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25 February 2022

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HEGARTY Plant Hire

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For the best value on home heating oil and Agri fuels

Depot: 090 663 46 45 Jason 087 188 8114 • Joe 087 188 8115

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Tel. 090 66 25573 Large selection of Shark Upright Vacuum Cleaners now in stock

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• Approved recyclers of end of life vehicles • Destruction certs issued • 24/7 recovery service available nationwide

F: (090) 6665590 E: info@liddyneilan.ie Petmania recently launched the #FitPetChallenge as part of their annual health and lifestyle programme Operation TransPAWmation. Roscommon LGFA players helped kick off the challenge – with some assistance – at Dr Hyde Park! Pictured are Georgia Gerrity with a very eager Lucy. Photo: Mick McCormack

Green Diesel 98.9c per litre Kerosene 89.9c per litre

*in contentious business, a solicitor may not calculate fees or other WILLSof&any INHERITANCE charges as a percentage or proportion award or settlement. ATHLONE Ι MOATE Ι LANESBOROUGH Ι GALWAY

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*In contentious business, a solicitor maySolicitors not calculate fees or other * In contentious business, a solicitor may not calculate fees or other Your Wills and Inheritance Law charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement Byrneof Carolan Cunningham Solicitors charges as a percentage or proportion any award or settlement * In contentious business, a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement

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Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

NewsPeople With over 30 years’ experience, Aengus Oates Financial Services provides expert financial advice and bespoke financial solutions to our highly valued clients

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You must be joking! I’m not going out in that weather…not ‘til Sunday! THURSDAY

AT H L O N E Ι M O AT E L A N E S B O R O U G H Ι G A LWAY In contentious business, a solicitor may not calculate DOLORES*GACQUIN – SOLICITOR fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of Tel: 090 6478433 • info@bccsolicitors.ie any award or settlement

090 647 8433

www.bccsolicitors.ie ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT - DO’S AND DON’T’S

If I am involved in a road traffic accident with another motorist what should I do or not do. Please advise. DO 1. Ensure that you and the other people involved in the accident are not injured. If anyone is injured call an ambulance. Be courteous and polite to others involved in the accident regardless of who is at fault. 2. Call the Gardai. Depending on the seriousness of the accident they may or may not attend the scene. 3. If it is a serious accident do not move your vehicle and ask the other motorist involved in the accident not to move their vehicle either until the Gardai arrive. If it is a minor accident and if it is not possible to leave the vehicles in the crash position due to the fact that the crashed vehicles are obstructing the road and holding up traffic then simply move the vehicles to the left of the road in a safe position. Try to take good photographs of the accident scene noting the position of and damage done to the crashed vehicles. 4. Take details of all vehicles involved in the accident to include: insurance details; vehicle registration numbers; names, addresses and phone numbers for all drivers. 5. Take names, addresses and phone numbers of independent witnesses who witnessed the accident. 6. Take note of the name and station of the Garda who attends the accident scene.

Hey buddy, are you on for a pint? I’d love to, but… Busy being grouchy, I ‘spose? No, but thanks for asking! It’s just…the storm. CYCLING ACCIDENT Dudley? Yep, Dudley. I can’t risk walking to the pub, If you were in arough… cycling they sayinvolved it will be accident contact Where do they get the names? Byrne Carolan Huh? Cunningham I mean, whySolicitors Dudley? The only Dudley I’ve ever heard of was Dudley Moore. Editor: (Younger readers, guys! PLEASE!) Dudley Moore? Oh yeah, wasn’t he a star in the 1960s and ‘70s? A double-act with Peter Cook? Yeah, and don’t forget Arthur. Who’s Arthur? Were there three of them? No, Arthur came along in 1981…caused a real stir. Storm Arthur? Was there a Storm Arthur? No, Dudley Moore made a great film CALLED Arthur. Oh, yeah, think I’ve heard of it...he was great. But no pint for me today! And what about Liza? I think you mean Eunice, Storm Eunice. She’s due tomorrow… No, I mean Liza Minnelli! Oh! I heard she was pretty stormy, volcanic even, in her heyday…is there a storm called after her now? No, I mean Liza starred in Arthur…with Dudley. Oh whatever. Chat tomorrow! By the way, who uses the word ‘buddy’???

Endangered Species The barstool boyos

FRIDAY

Look, I know there’s been terrible hardship for some people nationwide, but in these parts, Dudley was an anticlimax… Yeah, maybe, but Storm Eunice today might be nasty…I’m staying in! It’s alright for you, apparently the Editor has a taxi driver available to you at your beck and call! He’s parked at our front gates this very minute! But trust me, those contract talks on you and I being renewed as columnists, they’re progressing! I literally have my hands over my ears! So, a pint? NO! I’m not venturing into these storms! Go and be mates with the taxi driver!

Well, a pint TODAY? No! I can’t go out…it’s Eunice today!

(They pause, in compliance with the style of this column)

AT THE HYDE… It’s Franklin! It’s FREEZING! Look, the uprights are shaking… I’M SHAKING! And my cap has just flown across the pitch and into the press box! I think I see Willie Hegarty putting it on his head! Don’t worry! I’ll include an allowance for new caps, scarves, etc. in my talks with the Editor…just give me another month…buddy!

A focus on the pandemic-related struggles facing four family-owned bars in the Boyle area of Co. Roscommon won a PPAI award for Irish Times videographer and photographer Bryan O’Brien. His entry on ‘Covid-19 and the small rural Irish pub’ won Bryan the multimedia category in the Press Photographers Association of Ireland annual awards.

What we didn’t like…

While Storms Dudley and Eunice didn’t cause major disruption in this part of the country, Storm Franklin seemed to creep up on an unsuspecting public and raged throughout Sunday and into Monday morning.

A person should always contact their solicitor to obtain legal advice specific to their own situation. The above column contains general information and cannot be relied upon as legal advice. * In contentious business, a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement

What PEOPLE are talking about

Byrne Carolan Cunningham info@bccsolicitors.ie www.bccsolicitors.ie

YOU PROMISED! But it’s….unbelievable! WHAT IS HAPPENING? Huh? It’s absolutely freezing, it’s raining cats and dogs, and there’s a gale-force wind! AND THEY DIDN’T WARN US ABOUT THIS! Well they kind of did… NOT REALLY! All they talked of all week was Dudley and Eunice…BUT THIS IS WORSE! WHAT IS GOING ON? See you at the Hyde, you promised!

What we liked…

This column is prepared by Dolores Gacquin, Solicitor. Byrne Carolan Cunningham have offices in Athlone, Moate, Lanesborough and Galway.

Telephone Central Line 090 6478433

A pint…TODAY? Sorry, I’m going to keep a low profile today. You haven’t been seen in a week! I told you…it’s the storms, I don’t want to venture out! But it’s all over! Neither Dudley or Eunice were too bad in these parts… Okay, I promise I’ll venture out tomorrow. Maybe we can go to the Roscommon-Clare game, and have a pint afterwards… GREAT!

SUNDAY MORNING

DON’T 1. Don’t admit liability at the scene of the accident. It is a condition of many insurance policies not to admit liability following an accident. If you are obviously at fault it is simply best to exchange insurance details and tell the other party that you will report the matter to your insurance company. 2. Don’t leave the scene of the accident until particulars have been exchanged. 3. If the other motorist tells you that he is going to move his vehicle and return to the scene, don’t believe him. Make sure that all details are exchanged before anyone leaves the scene.

SOLICITORS

SATURDAY

PIC OF THE WEEK: Dylan Ruane has his eyes firmly on the ball during Sunday’s RoscommonClare Allianz Football League game at Dr Hyde Park. Photo: Mick McCormack

The impact of Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin; Mask-wearing no longer being mandatory; The National Football Leagues; Former EU Commissioner Phil Hogan says he may seek compensation following his resignation over ‘Golf-gate’; Crisis in Ukraine…

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

NewsPeople

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Local vaccination appointments available online for 5 to 11-year-olds 80344 Londis Timothys Press Ad 260mm x 155mm.indd 1

Parents/guardians of children aged five to 11 now have the option to book an appointment for a Covid-19 vaccine online by going to www.hse.ie/book. A clinic will be open this Sunday (February 27th) from 11 am to 1.30 pm at the Roscommon Vaccination Centre on the Golf Links Road. Paul Hooton, Saolta Executive Lead for the rollout of the vaccination programme in the West and North West said: “The option to book an appointment has been introduced this week to coincide with mid-term breaks. “Children who are aged five to 11 years of age are offered a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine with a smaller dose, so these clinics are specifically for this age group. “Parents/guardians who book an appointment for their child are asked to bring a form of identifica-

LONDIS Firelogs See in store for details

22/02/2022 15:36

Castlecoote Lodge BAR AND LOUNGE

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St. Paul’s N.S. Castlerea

St. Paul’s N.S. is now enrolling for September 2022 Enrolment forms are available on request by emailing: boysnscastlerea.ias@gmail.com or Telephone: 094 9620566

Staff at the Roscommon Vaccination Centre, from left: Siobhan Carthy, Clinical Lead; Celine O’Connor, Vaccinator; and Ashley Byrne, Deputy Operational Site Manager. The option for parents/guardians to book an appointment for children aged 5 to 11 to get their Covid-19 vaccine is now available by going to hse.ie/book.

tion with their child’s date of birth on it with them to the appointment. This can be their passport or birth certificate. “If you have more than

one child aged five to 11 getting vaccinated, you can bring them to the same appointment time. “A parent or guardian will need to accompany the

child/children to the vaccination appointment to give consent. “We also offer the option to book appointments for those aged 12 and older at

different times and days by going to www.hse.ie/book. “Children who have had Covid-19 need to wait for four weeks before getting their first dose vaccine”.

St. Paul’s School works with boys from second to sixth class. HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED STAFF. Situated in the town of Castlerea with access to local facilities such as the Demesne, Castlerea Library, playground. LOW TEACHER-PUPIL RATIO ALLOWING FOR SPACIOUS CLASSROOMS. Sports leagues, Green School, Active Flag, Digital School of Excellence, visiting artists, quiz teams, Discovery Science Awards, Tidy School winners and much more.

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

NewsPeople

Save up to 60% on prescriptions with Pure Pharmacy, Athlone! -ADVERTORIAL

Based at The Crescent, Athlone, Pure Pharmacy is now offering a new prescription pricing model which could potentially save customers up to 60 per cent in their medication costs! Pure Pharmacy is run by Lanesboro native, Rory Donnellan, ably assisted by Pharmacy Technician, Niamh Williams. A son of PJ and Joan Donnellan of Engine Spares Ltd, Rory has been based in Athlone for the last number of years. Rory says his aim is to provide customers with a better value alternative when it comes to their prescription medication needs. “At Pure Pharmacy, we know that it has

been a very tough and trying two years and the price of essential goods and services has continued to rise,” Rory said. “Our prescription pricing model will enable customers to save as much as 60 per cent on the cost of their medications. We offer the same products as other pharmacies but at a lower price”. Pure Pharmacy also offers a free blister packing service, a free local delivery service, and delivery nationwide. “Our aim is to offer a fast and friendly service while also helping our customers to make big savings on their prescriptions,” Rory adds. “Moving your prescription to Pure Pharmacy could not be easier. Simply drop into us with your valid prescription. There is no sign up fee and no hidden charges. We look forward to meeting you. “You can find out more by contacting Pure Pharmacy on 0906475110, or by emailing pureathlone@gmail.com. You can also check us out on Facebook at ‘PURE Pharmacy Athlone’.

Rory Donnellan pictured outside Pure Pharmacy, which is located at The Crescent, Athlone.

Snow and ice warning issued for Roscommon

Met Éireann has issued a yellow level weather warning for snow and ice in Roscommon which is valid until 12 pm today (Thursday). Blustery showers of hail, sleet and snow are expected with icy stretches on untreated surfaces leading to hazardous driving conditions in some parts this morning. Some thunder and lightning is expected too. The weather warning has been issued for the entire country.

