Thurles Information

Blood Transfusion Service Appeal For Donors In Thurles & Roscrea.

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) is appealing to donors in Tipperary to attend upcoming blood donation clinics both in Thurles and Roscrea next week.

The Thurles clinics will take place over three days, from Tuesday, October 28th to Thursday, October 30th, at The Dome close to Semple Stadium, Bohernave Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Appointment times run from 4:50pm, with the latest slot available at 8:10pm.

In Roscrea, clinics are scheduled for Wednesday, October 29th, and Thursday, October 30th, at Coláiste Phobal (Roscrea Community College), Corville Rd, Demesne, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary.
Donors can book appointments from 3:50pm to 8:10pm.

The IBTS is encouraging both regular and new donors to make an appointment in advance and help maintain essential blood supplies across the country. Appointments can be booked at www.giveblood.ie.

Hiking, History, Fine Food: Lonely Planet Hails Tipperary As A Must-Visit in 2026.

Tourism Ireland Launches Campaign to Showcase County’s Global Recognition.

County Tipperary has been named one of the world’s top places to visit in 2026 by Lonely Planet, the renowned travel guide publisher. The county features in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2026, an annual list highlighting 25 destinations and experiences across the globe that travellers “should not miss” in the year ahead.

Described as “best for hiking, history and fine food,” Lonely Planet praises Tipperary as a place where “the food is remarkable, the landscapes are generous, and the castles are so casually scattered across the county that you’ll probably stumble across one on your way to dinner.” The guide adds that while Tipperary captures the postcard-perfect image of Ireland, it also “holds a few surprises” for those who explore further.

Welcoming the accolade, Elmagh Killeen, Head of Brand and Marketing Communications at Tourism Ireland, said: “We’re thrilled that Tipperary has been recognised among the world’s top destinations for 2026. This is a tribute to the county’s stunning walking trails, rich heritage, and exceptional food scene. It’s a real opportunity to set Ireland apart and to encourage more international visitors to discover Tipperary for themselves. I want to congratulate all the tourism and hospitality providers in the county whose hard work has made this achievement possible.”

Tom Hall, Vice President of Lonely Planet, echoed those sentiments, noting: “Tipperary’s inclusion in Best in Travel 2026 highlights its wonderful blend of hiking, history and fine food. From iconic landmarks like the Rock of Cashel to its namesake blue cheese, the county offers an authentic and quietly beautiful slice of Ireland. Its walking trails, village pubs and scenic drives make exploring Tipperary a true pleasure.”

Tourism Ireland plans to capitalise on this international recognition through an extensive global marketing push. The campaign will include:

Global media outreach: a major PR drive targeting leading travel and lifestyle journalists;
Social media promotion: sharing the news with millions of followers across key markets including the United States, Great Britain, Spain and Italy;
Market focus: special emphasis in Spain and Italy, both of which are ‘twinned’ with Tipperary as part of Tourism Ireland’s regional growth initiative;
Digital spotlight: a dedicated feature on Tourism Ireland’s global website, Ireland.com

Large Oyster Mushroom Enjoying Tipperary Soft Weather.

Oyster Mushroom (Hypsizygus ulmarius)

Spotted this week in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, an oyster mushroom making the most of the mild autumn weather; a perfect reminder of how resilient and fascinating these woodland dwellers are.

Oyster mushrooms are among the most popular edible fungi in Ireland, known for their delicate flavour and firm texture. They are versatile in cooking and can be added to soups, pasta, and stir-fries, or sautéed as a side dish.

They typically grow high up on the trunks and branches of broadleaf hardwood trees in mixed woodlands.

**Large Oyster Mushroom** *(Hypsizygus ulmarius)*, **Thurles, Co. Tipperary**

Their fruiting bodies are semicircular or shell-shaped, often with smooth, pale caps that catch the light in forests. Though similar in look to other oyster-like species, this particular variety, Hypsizygus ulmarius, belongs to a different genus entirely. Its Latin name offers a small map of its habits: hypsi meaning “high up”, zygus referring to a “yoke”, and ulmarius translating to “of the elms”, its favourite tree host.

You’ll usually find these mushrooms sprouting individually from branch scars and wounds on living elms and box elders, though they occasionally make their home on beech, maple, willow, oak, or even, as in this case, an apple tree.

While they prefer living trees, slowly causing white rot in the wood, they can also thrive on fallen trunks and decaying branches. That duality, living as both parasite and saprotroph (Latter an organism that feeds on or derives nourishment from decaying organic matter), makes them remarkable survivors, feeding either on the living or the dead.

So next time you’re walking through a Tipperary woodland, look up, not down. The quiet life clinging to the bark above might just be an oyster mushroom enjoying the same soft weather as the rest of us.

Thurles Traffic Diversion On N75 To Facilitate Road Resurfacing.

From Tuesday, 28th October 2005 to Tuesday, 4th November 2005 there will be a traffic diversion in place on Kickham Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Traffic diversions will be eastward via Mitchel Street and southwards unto Boheravoroon (Borroway), enabling vehicles to facilitate long awaited road resurfacing operations.

Tipperary County Council apologise in advance for any inconvenience that may be caused.
Any concerns or queries in relation to the works, may be directed to the contact numbers below or alternatively, to the Roads Capital Office of Tipperary County Council at Tel: 0818 06 5000.

Government Approval Granted To Progress Criminal Law Bill 2025.

Government gives approval to progress the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences, Domestic Violence and International Instruments) Bill 2025.

Bill will includes measures to:

Introduce ‘Jennie’s Law’ – a new publicly accessible Domestic Violence Register of Judgements managed by the Courts Service
Strengthen the law on sexual consent
Replace the term ‘child pornography’ in legislation with more appropriate term of ‘child sexual abuse material’

The Irish Government has approved the drafting of legislation to establish a publicly accessible Domestic Violence Register of Judgements, same to be published by the Courts Service. This new law will allow those convicted of domestic violence against a partner or former partner, to be publicly named on this Register of Judgements.

The General Scheme of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences, Domestic Violence and International Instruments) Bill 2025 will also:

Strengthen the law on sexual consent.
Bolster our legislation on preventing and combating human trafficking;
Remove dual criminality in respect of certain offences including forced marriage; and
Replace references to “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material” in legislation and in legal proceedings.

The General Scheme will now be referred to the Justice Committee for pre-legislative scrutiny and, when its report is received, work on finalising the Bill will be prioritised.

In practice, this means that when a person says they thought the other person had consented to sexual activity, this must be based on objective circumstances and not simply be the subjective belief of the accused. Under the new legislation this will apply not just to sexual intercourse but to all types of sexual activity between adults.

The proposed Register of Domestic Violence Judgements is a mechanism to facilitate publication of written judgments following conviction on indictment for serious offences relating to domestic violence, setting out details of the offence, the perpetrator, and other relevant information. Once issued, judgments will be published on the Courts Service website. The Court will retain the discretion to decide if a judgment should be delivered in a specific case, and the victim must provide their consent. The Register of Domestic Violence judgments will also signpost users to guidance on reporting domestic violence incidents and information on domestic violence supports.

In line with EU obligations and Council of Europe recommendations, the General Scheme also removes the requirement for dual criminality for sexual violence offences including rape, forced marriage, female genital mutilation and forced abortion and forced sterilisation. Until now, if such offences were committed abroad by an Irish citizen, they could not be prosecuted by the State unless this behaviour was also a crime in the place where it occurred.

The General Scheme can be read in full here: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences, Domestic Violence and International Instruments) Bill 2025.