This, however, is a completely different kettle of cattle. NRA archaeologist Mairead McLoughlin may think that the settlement find is "nothing to get worked up over", but she clearly has no idea how little there is to do in these parts. Five to one the locals'll be out chaining themselves to the diggers before the end of the week. Excellent.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm on about, here's the story.

The Irish Independent, 10 August 2006

AN ancient village settlement, dating from the Iron Age, has been uncovered in Co Tipperary.

But a top archaeologist argues that it's a storm in an earthenware mug.

The site, located on a farm at Two-Mile-Borris, has been unearthed by a team of archaeologists doing preparatory work for the construction of the Cashel to Cullahill stretch of the new N8 motorway, due to start next year.

The settlement consists of the ruins of a large wooden domed house surrounded by a series of smaller circular huts.

Pierce Duggan, on whose lands the find was made, says the settlement could have been built between 500 and 700 BC. Other discoveries on the site include an ancient irrigation system, cremation graves and open cooking site. It is located on a wetland area very close to the Black River, a tributary of the Suir.

"The pre-Christian settlement was found when the archaeologists went to investigate an old lime kiln that is believed to have been in the area since the Middle Ages," says Mr Duggan. "What they then discovered around the kiln was this much more significant settlement which could be up to 2,000 years older." A preliminary dig has taken place and the National Roads Authority (NRA) is assembling a team of about 20 archaeologists to conduct a more extensive dig over the coming weeks.

"This gives us a huge insight into settlement in the area two-and-a-half thousand years ago," said Independent TD Michael Lowry, who visited the site yesterday.

"This is very similar to the settlement found at Lough Gur in Limerick, but maybe not as old."

He added that the ruins should be replicated on the site to give locals and visitors an insight into how people lived in Tipperary in the Iron Age. However, NRA archaeologist Mairead McLoughlin said the settlement find was nothing to get worked up over.

"Basically the whole thing has been blown out of all proportion," she told the Irish Independent yesterday. "The dig is part of an ongoing investigation on the road. There's lots of archaeological sites all along that route but this one is not significant.

"All archaeological sites are significant to us as archaeologists, but this one is not of major archaeological significance at all.

"It's all smoke without fire," she added.

The find is the second ancient discovery to be made in Co Tipperary in just over a fortnight. An ancient and well-preserved book of Psalms, described as being of "staggering importance" by the National Museum, was unearthed on a bog at Faddan More in the north of the county on July 20.

Peter Gleeson

Here are some useful links. If you'd like your site to be listed, contact local @ twomileborris.com, and don't forget to link back to us!

If you've found any additional resources that have helped you in tracing your roots, please let us now and we'll add them here.

http://www.tipperary-central.com/phtml/History_,038_Genealogy/ A page of useful websites and forums (fora? forii??)

http://www.rootsweb.com/~irltip/Records/CormackPetitionCtoE.htm The Cormack Petition of 1858, with many names from around the parish of Moycarkey.

http://www.tfhr.org/ (Tipperary Family History Research). The official site of the official Catholic church records of the diocese. Bad money-grabbing people. They make you pay for your own records. 

http://www.cmcrp.net/ Lots of links -Christening, Marriage and Cemetery Records.

http://daltondata.0pi.com/irishdata.html For anyone with the name Dalton - very extensive passenger lists etc.

Well, d'oul website is suffering from a severe lack of content these days. If you want to help keep twomileborris.com alive and kicking like a good spring heifer, please send us your news and views. Sadly, it's all become a bit much for one local to handle, what with the arthritis and the power cuts and all.  Send your stories, anecdotes, photos etc to the usual address .

 local(at)twomileborris.com (replace the (at) with an @ - stop spam!)

twomileborris.com brings you the best and brightest of the local bovine scene.