PSRA NO: 004422

Cheering on Roscommon v Clare in Dr Hyde Park last Sunday. Photo: Mick McCormack

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

PAUL HEALY’S WEEK A column by Roscommon People editor

paul@roscommonpeople.ie

Thursday/Friday

A secret recording of a top level Meteorological HQ meeting has been leaked to the media. The special meeting is believed to have taken place about four years ago, following some mutterings of discontent about the ‘outlook’ for all involved in weather forecasting… Person A: I’m telling you, we’re not getting any media profile! Weather forecasting? We’re seen as dull, er, predictable! We’re losing market share! Person B: It’s not about market share, we just need to talk about the weather! Person A: Wrong! We need to COMPETE! There’s a 24-7 news cycle out there! We need drama, we need to be relevant, we need people to be interested! Person B: Well we can’t change the weather! And we did introduce clever graphics! And we’ve begun to employ all those beautiful, charismatic people as weather presenters! Person A: We have to do something even more radical! Person B: You’re just obsessed with ratings! You keep going on about the need for change…at our last meeting, you had a face like thunder! (Muffled laughter from colleagues). At the best of times, you blow hot and cold! One moment you’re calm, then, like a bolt of lightning, you… Person A: Look, everyone’s selling these days. Everyone’s image conscious, and the reality is that the meteorological industry is no different! Person B: Well what do you suggest we do? Person A: I have a plan! We talk up these storms that come from time to time…and we start issuing warnings to the public! We’ll do it by colours….different colours indicating different storm levels. We could go with yellow, amber and red… Person B: Oh don’t be ridiculous! Person A: Bear with me, I’m not finished! So, we’ll issue storm warnings – county by county, co-

Pet dogs Lucy and Donald get some football practice in at the launch of Petmania’s #FitPetChallenge at Dr. Hyde Park. Photo: Mick McCormack. For more information see www.petmania.ie

lour by colour – and, mark my words, we’ll be relevant then! We’ll lead every news bulletin! Person B: Seriously? A colour scheme to warn the public about storms? Person A: Yes! And more than that, we’ll name them. The storms! They’ll love it on Twitter! We’ll give each upcoming storm its own name. Like Storm Emma and Storm Ophelia and Storm Barra… Person B: Yeah, right! Names for storms! OPHELIA! Person A: Trust me, it will make us relevant again. We’ll be the talk of the country! The media will love it! I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s panic buying! I can almost visualise shops running out of bread! Please guys, buy into my four-year plan, and by 2022 I’ll have the meteorological industry sexier than anything! Honestly, if you go with me on this, there’ll be weather-related hashtags on social media, and footage of trampolines somersaulting over garden walls! (Voice in background): The man’s

losing the plot, we should never have let Gerald Fleming go…

Saturday

Apology on behalf of all GAA writers… Over the last…let’s say seven years… we may have given readers/listeners/ viewers/dogs in the street the impression that the Dublin senior football team of the current era was not only the greatest of all time but also utterly invincible and indeed a threat to the very future of the competitive credibility of the game. Specifically, we may from time to time have run headlines such as ‘Dublin to win TEN AllIrelands in a row’ ‘Super Dubs will never be beaten’ and ‘Please, let’s split Dublin in two immediately, preferably before midnight’. We now wish to acknowledge that this was erroneous and irresponsible reporting on our part and we are deeply sorry for any confusion or upset that may have been caused. Further, we wish to categorically state

that not only are Dublin not invincible, they are actually well capable of losing three games in a row (just like everyone else). We further wish to clarify that under no circumstances should Dublin be split into two parts for Gaelic football purposes. We also wish to apologise for any inference in the past to the effect that Dublin GAA was in receipt of disproportionate financial support. In summary, we want to sincerely apologise for all the misleading headlines in the past. We wish to clarify that Dublin GAA is in crisis, that it’s a disaster, and they might never win again. Sincere apologies if we ever gave any other impression. As a token of our remorse, and on humanitarian grounds, we have made a donation to Dublin GAA.

Saturday/Sunday Ever since his underwhelming appearance on Claire Byrne Live’s recent Sinn Féin Special, controversial celebrity financial advisor Eddie

Hobbs has been on the receiving end of considerable (almost entirely uncomplimentary) attention in the newspapers, and particularly on social media. Now I’d be vehemently opposed to group pile-ons against any individual or group, but Hobbs, suddenly playing the media game again, is fair game for balanced, reasoned and non-abusive criticism/commentary. An interview with Hobbs in today’s Sunday Independent – promoting his debut novel – suggests the ego is in fine working order. (Here’s one quote from Modesty Central: “I think I’ve put in a very good shift in getting a lot of things right on behalf of the Irish people”). Anyways, we have all been blessed with the ould ego, I suppose. This unexpected Hobbs Awareness Week brings me back to Saturday’s Irish Independent, where Fionnan Sheahan profiled Mr. Hobbs. “At the height of his powers” Fionnan writes…a phrase which stopped me in my tracks. (Height of his powers? Briefly I wondered if I was reading about Hobbs, or Hobbits). Fionnan went on to state that Hobbs is “known to be tetchy” – quite possibly a golden ‘pot calling the kettle black’ moment, given Sheahan’s never-to-beforgotten (by me) rant some years ago against Vincent Browne (see YouTube)!

Monday “I hate to see someone riding a bike with ‘no hands’” someone said – or maybe tweeted – recently. Well, the chap I saw today (in Roscommon town) was indeed cycling without using his hands on the handlebars of the bike. Just to be clear now, he wasn’t one of those showy lads who sits back very straight on the saddle, arms folded (a frightening look), or alternatively, hands arrogantly outstretched, like the wings of a bird. No, to be absolutely accurate, I must report that this ‘No hands’ cycling whizzkid was using his hands…to send a text on his mobile as he cycled.

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

#MakingItHappen Roscommon 07-11 March Find out what supports and programmes are the best fit for your business. Book your place at an event today at LocalEnterprise.ie/Week

2022 EVENTS GUIDE Please note: ‘Spotlight’ events are highlighted with

Monday 07 March 9.30am to 10.45am 10am to 5pm

Drive Growth By Digitising Your Business Open to all & organised by Local Enterprise Office Dublin City | Price: FREE Remote Business Advisory Clinic Organised by Local Enterprise Office Roscommon | Price: FREE

2pm to

Food: Consumer Trends in 2022. Hear from Ireland’s leading food experts

3.30pm

Open to all & organised by Local Enterprise Office Limerick | Price: FREE

7pm to

Retail: Adapting and innovating in an ever-changing trading environment

8.45pm

Open to all & organised by Local Enterprise Office Louth | Price: FREE

Tuesday 08 March 10am to 12pm 11am to 1pm 2pm to 4pm 2pm to 4pm 6pm to 9pm

Internationalising Your Business: Developing Export Opportunities in a Digital Age Open to all & organised by Local Enterprise Office South Dublin | Price: Free Getting Started with Youtube Seminar Organised by Local Enterprise Office Roscommon | Price: FREE

Wednesday 09 March 9am to 11am

Going Green: Small Steps, Big Impact Open to all. Organised by LEO Cork North & West | Price: Free

10am to 5pm

Remote Retail Mentor Clinic via Zoom Organised by LEO Roscommon | Price: Free

11am to

Agile Ambition: Funding for Innovation Open to all & organised by Local Enterprise Office Galway | Price: FREE

12:30pm 2pm to 4:30pm

Intellectual Property: First Steps in Protecting Your Business

6:30pm

Grow Remote - Future Proofing Your Business Seminar

to 7:30pm

Open to all & organised by the Enterprise Europe Network & LEO Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim & New Frontiers North West

Organised by Local Enterprise Office Roscommon | Price: FREE

Thursday 10 March 9.30am to 12.30pm 10am to 5pm 11am to 1pm 2pm to 4pm

From Good to Great: Using Lean for a Competitive Edge Open to all & organised by Local Enterprise Office Kildare | Price: FREE

Future Proofing Your Small Business Using Smart Tech Tools Open to all & organised by Local Enterprise Office Wicklow NOTE: This is part 1 of a 2 part series. Session 2 takes place on Thursday 24th March from 09.3012.30hrs. By registering for the 10th March, you are automatically registered the second session.

Remote Website & Online Marketing Mentor Clinic Organised by Local Enterprise Office Roscommon | Price: FREE Remote Training Online Voucher Information Seminar Organised by Local Enterprise Office Roscommon | Price: FREE Social Media Mashup: Future Opportunities For Your Business. Open to all & organised by Local Enterprise Office Waterford | Price: FREE

Friday 11 March

Cyber Security for Small & Micro Businesses Organised by Local Enterprise Office Roscommon | Price: FREE

11am to

Start Your Own business Course Organised by Local Enterprise Office Roscommon | Price: FREE

2pm to

12pm 3.45pm

In partnership with

Boost Your Business Online: How to stand out from the crowd Open to all & organised by Local Enterprise Office Clare | Price: FREE Show Me The Money Open to all & organised by Local Enterprise Office Fingal | Price: FREE This will be the closing event of Local Enterprise Week 2022

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

Roscommon County Council | Tel. 090 6637100 | Email: info@roscommoncoco.ie | www.roscommoncoco.ie All offices of Roscommon County Council are now open to the public by prior appointment 9.30am to 1.00 pm and 2.00 pm to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday

LETTING OF LANDS Tenders are invited for letting of lands, as detailed in the schedule below, for grazing for the EIGHT month period commencing 1st April 2022. The highest or any offer shall not necessarily be accepted. The persons whose offers are accepted will be required to enter into an agreement with Roscommon County Council, and such persons shall be responsible for fencing work that may be required during the letting period. Horses/ponies/donkeys will not be permitted on Council lands. If required, the Council may terminate any letting on one week’s notice with adjustment of rent. The Tender must be enclosed in a sealed envelope marked “Letting of Lands” and delivered either by hand or by post to Caitlín Conneely, A/Director of Services, Áras an Chontae, Roscommon F42 VR98 no later than 4.00 p.m. on Friday 11th March 2022. Certificates regarding disease free herd must be enclosed with the Tender. Schedule of Lands Location of Land Ballyforan

Join Roscommon Branch Library on Ireland Reads Day! • Take part in Ireland Reads, a campaign to get the whole country reading this month in the lead up to a national day of reading on Friday, 25th February. • The campaign is asking everyone to ‘squeeze in a read’ on Ireland Reads Day. • The pledge to read can be made at www.irelandreads.ie where you can also see how much time has been pledged by the Irish public so far and sign up for reading reminders. Roscommon County Council Libraries Ireland Healthy Ireland #SqueezeInARead #IrelandReads #TakeACloserLook #DropIn #RightToRead

Approximate Acreage 12.5

Ballyboughan, Roscommon

Ballyboughan/Carrownabrickna

Portrunny

Carrowmore, Roscommon

Lisnamult, Roscommon

4.9

Ballyfinnegan, Ballintubber

6.5

Falledeen, Ballinlough

3.7

Drishaghaun East, Castleplunkett

Clooninisclin, Ballinlough

3.6

Kilcolman, Ballaghaderreen

3.5

Kilcolman, Ballaghaderreen

Carrowiskeehan, Kilglass

0.7

Clegna, Cootehall

4.4

Cloonmaan, Carrick-on-Shannon

Lugnamuddagh, Boyle

Derreenavoggy, Arigna

Demesne, Castlerea

5.1

Fairymount, Castlerea

Caitlín Conneely A/Director of Services Roscommon County Council Áras an Chontae Roscommon F42 VR98

1.56

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

NewsPeople

Funding for Cornafulla NS road safety works

Cllr. John Naughten

Cllr. John Naughten has welcomed the allocation of €25,000 for road safety works at Cornafulla NS. “This is very welcome funding and will be used to carry out road safety works in the vicinity of Cornafulla National School,” stated Cllr. Naughten. “These works are something that both the school and parents have been seeking in the interest of the safety of the pupils attending the school”.

PSRA NO: 004422

Jack and Kealan Gannon and Noah Flynn pictured at the launch of the Creggs Rural Development Village Plan at Creggs National School on Thursday evening last. Pic: Mick McCormack

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Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

The

D News page

Cloontuskert garden project shortlisted for prestigious AONTAS STAR Award The Transformation through Sustainable Gardening Project, based in Roscommon, has been shortlisted for an AONTAS STAR Award in the Sustainable Development through Education category. The STAR Awards (Showcasing Teamwork, Awarding Recognition) are an awards initiative organised by the national adult learning organisation, AONTAS, to recognise and celebrate the work undertaken by adult learning initiatives throughout Ireland. Since 2019, with the support of Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board, the

Transformation through Sustainable Gardening Project has been actively reimagining unused spaces for the creation of sustainable gardening in Cloontuskert, Co Roscommon. The project provides community amenities and ‘hands on’ educational opportunities for the Cloontuskert community and environmental groups, developing initiatives like the Green Flag-winning Community Orchard and Community Composter. Commenting on the shortlist, Dr. Niamh O’Reilly (CEO of AONTAS) said: “The STAR Awards are an excellent

opportunity to celebrate the positive contribution that adult learning initiatives make to individual adult learners, local communities, and the Irish public. The focus this year is on the wider benefits of learning for development of a collective sense of belonging, equality, wellbeing, and growth”. STAR Award winners will be announced during the week of the AONTAS Adult Learners’ Festival (March 7th to 11th) and a celebratory event will also take place to acknowledge the incredible achievements of all of the groups involved.

Colm O’Regan, MC of STAR Awards 2022.

