Thurles Information

Temporary Traffic Management On N62 Slievenamon Road, Thurles, Begins Tomorrow.

Parents of students attending schools in Thurles, and travelling from the south, northwards on the N62, please take note.

Tipperary County Council are advising the public that they will operate temporary traffic management measures on the N62 Slievenamon Road, Thurles, commencing from tomorrow Monday September 25th possibly concluding next month on Monday October 23rd.
Same disruption is to facilitate works on a section of the footpath currently existing between Lidl Supermarket entrance and the River Suir walkway.

**Pictures show section of the N62 on Slievenamon Road Thurles and the widened entrance to the Thurles River Suir once pedestrian walkway only.**
*Pictures: G. Willoughby.*

These works are part of a further realignment of the road already partially constructed and then stalled some 11 months ago, and will include the removal and relocation of an ESB pole and a portion of existing footpath, while also installing a 100 metre cycle path from the present existing traffic lights on the southbound lane of the N62.

While the removal and relocation of the historic lime stone half circle walls at the existing River Suir walkway entrance have been welcomed, the failure to replace the existing turnstile (swinging gates) has caused great anger locally.
We are informed that the National Transport Authority has introduced new non-compliant access control points, affecting all newly modified Active Travel Routes and require a minimum of an 1800mm clear opening, on all public entrances.
This enlarged opening now permits not just walkers unto this pathway, but also horses pulling buggies, which are then driven into the river Suir, together with motorcycles and adult electric scooters, all now regular visitors using this former pedestrian only area.

Word of warning: If you are using this walkway in the company of small children, please do take care, as unsupervised children can easily run out onto the roadway, into the ever fast moving traffic operating on this section of the N62.

To facilitate this work, a section of the footpath between the new Lidl entrance and the River Suir Walkway is expected to remain closed, including the River Suir walkway itself.

One Of Ireland’s Largest Dioceses Launches Vocations Initiative.

The Diocese of Killaloe is undertaking a year-long initiative to encourage men to consider joining the priesthood.

Visits to parishes across the Diocese in Clare, Laois, Offaly, Tipperary and Limerick commence next weekend in Ennis, followed by visits to Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, Birr, Co. Offaly and Castleconnell, Co. Limerick during next month, October 2023.

With just over half of the 58 parishes in the Diocese currently served by a resident priest, Vocations Director Fr. Iggy McCormack says there is hope the three vocations recorded in the Diocese of Killaloe during the past 12 months can be built on, during the ‘Year for Vocations to the Diocesan Priesthood’.

“Geographically, we are the third largest Diocese in the country and is it has become increasingly difficult to maintain full cover across the five counties due to retirements and a lower number of vocations,” he explained. “The idea of young men taking up a vocation has arguably become more countercultural in recent years, but we are very hopeful that we can build on recent progress whereby three men from the Diocese will enter the seminary at Maynooth over the next 12 months.”

Fr. McCormack, who also is Principal of St. Flannan’s College in Ennis, said the vocations initiative will encourage people to discover more about vocations on the Diocesan website, while the parish church visits are aimed at kickstarting conversations within family groups, with local priests and in communities across the Diocese on the vocation of priesthood.

He continued, “I am encouraging any man who has been considering a vocation and is exploring their calling to make contact today with the Vocations Office or to speak with their local priest. Most newly ordained priests will comment on how the encouragement and counsel they received from their local priest greatly assisted in commencing their journey to priestly ministry.”

Ennis native Mr Mark Nestor, a former secondary school teacher and Clare County Councillor, entered the National Seminary at Saint Patrick’s College Maynooth last week, having spent the past year at the Royal English College of St Alban in Valladolid, Spain.

“Answering yes to my vocation to the priesthood has resulted in a great sense of contentment in my life,” Mark explained. “The support I have received from family, friends and the Diocese over the last two years has been phenomenal. I would encourage anyone who feels they have a vocation to priesthood to reach out and talk about their vocation.”

Visit www.killaloediocese.ie or follow the Killaloe Diocese on Facebook, – Instagram, – TikTok and Twitter for more on the Year for Vocations to the Diocesan Priesthood.

Corroded 100 Year-old Grenade Located In Tipperary.

A badly corroded 100 year-old grenade located near the monument at Solohead in South West Co. Tipperary was removed to a safe location where it was destroyed in a controlled explosion on Friday last, September 22nd, by the Irish Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team.

