Hidden Tipperary

Great Famine Remembered In Silence By Irish Schools

George — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:28:51 +0000

Thurles Famine Museum.

All schools around Ireland will hold a minute’s silence today as a mark of respect for all those who died, suffered or were forced to emigrate, during the Great Famine period 1845-1849, here in Ireland.

Better known outside the shores of Ireland, as the Irish Potato Famine, this period witnessed the death of approximately 1.3 million people and the emigration of at least 1 million others from Ireland, causing the island’s population to fall by between 20% and 25%.

On Sunday next, St Mary’s Famine Museum here in Thurles Co Tipperary will officially open from 2:00pm – 5:30pm thus kicking off the start of the current Tipperary tourism season, (May 1st to September 30th) with the museum running a series of “Guided Tour Lectures,” on the afternoon, as part of the Ireland’s 2012 National Famine Commemorations.

Thurles Famine Museum now holds the largest collection of original Famine Memorabilia in Ireland and a number of new exhibition items will go on display for the very first time on Sunday, including an original document which is the only proof in existence of the “Tithe Wars,” here in Thurles.

Sandhurst Military Academy Uniforms And Holocaust Exhibition

Other events planned for later this year at St. Marys Museum include:-

An exhibition of clothing and other artefacts from the Downton Abbey era of Irish history, including old military uniforms from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Surrey, England.
A Holocaust photographic exhibition entitled “The Shoah,” dedicated to the memory and genocide of 5.29 – 6.2 million of our Jewish brethren.

Full details of these exhibitions will be announced by St Mary’s Famine Museum, in the coming weeks.
In the meanwhile if you are out and about on Sunday afternoon next, do call to St Mary’s Famine Museum in Thurles.

Note: Entry charge for this event costs just €2.50 which includes the ‘Lecture Tour,’ latter which begins sharp at 3:00pm.

Tipperary Titanic Passengers

George — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 22:55:06 +0000

A plaque commemorating four people, who left from Cahir to travel on the doomed Titanic will be unveiled in Cahir, Co.Tipperary this weekend.

The plaque will bear the names of Roger Tobin, Kate Peters, Kate McCarthy and Kate Connolly, who all bought their tickets in Cahir at a local White Star Line agent’s office.

The centenary of the disaster will be commemorated on Sunday starting with mass in Kilmoyler Church at 10.30am. Following this wreaths will be laid on the family plots of those associated.

Special ‘Titanic Menus,’ will be available at lunchtime on Sunday, to the public, in eateries in Cahir, including the Cahir House Hotel and The Galtee Inn. At approximately 3:00pm on Sunday afternoon, a plaque will be unveiled by members of the Peters, Tobin and McCarthy families, on Castle Street in the town. A letter that was written by Kate McCarthy, will also be read aloud and this will be followed by refreshments, music, storytelling and an exhibition in Morrissey’s Bar.

For further information on Tipperary Titanic passengers click HERE.

Tipperary – Thurles St.Patrick’s Day 2012 Programme

George — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 00:13:27 +0000

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2012, here in Thurles will take place on Sunday 18th March and this year the programme of events is bigger and better than ever before.

Monday 12th to Monday 19th:- Prizes for best dressed window and for best traditional window.
Friday 8pm:- Ceili in Band Room (Organised by Thurles Set Dancing Club) music by ‘The Suirside Ceili Band.’

Sunday 18th March: Day of Parade

From 2:00pm in Liberty Square:- Free open air concert with Philip English & his band. Philip is one of the top Country and Irish singers in the country and anyone who feels like dancing to his music is welcome to do just that.

From 2:00pm to 5:00pm in Liberty Square:- Mobile Farm Unit (Under the Supervision of Agri-Aware)
From 2:00pm to 5:00pm in Liberty Square:- Professional Street Entertainers.
From 2.45pm Parade Commences, starting in Abbey Road offering this year a prize fund of over €3,000, to participants taking part.

Already confirmed as taking part in this year’s Thurles St. Patrick’s Parade:-

A Viking Re-enactment group. Roman Army Re-enactment group. Seven marching bands. Six Schools and their floats. Numerous Vintage items. Numerous Large Floats. Local Sports Groups. Walking Groups. Commercial entries and much, much more.

St. Patrick’s Day in Thurles would not be complete without Dancing in The Premier Ballroom from 9:00pm to 12:00 midnight, (Organised by ‘The Club for Dancing,’) with music by ‘Checkers.’
There will be the presentation of prizes at 4:45pm in Liberty Square.

For further information: Contact Tel 087-9732837 or Email dancingforpleasure@eircom.net

The Saturdays To Play Thurles Greyhound Stadium Tipperary

George — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 23:05:30 +0000

Una-Healy, with Ben Foden & friends on a nightout in her native Thurles.