Scoil Mochaomhog Naofa, Two-Mile Borris

Tipperary Institute is currently hosting  21st Century Zoo, a highly imaginative and colourful exhibition of works by the students of Scoil Mochaomhóg Naofa, Two-Mile Borris,  at its Thurles Campus. The exhibition, which involves all classes, was part of the Artists in Primary Schools Scheme sponsored by The Arts Office of North Tipperary County Council. This scheme has provided schools with a wonderful opportunity to work directly with artists.

Sculptor Katy Goodhue, speaking of her work as artist in residence with Scoil Mochaomhóg Naofa, recounted the start of the project last June when staff and pupils started collecting materials. ?The recyclable materials we collected were cardboard boxes and tubes, plastic containers, wine corks, fabric and materials, sea ?shells, wood". She described how these waste materials were transformed with enthusiasm and imagination into paintings, sculpture and collage.

21st Century Zoo is open to the public, Mondays to Fridays 9:00 am to 5:00pm at Tipperary Institute, Thurles campus. Admission is free and all are welcome to attend.

Artists of the 21st century: Artist Katy Goodhue; Scoil Mochaomhog Naofa pupils Shane O'Connell, Catherine McPartland and Danielle Britton; and Aileen Healy of the School Board of Management. Photo: Tom Ryan/Tipperary Star

       Mass Times

• Sunday                                 11.00 
• Saturday                               19.00    
• Weekdays                             09.00

Saint James's Church belongs to the parish of Moycarkey-Borris in the Arch-Diocese of Cashel and Emly.

Saturday, 30th October, was a special day in Moycarkey, Littleton and Two-Mile-Borris parish as the parishioners made presentations to Fathers Danny O?Gorman and Joe Collins to mark their transfer from the parish.

On Sunday 15th August 2004, the Golden Jubilee of the Marian Shrine at the Turnpike was celebrated. This well-known roadside shrine has been a familiar sight to locals and motorists over the last fifty years. The Jubilee was marked by Holy Mass. Two-Mile Borris Church Choir and the Sean Treacy Band provided songs and music. 

The following information is a summary of an article which appeared in the Tipperary Star of August 14th.

 Turnpike Shrine Golden Jubilee (1954-2004)

Original Idea

Fifty years ago, before the emigration of the 1950s, there was a large community around the Turnpike and, after successfully completing the ball alley up the road, they were anxious for another challenge. The Pope had just declared 1954 the Marian Year, and so it was decided to create a shrine to Our Lady.

The original plan would have placed the shrine closer to the ball alley, but the destruction of a small thatched cottage which stood at the junction provided a more suitable location. There was a sense of loss following the burning of the cottage, known as 'Johnny Fitzpatrick's', which had long been a cuairdioch house, a place for meeting, gossiping and playing cards for young and old alike. The house was also credited with being the birthplace of the idea to create a Two-Mile Borris hurling team. Thus, the owners of the site, Tommy and Kitty Cantwell, readily agreed to turn the site over to the community free of charge.

The Craftsmen of 1954

• Fr Michael O'Dwyer - local curate & 'Commander-in-Chief'
• Oliver Cooke - contracter
• Larry Morgan - stonemason
• Paddy Woodlock - assistant to stonemason
• Tom Healy - sand & gravel supplier
• Bernardo's of Cork - provided the statue
• Dick O'Connell - delivered the stones
• Centenery Co-op - provided transport
• Tom Hayes, Tommy Hayes & Michael Lannigen - delivered statue
• Michael O'Donoghue - supplied lighting
• Elizabeth Power - donated halo
• The Cantwell family - provided electricity (and still do)
• Michael Fayne - forged iron railings (since removed)
• Fr Anthony O'Connell - carved stone celtic cross
• Canon Comerford - provided iron cross

All the families in the Turnpike area were involved in the statue project and the same holds true today. The chairnman of the first Shrine Committee was Tom Hayes of the Middlepiece; Gerry Bowe Sr was treasurer; Dick O'Connell was secretary.

Over the years, repainting has been done by local artists, John Rice of Ballingarry, and for the last ten years, by Bill Noble. The shrine has been maintained by the Cantwell and Healy families.