Thurles Information

Work On Bank Of Ireland Car Park Entrance To Alleviate Parking.

Work on the new entrance to link the Bank of Ireland Car park, situated on Emmett Street, Thurles, with the adjacent new Thurles Slievenamon Road car park; latter opened back in 2020 on the south side of Liberty Square, has now finally begun.

**Entrance to Bank of Ireland car park on Emmett Street in Thurles**.
*Pic: G. Willoughby*.

The work was originally scheduled to begin in the third quarter of this year, subject to funding being made available.

We understand that the work will include the removal of the Bank of Ireland’s current car park entrance wing walls, leading on to Emmett Street and the provision of a new setback boundary wall. Same will then see the removal of the old stone wall, between the bank and the Slievenamon Road car park, with the provision of footpaths, public lighting, signage, resurfacing and lining.

With little information being made available to the public, it is difficult to picture or indeed understand how off-street parking in the town will be anyway improved by this new measure. One problem it will not solve is the major traffic congestion in the centre of Thurles town.
However, the removal of the stone wall between both car parks granting a second exit (see background of image above), should assist vehicles to exit and enter this area more freely, especially those shopping in the British multinational retailer Tesco and the parking of vehicles for those attendees, visiting loved ones reposing at Hugh Ryan’s Funeral Home.

Details of costings in relations to this work has not been shared publicly with taxpayers, as yet.

Waitin’ Around.

Poet & Author Tom Ryan Recollects.©

In this racing age in which we now live, one of the most pleasurable of activities seems earmarked for total oblivion. I refer, of course, to that once-popular activity of just ‘waitin’ around’.

In almost all situations in life there are moments when the world comes temporarily to a standstill for the partner and I. Such as when the number 8 bus to Dalkey whizzes past us on an evening we had planned a convivial evening with the in-laws before dashing to the theatre. On occasions such as this, one can easily distinguish between those who have read ‘The Power of Positive Thinking’ and those given to kicking pavements, climbing the pole of the bus stop, grinding dentures, practising side-line hurling pucks with the brolly and roaring at junior to quit mouthing about his being late for ““Frozen” or “Paw Patrol” on the telly.

About the only people I know who enjoy waiting around are young courting couples who, like the partner and self, take advantage of the standstill in time to communicate with a touch of hands or a plain old giggle-giggle. People in general, though, have little inclination to just wait around any-more.
As for the partner and self, we enjoy nothing better, except, of course when partner has an appointment at the hairstylist.
A little waiting around is (and the Jesuits may correct me), damn good for the soul. It is like a little retreat as beneficial as any (with respect) at our Retreat Houses. Mind you, people will insist (particularly possessive wives) that such waiting around periods are fraught with peril for the soul. And indeed there are men who, while waiting around, see nothing but romance in every female on the street.
Hardly the stuff “retreats” are made of, though I will not act the hypocrite and deny I am like the rest of men, (partner, forgive me!).

Still, marginally, mind you, there is more to the great world than ladies hurrying home from office, shop or factory. One could, for instance, eavesdrop on the private lives that often become very public at a railway station or a bus stop, when detainees and ‘in a hurry folk’ moan about the vicissitudes of life such as their working day presents them with. Times you know when a station waiting room or a bus stop can be a public confession box.
Waitin’ around is good for my business. Once I was forced to wait for an hour for the partner outside a Tipperary Hotel and wondered, irascibly, when she would arrive.
In the course of that hour I met the secretaries of umpteen societies and groups who were leaving the hotel after their respective meetings, all cheery and talkative of course, after leaving the hotel lounge-bar.( Mind you, after the introduction of the smoking ban, there are more people just waiting around than ever before).

Eh, begad, I was given press releases, secretaries’ reports and off-the-record statements I should never have acquired under more sober circumstances, had I not been waiting around. Maybe more journalists should hang around hotel exteriors after closing time!

