Thurles: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively ← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisual WikitextInline

Revision as of 17:01, 26 August 2010 editLaurel Lodged (talk \| contribs)Extended confirmed users66,338 edits Undid revision 381119218 by 89.100.182.169 (talk)This is an official state web site with useful info about the town.← Previous edit		Latest revision as of 22:16, 15 November 2024 edit undoDeclangi (talk \| contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users54,031 edits →Location and access: Link R498 road (Ireland). Reduce MOS:REPEATLINK of places.
(430 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1:		Line 1:
			{{short description\|Town in County Tipperary, Ireland}}
	{{Infobox Place Ireland
			{{Other uses\|Thurles (disambiguation)}}
	\| name = Thurles
			{{Use Hiberno-English\|date=April 2015}}
	\| gaeilge = Durlas Éile
			{{Use dmy dates\|date=September 2020}}
	\| crest image =
			{{Infobox settlement
	\| motto =
			\| name = Thurles
	\| map image = Ireland map County Tipperary Magnified.png
			\| native_name = {{native name\|ga\|Durlas Éile\|paren=omit}}
	\| pin coords = left: 58px; top: 65px
			\| settlement_type = Town
	\| north coord = 52.67888
			\| image_skyline = ThurlesMontage.png
	\| west coord = 7.814369
			\| imagesize = 280px
	\| irish grid = S118583
			\| image_caption = Clockwise from top: Mall River Walk; ]; Liberty Square {{circa}} 1983; Liberty Square at night; ]; northwest view of the town
	\| area km2 =
			\| image_flag = Thurles sarsfields flag.png
	\| elevation m = 99
			\| flag_size = 125px
	\| province = ]
			\| image_shield = Thurles Coat of arms.png
	\| county = ]
	\| ~~town~~ ~~pop~~ = ~~6831~~		\| mapsize = 230px
			\| map_caption = Location of Thurles in Ireland
	\| rural pop = 851
			\| pushpin_map = Ireland
	\| census yr = 2006<sup>1</sup>
	\| ~~web~~ = ~~www.thurles.ie~~		\| pushpin_label = Thurles
			\| coordinates = {{coord\|52.679\|-7.814\|dim:100000_region:IE\|display=inline,title}}
	\| static_image = Thurles Market Square, December 2006.jpg
			\| subdivision_type = Country
	\| static_image_caption = Liberty Square.
			\| subdivision_name = Ireland
			\| subdivision_type1 = ]
			\| subdivision_name1 = ]
			\| subdivision_type2 = ]
			\| subdivision_name2 = ]
			\|subdivision_type3 = ]
			\|subdivision_name3 = ]
			\| unit_pref = Metric
			\| elevation_m = 99
			\| population_as_of = ]
			\| population_total = 8185
			\| population_footnotes = <ref name=cso2022>{{cite web \| url = https://visual.cso.ie/?body=entity/ima/cop/2022&boundary=C04160V04929&guid=4034eafe-ccec-4768-b728-9f127800903a \| title = Interactive Data Visualisations: Towns: Thurles \| work = Census 2022 \| publisher = ]\| access-date = 26 September 2023}}</ref>
			\| area_code_type = ]
			\| area_code = 0504
			\| postal_code_type = ]
			\| postal_code = E41
			\| website = {{URL\|http://www.thurles.ie/}}
			\| motto = ]: ''Fleadh agus Fáilte'' (Festival and Welcome)
	}}		}}

Line 46:		Line 64:
	\|2002\|7425		\|2002\|7425
	\|2006\|7682		\|2006\|7682
			\|2011\|7933
	\| footnote=<sup></sup>
			\|2016\|7940
	<ref></ref>
			\|2022\|8185
	<ref>http://www.histpop.org</ref>
			\| footnote = <ref name="cso2022"/><ref name="census2006">{{Cite web \|title=Census 2006: Volume 1 – Population classified by area \|url=http://census.cso.ie/Census/TableViewer/tableView.aspx?ReportId=75471 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325045504/http://census.cso.ie/Census/TableViewer/tableView.aspx?ReportId=75471 \|archive-date=25 March 2012 \|access-date=30 April 2018 \|website=cso.ie}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|title=Server Error 404 - CSO - Central Statistics Office \|url=http://www.cso.ie/census \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920090814/http://cso.ie/census \|archive-date=20 September 2010 \|access-date=30 April 2018 \|website=www.cso.ie}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.histpop.org \|title=Histpop - The Online Historical Population Reports Website \|date= \|website=www.histpop.org \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507023856/http://www.histpop.org/ \|archive-date=7 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|title=Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency - Census Home Page \|url=http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217095720/http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census \|archive-date=17 February 2012 \|access-date=2012-02-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|last=Lee \|first=JJ \|title=Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell \|publisher=Clarendon Press \|year=1981 \|editor-last=Goldstrom \|editor-first=J. M. \|location=Oxford, England \|chapter=On the accuracy of the ] Irish censuses\|author-link=J. J. Lee (historian)\|editor-last2=Clarkson \|editor-first2=L. A.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal \|last1=Mokyr \|first1=Joel \|author-link=Joel Mokyr \|last2=Ó Grada \|first2=Cormac \|author-link2=Cormac Ó Gráda \|date=November 1984 \|title=New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700-1850 \|url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120035880/abstract \|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121204160709/http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120035880/abstract \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=2012-12-04 \|journal=The Economic History Review \|volume=37 \|issue=4 \|pages=473–488 \|doi=10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x \|hdl-access=free \|hdl=10197/1406}}</ref>
	<ref>http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census</ref>
	<ref>{{cite book
	\| last=Lee\|first=JJ\| authorlink =John Joseph Lee\|editor-last=Goldstrom\|editor-first=J. M.\|editor2-last=Clarkson
	\| editor2-first=L. A.\|title=Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell
	\| year=1981\|publisher=Clarendon Press\|location=Oxford, England
	\| chapter=On the accuracy of the ] Irish censuses}}</ref>
	<ref>{{Cite journal \| last = Mokyr \| first = Joel
	\| author-link = Joel Mokyr \| last2 = O Grada \| first2 = Cormac
	\| author2-link = Cormac Ó Gráda \| title = New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700-1850 \| journal = The Economic History Review \| volume = Volume 37 \| issue = Issue 4
	\| pages = 473–488 \| date = November \| year = 1984
	\| url = http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120035880/abstract \| doi = 10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x \| postscript = <!--None-->
	}}</ref>

