at that time, resulting in donations pouring in from all over Ireland, England and further afield; into a fund established by then Rev. Peter C. O’Connor, Parish Priest of Croghan, and his Curate Rev. Fr. Thomas O’Beirne C.C. on behalf of the sacked Croghan labourers.

The name Mary was very often given as a middle name for boys (e.g. Joseph Mary Plunkett, Irish nationalist, poet, journalist, and revolutionary leader of the 1916 Easter Rising) and as a double Christian name to multiple girls of the same family (e.g. Mary Kate, Mary Jo, etc).

The Christian name Mary / Marie has long been a popular name bestowed on Irish girls, with as many as one-quarter of the population of Ireland christened “Mary” back in 1923.

Devotion to Naomh Muire (the Blessed Virgin Mary or St. Mary) came to Ireland first with the Normans in the 12th century, who later established shrines and chapels in her honour, all across this island.

“Barney” & “Beakey” Hatch Second Family In Thurles.

“Barney” and “Beakey” are two barn swallows temporally residing here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, which we have been carefully watching.

In the last few days they have produced their second brood of chicks, having built two nests, the most recent construction within about 3.66meters (12ft) of their previous abode.

*“Barney”* and *“Beakey Swallow”* hatch second brood, **as a spider and his web remain in residence next door.**

Swallows spend their winter in southern Africa, migrating across the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert to Ireland in spring to return home using the same return route in early September.

They build cup-shaped nests in barn rafters, under roofs, using mud pellets, hair, grass, and feathers as seen here above.
It can take a pair of swallows up to 1,100 journeys to build their nest, with the female only permitted to line it; in the case shown above “Beakey” used a layer of dried grass on top of the mud pellets, before covering it in a mixture of soft feathers.

Most of our Irish swallows try to rear two broods each summer and some early arrivals succeed in raising three. The male swallow in this case “Barney” arrived back in the Thurles area first and was heard singing over his territory awaiting to attract a mate. Females, (like most women) don’t mind keeping their men waiting, generally arriving up to a week late, looking virtually identical in appearance to their male counterparts. [Males have longer outer tail-streamers than females and have also more gloss to their outer feathers.]

Swallows always return to the same location to nest every year, so the number of birds nesting in any one area can grow year after year.

Not even distantly related to their somewhat look alike Swift family; having watched them year after year, the true home of barn swallows is in our skys where they feed almost exclusively on midges and flies caught during their erratic, high speed flight. They can be observed even drinking on the wing, flying low to sip water.

Swallows nests, their eggs and chicks are protected under the Wildlife Act 1976 and Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 and European-level legislation. The penalties for tampering with swallows or disturbing their active nests consists of heavy fines and even imprisonment.

Newly Constructed Drain On Liberty Square Thurles Suffers Set Back.

Tipperary County Council values as we are well aware are, as William Shakespeare once stated; “More honoured in the breach than the observance”, especially when it comes to issues like ‘partnership’, ‘collaboration’ and the development of ‘inclusive community’, not to mention their solemn promise, (try not to laugh), ‘To protect and enhance the unique identity of built, historic and natural environment of Tipperary for future generations’.

While the final drawings for the Liberty Square €9million upgrade remain ‘kept tightly under wraps’, by Tipperary County Council official’s from even the business people who depend on their future livelihoods in this area; today we notice that one small problem has raised its ugly head.

It would appear that at least one newly designed drain, responsible for extricating water from the street area is today fully blocked. Unless of course same was placed in that area as ornamentation.

Alas, time and the prevailing elements forbade us from checking out the area fully. However the shore blocked can be located directly opposite the vacant, once licenced public house, known as T. Morris, situated on the “money side” of lower Liberty Square.

Still not to worry, as builder Mr O’ Reilly said to Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers, “If the good Lord ment us to worry, he would have given us something to worry about”.

Today: 3,511 New Covid-19 Cases On Island Of Ireland.

The Department of Health has confirmed 2,074 further new cases of Covid-19, within the Irish Republic in the last 24 hours
There are 229 people being treated for the virus in our hospitals, with the number of people in intensive care units (ICU’S) remaining at 43.

In Northern Ireland, a further 1,437 new cases were reported within the last 24 hours. There remain 359 patients hospitalised with Covid-19, with 44 of these in ICU. Alas, sadly 5 deaths were also been reported, again within the same past 24 hours.

The above indicated figures bring to 3,511 the number of new Covid-19 cases confirmed on the whole island of Ireland, over the past 24 hours; an increase of 146 on yesterday’s figures.

Please remember, vaccines are the best and only way to end this pandemic.