Tipperary Greenway – a huge benefit to Fethard


The Tipperary Greenway Project was first established in 2018, to organise the raising of funds for a feasibility study to examine the potential of creating a Greenway between Clonmel and Thurles via Fethard.  The feasibility study will examine the prospect of using, where possible, the former rail line that linked Clonmel to Fethard and Thurles, and also other possible options.

This is a fantastic project to support local rural communities with huge benefits for our health and wellbeing, providing safer walking and cycling, tourism, business opportunities and a link with other greenways and blueways already established or planned. A feasibility study will come up with a choice of acceptable plans offering alternative routes where difficulties exist and is the first step on the ladder that will also provide a cost-benefit analysis on the potential a Greenway will have for our region.

To help fund the Feasibility Study we ask for your support CLICK TO SUPPORT and get further information

Background
On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, the first public information meeting regarding the possibilities of developing a ‘Thurles to Clonmel Greenway via Fethard’ was held in the Anner Hotel, Thurles.  The packed meeting was chaired by Cllr. Jim Ryan, a long-time advocate of greenways, joined by Cllr. Kevin O'Meara (Mullinahone), David Morrissey, Declan McGann, Seamus Weber and Jane Ryan. Apologies were received from Cllr. Imelda Goldsboro and Ciara McCormack who were unable to attend.

Following a very enlightening question and answer session the meeting unfolded many brilliant ideas and viewpoints from those in the room, there is a huge sense of a real shared vision and optimism overall for this project.
One of the main objections to the Greenway came from affected landowners who already have other developments in place where the originally railway track existed. It was then explained that a feasibility study would reveal many alternative routes and that only up to 40 percent of the original track may be needed to complete the greenway. It was also stressed that nothing would happen without the consent of the landowners. It was also explained that when the railway line closed back in the 1960s, Iarnród Éireann surrendered the land back to the landowners and was now in their possession.

Overall it was agreed that the project will only succeed with good will from all involved and the realisation of the huge benefits a greenway could make to a community. Immediate benefits, as seen in the Waterford/Dungarvan Greenway, would see a huge increase in tourism and visitors, a safe place for family walking and cycling, an upsurge in local business, accommodation and a future for rural development.

FHC Experience reopening on Tuesday, July 6

Fethard Community Garden Group
Eastgate Park, the new garden off Burke Street, is home to a new community gardening group, which warmly welcomes all those who are interested in gardening. Drop in if you have some time to spare, meet new people and have some time out! The group meets on Saturdays, at 11.30am in the garden.

Fethard Festival Sports Day, July 1, 1979
This photograph of some of the participants in Fethard Festival Sports Day held on Sunday, July 1, 1979, in the Barrack Field. You can zoom in closer to see more detail by clicking the photograph to zoom-in and double-clicking the photograph to zoom-out.

Festival fundraiser for building Fethard Community Center 1979
The perfect community will only be found in heaven. The Fethard-Killusty one didn't claim to be perfect but its recently formed Community (or 'Muintir') Council in 1979 was doing its best to make Fethard a better place to live, in a more Christian, more cooperative, more enterprising and more self-reliant way. Since all community activity needs a centre around which it can revolve, a Community Centre was their first priority for the place.

So, the re-building of the old 'Tirry Club' into a Community Centre under the available AnCO’s training scheme remained the chief preoccupation of the Council for since 1978. The committee members and helpers were most active in fundraising for this project. During October and early November, 1978 a Race Night, Dance and Drama were organised and held with the spin off of social entertainment and social involvement. At the same time the Council began participating in Muintir na Tire’s National Community Lottery to a limited degree. Fifty percent of what was raised went to the local fund. 

More funds became available from a £250 donation from AIB through its local manager. Two members, Austin O’Flynn and Tom Butler, generously accepted the workload of buying and delivering the materials and liaising with the men on the site at Barrack Street. The elaborate planning and preparations for the new Community Council was organised at a public meeting and ended with the new officers and committee received their three-year mandate at a meeting on 3 March ‘79. A lucrative exercise in fundraising took place on May 11 in the form of a Sponsored Walk. The weather and choice of date did not quite match up to the Committee’s intense sales’ promotion for leg-stretching and muscle-flexing.

Festival restored on a new and revamped form
Once the decision was taken to restore the old Festival on a new and revamped form, feverish activity took place at all levels. The big event took place from June 28 to July. The success of the Festival was acknowledged and incuded a Fashion Show, Supper Dance, Open Sports, Side Shows, Fancy Dress Parade, Tug-of-War epics and matches, none could complain at the variety and quality of entertainment on offer. The profits were likewise very heartening raising £2,250 for the project.