It has been confirmed that Thurles native Una Healy and her girl band ‘The Saturdays,’ will play Thurles Greyhound Stadium at 2.30pm on Sunday June 3rd next here in Tipperary. (June Bank Holiday weekend.)

Promoter, David O’Mahony and Frances Bannon, of Kennedy’s Live Promotions, stated today: “We are delighted to announce the arrival of The Saturdays pop sensation, here to Thurles. Fans are promised a high octane show with strong vocals, tight harmonies and slick choreography supporting the girls’ array of crowd-pleasing hits like ‘Notorious,’ ‘Work,’ ‘Forever Is Over,’ and ‘All Fired Up.’ This latter coupled with dramatic lighting and stunning visual effects, will ensure that this Tipperary gig will be one of the most exciting concert events attended here in Ireland this year.”

While Una Healy is a regular visitor to her home town of Thurles, this will be her first visit where she will perform live with the band.

Una and her English rugby player fiancé Ben Foden will celebrate their wedding at an exclusive country house here in Co.Tipperary on a date yet to be announced. Kilshane House situated three miles outside Tipperary town, on the Tipperary to Bansha road and at the end of a half mile long daffodil lined driveway, is likely to play host to what will be possibly the most discussed wedding of the decade here in Tipperary.

Tickets for the coming Thurles concert go on sale at €35.00 excluding booking charges and will be available from www.ticketmaster.ie
Photo Courtesy G.Willoughby

Tipperary Irish Language Hill Walk In Upperchurch

George — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:27:56 +0000

Upperchurch

“The beauty of the world hath made me sad, this beauty that will pass;
Sometimes my heart hath shaken with great joy to see a leaping squirrel in a tree,
Or a red lady-bird upon a stalk, or little rabbits in a field at evening,
Lit by a slanting sun, or some green hill where shadows drifted by,
Some quiet hill where mountainy man hath sown and soon would reap; near to the gate of Heaven.”

Every time I read the above text I often wonder if the Irish poet Padraic Henry Pearse, (Pádraig Anraí Mac Piarais) when penning his wonderful poem “The Wayfarer,” wasn’t writing about the magnificent wild, unspoilt and uncontrolled, heavenly beauty, that is Upperchurch, Thurles, here in Co Tipperary.

Your excuse for an overdue visit to Upperchurch, Co. Tipperary, comes next Sunday, March 11th, when a walk with all participants, using the Irish language, will be held starting from Upperchurch Village at 4.30p.m. sharp.

This event is part of Seachtain na Gaeilge activities and will take the Eamon an Chnoic Loop, over 8 km in length. (Excellent weather forecast.)

Registration is free and there will be an optional meal available afterwards at a cost €10 if booked at time of registration. There will also be traditional Irish entertainment to kick off the St. Patrick’s week festivities. All are welcome including those with little or no knowledge of the Irish language.

For further details of these and other walking and cycling events contact:- www.upperchurch.ie or Phone 0504 54443 any weekday 10:00am to 2:00pm or Phone: 086 0518934 or 0504 54284 at other times.

Tá tráthnóna pléisiúrtha sultmhar sláintiúil geallta do chách. Bígí ann. (Translated: A healthy fun enjoyable evening is guaranteed. Highly recommended.)

Restoration Of Nenagh Castle’s Keep Complete By June

George — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:37:28 +0000

Nenagh Castle 2011

Restoration of Nenagh Castle’s ‘Keep,’ will be completed by June in time for President Michael D. Higgins’s visit to the site. The Director of Services Marcus O’Connor and Nenagh Town Clerk Donal Purcell will finalise external works around the historic building by June 2012.
(Click on image for larger resolution.)

The visit to Nenagh by President Michael D. Higginsis is planned for June 6th next and when the ‘Keep,’ is opened to the public, it will be an added attraction to visitors, when taken in conjunction with the Nenagh Arts Centre, Nenagh Courthouse, Nenagh Jail and nearby churches in the area.

It was here, in 1336, that a peace treaty was signed between James Butler, 1st Earl of Ormond, and a representative of the Irish O’Kennedy clan. This treaty was presented as a gift to US President John F. Kennedy during his state visit to Ireland in 1963, and it is now housed in the J.F.K Library in Massachusetts.

Tipperary Celebrates National Tree Week

George — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 23:28:55 +0000

National Tree Week takes place here in Tipperary, from the 4th-10th of March 2012, organised by the Tree Council of Ireland.

The theme for National Tree Week 2012 is ‘Trees – Our Past, Our Present, Our Future, ‘ and will be officially launched by the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, with a tree planting ceremony at 12:00 noon, in Ardee, Co. Louth.

In Tipperary, residents are being prompted to perhaps plant a trees and are encouraged to celebrate our remarkable heritage of beautiful trees and woodlands, by attending at least one of the fifteen events taking place this week in Tipperary as part of this National annual event.

