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Once again taxpayers money continues to be wasted by Tipperary County Council. The most recent wanton waste can be viewed at Bowes Corner, west of the town. (See image hereunder).
Note, Chinese granite stone has been laid around the ESB metal standard and a new Belisha Beacon pole; (no fault of the contractor), undertaken on the instructions of highly paid engineers and overpaid consultants.
It would appear that engineers and consultants have both failed to keep up to date on guidelines laid down by the National Transport Authority with regard to the basic principles governing universal access. (Note again the picture attached.) Universal access principles mean the avoidance of obstacles and impediments for people with disabilities; thus ensuring that adequate width and clearance is provided to enable them to have unimpeded access to pedestrian facilities. Imagine the confusion these obstacles, at Bowes Corner, will cause to a blind person using a guide dog, or a disabled person using a mobility power chair device.
the Chinese granite stonework will now have to be ripped up, the metal standard shifted and all financed by the stoically patient and long-suffering taxpayer.
Placing the cart before the horse.
Tipperary County Council and their officials within the Thurles Municipal district continue to “Place the cart before the horse.”
Recent developments within Thurles are now seen by local residents as superficial. Take the half developed upgrade to Liberty Square for example. Yes, it has the veneer of development. Certainly things look nicer around the town, but have failed totally to have a really deep and meaningful impact. Traffic congestion is worse. The nightmare, that is traffic, would have been substantially alleviated with a Ring Road/Bypass, and consumers would have been attracted to shop on our Liberty Square and other areas in our town centre, rather than, as it is now, avoiding Thurles altogether, because you can’t get through its increasing congested streets.
The removal of parking from the square and elsewhere, has not incentivized locals to pay for parking in car parks, instead they are heading to find the free parking readily available at Thurles Shopping Centre, Lidl and Aldi; choosing convenience and practicality over notions that are better suited to large city centre life.
The developments applied to Liberty square and surrounding streets are great in theory, but in practice ask yourself “Are they meeting the needs of a rural town, it’s business and consumers?”
A central square with spaces for pedestrians and eating outside is lovely, but in reality, seem more appropriate to Dublin City and places that have an efficient and well established public transport network. Pedestrianised streets; reduced parking, together with wooden picnic benches, latter for 8 weeks of the year, were never a priority for Thurles; the Thurles Ring Road/Bypass was; same now not expected to be included in any National Development Plan at least until 2030, if ever!
We may welcome the half provided, aesthetic improvements to Liberty square, but many of us would have waited for those, and taken a Ring Road/Bypass first.
Things have and are been done in totally the wrong order!
Unfortunately, the real people making decisions don’t walk the streets of Thurles town, nor appreciate what we need, to develop it, based on our unique rural needs; the Ring Road being a long standing local priority, and proving yet again that our two local resident politicians have absolutely no clout.
A ‘Derelict Site Notice’ has been served by Tipperary Co. Council, on a private dwelling, situated at No.3 Ikerrin* Road, Thurles, Co Tipperary; pursuant to section 8 of the Derelict Sites Act 1990.
The Derelict Notice was first issued, nailed to the front door of the neglected, unoccupied, property on January 10th, 2023, with the current owner ordered to make representation, ‘in writing’, no later than February 9th 2023 (one month).
Under the Act, local authorities are responsible for dealing with derelict sites in the areas they govern and can use granted powers to enforce necessary repairs.
Under the Act also, local authorities can prosecute owners who do not comply with notices served. They can make compulsory land purchases or carry out required necessary work themselves, while charging the owners for all associated costs.
Local Authorities must also maintain a ‘Derelict Sites Register’ (DSR), making the same register available for public inspection. It can remove an entry from the DSR, when it is fully satisfied that all improvement works have been carried out on the named derelict listed site.
If a property is entered on the DSR, the owner of such property becomes liable for the payment of a levy based on the market value of such property.
