Thurles Information

‘Pause Before You Post’ — A Warning From DPC On “Sharenting”.

A powerful new advert from the Data Protection Commission (DPC) in Ireland, part of the “Pause Before You Post” initiative, has been making waves online.

As shown hereunder, the film begins as an innocent family stroll through a shopping centre, with a mother, father and young daughter. What starts out as a normal outing quickly becomes unsettling, as strangers begin greeting the child by name and mentioning intimate details of her life, information that, in the scenario, was gleaned from her parents’ social-media posts.

As the tension builds, one stranger even downloads a photo of the girl, a chilling visual that underlines the core message of the campaign: every time you share your child’s life online, you risk sharing their personal data with the world.

What the campaign warns about:

According to the DPC, the ordinary act of “sharenting”; posting photos, videos or personal data about children, can unintentionally build a permanent digital footprint for them. This may include names, dates of birth, images, friends, locations, clubs or routines, all shared without a child’s consent or understanding.

The campaign highlights four principal risks:
(1) Misuse of images/data, photos and videos may be downloaded, reused or manipulated, possibly even turned into harmful content, such as deepfakes or child-sexual-abuse material.
(2) Unwanted contact or exposure to strangers, information such as routines, clubs or locations can make children vulnerable.
(3) Long-term digital footprint & privacy loss, once shared, data can remain publicly accessible indefinitely; children may lose control over how their childhood memories are used or perceived.
(4) Potential identity/fraud risks, shared personal data can facilitate identity theft or fraud, especially if combined with other publicly available information.

What parents and guardians should consider:
The DPC doesn’t call for an outright ban on sharing children’s photos or memories, instead, it urges caution and mindfulness.

Key advice includes:
Pause and reflect: Before posting, consider whether you’d be comfortable if a stranger knew this information about your child.
Share selectively: Use private channels, close family groups or private messaging, rather than public social-media posts.
Minimise identifiable info: Avoid posting names, dates of birth, school, clubs, routines — information that can be combined to build a picture of a child’s identity.
Wait for consent: As children grow older, involve them in decisions about what’s shared. Their agency over their own digital footprint deserves respect.

Why the ad feels like a horror-movie and why that matters:

What makes “Pause Before You Post” especially striking is how it transforms a mundane, everyday moment into something deeply unsettling. That sense of normality turned on its head, strangers knowing things about your child you only shared with friends or family, evokes the same kind of dread that horror films aim for. That visceral reaction is the campaign’s intent; to force parents to confront the hidden risks of everyday oversharing.
The shock is deliberate. It grabs attention and once you feel that discomfort, you can start to see just how easy it is to build a lasting digital “record” for a child, one over which they may have little future control.

Blink Outdoor 4: One Of The Strongest Black Friday Security Bargains.

The Blink Outdoor 4, a wireless HD smart security camera with a two-year battery life and IP65 weatherproof rating, has to stands out this Black Friday as one of the most compelling home-security bargains online. With this 2-camera system bundled with the Sync Module Core, now reportedly reduced by around 59%, the value proposition is hard to ignore.

In a season when home burglaries tend to rise, particularly over darker winter evenings and especially around Christmas, when homes may be unoccupied or gifts visible through windows, investing in reliable external surveillance is increasingly prudent.

View the HD smart security camera HERE.

What it does well.

Long battery life & low maintenance: Blink claims up to two years on two AA lithium batteries, a rare advantage among battery-powered outdoor cameras.
Hassle-free, wireless installation: The wireless design avoids messy complicated wiring, making it easy for homeowners to place cameras where they are most needed.
Weather resistance & durability: With IP65 rating, Blink Outdoor 4 is built to withstand rain, wind, and cold, essential for Irish winter conditions.
Good video quality & effective motion detection: Users in the Thurles area report satisfactory 1080p HD video and reliable motion-activated alerts.

Local storage option (no mandatory subscription): The included Sync Module Core allows for local USB storage, (latter not included but can be purchased cheaply HERE) giving homeowners control over their surveillance footage without needing to pay for a cloud plan.

High quality outdoor adjustable brackets, (also not included), can be purchased cheaply HERE.

Why this deal matters, especially now:
With many discounts across the board this Black Friday, the steep reduction in price makes Blink Outdoor 4 a very attractive entry point for homeowners seeking upgraded security, especially for those living alone, in a period where opportunistic burglaries tend to increase. The balance of ease of installation, decent video quality, weather-proofing and low maintenance makes it a very sound choice for people who want visible deterrence and peace of mind, without investing in a fully wired CCTV system.

Given the current price drop, this looks very much like one of the “best deals online” for outdoor, battery-powered home-security cameras.

Food Allergen Alert.

Undeclared sulphur dioxide in a batch of Pure Heaven Out of this World White Grape and Peach Sparkling Non-Alcoholic Celebration Drink.

Alert Summary dated Friday, November 28th 2025.

Allergy Alert Notification: 2025.A44.
Allergens: Sulphur dioxide and sulphites.
Product Identification: Pure Heaven Out of this World White Grape and Peach Sparkling Non-Alcoholic.
Celebration Drink: Pack size: 750ml.
Batch Code: PRD12 / 24L33824; best before date: 03/12/2027.
Country Of Origin: Spain.

Message: The above batch of Pure Heaven Out of this World White Grape and Peach Sparkling Non-Alcoholic Celebration Drink contains sulphur dioxide which is not declared in the list of ingredients. This may make the batch unsafe for consumers who are allergic to or intolerant of sulphur dioxide and therefore, these consumers should not drink the implicated batch.