**Corroded** ‘**Mills Bomb’, a fully intact ‘Mills Bomb’ and their inventor English engineer Sir William Mills**.

The corroded device located by Tipperary County Council staff carrying out road repairs, resembled an MK I time-fused fragmentation hand grenade, latter used during the early years of World War I.
The device, according to its original designer, was then the simplest, yet most fool-proof grenade ever manufactured and replaced the existing cast-iron canister, latter set on an 18-inch stick, which was dangerous to use because it often got caught on trench fronts, when lobbed.
However, the MK I was retired from active use before the war ended, and was replaced in 1918 with the improved Mk 2 grenade used through the period of World War II.

Known by a more popular name, the “Mills bomb”, this series of British hand grenades, were used by British and Imperial forces, having been designed by English engineer Sir William Mills, (24th April 1856 – 7th January 1932) who also gave us our aluminium golf clubs, known as Metallic Golfing Instrument Heads.
Some 75,000,000 of these World War I Mills Bomb grenades were manufactured, with their four-second time fuses, allowing the thrower to easily take cover before they exploded.

Numerous, similar devices are located every year here in Ireland, with one such grenade device located in the Rosemount area of Thurles, in February 2018.
On November 16th, 2017, two men, one from Cahir, Co. Tipperary and the other from Clonmel in Co. Tipperary, were arrested having in their possession two fragmentation grenades.
On the 14th of May 2020 a Mills bomb, dating back about 100 years was made safe by the Irish Army having been discovered at Harold’s Cross bridge in Dublin, while on Wednesday 6th of March 2015, a man located a grenade Mills bomb at his home while out gardening in Newtown Lawns, Mullingar, Co Westmeath.
Earlier on September 22nd, 2009, a World War II ‘Mills Bomb’ was found in Cahir, Co. Tipperary.
In 2016 in the small village of Aughrim in Co. Galway another such device was located, and on Tuesday May 21st 2013 a Mills Grenade was discovered by people digging at their home in Crosshaven, Co Cork.

Most of these devices were brought smuggled home by Irish men who had joined the British Army to fight enemies on the front during World War I, and retained for intended use during Ireland’s fight for Independence, in the years 1916-22. Unused they were hidden away in private sheds or buried, to be located by future generations.

Death Of Michael Cashen, Formerly Templederry, Co. Tipperary.

It was with great sadness that we learned of the death, on Friday 22nd September 2023, of Mr Michael Cashen, Clonmore, Hacketstown, Co. Carlow and formerly of Templederry, Co. Tipperary.

Pre-deceased by his brothers Tom and Con, sisters Bridie and Mary, brothers and sisters-in-law; Mr Cashen passed away peacefully while in the care of staff at St. Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny City, Co. Kilkenny, surrounded by his loving family.

His passing is most deeply regretted and sadly missed by his loving wife Annette, sons Tom and Con, daughters Aileen, Geraldine and Olive, daughters-in-law Marie and Melissa, sons-in-law Mike, John, and Nigel, grandchildren, brothers Joe and Dick, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended relatives, neighbours and friends.

Requiescat in Pace.

Funeral Arrangements.

The earthly remains of Mr Cashen will repose at the home of his son Tom and Marie’s residence (Eircode R93 XF59) on this afternoon, Sunday September 24th, from 2:00pm until 8:00pm same evening, with house to remain private thereafter please.
The remains of Mr Cashen will be received into the nearby Church of Our Lady of The Wayside, Oldtown, Clonmore, Co. Carlow, on Monday afternoon, September 25th, to further repose for Requiem Mass at 1:30pm, followed by interment, immediately afterwards, in the adjoining graveyard.

The extended Cashen 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.

A Song For A Sunday.

Make Them Hear You.

Vocals: From the musical ‘Ragtime’, featuring the gospel, R&B, and soul artist Marlon Solomon.

Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens / Stephen Charles.

Make Them Hear You.

Go out and tell our story,
Let it echo far and wide,
Make them hear you.
Make them hear you.
How Justice was our battle,
And how Justice was denied.
Make them hear you.
Make them hear you.
And say to those who blame us,
For the way we chose to fight,
That sometimes there are battles,
That are more than black or white,
And I could not put down my sword,
When Justice was my right.
Make them hear you.

Go out and tell our story
To your daughters and your sons,
Make them hear you.
Make them hear you.
And tell them, “In our struggle,
We were not the only ones”.
Make them hear you.
Make them hear you.

Your sword can be a sermon,
Or the power of the pen.
Teach every child to raise his voice,
And then my brothers, then,
Will justice be demanded by ten million riteous men.
Make them hear you,
When they hear you, I’ll be near you,
Again.

End