Tipperary Town and Cashel yesterday hosted a visit by Minister Gerry Buttimer, Minister of State in the Department of Rural and Community Development.
The Minister launched Tipperary’s Cruinniú na nÓg 2025 in Cashel Library before making an extended visit to Tipperary town. Cruinniú na nÓg, which takes place on Saturday June 7th is a national initiative led by Creative Ireland, designed to celebrate and encourage youth creativity through a wide range of free events and activities, many delivered via the Tipperary Library services.
The visit to Tipperary town was at the invitation of the South Tipperary Development Company(STDC) who wanted to underpin their call for an increased financial allocation by showcasing the use of Government funding in delivering services and aiding capital projects in south Tipperary.
The theme for the visit was underlined by the Tipperary One Town One Voice choir with the Cranberries Dreams song – one of three they performed from the staircase of the Community Services Centre – featuring the lyric “Oh, my life is changing everyday, In every possible way…”.
Isabel Cambie, the CEO of STDC stressed to the Minster that STDC works with all stakeholders including the Tipperary Education & Training Board, employers, entrepreneurs and particularly the Tipperary town Task Force to enable community development. Minister Buttimer greatly admired the story of Catherine Foley, a Social Inclusion and Activation Programme (SICAP) beneficiary from Carrick on Suir who outlined how SICAP support helped her to return to education and to set up her own business providing horse therapy for children and adults.
Michael Begley, the Manager of the Tipperary Town Revitalisation Task Force highlighted the LEADER and SICAP programme supports that are vital in a town that suffers from severe levels of disadvantage and highlighted how LEADER funding for the Mandatory Business Case enabled the Task Force to secure €8M for redevelopment of the Dan Breen House and the Courthouse complex in Tipperary town(to commence in July 2025).
Brian English, Manager of the Community Services Centre, impressed upon the Minister that he was in a “Community Services Centre” and not just a Community Centre.
Tipp Mid West Radio(TMWR) was also on the Minister’s itinerary where station Manager Eoin O’Donoghue and Board Chairperson Joe O’Connell and board members stressed how valuable LEADER and Pobal funding is for the station – a LEADER grant of €63,000 was secured to help with costs of a studio upgrade in 2024.
Coniaka Ltd Bakery, known locally as Ryan’s of Tipperary was also part of the Minister’s visit. LEADER funding for specialist equipment has helped the Bakery to expand, to secure large scale contracts and to create 30 jobs in the last 12 months. The final visit was to the Knockanrawley Resource Centre to view the community garden where the Community Gardener, Lisa O’Neill, outlined how the access to gardening can offer a huge contribution in improving the well-being of local people.
The Minister, STDC staff and local Public Representatives used the Tipperary town Community Bus to travel between locations. The 16 seat bus was funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and is available for local groups to use with An Garda Siochana providing a driver.
