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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Thousands turn out to fight back and make Thurles and "unmoveable force"
A huge turnout attended the public rally in Thurles this morning to protest against the move of the Post Office from Liberty Square to Thurles Shopping Centre.
The sun shone magnificently as the march led off from the Parnell Street car park onto Liberty Square. And, such was the length of the march that the front passed the back at opposite sides of Liberty Square as they made their away around.
Shops and businesses closed their doors for the duration of the march, but tellingly the Post Office remained open.
Chairman of the organising committee Cllr Jim Ryan led the speeches and was joined by John Butler, President of Thurles Chamber of Commerce, Ursula Paine of Dementia Friendly Thurles and Eileen Cooke of the Active Retirement group in the town. TD's Seamus Healy, Mattie McGrath, Alan Kelly, Jackie Cahill and Michael Lowry also addressed the meeting. However, they failed to give a commitment to get a meeting with Minister Richard Bruton as requested by Cllr Ryan, but they did pledge to tray and arrange it.
"I am honoured and proud to be a Thurles man today when I see the crowd we have here. Our people are united with goal and people power will win out in the end. Thurles is under attack - we should be used to it - we have been a soft target in recent times. But, we are now a force to be reckoned with. An Post don't give two damns about us or their customers but the message it now very clear to them - we are an unmoveable and unbreakable force and it is time for our politicians to do their jobs," Cllr Ryan said.
John Butler, mentioned the Michael Collins show which is currently being staged in The Premier Hall - revolution is in the air, he said, and people need to keep the pressure on.
There was indeed an atmosphere of revolution on Liberty Square and as Archbishop Croke and the 1798 Pikeman looked on, the people spoke loud by their presence.
The challenge now is to convince the Minister to listen to their pleas and to intervene to have the decision reversed. That is the route being pursued right now.
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