This song hereunder, beautifully sung by Alison Krauss, was often sung by victims of slavery and contained coded messages with regards their attempts to escape.
When the enslaved people escaped, they would walk in the “river” because the water covered their scent from bounty-hunters’ dogs and slave catchers.
Similarly, the words“starry crown” possibly refers to those attempting to escape, to remember to navigate by using the stars.
The words “Good Lord, show me the way”is most likely a prayer for God’s guidance in their efforts to find an escape route, commonly known as the “Underground Railroad.”
The “Underground Railroad” referred too above, was an established network of secret routes and safe houses established in the United States during the 19th century and used by enslaved African Americans to enable their escape into northern free states or Canada. Regarded as the Father of the “Underground Railroad “; William Still helped hundreds of slaves to escape often hiding them in his home in Philadelphia. Others unaware of this network of escape routes, would escape independently of the “Underground Railroad”, to take up residence in the swamplands of Virginia and North Carolina, having escaped their cruel enslavement.
A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp. By Author Harriet Beecher Stowe.
“Away to the Dismal Swamp he speeds, His path was rugged and sore, Through tangled juniper, beds of reeds, Through many a fen, where the serpent feeds, and man never trod before. And, when on the earth he sunk to sleep, If slumber his eyelids knew, He lay where the deadly vine doth weep Its venomous tears, that nightly steep The flesh with blistering dew.”
The International Labour Organization estimates that, by their definitions, over 40 million people are in some form of slavery tonight.
“The Good Old Way” or “Down To The River To Pray”.
As I went down in the river to pray, Studying about that good ol’ way, And who shall wear the starry crown Good Lord, show me the way, O sisters, let’s go down, Let’s go down, come on down, O sisters, let’s go down, Down in the river to pray. As I went down in the river to pray, Studying about that good ol’ way, And who shall wear the robe and crown, Good Lord, show me the way. O brothers, let’s go down, Let’s go down, come on down, Come on, brothers, let’s go down, Down in the river to pray. As I went down in the river to pray, Studying about that good ol’ way, And who shall wear the starry crown, Good Lord, show me the way. O fathers, let’s go down, Let’s go down, come on down, O fathers, let’s go down, Down in the river to pray. As I went down in the river to pray, Studying about that good ol’ way, And who shall wear the robe and crown, Good Lord, show me the way. O mothers, let’s go down, Come on down, don’t you wanna go down? Come on, mothers, let’s go down, Down in the river to pray. As I went down in the river to pray, Studying about that good ol’ way, And who shall wear the starry crown, Good Lord, show me the way. O sinners, let’s go down Let’s go down, come on down O sinners, let’s go down, Down in the river to pray. As I went down in the river to pray, Studying about that good ol’ way, And who shall wear the robe and crown, Good Lord, show me the way.
Tipperary County Council intends to develop the Thurles Walking and Cycling Scheme, which is expected to deliver a pedestrian and cyclist shared path between Thurles Train Station and Bohernamona Road that will provide connectivity to schools and collages along the route, with a designated bridge crossing over the River Suir, north of the existing bridge.
Envisaged Pedestrian and Cyclist Shared Path
This scheme consists of the development of a walking and cycling route across the northern boundary of the schools in Thurles, which will naturally change the mode of travel to and from local schools. As readers are aware, the majority of the schools are located on the northern side of Thurles and are in close proximity to each other, however linkages are constrained by the River Suir.
Tipperary County Council is now inviting members of the public to have their say on the route options presented. These route options are now available for inspection: • On the Tipperary County Council’s website, (somewhat vaguely)HERE. • At Thurles/Templemore Municipal District Office, Civic Offices, Castle Avenue, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Documents may be inspected during normal office hours, 9.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday from tomorrow Friday August 5th 2022, to Monday September 12th, 2022 inclusive, (excluding Bank Holidays).
Destruction of Biodiversity on the Thurles Lady’s Well Right-of-Way & now destroyed Double Ditch Right-of-Way, are being denounced in Social Media threads. The threads begun by Thurles.Info and carried by @ThurlesHour demonstrate the growing feelings of lovers of our local environment and the distrust of County Councils and their officials.
Some of the remarks hereunder posted on Twitterby other people.
“County councils across Ireland don’t seem to ‘get’ nature.”
“Thurles Municipal District council got funding to design, secure planning & construct a river walk from Thomond Road to Turtulla. Landowner consent was not forthcoming. They decided to spend the money asap – removing all trees, laying down tarmac on the route of the Double Ditch!”
Biodiversity & Heritage Destroyed By Tipperary County Council & Irish National Parks and Wildlife Service, Without Any Local Consultation.
“Local authority greenway. No environmental oversight. Asphalt laid up to river. Token 2m buffer. Chain-link/welded mesh fencing down the side to ensue no critters pass. Eventually all these will need to be taken out, and the riverbanks restored.”
“Greenways are like a lottery win for quarry owners.”
“Wrecking the place.”
“What would a riverside greenway look like if it were ecologically sound? Is there an acceptable set back distance or preferred material?”
“This is happening along any path that is designated a Greenway.”
