A to Z of 2024

A - 2024 was another big year for Arrabawn Co-op. Announcing record profits for the previous year in April, the Nenagh-based company entered into a merger with Tipperary Co-op after members of both societies voted in November in favour of creating Arrabawn Tipperary Co-operative Society Ltd, one of the largest co-operatives in Ireland.

B - Great progress was made on the new Ballina-Killaloe bridge in 2024. The new Killaloe bypass was set to open to traffic before the end of the year, while people were excited to see sections of the bridge put in place ahead of its scheduled opening - along with the upgraded Ballina-Birdhill road - in March or April 2025.

C - The HSE's decision to use the new St Conlon's nursing home at Tyone, Nenagh, as a patient stepdown facility to ease congestion at University Hospital Limerick became a running front page story over the year. The move sparked widespread outrcy, required an intervention from the Taoiseach, and saw thousands of people take to the streets in protest in May.

D - Director of Services Marcus O'Connor retired from Tipperary Co Council after 25 years of service. Also Director of Nenagh Municipal District, the Cork native became a popular member of the executive and he was widely praised for his work on the council over the years.

E - The housing crisis continued to be a feature of the news in 2024 and the Guardian featured two families facing eviction - both of them in Nenagh town - in March and August. The features highlighted how Tipperary Co Council was working with families in trying to resolve the problems arising from landlords selling houses and asking their tenants to leave, despite an acute lack of alternative accommodation to rent or buy.

F - Newport hosted a very successful Tipperary Fleadh Cheoil in May. The town's first Fleadh in 13 years attracted more than 500 competitors and saw traditional music sessions take place in Newport, Birdhill and Bunkey.

G - 2024 was a General Election year that saw Deputy Lowry heading the poll yet again, Deputy Alan Kelly taking the second seat while Ryan O’Meara was elected on his first attempt following a dramatic three-day count in Nov/December.

H - Nenagh's Historic and Cultural Quarter was discussed at length during a year in which a plebiscite was proposed to decide the fate of the two long talked-about houses on Pease St that could be used as an entranceway to the castle. An application for national funding for the Historic Quarter unfortunately did not prove successful in 2024.

I - International protection applicants dominated many headlines in 2024, starting in January when an at times heated protest broke out in Roscrea over the accommodation of 160 IPAs at the former Racket Hall hotel. There was also opposition to a proposed accommodation of IPAs at the former St Kieran's Nursing Home in Rathcabbin, while in Borrisokane a protest was organised against the eviction of former asylum-seekers in the Riverside apartment complex so that their accommodation could be used for IPAs.

J - The death of Judge Elizabeth MacGrath in July caused shock as well as great sadness. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee was among those paying tributes to Judge MacGrath, who was appointed to the bench in 2007 and served as district judge in Nenagh from 2012 right up until her death, during which time she became known for her care and compassion.

K - Declan Kelly's global CEO advisory company Consello announced its much anticipated launch of operations in Ireland in November. The Portroe native brought familiar Tipperary faces on board, including All-Ireland winning Tipp manager Liam Sheedy and strategic communications specialist Eugene Hogan. Other principals in Kelly's company included former Manchester United captain Gary Neville and former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley.

L - Local Elections were also held in 2024 with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael sharing 20 of the 40 seats on Tipperary Co Council between them. Fourteen seats were taken by Independents, five of whom were aligned with Deputy Michael Lowry, while Labour increased its representation from one seat to three. In the Nenagh Municipal District, retiring councillors Ger Darcy, Hughie McGrath and John Rocky McGrath were replaced by newcomers Ryan O'Meara, Louise Morgan Walsh and Pamela Quirke O'Meara.

M - A murder investigation was launched in Nenagh after the body of Josephine Ray was found at her home in St Joseph's Park in August. To date, no one has been charged in relation to her death. Also in August, two male juveniles were charged with the second degree murder of Nenagh man Shaun Brady, who had been working as a chef in Kansas City.

N - New Year, Better You - as opposed to New Year, New You - was the mantra from local ultra marathon runner James Sheehan as he reflected on running a staggering total of 3,382km in 2023. He ran a minimum of 5k every day of the year and, as people got stuck into their 2024 resolutions in January, James told of his own running journey that began with a resolution 10 years previously.

O - Nenagh's one-way traffic system was introduced in April. Despite considerable criticism in the weeks after it went into operation, the new system was generally greeted as a success. The council said the system would be kept under review for the first 12 months with a view to making any changes deemed necessary in 2025.

P - Shane MacGowan and his band the Pogues were immortalised in two murals painted in Nenagh. The one at Emmet Place was formally unveiled with a fitting community celebration in October, while a second mural of the late Pogues frontman was created on the gable of Philly Ryan's pub, Shane's favourite haunt on his return visits to Nenagh.

Q - Questions arose over how a soccer player sustained a gunshot wound while playing a match in Newport. The town became a focus of national media attention in January after the player was shot in the arm from an unknown source. It was subsequently reported that he was accidentally hit by a deer hunter from some distance away.

R - Nenagh and its hinterland was poised for a significant economic boost after the announcement in May that local firm Remcoll Modular International planned to expand its workforce by up to 350 employees. The modular homes manufacturer already employed 130 people at its Gortlandroe base, former home of the Procter & Gamble factory.

S - 2024 was a year to remember for Sharlene Mawdsley. Hundreds turned out to welcome home the star athlete on her return to Newport in August after she captured the hearts of the Irish public following her record-breaking displays at the Paris Olympics.

T - Threats to council staff and elected members were discussed at a meeting of Tipperary Co Council in March. The council said it would be taking action against such behaviour amid a national report that found that 63% of councillors experienced threats, harassment and intimidation. The threats included violence, damage to property, arson, death threats and sexual violence. More than 38% of respondents encountered threats via social media.

U – UHL, dubbed a “hazardous” hospital by Deputy Michael Lowry, experienced record overcrowding in 2024. A total of 150 patients were without a bed in the region’s emergency department in February, the highest number since the INMO began its trolley watch lists in 2006.

V – St Vincent de Paul launched an appeal for new volunteers early in the year after receiving a record number of calls for help in 2023. Nenagh SVP President Harry Martin estimated that the local conference received over 700 calls, up a third on the previous year.

W – The weather is always a talking point but it was particularly so in 2024, when a prolonged wet spell that began the previous summer caused road damage of unprecedented scale. There was intense flooding in Ballina, while potholes appeared in places never seen before. “There are literally thousands of potholes out there,” District Engineer Barry Murphy told a Nenagh Municipal District meeting in March. “We’ve got hundreds of complaints over them.”

X - New restrictions on XL Bully dogs were introduced on October 1. A meeting of Tipperary Co Council heard that there were 25 XL Bullies licensed in the county, but the authority believed there were many more that were not registered.

Y - Unity Youth Hub was formed with a view to arranging enjoyable activities for the refugee children living in the Nenagh area. Children from Ukraine, Syria, Pakistan and a number of African countries living in Nenagh, Borrisokane and Coolbawn Quay were treated to summer camp outings, as well as a series of Halloween art workshops.

Z - The row over zoned land became a big political issue during the year and many local farmers believed they should be exempt from the Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT), which was introduced to encourage development of idle land. Local representatives lobbied to exempt working farmers from the tax.