EDITORIAL: Thurles has a problem that isn't necessarily a Tipperary problem
From this week's Tipperary Star and The Nationalist
They say you are what you eat. Well, guess what, that goes for the rivers too.
At this week’s sitting of Thurles-Templemore Municipal District Council councillors passed a motion to make a plan to tackle the issues on the River Suir on the Thurles side.
The motion was well supported by the district councillors, and LAWPRO manager Fran Igoe said they are ready to coordinate and support the plan to bring the river back to life.
New councillor Kay Cahill-Skehan said people often say to her: “The river is beautiful in Cahir, why can’t it be beautiful in Thurles?” Point being, same river, different town.
Pictures taken by Tipperary Star reporter Shannon Sweeney on August 30 and September 5, 2024
Is the walkway an indication of some people’s attitude toward the river? Those who spend their evenings or lunch breaks walking along the River Suir see the level of litter and dumping along its banks.
The shopping trollies, cans and clothes in the water. God knows what else. And all of this has a cost to the council, local Tidy Towns groups and ultimately to the taxpayer.
Pollution comes in many forms, and it includes the individual who bought a multipack of snack bars last week and left empty wrappers in a trail down the walkway. Or the person who scrawled “Faggot” on the rainbow bench.
Anyone who frequents the Nenagh Riverwalk from Lisbunny all the way down to the meat factory will tell you that aside from a few odd incidents, the river and walkway are treated with respect.
Walking along it, you forget you are in a town.
Thurles has a problem that isn’t necessarily a Tipperary problem. But if you do walk along the river in Thurles, there are two sides to it.
On the one hand, you have lovely benches, wildlife information signs, families enjoying the weather and sometimes fishing. That last one is probably ill-advised, but nonetheless, locals love what should be a beauty spot.
On the other hand, you have people whose parents clearly didn’t teach them to pick up after themselves.
Although you might say they are the minority, they do seem to make an awful mess for everyone else.