Thurles Information

Ireland’s 2023 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Lowest In Three Decades.

Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 6.8% (4.0 Mt CO2eq) in 2023, with reductions in almost all sectors. This is the lowest that greenhouse gas emissions have been in three decades, and below the 1990 baseline.
Emissions data show the largest single year reductions in the energy and agriculture sectors and the lowest level of residential emissions since 1990, while transport emissions were below pre-Covid levels.
Power generation emissions decreased by 21.6 per cent (2.2 Mt CO2eq)
Agriculture emissions decreased by 4.6 per cent (1.0 Mt CO2eq)
Residential emissions decreased by 7.1 per cent (0.4 Mt CO2eq)
Transport emissions increased marginally by 0.3 per cent (0.03 Mt CO2eq)
Emissions per capita decreased from 11.4 tonnes CO2eq/person to 10.4 tonnes CO2eq/person in 2023.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has today published its provisional greenhouse gas emissions for Ireland for 2023. The figures show a reduction of 6.8% compared to 2022, with emission reductions in almost all sectors. In total, 55 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2eq) were emitted, excluding emissions from Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF).

Commenting on the report Ms Laura Burke, Director General, EPA said: “Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 were at their lowest level in over three decades, as a result of the largest reduction in emissions outside of recession. These are significant findings that signal the impact of climate action and decarbonisation measures across Ireland’s economy and society. We see the impact of more renewables and interconnection powering electricity, less fossil fuel use in home heating, reduced nitrogen fertiliser use in agriculture and more biofuel in transport.”

Ms Burke added, “The data indicates a move towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the scale and pace required to meet our climate ambition of a 51% reduction by 2030. However, while these are positive results for the year 2023, we are still well off track in terms of meeting EU and national 2030 targets. We need to maintain and further build momentum.”

The assessment shows that Ireland complied with its EU Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) commitments for 2021-2023, with the use of allowed flexibilities. However, these latest data show that 2023 greenhouse gas emissions were still only 10.1% below 2005 levels, well short of Ireland’s EU Effort Sharing reduction commitment of 42% by 2030.

With regard to compliance with national commitments under the Climate Act 2015 (as amended), the assessment shows that greenhouse Gas emissions (incl. LULUCF) are 7.8% lower than in 2018, well off the National Climate Ambition of a 51% reduction by 2030. We need to achieve an extremely challenging annual reduction of 8.3% for each of the years 2024 and 2025, if Ireland is to stay within the first Carbon Budget.

A summary of the trends from key sectors:

Energy Industries: Emissions decreased by 21.6% to 7.8 Mt CO2eq. This was driven by a 12-fold increase in imported electricity (9.5% of electricity supply in 2023), in combination with an increase in the share of renewable energy (to 40.7% in 2023) and a reduction in the use of coal, oil and peat. The emissions intensity of power generation decreased from 332g CO2/kWh in 2022 to a historic low of 255g CO2/kWh in 2023.

Agriculture: Agriculture emissions decreased by 4.6% to 20.8 Mt CO2eq due to an 18% reduction in fertiliser nitrogen use, reduced lime application and overall reduction in numbers of livestock. Dairy cow numbers increased by 0.6%, however total milk production decreased by 4.7% in 2023.

Residential: Emissions decreased by 7% to 5.3 Mt CO2eq. This was the second substantial annual reduction in succession. High fuel prices and a milder winter were significant contributors to the reduction in fossil fuel use, in addition to the introduction of nationwide solid fuel regulations. Over 30,000 heat-pumps were installed in Irish homes in 2023, bringing the total to 120,000.

Transport: Emissions increased marginally by 0.3% to 11.8 Mt CO2eq. Emissions are now 4.3% below 2019 pre-Covid levels. An increase in electric vehicles and biofuel use partly offset a 3% increase in the vehicle fleet.

Commenting, Ms Mary Frances Rochford, Programme Manager, EPA said: “There are many positives to be taken from this assessment. We see emission reduction milestones achieved in many key sectors in 2023. Residential emissions were at their lowest level since 1990, we saw the largest year on year reductions to date in the Energy and Agriculture sectors. All of which have contributed to a decrease in our emissions per capita from 11.4 to 10.4 tonnes CO2eq in 2023.”

In line with new research in the latest update to the inventory, the EPA refined the information underpinning the agricultural figures which has led to an 8.5 Mt CO2eq reduction in emissions from agricultural activities from 2018-2023. It is imperative that this is now incorporated into carbon budgets to ensure that they reflect latest science, data and knowledge on greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland.

The Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory 1990 to 2023 is available on the EPA website and the EPA Greenhouse Gas web resource is also available online.

FSAI Food Allergen Alert.

Undeclared wheat in all batches of True Natural Goodness Giant Cous Cous.

Alert Summary dated Monday, July 8th, 2024.

Allergy Alert Notification: 2024.A24.
Allergen’s: Cereals containing gluten.
Product Identification: True Natural Goodness Giant Cous Cous; pack size 500g.
Batch Code: All batches and all best-before dates.
Country Of Origin: USA.

Message: All batches of True Natural Goodness Giant Cous Cous contain wheat (cereals containing gluten) which is not declared in the list of ingredients. This may make the batches unsafe for consumers who are allergic to or intolerant of cereals containing gluten (wheat).

FSAI- Recall Etoile de Provence Banon AOP – Goats’ Cheese.

Recall of specific batches of Etoile de Provence Banon AOP (raw milk goats’ cheese) due to the presence of Yersinia enterocolitica.

Alert Summary dated Monday, July 8th, 2024.

