Theo Albrecht, the joint founder of the popular budget supermarket giant Aldi, last seen in public after his release from kidnap 39 years ago, has died aged 88. The company said he died on Saturday in his home [...]]]>

Theodor Paul Albrecht (28 March 1922 – 24 July 2010)

Theo Albrecht, the joint founder of the popular budget supermarket giant Aldi, last seen in public after his release from kidnap 39 years ago, has died aged 88. The company said he died on Saturday in his home city of Essen, but gave no cause of death.

The Albrecht brothers, Karl and Theo, co-founders of Aldi, were amongst the two wealthiest people in Germany, with fortunes in excess of €17.35bn and €16.75bn respectively.

Little is known about the two reclusive brother billionaires, with Theo’s last public appearance being in 1971, shortly after his release, after 17 days captivity, by kidnappers who were reportedly paid a $4.67 million ransom.

One rare photo of Theo Albrecht, from the 1980s, shows a nondescript looking man with grey hair and glasses who apparently devoted his spare time to collecting old typewriters, growing orchids and to playing golf on his own private greens.

The first Aldi stores – an acronym standing for “Albrecht Discount” – opened in the early 1960s under the motto: “Concentrating on the basics: a limited selection of goods for daily needs.” The stores began sprouted up all over Germany and are now to be found in nearly 20 countries since their conception.

The Aldi group presently operates about 8,210 individual stores worldwide. A new store opens every week in Britain alone, and the company operates approximately 70 outlets here in Ireland with one popular outlet here in Thurles, Co.Tipperary.

Theo Paul Albrecht was renowned as a hard working man who was always decent with his business partners and employees and who always treated people with the greatest respect.

Mr Albrecht and his elder brother both served as German soldiers in the Second World War, before returning home to Essen and taking over a grocery store their parents owned. They flourished as the German economy, then in shambles after the war, came back to life in what is often referred too as the “Economic Miracle”.  If you think Ireland has severe financial problems presently, remember Germany, according to the Potsdam Conference held between July 17 and August 2, 1945, had to pay the Allies $20 billion mainly in machinery, and manufacturing plants.  In addition, in accordance with the agreed policy of de-industrialisation and pastoralization, large numbers of civilian factories were dismantled for transport to France and the UK, or simply destroyed.  Germany paid Israel 450 million DM in Holocaust reparations, and paid 3 billion DM to the World Jewish Congress to compensate survivors in other countries.

When Forbes featured the brothers in 1992 as two of the world’s richest men, the magazine had to uses silhouettes rather than photographs to illustrate the article since no pictures of them had been published in many years.

The German Retail Federation said that Germany had lost one of its greatest entrepreneurs. “There are only a few people who have stamped their mark on an entire business sector of the economy. Theo Albrecht achieved just that,” the Federation’s managing director, Stefan Genth, said in a statement.

Aldi now has more than 4,000 outlets in Germany alone, where it is known for its no-frills quality shopping environment, streamlined processes and a limited range of discount products.

The brothers retired as CEOs in 1993 and gave most of their wealth to foundations. The Aldi group operates about 8,210 individual stores worldwide, with a new store opening every week in Britain alone.

Go ndéana Dia trócaire ar a anam dílis.

A significant investment boost for the Mid West Region comes on foot of a decision by the European Commission to allow grant aid to help boost employment. Such aid had been phased out two years ago.

This revised European Commission decision on Regional Investment rules [...]]]>

Ireland's Mid West Region

A significant investment boost for the Mid West Region comes on foot of a decision by the European Commission to allow grant aid to help boost employment. Such aid had been phased out two years ago.

This revised European Commission decision on Regional Investment rules could help create employment opportunities in the mid-western region.

The recent decision means that a large company locating to the mid-western region, which covers Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary, will now be able to get grant aid of up to ten per cent of the value of their intended investment, and thus help enterprise agencies to create and attract jobs in the area.

Certainly Grant aid acts as a strong incentive when companies are thinking about locating to an area and this together with language, education, low corporation tax rates, skills, physical and digital infrastructure, does determine a firms investment decisions, when they sit to consider and compare rival locations.

