Hopes for summer launch of Tipperary heritage trail that would put town ‘on the map’
A new heritage trail aimed at bringing Thurles’ “hidden history” to life could be up and running by this summer.
Thurles Lions Club are working with Tipperary County Council to develop a new heritage trail around the town, and gave councillors in the Thurles Municipal District (MD) an update on progress at the April monthly meeting.
The Thurles Heritage Trail will be a self-guided walking tour of the town, and will feature 12 stops, each focussing on the history of Thurles.
Stops on the tour will include Hayes Hotel, where the GAA was founded, Semple Stadium, Thurles Railway Station, and Thurles Cathedral, and signs at each location will feature QR codes so people can learn more about each of the places and their stories.
In their presentation to councillors, the members of the Lions Club said they wanted to bring the hidden history of Thurles to life.
"We met with the former district secretary back in 2003 when we opened the Stanwix Home, and when we were developing that, we became aware of the very interesting and unique history that the building has, and it’s kind of a hidden history, never been brought to life.
"We had the discussion, and what came out of that discussion was the Thurles Heritage Trail. Like every town, Thurles has a history and it needed to be brought to life,” councillors were told.
After a past meeting with the MD, the Lions Club explored different avenues of setting up the trail, and worked with the council to bring it to fruition.
Local man Jimmy Duggan, who had been leading walking tours around the town, got involved with the club’s efforts to establish the trail.
"Jimmy Duggan has, in a voluntary capacity, been leading walking tours around the town for various occasions, and there’s a poetry festival that’s held in October every year. When I did the walk with Jimmy two years ago, we realised the type of history that the town has.
"We engaged with the LEADER partnership in the North Tipperary Development Company to guide us toward getting grants, and we went back to the general membership of the Thurles Lions Club and we were able to confirm from the club that we had €10,000 in seed funding for the project, and that would represent 25pc of the total cost of the design of the project,” councillors were told.
Local historian Jimmy Duggan told councillors at the meeting that the trail was designed to appeal to a wide range of people.
“It was a trail that has to appeal to a range of people, to show our own pride in our town for the people that live there, and that they would enjoy wandering around and listening to what’s behind the architecture and the design of the town.
"Then the person who comes on a daytrip, or who comes to a game or something, the GAA would be the link there, then you have the rail tour, and then you have the people who are a little deeper into history,” Mr Duggan said.
Independent councillor Jim Ryan welcomed the plans for the trail, and said it will put Thurles “on the map.”
Fianna Fáil councillor Sean Ryan said that a lot of people have an interest in history, and that the new trail will appeal to many different types of people.
District engineer Thomas Duffy said the project is a success story of what can happen with the council works with community groups.
"This is a really good example of where the council works together with the community to get something that will support the community across the line,” he said.