National Tree Week Events Being Held In Tipperary

Event (1): The Johnny Mc Carthy Woodturning exhibition.
Venue: Bookworm Workshop, Liberty Square, Thurles.
Dates: 4th – 17th March. Organising Body: Johnny Mc Carthy Woodturning.
Contact: Johnny Mc Carthy, Tel: 086-8326369.

Event (2): R.J. Gough’s “Worth Another Gander,” Bog Wood Sculptors and Wildlife photography.
Venue: Foyer, LIT Thurles. Date: 24th February – 8th March. Organisation: R.J. Gough/Thurles LIT/North Tipperary County Council. Contact: Marion Carey Heritage Officer, Tel: 067-44677, or R.J. Gough, Tel: 087-2072090.

Event (3): Launch of National Tree Week in North Tipperary and Planting Ceremony.
Venue: Newtown, Portroe, Nenagh. Date and Time: Wednesday 29th February, 10.30a.m. Organisation: North Tipperary County Council/Youghalarra School. Contact: Deirdre Cox, Environmental Awareness Officer, 067-44784

Event (4): Family Tree / Familiar Trees Art Workshop
Venue: The Common Thread Café, 15 Parnell St, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. Date: 3rd March 2012. Time: 11:00am – 1:00pm. Organising Body: The Common Thread. Contact Person: Theresia Gushlbauer. Tel: 086 8225054

Event (5): Tree Walk and Talk with George Cunningham
Venue: St. Cronan’s R.C. Church, Roscrea. Date and Time: 4th March at 3:00pm. Organisation: North Tipperary County Council. Contact: Marion Carey, Heritage Officer, Tel: 067-44677.

Event (6): Woodland Walk and Talk with Brendan Lally, Forester, Coillte.
Venue: Castletown, Portroe. Date and Time: Monday, 5th March at 2:00pm (Meet at the Lookout at 2pm) Organisation: Coillte. Contact: Brendan Lally, Coillte /Marion Carey, Heritage Officer, Tel: 067-44677.

Event (7): Dale Treadwell, Crann – Workshops and Tree Planting in schools throughout North Tipperary
Venue: Various schools. Date: 5th – 9th March. Organisation: North Tipperary County Council. Contact: Deirdre Cox, Environmental Awareness Officer, Tel: 067-44784

Event (8): Native Trees Display and launch of Green Books Collection
Venue: Clonmel Library, Emmet St., Clonmel, Co Tipperary. Date: March 6th to 10th March. Organising Body: Tipperary Libraries. Contact: Marie Boland. Tel: 052-6124545.

Event (9): Walk through Templemore Park and Presentation with Éanna Ní Lámhna.
Venue: Templemore Town Park and Templemore Library. Date: Tuesday, 6th March 10.30am – 12.30am. Organisation: North Tipperary County Council and Templemore Library. Contact: Marion Carey, Heritage Officer, Tel: 067-44677 or Pat Bracken (0504) 32555.

Event (10): Treeyarn at the Common Thread
Venue: The Common Thread Café, 15 Parnell St, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. Date: 6 to 10 March. Time: 11.00am – 5.00pm. Organising Body: The Common Thread Cafe. Contact Person: Theresia Gushlbauer. Tel: 086 8225054.

Event (11): “Biodiversity Walk and Tree Planting,” with Joe Bourke, Holycross Development Association
Venue: Biodiversity Garden, Cashel Road, Holycross Village. Date and Time: Wednesday 7th March. Time: 11.00am – 12.00 noon. Organisation: Holycross Development Association. Contact: Deirdre Cox, E AO. Tel: 067-44784.

Event (12): Forest Lakeside Walk
Venue: Marl Bog Forest, Dundrum, Co Tipperary. Date: Wednesday 7th March 2012. Time: 10:00am. 11:30am, 1:00pm. Organising Body: Coillte.
Contact: John Moore. Tel: 087 8501683.

Event (13): Trees for Life, Trees for Community.
Venue: Knockanacree Community Woodlands & Cloughjordan Village main street. Date: Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th March. Time: Sat 10th 11.00am and 2.30pm.
Sun 11th 12.00noon. Organising Body: Cloughjordan Community Development Committee: Nature Links Programme. Contact Person: Gearoid O’Foighil. Tel: 0879009748.

Event (14): Twigs Gather and Tree Walk Clonmel
Venue: Gathering: Common Thread Cafe, Parnell St, Clonmel 11am to 1pm. Tree Walk: Minella Hotel Car Park, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary at 2.30pm. Date: 10th March 2012. Time: 11:00am to 1:00pm and 2.30pm for Tree Walk. Organising Body: The Common Thread cafe. Contact Person: Theresia Gushlbauer. Tel: 086 8225054.