	}}		}}
			'''Thurles''' ({{IPAc-en\|ˈ\|t\|ɝ\|l\|ə\|s}}; ''Durlas Éile'') is a town in ], Ireland. It is located in the ] of the ] in the ] of ] and in the ] of ]. The ] of the ] is located in the town.

			The birthplace of the ] (GAA), Thurles is the third largest town in the county, with a population of 8,185 at the ].<ref name="cso2022"/>
	'''Thurles''' ({{pron-en\|ˈθɜrlɛs}}, locally {{IPA-en\|ˈtɜrləs\|}}; {{lang-ga\|Durlas Éile}}) is a town in the ] of ], ], ]. It is also a parish in the ] Archdiocese of ]. It is the site of the diocesan cathedral.

	==Location and access==		==Location and access==
	Thurles is ~~the second largest town~~ in ~~North~~ Tipperary ~~after ]~~ and is surrounded by the ] ~~mountains~~ (to the ~~north-west~~) and the Slieveardagh Hills (to the ~~south-east~~). The town itself is built on a crossing of the ]. ~~The mild climate and the waters of the Suir have combined to produce some of the finest agricultural land in Ireland.{{Citation needed\|date=November 2007}}~~		Thurles is located in mid-County Tipperary and is surrounded by the ] (to the northwest) and the ] (to the southeast). The town itself is built on a crossing of the ].

			The ] connects Thurles to ] and ] via the ] and ] roads. The N62 also connects Thurles to the centre of Ireland (]) via ] and ]. The ] road links Thurles to ]. ] opened on 13 March 1848 and has connections to Cork, Dublin, ] and ].<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Thurles station \|url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110302022802/http://www.railbrit.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf \|archive-date=2 March 2011 \|access-date=7 September 2007 \|website=Railscot - Irish Railways}}</ref>
	===Transport===
	The ] connects Thurles to ] and ] via the ] and ] roads. The ] also connects Thurles to the centre of Ireland (]) via ] and ]. The R498 links Thurles to Nenagh. The town also lacks bus routes to major destinations like Dublin, Limerick and Cork. ] opened on 13 March 1848.<ref>{{cite web \| title=Thurles station \| work=Railscot - Irish Railways \| url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf \| accessdate=2007-09-07}}</ref>. On average there are more than 14 trains from Cork to Dublin that serve Thurles every day.

	==History==		==History==
	===Ancient History===
	The ancient territory of ] obtained its name from pre-historic inhabitants called the Eli, about whom little is known beyond what may be gathered from legends and traditions. The extent of ''Éile'' varied throughout the centuries with the rise and fall of the tribes in occupation. Before the 5th century A.D. the details of its history which can be gleaned from surviving records and literature are exceedingly meagre, obscure and confusing. During this century however ''Éile'' appears to have reached its greatest extent, stretching from Croghan Bri Eli (Croghan Hill in Offaly) to just south of Cashel (in Corca Eathrach Eli). The southern part of this territory embraced the baronies of ] and ], a great part of the modern barony of ], the territory of '''Ileagh''', and portion of the present barony of ].

			===Ancient history===
	By the 8th century, the territory of ancient ''Éile'' had broken up into a number of petty kingdoms: the O’Carroll occupied the northern portion, the O’Spillanes held Ileagh, the Eoghanacht of Cashel had annexed Middle Third while the O’Fogartys held what is now the barony of Eliogarty. The O'Fogarty's gave their name to the town. In Irish, ''Durlas Éile'' means "Strong Fort of Éile", or more correctly ''Durlas Éile Uí Fhogartaigh'' ("Strong Fort of the ]'s of Éile").<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.tipperarylibraries.ie/local_studies/thurlestext.shtml\|title=Historical Postcard Collection: Thurles\|publisher=Tipperary Libraries\|accessdate=2009-07-09}}</ref> The clan dominated the regions of ] and the ] stretching as far as the Tipperary/Kilkenny border.
			] in Liberty Square]]
			The ancient territory of ] obtained its name from pre-historic inhabitants called the Eli, about whom little is known beyond what may be gathered from legends and traditions. The extent of ''Éile'' varied throughout the centuries with the rise and fall of the tribes in occupation. Before the 5th century A.D. the details of its history which can be gleaned from surviving records and literature are exceedingly meagre, obscure and confusing. During this century however ''Éile'' appears to have reached its greatest extent, stretching from ''Croghan Bri Eli'' (] in Offaly) to just south of ] (in ''Corca Eathrach Eli''). The southern part of this territory embraced the ] of ] and ], a great part of ], the territory of Ileagh and a portion of the barony of ].

			By the 8th century, the territory of ancient ''Éile'' had broken up into a number of petty kingdoms: the O'Carroll occupied the northern portion, the O'Spillanes held Ileagh, the ] had annexed Middle Third while the O'Fogartys held what is now the barony of Eliogarty. The O'Fogarty's gave their name to the town. In Irish, ''Durlas Éile'' means "Strong Fort of Éile", or more correctly ''Durlas Éile Uí Fhogartaigh'' ("Strong Fort of the O'Fogarty's of Éile").<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Historical Postcard Collection: Thurles \|url=http://www.tipperarylibraries.ie/local_studies/thurlestext.shtml \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928124011/http://www.tipperarylibraries.ie/local_studies/thurlestext.shtml \|archive-date=28 September 2008 \|access-date=2009-07-09 \|publisher=Tipperary Libraries}}</ref> The clan dominated the regions of ] and the ] stretching as far as the Tipperary/Kilkenny border.