Property Options To Interested Companies In Thurles

Tipperary Technology Park is a fully serviced park with a Business Incubation Centre and quality manufacturing and office accommodation options. Thurles is readily accessible by road, rail and air. It is located on the main Dublin – Cork railway line and just 6km from the main Dublin – Cork motorway. Shannon International Airport has daily direct flights to the US, UK and Europe. International companies in Thurles and the surrounding area include Taro Pharmaceuticals and Procter & Gamble. The town is also well served with a robust broadband telecoms network where a choice of carriers ensure competitive prices and high quality service for all users. Thurles is home to two 3rd level colleges, St Patricks College and the Tipperary Institute, latter a college with an enrolment of over 700 students, with two of the Institutes departments being Business Development and Information / Communications Technologies.

For further information please contact: Brian Keating, Development Manager
Address:Tipperary Technology Park, Thurles, Co Tipperary, Ireland
Tel.: +353 (0) 504 29300 Fax.: +353 (0) 504 29305.

The decision to restore regional aid to the whole mid-west region goes beyond the recommendation in the Report of the Mid-Western Task force which sought aid for a number of business parks in the region.

This decision now puts the much neglected mid-western region in the same position as the south-eastern region, which covers Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Waterford and South Tipperary, where State aid for large investment projects is already allowed.

Announcing his plan, the Taoiseach confirmed that [...]]]> Taoiseach Brian Cowen has stated, with not so much as a blush, that the Government’s revised €39bn Capital Investment Programme will lead to 270,000 jobs being provided between now and 2016. However, overall spending on infrastructure is being cut by up to 40%, when compared to the 2007 National Development Plan.

Announcing his plan, the Taoiseach confirmed that Metro North and the €2.5bn Dart Underground will go ahead in Dublin.
Nice one Dublin, and whilst we accept that investment of this kind is welcome, using current estimates, we must keep in mind that it costs €200,000 to construct a simple bus stop.

We continue to over developed and over balance our east coast, while neglecting most of the rest of Ireland. It seems that despite the country being in ruins, Dublin must continue to be nurtured, and rural Ireland must “Eat the crumbs which fall from the masters table“, (Matthew 15:27). In rural parts of Ireland you can damaging your car by taking a short drive on our roads, but we are told there is no money to repair them. In Dublin there is a Railway service, there is the Luas, there is a Bus service, there are Taxi’s, but now they require an Underground as well. Dublin does not need an Underground, Thurles does need a ring road, but it would appear that Fianna Fail are borrowing to buy the next election and the gullible Irish electorate will fall for it again, if there are three successive declines in the unemployment figures in late 2011 and early 2012.

There will, we are informed, be more capital investment in Water Services which really means “lets get those water metres in place, and get our €350 minimum from every household, in water charges, to prop up the City of Dublin, County and Local Councils“. This whole plan fails to realise that people can only spend money if they have it. Soon 80% of all incomes will disappear in stealth taxes before each taxpayer is allowed to pay the “candle maker” and the “shoe maker”.

Stealth taxes crept in during the boom years with National Car Testing Centres (NCT) in 2000, then Waste Charges, then a tax on electrical goods to cover disposal costs without providing, in a lot of cases, places to dispose these cast offs. Then came Parking Charges, then Water Charges, which were paid only by the few before being abolished. Next came NRA Toll charges and now we are preparing for Water Charges once again. Soon it will be the air we breathe, which will be deemed necessary to have filtered. What has the government done with our taxes – PRSI no longer covers health – Road Tax and Fuel Tax no longer cover road repairs – We are embarrassed into giving donations to assist under funded Charities and Children’s Hospitals – Criminals are no longer punished because we have no prisons to put them in and you can’t even get a passport to leave this God forsaken, greedy, corrupt State, because Unions have ruined our Civil Service.

There is no stimulus in this plan for indigenous, innovative companies rather it’s the same old problems complimented by same old wasteful solutions. Perhaps there will be jobs created in the construction industry, with, for a brief period, some spin off in services, but what happens after that? A well connected few people will once again make a lot of money at the taxpayers expense. The government’s inexplicable attachment to construction interests is written all over these plans. It would have been much fairer to have small local projects given this funding. Repairs to local roads, school building, development of tourist infrastructures, which would immediately bring about much needed confidence to our local economies, while employment potential in the short term would rapidly increase.

