Thurles Information

Tipperary Blood Flows In Veins Of Louth Senior Football Champions.

Two-Mile-Borris Correspondent Mr Gerry Bowe Reports.

Congratulations to the Louth Senior Football Team on winning the Leinster Championship, recording a two-point win over Meath in the Football Final at Croke Park on Sunday last.
In total eleven counties competed in the 2025 Leinster Senior Football Championship and with a crowd attendance of 65,786, Louth (their 9th title) collected the Delaney Cup to bridge a gap of 68 years.
Two Mile Borris, Thurles, Co. Tipperary had a very strong connection with this winning team. Dan Corcoran and his brother Matt were both members of this Louth winning team.

**Pictured L-R:** **Dan Corcoran with his brother Matt, lifting the Delaney Cup aloft on Sunday last, as Co. Louth win Leinster Championship Football final**.

They are sons of David and Siobhan Corcoran from Blackrock, Co. Louth. Their son Dan has over 50 appearances with the County team, playing at corner back, while his brother Matt in on the extended panel.
The aforementioned David Corcoran is son of Eileen and the late Sean Corcoran from the village of Two-Mile-Borris, Thurles, with strong connections to all sports activities in both the ladies and men’s competitions.
David and his family are regular visitors to the Two Mile Borris area.
Having reached the Leinster final for three years, the win by the ‘Wee County’ on Sunday last, according to knowledgeable sporting observers, is by no means seen as a flash in the pan for Louth, so congratulations to all.

McDonalds Restaurant In Thurles Appealed To An Bord Pleanála.

Planning permission for a “Single Storey Drive Thru McDonalds restaurant” here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, granted by Tipperary County Council, has now been appealed to An Bord Pleanála.

This proposed single storey restaurant was intended to be erected on a site situated adjacent to the N62 at the junction of Clongour Road and Slievenamon Road, south of a proposed and as yet unfunded inner relief road close to Lidl Supermarket.

If erected same would immediately invade the privacy of a large cluster of private residential properties, already erected within meters of the surrounding area.

The appeal rightly raises concerns about the impact on the residents of the area; pedestrian safety due to undoubted traffic congestion, and the existing biodiversity, especially close to the nearby Thurles River Walk.
Tipperary County Council had granted permission on April 9th 2025, but with some 15 conditions attached.
These conditions included limiting the restaurant to operating strictly between the hours of 6:00am and 10:00pm, instead of the day and night permission, which had initially been sought by McDonald’s Restaurants of Ireland Limited.

Further submissions on this appeal can be made, up until June 4th 2025, at a cost of €50.

A Song For A Sunday

Will You Walk With Me.

Lyrics: Scottish singer and songwriter Ms Isla Grant.
Vocals: Irish country, pop and folk singer Ms Mary Duff.

Will You Walk With Me.

Will you walk with me through the darkest night?
When my world goes wrong, will you make it right?
Will you guide my lips in all I say?
Will you walk with me every day?
When I′m tired and weak, will you make me strong?
When my mind’s confused and all hope is gone,
Will you take my hand, will you lead the way?
Dear Lord, will you walk with me today?
Will you walk with me and ease my pain?
Will you walk with me, give me hope once again?
When my eyes grow dim, will you let me see?
Dear Lord, will you walk with me?
If my friends should go when there′s no one there.
If I call your name in my dark despair,
Will you come to me, will you ease my pain?
Dear Lord, will you walk with me again?
Help me find the strength just to carry on.
Teach me how to pray, for it’s been so long,
Since I fell on my knees and ask that you forgive all my sins.
Dear Lord, please forgive.
Will you walk with me, ease my pain?
Will you walk with me, give me hope once again?
When my eyes grow dim will you let me see?
Dear Lord, will you walk with me?
Will you walk with me, through the darkest night?
When my world goes wrong, will you make it right?
Will you guide my lips in all I say?
Will you walk with me every day?
Will you walk with me, ease my pain?
Will you walk with me, give me hope once again?
When my eyes grow dim, will you let me see?
Dear Lord, will you walk with me?
Dear Lord, will you walk with me?