The affected batch is being recalled.

Christmas 2025 – Free Parking Initiative In County Tipperary.

Overview.

Tipperary County Council has rolled out a range of free-parking initiatives across multiple large towns in the county in the run-up to Christmas 2025. The aim is to support local retailers and encourage festive shopping.

Thurles Town – Free Parking Offer.

In Thurles Town: courtesy of Thurles Municipal District Councils administration (signed off on by Ms Sharon Scully), free parking will be available only for the first 30 minutes every day, (Fifteen minutes more than every ordinary) every day, throughout December 2025. Additionally, all council-owned car parks will provide free parking on the following Saturdays: 6th, 13th and 20th December 2025.
As it stands currently, it is important to note that three out of the town’s six main car parks will likely remain closed for this busy season, namely the car park beside the former Munster Hotel, (a long-standing resource for shoppers, parishioners and students); the car park underneath The Source building, (latter now closed for 3 years) and the new Market Area car park, beside The Source, (the upgrading of which has suffered serious delays).
So, no concessions on the busy three days prior to December 25th.
This limitation significantly undermines the stated objective of boosting local trade and enabling easy access to town centre shops.

Comparison With Other Tipperary Towns:
Tipperary Town: Same offers one hour of free on-street parking each day, and unlimited free parking in all council car parks for December 2025.
Roscrea: Same will have free parking throughout their towns every Saturday in December.
Templemore: Same will have free parking throughout their town every Saturday in December.
Clonmel Borough District: All council-owned car parks will have free parking on each Saturday in December, after 10am. The town also has a car park in Suirside which is free all year round and which will also be available for Christmas shoppers.
Cashel Town: Same will also offer free parking in all council-owned car parks on Saturdays throughout December.
Cahir Town: Same will also offer free parking in all council-owned car parks on Saturdays throughout December.
Carrick-on-Suir Town: There will be free parking in all of the council-owned car parks on each Saturday throughout the month of December.
Finally, in Nenagh Town: Here there will be three hours free parking in all council-owned car parks from Saturday December 6th, until Friday December 26th 2025. On-street parking will remain subject to ‘pay-and-display’.

Disparity Between Thurles and Tipperary Town:
The differential treatment between Thurles and Tipperary Town, in particular, is stark and concerning:
In Tipperary Town, shoppers benefit from unlimited free car-park access, plus one hour of free on-street parking, offering real convenience to those visiting the town centre.

In contrast, Thurles’ offer is limited to just 30 minutes free daily, and only on three Saturdays in December, while simultaneously reducing the supply of parking spaces by possibly having three of its main car parks closed. This severely undermines the town’s capacity to attract and accommodate shoppers.

Question: So where in this scenario are our Local elected Municipal District Councillors and our Thurles Chamber of Commerce. Thurles businesses no longer has a voice.

Given that the declared purpose of the initiative is to “promote local trade and encourage support for Town Traders during the festive season,” this disparity highlights an inequality in how different towns within the county are supported. Oh and by the way there is little on-street parking in Thurles town centre since over 60% was removed following it beings half upgraded.

Call for Review & Equal Treatment.
We call on Tipperary County Council to reconsider the parking allocations for Thurles, especially in light of the closure of significant car parks, thus ensuring that the town receives a level of support comparable to other towns such as the afore mentioned Tipperary Town.

Failing to address this inequity risks undermining the very objective of stimulating local commerce in Thurles during what should be one of the busiest trading periods of the year.

Tipperary Man Appears In Court Following €8.1 Million Cocaine Seizure.

Tipperary man remanded, after €8.1 million cocaine seizure in Laois.

A 39-year-old man from Wood View, Boulick, Gortnahoe, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, latter named in court as Mr Thomas Ryan, has been remanded in custody following a major seizure of suspected cocaine in Co. Laois.

Under the banner of Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau’s (GN-DOCB) Operation TARA, Gardaí carried out searches at a residential address, associated lands and a wooded area in Killnaseer, Rathdowney, on October 28th, 2025. The operation led to the seizure of approximately 116 kg of suspected cocaine, same with a street-value estimated at around €8.1 million, along with several electronic devices.

At his bail hearing on November 3rd last at Portlaoise District Court, defence counsel Mr Aonghus McCarthy argued that Ryan, latter a qualified carpenter with a two-decade working history, had strong community ties. His father, a 74-year-old farmer, offered a substantial surety.

However, Garda evidence, led by Mr Stephen Gillespie of GN-DOCB, strongly opposed bail. Gardaí claimed Mr Ryan had been identified as allegedly involved in the storage and distribution of drugs on behalf of an organised criminal group. They reported that two vehicles were seized from his address; one of which contained a “sophisticated motorised concealment.”

A search of a wooded area later, allegedly revealed the cocaine blocks, some bearing various markings and stamps, with one sample block, reportedly valued at €70,000, which has since tested positive for the drug cocaine.

According to court reports, Mr Ryan was interviewed six times at a Garda station following his arrest and is said to have made admissions relating to the storage and distribution of the drugs.

Prosecutors indicated the case will almost certainly proceed on indictment, and additional charges could follow.

Rejecting the bail application, Ms Justice Susan Fay remanded Mr Ryan in custody. The matter was adjourned to December 15th for directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP); with the accused most likely to appear by video link.