One of the biggest capital spending Government projects in Dublin presently has been contracted out to foreign companies who will not employ Irish workers, choosing instead to employ foreigners who accept cheap rates and are prepared to reside in sub-standard accommodation for the duration of their stay. This does not stimulate our economy and these people because of low pay will not be obliged to contribute tax.

Progress with IT and Broadband have in the past been deliberately curtailed here in Ireland, to support Telephone Companies – “those damned peasants will use Skype and Google Mail to communicate for free, if you give them broadband, so lets stick our hands directly into their stupid pockets and steal as much cash as possible from them, before Europe begins to govern our ridiculous pricing programme.”

It would now appear that all prayer books will have to be reprinted to correct a spelling mistake in the Marriage Ceremony. New version will read “Till debt us do part.”

Is it just me, or do others have similar views?  Your comments please.

The company owns three blocks near the village of Moyne, near Thurles and four [...]]]> Connemara Mining plc, a company presently exploring successfully for zinc in Stonepark, Co Limerick, is considering adding a number of additional drilling rig targets close to the Lisheen zinc mine near Moyne, Co.Tipperary, the Companies chairman, Mr John Teeling told shareholders in Dublin yesterday.

The company owns three blocks near the village of Moyne, near Thurles and four near Nenagh, both in Co.Tipperary and are understood to has identified drill targets approximately five kilometres south of the present Lisheen Zinc Mine site.

Connemara Mining Company plc was established in 2006 by veterans of the Irish zinc industry to exploit zinc opportunities in Ireland. They currently holds the following 38 prospecting licences in respect of properties throughout Ireland:

* Monaster Block – six contiguous licences in Limerick.
* Newcastle West Block – ten contiguous licences in Limerick, close to Monaster.
* Lough Sheelin Block – five contiguous licences located in counties Cavan and Meath.
* Castlemaine – a single licence located in County Kerry.
* Thurles Block – three contiguous licences in County Tipperary.
* Nenagh Block – four contiguous licences in County Tipperary.
* Moate Block – four non contiguous licences in County Westmeath.
* Mine River Block – four contiguous licences in Counties Waterford and Wicklow.
* Kildare Block – a single licence in County Kildare.

The men, all aged 30-44, were detained following intelligence led operations across Munster and southerns Leinster.

It is understood that the gang are [...]]]> Ten Albanian men have been arrested as suspects involved in organised crime gangs, and stand accused of having committed crimes of large scale burglary in counties Carlow, Cork, Kerry, Kilkenny, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford.

The men, all aged 30-44, were detained following intelligence led operations across Munster and southerns Leinster.

It is understood that the gang are thought to be behind burglaries, which occurred between October 2008 and May of 2010, with specific investigations focused on a large number of break-ins at business premises.

The 10 men, who have been arrested under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, are being questioned in Garda Stations at Waterford, Thurles, Thomastown, New Ross, Mallow and Cahir.

A Garda spokesman said the operation, codenamed “Crake“, was supported by foreign investigators through the agency Interpol, and has been operating undercover for several months.

The suspected gangs have targeted shops, petrol stations and local stores, financial institutions including post offices, bars and nightspots and one church. The gang, which is believed to include former policemen and military personnel, also use angle grinders and cutting equipment to gain entry to safes and strong rooms. It is thought the gang often spent several hours carrying out their burglaries.

A Garda spokesman said there were a total of 49 break-ins and robberies currently under investigation as part of this operation.

From start to finish, it was a classic spectacle, as on at least ten occasions, a crowd of 27,864 watched both teams draw level and between them register six goals. Tipperary were impressive from the start with 0-4 to 0-1 in front after nine [...]]]>

Gearoid Ryan Celebrates Tipp Victory

From start to finish, it was a classic spectacle, as on at least ten occasions, a crowd of 27,864 watched both teams draw level and between them register six goals.
Tipperary were impressive from the start with 0-4 to 0-1 in front after nine minutes.
Eanna Ryan gave Galway a massive boost in the tenth minute when he burst through a gap in the Tipperary line to finish with a goal.

This score boosted Galway, given that Tipperary were slowly easing ahead with points from Patrick Maher and Lar Corbett.