Family fun this Sunday afternoon at Roscommon Arts Centre!

This Sunday (February 27th), Roscommon Arts Centre welcomes back the wonderful Ceol Connected with their brand-new family show Wunderground. Through a combination of music, song, puppetry, and storytelling that Ceol Connected is renowned for, Wunderground invites children to think about the magic of the natural world that is all around us. It also reveals how humans, animals, plants are all connected and that we need to mind and take care of the earth and the environment. Wundergound is an unforgettable musical adventure for children aged 3+ that combines mesmerising original music and song, captivating puppetry, and the epic adventures of Badger and Rabbit as they embark on a daring quest to save their home. Performance times are 12 pm and 2 pm. Tickets are €8 each/family of four ticket is €28. Booking now from box office on 090-6625824 and from www.roscommonartscentre.ie. Co-produced by Ceol Connected and the National Concert Hall in association with Pavilion Theatre. Supported by Draíocht Arts Centre and funded by the Arts Council.

Cultural Companions programme kicks off! If you would like to get involved in a new initiative that combines socialising, attending arts events and meeting new people, then why not take part in Cultural Companions, a new programme in County Roscommon which will create local networks of people aged 50+ inter-

ested in the arts and culture who accompany each other to plays, films, shows, concerts, exhibitions and other events. The aim of Cultural Companions is to provide increased opportunities for older people to engage with Roscommon’s vibrant arts and cultural scene. It

also addresses the issue of social isolation amongst older people by facilitating their engagement in arts and cultural opportunities, and by also providing volunteer companions for encouragement and support. Cultural Companions is an Age & Opportunity Arts Initia-

tive supported by Roscommon County Council’s Arts Office and Age Friendly Programme, Roscommon Volunteer Centre and Roscommon Arts Centre. You can register your interest now with Shannette at 0892199930 or manager@volunteerroscommon.ie.

‘Ireland Reads Day’ at Roscommon Library Libraries throughout County Roscommon are taking part in ‘Ireland Reads’, a campaign to get the whole country reading this month in the lead-up to a national day of reading this Friday, February 25th. Irish libraries have teamed up with publishers, booksellers, authors, and others for the campaign, which is part of the government’s Healthy Ireland programme and aims to celebrate reading and all the benefits it can have for wellbeing and enjoyment. The pledge to ‘squeeze in a read’ can be made at irelandreads.ie, where you can also see how much time has been pledged by the Irish public so far and sign up for reading reminders. The website also offers book recommendations suited to a person’s interests and the time they have available. There are more than 1,500 recommendations from librarians all around the country for all interests and reading levels. Campaign partners and libraries all over the country have been running ‘Ireland Reads’ initiatives and events throughout February. As part of the Little Libraries initiative, all Early Learning and Care (ELC) settings will be invited to an Ireland Reads event in collaboration with Roscommon Library Services and Roscommon County Childcare Committee CLG. Talented staff, who are well versed as storytellers, have been visiting ELCs this week leading up to national reading day. They will be available to tell a short story to your pre-schoolers. Please contact mmcintyre@roscommoncoco.ie or info@roscommonchildcare.ie if you would like to arrange a visit. This Friday (February 25th), as part of Ireland Reads Day, Roscommon Library Facebook page will premier and online story time and art workshop with author/illustrator Jennifer Farley at 10.30 am. Jennifer will read from her book ‘Scout’s Best Day Ever’ and encourage viewers to draw Scout the dog. If you miss the premiere on the day, you can catch up through the link on the Roscommon County Childcare Committee CLG newsletter. Also this Friday, an online Poetry Workshop with Gerry Boland will take place from 10.30 am to 12 pm. Booking is essential at roslib@ roscommoncoco.ie. A Dublin-born author and poet, Gerry writes for adults and children and has published nine books to date. Join Gerry for this poetry workshop where several poems will be read and analysed and new poems will be written. He will also share some of his writing experiences and offer useful tips on how to get the best out of your writing. Jessica Traynor will also host an online ‘Demystifying Poetry’ workshop on Friday from 2 pm to 3 pm. Booking is essential at roslib@roscommoncoco.ie. An award-winning poet and creative writing teacher, Jessica will explore contemporary poetry in its many guises and also read from her own work and the work of contemporary voices from Ireland. Find out about all that’s happening for Ireland Reads, get book recommendations and take the pledge to read on Friday, February 25th, at irelandreads.ie or visit Roscommon, Boyle and Castlerea Libraries for more information on what’s happening local to you.

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

NewsPeople

Roscommon Lamb Festival comes to a close

Farewell to a much-loved event: Page 33

The committee responsible for Roscommon Lamb Festival has called time on the annual May weekend festival which has run in Roscommon town and surrounds since 2008. The cessation of the festival was agreed at a committee meeting held on Thursday night last. Festival Chairman Donal Mee thanked all involved in running the festival since 2008 and said that, after the two-year break due to Covid, it was decided not to continue with the festival. Chairman Donal Mee said: “Many of the hardworking voluntary committee who had to juggle their own work with the gruelling schedule in the build-up to each festival found that they could no longer give their full commitment”. The annual festival was established in 2008 to showcase all that is good about Roscommon in terms of food, history, heritage. It was initiated by Roscommon LEADER Partnership and initially driven by Cllr. Laurence Fallon and Patsy Daly, with Cllr. Fallon being chairman in 2008 and

2009. The weekend-long event drew many visitors to the county town over the May Bank Holiday Weekend. The Family Fun Day in Loughnaneane Park was one of the highlights of the weekend and will be remembered fondly by a generation of local children who enjoyed a range of children’s activities as well as food tents and a craft village. The event sought to bring people together, and the Brazilian community in the town had a large part to play in events over many years, while the festival was opened each year with an ecumenical event in St. Coman’s Church. Other annual events included art exhibitions, history tours, farm walks and a barbecue featuring Roscommon lamb. Donal Mee, a sheep farmer from Four Roads headed up the festival in 2018 and 2019, having taken over from Gerry Browne, who was at the helm for eight years prior to that. Mr. Mee this week paid tribute to the many volunteers who helped out at the festival over the years, and also extended his thanks to the voluntary committee who met throughout the year and in particular in the run-up to the annual festival. He also paid

Flashback to the 2016 Family Fun Day.

tribute to his predecessors as chair of the organising committee, Gerry Browne and Laurence Fallon. Mr. Mee paid tribute to the many sponsors, without whom the event couldn’t have been undertaken, especially Roscommon Local Enterprise Office, Roscommon County Council and also the many businesses and individuals, including sheep farmers, who supported the event financially.

“Looking back, it put Roscommon on the map in a way. We helped bring visitors from all over Ireland, it was a shop window for Roscommon, for arts and crafts as well as Roscommon Lamb and Roscommon Wool. It was a taste of Roscommon in every sense of the word, in terms of food, history and heritage,” he added. The committee is still hopeful that another group might take on aspects of

the festival, for example the running of the Family Fun Day in the park. Mr. Mee also noted that the newly-developed space in the Square could be used to host exhibitions or craft demonstrations. However, any new event or festival would be dependant on attracting a new cohort of volunteers. “It needs fresh blood and young people need to get involved,” concluded Mr. Mee.

Funeral of Roscommon man killed in NZ to take place on Monday The funeral of a Roscommon man who died following a road traffic accident in New Zealand earlier this month will take place on Monday (February 28th) at Our Lady of the Wayside Church in Clonown. Declan Curley (37), Clonark, Athlone, died after being struck by a vehicle in the Wellington

area early on Saturday morning local time on February 12th. The popular Roscommon man had been working as a credit control manager in Wellington and had previously spent 12 years working in the Irish Public Sector. As of Wednesday (yesterday) over €78,000 has so far been raised to help

bring Mr. Curley home after a fundraising campaign was set up in the aftermath of the tragedy (https://givealittle.co.nz/ cause/support-in-gettingdeclan-back-home). Mr. Curley is sadly missed by his heartbroken partner Sam and her daughter Mia, his loving parents Tommy and Rena, extended fam-

ily, and a wide circle of friends in Ireland and New Zealand. Funeral mass will take place at Our Lady of the Wayside Church, Clonown at 12 noon on Monday followed by cremation at Shannon Crematorium at 3.30 pm. Posting on rip.ie, Mr. Curley’s family thanked the public for their sup-

port: “The family wish to express our gratitude for the outpouring of condolences on the passing of our dear Declan. We hope you can all understand the need for privacy at this time while we say goodbye to Declan. Your many messages of support and love are giving us much comfort at this difficult time,” the message stated.

New train detection warning system installed at local level crossings larnród Éireann has recently installed train detection warning systems at user worked level crossings at a number of locations across Roscommon and Mayo. Systems have been installed 2km outside Athlone just off the N61, just off the N60 outside Castlerea (Kiltybo), and at Knockaphunta and Pollagh in

Co. Mayo. The aim of these systems is to provide level crossing users with improved information about the approach of trains, helping them to better determine when it is not safe to cross. The system operates by track train detectors which sends a signal when approaching trains are detected to a visual warn-

ing light unit(s) positioned at the point of user interface at the level crossing. Other systems components at user interface include system information signage and audio warning. The systems were implemented throughout January and February, and it is expected that further rollouts will occur throughout the year.

While the detection systems add another level of protection, it is important to remember that it is the responsibility of level crossing users to use crossings correctly, to check the line before crossing, and to always close crossing gates afterwards, for the safety of following road users, and rail customers and staff.

newsbriefs ‘80s and ‘90s Video Disco Night in aid of Hospice services On the 17th of March, 1982, Rockford’s Nightclub opened its doors for the first time. Since then, it has been an institution in Roscommon, part and parcel of the social life of the town and county for all those years. Hundreds of thousands of young people have been to Rockford’s over the years, and it continues in business to this very day, despite the pandemic over the past two years. To celebrate and mark the 40th birthday of Rockford’s there will be a ‘80s and ‘90s Video Disco night out at Nancy’s Bar on Friday, the 25th of March. The great music of the 1980s and ‘90s will come alive on the big, state-of-the-art screen. The DJ for the night will be Seamus Duke. All of the proceeds on the night will go to the Mayo/ Roscommon Hospice and the local Palliative care team. It promises to be one of the great nights of the year, and for a great cause too. Tickets are €10 and are available locally.

Oran GAA medal presentation night Oran GAA will host a medal presentation night for the 2020 Roscommon Intermediate Football Championship winning team and the Ladies Junior champions of the same year on Saturday night week (March 5th) at The Abbey Hotel in Roscommon. A meal will be served at 7.30 pm with live music on a night which will also feature Dermot Earley Jnr. as guest of honour. For tickets, please contact Joe Grady (087-2346715), Ann Earley (086-3868281), Paddy Connolly (086-1065865), Sharon Harrington (086-3143221), Mick Fitzpatrick (0863874276) or Ann Connolly (087-9776837).

Callaghan welcomes Ballaghaderreen funding Fine Gael councillor Liam Callaghan has welcomed funding of over €600,000 as part of the Active Travel Scheme for Ballaghaderreen. The funding will see the commencement of the regeneration and upgrade works on Cathedral Street and will form part of the overall upgrade of the streets and footpaths in the town. “The current Active Travel funding will now go to tender and it is hoped the first phase of the Part 8 planning will commence,” he said. Cllr. Callaghan concluded by saying the Government’s commitment to rural towns is vital and he expects further investment streams in Ballaghaderreen similar to the projects in Boyle and Roscommon town.

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

NewsPeople

FRANK

BRANDON

FRANK BRANDON’S unique

take on life ...