	===Feudal period===		===Feudal period===
			]
	Towards the end of the twelfth century, the power of the O'Fogarty clan began to wane and by the early part of the thirteenth century, the ] family of Butler came to be the most powerful. It is to that family that Thurles owes much of its early development. Their architectural legacy may be seen today with two of the original family fortresses still standing (the Black Castle near the centre and O'Fogarty Castle by the Suir).
	] ~~or '''~~Theobald Butler~~'''~~ was the ancestor of the ] of ]. His father had been the hereditary holder of the office of ] of England and when Theobald assisted Kings ] and ] in their invasions of Ireland, he was named "Chief Butler of Ireland". He was also granted a large section		Towards the end of the 12th century the power of the O'Donoghue clan began to wane, and by the early part of the 13th century, the ] ] came to be the most powerful. It is to the Butlers that Thurles owes much of its early development. Their architectural legacy may be seen today with two of the original family fortresses still standing (the Black Castle near the centre and O'Fogarty Castle by the Suir). ] (Theobald Butler) was the ancestor of the Irish branch of the Butler dynasty. His father had been the hereditary holder of the office of ] and when Theobald assisted Kings ] and ] in their invasions of Ireland, he was named "Chief Butler of Ireland". He was also granted a large section of the northeastern part of the ]. Later in 1328, his descendant, ], was created ] by King ].

	of the northeastern part of the ]. Later in 1328, his descendant, ], was created ] by ].
			]
			]

			==Commerce==

			]
			Thurles was originally an agricultural market town. It is now a retail town, with ]s like ], ], ], ], ], and ] established in the town. The headquarters of the meat processing factory Dew Valley Foods is also located in the Thurles environs. Thurles Shopping centre was recently extended and plans to open a new a ] store to replace the current store in Liberty Square have also been announced.{{when\|date=July 2015}} Stakelum's Hardware, which recently moved to the Nenagh road, is one of the biggest family owned business in the town. McKevitt's "Costcutter" is another large family business that operates with one supermarket in the town. High technology industries have been established in the Thurles Technology Park.

			==Music and arts==

			===The Source Arts Centre===
			] The Source Arts Centre opened on 2 October 2006 and has become the biggest music, theatre and arts venue in north Tipperary. It consists of a 250-seat auditorium with fully flexible seating, and a dedicated gallery space. The year-round programme of events includes film, theatre, dance, ballet, opera, music, family events and visual art exhibitions. Acts like ], ], ] are among the list to have played there.

			===Féile festival===
			The ], which ran from 1990 to 1997, was held in ]. At the height of its success, an estimated 100,000 people attended the festival, which was also known as "The Trip to Tipp".<ref>{{Cite web \|title=''Tipperary Star'', "Trip to Tipp" \|url=http://www.tipperarystar.ie/news/Feile-Return-Urged-forThurles.5439907.jp \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913044600/http://www.tipperarystar.ie/news/Feile-Return-Urged-forThurles.5439907.jp \|archive-date=13 September 2012 \|access-date=30 April 2018 \|website=tipperarystar.ie}}</ref> Acts that played included ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].

			The festival was revived in 2019 with ] among others playing.<ref>{{cite news\|url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2019/0717/1063565-tipp-back-in-time-as-feile-19-line-up-revealed/\|title=Keep it Semple. Féile '19 line-up a Tipp back in time\|publisher=]\|date=18 July 2019\|access-date=11 November 2019\|archive-date=11 November 2019\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191111112308/https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2019/0717/1063565-tipp-back-in-time-as-feile-19-line-up-revealed/\|url-status=live}}</ref>

			===Thurles Arts Festival===
			Thurles Arts Festival started in 2009. Organised by local councillor Jim Ryan. It will return for a third time in 2011 with various events around the town in Pubs, Clubs and The Source arts centre.

			==Amenities and features==

			===Semple Stadium===
			Thurles is the birthplace of the ] (GAA), founded in 1884 in ]. ] is the second largest GAA stadium in Ireland with a capacity of 53,500, second only to ] in Dublin. The stadium is the "spiritual home" of Munster hurling and many famous matches, especially ], have been played there. In 1984, it hosted the ] to celebrate 100 years since the founding of the GAA in Thurles.

	==Thurles ~~today~~==		===Thurles Cathedral===
			]]]
	===Amenities and features===
			]
	====Thurles Cathedral====
	]

	The ~~cathedral~~ ~~seat~~ of the ] of Cashel in the ], is not in its original site of the ]. This is due to the assumption of certain ecclesiastical properties by the established ] at the time of the ]. Instead, following the relaxation of the ], the Roman Catholic ~~Archbishop~~ chose to locate his '']'' and residence in nearby Thurles. The present ~~'''~~Cathedral of the Assumption~~'''~~ stands on the site of earlier chapels in the centre of the town. Work on the cathedral, with its Romanesque architectural style and its facade modelled on that of ], commenced in 1865. It was consecrated by ] on 21~~/06/~~1879. The architect was J.J. McCarthy while Barry McMullen was the main builder. Mr. J.C Ashlin was responsible for the enclosing walls, railing and much of the finished work. The cathedral's main features include a rose window, a free-standing baptistery and a magnificent altar. Particularly noteworthy is the tabernacle, the work of Giacomo ~~dello~~ Porta, who was a pupil of Michelangelo.		The ] is the ] of the ] of Cashel and the ] church of the ]. It is not in its original site of the ]. This is due to the assumption of certain ecclesiastical properties by the established ] at the time of the ]. Instead, following the relaxation of the ], the Roman Catholic archbishop chose to locate his '']'' and residence in nearby Thurles. The present Cathedral of the Assumption stands on the site of earlier chapels in the centre of the town. Work on the cathedral, with its ] and its facade modelled on that of ], commenced in 1865. It was consecrated by ] on 21 June 1879. The architect was J.J. McCarthy while Barry McMullen was the main builder. Mr. J.C Ashlin was responsible for the enclosing walls, railing and much of the finished work. The cathedral's main features include a rose window, a free-standing baptistery and a magnificent altar. Particularly noteworthy is the tabernacle, the work of ], who was a pupil of ].

