Pronunciation of Thurles

It's Turl-ess.

Thank you Elwyn. I had a feeling the H might be silent but would never have guessed at the 'ess' sounding at the end.

Jenny from Brisbane Australia

We've been saying it wrong here in Massachusetts, USA for a long time - thanks for clearing it up!

My Fanning ancestors came from Thurles. For years I pronounced Thurles rhyming with hurls! I still have great difficulty pronouncing it the Irish way. Looking through records I came to realize that Thurles is often spelt phonetically in various odd ways and consequently easy to miss. Would love to hear from anyone else who has Fanning or Darmody ancestors from Thurles. Kathleen Fanning 

Kathleen, I saw this.........are these people part of your family?
FANNING Laurence               1858    24      Thurles John / Johanna - both dead        {husb of Mary , 23 + 3ch}      Sister = Catherine F.,Surry Hills.    Ship =  Mary Pleasants

FANNING            Mary                     1858       23           Thurles John / Mary -living in Guernsey {wife of Laurence,24 + Joha                nna,5;Maria,3 & John,DV-all B Gu             ernsey. Ship=    Mary Pleasants
Just a thought!
Margot

Thanks Margot for thinking of me and including the info about these Fannings from Thurles. I have come across them before but have not been able to link them to my family. Regards Kathleen 

Margot, I have only just seen your note. The Lawrence & Mary Fanning you mention are my G-G-Grandparents. The daughter Mary age 3 is my G-Grandmother who came to Australia with her parents from Guernsey. Mary Fanning married Michael Maddin (Madden) in Laidley, Queensland, Australia & they had  13 children.  One of their daughters Catherine Bedelia Maddin was my Grandmother.  How are you connected to the family?  I would love to hear from you. I live in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 

Marie Stewart

Hi Marie,
Sorry but I am not connected to the family, like others on here we try to help.
It's a shame Mary, Laurences' wife didn't state her maiden name next to her Father and her Mothers Maiden name.
Are you related to Jenny, the original poster?
Margot
 

Hello Jenny and all, I'm from Thurles myself. There are a few ways it would be pronounced depending on the situation.

If you're having fun, it would 'Th-urls', rhyming with hurls .. so Kathleen Fanning, you've been pronoucing it 'correctly' all this time. PS I presume you've seen this Kathleen: https://fanningfamilyhistory.com/index.php/tag/thurles/ ... I've Fannings in my ancestry also, from Urlingford but my grandmother was born in Thurles ... 

I had elocution classes at school in the Ursuline Convent, Thurles and now pronouce it 'Thur-less'. 

But in Tipperary it is very common to ignore the 'th' and pronouce 'Tur-less'.

Hope all well.
Sandr