Event (15): Tree Identification, Uses and Folklore.
Venue: Sean O’ Farrell’s Farm Cloncannon, Gortagarry. Date: March 11th.
Time: 3:00pm. Contact: Seán O’Farrell. Tel: 087 9227957.

Come Home For Thurles International Hurling Festival 2012

admin — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 21:29:01 +0000

Last July Thurles Sarsfields here in Co Tipperary hosted their first ever International Hurling Festival, its coveted prize, the Tom Semple Cup.

This year, Thurles, proudly waving the banner “European Town of Sport,” for 2012, will see an even more exciting Festival, with the competition expanded to 12 teams, with the European County Finals in Hurling and Camogie also taking place. The first every official Hurl Ball competition will be established and Road Bowling teams from Cork and Northern Ireland have promised to join in and entertain. Four teams from the USA have already expressed an interest in taking part in 2013.

This inaugural competition, initiated by Thurles Sarsfields, in an effort to promote Tipperary as a venue for National and International tourism, saw eight teams taking part on Munster Final weekend 2011: The Wild Geese from the USA; Robert Emmets and Kilburn Gaels from London; Na Magha from Derry; Keady from Armagh; Naomh Moinne from Louth; Dunboyne from Meath and Naas from Co. Kildare.

The 2011 Tom Semple Cup was presented to the captain of Kilburn Gaels, after an exciting final against Dunboyne, by Anne Semple, daughter of hurling great, Tom Semple.

The success of the competition can be gauged by the fact that all teams have agreed to come back in 2012 and all publicly have expressed their enjoyment and appreciation of the event. The festival gave a much needed boost to the local economy last year and was very much appreciated by local business and all tourist interests in the area. The Tom Semple Cup is now recognised by both Croke Park and Shannon Development and is a permanent fixture on the GAA calendar.

To all our friends abroad, Thurles says “Come home for the hurling.”

Rubberbandits Attend Thurles Games Fleadh

admin — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:06:36 +0000

RubberBandits: The Revenge of Stephen Forward

Get those plastic supermarket bags at the ready folks, comedic duo the RubberBandits are coming to Thurles in March next, but not in the way one might expect.

The Bandits are about to launch their very first video game and attendees at Thurles’ Annual Games Fleadh this coming March will be given the opportunity to sample this game for the very first time.

RubberBandits: The Revenge of Stephen Forward is an iOS and Android game, the brainchild of the Bandits themselves, aided and abetted by Limerick based development studio “Open Emotion Studios.”

The game will feature scenarios specially written by the crazy mad Bandits themselves, including a cameo from “Willie O’DJ,” who must be freed from prison for “assaulting,” a dole queue.

The game will debut first at Games Fleadh 2012, Ireland’s largest Computer and Console Games Programming Festival, this March 14th and 15th in LIT Tipperary Institute in Thurles. Punters will be able to sample a demo of the game and get their first taste of classic Bandit humour on iOS and Android platforms.

Gamers coming to Thurles for this Console Games Programming Festival do please take note, the two hotels in Thurles, both which are within 15 minutes and 6 minutes walking distance of this two day event, are offering a very special overnight accommodation rates to all visitors.

Hayes Hotel Accommodation Rates are as follows:-
Single Room plus breakfast €40.00 inc, Twin Room plus breakfast €70.00 inc, Triple Room plus breakfast €90.00 plus breakfast inc.

Anner Hotel Accommodation Rates are as follows:-
Single Room plus breakfast €45.00 inc, Twin Room plus breakfast €80.00 inc, Triple Room plus breakfast €100.00 plus breakfast inc.

Accommodation during this Annual Gaming Festival will be at a premium, so all you mad gaming enthusiasts do please be warned, book your space as soon as possible, and enjoy this major annual Irish gaming event.

Thurles Irish European Town of Sport 2012

George — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:20:07 +0000

The picture hereunder, taken at the European Capital of Sport Association Awards Ceremony in Brussels shows:
Front Row: (left to right) Sean Kelly MEP, Phil Prendergast MEP and Cllr John Kennedy, Mayor of Thurles.
Back Row: (left to right) Michael Ryan Thurles Town Clerk, Brian Keating Regional Development Manager Shannon Development and Kevin O’Connor New Business Development Manager at Shannon Development.

European Capital of Sport Association Awards Ceremony in Brussels.

Speaking about the significance of the award for Thurles, Mr Brian Keating, Shannon Development’s Regional Manager for Tipperary and Offaly stated: “We are delighted to be the first town in Ireland to be awarded the title of European Town of Sport for 2012, following a successful submission from Shannon Development, North Tipperary County Council, LIT Tipperary and North Tipperary Sports Partnership. This award comes at a time when Limerick’s reign as a European City of Sport 2011 draws to a close.”

A county steering group will now be put in place to construct a programme of events for the coming year to celebrate this European recognition. It is estimated that properly promoted, sports events in the Shannon Region could generate an estimated €70m in revenue this year.