	The cathedral was extensively renovated and the sanctuary sympathetically remodelled on the occasion of its centenary in 1979.		The cathedral was extensively renovated and the sanctuary sympathetically remodelled on the occasion of its centenary in 1979.

	====Famine ~~Museum=~~===		===Famine museum===
	~~'''~~St. ~~Mary’s''~~' church, belonging to the ], is built on the site of another pre-reformation church in Thurles. This structure was built by the Normans in the 12th century to provide them with a separate and more exclusive place of worship.		St. Mary's church, belonging to the ], is built on the site of another pre-reformation church in Thurles. This structure was built by the Normans in the 12th century to provide them with a separate and more exclusive place of worship. The building is currently occupied and has a famine museum as well as a war museum.<ref> {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090726112059/http://www.faminemuseum.com/ \|date=26 July 2009 }}</ref> The Famine Museum is now closed.
	The building is currently occupied and boasts a Famine museum as well as a War Museum.

			===Library===
	====Other cultural amenities====
			Thurles Library is located in the arts centre.
	The '''Source Arts Centre''' opened on 2 October 2006 and provides a theatre, arts and library space. It consists of a 250 seat auditorium with fully flexible seating, and a dedicated gallery space. The year round programme of events includes film, theatre, dance, ballet, opera, music, family events and visual art exhibitions. A swimming pool was added in 2008 <ref>http://www.thesourceartscentre.ie/about_us.php</ref>

			===Thurles Leisure Centre===
	'''Lar na Pairce''', a museum devoted to the GAA, is located in the center of the town.
			In 2003, the county council demolished the old swimming pool with plans to build a new pool which were later scrapped. In 2007, a new swimming pool and gym was opened.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Thurles – Recreation Facilities and Amenities \| Thurles Information \|url=http://www.thurles.info/2008/10/13/thurles-recreation-facilities-and-amenities/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111228165903/http://www.thurles.info/2008/10/13/thurles-recreation-facilities-and-amenities/ \|archive-date=28 December 2011 \|access-date=2012-08-18}}</ref>

	==~~=Town Council=~~==		==Sport==
	Under the provisions of the Local Government Act (2001)<ref></ref> the former Urban District Council was renamed the '''Town Council'''. The members of the Town Council as at 2010<ref>Town Council members 2010 http://www.thurlestc.ie/ser_you_cou.html</ref> are:
	:* Evelyn Nevin (Mayor), (Non-Party)
	:* Gerard O'Brien (Deputy Mayor), (Fianna Fáil)
	:* Michael Cleary, (Fine Gael)
	:* Michael Grogan, (Non-Party)
	:* John Kenehan, (Labour)
	:* John Kennedy, (Labour Party)
	:* David Doran, (Sinn Féin)
	:* Noel O'Dwyer, (Non-Party)
	:* Jim Ryan, (Non-Party).
	The principal unelected officers are:
	:* Town Manager: Matt Shortt
	:* Town Clerk: Michael Ryan.

	===~~Sport~~===		===Gaelic games===
			] and ] are local ] clubs. The latter is an amalgamation of three longstanding clubs, Thurles Kickhams, Rahealty and Thurles Fennellys and have their pitch in Kickham Park on the Mill Road in Thurles.
	====Gaelic games====
	Thurles is the birthplace of the ], founded in 1884 in ]. ], where the centenary All-Ireland hurling final was played, is the second largest GAA stadium in Ireland with a capacity of 55,000, second only to ] in Dublin. The stadium is the "spiritual home" of Munster hurling and many famous matches, especially Munster Finals, have been played there. Thurles' local hurling club, ] is an honoured and decorated club which has produced some of the finest hurlers in the country such as ] and ].

	===~~=Soccer=~~===		===Association football===
			There are a number of ] (soccer) clubs in the area. These include Peake Villa (founded 1967 and playing in Tower Grounds), ] (playing in the ]), ] (restarted 2002 and playing at Loughtagalla Park), Thurles Celtic (founded 2007 also Loughtagalla Park), and Suirside Wanderers (founded 2009 playing in the Vocational School grounds).{{citation needed\|date=October 2019}}
	* Peake Villa (founded 1967), playing in Tower Grounds
	* Thurles Town, playing in the Greyhound Stadium. The team formerly played in the "League of Ireland" between 1977 and 1982.
	* ]( re-started 2002), playing in a shared pitch in Loughtagalla Park
	* Thurles Celtic ( founded 2007), playing in a shared pitch in Loughtagalla Park
	* Suirside Wanderers (founded 2009), playing in the Vocational School grounds

	===~~Education~~===		===Horse racing===
			] is the main ] venue in the town and stages both ] and ]. Racing has taken place at Thurles since 1732 when a three-day festival took place at the venue. The course is located 1.5 km west of the town centre. The course is an oval right-handed track of one and a quarter miles with 6 flights of hurdles and 7 steeplechase fences in each circuit. It is one mile, two furlongs long with a steep uphill finish.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Course Profile \|url=http://www.goracing.ie/HRI/Whats-On/Racecourses/Thurles/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120831161237/http://www.goracing.ie/HRI/Whats-On/Racecourses/Thurles/ \|archive-date=31 August 2012 \|access-date=19 September 2012 \|website=Go Racing}}</ref>
	* Ursuline Convent (founded in 1737)
	* Presentation Convent (founded in 1817)
	* Christian Brothers School (founded in 1818)
	* ] (founded in 1837)
	* ] College (founded in 1907)
	* Coláiste Mhuire Co-Ed (founded in 1928).

