Latest news with #Tormey
Irish Independent
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Rejection of Meath social housing proposal slammed as 'disappointing'
At a recent district meeting, local councillors voted to reject a Part 8 residential development submitted by Meath County Council, which aimed to deliver 79 social housing units on the outskirts of the town. The proposal was turned down due to concerns over the absence of affordable housing options within the plan. The project was criticised for lacking a balanced housing mix that would address both social and affordable housing needs. At the July meeting of Meath County Council, Cllr Nick Killian voiced his concerns following the vote, saying the decision has implications beyond Ashbourne. The councillor who represents Ratoath said: 'It doesn't just affect Ashbourne…79 families that could have been housed will not be housed anymore. It is extremely disappointing.' 'We lost 79 houses that people could have been living in a lot earlier,' the Independent councillor added. The vote at district level had been split 3–3, but the proposal was ultimately rejected when Chairperson Tormey cast the deciding vote against it. Among the councillors who supported the development was Cllr Amanda Smith, who said she would 'love to see 79 people coming off the social housing waiting list.' Cllr Killian appealed to his Ashbourne colleagues, asking that if the matter returns to the council, it be reconsidered. The rejection means the Council will now need to revisit its plans for delivering social housing in the area. According to Meath County Council's July Management Report, the local authority received 233 applications for social housing, 88 were approved for the housing list, while 37 were deemed unsuccessful.
Irish Independent
25-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
40pc of post offices will close if Government does not increase yearly funding, committee hears
On Wednesday, representatives from An Post, the Irish Postmasters Union (IPU), and the Department Communications and Sport will appear before the Communications Committee. Committee members were told that if Government funding remains at the annual amount of €10 million, many post offices will have to close. The figure comes after a recent polling of members from the IPU. 'Currently, we have 108 postmasters that when you take all the costs out and are earning less than the minimum wage,' the IPU's Genral Secretary Sandra Tormey said. 'Recently, I polled my members and if the government funding stays the same at €10 million, 40pc will have to close. We've had to absorb 30pc minimum wage increases. We've had to absorb 15pc inflation. We cannot increase our prices to make our businesses viable. 'We cannot avail of any of the supports that the government services gave, because Government deems us services and not retailers,' Ms Tormey added. The IPU has called on the Government to increase the funding by €5 million annually. 'If the government funding becomes €15 million, 70pc of our postmasters say, 'yes, I can see a future for the next five years. So it's an uplift of €5 million what we're looking for,' Ms Tormey said. 'That's the difference between 40pc of post offices around the country closing to 70pc definitely saying 'we have a future',' she added. Meanwhile, CEO of An Post David McRedmond denied the claims made by Tipperary South TD Mattie McGrath that An Post was closing post offices 'by stealth'. Mr McGrath told representatives from An Post that the cost of opening a post office in a local shop was prohibitive, with too much bureaucracy. 'We're not closing by stealth. We do not have a plan to close by stealth. We're not closing by stealth,' Mr McRedmond said. 'We have closed very, very few post offices in the last couple of years. We did a few years ago to strengthen the post office network, we closed 150 post offices in about 2018 and we did that very publicly, and it absolutely strengthened the network,' he added. The committee also heard how ecommerce is the future of the post network, including second hand selling on websites like Vinted. 'We've a big new cohort of customers now coming in, in terms of the circular economy Vinted is really big part for us. So I think that whole thing of sending parcels, returning parcels, and post offices being at the heart of ecommerce,' Debbie Byrne, An Post's Managing Director of Retail said.
