Thurles Information

Death Of Jonathan Whyte, Formerly Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

It was with great sadness that we learned of the death, on Thursday 22nd January 2026, of Mr Jonathan Whyte, Surrey, England, and formerly of Ballyvadlea, Drangan, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Pre-deceased by his parents Sonny and Bonny; Mr Whyte passed away peacefully on Thursday, 22nd January, surrounded by his loving family and friends, while in the care of staff at London Bridge Hospital, 27 Tooley St, London SE1 2PR, United Kingdom.

His passing is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his sorrowing family; loving son and daughters, their partners, cherished grandchildren, sister, nephews, extended relatives, neighbours and many friends.

Requiescat in Pace.

Funeral Arrangements.

Funeral arrangements in England to follow.

A memorial Mass will be held in Church of the Visitation, Cloneen, Church, Kilburry West, Ballyhomuck, Co. Tipperary, at 12:00 noon on Friday February 20th next.

The extended Whyte family 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.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Site Clearance Begins For Drive-Thru McDonald’s On Slievenamon Road, Thurles.

Site clearance works have begun in recent days to facilitate the construction of a drive-thru McDonald’s restaurant on Slievenamon Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary — a development which has generated strong local reaction, particularly among homeowners living nearby.

According to information published by Tipperary County Council, the proposed works are scheduled to run from February 2nd, 2026 to July 8th, 2026.

The development is described as follows:

Development Type: Assembly and Recreation
Overview: Construction of a 478.8 sq. m. single-storey drive-thru restaurant, including:
Access from the existing access road serving the Lidl and Insomnia units to the north
Drive-thru infrastructure including a height restrictor and customer order points with canopies
Outdoor seating area
Corral area with bins and general storage
Plant and associated infrastructure works
All related site works above and below ground

“Over the moon”… apparently.
While the development has been termed “controversial” by some, a number of local residents, particularly those with mortgages in the immediate vicinity, have been described as “over the moon” about the works, albeit in a tone that suggests the “moon” in question may be made of concrete, brake lights and late-night engine noise.

Speaking informally, several locals said they were “delighted” at the prospect of increased convenience food, traffic movements and, potentially, the sort of atmospheric ambience only a busy drive-thru can provide, especially at peak times.

In what residents stressed was “pure excitement” (and absolutely not weary sarcasm), some even expressed hope that the area could be further “enhanced” over time, with suggestions including an underground techno club, an industrial music venue, or a large-scale rave facility, should anyone (who needs to go to work in the morning), feel the neighbourhood needed more “vibrancy” after midnight.

Election season expectations:
Others said they were eagerly looking forward to the next local and general elections, when they expect to have an opportunity to express, in their own words, their “genuine, sincere and unfeigned gratitude” to whoever they believe most deserves it.

For now, the diggers are in, the clearing has started, and residents say they will be watching the project closely, if only because it may become difficult not to.

Talented Thurles Ursuline Past Pupil Jessie Buckley Lands BAFTA Nomination.

Thurles Ursuline past pupil Jessie Buckley lands BAFTA leading actress nod as Hamnet makes history Thurles’ proud arts tradition is firmly in the international spotlight this week as Jessie Buckley, a past pupil of the Ursuline Secondary School, Thurles, has been nominated for a BAFTA for her portrayal of Agnes Hathaway in “Hamnet”.

Directed by Chloé Zhao, Hamnet has received 11 BAFTA nominations, setting a new record for the most nominations ever secured by a female-directed film in BAFTA history.

Buckley is nominated in the Best Leading Actress category, while the film is also in contention for Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, among a strong spread of technical and performance categories.

The BAFTA Film Awards take place on Sunday, 22nd February 2026, at London’s Royal Festival Hall, with Alan Cumming confirmed as host.

Buckley’s BAFTA recognition follows a standout awards run for Hamnet, with the actor taking Best Actress (Drama) at the Golden Globes earlier this month, where the film also won Best Motion Picture (Drama). She is also nominated for Best Actress at the 2026 Academy Awards for the same role, further underlining the film’s momentum into the final stretch of awards season.

Locally, the Ursuline Secondary School in Thurles has recently marked Buckley’s ongoing success, reflecting the strong connection between County Tipperary and one of Ireland’s most acclaimed screen performers.

Death Of Sean Shanahan, Late Of Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

It was with great sadness that we learned of the death, today Tuesday 27th January 2026, of Mr Sean Shanahan, Toomevara and late of Clonmore and Borrisoleigh, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Pre-deceased by his wife Ann, son-in-law Declan Barry, brothers Chris and Jim; Mr Shanahan passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family, while in the care of staff at Mount Carmel Nursing Home, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary.

His passing is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his sorrowing family; loving son Andy, daughters Sarah and Grace, daughter-in-law Edel, son-in-law Jason, adored grandchildren, brother Pat, sister Nora, sister-in-law Alish, brother-in-law Pat, extended relatives, neighbours and friends.

Requiescat in Pace.

Funeral Arrangements.

The earthly remains of Mr Shanahan will be received into the Church of St Mary, Drom, Templemore, Co. Tipperary on Thursday at 12:00 noon, to repose for Requiem Mass, followed by interment, immediately afterwards in the adjoining graveyard.

The extended Shanahan family wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Planning Permission Granted For Social Housing On Croke Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Tipperary County Council have granted planning permission for six social housing apartments on Lower Croke Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Selected Site: Tipperary County Council – [Add File Number 2461122 to search panel on link https://www.eplanning.ie/TipperaryCC/searchresults/recvdate ].

Tipperary County Council have granted planning permission for a new social housing development that will deliver six one-bedroom apartments on Lower Croke Street, (Formerly known as Stradavoher), Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

The board of directors of Thurles Lions Trust applied to the local authority to build the scheme on a vacant town-centre site. The development will comprise two new buildings providing a total of six one-bed apartments, all intended for social housing.

A number of local residents made submissions during the planning process, raising concerns about storm-water capacity and the potential for overlooking of neighbouring properties. One objection argued that a proposed balcony (on apartment 5), would allow direct overlooking into a private garden and negatively impact on privacy.
Another submission warned the project could place added pressure on a storm drainage/sewerage system that, they claimed, is already struggling with surface-water run-off; contributing to flooding risk for older homes on the street.

Despite the objections, the council have approved the development subject to conditions.
These include the removal of the proposed balcony for apartment 5, requirements to keep the public road clean and tidy during construction, and that all service cables be routed underground.
The developer must also submit a public lighting scheme for council approval, agree details of external finishes in advance, and comply with restricted construction hours: Monday to Friday (8am–6pm) and Saturday (8am–2pm).