|
|
 US Economic Envoy Declan Kelly United States Economic Envoy Mr Declan Kelly will make a number of keynote speeches in Northern Ireland today.
His one-day visit will include a number of keynote speeches which are being hosted by the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and the University of Ulster.
Mr Kelly, a native of Portroe, Nenagh, County Tipperary, was advisor to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her campaign for the presidency.
He is also a former vice-president of FTI, a global business consultancy.
 Zac the Rat and Other Stories The drop in literacy levels among secondary school kids in Ireland causes some concern. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s latest Programme for International Student Assessment, the reading ability of Ireland’s 15-year-olds was ranked only 17th out of the 39 countries that were studied. Ten years ago, this figures placed Ireland as the fifth nation for literacy skills among this age group. However these new figures should not cause alarm, since they could be affected by the influx of large numbers of pupils into the Irish education system, who do not speak English as their first language.
For Tipperary parents of very young children, note the reading of books aloud is one of the best ways you can help your child learn to read and this can also be fun for you. The more excitement you show when you read a book, the more your child will enjoy it. If you are looking for a fun way to start your child reading or to help your child to improve his/her reading skills, look no further than Zac the Rat and Other Tales.
Zac the Rat and Other Tales is a new set of books currently being hailed by Irish primary teachers, that make learning to read, learning letters, phonics and high frequency words, a fun experience for both parents and young children alike. These books comprise witty story lines and a whole host of quirky characters that will capture your children’s complete imagination.
The most important thing to remember is to let your children set their own reading pace and have fun learning.
Do The Following When Reading To Your Children
Use funny voices and animal noises. This will help your child get excited about the story.
If your child asks a question, do stop and answer it. The book being read may help your child to express his/her thoughts and begin the process of learning to solve their own problems.
Stop to talk about the pictures and ask your child to name things he/she sees in the pictures. Talk about how the pictures relate to the story.
Invite your child to join in whenever there is a repeated phrase in the text.
Keep reading to your child even after he/she learns to read.
Remember introducing your children to the world of books at an early age, gives them an enormous advantage and helps them to settle in more easily, when eventually they start at school.
 Gardaí are seeking help to identify three men who died in a car crash near Cashel, Co Tipperary, last night.
The accident happened on the Dublin side of the Old Cashel Road at Deansgrange shortly before 11pm last night, less than 2km from the centre of Cashel and just before the M8 motorway.
The victims had been the occupants of a car that was in collision with a lorry. Gardaí say it appears to have been a head-on collision, and are describing the accident as one of the worst seen in the area for some time.
The lorry driver has been taken to South Tipperary General Hospital, but it is believed his condition is not life-threatening, and it is hoped he may be able to shed light on how the crash occurred.
Any persons who may have witnessed this collision are asked to contact the Gardai at Cashel 062-75840, the Garda Confidential Line 1800-600111, or 062 – 75840 or any Garda Station.
The N8 remains closed for a technical examination of the scene and diversions are in place.
 Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen The General Election date has been set by an Taoiseach Brian Cowen for Friday 11th March next.
Speaking to the Dáil early this afternoon, he reassigned the portfolios left vacant by the resignation of six ministers in recent days.
In case any of our readers blinked or were distracted by the kids for a couple of minutes, the Minster for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Batt O’Keeffe tendered his resignation from Cabinet today, Mary Harney, Dermot Ahern, Noel Dempsey and Tony Killeen gave their letters of resignation to the Taoiseach late last night, while Micheál Martin stepped down on Tuesday night following his failed revolt.
Mr Cowen did not appoint new faces to the Cabinet, stating he had reassigned the portfolios to existing members of Cabinet, because he had not wanted any additional cost to the State to be involved.
However, Green Party leader and Minister for the Environment John Gormley said this evening his party was not informed of the impending resignations and had opposed Mr Cowen’s original plan to make new ministerial appointments to the Cabinet.
He has reassigned the Department of Health and Children to Tánaiste Mary Coughlan, the justice portfolio to Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith, the portfolio on transport has been assigned to the Minister for Community and Family Affairs, Pat Carey, the defence portfolio to Minister for Social Protection Eamon Ó Cuív and Thurles native and Minister for Tourism Mary Hanafin will take over the Enterprise, Trade and Innovation brief.
A Good Definition Of Irish Politics
Speaking of being distracted by the kids and politics, reminds me of a good definition of Irish Politics I heard recently:
A 12 year old boy, watching the evening news with his dad, asks, “Dad what is politics?”
