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 St Mary's Church, Thurles, burial place of Elizabeth Butler (alias Poyntz) progenitor of the present Heirs to the British Crown. According to reports, by our top Tipperary Radio station ‘Tipp FM,’ today, we learn that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of England will visit Cashel and Coolmore Stud near Fethard, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, during her forthcoming historic visit to Ireland in May.
Deputy Tom Hayes has announced that a trip to South Tipperary will be included on Queen Elizabeth II’s itinerary, when she visits as speculation still surrounds this two-day state visit, beginning Tuesday, May 17th, though this date has yet to be fully officially confirmed. Confirmation of her visit to South Tipperary, however, was given to Deputy Hayes by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
“The Queen’s visit will be a huge boost for the County“, Deputy Hayes stated on Tuesday evening. He said he had made strong representations for the Queen to come to South Tipperary and he was very happy with the commitment that Taoiseach Enda Kenny had given him.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s visit will be the first to the Irish Republic by a reigning British monarch since her grandfather George V visited Ireland in 1911.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch here in Thurles, Political leaders, Tourism Marketing Groups, County Councillors, Urban District Councillors and those with paid responsible for promoting Thurles, have once again failed their public in promoting Thurles and North Tipperary.
Fifteen miles up the road from Cashel, lies the town of Thurles, the ancestral home of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Yet, as far as I am aware, no invitation or representation has been made to indicate, nay insure, that Her Majesty visits Thurles her home town, during this her first visit to Ireland.
It would now appear that there are more public representatives in North Tipperary requiring ‘motions of censure’ than Mr Michael Lowry TD.
In the days when Urban District Councillors received no pay, just expenses, made real decisions regarding our community and were not associated with individuals who write identifiable misspelled anonymous poison pen letters to the local press, we had governance. Amongst their many progressive decisions made was the raising of a plaque to commemorate Elizabeth Butler, progenitor of the present Heirs to the British Crown, which they erected at St Mary’s Church in Thurles.
In those unpaid days, these Councillors knew the value of visitors from across the water.
Now, in possibly a waisted attempt to educate our present overpaid Councillors, allow me to demonstrate the unharnessed value of English Tourism to our town, through statistics shown hereunder, supported by the Irish Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Estimated Number of Overseas Visitors to Ireland 2000-2007 (‘000’s.)
Visitors to Ireland – Year:—-2000.– 2001.– 2002.–2003.–2004.—2005.–2006.—2007.
Great Britain:——————-—-3,559.—3,462.—3,579.—3,719.—3,681.—3,822.–4,060.—4,032.
Other Europe:——————–—1,453.—1,357.—1,392.—1,497.—1,600.—1,917.–2,281.—2,590.
USA and Canada:—————--1,043.——912.—–849.—–904.——977.——953.—1,055.—1,073.
Other Areas:—————————256.—–260.——245.—–249.——317.—– 285.——314.——317.
Total Overseas Visitors:——-6,310.—5,990.—6,065.–6,369.– 6,574.—6,977.—7,709.—8,012.
Failure to study these figures and act, gives licence and credence to “Ireland : A Rough Guide: distributed by the Penguin book Group, to publish the following untruths:- “Having seen the Rock of Cashel, most people head out of Tipperary for the West, and frankly this isn’t a bad idea – the north of the county has little to distract you.” “You’re unlikely to be immediately enticed by a first sight of counties Tipperary and Waterford, much of whose countryside could well vie for the title of Ireland’s dullest.”
I am at pains to point out, of course that this information contained is “Ireland : A Rough Guide,” is always to found under the armpit of every American tourist who visits our Fair Green Isle. Perhaps our Public Representatives and Marketing Groups, presently over funded, while charged with the responsibility of promoting our public and business interests locally, would like to use this website, to explain to our Hoteliers, Nightclubs, Bed and Breakfasts, other Local Businesses, and, I nearly forgot, our numerous unemployed people, why they have failed to take advantage of this golden business opportunity, afforded us. Indeed I suspect that the wonderful American poet Robert Lee Frost in writing ‘The Road Not Taken‘ had just read this aforementioned ‘Comic Travel book.’ Quote:
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both,
And be one traveler, long I stood, And looked down one as far as I could,
To where it bent in the undergrowth;( ‘Undergrowth possibly refers to Thurles ‘) Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear.”