Thurles.Info now asks WHY?
Meanwhile: Attempts to contact Malcolm Noonan’s Office via email [Mos MOS@housing.gov.ie via mail3.itservices.gov.ie & malcolm.noonan@oireachtas.ie], between Sat, 22nd August 2020, and Thursday, 24th February, 2022, and on numerous other recorded occasions, fell on deaf ears. Currently staff at his constituency address; The Parade, Co. Kilkenny, do not even answer phone calls. In the past two years despite numerous attempts we have received only two “Automated Email Replies” from his office.
A Chara, Automatic reply: Destruction of Thurles Heritage Thank you for contacting the departmental office of Malcolm Noonan, T.D., Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform. Your email will be reviewed and a response will issue in due course, should one be required. Le gach dea-ghuí, Malcolm Noonan Office of the Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform
Our dealings with Mr Eamon Ryan TD have been equally ignored. Again we were sent 1 Automatic reply on Wed, 6th April 2022 and 4 on Mon, 11th April, despite being contacted only once, on each of the afore mentioned dates by myself. (So 4 staff opened it and decided to ignore the content.)
Automatic reply: Destruction of Thurles Heritage A chara, Many thanks for your email. As I am sure you can appreciate, I receive a large volume of emails on a daily basis. Your issue is important to me and myself or one of my team will be back to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, if you have a query relating to the below areas, you might find the following email addresses helpful: Matters related to Dublin Bay South constituency: eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie Matters related to the Dept of Environment, Climate, Communications networks: minister.ryan@decc.gov.ie Eamon Ryan TD Minister for Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport.
Despite our email communications being civil, we have never spoken or received even one, single, reply from staff at Mr Eamon Ryan’s department. We did explain our problem on one occasion to a member of Mr Malcolm Noonan’s, Kilkenny Staff, who confirmed that they had received my emails in the past, but could not explain why they were not replied too.
Meanwhile, our dealings with staff at National Parks and Wildlife Service were equally disappointing. Early communications stated from NPWL stated, “Please note that if these works are part of development covered by planning permission then they are exempt from Section 40 of the Wildlife Act. John will update you on his findings in due course.”
Then NPWS service claimed they granted verbal permission to Tipperary Co. Council in late February on the grounds it was a road or other structure. Quote “However, it should also be noted that the clearance of vegetation in the course of road or other construction works or in the development or preparation of sites on which any building or other structure is intended to be provided is exempted under Section 40.”
The truth is, there was No Road; No new ConstructionWorks; No other new structures; just a small, yet valuable piece of 176 year old Thurles Heritage.
National Parks and Wildlife Service have further confirmed that because of “work stress”, they had forgotten to recognise the Mill Road address we had reported and identified in relation to breaches of Sect 40 of the Wildlife Act. Thus when asked for documentation they then confirmed, quote: – (A) “Communication between Tipperary County Council and a named Wildlife Ranger was only verbal, there is no written documentation.“ (B) “Any written communication between Tipperary County Council and the builder is in their possession, National Parks and Wildlife Service do not have same.” (C) “Furthermore any request for such information needs to follow the AIE process.“ [Latter AIE referred to is “Access to Information on the Environment”]
“Our heritage is what we have inherited from the past, to value and enjoy in the present, and to preserve and pass on to future generations. In helping shape our identity, our heritage becomes part of what we are. Our expression of this identity shows others what we value; it highlights our values and priorities. Our heritage provides clues to our past and how our society has evolved. It helps us examine our history and traditions and enables us develop an awareness about ourselves. It helps us understand and explain why we are the way we are.”
The above are not my words but the words of the Irish Heritage Council, See HERE .
Then this evening, April 20th 2022, out of the blue, we received an email in pdf format. Yes, readers I fool you not, after almost two years of waiting, it arrived from staff at Minister Malcolm Noonan’s Office, set in the form of a standardised letter, sent with the permission of Ms Danielle McDonnell, (Private Secretary to Minister Malcolm Noonan T.D.); signed by a person in his constituency office in Co. Kilkenny, latter yet another member of staff authorised to act on behalf of the same Ms Danielle McDonnell.
Mr Noonan’s almost two year old delayed communication read. Dear Mr. Willoughby, On behalf of Mr. Malcolm Noonan, T.D. Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, I wish to refer to your emails regarding the removal of a hedgerow by Tipperary County Council at Mill Road, Thurles. The works in question were carried out to facilitate the upgrade of an existing pathway. In this instance the National Parks and Wildlife Service are satisfied that these works did not constitute a breach of Section 40 of the Wildlife Act. Yours sincerely, P.P. Danielle McDonnell (Private Secretary to Minister Malcolm Noonan T.D.).
Remarkably, Minister Malcolm Noonan’s dictated communication, failed to explain in his long awaited communicated, why Tipperary Co. Council and builders were given permission to destroy irreplaceable Thurles history, which as we previously stated, was a certain sure attraction for foreign and domestic tourism.
Same has been destroyed despite every Irish Government department; Elected Tipperary Politician and double jobbing Local Councillor, being warned exactly what was going to happen, since 2019.