How Creggs’ facilities wooed rugby visitors Our man Frank on a starring role for Creggs’ facilities…luxury cars in stormy waters…and more on The Rhythm Stars… It’s fair to say that the Editor of this, the most popular paper in County Roscommon, thinks I write too much about my native village – which, in case you don’t know, is Creggs. Seeing that he’s the boss, he is of course right, but sometimes events occur that simply have to be made known to the general public. Last weekend, Creggs was yet again the centre of the rugby universe. This time however, it was not just in Connacht, but on a national scale. On Saturday morning, after the country had been battered by Storm Eunice, two hardy souls (myself and my brother Kieran) went out for a stroll round the rugby club grounds. While we were out, word began to filter through that the All Ireland League match between Buccaneers and Cork’s Dolphin could possibly be taking place on our 4G pitch, as the Buccs’ ground might be unplayable. Sure enough, shortly afterwards it was confirmed that our little village would be hosting the game,

Action from Saturday’s All Ireland League game between Buccaneers and Dolphin, which was switched at short notice to the Creggs RFC grounds. Photo: Bernie O’Farrell

with a kick-off time of 2.30 pm. By then, we also knew that the All Ireland Ladies Conference semi-final between Galwegians and another Cork team, Ballincollig, was taking place in Creggs at 5 pm, because the

Awaiting the fate of luxury cars (and my Passat) As we struggle with horrible weather and flooded roads all over the country, and as some of us with slightly older cars (more than slightly) look enviously at the lovely new cars gracing our roads, spare a thought for the owners of the 4,000 luxury cars that are on a ship that’s on fire (as I write) in the Atlantic, somewhere off the coast of Portugal. Porsches, Audis and Bentleys are amongst the thousands of cars on board the Felicity Ace ship, and there is no knowing when the fire will be put out. According to sources, at the time of writing, it could be quite a while yet. How many of the cars are destroyed or damaged is not yet known, but it’s safe to say that whoever has them insured must

Galwegians pitch was similarly unplayable. So, on a Saturday in February, our small rural rugby club had probably the only playable pitch in the province. As it happened, both Cork teams

be pretty worried. 4000 of those span-new luxury cars would be worth three or four hundred million euro in total, so surely there’s some insurance executive somewhere who’s praying that the fire may not have got into the stock room. As for my 2008 Passat, by the time you read this it will have undergone its NCT test. Like the insurance executive, I too face a couple of nervous days until I find out my fate! Being a car owner – whether it is a Porsche, an Audi, a Bentley or a 08 Passat – is a trying experience, and not good for a person’s nerves. I’ll let you know next week whether or not we passed the test. Fingers, toes, legs and everything else crossed for a successful conclusion!

suffered big defeats, with the Buccs scoring sixty points against Dolphin, while Ballincollig went down by more than forty points. Nevertheless, both of the teams, plus their mentors and supporters, couldn’t get over the

facilities that a junior club in such a rural setting has. On one of the most miserable days of the year, it must have been a long journey back to Cork, but one and all were extremely impressed at what Creggs had to offer. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to realise that, despite being located on the road to nowhere (as no main road passes through), we actually have facilities that are the envy of every club in the province. Fast-forward to Sunday morning and we were looking forward to our big league final, which was to take place in the Sportsground at 3.15 pm, but the weather put paid to that game as well. However, out here in the sticks, we hosted three games, all of which took place without any fuss. How the pitch got here I’m not exactly sure – as it was a huge financial commitment – but it’s here now and has proved to be the most forward-thinking and positive development that ever came this way. 1974 saw an acorn being sown, which has now undoubtedly grown into a very big tree. Long may it last. I wonder if the many people who played big parts down through the years – and who have passed on since our formation – could see us now, what would they think?

More on The Rhythm Stars…

You may recall that last week I went down memory lane and talked about the seven Treacy brothers and one sister, who at one time or another, played with The Rhythm Stars Showband. Well, I got a phone call from a regular reader (the other one) of my column to give me an extra piece of family information. He told me that in another part of the paper there was an article about the band Odd Sox, a band I’ve often mentioned in this column down through the years. He said that one of the members of that band, Ronan Mockler, is actually a grandson of The Rhythm Stars’ Lynn Treacy. He thought it was ironic that I would write about the showband on the same week that Odd Sox also featured, and, as the reader commented, it just shows the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Ronan Mockler, grandson of The Whether or not I ever get to dance Rhythm Stars’ Lynn Treacy to the Stars again is open to ques-

tion, but prior to Covid, the Sox were regular visitors (musically speaking) to some of our local pubs. I have no doubt our paths will cross again before too long. I have to say I always enjoy their performances, and I look forward to hearing them again.

And finally… Over in London last week, during the end of Storm Eunice, Big Jet TV captured a number of passenger planes landing at Heathrow Airport. If anyone has a fear of flying, don’t have a look – however it is an extraordinary piece of television. Some of the landings were what can only be described as hair-raising. Thankfully all made it safely to the ground, but I would imagine the prayers were in big demand! ‘Till next week, bye for now

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

NewsPeople

Liam Hanrahan, Director of Services, Galway County Council, pictured at the launch of the Creggs Rural Development Village Plan at Creggs National School on Thursday evening last. Pic: Mick McCormack

The Creggs Rural Development Committee: Carmel O’Rourke, Olivia Smyth, Sean Beirne, Mary Kelly and Fiona Brandon pictured at the launch of the Creggs Rural Development Village Plan at Creggs National School on Thursday evening last. Pic: Mick McCormack

New ‘blueprint’ launched for development of Creggs A number of projects are included in the new plan for the future development of Creggs village which was officially launched by the Cathaoirleach of Galway County Council Peter Keaveney at Creggs National School last week. The new ‘blueprint’ for the village includes plans for a remote coworking space, an upgraded streetscape and the development of a new sewage treatment plant. The development plan has been led by the local community and facilitated by MKO Ireland, a planning and environmental consultancy firm, which is based in Galway. Enhanced street lighting, a new looped walk as well as solutions to local flooding issues are featured in the plan which also focuses on climate change after this emerged as a subject of interest in the early planning stage. Possible funding streams for local initiatives are also included while a new sewage plant is seen as a priority by the local community. The recent launch was addressed by stakeholders such as Pamela Harty, a senior planner with MKO, Cathaoirleach of Galway County Council Peter Keaveney, and Chairperson of the Creggs Development Committee, Sean Beirne.

Gospel Reflection

Sunday February 27th 2022 In today’s readings, we hear Jesus speaking in Galilee as well as a Jewish sage named Sirach writing in Jerusalem more than a century earlier. The two of them touch upon a single truth: The words that come out of us make known the hidden thoughts within us. Speech reveals the secrets of the heart. Sirach teaches that speaking is “the test of men” and their character. One who is upright will utter words that are truthful and encouraging to others. But one whose heart is cluttered with “refuse” will be exposed, since the “fruit” of his mouth speaks volumes about the “tree” that produces it. Sirach also compares the testing of our words to clay fired in a kiln – if properly prepared, a useful vessel emerges; but if the clay is not fully dried, it will break apart in the extreme heat. In a similar way, Jesus insists that a person speaks “out of the abundance of the heart”. He too compares our speech, whether good or bad, to what grows on a tree: “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit”. Both readings urge us to make wholesome speech a habit. After all, much about who we are is brought to light through what we say. But there’s an additional step: The Lord is asking us to look inward, to examine our hearts and fill them with the “good treasure” that God desires. Why do purity of heart and speech matter so much? Because, as Jesus declares elsewhere: “by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). They matter because they help to decide our final judgment, and this is where the Second Reading comes in. Paul reminds us that God will destroy death forever, and if we are to share in this victory and live forever with the Lord, then we must take all steps necessary to give our hearts and lips to what is good. -Scott Hahn PhD, salvationhistory.com (courtesy of Sacred Heart Church)

Pictured at the launch of the Creggs Rural Development Village Plan at Creggs National School on Thursday evening last were (back row, left to right): Cllr. Emer Kelly, Cllr. Dermot Connolly, Senator Aisling Dolan, Liam Hanrahan, Director of Services, Galway County Council, Cllr. Michael Connolly, Pamela Harty (MKO), Cllr. Evelyn Parsons, Ronan Bilbow, Roscommon LEADER Partnership, Cllr. Declan Geraghty, Denis Naughten TD, and Cllr. Tony Waldron. Seated (l-r): Sean Beirne, Creggs Development Committee, Carmel O’Rourke, Olivia Smyth, Cllr. Peter Keaveney, Cathaoirleach of Galway County Council, Mary Kelly, Fiona Brandon and Michael Fitzmaurice TD. Pic: Mick McCormack

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

NewsPeople

Miriam’s

MUSINGS

Words of wit and wisdom with MIRIAM KERINS

Divorce is never easy, but it can be dignified rather than destructive When a couple breaks up, they can choose to do one of two things. 1): Dismantle their relationship in a dignified and private manner, putting in place a positive plan for separation, childcare and divorce. Or 2): Do what Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, and Ioan Gruffudd and Alice Evans are doing, which is, allowing their private matters to become so public, the situation quickly proliferates from embarrassing to highly distressing. Unless you’ve been living under a rock readers, you’ll be aware of a situation which I can only describe as being the poisonous, damaging uncoupling of the Kardashian-Wests and the Gruffudd-Evans’, who, for reasons best known to themselves, are indiscreetly allowing their personal grievances to be played out on social media. As someone who heartbreakingly had to walk away from my first marriage, with the break-up resulting in an acrimonious divorce, I can say,

hand on heart, even though our children were both adults at the time, my ex and I had an agreement to never involve them in our bitter battles. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not my intention to pass judgement on either of these troubled couples; I know only too well the pain they’re going through. However, as a parent, I have to say, given the ridiculous carry-on and the, (let’s be honest), level of hatred evident in their posts, I’m more worried about any possible damage being done to their respective children’s mental wellbeing. For those of you lucky enough never to have gone through an expensive, messy divorce, let me tell you, even in consensual circumstances, an event like this can be deeply disturbing for any child, especially ones whose parents post every intimate, indelicate and vulgar thought they have for the other on social media! When your hostility towards the person you once loved enough to

have a family with, not only trends on Twitter etc., but makes world headlines, (even getting framed as entertainment), the time has come to step away from the keyboard and seek help, because you’re hitting rock bottom! In addition, (given their posts, I’m aiming this at Kanye and Alice), not only is the coverage and attention being generated by your rants likely to upset your own wellbeing, but the fact they’ve become comedic fodder could serve to perpetuate a stigma for anyone genuinely experiencing mental health issues. I’m going to play Devil’s advocate here and suggest that perhaps the reason for Kanye’s (or Ye’s) and Alice’s posts aren’t rooted in the fact they’re genuinely hurting; perhaps it’s just plain and simple jealousy on their part? Let me spell it out for you. If Kim’s new boyfriend Pete Davidson is 13 years younger than her (well here’s to you and coo, coo, ca-choo Mrs

Robinson), and Ioan’s girlfriend Bianca Wallace is 19 years younger than him, (is he dating her or adopting her???), then nobody could blame Kanye and Alice for going green with envy! As a woman on the verge of hitting the HRT, I can tell you folks, if himself suddenly began dating a sprite, the pair of them would need to leave town fast; because, hand on heart, my personal reaction would be akin to pulling a pin on a live grenade. With regard to Kanye and Alice, my advice would be to please try and come to terms with life without your former spouses. Why? Because, they’ve clearly come to terms with life without you. Besides Kanye, when Pete’s no longer your ex-wife’s cute toy-boy and more the wind beneath her bingo wings, I’m willing to bet their lust-affair will get a touch of the Titanic’s and, er sink! By the way, that does not mean older women shouldn’t date younger men; I’m all for cougar-ism and

believe there’s no such thing as the ‘conventional’ couple. However, as Pete and Kim are not living in a Disney movie, I doubt if their love is sealed for eternity, but rather for a few more Insta-worthy photo ops! As for Alice…the time may come when Bianca could realise she’s no longer viewed as the seductive nymph, but rather the ‘other woman’ shackled to the crumbling edifice that was once your cheating ex; and give him the elbow! When that day arrives, I hope she arms the father of your children – the man you once loved and honoured – with a handful of berries, a compass, a back-pack, and a set of instructions to clear off and locate his lost youth! By that time Alice darling, you’ll have moved so far past your shock and your sadness, you’ll be strong enough, tough enough and so deliriously happy living the life you deserve, the man who betrayed you so horribly won’t even warrant a second thought!

Why I’ll continue Pancake Tuesday? to wear my mask! Just ditch the rules! Regulations relating to mask-wearing in public and other restrictions around Covid will no longer apply after February 28th, which is next Monday. Not only that, as the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is on the cusp of being abandoned, it would probably be safe for us all to assume that Ireland is now well and truly on the other side of this pandemic, and life, as we knew it, can return to normal. Fantastic news! However, given there are still plenty of Covid cases present in our hospitals, (making mask-wearing a requirement in a healthcare setting), it’s plainly obvious that the opposite is true and this pervasive virus still looms large in all of our lives. To that end, I for one will not be relinquishing my mask, nor will I be ditching my hand sanitiser any time soon. And no, I’m not paranoid, nor am I overreacting, and yes I’m fully vaccinated. However, as none of the vaccines provide one hundred per cent protection, anyone anywhere can not only carry coronavirus, they can also

transmit it; therefore, I believe it’s not just my right to mask up, it’s also my responsibility, especially towards those who’re immuno-compromised and vulnerable. Don’t’ get me wrong, I know I’ll be in the minority, but to give up now, to ditch my mask and let my guard down would be just plain stupidity! I fully respect the rights of those who choose to ditch the wearing of a highly uncomfortable and visibly unappealing face covering. However, as I believe prevention is better than cure – specially when dealing with so many Covid variants which seem to randomly and spontaneously mutate at will, and, with the related risks being shared by one and all, instead of ‘lightening-up,’ (as I’ve been told), I’ll continue to do my share. With that in mind, as mask-wearing has been one of the most fraught and divisive debates of this pandemic – the other being to be, or not to be, vaccinated – in the spirit of moving forward, I’m asking all Rossies to please be kind to each other. That means no pointing, no sneering, no snide remarks and no accusations of irrationality towards mask wearers or selfishness towards antimask wearers. Remember folks, we’re all in this together, therefore, the solidarity we showed each other and which, (we can all agree), was vital for everyone’s wellbeing at the height of this pandemic, should, despite the restrictions being lifted, continue to be extended. Cheers!