There are some people who live in a small town all their lives and never really know it. Not me. From waitin’ around for the partner I know the colour of every shop front, the registration number of every car, the habits of every courting couple in town. I am better than a Garda and I am likely to know at what precise time the town drunks are about to render a few bars of “Show Me The Way To Go Home” or “The Red Flag”.

At Thurles Railway Station, while waiting around I have welcomed home emigrants, congratulated young boys and girls off to their first job in the Civil Service or to College; consoled hurlers coming back from Dublin trophy-less and (before I was wed), asked to dinner bright young things from New York and Paris arriving to ‘au pair’ in Tipperary.

Really, I almost envy the professionals at the ‘waiting around game’. Corner boys, people on strike, reserves on teams, gentlemen of the road, all good people who serve right well, though they only stand and wait.
Which reminds me, partner has been waiting around for me to drive her to the Post Office.
“On my way, dear. On my way”.

END

Tom Ryan, “Iona”, Rahealty, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Approval For 20 Additional Judges Secured.

An additional 20 Judges to be appointed on a phased basis as part of the continuing implementation of the Judicial Planning Working Group Report.
Approval follows assessment of impact of 24 new judges appointed in 2023 – shown to have had a positive impact on number of court sittings, number of cases resolved and waiting times.
Additional 20 appointments will support the establishment of the Family Courts.

Approval has been received for 20 additional judges to be appointed on a phased basis, to support timely access to justice across the courts system.
The report from the Judicial Planning Working Group, (set up in February 2021) in their final report published in 2023, recommended the appointment of 44 additional judges in two phases.

A first phase of 24 additional judges was approved and appointed throughout 2023. This built on other judicial appointments brought the total number of additional appointments to 31.
Following the completion of an assessment on the impact of the judges appointed in Phase 1 and progress made in other areas of the report’s implementation, the appointment of a second phase of 20 additional judges has now been approved.

The impact assessment also highlighted the need for Phase 2 of additional judicial resources to build on the progress already made.

Areas identified for continued focus to enhance the timely administration of justice across the courts include:

Further reducing waiting times and increasing clearance rates.
Enabling the courts to support new and growing areas of business.
Facilitating additional training days for judges to ensure that the Judiciary are attuned to the needs of victims and equipped to deal with increasing case complexity.

Actions which have been delivered in the first phase of judicial expansion include:

An initial trial project to stagger the court vacation was ran in the High Court this summer.
The Presidents of the Circuit and District Courts are working with the Courts Service to develop protocols for scheduling sittings on all five working days of the week (Monday – Friday).
Cases are being stacked in the same courtroom where feasible (i.e. one judge conducts a hearing in the morning and another judge conducts a hearing in the afternoon in the same courtroom) and to increase the use of hybrid and remote hearings to maximise the use of courtroom space.
A report has been completed which has examined further reforms to empower the Court Presidents to ensure the maximum and efficient use of judicial resources in their court jurisdictions.
A stakeholder engagement group, which comprises representatives of the Department, the Courts Service, judicial observers and affected stakeholders, continues to meet regularly to consider the impact of the implementation of the JPWG recommendations on stakeholders and to identify cross-organisational efficiencies, which may arise in this context.

Death Of Mary Butler, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

It was with great sadness that we learned of the death, yesterday Monday 21st October 2024, of Mrs Mary Butler (née Ryan) Kylemakill, Moyne, Thurles, Co. Tipperary and formerly of Wardpark, Dundrum, Co. Tipperary.

Pre-deceased by her parents Conor and Kitty and brother Michael; Mrs Butler passed away peacefully following a short illness, surrounded by her loving family, while in the care of staff of St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny City, Co. Kilkenny.

Her passing is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her sorrowing family; husband Pierce, daughters Sinéad and Fiona (Morrissey), son Pierce, daughter-in-law Kate, son-in-law Paul, grandchildren Rory, Molly, Lily, Rachel and Pierce, sisters Berni (Reidy) and Nora (Devane), brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunt Sr. Assumpta, nephews, nieces, extended relatives, neighbours and friends.

Requiescat in Pace.

Funeral Arrangements.