Category 1: For Action.
Alert Notification: 2024.30.
Product Identification: Etoile de Provence Banon. AOP (raw milk goats’ cheese): pack size: 100g.
Batch Code Best-before dates: 12/07/2024 & 19/07/2024.
Country Of Origin: France.

Message: The above batches of Etoile de Provence Banon AOP (raw milk goats’ cheese) are being recalled due to the presence of Yersinia enterocolitica.

Nature Of Danger: Yersinia enterocolitica are bacteria which may be ingested via contaminated food or water. Symptoms of yersiniosis most often develop 3-7 days after infection. Symptoms include fever, abdominal cramps, watery or bloody diarrhoea, headaches, and vomiting. Yersiniosis is typically self-limiting, and symptoms can persist from 1-3 days up to 3 weeks. Some individuals are more vulnerable to infection, including young children, older adults and immunocompromised individuals.

Action Required: Retailers are requested to remove the implicated batches from sale and display recall notices at point-of-sale.

Consumers are advised not to eat the implicated batches.

Brú Ború Cashel – 34th Summer Season Begins.

The 34th Brú Ború Summer Season will commence on Wednesday next, July 10th, and will continue until late August on each Wednesday and Thursday night, starting at 8:30pm.
This much-acclaimed show of Irish traditional entertainment has over the years attracted thousands of fans from all over Ireland and many tourists from abroad.

The show is a creative, fast-moving and innovative mixture of world-class talent from various parts of Ireland.

The originator and producer Úna Ó Murchú, a native of County Clare, says: “The talent now available through the work of Comhaltas at home and abroad provides a rich reservoir from which to select the Brú Ború team. The show has evolved through vision and experience over the years and the performers are a credit to Ireland”.

These include ace-accordionist Bobby Gardiner, latter who taught a Clare set to King Charles and Queen Camilla when they both visited Brú Ború as Prince and Princess.

Harpist Mary Kelly played for the Queen of England when she visited the Rock of Cashel and also in Leinster House for the 100th anniversary of Seanad Éireann.

Tadhg Maher is a well-known traditional singer who has performed worldwide. He is remembered for his farewell ballad at the burial of Vol. Paddy Maher, one of the “Forgotten Ten”, when his remains were brought back from Mountjoy Jail to his native place of Ballylanders.

The music ensemble is a fine blend of veteran and young performers where harp, uilleann pipes, fiddles, accordion, melodeon, mouthorgan, bodhráns, concertinas and flutes – in the hands of the maestros – combine to produce the unique Brú Ború sound.

The dancers, with their exciting routines, have won the hearts of all who experienced their performance at different locations.

The Brú Ború performing group have, during their 34 year history, brought the cultural traditions of Ireland to many parts of the world.
They represented Ireland at five World Expos, performed on the Great Wall of China and accompanied President Mary McAleese to perform for the Sultan of Oman.
When they performed on the Late Late Show Gay Byrne described them as ‘the best in the business’.

There are special rates for groups and pre-show dinner can also be booked in advance. Contact Tel.No. 062 61122 or info@bruboru.ie.

Pardoned Harry Gleeson Re-Interred In Holycross, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

“Can Honour’s voice provoke the silent dust…”
Extract from poem ‘Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard’, by Thomas Gray.

The earthly remains of an innocent man, executed by hanging in Mountjoy jail; same body having been located within the prison grounds, were handed over to his family last week.
Yesterday, Sunday July 7th, 2024 same remains were re-interred, with his parents in the family plot, following Requiem Mass in Holycross Abbey, Thurles, attended by hundreds of people, some who travelled from other countries, to be in attendance.

Farm worker Mr Harry Gleeson, then aged 38 years, was executed on April 23rd 1941, despite his denial of the killing of a neighbour known as Ms Moll McCarthy of New-Inn, Co Tipperary.

In November, 1940, the executed Mr Gleeson had found the body of this single mother of seven children in a field owned by his uncle Mr John Caesar, while the former was out tending sheep.
The victim had been shot twice in the head and rather than being thanked for alerting local authorities to his gruesome discovery of Ms McCarthy’s body, Mr Gleeson soon found himself charged with her murder.
Following his trial and eventual conviction, the manner of execution was proscribed by the then sentencing Judge, Mr Justice Martin Maguire, that he be ‘hanged by the neck until he be dead.’
Alas, Mr Gleeson’s pardon came 83 years after his execution; granted by the current President of Ireland, Mr Michael D. Higgins, on the initial recommendation of former Minister for Justice, Mr Alan Shatter.

Having studied the original trial transcripts and noting that back in 1941 the judge, Mr Martin Maguire, had asked for a gun register to be shown during the trial. Same register although available, had never been produced by the prosecution.

Yet another issue was the temperature of Ms McCarthy’s body, when it had been first located. The post-mortem report from 1940 indicated that Moll had been murdered at a time when Mr Gleeson actually had an alibi.

Ten years ago in 2014, a retired nurse Ms Ann Martin Walsh, who had cared for Ms Moll McCarthy’s eldest daughter, Ms Mary McCarthy, as the latter was nearing her death, confirmed that her patient had clearly declared that ‘I saw my own mother shot on the kitchen floor and an innocent man died’.

Mr Harry Gleeson denied ever being one of Ms Moll McCarthy’s many known lovers or of fathering one of her seven children, which, it was stated could have jeopardised an inheritance of land, due from an uncle John Caesar.

Today, the murdered body of Ms Moll McCarthy lies in an unmarked grave in a now disused cemetery in New-Inn, Cahir, Co. Tipperary.

In 2015, following a full review of the trial and the evidence provided, members of the Gleeson family attended a special ceremony at the Department of Justice, where a certificate of official pardon was finally presented.