Pancake Tuesday (apart from Christmas Day) is the one day where we can all ditch the rules and go mad eating chocolate spread, lemon juice, melted butter, brown sugar and every other ‘forbidden’ high-calorie food item lurking at the bottom of the fridge. When I say all…I mean most of us. Personally, as a vegan I don’t eat traditional pancakes, sticking instead to the non-egg, non-milky, non-buttery, and, if I’m honest,

non-tasty ones – well, the plant-based batch I made last year wasn’t so much fluffy and delicious, but more flat, bland and chewy! However, if you’re planning to go on ‘the batter’ with the intent to over-indulge, remember, if anyone tries to make you feel guilty about reaching for that tenth pancake, just tell them you’re keeping in line with the tradition to ‘fatten’ yourself up before observing the 40 days of Lent! Enjoy!

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

NewsPeople Who’s saying what on Tweet Street ... Paul Healy’s take on top tweets! Vonny@VonnyR7 Adult life is just a series of setting alarms and reminders isn’t it? -Pretty much… JohnMcDwyer@JohnMcDwyer PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT.....I have decided to sue Prince Andrew. He never met me either. -Best to just leave that one there (topical commentary from John) Philip Nolan @philipnolan1 The return of #RoomToImprove is the clearest sign yet we’ve entered the post-pandemic phase of Covid. -Dermot Bannon has escaped from the Late Late studio… Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan @lukeming How has the EU and Ireland survived the loss of Phil Hogan? He was indispensible don’t you know. The UN won’t survive without Coveney though. There’ll be a world war. You’ll all be sorry then. #zapponegate -Possible sarcasm sighting… Laura @ruillebuille Everyone else feel very judged at the bottle bank yes? -Laura raises an important issue (replies included “I go in disguise” and “I go to the neighbouring village”)

Rachel Gotto @RachelGotto AmI the only one who actually enjoys Monday!? Anyone else like them also? -We barely even understand the question!

Alison O’Connor @alisonoconn ‘It is now deemed timely to conclude the work of NPHET’. @ CMOIreland. I’ll be raising a Friday night toast to the #NPHET gang. They done good by us. Thank you. -Journo Alison risks ruffling feathers on Tweet Street by calmly acknowledging the work of the folks on NPHET Street Jennifer O’Connell @jenoconnell #Vincent is shocking, harrowing, utterly tragic. Such an important record of a brilliant man and a bleak, frightening time in Irish life. Well done @MindtheGapFilms and the wonderful Bill Hughes -A powerful and moving documentary (broadcast on Monday night) on the late Vincent Hanley, a trailblazing Irish radio DJ and TV presenter, was well received by viewers

Reader responds to Miriam’s Necrology Wall musings County Roscommon Dear Editor, Miriam’s Musings (Roscommon People February 11th issue) makes good reading. I enjoy her feature as her musings are straight from the heart and make common sense. Her views on the Necrology Wall (The Codology Wall, I would call it), in Glasnevin Cemetery are shared, I am sure, by the majority of people in this country. What a shame to desecrate the memory of the patriot dead, including the forty innocent children killed in the 1916 Rising, by having their names inscribed alongside the names of the oppressors. These were the same oppressors that condemned the 1916 leaders to death, and confined them to quick-lime graves. It was also proposed that the names of the Black and Tans, Auxiliaries and British army victims would be added amid the names of courageous men like Kevin Barry, hanged at 18 years of age, Thomás McCurtain, Lord Mayor of Cork gunned down in his home by the RIC, and Terence MacSwiney, his successor, let die on hunger strike in Brixton Prison. Imagine including the names of the

Coffee Morning in aid of Daffodil Day 2022

The Irish Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day will be back on the streets of Ireland on March 25th, 2022. To get it up and running in Roscommon town, a Coffee Morning will take place in JJ Harlow’s, Roscommon town, on the 11th of March, from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm. Looking forward to having your support again this year.

Creative Writing Workshops at Arts Centre

Stephen Fry @stephenfry Looking forward to twenty-two minutes past ten tomorrow evening - 22.22 on 22.2.22 - it’ll be just too too exciting -Too too exciting? We get it! Stephen (tweeting on Monday) with a ‘quite interesting’ tweet…

Letters to the Editor

newsbriefs

Dermot Bannon

Join Alice Kinsella for a creative writing workshop in Roscommon Arts Centre on Saturday, March 12th from 2 pm to 4 pm. Alice will guide you into the world of creative writing, with a focus on free writing, finding inspiration, and silencing the inner critic. Alice was born in Dublin and raised in Co. Mayo. Her poetry pamphlet Sexy Fruit (Broken Sleep Books) was a Poetry Book Society Spring 2019 Selection. She is the editor of Empty House: poetry and prose on the climate crisis (Doire Press, 2021). Kinsella’s creative non-fiction debut Milk will be published by Picador in 2023. Alice’s Creative Writing Workshop costs €25 and can be booked now from box office on 090-66 25824 and from www.roscommonartscentre.ie. This workshop is programmed as part of The LIVE Network, a literary network that was established in partnership with Words Ireland, in 2018, as part of a Literary Audience Development Scheme, managed by curator Dani Gill.

Organic Growing and Gardening course

Horticultural tutor and author, Paul Kirwan, will host an upcoming Organic Vegetable Growing and Gardening Course. This comprehensive course will focus on growing your own food in an organic way. For further details or to enrol, please contact Paul on 087-4404240. Vincent Hanley

Send your letters to: Abbey Street, Roscommon Town. Fax: (090) 66 34303 or email: news@roscommonpeople.ie

oppressors who intimidated, tortured and murdered our people, beside those of our courageous patriots. It beggars belief. I can understand Miriam when she says she feels nauseous at the whole idea of putting the names of our oppressors alongside the names of our dead heroes, including innocent children and civilians, and that she considered it to be deeply hurtful and a betrayal by our Government. The question of the fada in the wrong place is of little significance, when the fact is the wall should not be there in the first place, full stop. While I could identify and agree with the points in Miriam’s article, I was a bit confused with her last paragraph. While she fully supports the ‘Wall of Shame’ being discontinued, she then says she finds it a disgrace that it was ‘vandalised’ and hopes the people responsible will be caught and prosecuted. I would have thought the initial vandalism was the erection of this monstrosity in the first place. If one is to describe the attacks on the wall as vandalism, then surely the occupation of the GPO on Easter Monday 1916 by the Irish Volunteers (Michael Collins among them), and the expelling of staff and customers and the smashing of windows was an act of vandalism. I think the ‘Wall of Shame’ would have continued only for the action of the attackers as there was no politician with the guts to stand up and oppose it. The powers that be have become a slavish entity and are

ashamed of their past. I would look on the smashing of the Necrology Wall as a heroic act and I take off my hat to the people who did it. If, by their actions they have succeeded in its discontinuance, then they have done the state some service. Yours sincerely, (Name and address with Editor, withheld on request)

‘GAA women’ were content with their independence!

25 Churchfield Park, Knock, Co. Mayo Dear Editor, With regard to the upcoming GAA Congress in Bekan, I wish to make a point about one of the motions submitted. This is the motion which seeks to bring Ladies football and camogie under the umbrella of the main GAA body. At the time when I was a Central Council delegate, I have a distinct recollection that this was passed by Congress – about thirtyfive years ago. It was subsequently rejected by the ‘GAA women’ at that time as they said that they had no need of the umbrella as they were content with their independence. Yours sincerely, Mick Coyle

Take ‘STEPS’ with Roscommon Women’s Network!

If you would like to improve your personal relationships, increase your confidence, build up your self-esteem and meet your goals, then Roscommon Women’s Network’s STEPS course could be for you! STEPS runs for two mornings each week over a four-week period beginning in April, with dates to be confirmed. Places are expected to fill up quickly so please call 094-9621690, text 086-8099154or email info@rwn.ie to avoid disappointment. The course itself is free of charge to anyone in receipt of a social welfare payment, however we do require a small once-off contribution of €10 per participant to secure your place and cover materials and refreshments.

Ballaghaderreen Darkness Into Light Walk

Darkness Into Light Walk will take place on Saturday, May 7th and it is hoped to hold a walk in Ballaghaderreen this year. A meeting will take place in CDP Office, Market Street on Tuesday, March 1st at 7 pm. Anyone willing to help with the walk are welcome to attend.

Clothes collection in Ballaghaderreen

Ballaghaderreen Community Park are having a clothes collection from February 15th until end of March to raise funds for the ongoing costs of the facility. Clothes can be left at the Community Park clubhouse from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 12.30 pm. Clean and reusable clothes, hats, scarves, shoes, belts, curtains etc. accepted. No duvets or pillows please. Contact Brid on 085-8492213. Thanks for your continued support.

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

CIARAN MULLOOLY On The Back Benches

New outdoor recreation schemes can transform Roscommon tourism

role in the scale of the recovery in the tourism industry after the pandemic.

I am a lucky man – and I admit it. In the course of my day job I drive around the countryside on a weekly basis, where I am constantly in awe of some of the fantastic landscapes we have at our disposal in this part of the island of Ireland – and can see the obvious potential for these fabulous locations to create an even greater tourism impact on the economy here. Anyone who has ever gone through the locks along the River Shannon and meandered in a boat into Lough Key near the Forest Park in Boyle, or driven into the harbours and marinas at Portrunny or Ballyleague, doesn’t need me to tell them about the vast beauty of the place and the majestic sights that fill your eyes with absolute amazement on any such visit. I remember the first time I drove up to the Mining Experience centre in Arigna, when I looked back down around the valley and thought for a minute I was in Wales with the thousands of tourists who walk and trek in the valleys there every year. I genuinely happen to believe that this corner of Ireland has as much going for it as any part of that UK landscape – if only we had the investment for Fáilte Ireland to promote and market and perhaps (directionally) sign it just a little bit better.

Marketing grants

Half a million euro grant Against this backdrop, I was more than pleased last week to read about a new €15 million funding scheme which aims to promote all sorts of outdoor adventure activities and give a major boost to rural tourism around the country, according to the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys. The big idea here in the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) is to develop loads of activities on mountains, lakes, beaches, bogs, forest walks and greenways that will not only attract your walkers and your trekkers here but make them want to stay in the area overnight and spend a few bob with the locals. The sort of projects covered under the funding include hiking, mountaineering, equestrian trails, cycling and rock climbing – all of which could happen on any square of the land at Arigna, Kilteevan, Sliabh Bawn, Boyle or Donamon, etc. The sort of water-based projects they are looking for include kayaking, swimming, tidal pools, surfing, paragliding and hanggliding activities that could easily be centred in Hodson Bay, Doon shore or Ballyleague, Portrunny or Lecarrow. The potential for the growth of the tourism fare is really endless at all of these locations. The scale of the funds available from the latest ORIS scheme is also impressive. Small projects in Roscommon can receive €30,000, medium-sized projects will be eligible for €200,000, and €500,000 is avail-

Portrunny Harbour

able for larger projects under a fund that was increased since the last Budget. The scheme is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development in Ballina, in partnership with Fáilte Ireland. I know for a fact that it has already produced a few notable successes in this county and elsewhere in the country where city and county councils, state bodies and local development agencies applied successfully for funding of over €87 million for more than 1,200 projects nationwide. I was part of a group that worked with Roscommon County Council on an allocation of 200,000 euro for the new Resilience Park project on the north and south quays in Ballyleague last year – and hope to see work on that starting soon.

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The sort of water-based projects they are looking for include kayaking, swimming, tidal pools, surfing, paragliding and hang-gliding activities that could easily be centred in Hodson Bay, Doon shore or Ballyleague, Portrunny or Lecarrow. The potential for the growth of the tourism fare is really endless at all of these locations.