			===Other sports===
	A third-level college, the ] (formerly TRBDI), was established in 1998. The new arts centre & library mentioned above, the Source, was completed in 2006.
			The local ], Thurles Rugby Club, was founded in 1924 and is located close to the water tower. Thurles Cricket Club was founded in 2010.<ref>{{cite web\| url = http://www.thurlescricketclub.com\| url-status = dead\| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110222182202/http://www.thurlescricketclub.com/\| archive-date = 2011-02-22\| title = Thurles Cricket Club}} {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322095607/http://thurlescricketclub.com/ \|date=22 March 2018 }}</ref> The local athletics club, Thurles Crokes Athletic Club, was founded in 1965.{{citation needed\|date=October 2019}}

	==~~=Commerce=~~==		==Education==
	]
	Thurles was originally a market town and to the present day its industrial strength is still founded on agriculture. In recent years unemployment has increased due to the closure of agri-sector companies like Irish Sugar plc (in 1989), GMX (in 2002) and Erin Foods (in 2008) which was a subsidiary company of Campbells.
	High technology industries have been established in the Thurles Technology Park.

	===~~Music~~===		===Primary===
			Primary schools serving the area include Gaelscoil Bhríde, Scoil Ailbhe CBS, Scoil Angela (Ursuline Convent) and Scoil Mhuire na Toirbhirte (Presentation Convent).
	The '''Féile''' festival, which ran from 1990 to 1994, was held in Semple Stadium. At the height of its success, an estimated 100,000 people attended the festival, which was also known as "The Trip to Tipp".<ref></ref> Acts that played included ], Something Happens, ], Deacon Blue, ], Happy Mondays and Christy Moore.

	===~~Notable people~~===		===Secondary===
			Secondary schools include ], Coláiste Mhuire co-educational school, Presentation Convent and the Ursuline Convent.
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*], Irish actor
	*]
	*] Founder of Ryanair.
	*] Irish footballer and chairman of ].
	*] Poet and member of ]
	*], Father of Mary Hanafin

			===Third-level and adult education===
	===International relations===
			]
			], a former seminary runs teacher training degree courses. From 2011 to 2015 on its degrees were awarded by the ]. It is now part of ] offering full-time courses in Irish, Religion, Business Studies and Accounting. From September 2019 the college will also offer courses in Maths.<ref name="ul"> {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314141848/http://www.ul.ie/news-centre/news/university-of-limerick-degrees-for-graduates-of-st-patricks-college-thurles \|date=14 March 2012 }} University of Limerick Website, Friday, 6 May 2011.</ref><ref> {{webarchive \|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331151543/http://www.thurles.info/2011/05/05/st-patricks-college-thurles-offers-ul-teaching-degrees/ \|date=31 March 2016}} Thurles Information, 5 May 2011.</ref>

			A third-level college, the ] (formerly Tipperary Institute or TRBDI and later renamed ] Tipperary), was established in 1998.

			The ] College in Thurles is a retreat, vocations and missions centre for the order.

			Other third-level and further education schools include Colaiste Eile, Colaiste Mhuire Adult Education and Thurles Community Training Centre.{{citation needed\|date=October 2019}}

			==Notable people==
			*] (1830–1861), ] recipient
			*], Olympian equestrian
			*], hurler
			*], actress
			*], hurler
			*] (1890–1917), Victoria Cross recipient
			*], hurler
			*], politician
			*], politician
			*], singer of the girl group ]
			*], painter
			*], bishop
			*], politician
			*], journalist
			*] (1954–2012), poet, essayist<ref>{{cite news\|first=Cormac\|last=McQuinn\|url=http://www.independent.ie/national-news/generous-witty-gentleman-poet-odriscoll-dies-at-58-3337250.html\|title='Generous, witty, gentleman' poet O'Driscoll dies at 58\|newspaper=]\|date=27 December 2012\|access-date=18 October 2024\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130109023507/https://www.independent.ie/national-news/generous-witty-gentleman-poet-odriscoll-dies-at-58-3337250.html\|archive-date=9 January 2013}}</ref>
			*], actor and singer
			*], world heavyweight champion boxer
			*], founder of Ryanair
			*], actor and comedian
			*], President of the GMB, (1997–2017)

			==International relations==
	{{Main\|List of twin towns and sister cities in the Republic of Ireland}}		{{Main\|List of twin towns and sister cities in the Republic of Ireland}}

	Thurles is ] with:		Thurles is ] with:
	* ], ]<ref>~~] archive)]~~</ref>		* ], England, United Kingdom<ref>{{Cite web \|date=29 February 2008 \|title=UK Twin Towns \|url=http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229070745/http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm \|archive-date=29 February 2008 \|access-date=30 April 2018 }}</ref>
	* ], ]<ref></ref>		* ], ], United States<ref> {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090802225732/http://dublin.usembassy.gov/sister_cities.html \|date=2 August 2009 }}</ref>

			==Annalistic references==
			From the ]:
			* ''M894.6 - Gairbhith, son of Muireagan, lord of '''Dearlas''', died.''
			* ''M931.9 - A battle was gained in Magh-Uatha by Fearghal, son of Domhnall; and Sichfraidh, son of Uathmharan, i.e. the son of the daughter of Domhnall, over Muircheartach, son of Niall, where were slain Maelgarbh, son of Gairbhith, lord of '''Dearlas;''' and Conmhal, son of Bruadhran; and many others along with them.''
			* ''M934.3 - Bec, son of Gairbhith, lord of '''Dearlass''', died.''
			* ''M962.9 - Furadhran, son of Bece, lord of '''Dearlas''', was slain by the Cinel-Eoghain.''
			* ''M983.8 - Dubhdarach, son of Domhnallan, lord of '''Dearlus''', was slain.''
			* ''M999.4 - Ua Domhnall, i.e. Cuchaill, lord of '''Durlas''', was slain by Ua Neill, i.e. by Aedh.''