Eoin Kelly also introduced himself to the score board with a free and had doubled his tally in the next attack, but his efforts were wasted when a long ball saw Hayes break possession and race through the ranks blasting the ball into the top corner of the net, leaving Tipperary’s  Brendan Cummins with no chance to save.

Following Tipperary’s goal from Kelly driving past Colm Callinan from Maher’s knock-down, Galway appeared to gain renewed impetus, scoring the next six points to go three points ahead and with excellent defending from Galway they kept Tipp scoreless for nearly 16 minutes, but Tipperary finished the half with a 1-02 burst to take a four point advantage coming towards the break. Kelly and Brendan Maher knocked over points, before Noel McGrath’s pass sent substitute Seamus Callanan through for a stoppage time goal and a 2-08 to 1-09 lead.

A sensational start to the second half saw Galway hit the front again. Damien Hayes stole a goal, and Farragher and Canning stole points making it 2-11 to 2-10, but then Gearoid Ryan raced through for Tipperary’s third goal on the 43 minute.

Lar Corbett gave Tipperary the added comfort of a four-point lead, but a fouled Joe Canning penality assisted by points from Damien Hayes, Kevin Hynes and Aengus Callanan put Galway back in the lead .

Last minute scores from John O’Brien, Ryan and Corbett saw Tipperary win this classic game which can only be described as fueled by sheer passion and quality skill from two totally committed teams.

Tipperary Team: B Cummins, P Stapleton, P Curran, M Cahill, D Fanning, C O’Mahony, P Maher, B Maher (0-2), D Young, G Ryan (1-2), P Maher (0-1), S McGrath, N McGrath (0-1), L Corbett (0-3), E Kelly (1-7).
Subs: S Callanan (1-0) for Young, J O’Brien (0-1) for N McGrath, C O’Brien for Fanning, P Bourke for P Maher
Final Score:
Referee: J Owens (Wexford).

It now appears that this city formally known as “The Pale” is being promoted as a place for “Fun and Craic” in a new solo run using €1 million of  [...]]]> Dublin! Dublin! Dublin! everything appears these days to be centred in and around Dublin. A plague on our Capital city say the dwellers from “Beyond the Pale.”

It now appears that this city formally known as “The Pale” is being promoted as a place for “Fun and Craic” in a new solo run using €1 million of  our Tourism campaign funding.

"The Pale"

The word “pale ” (An Pháil) derives ultimately from the Latin word palus, meaning a stake, used to support a fence and from this came the figurative meaning of boundary and eventually the phrase “beyond the pale” as something outside the boundary of an area from Dundalk to Carrickmines Castle, Dublin known today as gullible “Rural Ireland.”

Minister for Tourism Mary Hanafin TD said that this new radio and online campaign by Tourism Ireland would be seen by an audience of over 12 million, British tourists. She correctly states that Britain is the largest single source market for visitors to the island of Ireland and provides more than half of all visitors to the island. This campaign will  involve direct marketing and social media initiatives, as well as promotions with tour operators and air and sea carriers. It will capitalises on the British market and intensively promote Dublin to the British holidaymaker.

Frank Magee of Dublin Tourism states: “The capital city attracted 1.5 million visitors from Britain last year, which resulted in five million bed nights, but losing its market share in Britain. Dublin has been the driver in Irish tourism, bolstering the Irish figures in recent years and there’s a realisation that if Dublin doesn’t do well, Ireland doesn’t do well.”

What a load of verbal diarrhea Mr Magee. Ireland’s false reputation of being an expensive  holiday destination is spread by Tourists who spend too much time in Dublin drinking €3.50 cups of coffee served by staff who do not speak English .

Come on down to Tipperary folks if you want a holiday offering value for your money. Thurles is the ancestral home of your head of state, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,  and it is here you can experience  friendly relaxation, carefree fun and craic,  your children can run wild and run free, the air is clean and you can find your car still parked where you left it the night before.

It would appear rural Irish taxpayers, for far to long, have been the silent and subservient suppliers of ‘money on demand’ to support  Dublin tourism, so let us keep things in perspective remembering that in 2009 the Irish Hotels Federation represented almost 1,000 hotels and guesthouses throughout the whole country, which in turn employ over 59,000 people. It seems only proper that those beyond the Pale should  like their fair slice of the tourism promotion cake.