New local trails This time around there’s a very different emphasis on the appeal for entries, with Minister Humphreys highlighting the fact that, during the pandemic, outdoor pursuits and activities became more important than ever – so she feels it’s a good time to appeal for new applicants. This is fighting talk from the Minister, so let’s see if it is justified. I think the landscape has very definitely changed (so to speak – not literally!) since previous ORIS launches –and increasing the number of outdoor adventure activities available to international tourists will not only have a wider appeal to community groups and local tourism service providers looking for international visitors, it will have a burning appeal to local domestic clubs such as walking, jogging, triathlon clubs and even ORCAS swimming groups – all of whom came into their own during the long and boring days of the lockdowns in the pandemic (remember that?!) In those miserable days, we all had to stick to our 5k walk or 10km run because of the restrictions on movement and many of us discovered locations we never even knew existed. So, now that the country is open again, we can probably all see the potential that really exists with visiting tourists if we just improve the quality of the attraction on our doorstep that can then in turn play an important

In association with: LOUGH REE ACCESS FOR ALL

Community groups here in Roscommon who have an interest in applying for the ORIS would do well to take note of some of the key changes in the application process and some of the new areas that can be covered by funding. For instance, the scheme may also provide some limited funding for the marketing and promotion of new infrastructure – typically as part of a wider project involving capital supports – so if you have just helped to create a 5K waymarked trail in your parish, then perhaps the new brochure or website to go with it might also be considered for a grant in an effort to make sure the rest of the world gets to hear about this great new attraction. As somebody who has been deeply involved in the Lough Ree Access for All boat project in Ballyleague for the last five years, I was pleased to see the continued emphasis on equality. The 2022 scheme emphasises the opportunities to support recreational infrastructure that provides an inclusive approach for communities to deliver outlets that support a diverse range of users, including people with disabilities and older adults. Above all, however, if your local group is thinking of making an application, they must engage in collaboration with others who would be affected by the new infrastructure, and ensure, in advance of the submission of an application, that the local community has been consulted and their feedback taken on board.

Golf excluded

Some groups and activities are definitely NOT eligible for the scheme. The term ‘recreation’ may apply to sporting and recreational activities which operate in the countryside, but it does not include sporting activities which take place on confined courses or pitches specifically designed and constructed for those sports – so that rules out golf, football and showjumping, among others. As it stands, however, this new scheme offers some fantastic opportunities for places like Kilteevan, Strokestown, Rahara and Castlecoote to embrace local opportunities to develop forest walks, mountain access routes, trail access to birdwatching locations, floating boardwalks on lakes, and much, much more. All that is needed now is the push from the local community and the cooperation of landowners to get this going. I urge everyone to make the most of this golden ticket that is being offered to them. The first step is to get together at local level this week and identify one or two local sites that might fit the bill for an ORIS project and then get in touch with Roscommon County Council – who will take it from there. Don’t say you were not offered the opportunity to be part of it.

TAKE A BREAK

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

NewsPeople It’s been a GOOD week for…

London footballers, who remain unbeaten in Division Four of the National Football League, having built on their recent momentum with a very eye-catching win over Leitrim (2-5 to 0-9)

GAA legends attend Sonny tribute… Pictured are two Galway GAA legends who attended a music session for the late Sonny Davis which was held recently in that great GAA pub, Murray’s of Knockcroghery. They are Iggy Clarke (left), an All-Star All-Ireland hurler from the 1970s and early ‘80s, and (on right), John Keenan, three-in-a-row All-Ireland football title winner in the 1960s. The two men were introduced to musicians and patrons by Declan Coyne of the South Roscommon Singers Circle. “They are two lovely gentlemen” Declan told the Roscommon People, “and they both expressed delight at meeting in the ‘Shrine of Roscommon GAA’. It was a very special night and an emotional and fitting tribute to Sonny”.

Cheering on Roscommon v Clare in Dr Hyde Park last Sunday. Photo: Mick McCormack

Outdoor recreation in rural Ireland (with its boundless ongoing potential), after Minister Heather Humphreys launched a €15m Fund to support Outdoor Adventure Activities, a project which will include a spend on developing mountains, lakes, beaches, bogs, forest walks, blueways, greenways and bridleways, and supporting adventure activities such as hiking, mountaineering, kayaking, swimming and cycling (See Ciaran Mullooly column, page 16) The woman in black (that’s Maggie Farrelly), after the Cavan official made history by becoming the first woman to ever referee in the Allianz Football League, Maggie in charge as Leitrim and London met in the Connacht Centre of Excellence…

game was played on a rain-soaked pitch, in a spirit of no-nonsense physicality, and with a referee who by and large entered the spirit of the occasion…

It’s been a BAD week for… People in general, well, kind of, sort of, insofar that we had to endure very bad weather, with Sunday’s Storm Franklin catching many people by surprise, the anecdotal view being that ‘it was worse than Storm Dudley or Storm Eunice’ One-time king of the financial gurus Eddie Hobbs, who faced a social (and ‘traditional’) media backlash after stepping back into the public glare, this following a period in Low-Key Land after some ill-fated career moves Dublin senior footballers, with Dessie Farrell’s struggling side losing a third successive National Football League game, this latest defeat (this time to Mayo) pointing to a relegation battle for the once all-conquering Blues…

Fans of Dermot Bannon’s very popular ‘Room to Improve’, with a new series of the show starting last Sunday night…(expect lots of extensions/revamps with dramatic glass features)

Many hospital patients, with the INMO (Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation) reporting that there were 484 people waiting for beds across Irish hospitals on Monday morning, that statistic reflecting the trend of recent weeks

Middle-aged (and older) men (mostly), who have fond memories of English soccer battles of the 1970s (and before), this after Sunday’s Leeds-Manchester United

Missy Keating (no idea), who became the latest celebrity to be voted out of RTE’s hit show Dancing with the Stars (which we don’t watch)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Famous birthdays ... this week

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The things people say…

Cheering on Roscommon v Clare in Dr Hyde Park last Sunday. Photo: Mick McCormack

Téa Leoni (American actress, will be 56 on Friday)

Rashida Jones (American actress, turns 46 on Friday)

Kristin Davis (American actress, will be 57 on Thursday)

Floyd Mayweather (American professional boxer, turns 45 on

“A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals to discovery.” James Joyce, 1922

For updates, check our social channels

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

GOING OUT

To feature in this section, call 090-6634632 or email advertising@roscommonpeople.ie

Pictured at Dwane Craven’s 30th birthday party in The Claypipe, Knockcroghery were Phil Lyons, Linda Nestor, Tony Lyons and Tanya Dillon. Photo: Michelle Hughes Walsh

Pictured at Dwane Craven’s 30th birthday party in The Claypipe, Knockcroghery were Mike Kilroe, Johnny Igoe, Fintan Kilroe and Padraig Mannion. Photo: Michelle Hughes Walsh

Pictured at Dwane Craven’s 30th birthday party in The Claypipe, Knockcroghery were Siobhain Kilroe and Dwane Craven. Photo: Michelle Hughes Walsh

Pictured at Dwane Craven’s 30th birthday party in The Claypipe, Knockcroghery were Sheena Kilroe, Clare Dee, Siobhain and Hollie Kilroe. Photo: Michelle Hughes Walsh

Pictured at Dwane Craven’s 30th birthday party in The Claypipe, Knockcroghery were Paddy Farrell, Mikey Dunne and Gerard O’Gara. Photo: Michelle Hughes Walsh

Pictured at Dwane Craven’s 30th birthday party in The Claypipe, Knockcroghery were Hollie Kilroe, Dwane Craven and Sheena Craven. Photo: Michelle Hughes Walsh

Pictured at Dwane Craven’s 30th birthday party in The Claypipe, Knockcroghery were Noreen Lynch and Mike Crehan. Photo: Michelle Hughes Walsh

Pictured at Dwane Craven’s 30th birthday party in The Claypipe, Knockcroghery were Siobhain Kilroe, Dwane Craven and Fintan Kilroe. Photo: Michelle Hughes Walsh

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

GOING OUT

To feature in this section, call 090-6634632 or email advertising@roscommonpeople.ie

Ultan Mulleady celebrating his 40th birthday in Morahan’s Bar, Ballinagare last weekend. Left to right: Gene Farrell, Barry Cullinan, Ultan Mulleady, Jamie Mulleady and Stewart Hanly. Photo: Mick McCormack

Cyril Martin, (second from left, pictured celebrating his birthday recently with Breda Bradley and John and Allison Sharkey in JJ’s, Roscommon. Pic: Mick McCormack

Megan McGourty, Lorna McGourty and Anna Shanagher pictured recently in McGourty’s, Castlerea. Pic: Mick McCormack

Charlie Kenny, Gerry O’Donnell and Henry Greevy in Morahan’s Bar, Ballinagare last weekend. Photo: Mick McCormack

Sinead Staunton, Barry Kelly and Ciara Staunton pictured in McGourty’s, Castlerea, recently. Pic: Mick McCormack

James Rogers, Tom and Tina McGarry pictured on a night out recently in McGourty’s, Castlerea. Pic: Mick McCormack

Bernie Ryan, Liam Ryan and Marie Rogers pictured enjoying a night out in McGourty’s Castlerea, recently. Pic: Mick McCormack

Cathreen Fitzpatrick, Niamh Manning and Aine Keenan pictured in McGourty’s, Castlerea, recently. Pic: Mick McCormack

Andy Cahill, Thomas Betagh, Emma Farrell and Edmond Betagh pictured on a night out in McGourty’s Castlerea, recently. Pic: Mick McCormack

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

NewsPeople

Depop gentrification and how overconsumption continues to undermine sustainable fashion Let’s talk about ... SUSTAINABLE FASHION

(A student’s perspective)

Alannah Ita Healy In the past couple of years, as people become more conscious of good environmental practices, how we consume fashion has become a more pressing issue. Fast fashion and the mass production of cheap clothes does a huge amount of environmental damage, leading to tonnes of clothing waste as well as contributing to microplastic pollution and global warming during the production process. In spite of this, fast fashion comfortably remains a booming industry due to just how cheap the items are. However, as we become more cognisant of the environment, and in the complete absence of popular retailers adopting better practices, the tide is beginning to turn, with people beginning to opt for more sustainable fashion. Buying second-hand clothes,

renting items, upcycling, and buying from ethical clothing brands are all examples of how people can be more sustainable with their fashion choices, and despite the conveniences that come along with fast fashion, these more sustainable options are growing in popularity. In particular, the practice of charity shopping has been championed as one of the most practical ways to consume fashion more ethically, as it is relatively accessible and affordable – plus, the money is going somewhere good, so that adds to the incentive. The boost in thrifting’s popularity came about in some part due to online influence. In the same way that fast fashion hauls garner lots of views and prompt others to shop fast fashion, thrifting videos did the same. Thrifting became cool, and the stigma associ-

ated with wearing second-hand clothing went away. Additionally, there was the possibility of lucking out and finding expensive or designer items for sale at cheap prices. All in all, the past couple of years has seen a significant amount of people migrating from shopping conventional retail to hitting up the charity shops. However, while it would be natural to expect this change to be a wholly positive one, already some holes are forming in how the consumption of secondhand fashion is playing out. It would be bad practice to talk about modern thrifting without mentioning apps like Depop, which function as a platform for people to buy and sell items, particularly second-hand clothing. These platforms act as a sort of online charity shop, opening up the world of thrifting and making it even more accessible. And originally, Depop did indeed function as an online thrift store, allowing people to pass on their clothes instead of dumping them, as well as providing people with a wider range of secondhand clothing that was able to include more styles and sizes than a local store might – and largely, for cheap prices. Now however, the Depop scene is a little different. Prices average a lot higher than they did a couple of years ago, and as a consequence, the platform has lost a lot of its accessibility, which was

Roscommon SVP in recruitment campaign Following a record number of calls for help in 2021, the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) in Roscommon has launched a regional campaign seeking volunteers. The SVP branches across Roscommon are reaching out to encourage people to come forward and join St Vincent de Paul in their local or neighbouring community. During 2021, a total of just over 191,000 calls for help were made to the society throughout the country. This is 12% up on the number of calls in 2020, and the highest on record for the society. In Roscommon, calls for assistance resulted in local volunteers providing assistance to vulnerable households by providing food hampers, fuel and educational supports. The Roscommon campaign for volunteers will focus on visiting conferences (branches), and social housing conferences. Our visiting conferences exist in every parish and community across Roscommon. Our local volunteers respond to requests of assistance made from members of the public.