	==See also==		==See also==
	* ]		* ]

			==References==
			{{Reflist}}

	==External links==		==External links==
			{{Commons category\|Thurles}}
			{{Wikivoyage\|Thurles}}
			*
	*		*
	*
	*
	*
	*
	*
	*
	*
	*
	*

	==Notes==
	<supplementary/>
	census of 2006

	Putting the barony in its historico-geographical context.
	:* Barony - an old administrative division. Eliogarty - one of 14 baronies in the old county, between Ikerrin to the north (whose chief town is Roscrea), Kilnamanagh Upper to the west (whose chief town is Borrisoleigh) and Middle Third to the south (whose chief town is Cashel).
	Explanation for the use of "North Tipperary" instead of "County Tipperary".
	:* Following the abolition of the former county - Tipperary - as an administrative division in 1898, the county of North Tipperary was created. This is still the legal status of the county. See also ] for further history on the topic.<ref>The ]</ref>

	==References==
	<references/>

	]		{{County Tipperary}}
			{{Authority control}}
	]
	]

			]
	]
	]		]
	]		]
			]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]

Latest revision as of 22:16, 15 November 2024

Town in County Tipperary, Ireland For other uses, see Thurles (disambiguation).

Town in Munster, Ireland

Thurles Durlas Éile
Town
Clockwise from top: Mall River Walk; Cathedral of the Assumption; Liberty Square c. 1983; Liberty Square at night; St. Patrick's College; northwest view of the town
FlagCoat of arms
Motto(s): Irish: Fleadh agus Fáilte (Festival and Welcome)
ThurlesLocation of Thurles in Ireland
Coordinates: 52°40′44″N 7°48′50″W / 52.679°N 7.814°W / 52.679; -7.814
Country	Ireland
Province	Munster
County	County Tipperary
Barony	Eliogarty
Elevation	99 m (325 ft)
Population
• Total	8,185
Eircode	E41
Telephone area code	0504
Website	www.thurles.ie

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1821	6,040	—
1831	7,084	+17.3%
1841	7,523	+6.2%
1851	5,985	−20.4%
1861	4,866	−18.7%
1871	5,008	+2.9%
1881	4,850	−3.2%
1891	4,511	−7.0%
1901	4,411	−2.2%
1911	4,549	+3.1%
1926	4,815	+5.8%
1936	5,648	+17.3%
1946	6,011	+6.4%
1951	6,276	+4.4%
1956	6,573	+4.7%
1961	6,642	+1.0%
1966	6,949	+4.6%
1971	7,087	+2.0%
1981	7,644	+7.9%
1986	7,338	−4.0%
1991	6,955	−5.2%
1996	6,939	−0.2%
2002	7,425	+7.0%
2006	7,682	+3.5%
2011	7,933	+3.3%
2016	7,940	+0.1%
2022	8,185	+3.1%

Thurles (/ˈtɜːrləs/; Durlas Éile) is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located in the civil parish of the same name in the barony of Eliogarty and in the ecclesiastical parish of Thurles. The cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly is located in the town.

The birthplace of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), Thurles is the third largest town in the county, with a population of 8,185 at the 2022 census.

Location and access

Thurles is located in mid-County Tipperary and is surrounded by the Silvermine Mountains (to the northwest) and the Slieveardagh Hills (to the southeast). The town itself is built on a crossing of the River Suir.

The M8 motorway connects Thurles to Cork and Dublin via the N75 and N62 roads. The N62 also connects Thurles to the centre of Ireland (Athlone) via Templemore and Roscrea. The R498 road links Thurles to Nenagh. Thurles railway station opened on 13 March 1848 and has connections to Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Tralee.

History

Ancient history

The ancient territory of Éile obtained its name from pre-historic inhabitants called the Eli, about whom little is known beyond what may be gathered from legends and traditions. The extent of Éile varied throughout the centuries with the rise and fall of the tribes in occupation. Before the 5th century A.D. the details of its history which can be gleaned from surviving records and literature are exceedingly meagre, obscure and confusing. During this century however Éile appears to have reached its greatest extent, stretching from Croghan Bri Eli (Croghan Hill in Offaly) to just south of Cashel (in Corca Eathrach Eli). The southern part of this territory embraced the baronies of Eliogarty and Ikerrin, a great part of Middle Third, the territory of Ileagh and a portion of the barony of Kilnamanagh Upper.

By the 8th century, the territory of ancient Éile had broken up into a number of petty kingdoms: the O'Carroll occupied the northern portion, the O'Spillanes held Ileagh, the Eóganacht Chaisil had annexed Middle Third while the O'Fogartys held what is now the barony of Eliogarty. The O'Fogarty's gave their name to the town. In Irish, Durlas Éile means "Strong Fort of Éile", or more correctly Durlas Éile Uí Fhogartaigh ("Strong Fort of the O'Fogarty's of Éile"). The clan dominated the regions of Templemore and the Devil's Bit stretching as far as the Tipperary/Kilkenny border.

Feudal period

Towards the end of the 12th century the power of the O'Donoghue clan began to wane, and by the early part of the 13th century, the Norman Butler dynasty came to be the most powerful. It is to the Butlers that Thurles owes much of its early development. Their architectural legacy may be seen today with two of the original family fortresses still standing (the Black Castle near the centre and O'Fogarty Castle by the Suir). Theobald Walter, 1st Baron Butler (Theobald Butler) was the ancestor of the Irish branch of the Butler dynasty. His father had been the hereditary holder of the office of Chief Butler of England and when Theobald assisted Kings Henry II of England and John of England in their invasions of Ireland, he was named "Chief Butler of Ireland". He was also granted a large section of the northeastern part of the kingdom of Limerick. Later in 1328, his descendant, James Butler, was created Earl of Ormond by King Edward III of England.

