Yesteryears: Mean conmen dupe pensioners out of cash throughout Tipperary

We go back 30 years this week for our Yesteryears feature, to our edition dated November 21, 1992.

The country was in the grip of an election campaign at the time and our main front page story by Michael Heverin informed readers that An Taoiseach Albert Reynolds was visiting the South Tipperary constituency that week to rally Fianna Fáil supporters before the General Election.

At the same time, sitting Fianna Fáil TD, Noel Davern, was speaking out on how the “Reynolds Factor” was hurting the party’s campaign in South Tipperary.

Mr Davern had been sacked by the Taoiseach the previous February from his position as Minister for Education. The party organisation in the constituency in the run-up to polling, and particularly Mr Davern himself, remained angry about that dismissal.

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We also carried a warning to the public across the top of the front page advising people, especially the elderly, to be careful of “mean conmen and blackguards masquerading as agents for the Sisters of Charity and similar voluntary and public bodies”.

It followed reports from both Tipperary Town and Cashel where men, working in pairs, had confidently duped their way into the homes of elderly pensioners and distracted them in order to steal cash.

We also reported that week of the sudden and sad death of long-serving Fianna Fáil county councillor Ned Meagher, who was Vice-Chairman of South Tipperary County Council at the time.

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The community of Ballingarry and surrounding areas was in a state of profound shock following the sudden death of Mr Meagher (60) which occurred at Tipperary Town Courthouse where he had been an observer on a court case involving a constituent.

He was survived by his wife Susan and eight children.

Tributes from far and wide were paid to Mr Meagher who was twice a poll topper in the local elections of 1985 and 1991 for Fianna Fáil.

Also that week Sister Eileen Fahey, the Bansha nun of Aiseirí fame, was presented with a national People of the Year Award.