In September the Committee, not fully rested, was undaunted by the bad news that it must borrow £5,000 to complete its pet project. To meet this, they launched into a spate of discussions and plans for further fundraising.
Committee: Fr. John Stapleton (President), Jerry Skehan (Chairman), Jimmy McInerney and Annie O'Brien (Joint Vice Chairmen), Austin O’Flynn and John Whyte (Joint Treasurers), Peter Colville (Secretary and PRO). Committee Members: Percy O’Donnell, Paddy Broderick, Mick Ahearne, Tom Butler, Tim Slattery, Michael O’Dwyer, Gay Horan, Mrs Nellie O'Donovan, J. Spillane, S. Donovan, J. Maher, Vincent Doocey, M. McCormack, Rev. Bro. James, T. Donovan, T. McCormack and Ms Kathleen. Kenny.

Your coments are always welcome to: fethardnews@gmail.com

GAA Sports Development Lotto
Fethard GAA Sports Lotto draw results for Friday, June 11, are as follows: the numbers drawn were: 1, 10, 16 and 34. There was no jackpot winner and two ‘match three’ winners who received €50 each: Michael Murphy, Holycross; and Stephen Forde, Galway.

The committee of Fethard GAA Sports Centre Development Lotto would like to thank all our supporters near and far who participate in our weekly lotto draw. The next draw takes place on Friday, June 18, when the jackpot is €30,000 and the seller's prize is €1,000. The funds raised are used to promote sport in the local community.

Parish Church Lotto Draw Results
There was no winner of this week's Parish Lotto on Thursday, June 10. The winning numbers were 6, 14, 18 and 21. The winner of the weekly draw of €30 was Connie Hurley. Next week's Jackpot for Thursday, June 17, will be €1,025. Thanks to all for your continued support.

Please pass the word on and invite friends and family to take part. You can help our Parish in a real, practical way.  Thank you for your support and the best of luck in the weekly draw. PLAY OUR LOTTO NOW.

Abymill AGM
The Annual General Meeting of the Abymill Theatre (The Mill, Fethard Ltd) will take place on this Monday night at 7.30pm.

Request for Nolan family information
We had a request for information from Nancy Nolan, who is looking for information about Patrick and Bridget Nolan who are buried in Calvary Cemetery, Fethard. Patrick died on March 27, 1981, and was formerly from Mooncoin. His wife Bridget died on May 8, 1983, and Coolbawn was her address when she died.

Nancy would love to have any information that would help as Patrick was her husband's uncle. Even an address or Bridget's maiden name would help her to seek relatives. Nancy can be contacted by email CLICK HERE

Died Recently
The death has occurred on Saturday, June 5, 2021, of John Joseph Ryan, Heather Hill, Mountain Road, Clonmel, and formerly St Johnstown, Fethard. Husband of his late wife Mary (née Leenane) who died on January 20, 2018, John will be sadly missed by his sons Alan and John Jr, daughter Jane, daughters-in-law Mary and Orla, sister Mary, brother-in-law Liam, grandchildren Joshua, Thomas, John, Aidan, Ella May, Poppy and Alfie, relatives, and friends. May he Rest in Peace.

John will be remembered fondly locally and throughout Ireland, for his annual colourful stall at the Tipperariana Book Fair held at Fethard Ballroom, where he stocked an enormous variety of unusual collectors’ items for sale. He also sold his annual Christmas production of 'Clonmel Miscellany & Suirside Pictorial' – a very popular nostalgic collection of photographs taken around South Tipperary.

John's remains will repose at the residence of his son, John Jr, at Cadamastown, Broadford, Co. Kildare. Due to government Covid-19 advice regarding public gatherings, fifty people may be in attendance. John’s funeral Mass will take place on Wednesday, June 9, in The Church of St Peter and Paul, Clonmel at 1pm, followed by burial afterwards in St Patrick’s Cemetery, Clonmel. For those that would have liked to attend, but due to regulations cannot, you may view John’s Funeral Mass live at 1pm on Wednesday, June 9, at https://www.churchservices.tv/clonmelpeterpaul or you can also leave a message of condolence online by CLICKING HERE.

“Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dílis”


The late John Ryan, with his wife Mary (née Leenane, who died on January 20, 2018), photographed at the annual Tipperariana Book Fair held in Fethard Ballrom on Sunday, February 14, 2010.

Covid Restrictions from Monday, June 7

Covid Restrictions as published in the Irish Daily Mail on Saturday, June 5.

Planning Permission application from Eircom Limited (trading as Eir)


A new planning application has been received by Tipperary County Council for permission to erect a 15-metre-high monopole together with antennae, dishes and other equipment and remove the existing 10m high timber communications pole with antenna at the Eir Exchange, St. Patrick’s Place, Fethard.