Commerce

Thurles was originally an agricultural market town. It is now a retail town, with chain stores like Dunnes Stores, Supervalu, Lidl, Aldi, Boots, and Holland and Barrett established in the town. The headquarters of the meat processing factory Dew Valley Foods is also located in the Thurles environs. Thurles Shopping centre was recently extended and plans to open a new a Tesco store to replace the current store in Liberty Square have also been announced. Stakelum's Hardware, which recently moved to the Nenagh road, is one of the biggest family owned business in the town. McKevitt's "Costcutter" is another large family business that operates with one supermarket in the town. High technology industries have been established in the Thurles Technology Park.

Music and arts

The Source Arts Centre

The Source Arts Centre opened on 2 October 2006 and has become the biggest music, theatre and arts venue in north Tipperary. It consists of a 250-seat auditorium with fully flexible seating, and a dedicated gallery space. The year-round programme of events includes film, theatre, dance, ballet, opera, music, family events and visual art exhibitions. Acts like Aslan, Foster and Allen, The Fureys are among the list to have played there.

Féile festival

The Féile Festival, which ran from 1990 to 1997, was held in Semple Stadium. At the height of its success, an estimated 100,000 people attended the festival, which was also known as "The Trip to Tipp". Acts that played included The Prodigy, The Cranberries, Blur, Bryan Adams, Van Morrison, Rage Against the Machine, The Beautiful South and Deacon Blue.

The festival was revived in 2019 with Sinéad O'Connor among others playing.

Thurles Arts Festival

Thurles Arts Festival started in 2009. Organised by local councillor Jim Ryan. It will return for a third time in 2011 with various events around the town in Pubs, Clubs and The Source arts centre.

Amenities and features

Semple Stadium

Thurles is the birthplace of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), founded in 1884 in Hayes' Hotel. Semple Stadium is the second largest GAA stadium in Ireland with a capacity of 53,500, second only to Croke Park in Dublin. The stadium is the "spiritual home" of Munster hurling and many famous matches, especially Munster Finals, have been played there. In 1984, it hosted the All-Ireland Hurling Final to celebrate 100 years since the founding of the GAA in Thurles.

Thurles Cathedral

The parish, numbered 32,
within the Archdiocese

The Cathedral of the Assumption is the mother church of the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. It is not in its original site of the Rock of Cashel. This is due to the assumption of certain ecclesiastical properties by the established Church of Ireland at the time of the English Reformation. Instead, following the relaxation of the Penal Laws, the Roman Catholic archbishop chose to locate his cathedra and residence in nearby Thurles. The present Cathedral of the Assumption stands on the site of earlier chapels in the centre of the town. Work on the cathedral, with its Romanesque architectural style and its facade modelled on that of Pisa, commenced in 1865. It was consecrated by Archbishop Thomas Croke on 21 June 1879. The architect was J.J. McCarthy while Barry McMullen was the main builder. Mr. J.C Ashlin was responsible for the enclosing walls, railing and much of the finished work. The cathedral's main features include a rose window, a free-standing baptistery and a magnificent altar. Particularly noteworthy is the tabernacle, the work of Giacomo della Porta, who was a pupil of Michelangelo.

The cathedral was extensively renovated and the sanctuary sympathetically remodelled on the occasion of its centenary in 1979.

Famine museum

St. Mary's church, belonging to the Church of Ireland, is built on the site of another pre-reformation church in Thurles. This structure was built by the Normans in the 12th century to provide them with a separate and more exclusive place of worship. The building is currently occupied and has a famine museum as well as a war museum. The Famine Museum is now closed.

Library

Thurles Library is located in the arts centre.

Thurles Leisure Centre

In 2003, the county council demolished the old swimming pool with plans to build a new pool which were later scrapped. In 2007, a new swimming pool and gym was opened.

Sport

Gaelic games

Thurles Sarsfields and Thurles Gaels are local Gaelic Athletic Association clubs. The latter is an amalgamation of three longstanding clubs, Thurles Kickhams, Rahealty and Thurles Fennellys and have their pitch in Kickham Park on the Mill Road in Thurles.

Association football

There are a number of association football (soccer) clubs in the area. These include Peake Villa (founded 1967 and playing in Tower Grounds), Thurles Town F.C. (playing in the Greyhound Stadium), Borroway Rovers (restarted 2002 and playing at Loughtagalla Park), Thurles Celtic (founded 2007 also Loughtagalla Park), and Suirside Wanderers (founded 2009 playing in the Vocational School grounds).

Horse racing

Thurles Racecourse is the main horse racing venue in the town and stages both National Hunt and flat racing. Racing has taken place at Thurles since 1732 when a three-day festival took place at the venue. The course is located 1.5 km west of the town centre. The course is an oval right-handed track of one and a quarter miles with 6 flights of hurdles and 7 steeplechase fences in each circuit. It is one mile, two furlongs long with a steep uphill finish.

Other sports

The local rugby club, Thurles Rugby Club, was founded in 1924 and is located close to the water tower. Thurles Cricket Club was founded in 2010. The local athletics club, Thurles Crokes Athletic Club, was founded in 1965.

Education

Primary

Primary schools serving the area include Gaelscoil Bhríde, Scoil Ailbhe CBS, Scoil Angela (Ursuline Convent) and Scoil Mhuire na Toirbhirte (Presentation Convent).

Secondary

Secondary schools include Thurles CBS, Coláiste Mhuire co-educational school, Presentation Convent and the Ursuline Convent.

Third-level and adult education

MIC St. Patrick's Campus, a former seminary runs teacher training degree courses. From 2011 to 2015 on its degrees were awarded by the University of Limerick. It is now part of Mary Immaculate College offering full-time courses in Irish, Religion, Business Studies and Accounting. From September 2019 the college will also offer courses in Maths.