SVP is an approved housing body and the provision of SVP social housing is uniquely met by local volunteers. SVP in Roscommon town offer social housing units. In launching the campaign, SVP West Regional President Maureen Mitchel said: “It is with great enthusiasm and hope that the society launches this campaign to recruit new volunteers. The strength of SVP lies in the fact that our volunteers are local-based, and have local knowledge that allows us to respond to immediate needs of vulnerable people in the community”. Volunteer work with SVP involves working with and supporting the largest and oldest voluntary charitable organisation in Ireland. Full training will be provided and the time commitment, while variable, is usually two to four hours weekly. The recruitment campaign theme is ‘You know who you are – But we don’t’. To apply to become an SVP volunteer, visit svp.ie/volunteer or free call 01 884 8246.

one of its major draws in the first place. And when you do manage to find something nice for cheap on Depop anymore, chances are you’ve come across one of the platform’s many drop-shipping accounts. Drop-shipping on Depop refers to when people find very cheap items on sites like Wish or AliExpress (which are known for selling poor quality items for extremely low prices), and list them on their own Depop store. Depop drop-shippers essentially act as a middle man between these sites and the buyer, never actually interacting with the products they’re selling but ordering them off the sites to the buyer and making a steep profit doing so. In these instances, not only is the buyer getting mugged off, but it also contrib-

utes once again to the problem of fast fashion. Another issue that’s crept up in recent years is people going into charity shops and bulk buying all the quality clothes in order to mark up the price and resell them. While similar to drop-shipping and less harmful in that it doesn’t support fast fashion, this practice actively strips local charity shops of their quality items, disadvantaging people who may genuinely need them. This overconsumption of second-hand clothing on these resellers’ parts, for the express purpose of making a profit, is a harmful practice, and negates the entire point of thrifting in the first place. Sites like Depop, which presented an opportunity to platform wider scale thrifting,

have ended up being gentrified by those looking to capitalise on the popularity of thrifting. The tendency towards overconsumption and profit has followed along with the move from fast fashion to sustainability, and any environmental impact modern thrifting does will only be undermined if such problems continue. Promise still remains in the fact that more people advocate for environmentally friendly fashion now, but there is still a long way to go. Practices such as (genuine) thrifting, upcycling, and choosing ethical fashion brands will certainly have a positive knock-on effect, but the problem cannot be completely solved while issues such as overconsumption and unnecessary capitalisation persist.

Book proceeds presented to Western Alzheimers Proceeds from the sale of the ‘Roscommon U-21 football team – All-Ireland Champions 1966’ book, compiled by Paul Mockler, were recently presented to Western Alzheimers on behalf of the Roscommon U-21 football team of 1966. The presentation was held in honour of six former teammates on the 1966 team that have since died, to commemorate their memories together with the management team. The names of the late teammates were Padraig Reynolds, Marty Cummins, Jerome Dufficy, Dermot Earley, Jimmy Finnegan and team captain Colm Shine. Members of the Roscommon U-21 football team of

1966 wish to thank Mick Rock for his assistance in bringing the project to a successful conclusion. They also wish to give thanks to the local media – the Roscommon People, the Roscommon Herald, and the Midwest and Shannonside radio stations – for their support in promoting the book. Additionally, the Roscommon U-21 football team of 1966 want to thank the people of Roscommon who bought the book, and to all those individuals and organisations that contributed so generously to its production, thereby facilitating the raising of funds. Finally, they would like to thank Deirdre, Ciara, and Liz of Western Alzheimers for the great work they do,

Pictured at the presentation of the cheque to Western Alzheimers are Brian Carroll (Chairperson of Roscommon County Board), Paul Mockler (compiler of ‘Roscommon U-21 football team – All-Ireland Champions 1966’), Deirdre Walsh (Western Alzheimers), Frank Fallon (a player on the U-21 1966 team), and Mick Rock (former Chairperson of the Connacht Council).

and to all the Alzheimer teams in the region for the wonderful service that is

provided to the people of Roscommon, Galway, and Mayo.

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

POLITICAL PEOPLE

Newcomer Kerrane in driving seat as eyes already turning to next election < PAUL HEALY

While Claire Kerrane’s historic breakthrough for Sinn Féin in Roscommon/Galway in 2020 may have surprised many people, the first-time TD is now in a commanding position within the constituency and extremely well placed to retain the seat at the next election. Sinn Féin’s current dominance in national opinion polls (the party was on a remarkable 34% in the recent Sunday Times/Behaviour and Attitudes Poll) supports that view, but Kerrane isn’t just surfing on a general SF tide. She will have wide appeal across the constituency and will pick up votes all over the place. Sinn Féin may even run two candidates, to maximise the vote.

ponderables. Will the constituency actually be Roscommon-Galway? (Yet another review of constituencies cannot be ruled out). Will Michael Fitzmaurice run? How many candidates will FF and FG have on the ballot paper, and who will they be? The rumour mill, albeit not entirely convincingly, has it that Deputy Fitzmaurice may not run again. There is some speculation that he could turn his attention to the European elections. However, for now, the expectation is that Fitzmaurice will run; certainly FF & FG will be planning for another ‘blitz with Fitz’. Both Fitzmaurice and Denis Naughten can realistically expect to lose some ground to Kerrane, and also to a smarting Fianna Fáil and

Deputies Claire Kerrane, Michael Fitzmaurice and Denis Naughten.

Quite apart from the surge in support for Sinn Féin nationally, the Roscommon TD has impressed with a confident command of her brief (she is the party’s Social Protection, Community & Rural Affairs spokesperson) and is articulate and focussed in her ever-increasing media outings. Kerrane looks very likely to retain the seat and could be swept in first or second next time around.

FF & FG to target Independents? Such is the Kerrane/SF momentum, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are well aware that if either party are to get back into the winner’s enclosure in Roscommon/Galway, it will almost certainly have to be at the expense of one of the other sitting TDs (i.e. Michael Fitzmaurice and Denis Naughten). Quite a tall order… There are, mind you, a few im-

Fine Gael. But neither will be easily unseated. If Fitzmaurice runs – and assuming no change in the constituency make-up – he’ll be fancied to retain the seat. FF and FG have ground to make up on Naughten, but both parties see him as the sitting TD who might be vulnerable, the one to particularly target. Still, the parties will have their work cut out. Naughten is a wily, experienced politician with a very strong electoral record. His 30% plus vote share in 2016 was quite spectacular, but it did of course have a lot to do with a ‘hospital bounce’, with Naughten topping the poll in style post-the Roscommon A&E controversy. Naughten inevitably suffered slippage four years on, in the 2020 election. Although he remains very vocal on health issues, the ‘hospital bounce’ is unlikely to weather the passing years. FF & FG will certainly be hoping to further close the gap on Naughten and to recover long-lost ground. Time will tell.

(Indeed a ‘battle royale’ is inevitable in Ballinasloe and surrounding areas with Naughten, Fine Gael’s Senator Aisling Dolan and other candidates all chasing down votes). Speaking of Dolan, it won’t have gone unnoticed by all prospective candidates that she recently opened an office in Roscommon Town, reflecting her party’s huge push to further build her profile. After a quite impressive ‘debut’ in 2020, Dolan needs to grow the FG vote in Roscommon if she is to be in the shake-up.

Incumbents in driving seat for now?

It remains to be seen how many candidates FF & FG run. On the FF side, Senator Eugene Murphy has already made it clear that he is intent on winning back the seat he lost in 2020. An experienced politician who seems to relish life in the ‘electoral trenches’, Murphy will – as ever – be up for the challenge, and that includes FF’s never-dull selection soap opera. Who is to say how many candidates will be fluttering their eyes before grassroots/the ever-interfering HQ brigade? Murphy/FF will take some heart from a recent poll rise for the party, but, as with FG, they face quite a challenge in trying to break through the Kerrane/ Independents’ defence. The dream outcome for FF is to somehow command a vote share that reflects the party’s strength at Council level (of course ‘personal’/cross-party appeal is a factor in local elections). As stated above, familiar mid-term imponderables make it difficult to give a confident view this far from the next election. Suffice to say that if an election were to take place in the morning, Claire Kerrane looks to be the best placed candidate of all, with Michael Fitzmaurice (particularly) and Denis Naughten fancying their chances. As for the rest, it is all to play for.

Pictured at the tree-planting ceremony to mark the new Cloonamahon Native Woodland Park in Sligo were Pippa Hackett (Minister of State for Biodiversity and Land Use at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine), Martin Beirne (Property Manager HSE), and Frank Feighan (Minister of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy).

Feighan for Poland Boyle’s Frank Feighan will represent Patrick’s Day – one of 33 ministers who are returning to the skies after the pandemic largely put paid to such trips over the last two years. Feighan, now a Sligo-Leitrim TD, was appointed Minister of State for Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy in July of 2020. He will travel to Poland for the St Patrick’s celebrations, and will have a number of engagements there.

the Irish Government in Poland on St Taoiseach Micheál Martin will travel to the UK and the USA, while Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has appointments in both Colombia and Chile. A tiny number of ministers won’t be travelling. It’s not clear who will be in charge of the country while Micheál, Leo & Co. do their thing – my money is on Heather Humphreys.

Family Life and the Council Chamber – online discussion

The reality of juggling family life and the work of a county councillor is an area which See Her Elected will put under the spotlight next month as part of an ongoing series of political educational events. ‘Family Life & the Council Chamber – The Reality of Doing Both’ is a free online (Zoom) discussion event which takes place on Tuesday, March 1st at 8 pm, with special guests Cllr. Clare Claffey from Offaly County Council and Cllr. Marie Casserly from Sligo County Council. It aims to answer many questions which women may wish to explore in the run-up to the Local Elections 2024. Register now on Eventbrite with a link on seeherelected.ie/events or email info@seeherelected.ie to register your interest in the event.

A 37-year-old mother of seven from Banagher, Cllr. Clare Claffey is the only female councillor out of nineteen public representatives on Offaly County Council. Marie Casserly is an Independent councillor on Sligo County Council and one of only three women out of eighteen public representatives in the Sligo chamber. Currently, women hold almost 26%, or 244 council seats, while the remainder, 705, are held by men. The 2019 local elections reveal a notable urban-rural divide in the likelihood of women being selected and elected for the council. Women accounted for 35% of candidates contesting for seats in urban areas but just 23% of candidates in more rural areas, according to research by the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI).

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

NewsPeople

THIS WEEK...On The Political Beat This week, local public representatives raise vacancies at the e-Mental Health Hub in Castlerea, welcome supports for pig farmers, discuss legislation around sex offences, and take aim at Government Ministers…

‘Ministers making a mockery of agricultural committee’ Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice has accused Government Ministers of “making a mockery of the Oireachtas Agricultural Committee” by refusing to appear to discuss issues facing the horticultural sector including the need for milled peat. Deputy Fitzmaurice highlighted how Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue, Minister for Environment Eamon Ryan and Minister of State Malcolm Noonan had all been invited to appear before the committee. “It appears as if this is an orchestrated effort by Government Ministers to delay or prevent a meeting of the Agriculture Committee going ahead, thus preventing any discussions around coming to a solution so peat could be milled for the horticulture industry,” Deputy Fitzmaurice said. “It appears as if this Government has no interest in the horticultural sector or resolving any issues around milling peat. “The facts are that plans need to be in place for machines to be ready to mill peat in two months’ time. However, all that seems to be going on is the compilation of report after report. “The Committee has decided to write to the Ceann Comhairle’s office in an effort to convince the ministers to appear, but I am not holding out much hope”.

Kerrane raises vacant posts at Castlerea facility Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane raised the continued vacant posts at the e-Mental Health Hub in Castlerea in the Dáil this week. Addressing Minister for Mental and Health and Older People Mary Butler, Deputy Kerrane said five of the seven posts for the Psychiatry of Later Life service remain vacant along with three posts for the CAMHS Connect facility. “Minister Butler refused to answer why funding was not provided for the e-Mental Health Hub in 2021 until after July 2021. This only happened after I uncovered that funding hadn’t in fact been provided for 2021 despite the hub having no staff or services in place at that point,” she said. “Almost two years since the e-Mental Health Hub was opened and the Day Hospital for Psychiatry of Later Life is still not staffed. This is particularly frustrating given what was closed in order to establish these services in the first place”.

Murphy welcomes support scheme for pig farmers Fianna Fáil Senator Eugene Murphy has welcomed a recent announcement by Agricultural Minister Charlie McConalogue that funding of €7million will be provided for pig producers.

Claire Kerrane

“The pig sector is of significant importance to the national and rural economy. It is the third largest of the livestock sectors after dairy and beef. It accounts for 6.3 per cent of the output value of the agri-food sector and generated exports valued at €930 million in 2021. The sector supports approximately 8,000 jobs,” Senator Murphy said. The fund will be distributed through a flat rate payment of €20,000 per individual pig farmer sending more than 200 pigs per annum to slaughter.

Minister to consider proposal around sex offenders – Naughten Independent TD Denis Naughten has welcomed confirmation for Minister of Justice Helen McEntee that she is considering new legislation following his call for sex offenders to be refused the right to change their name by deed poll. “Over the last decade as I have campaigned to have a proper and effective sexual offenders register, I have been confronted by arguments regard-

Independent TD Denis Naughten

ing the rights of offenders. I believe that it is now time to change this balance in favour of victims and ensure that their stories are not brushed under the electronic carpet by giving sex offenders the right to be forgotten,” Deputy Naughten said. “I welcome confirmation from the Minister for Justice that she has noted the points I made in relation to change of name by deed poll in the Second Stage debate on the Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill and is examining whether legislative changes are needed in this area,” he concluded.

