Hidden Tipperary

The Office of Public Works (OPW) has just announced that all the heritage sites operated by the OPW in Ireland will be free on the first Wednesday of every month in 2012. The OPW operated this scheme last year and it was so successful that it has decided it will be operated again this year.

The following is a list of the heritage sites that will be free in Tipperary during the offer;

• Cahir Castle
• Rock of Cashel
• Roscrea Heritage and the Blackmills
• Swiss Cottage

Full details on all the available heritage sites around Ireland can be found on www.heritageireland.ie website and a PDF file with more info and details on the free access to heritage sites for 2012 is available here;  http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/media/Free%20Wednesdays.pdf

You can view the map below to see the location of nearby heritage sites in Tipperary.

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Thurles Famine Museum.

All schools around Ireland will hold a minute’s silence today as a mark of respect for all those who died, suffered or were forced to emigrate, during the Great Famine period 1845-1849, here in Ireland.

Better known outside the shores of Ireland, as the Irish Potato Famine, this period witnessed the death of approximately 1.3 million people and the emigration of at least 1 million others from Ireland, causing the island’s population to fall by between 20% and 25%.

On Sunday next, St Mary’s Famine Museum here in Thurles Co Tipperary will officially open from 2:00pm – 5:30pm thus kicking off the start of the current Tipperary tourism season, (May 1st to September 30th) with the museum running a series of “Guided Tour Lectures,” on the afternoon, as part of the Ireland’s 2012 National Famine Commemorations.

Thurles Famine Museum now holds the largest collection of original Famine Memorabilia in Ireland and a number of new exhibition items will go on display for the very first time on Sunday, including an original document which is the only proof in existence of the “Tithe Wars,” here in Thurles.

Sandhurst Military Academy Uniforms And Holocaust Exhibition

Other events planned for later this year at St. Marys Museum include:-

• An exhibition of clothing and other artefacts from the Downton Abbey era of Irish history, including old military uniforms from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Surrey, England.
• A Holocaust photographic exhibition entitled “The Shoah,” dedicated to the memory and genocide of 5.29 – 6.2 million of our Jewish brethren.

Full details of these exhibitions will be announced by St Mary’s Famine Museum, in the coming weeks.
In the meanwhile if you are out and about on Sunday afternoon next, do call to St Mary’s Famine Museum in Thurles.

Note: Entry charge for this event costs just €2.50 which includes the ‘Lecture Tour,’ latter which begins sharp at 3:00pm.