Remember, our valued 1,000 plus readers who visit this website each day, could see your future silence, as an admission of failure and worthlessness, so do explain the reasons for your lack of any progressive action please. See your chance to explain as a perfect opportunity for further self seeking publicity, which we can afford you and which you seek ever so diligently, through local press reports.
We, just like the present Fine Gael party, stand for H.O.T – Honesty, Openness,Transparency, so let’s publicly debate these issues very soon.
“We know you all, and will awhile uphold the unyoked humour of your idleness,” (With apologies to William Shakespeare‘s Henry IV, Part 1)
 Tipperary County Board and the car manufacturers ‘Skoda‘ are set to announce a new three-year sponsorship deal over the coming days.
Tipperary board formally announced an end to their nine-year partnership with local business Enfer Scientific yesterday, leaving the way for car manufacturers Skoda to sign up to a three-year deal that will take them to the end of the 2013 championship.
The current sponsors will remain for the outstanding football and hurling league fixtures, but the car manufacturers are then expected to step in with a new and more lucrative deal.
As All-Ireland hurling champions, Tipperary were in a strong bargaining position to maximize their profile and increase their income, with the capacity in this three-year deal to earn the county in excess of €750,000.
Enfer have been the county’s sponsors since 2002 and their name was carried on the shirts as Tipperary landed the Liam MacCarthy Cup, after a nine-year absence, last September, and doubts surrounding the future of the partnership surfaced earlier this year, when the Enfer name did not feature on the jerseys for some football events.
The Enfer logo, however, returned as the leagues began, and Tipperary GAA officials are now adamant that their parting with the company has been most amicable.
The new Tipperary kit with the Czech Republic company’s logo is expected to be unveiled following the conclusion of the county’s senior footballers and hurlers interests in the Allianz League.
Tipperary have been implementing a number of cost-cutting measures right across the board, with neither the hurling or football squads travelling abroad for ‘warm weather training’ this season and referees in the county have only recently come to agreement about allowances and match-day passes that came under a review of overall spending .
The securing of a this new sponsorship deal now allows the Tipperary Board to ‘cash in’ on their status as 2010 All-Ireland champions.
 New Tesco Development, Roscrea A major Israeli investor, trading as RAVAD Ltd, is to invest €13m in a new Tesco store in Roscrea, Co Tipperary.
This property investment company is to ‘forward purchase’ the new Tesco store in the newly redeveloped town centre in Roscrea. Ravad plc, which is listed on the Israeli stock market, is to pay the €13 million for the 4,273sq m (45,000sq ft) supermarket in a deal that will show an expected return of 7%.
RAVAD Ltd and an unknown buyer acquired the 2.5 acre lot in County Tipperary from Tesco PLC on October 17th, 2010, with Ravad Ltd. acquired a 50% stake for €6.6 million. The other buyer acquired the remaining 50% stake.
Tesco will build a 4300 square meter supermarket on the lot and will lease back the premises for 15 years.
This sale may now encourage the National Asset Management Agency (Nama) to proceed with the disposal of some of the many Irish retail property assets presently under their control, following it’s ‘purchasing in’ of numerous distressed loans, all of which were acquired at substantial discounts.
The present Government has already indicated that it wishes Nama to proceed with its planned disposal programme. While the Tesco brand undoubtedly has a broad appeal among international investors, this decision by a major player, like Ravad Ltd, to invest in a provincial town in Ireland, will certainly take the Irish property market by surprise.
Currently under construction, this new store is being built above a 224 vehicle parking space area.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9).
The word ‘Grace‘ is often defined by using the five letters contained in the actual word, God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense,” however someone also defined ‘Grace’ as, “Everything for nothing to those of us who don’t deserve anything.”
Bono, lead singer of the band U2 once said in an interview, “The most powerful idea that’s entered this world in the last few thousand years, is the idea of Grace and it’s the reason I would like to be a Christian.”
A new band from the borders of Tipperary and Kilkenny, ‘Cephas,’ will launch their new single, entitled ‘Amazing Grace‘ on Sunday April 3rd, (2011) next, at 7.00pm, in St.Fiachra’s Church, Kilkenny City.
The much loved hymn ‘Amazing Grace‘ was written by English poet and clergyman John Henry Newton, published in 1779 with the message that forgiveness and redemption are possible, regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God.