How Much Money Was Spent Promoting Our Capital City Dublin In The Past Ten Or So Years?

Listen I could be listing Dublin’s financial handouts at the expense of rural Ireland for the night!

Shannon Region Tourism only spent €108.00 in Tipperary for all of last year and that was for 200 postage stamps @ .54 cents each asking us to part with €1,500 for an small advert in their glossy Tourist Brochure which supports west of the Shannon. Some of us paid and the others just could not afford it and the latter now have become statistics filed in a drawer labeled ” Refuses To Pay Protection Money.”

Now, having stolen everything of value from rural Ireland and spent €1 million this year promoting just Dublin, our National Government based also in Dublin are looking at plans to introduce absurd tolls on National Roads. This, I suspect, is designed to keep unsuspecting and curious tourists back within the precincts of Dublin and away from rural Ireland, while expecting country mugs to fork out hundreds of euro a year per car, just to pop down to our local shop for a loaf of bread and a slice of cooked ham. People who live in rural areas served by national primary routes already pay heavy road tax, fuel tax, income tax, VAT and a myriad of other ridiculous charges all designed to keep Dublin’s Luas running.

Dublin, please note, we, the rural servile yokels can now read and write thanks to the Religious Orders. We realise we can no longer afford to continue to financially support you, and I think it’s time to fence you in again.

Mary Hanifin, as current Irish politicians go, you are the very best, but the next time I see you home in your native Thurles, Co Tipperary, you and I will have to sit and chat about tourism in these forgotten midlands.

Figures released show that there are 57,516 passport applications waiting to be processed in Dublin and Cork passport offices, but a new service has been introduced to prioritise applications for people with immediate travel plans within three days. The cost of this new service to the [...]]]>

Passport Scandal

Figures released show that there are 57,516 passport applications waiting to be processed in Dublin and Cork passport offices, but a new service has been introduced to prioritise applications for people with immediate travel plans within three days. The cost of this new service to the taxpayer however has not been disclosed.

North Tipperary Fine Gael TD, Deputy Noel Coonan stated:
“Passport applications with ‘absolute proof of travel’ are now guaranteed to be processed within three working days. Applicants should make contact with the passport service and provide proof where applicable. While the backlog is still hugely excessive at 57,516 as of July 6th, and the Government is still struggling to alleviate the problem, at least a new fast turnaround time has been introduced. Additional temporary staff  have commenced work in the passport service in the last few weeks to clear the backlog and while this is welcome news, I’m disappointed that the Government did not appoint extra staff before an enormous backlog had formed and the problem had already snowballed. Until now, the fastest turnaround time was open only to applicants who needed to travel for urgent humanitarian reasons but this new service will  prioritise applications for people with immediate travel plans.”

Information released by the Foreign Affairs Minister also revealed that it is taking eight weeks to process applications received through the ordinary post channels. Passport demand is now running at 14% higher than this time in 2009. Unfortunately, the Minister was unable to confirm how many North Tipperary people are waiting for their passports to be processed.

Of the 57,516 applications waiting to be processed, 12,400 of these were received by the Passport Office in Cork.  Applications submitted via the Passport Express service (Swiftpost in the Republic and NIPX in the North), available through local post offices, are being processed within 20 working days.  This 20 working day guarantee is kept under review. There appears to be no difference in waiting times for a Passport Renewal or First Time Applications.

But wait for it – Yes, you have guessed correctly, an additional fee to those seeking passports, may apply in respect of such new prioritised applications.

Thursday’s passing out ceremony will be followed by a further graduation in October. From October next, the college will remain empty because [...]]]> A total of 263 Gardaí, comprising 151 men and 112 women, graduated from the Garda College in Templemore, Co Tipperary on Thursday last and will now be posted to various Garda stations around the country.

Thursday’s passing out ceremony will be followed by a further graduation in October. From October next, the college will remain empty because no new recruits from existing panels have been offered posts over the past two years, as a direct result of the Garda recruitment embargo currently in place.

Minister for Justice Equality and Law Reform Dermot Ahern stated, “Plans were already in place to begin recruitment again. The timing however of the next recruitment drive and the numbers to be hired had not yet been determined. While the country is in a challenging economic position, the Government is committed to maintaining Garda numbers as high as possible.”

At Thursday’s ceremony, the “Commissioner’s Medal“, presented to a student Garda who achieves the highest academic scores during Garda training, was awarded to Garda Majella O’Sullivan, who is a native of Clonmel, in Co Tipperary and who will be stationed at Tallaght Garda Station.

The “Templemore Town Council Medal”, awarded for outstanding achievement and appreciation in the area of Social Science Studies, was presented to Garda Cathal Murphy, a native of Bishopstown, Co Cork, who will be stationed at a Garda Station, in Co Meath.

A rare Co.Tipperary GAA medal, commemorating the first ever GAA hurling match in America is to be auctioned on Thursday, July 29th, at Mealy’s auctioneering premises in Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny. This is the first medal ever to go on sale from the GAA’s [...]]]>

"The Invaders" GAA Medal

A rare Co.Tipperary GAA medal, commemorating the first ever GAA hurling match in America is to be auctioned on Thursday, July 29th, at Mealy’s auctioneering premises in Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny. This is the first medal ever to go on sale from the GAA’s first official trip to the United States in 1888.
1888 was the year that the Gaelic Athletic Association organised a trip to New York for hurlers and with the view of strengthening the interest of the exiles in their native pastime, but more importantly to raise funds for the hosting of a ‘Celtic Festival’ or ‘Tailteann Games‘ (An Aonach Tailteann).

The medal soon to be auctioned is, we understand, presently is in the ownership of as yet an unnamed Tipperary family.

Five players from Tipperary were included in this group of 51 persons, dubbed “The Invaders” or Invasion Tour and included members of the Tipperary team who had won the previous year’s inaugural All-Ireland Hurling final.

39 members of "The Invasion" Tour. (Figure left with hammer is Maurice Davin.)

It is understood that only 39 of these silver medals, in the shape of a ‘crosse pattée‘ featuring a design of crossed hurley’s in the centre, were originally distributed. An interesting fact is that when “The Invaders” tour left America on October 31st 1888, its original number had fallen somewhat from the original 51 returning home, with 17 men at least choosing to remain in America permanently.

In 1888 the idea of hosting this ‘Celtic Festival’ was discussed and plans were put in place to hold this festival in Dublin in the Summer of 1889. This festival was to include athletic contests, field games, an Irish industrial exhibition and traditional music /literary competition. The estimated cost of hosting such a festival was estimated at £5,000.

To raise necessary funding it was planned that a group of Irish hurlers and athletes would embark on a fundraising tour of strongly inhabited Irish centres in America staging displays of hurling and athletics. While the process of selecting hurlers and athletes to accompany the tour began, £1,000 had to be raised through a  nationwide fundraising campaign to cover players fares and each of the 800 or so affiliated clubs were asked to contribute a small amount.

However, the fall-out from the 1887 split and the renewed influence of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, now meant that some counties like Limerick, Cork and Galway refused to nominate any hurlers. In the end 25 hurlers were chosen with both Tipperary and Dublin contributing 5 players each and the selection of the 18 athletes to travel was considered straightforward.

Funds for this planned tour were slow to materialise, so to help raise funds Maurice Davin decided to bring the group together a week before the departure date and hold a number of exhibition fund-raising games in Dublin, Wexford, Dundalk, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Cork.

The tour departed eventually on the 16th of September 1888, visiting Irish areas in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Trenton,  Patterson, Newark, Providence and Lowell with a tumultuous welcome received. Ultimately the trip, from a financial point of view, was considered a failure due to disputes between the two rival American athletic bodies, namely the National American Athletic Association (NAAA) and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). Poor gate receipts, bad weather and bitter disputes resulted in patron Michael Davitt personally advancing £450 of his own funds,  just to meet the travel and accommodation bill of this group.

The aim of the tour was to raise £5,000 for the staging of the Tailteann Games in 1889. To this aim the tour must be considered a total financial failure and it would be now 34 years before any idea of staging these ‘Tailteann Games’ would be ever raised again.