As this proposed development is within the curtilage of a Stone Archway (RPS 219), a protected structure, it would be in contravention of the “Telecommunications Antennae and Support Structures – Guidelines for Planning Authorities” of 1996, which require that proximity of protected structures be avoided. These guidelines also state that, “only as a last resort should free-standing masts be located within or in the immediate surrounds of smaller towns and villages” or be located in a residential area;

• the structure would be visually intrusive, injurious to the visual amenity of the homes in the area and out of character with the area;
• having regard to its location, the proposed structure with its additional height and equipment would detract and depreciate the value of the properties within the vicinity;
• it would also be in contravention of Policy TI14 of the Tipperary County Development Plan which states that “It is the policy of the Council to facilitate proposals for masts, antennae and ancillary equipment in accordance with Communications Antennae and Support Structures : Guidelines for Planning Authorities, DEHLG, 1996. Development proposals will be facilitated, where it can be established that there will be no significant adverse impact on the surrounding areas and the receiving environment, particularly in the following locations:
  • Primary and Secondary amenity areas or locations that would be detrimental to designated listed views.
  • Within significant views or settings of national monuments or protected structures.

If you wish to object?
The planning application number is 21701 and the latest date for receipt of objections is 22/06/21. All objections must be accompanied by the fee of €20 in order to be considered by the council but any number of people can sign an objection so the cost can be shared.

If you wish to send your objection by email, you can call 0761 065000 and ask for the receipts desk to pay the fee via Credit/Debit Card. You can then forward your submission/observation to planning@tipperarycoco.ie quoting your receipt number.

Objections by post should be sent to the Planning Section, Tipperary County Council, Civic Offices, Emmet Street, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
You can view the application documents by CLICKING HERE

Newsletter articles are now invited for this year!
As we approach almost half-way through 2021, a reminder to consider writing an article for this year’s Emigrants Newsletter seems appropriate.

As our lives slowly moving back to normal, it would be great if, during this remaining period of calm, we put pen to paper to reflect on the huge changes we’ve experienced since the start of Covid in March 2020.

Last year’s Newsletter was slightly different than usual, adapting to the lack of social and sporting events we encouraged readers that were unable to travel home due to Covid, to submit news and photographs from their new homes and places of work. These articles were very well received and appreciated by all our readers at home. In fact, due to extraordinary demand, we were sold out of Newsletters in Fethard before Christmas 2020. Maybe this can be somewhat explained by families having lots of extra time to read while cocooning at home during the weeks of ‘lockdown’.

So please drop us a line and some photographs and we will do our best to include them in this year’s issue due to go to printers in early November. Days fly into weeks and weeks into months, so what better time to start than now. Articles and photos can be submitted by email to: emigrantsnewsletter@gmail.com or by post to Joe Kenny, Rocklow Road, Fethard, Co. Tipperary, E91 XR26.

Faces and Places from the Past
The following are a selection of photographs of faces and places taken in our locality that may bring back memories to many of our readers and visitors to fethard.com Please send any comments or photo information, names and event, to fethardnews@gmail.com

Fethard & District Photos from the past . . .

This week we have a selection of photographs from our files and if you can help with names, comments or further information, we would love to hear from you. Email: fethardnews@gmail.com


Happy days in Five Star Supermarket, O'Connell Street, Clonmel, 1974. On February 15, 1971, Ireland's currency was changed over to the decimal system.


Carmel Rice (Sybil Walling, the mother) and Joe Hanley (Mr Flaherty, chimney sweep) in the Fethard Players production of ‘Brush with a Body’ in Fethard Town Hall, from January 25 to February 1, 1976. Admission 60p.


Members of the Finn family, Burke Street, Fethard.

Pilgrimage to Holy Year Cross 1970s included are Cutsy O'Donnell, Paula Carey, Sr. Paula Carey and Tommy Carey.


Group photographed at John and Margaret Clancys house in St. Patrick's Place 1970s.


Banna Chluain Meala (formed in 1971) getting ready to play in the Barrack Field at Fethard Festival on Sunday, June 27, 1976


Members of the Breen family photographed at Monica's First Holy Communion in Fethard.


First Holy Communion day in Fethard

Fethard News
Comments or items for inclusion on this website can be emailed to fethardnews@gmail.com or delivered by hand to Joe Kenny, Rocklow Road, Fethard.

Would you like your business promoted on Fethard Website?
If you have a business in Fethard or close surrounding area and you would like your business promoted on the Fethard website then please do the following: Email tina.mulhearne@tipperarycoco.ie your business name, website address, a good quality image (can be your logo) and a line about what your business is about.