The Irish Sun
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Teenage Irish jockey lands first winner at Fairyhouse just hours after Leaving Cert exam
IRISH jockey Sadhbh Tormey claimed her first-ever winner just hours after sitting a Leaving Cert exam. The teenage jockey from Garristown in north Dublin saddled 'Are You In Or Out' to victory in the La Bucca Restaurants Handicap at Fairyhouse. 2 Sadhbh Tormey claimed her first-ever winner just hours after sitting a Leaving Cert exam - she finishes on Monday 2 The young jockey onboard 'Are You In Or Out' on Saturday afternoon The sensational triumph came just less than two hours before Tormey had been sitting the Construction Studies written paper. She'll officially wrap up her state exams on Monday, but on Friday afternoon she made headlines in very different fashion. Racing is in the teenagers blood as her uncles Sean Lynch and Glenn Tormey were both jockeys, while her cousin Andrew Lynch is a Cheltenham Festival-winning rider. Speaking to 'I couldn't believe it. I didn't think the line could come soon enough! I was just over the moon.' read more on sport 'I had one exam there today, and I kind of left a bit earlier than I should have! 'I don't know [how it went]! I couldn't really think straight, now, to be honest! Look, it's over now. I've one more exam Monday and then I'm done.' She went on to hail the horse, praised for giving her a dream ride, saying the horse as she beamed with pride. She added: 'Went the whole way and carried me to the line.' Most read in Horse Racing Tormey admitted that her uncle has given her inspiration before laughing. The jockey concluded: 'I wouldn't want to boost his ego now, but yeah! I'd say he's probably watching this now, the crew of them... I'd say they're all delighted.' My dad was a jockey who died in a fall two months before I was born - now I'm riding winners for Willie Mullins 'I'm only living over the road. 'I've come here all my life for the Grand National and different things. To ride my first winner here just means so much to me. I can't believe it.' Tormey has her final exam on Monday after a whirlwind weekend at Fairyhouse.
Irish Daily Mirror
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Young jockey rides her first winner just hours after finishing Leaving Cert exam
Jockey Sadhbh Tormey certainly had a Friday 13th to remember when riding her first ever racecourse winner at Fairyhouse on Are You In Or Out. The 19-year-old from Garristown in North County Dublin partnered the Paul Stafford-trained four-year-old filly to victory in the La Bucca Restaurants Handicap at the Meath venue. The victory was all the more remarkable as the 10lbs claimer only finished a Leaving Cert exam in Construction Studies less than two hours beforehand and finishes it completely on Monday. Tormey is a student at Coláiste De Lacy in Ashbourne and said after the race: 'I'm doing my Leaving Cert at the moment and had one exam today. I just got here on time. I probably left a bit earlier than I should have!' 'I couldn't believe it, it was unbelievable. I didn't know how long I was going to hold on, I thought they were going to catch me. When I crossed the line, I was so happy. I was just over the moon." Tormey was cool and composed on the 13/2 shot, who quickened away impressively to take the race by three and a half lengths from Jackandthefox (6/1) and American In Paris (18/1). It was her 20th racecourse ride and she added: 'I'm apprenticed to Tom McCourt. I started off riding out for Paul (Stafford) and he got me into Tom's. Tom has been very good to me this season and I'm very grateful for all my opportunities." 'I started with Paul four of five years ago, riding breakers and stuff, and then I signed on with him at the start of last year. He pushed me on to Tom to get more rides and get going." She is well related in the racing world and is a niece of former jump jockey Glenn Tormey, and a cousin of former Cheltenham Festival winning rider Andrew Lynch, who's dad Sean was also a top jockey. It was a real local success as Stafford is based in Oldtown and Fairyhouse would be the pair's local track. Stafford told Irish 'She's a good, confident little kid. She has plenty of experience with ponies, show jumping and hunting. She's a good kid to ride. 'It's the kid's first winner and I'm delighted because she started with me. She's doing her Leaving Cert at the moment and had an exam today. 'Cork was on today and the usual jockeys were there and Sadhbh had ridden her before in the Curragh, when we actually gave her her first ride. We said we'd take a chance and roll the dice. She's a good kid, she's dedicated and works hard. 'Two furlongs down I was thinking 'God you are sitting a bit quiet'. I thought she should have been getting after her a bit, but obviously she felt she had plenty of horse. She won snug in the end."