A third-level college, the LIT Tipperary (formerly Tipperary Institute or TRBDI and later renamed Limerick Institute of Technology Tipperary), was established in 1998.

The Pallotine College in Thurles is a retreat, vocations and missions centre for the order.

Other third-level and further education schools include Colaiste Eile, Colaiste Mhuire Adult Education and Thurles Community Training Centre.

Notable people

William Bradshaw (1830–1861), Victoria Cross recipient
Greg Broderick, Olympian equestrian
Séamus Callanan, hurler
Kerry Condon, actress
Lar Corbett, hurler
John Cunningham (1890–1917), Victoria Cross recipient
Jimmy Doyle, hurler
Des Hanafin, politician
Mary Hanafin, politician
Una Healy, singer of the girl group The Saturdays
Eddie Kennedy, painter
Patrick Leahy, bishop
Fergus O'Dowd, politician
Niall O'Dowd, journalist
Dennis O'Driscoll (1954–2012), poet, essayist
Peter O'Meara, actor and singer
Paddy Ryan, world heavyweight champion boxer
Tony Ryan, founder of Ryanair
Pat Shortt, actor and comedian
Mary Turner, President of the GMB, (1997–2017)

International relations

Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Republic of Ireland

Thurles is twinned with:

Bollington, Cheshire East, England, United Kingdom
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Annalistic references

From the Annals of the Four Masters:

M894.6 - Gairbhith, son of Muireagan, lord of Dearlas, died.
M931.9 - A battle was gained in Magh-Uatha by Fearghal, son of Domhnall; and Sichfraidh, son of Uathmharan, i.e. the son of the daughter of Domhnall, over Muircheartach, son of Niall, where were slain Maelgarbh, son of Gairbhith, lord of Dearlas; and Conmhal, son of Bruadhran; and many others along with them.
M934.3 - Bec, son of Gairbhith, lord of Dearlass, died.
M962.9 - Furadhran, son of Bece, lord of Dearlas, was slain by the Cinel-Eoghain.
M983.8 - Dubhdarach, son of Domhnallan, lord of Dearlus, was slain.
M999.4 - Ua Domhnall, i.e. Cuchaill, lord of Durlas, was slain by Ua Neill, i.e. by Aedh.

References

^ "Interactive Data Visualisations: Towns: Thurles". Census 2022. Central Statistics Office. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
"Census 2006: Volume 1 – Population classified by area". cso.ie. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
"Server Error 404 - CSO - Central Statistics Office". www.cso.ie. Archived from the original on 20 September 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
"Histpop - The Online Historical Population Reports Website". www.histpop.org. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016.
"Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency - Census Home Page". Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
Lee, JJ (1981). "On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses". In Goldstrom, J. M.; Clarkson, L. A. (eds.). Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
Mokyr, Joel; Ó Grada, Cormac (November 1984). "New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700-1850". The Economic History Review. 37 (4): 473–488. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x. hdl:10197/1406. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012.
"Thurles station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
"Historical Postcard Collection: Thurles". Tipperary Libraries. Archived from the original on 28 September 2008. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
"Wesleyan Chapel, Thurles, Tipperary, Ireland". Wesleyan Juvenile Offering. VI. London: Wesleyan Mission-House. 1849. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
"Tipperary Star, "Trip to Tipp"". tipperarystar.ie. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
"Keep it Semple. Féile '19 line-up a Tipp back in time". RTÉ Entertainment. 18 July 2019. Archived from the original on 11 November 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
Famine Museum - St Mary's Famine History Museum Archived 26 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine
"Thurles – Recreation Facilities and Amenities | Thurles Information". Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
"Course Profile". Go Racing. Archived from the original on 31 August 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
"Thurles Cricket Club". Archived from the original on 22 February 2011. Archived 22 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine
University of Limerick Degrees for Graduates of St Patrick’s College, Thurles Archived 14 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine University of Limerick Website, Friday, 6 May 2011.
St Patrick’s College Thurles Offers UL Teaching Degrees Archived 31 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Thurles Information, 5 May 2011.
McQuinn, Cormac (27 December 2012). "'Generous, witty, gentleman' poet O'Driscoll dies at 58". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 9 January 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
"UK Twin Towns". 29 February 2008. Archived from the original on 29 February 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
Sister Cities - Ireland and the US - US Embassy in Dublin Archived 2 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine

External links

v t e Places in County Tipperary
County town: Nenagh
Towns	Ballina Borrisokane Cahir Carrick-on-Suir Cashel Clonmel Cloughjordan Killenaule Nenagh Roscrea Templemore Thurles Tipperary
Villages	Ahenny Ardfinnan Ardmayle Ballingarry Ballycommon Ballyclerahan Ballylooby Ballyporeen Ballysheehan Bansha Birdhill Borrisoleigh Cappawhite Carrickbeg Castleiney Clogheen Clonmore Clonoulty Coalbrook Cullen Dolla Donohill Drom Dromineer Dualla Dundrum Emly Fethard Golden Gortnahoe Grange Grangemockler Hollyford Holycross Horse and Jockey Killea Kilsheelan Lattin Lisronagh Littleton Lorrha Loughmore Marlfield Milestone Moycarkey Mullinahone New Birmingham New Inn Newcastle Newport Ninemilehouse Portroe Puckane Rathcabbin Rearcross Rosegreen Rossmore Silvermines Skeheenarinky Terryglass Toomevara Two-Mile Borris Upperchurch
Baronies	Clanwilliam Eliogarty Iffa and Offa East Iffa and Offa West Ikerrin Kilnamanagh Lower Kilnamanagh Upper Middle Third Ormond Lower Ormond Upper Owney and Arra Slievardagh
List of townlands of County Tipperary Category:Mountains and hills of County Tipperary Category:Rivers of County Tipperary Category:Geography of County Tipperary

Categories: