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Tipperary Boy, With Cerebral Palsy, Awarded €4.58m Interim Payment.

Tipperary University Hospital has apologised for deficiencies provided to a mother, which lead up to the birth of her son some five years ago.

Lennon Meaney Shanahan had, through his mother Ms Anne Marie Meaney, sued the HSE over the management of his mother’s pregnancy leading to his delivery.
The settlement against the HSE includes a pledge of €1 million towards night nursing care for the little boy, who has quadriplegic spastic cerebral palsy, resulting in his inability to speak and visual impairment.

Counsel acting on behalf of Lennon; Mr Bruce Antoniotti SC, instructed by Mr Jamie Hart of Agustus Cullen Law Solicitors, Dublin, confirmed to the High Court that Lennon suffers from the most severe level of cerebral palsy.

It was claimed, through their Council, that there had been a failure to offer induction of labour and that his mother had been allowed to leave Tipperary University Hospital in circumstances where her blood pressure was significantly elevated, thus warranting further medication. It was also claimed that there was a failure to carry out the induction of labour during the mother’s admission between May 21st and May 22nd, of 2018 last.

It was further alleged, that there had been a failure to ensured Ms Meaney remained in hospital for maternal and fetal monitoring; rather than being sent home as was the case, until induction was feasible from the perspective of hospital management.

The HSE admitted it was in breach of its duty of care in relation to the management of the mother’s pregnancy on different occasions in May 2018, thus resulting in a failure to induce labour. It further admitted it was in breach of its duty of care, in relation to the management of the mother’s pregnancy, following spontaneous rupture of membranes on May 24th, of 2018.

In a letter to the parents of Lennon; Mr Paul Shanahan and Ms Anne Marie Meaney, which was read to the court, the hospital said it accepted responsibility for these failings, which should not have happened.

Lennon’s case will come back once again before the court, in five years’ time, when future care needs will be further assessed.

Mr Justice Paul Coffey, in approving the settlement, stated that same was reasonable, before wishing Lennon and his family all the best for the future.

Joe Soap Got It Right Again.

Every ordinary unqualified ‘Joe Soap’, in Thurles town, forecast that the design put on display for Bowe’s corner, early last October, would be a disaster.
The issues raised by these unqualified ‘Joe Soap’s’, raised real concerns with regards to large trucks and buses making a left hand turn from Butler Avenue and Railway road, in their effort to access Abbey Road, (R660), Garryvicleheen, Thurles, without having to enter a wrong, oncoming vehicle lane. But sure what would ‘Joe Soap’s’ know about road engineering.

Thurles and Templemore Municipal District Engineer, Mr Thomas Duffy pleaded for patience with the Bowes’ Corner project, after a lot of ‘Joe Soap’s’ and some local councillors expressed concerns about the unfinished layout.
Mr Duffy was to go back to the road designers to discuss these many local concerns.

Fianna Fáil, Councillor Mr Seamus Hanafin, lacking somewhat in forward thinking; refused to be critical of this new design, since, as he stated, it remained incomplete.

According to Mr Duffey, the designers of this €650,000, project (€500.000 plus the €150.000 later added we are told) had run their ruler over their design, on numerous occasions, and he appealed to the unqualified ‘Joe Soap’s’ to have patience and wait until the project was completed and the overall plan was fully in place, before casting judgement.

Speed Hump (Black/Yellow) Safety Sign Adjusted by Traffic on Butler Avenue, close to Bowes Corner.

Well, as evidenced by the picture above, one high sided vehicle turning from the Cork side of Thurles Railway Station, unto Butler Avenue, now has a dirty great scratch along its side. It was attempting to get behind traffic already trapped, queued on the yellow diagonal box in the centre of the road; which happens so often, when traffic ahead is forced to comes to an unexpected sudden halt, at junctions.

When you erect a sign on a restricted narrow road; same jutting out over a kerb, expect it to be adjusted by heavy traffic, each and all attempting to use a restricted route.

Yes, not for the first time, has Councillor Mr Seamus Hanafin and District Engineer Mr Thomas Duffy, got it completely wrong. But sure taxpayers’ pockets are deep, so what does €650,000 for a little road alignment, matter anyway.

Measure twice, Cut once.
See the new Liberty Square update for example: HERE and HERE and HERE and the new R-660 Abbey Road Roundabout HERE. Obviously, someone has cut a meter or so out of the centre of the engineer’s tape measure.

Time for Tipperary Co. Council to change their road designers and maybe employ ordinary unqualified ‘Joe Soaps’.

Tipperary Boutique Listed On Revenue Defaulters Register.

The owner of a boutique in north Co. Tipperary has been registered on a Revenue List of defaulters. [See Defaulters list – part 2 – Quarter 4, 2022]

Ms Mai Madden, owner of Mai’s boutique, latter situated at 108 Main Street, Templemore, Co. Tipperary, was ordered to pay €126,159 in tax, €46,485 in interest and €37,848 in penalties.