The earthly remains of Mrs Butler will repose at Hugh Ryan’s Funeral Home, Slievenamon Road, Thurles, on tomorrow afternoon, Wednesday October 23rd, from 5:00pm until 7:00pm same evening.
Her remains will be received into the Church of St Mary, Moyne, Thurles, on Thursday, October 24th, arriving at 12:00 noon, to further repose for Requiem Mass, followed, immediately afterwards by Private Cremation at Shannon Crematorium, Illaunmanagh, Shannon, Co. Clare, (V14 PV30).

The extended Butler and Ryan families wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time, and have made arrangements for those persons wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.

Note Please: House Private. Family Flowers only. Donations, if desired, to Ambulatory Surgery Unit (ASU) St. Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dílis.

EPA Launch New Quarterly Greenhouse Gas Emissions For Ireland

EPA launches new Quarterly Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Ireland, which show greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 2.2 per cent in Quarter 1 of 2024.

The EPA launched a new series of quarterly greenhouse gas emissions for Ireland to support more frequent monitoring of national and sectoral progress on climate action.
Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions were down 2.2 per cent (306 kt CO2eq) in Quarter 1 2024 compared Quarter 1 of 2023.
Electricity emissions were down 16.7 per cent (-312 kt CO2 eq) driven by reductions in fossil fuel use and increased importation of electricity.
Agriculture emissions were down 2.6 per cent (-129 kt CO2 eq) due to reduced lime application to soils and lower milk output.
Transport emissions were up 2.7 per cent (78.2 kt CO2eq) driven by increased sales of petrol (+9.6 per cent) and diesel (+1.3 per cent).
Emissions from commercial and household buildings increased by +5.8 per cent (+126.0 kt CO2 eq) due to increased demand for heating and a decrease in the price of gas.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has today published quarterly greenhouse gas emissions for Ireland for Quarter 1 of 2024. This is a new series of quarterly greenhouse gas emission indicators which will support early and more frequent monitoring of progress on climate action.
The data show an overall reduction of 2.2 per cent in the first three months of 2024, compared to the same quarter last year. The largest sectoral decrease in emissions was observed in electricity generation with a reduction of 16.7 per cent (-312 kt CO2 eq). Emission reductions were also observed in the Agricultural (-2.6 per cent, -129 kt CO2 eq) and Industrial (-4.7 per cent, -69 kt CO2 eq) sectors.

Welcoming the report Dr Eimear Cotter, Director of the Office of Evidence and Assessment, EPA said:
“These quarterly greenhouse gas emissions respond to an on-going need for more timely and frequent data on Ireland’s greenhouse gases. Ireland joins a small number of countries worldwide to carry out this type of assessment, which will provide valuable early and frequent indicator data for the monitoring and governance of Ireland’s climate action. The series will complement the national greenhouse gas inventory and projections prepared annually by the EPA”.

Commenting on the findings, she added: “The reduction of 2.2 per cent in Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions in the first quarter of 2024, when compared with the same period last year, is welcome following the largest annual reduction in emissions outside of recession reported in 2023. This shows that we can make progress in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions when concerted action is taken.”

An increase in greenhouse gas emissions for transport (+2.7 per cent), commercial (+4.1 per cent) and residential buildings (+6.1 per cent) in Quarter 1 of 2024 shows the clear link between increased energy demand, largely delivered by fossil fuels, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Also speaking about the results, Ms Mary Frances Rochford, Programme Manager of EPA’s Climate Programme said: “These findings signal the continued impact of climate action and decarbonisation measures across Ireland’s economy and society. The assessment on a quarterly basis also highlights the impact of market prices and weather conditions. We see reduced emissions from the electricity sector linked to increased renewables and interconnection, increases in emissions from heating associated with lower fuel price and cooler temperatures than quarter 1 2023. Poor weather conditions also impacted lime application to soils which led to lower emissions from the agriculture sector.”
The Quarterly Greenhouse Gas Emissions Indicators for Quarter 1 of 2024 is available on the EPA website HERE, and the EPA Greenhouse Gas web resource is also available online HERE.