END

Genealogy Researchers Visit Two-Mile- Borris, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Residents of New Zealand, Mrs Julie and Mr Tony Thomas made a welcome return visit to Two-Mile-Borris, Thurles yesterday afternoon, (May 9th 2025) to view a memorial plaque, which had been unveiled on Tuesday, October 1st, 2024, to the Right Reverend John Ryan (DD), late Bishop of Limerick.
The memorial plaque had been unveiled on the gravesite of his parents, on the southern side of the old section of Two-Mile-Borris cemetery, by the Two-Mile-Borris Old Graveyard Committee; thus generating considerable attraction from Limerick visitors over the past 8 months.

**Pictured above L-R:-** **Mr Enda Bourke** *(Secretary Two-Mile-Borris Old Graveyard Committee)*, **Mr Gerry Bowe** *(Chairperson Two-Mile-Borris Old Graveyard Committee)*, New Zealand residents **Mrs Julie** & **Mr Tony Thomas**, **Ms Margaret Cormack** and **Mr Dan Hayes**.

Bishop Ryan’s mother Catherine (nee Hickey), was a native of Longfordpass, Grague, Gortnahoe, Co Tipperary. The now identified inscription on his parents headstone reads: “Here lies the body of Patrick Ryan of Borris, [Two-Mile-Borris], who depd this life March 5th 1805, aged 65 years. Also his wife Cathrn [Catherine] Ryan, alias Hickey who depd Novr [November] 1st 1836, aged 92 years. May the Lord have mercy on their souls”.

Our readers will remember that Bishop John Ryan laid the foundation stone for the magnificent St John’s Cathedral, situated at Cathedral Place, Irishtown, Limerick city, (Eircode V94 H521), in 1856, (At this time Pope Pius IX was then head of the Catholic Church, his reign of almost 32 years being the longest verified of any Pope in history), which saw the First Mass celebrated there, in 1859, prior to the opening of the Cathedral itself in 1861, same which was consecrated by his successor, Limerick born, Bishop George Butler (1815-1886).

New Zealand’s welcome visitors, Mrs Julie & Mr Tony Thomas, have researched and written extensively on the Burke Clans nationally and Mrs Thomas has traced her family ancestors (Burke) back to Rathcunikeen, Two-Mile-Borris, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Research undertaken by the Thomas family, combined with graveyard restoration by Mr Gerry Bowe, has led to the confirmation of the final resting place of Bishop Ryan’s parents.

Thurles Co. Tipp Previously Visited By His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.

We learned today (and it has been confirmed) that His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, previously visited Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
His Holiness stayed for 5 nights at the Horse & Jockey Hotel, Horse & Jockey, Thurles, latter regarded as the traditional crossroads of Ireland, set in the heartland of Co. Tipperary and one of Ireland’s overall great meeting places for some 250 years.

**Entrance to ‘Four Star’ Horse & Jockey Hotel, Thurles, Co. Tipperary**.

Thurles.Info contacted the Horse & Jockey hotel today; successfully run by the Egan family and while management and staff declined to comment, a well informed source who was present during his stay, confirmed that His Holiness was a resident guest there, for some five nights, towards the end of June 2013, while presiding over an Augustinian seminar, held in the hotels excellent, tiered, conference facility.

His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, was Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine for some 12 years; from 2001‍ until 2013. The Order of Saint Augustine is a mendicant religious order of the Catholic Church and was founded back in 1244, after groups in the Tuscany region; latter not concerned with the temporal world or swayed by mundane considerations, were found to follow the Rule of St Augustine, written by the theologian, writer, preacher, rhetorician, Bishop and later Saint Aurelius Augustine of Hippo, in the fifth century. (Note: Hippo Regius is the ancient name of the modern city of Annaba, Algeria). St Augustine was known to have written over 200 books and nearly 1,000 sermons, letters, and other works, before the theologian and philosophers own death on August 28th 430.

Aurelius Augustine of Hippo was canonized by popular acclaim and recognized as a Doctor of the Church by Pope Boniface VIII in 1298. His feast day is also celebrated on August 28th.

Currently the Horse & Jockey Hotel is justifiably regarded as the number one “licensed hostelry”, here in Co. Tipperary and beyond; having been awarded the Gold Medal Awards:- ‘Best 4* (Star) Hotel in Ireland’, last year, (2024) and also the Georgina Campbell ‘Best Business Hotel’; again in 2024.