Same requested payments, we are informed in a Revenue publication, followed a Revenue investigation into the under-declaration of PAYE, PRSI, USC and VAT.

Death Of Mary Cooney, Rossmore, Co. Tipperary.

It was with great sadness that we learned of the death, yesterday Wednesday 8th March 2023, of Mrs Mary Cooney (née Garrett), College View Drive, Shannon Banks, Corbally, Co. Limerick and formerly of Rossmore, Clonoulty, Co. Tipperary.

Pre-deceased by her brother Mick; Mrs Cooney (Ex Campbell’s Catering) sadly passed away unexpectedly.

Her passing is most deeply regretted by her loving husband Pat, daughters Nora and Helen, son Martin, grandchildren Joe, Molly, Tom, Isaac, Freya and Oliver, sons-in-law Brendan and Paul, daughter-in-law Antoinette, brothers Jim and Pat, sister Kathleen, nephews, nieces, other extended relatives, neighbours and friends.

Requiescat in Pace.

Funeral Arrangements.

The earthly remains of Mrs Cooney will repose at Joseph Cross & Sons Funeral establishment, No. 2 Lower Gerald Griffin Street, Limerick, on tomorrow afternoon, Friday, March 10th, from 3:30pm to 5:00pm.

The funeral cortège, bearing the remains of Mrs Cooney will be received into the Church of St. Nicholas, Corbally Road, Athlunkard, Westbury, Co. Clare, on Saturday morning, March 11th, to further repose for Requiem Mass at 11:00am, followed by interment immediately afterwards in Rossmore Cemetery, Clonoulty, Co. Tipperary, [ETA 2.30pm approx].

For those persons who are unable to attend the funeral service for Mrs Cooney, same can be viewed, streamed live online HERE.

The extended Cooney 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.

Note Please: House strictly private.


Suaimhneas síoraí dá h-anam dílis.

Launch Of Updated Information Sharing System Across EU, Welcomed.

The Schengen Information System (SIS) Recast, will allow for enhanced information sharing on people and objects, allowing national authorities to better pursue and prevent serious crimes and terrorism.

The SIS Recast, by the European Commission has been fully implemented by An Garda Síochána, working in close collaboration with the Commission and other participating States.

It is the largest and most widely used IT system for public security in Europe and has received new functionalities through this upgrade, which went live this week.

Minister Harris has been discussing the upgrade with his EU Justice and Home Affairs colleagues at a meeting in Brussels today.

Ireland connected to SIS in March 2021 and since then it has proven to be an extremely effective tool for An Garda Síochána, in tackling crime domestically and also in contributing to international criminal investigations.

The system enables law enforcement agencies, including An Garda Síochána, to share and check data in real time on wanted persons, missing persons, persons who may not have the right to enter or stay in EU member states, and objects/vehicles that may have been stolen.

Under the updates this week, new types of biometrics, such as palm prints, fingermarks and DNA records (only in relation to missing persons) will be included on SIS to confirm and verify the identity of people registered in the system.

Authorities can also enter preventive alerts to protect certain categories of vulnerable persons, such as children at high risk of parental abduction, children at risk of becoming victims of trafficking in human beings, and children at risk of being recruited as foreign terrorist fighters.

Minister Mr Simon Harris said; “Gardaí must have access to the most up-to-date technology and data in order to continue to provide the world class policing service we have come to expect as we work together to build stronger, safer communities.
Crime does not respect borders, and new technologies, along with strong cooperation with our friends in Europe and beyond, is crucial in ensuring that people are safe and can feel safe in communities across Ireland.
I am confident that SIS RECAST will prove invaluable for An Garda Síochána and I commend the detailed work that An Garda Síochána has carried out over many months to ensure that Ireland has implemented this upgrade alongside the rest of the EU.”

Under the developments which went live this week, new alerts have been introduced across the SIS system.

These include:

*Introduction of a new alert category of “unknown wanted persons” connected to a serious crime, e.g., persons whose fingerprints are found on a weapon used in a crime;

*Extension of the existing category of “missing persons” to “vulnerable persons who need to be prevented from travelling,” e.g., children at high risk of parental abduction, children at risk of becoming victims of trafficking in human beings, and children at risk of being recruited as foreign terrorist fighters;

* Creation of the new category “inquiry check” allowing national law enforcement authorities to stop and interview a person in order for the issuing Member State to obtain detailed information;

* Introduction of the category of “objects of high value,” e.g., items of information technology such as laptops, which can be identified and searched with a unique identification number.

* Obligation for Member States to create SIS alerts for cases related to terrorist offences;

* Obligation to inform Europol of hit alerts linked to terrorism in order to help to “connect the dots” of terrorism at the European level.