Author: John Keogh
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Premier Writing: Madge O’Callaghan
Premier Writing showcases poetry, essays and short fiction by new and emerging Irish writers. This week’s short story is by Madge O’Callaghan from Clare. Short Story Angela “Was it wonderful?” she whispered. “It was,” I smiled. “Did you love it?” “I loved it,” I laughed. “I moved my mouth at all the right places.” “Brilliant,”…
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Premier Writing: Jessica Coyle
Premier Writing showcases poetry, essays, and short fiction by new and emerging Irish writers. This week’s featured poet is Jessica Coyle from Dundalk. Poetry Closed Door Behind that closed door there is no benevolenceNo welcoming embrace,nor a yearning for what should be. Cold-hearted disdain sits thereBut my spirit is blithe,and will cast those shadows of…
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Premier Writing: Steve Wade
Premier Writing showcases poetry, essays, and short fiction by new and emerging Irish writers. This week’s short story is by Steve Wade from Dublin. Short Story Don’t Let Go THE HEAVY RAIN pooled in places on the roof of their tent, then seeped through the nylon. To give her shelter, Bennett mantled Yusra’s prostrate body…
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Premier Writing: Mary Howlett
Premier Writing showcases poetry, essays, and short fiction by new and emerging Irish writers. This week’s featured poet is Mary Howlett from Waterford. Poetry The Last Goodbye I remember him standing at the green gateinsisting that I fill my car boot with onionsand cabbages, a few bags of turf cut in the bog the previous…
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Motoring For Morons: New Driving School for Tipperary
Locals excited for revolutionary driver education experience. EXCLUSIVE: The Loughtagalla Times can today reveal that a new driving school will open in Thurles in the new year, offering a driver education experience like never seen before. Motoring For Morons is a revolutionary concept, where the target market is the qualified motorist, as opposed to the…
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Premier Writing: Denis Maher
Premier Writing showcases poetry, essays, and short fiction by new and emerging Irish writers. This week we feature two poems by Denis Maher from Thurles. Poetry Hands of Time Our implements of flesh and boneUnambiguous in their daily tasksThese tools that help us liveThat help give birthSave a life or take a lifeThey build for…
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Premier Writing: Ethel Reynolds
Premier Writing aims to showcase the best poetry and short fiction by new and emerging Irish writers. This week’s short story is by Ethel Reynolds from Tipperary. Short Story Building Memories Susan’s home sat in the gentle undulations of the South Tipperary countryside, with an untidy, almost-wild garden and an old wooden henhouse tucked into…
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Thurles Author Launches New Fantasy Novel
Young adult fantasy to hit bookshelves next week. Laura-Louise Slattery will launch her new book next Wednesday evening, 3rd December. Princess Pineberry and the Sky Paladins of RAM is a young adult fantasy novel, and will make its public debut at a free event in Bookworm, Thurles, at 7pm. A native of the Cathedral town,…
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Premier Writing: Emma Towey
Premier Writing aims to showcase the best poetry and short fiction by new and emerging Irish writers. This week we feature two poems by Emma Towey from Roscommon. Poetry Athena A warrior from Mooncoin failed by the state.A watery apology, nothing but emptywords to echo through time. Sorry for the scandal,but not sorry for all…
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Dinner, dejection, and jumpers at the disco
A night out in the 80s was not for the faint of heart. BY NOW YOU WILL HAVE read our statement on the Thurles bypass, and like all sound-minded people, you will have concluded that we are absolutely right, as usual. But you might also find that you have a lingering question concerning an important…
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Premier Writing: Michael O’Connor
Premier Writing aims to showcase the best poetry and short fiction by new and emerging writers across Ireland. This week’s short story is by Michael O’Connor from Dublin. Short Story Forgiveness I LEFT EARLY, just after 6. I told no-one. Reversed quietly out of the drive and drove as quietly as I could up the…
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Premier Writing: Katy Croke
Premier Writing aims to showcase the best poetry and short fiction by new and emerging writers from across Ireland. Our debut instalment features three poems by Katy Croke from Tipperary. Poetry The Pearl Bracelet Sometimes I feel like an actor, a protagonist,Cast into a carnival of misery, as incongruent as a field filled with dying…
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Thurles Bypass: Our View
You might think the bypass is good news. But you might be wrong. THE NEWS THIS WEEK concerning the bypass for Thurles has been broadly welcomed, and public representatives have been falling over themselves in their efforts to take the credit. Indeed, there are unconfirmed reports that one local official has been hospitalised with a…
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Circling The Square in Thurles
Weekend of international poetry and music in honour of Dennis O;Driscoll. CIRCLING THE SQUARE is back. And if you like a poem and a bit of fine music, this is the event for you. Now in its fourth year, the poetry festival has established itself as one of the premier arts events in the country.…
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Face The Music: Pat Shortt
“Jon was a great man to start a session, and every night was memorable.” THIS WEEK’S GUEST on Face The Music is Pat Shortt — actor, comedian, TV host, and more importantly, a Thurles man. My first encounter with Pat was not exactly a jolly one. This was back in our school days in the…
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The Culchie Spectrum: A Definitive Guide
What is a culchie, and can he function safely in civilised society? IN THE WAKE OF A recent article here on The Times, it was suggested quite strongly to me that I am anti-culchie. That I am in fact a culchiephobe, a racist, an intolerant bigot who is a clear and present danger to the…
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Grieving in Silence
The pain of grief, loss, and overwhelming guilt. And not knowing how to talk about it. THERE IS A QUESTION I have not been able to properly answer since my wife Tracy passed away in August of last year. And it is the question I am asked most often. “How are you holding up?” Most…
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Face The Music: Jim Ryan
We ask the questions you want the answers to. Or the questions you didn’t know you wanted the answers to until they were asked. Or until they were answered after they were asked. Or something. Our first guest is the great Jim Ryan — financial wizard, Tipperary county councillor, and the driving force behind the…
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Thurles Baptist Church Celebrates 50 Years
Week of public events planned for anniversary. Thurles Baptist Church celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Baptists formed their first churches in Ireland more than 350 years ago. Here in Tipperary, the village of Cloughjordan had a congregation of almost 200 people, many of whom emigrated to New Jersey in the 18th century. And there…
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Away In A Home: The Man In The Baggy Trousers
Our fashion expert has noticed a worrying new trend, and it’s one that won’t end well. Not for him, anyway. I SEE THE BAGGY TROUSERS are back in style. Not that I am what you might call a fashion guru, but I am assuming that young people who meet in coffee shops would be a…
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