So, Minister Noonan, I totally reject your recent delayed communication. I continue to seek your explanation as to why, based on historic evidence (See page 6) and a falsified Archaeological Impact Statement, that two Green Party politicians; namely you Sir and Mr Eamon Ryan failed to communicate; to fully investigate this piece of Thurles heritage and now choose to protect the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Service?
According to the Heritage Council,Quote “An important part of their work is to encourage local communities to take responsibility for and participate in the development and conservation of their heritage. Such projects help generate a greater sense of pride and belonging in the local area through increased participation…and sheer enjoyment! Cultural tourism and activity holidays on our natural landscapes and countryside continue to grow, outperforming all other tourism sectors.”
Both of you gentlemen must now reply to the question being asked, WHY?
On October 4th last we published that the River Suir walkway here in Thurles would be closed to all pedestrians; starting from the “Swinging Gates” at the junction of Thomond Road and Emmet Street, through to the junction of Slievenamon Road and Clongour Road. We gleaned this information from the Tipperary Co. Council’s own website.
Up to today, Sunday October 10th, the walkway has remained open with thankfully no re-surfacing work undertaken. A social media publication from Councillors Mr Seamus Hanafin (Fianna Fáil) and a live radio communication from Mr Jim Ryan (Non Party), each seeking to enhance future election profiles, had seriously angered those volunteers who for years had kept this area clean and litter free. Latter volunteers had not in any way been consulted about this resurfacing work and felt that the funding acquired should have been better spent on the river itself, now an embarrassing, foul-smelling eyesore, rather than spent on widening the existing walkway with 3meters wide tarmac strips.
The video slide-show, hereunder, further acknowledges and fully recognizes the reality of the public’s desire for a change in how funding was being spent.
No drawings or details have been provided by council officials for this work, with those responsible claiming that this work to resurface the existing path, does not require design drawings. However, a Habitats Directive Assessment Screening Report they claim, has been carried out for the proposed advance works and the local fisheries representative has been consulted.
Most people believe that this threatened upgrade is really to provide a cycling path along the river bank, at the expense of leisurely pedestrian traffic and much badly needed seating areas.
Regrettably, no volunteers have turned up recently to clean this River Walk area, further clarifying remarks made by Thurles.Info that Thurles County Councillors and their officials have deliberately and slowly killed off all local voluntarism. The result is litter everywhere in the form of bottles, cans, condoms, rotting fish half eaten by feral cats and takeaway boxes; mainly strewn about due to the total absence of appropriate litter bins; which we have continuously highlighted as required for this area.
Here in Thurles town the River Suir exists, running parallel on the west side by the river walk and on the east side by the Thurles town park. Here exists a huge amenity, in both a ‘Blue Way’ and a ‘Green Way’. Blue spaces/ways are areas such as the river Suir, while both banks provide Green ways, and a number of health benefits.
With this in mind, we learn this week, from the Institute for Global Health, that a lack of green spaces has caused nearly 43,000 premature deaths in nearly 900 European cities. Scientists, with the Institute, confirm that urban parks help to improve air quality, filtering out toxic pollutants that kill scores of people every year.
Researchers state green spaces offer no-cost spaces for people to exercise, helping drive down obesity rates and improve heart and lung health, while improving social interaction.
Same other benefits of green spaces include reduced stress and improved sleep, with other associated studies claiming reduced cognitive decline in the elderly.
Green spaces have also been found to reduce some the negative health impacts of urban living, acting as a filter to both noise and air pollution, latter which are thought to reduce life expectancy by increasing blood pressure.
The academic team claim that these benefits are also good for mental wellbeing and stress levels. The data behind this research is so strong that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends every home should be within at least 300m of a green space area containing at least half a hectare in size.
Researchers at a United States University [University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)], found that children residing within that state who grew up within a third of a mile of a park or green space were at a lower risk of becoming obese by the age of 18, and were less at-risk from chronic health problems in their later years. They found that regardless of a families wealth, those that lived close to a park or green space or blue space, were less distressed.
One of the studies examined found that nearly 30% more teenagers were inclined to spend an hour or more doing some form of physical activity, five days a week, when they lived near parks and green spaces.
Scientific analysis claim that over 40,000 people in Europe die early, every year, because they do not live in areas with enough green space provided.
Gardaí continue to appeal for information, following injuries received by two women following a hit-and-run road traffic collision, same which occurred in the townland of Tinvane, Carrick-On-Suir, Co, Tipperary last night.
About 9.00pm last night two elderly women were struck by a van, while out walking. The vehicle then careered into a ditch before coming to a halt. The driver of the vehicle then hurriedly left the scene in the direction of the Piltown Road.
The two women were later taken to Waterford Hospital by ambulance to be treated for what has been described as thankfully non life-threatening injuries.
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to come forward, who possibly were in the area or motoring in the townland of Tinvane, Carrick-On-Suir, at the time of the collision or prior; that can assist them with their enquiries. They particularly are appealing to motorists with may have dash camera footage to make it available to them.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Clonmel Garda Station Tel: 052-6177640, the Garda Confidential Line Tel: 1800 666 111, or indeed any Garda station.
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