Newton, himself a sailor, wrote these words from personal experience. One night a terrible storm battered his vessel so severely that he became frightened enough to call out to God for mercy, a moment that marked the beginning of his spiritual conversion. His career in slave trading lasted a few years more, until he quit going to sea altogether and began studying theology.
A special thanks to Roseland Studios, Moate, Co. Westmeath, and the band, for allowing us to capture some live video footage for you, our readers, taken during their recording of this, their newest single.
I suppose to call ‘Cephas ‘ a new band, is rather misleading, as for those of us pushing the wrong side of forty will remember them with great pleasure, as the successful touring eighties rock band “Sweet Freedom,” who were runners up in RTE’s National Talent competition.
The six performing members of the band, Eddie, John Joe, Marian, Seamus, Noreen and Patricia, all members of the Cullinane family, came out of retirement just prior to Christmas 2008, to form ‘Cephas’ and raised some €6,000 for the Boys Town Orphanage, near Lviv in the Ukraine, recording their first successful album “Faith and Family.”
Thurles.Info is proud to announce, yes folks they’re back again, with their new amazing single ‘Amazing Grace,’ proceeds of the sale of which will go to the Irish Pilgrimage Trust.
Speaking to the band members they explained their reasons behind the Album “Faith and Family.” They explained, “There are children who do not know such a childhood as ours, nor family comfort, nor a parents caress. They are compelled to bear hunger, cold and the disdain of others. We can only guess how they suffer when they look at their friends playing, walking with their parents or going to school well dressed. Presently 18 children live in this “Boys Town” in the village of Bortnyky near Lviv, Ukraine. Some were found in the streets, where they were alone and begging. These children’s whose ages range from 7-16 years needed financial assistance. We were happy to pool our limited talent and our love of music to offer some little assistance.”
To quote the late Martin Luther King, a prominent leader in the African American civil rights movement “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?” So if you like the ‘Cephas ‘ rendition of Amazing Grace, why not contact Noreen, Mobile: 087-6729242 or Email noreencullinane@gmail.com for details of how to get your copy.
Gardaí are investigating whether or not telephones at the Moriarty Tribunal were tapped in the days/weeks running up to the publication of last week’s report.
Present investigations are centred on the telephone of tribunal chairman Mr Justice Michael Moriarty in particular, following concerns expressed within the inquiry, that private information may have been accessed by an unauthorised third party.
 Phone Tap Garda crime and security branch technical experts visited the Tribunal’s offices the week prior to Mr Justice Moriarty’s final report being published. It is understood that they found no evidence that current telephone apparatus in the office had been interfered with.
It is also understood that these investigation are ongoing and that gardaí are now looking at the possibilities of whether the exchange, through which the calls were routed, could have been accessed, which, although not impossible, is believed would be difficult to access.
The alleged breach of security was first reported yesterday evening by RTÉ, which said the tribunal had refused to further comment on the matter.
The tribunal report findings claimed that Mr Denis O’Brien made payments to the then Minister for Communications, now Tipperary North Independent TD, Michael Lowry, whom it states “secured the winning ” of the licence for Esat.
Note: Both men have rejected the report’s findings.
Similar claims of phone tapping in the past were made by the people of Erris involved in the Shell To Sea campaign who for a long time assumed that their phone calls were being monitored. This suspicion rapidly increased during the incarceration of the Rossport Five. Claims that some mobile phones were experiencing beeps and clicks, preceded by a ringing signal which resulted in calls having to be dialled more than once to get through, were reported, together with a tendancy for phones to ring briefly without showing a missed or received call.
In March 2007, Justice Minister Michael McDowell refused to reveal the number of phones taps he had authorised during his term of office. Although bugged phone conversations cannot be used as evidence in court, they can be used by gardaí to gather intelligence on suspects. In response to a Dail question, Mr McDowell said it would be contrary to the public interest to reveal how many phone taps had been approved by his department, or what categories of people were being targeted.
The Irish government agreed with its EU partners to introduce a system whereby it will be possible to monitor all aspects of global telecommunications. At present in Ireland there is a legal framework for allowing phone tapping under certain circumstances. This legal framework includes the tapping of all types of telecommunications including mobile phones, fax, telex, e-mail and all satellite based communications.
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