NOTE: * The name Ikerrin is a geographical unit of land, one of 12 baronies in County Tipperary, created after the Norman invasion of Ireland. Same baronies correspond to an earlier ‘Gaelic túath’ or a jurisdictional unit of land. Thurles town does not actually exist within the known geographical Barony of Ikerrin.
Ikerrin Road was previously known, up until the beginning of the 20th century as ‘Limekiln Lane’. Perhaps the Ikerrin reference comes from the once ruling Norman Butler families, who for seven generations bore the title ‘Viscount Ikerrin’.
We welcome persons with more qualified information regarding the ‘Ikerrin’ title, to please contact us.
Thurles CBS came up just short in today’s Harty Cup final, with Cashel Community School emerging victorious by a single point.
A point in injury time, by Golden Kilfeacle’s Eanna Ormonde, sealed Cashel’s first ever Harty Cup victory, in front of a packed Ardán Ui Riain.
Thurles CBS could never hit their strides against a very dominant Cashel defensive display, led by the imposing Ger O’Dwyer, brother of Australian Rules Football star, Orla O’Dwyer.
In the end the final scoreline read Cashel Community School 0-12 – Thurles CBS 0-11.
Both teams now advance to the Schools All Ireland series.
Upwards of 3,000km of Ireland’s hedgerows are removed each year, and now at last a group of stakeholders including the ‘Irish Wildlife Trust’, the ‘Federation of Irish Beekeepers’, and ‘Hedgerows Ireland’, have come together; calling on the Irish State to protect this richest of ecosystem.
We, residing in Thules, have watched helplessly as almost 2.4 kilometres of Hedgerow in the past 20 months was removed in the town, during the nesting season, with local Municipal District councillors highlighting such removals on social media, in an effort to give the impression that they are hard at work benefiting their electorate.
Despite every effort to call a halt to this wanton destruction, our best exertions fell upon deaf ears both locally; at the National Parks and Wildlife Service and at government Ministerial level, [exempli gratia, Ministers Mr Malcolm Noonan and Minister Mr Eamon Ryan.]
We have watched helplessly the removal of a 150 meters long, 50 year old mature Whitethorn hedgerow, situated east of Lidl supermarket, in the recently constructed new town centre area; the destruction at the walkway on ‘Lady’s well’; and the now totally destroyed historic “Great Famine Double Ditch” at Mill Road, in the town.
Members representing ‘Hedgerows Ireland’, latter a non-profit organization formed to protect against hedgerow removals, has now rightly claimed that such continuing removals could change the Irish landscape, beyond all current recognition.
It is no secret that Ireland’s hedgerows host a rich ecosystem, acting as Irelands rain forestwithin which some two third of our native birds use to roost, nest and feed.
Currently, to our shame and the shame of our present collision government; Irish current rules regarding any hedge removal, facilitate the eradication of half a kilometre (.62mls) of hedgerow, without any environmental assessment or scrutiny.
Some 95% of all applications for hedgerow removal are approved, thus eradicating a huge pollinator and wildlife reservoir, not to mention an area supporting massive carbon storage.
Sadly, their calls; to quote a line from William Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, will be “More honoured in the breach than the observance.”
It was with great sadness that we learned of the death, today Sunday 5th February 2023, of Mr Eamon O’Keeffe, Carrick Street, Mullinahone, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Pre-deceased by his loving father Thomas; Mr O’Keeffe passed away following a long illness most bravely borne.
His passing is most deeply regretted by his loving wife Rosie, mother Josie, sisters Carmel, Miriam, Sandra and Linda, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, extended relatives, neighbours and friends.
Requiescat in Pace.
Funeral Arrangements.
The earthly remains of Mr O’Keeffe will repose at St. Michael’s Church Mortuary, Kickham Street, Mullinahone, Thurles on Tuesday afternoon, February 7th from 5:00pm, before being received into St. Michael’s Church for prayers at 7:00pm, on same evening.
Requiem Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday morning, February 8th, at 11:30am, followed by interment, immediately afterwards, in St. Michael’s Cemetery, Killaghy, Mullinahone, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
The extended O’Keeffe 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 Private Please.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
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