Dad, delighted that his son is taking an early interest in current affairs, said “Well son, let me try to explain it simply: I’m the breadwinner of this family, so let’s call me Capitalism at work. Your Mother, well she’s the administrator of our money, so we’ll call her the Government or Fianna Fail, who is charged with taking care of all your countries needs. You, my son, represent the ordinary everyday people. Our poorly paid Polish nanny, we’ll call her the working class population and your baby brother, we’ll call him the Future of Ireland. Now son, ponder that scenario and let me know tomorrow if you fully understand my symbolism,”
So the 12 year old boy goes off to bed thinking deeply about dad’s explanation.
Later that night, he hears his baby brother crying, so he gets up to check on his well being. He finds that the baby has severely soiled his nappy. So the the 12 year old goes to his parent’s bedroom and finds his mother sound asleep. Not wishing to wake her, he goes to the nanny’s room. On finding the door locked, he peeks in through the keyhole and sees his father sleeping beside his nanny. Not wishing to disturb them he decides to undertake the nappy change himself.
Next morning at breakfast, the the 12 year old says to his father, “Dad, I think I understand the concept of politics now.”
The father says, “Good son, tell me in your own words what you think politics is all about.”
The 12 year old boy replies, “Well, while Capitalism is screwing the Working Class, the Government is sound asleep, the People are being ignored and the Future is in very deep shit.”
Matthew 21:16: “And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?“
 Mary Harney - The unnecessary victim of paint and eggs Health Minister Mary Harney has offered her resignation on Tuesday last, to the Taoiseach Brian Cowen. The former Progressive Democrats leader also confirmed she will not be contesting the next general election.
Minister Harney stated “I have reached my decision after considerable reflection and having taken into account the advice and constant support offered over many years by my family, friends and colleagues and accordingly I have offered my resignation as Minister for Health and Children.”
Currently a TD for Dublin Mid West, Ms Harney had served as minister of state for the Department of the Environment from 1989 to 1992 and Minister for Enterprise from 1997 to 2004, before becoming Minister for Health since 2004, to current date.
Ms Harney visited Tipperary and Thurles officially on many occasions. As Minister of State for the Department of the Environment, she was a guest of Thurles Tidy Towns Committee and officially switched on the then new fountain in the river Suir, sponsored to Thurles by Cantwell Electric Engineers, and currently still enjoyed at Cathedral Street in the town. One achievement often cited from her role in Environmental Protection was the banning of bituminous coal in Dublin in 1990.
It was at a Progressive Democrats meeting the Anner Hotel, Thurles, Co Tipperary that news of her engagement to Brian Geoghegan of An Foras Áiseanna Saothair (FÁS), was made public, first revealed by local Thurles photographer George Willoughby.
Ms Harney, a native of Ballinasloe, Co Galway, was first elected to the Dáil in 1981. She became the youngest ever member of the Seanad Éireann, when nominated by the Late then Taoiseach Jack Mary Lynch in 1977. She became a founder member of the Progressive Democrats together with Limerick born Desmond Joseph O’Malley in 1985 and became leader of the party in 1993. As leader of the PDs, she was Tánaiste from June 1997 to September 2006. She then stepped down as PD leader at that time and was replaced by Mr Michael McDowell, however following his defeat in the 2007 general election, Ms Harney stepped back in as acting party leader.
It was possibly on her last visit to Tipperary in November 2010, that a group of about 30 people protesting, threw eggs and cheese at Mary Harney’s car as she arrived at the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Nenagh, Co Tipperary. The minister was then officially at the Tipperary hospital to open a new Endoscopy Unit and speaking afterwards, the Minister said she was not upset, that she has had other things thrown at her that were probably worse, adding, ‘I think it’s a great pity that in a democracy people don’t use the opportunity to put their perspective forward in a different way. Politics is about choices, it’s about argument and debate. It’s not about engaging in public disorder offences or engaging in activity of that kind. I understand that many of those involved are politically motivated by a different persuasion than the mainstream parties in this country and maybe that’s part of the motivation.‘
The week previous to this, the Minister had been targeted with red paint, as she turned the sod at a mental health centre in Dublin.
It is expected that changes to the cabinet, including the vacancy created by rebel Foreign Affairs Minister, Micheál Martin, will be announced by the Taoiseach Brian Cowen in the next few days.
|
Support Us Help keep Thurles.info online by donating below. Thank you.
Total Donated 2026: €290.00
Thank You!
Daily Thurles Mass Livestream
|
Recent Comments