Ministers encourage Roscommon people to air views on water quality Oran Ballintubber Group Water Scheme recently made a presentation to Tommy Cunniffe upon his retirement from the scheme as manager. Back row, left to right: Jimmy Morris, Paddy Curley, Jimmy Egan, Bobby Finan, Vincent Hynes, Brendan McDermott, Brian Mullins. Front row, left to right: Sean Finn, Miko Kenny, Tommy Cunniffe, Tom Gunning, Martin Leetch, and John Hester.

Trad sessions return to Castlecoote Lodge! Castlecoote Lodge will play host to a trad session this Friday night (February 25th) at 9 pm as live music makes a welcome return to the popular venue following two years of Covid-19 lockdowns! All are welcome to attend what promises to be a wonderful night of entertainment as music, song and dance

echoes through the Lodge once again. New entertainers are sure of a warm welcome in the picturesque surrounds of Castlecoote and music and singing commences at 9 pm. Trad sessions will now continue on the fourth Friday of every month going forward so be sure to make a note in your diary!

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan TD, are encouraging Roscommon people to give their views on water quality through a number of open meetings to be held around the country as part of the public consultation on the draft River Basin Management Plan. The consultation is currently open and members of the public or interested parties can make submissions online (until March 31st) at gov.ie/draftRBMP or through the Local Authorities Water Programme (LAWPRO) at consult.watersandcommunities.ie/en/content/draft-riverbasin-management-plan-ireland-2022-2027. The meetings for Roscom-

mon residents will take place on Wednesday, March 2nd at 7.30 pm. A full list of meetings and information on how to register can be found at lawaters.ie/ rbmp-public-meetings-2022/. The draft River Basin Management Plan sets out how an increased ambition for water quality is managed in Ireland. There are 4,842 water bodies in Ireland, organised in 46 catchment areas, and 54 per cent of all water bodies are considered to be at risk of not meeting Water Framework Directive objectives by 2027. A number of pressures are impacting water quality including agriculture, hydromorphology (physical changes), urbanisation and waste water treatment. The draft plan also takes account of the impacts of climate change on our water and biodiversity.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien TD

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

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Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

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Connaughton Auctioneers to hold plant and machinery auction

PSRA NO: 004422

Connaughton Auctioneers are holding a plant and machinery auction in association with the LSL Online Auction Platform on Saturday, March 19th, in Glenamaddy Equestrian Centre, Co. Galway (F45 VP66). The auctioneers on the day will be Ivan Connaughton and Matthew Donnellan. Matthew has previously carried out a number of machinery auctions for Connaughton Auctioneers. The registration fee for any lot is free and all lots will be subject to advance approval by the auctioneer. Only plant and machinery items will be accepted for this auction. Anyone wishing to enter lots for the auction will register online via the LSL website. Upload pictures, videos and information of their items and a member of the sales team will make contact. Those wishing to bid at the auction will also have to register online via LSL and pay a holding deposit of €250 for authorisation to bid on the day. Deposits will be returned within seven days after the auction. Auctioneer Ivan Connaughton

said: “We are delighted to have joined forces with LSL Auctions (livestock-live.com) for plant and machinery auctions in 2022, with our first auction on Saturday, March 19th, in Glenamaddy. “From holding similar auctions previously, we are well aware of the amount of administration required. The LSL Online Auction platform has been working very successfully in other locations throughout Ireland over the past two years. The system makes the process easier for everyone. For example, anyone selling or buying must register online. Sellers can upload pictures, videos and information for their items very easily online via their mobile phone. “Buyers can view any lot before the auction and bid online from anywhere in the world on the day of the auction. Buyers can also bid in person with a paddle board by registering on the day. Any unsold lots can be entered into a timed auction after the auction. This will give buyers more time to bid on their chosen lots. “The venue in Glenamaddy

Equestrian Centre is very suitable, with ample indoor and outdoor space for auction lots and customer parking. Our association with LSL will market this auction nationwide, as their platform is used for livestock marts and property auctions and they have had direct marketing to 1.24 million viewers (in the last 12 months), 25,000 social media followers, and LSL News”. A link to the plant and machinery auction is available on the website at connaughtonauctioneers.ie and social media pages ‘Connaughton Plant and Machinery Auctions’. Dates and times for lots entered into the auction to be dropped off to the venue and available for viewing will be published in early March. Catering facilities will be in place on the day. Entry to the auction is free and everybody is welcome to attend. If you require any additional information, please contact Connaughton Auctioneers on 090-6663700, email info@connaughtonauctioneers.ie or visit connaughtonauctioneers.ie.

John McLoughlin, Lauren Beirne, Ailbhe Cryan and Johnny Boyle socialising in The Red Parrot, Roscommon. Pic: Mick McCormack Dean O’Reilly and Eanna McGrath out and about in Roscommon Town. Pic: Mick McCormack

Paul Mee, Grainne Higgins and David McNamara out and about in Roscommon Town. Pic: Mick McCormack

Daire Gilleran, Michael Farrell, Niall McNamara and Thomas Cullen out and about in Roscommon Town. Pic: Mick McCormack

Rachel Doran, Vanessa Daniels and Mathew Browne out and about in Roscommon Town. Pic: Mick McCormack

Sarah Murphy and Holly Hopkins in The Red Parrot, Roscommon. Pic: Mick McCormack

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

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Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

Step into Spring…with a Spring in our step

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Cheering on Roscommon v Clare in Dr Hyde Park last Sunday. Photo: Mick McCormack

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Cheering on Roscommon v Clare in Dr Hyde Park last Sunday. Photo: Mick McCormack

Boosting outdoor recreation for communities and tourism Key role of LEADER and Rural Recreation Officer Roscommon LEADER Partnership (also known as Roscommon Integrated Development Company) and its Rural Recreation Officer Ronan Bilbow are hard at work enhancing the current walking trails in the county, and supporting the delivery of new community trails across the region. In September 2021, The Lung/Lough Gara Way was added to the national Walk Scheme. Under the scheme, funding is provided to farmers and other land owners to maintain the trails that travel through their holdings. The Walk Scheme aims to open up our countryside to local walkers, hikers and tourists. Work on raising the standard and experience of the trail has been ongoing since the announcement and it is anticipated that the 38.2km of the 57km

Pictured is the newly-installed gravel pathway on The Suck Valley Way.

trail that traverses Co. Roscommon will be formally opened to the public later in the spring. As well as routine development and maintenance, projects are also underway on our other waymarked trails in the county. €10,000 of funding received from the DRCD (Department of Rural and Community Development) as part of the Walk Scheme Development Fund is supporting a project on The Suck Valley Way. With the support of our fantastic RSS

Pictured is the pedestrian bridge (since replaced) at Greaghnafarna, on The Miners Way and Historical Trail.

(Rural Social Scheme) supervisors and participants, upgrades are being carried out on sections of the trail throughout the county, including the improvement of underfoot conditions, bridges, and stiles. The promotion of The Miners Way and Historical Trail is being enhanced with a marketing project being funded to the sum of €15,000 through the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme. This follows the completion of a key project on the trail in

late 2021, when a pedestrian bridge was replaced after being damaged beyond repair in a storm. This project will showcase the trail and surrounding regions, and increase visitor numbers to the county. The support of existing community trails and the development of new projects is an important part of the Rural Recreation Officer’s role. The community projects currently being supported throughout the county include the Portrun Clooncagh

Link Walk (€6,479.07), the enhancement of the Tarmon Bog road walk (€20,000), repair/enhancement work to The Miners Way and Historical Trail (€16,727.40), and Granlahan Loops, Granlahan, Co. Roscommon (€8,280.36). If you need guidance with the development of an existing or new walk/ trail, please feel free to get in touch with your Rural Recreation Officer by emailing Ronan Bilbow at rro@ridc.ie, or calling 0867713550.

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

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Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

Step into Spring…with a Spring in our step

Gleeson’s, then and now: at the centre of the community… Following the recent lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, local restaurateurs Eamonn and Mary Gleeson sat down to discuss post-pandemic hospitality at Gleeson’s Restaurant and Rooms with Dan Dooner… When was Gleeson’s established in Roscommon town? Mary: “Gleeson’s was established 31 years in 1991 when Roscommon didn’t even have so much as a coffee shop. Our ethos, even way back then, was that we wanted to source as much of our produce locally as possible. We were and are very proud of ‘local’ and have always made every single dish from scratch. “All of our breads and pastries have been made the exact same way over the years and we are still making everything from scratch from local ingredients in our kitchen”.

Has the business changed in any way in recent years? Eamonn: “Yes, our daughter Cait has taken over from myself and Mary in running Gleeson’s while we have moved to a more advisory role”. Mary: “We’ve recently come back on board to help out a little bit more following the birth of our beautiful grandson. Before Covid-19 I was looking forward to becoming a ‘grey nomad’ like the retired people you see in Australia but we are very happy to be back meeting customers again!”

How have the last few weeks been postrestrictions? Mary: “What’s been so lovely is seeing people we haven’t seen in a really long time. It’s great to welcome them back. I’ve also noticed that we’ve all gone back to basics and people don’t take meeting up for a coffee for granted anymore. Customers will sit together for a couple of hours now for a catch-up”.

People have two years’ worth of catching up to do… Mary: “They really do, and you know what else? Happier occasions have also become

even happier. It’s great to see people going all out for events like christenings and seeing people being able to take elderly relatives out for lunch, dinner or even a coffee and scone again. We took this for granted but it’s so wonderful to see that we’re now treating it as the special thing it always was. “In terms of other events, we’ve already hosted one deferred Christmas party in recent weeks, and we have another one booked for April! It was great to see people gathering together and toasting each other again”.

In terms of the menu, is there one dish that stands out for visitors? Mary: “Our Roscommon Lamb Stew is now our signature dish and we have taken it halfway around the world to different events. We’re always very proud to showcase our stew but there was a time when stew was almost looked down upon – it was something mammy made for the dinner!” Eamonn: “Visitors to an area like to experience the food and produce of that area. It’s the same when we go on holidays to other countries. You’ll have people come in and ask for a local dish and a local beer and we’re lucky to be able to give them that with Roscommon lamb and Black Donkey Brewery from Ballinlough”.

So, fair to say there was an element of food snobbishness around the humble stew? Mary: “Yes, it was as if people would question what it was doing on an evening dinner menu! Thank God we got over that fear. Most visitors to Roscommon now look for a nice bowl of stew. Our lamb stew has been featured for all those years and it won’t go away, because everyone loves it. They want the authentic, genuine, proper article and we’re so lucky in Roscommon to have Castlemine Farm Shop, our

Eamonn and Mary Gleeson pictured with their young children after they opened for business in 1991.

Eamonn and Mary Gleeson pictured with their daughter Cáit in more recent times.

local butchers, and local suppliers such as Audrey Hession with her beautiful organic leaves, and of course Gannon’s Poultry and Molloy’s Bakery”.

Will Outdoor Dining really take off in Roscommon? Mary: “People got used to it, particularly during the summer months. We have our outdoor dining area to the front, which is now overlooking the new Square, and I have to say it has been a major success so far”.

Finally, what impact will the new-look Square have on local hospitality? Eamonn: “It’s a big investment for the town and there are plans to allow businesses to make use of the space, particularly during the summer. Town centres are becoming places for people to meet rather than just for shopping in and the new-look Square will add to that. We really welcome it”. Mary: “It would be great to see other businesses (those with limited outside space) making use of the Square in terms of seating and parasols. It’s a wonderful addition and now we have way more potential for events such as the recent Christmas Markets…that can only be good for everyone in the town”.

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Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

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Roscommon Drama Group returns to the local boards! < DAN DOONER

Members of Roscommon Drama Group are relieved to be returning to the stage ahead of their production of Bernard Farrell’s ‘Bookworms’ from April 28th to 30th at Roscommon Arts Centre. Director Con Connolly says the group’s hiatus during Covid-19 was challenging for everyone involved. “It was weird getting back out there of course. We tried to keep things going during the lockdowns but it was almost impossible. Even a performance outdoors would have been very difficult to police with social distancing,” he said. “We were all really excited to be back together again. We’ve about 50 people involved with the group and they’ve been straggling back over the last few weeks. To be fair, you can see why it (theatre and drama) was one of the last things to return because of the close proximity (involved) but it’s great to be looking forward to a new production once again”. The drama group has welcomed new members since the lifting of restrictions with all ages well represented and Con says both actors and backstage crew are learning fast. “We’ve four or five new members and three of those have been cast in this production. It’s a great outlet to have and even during lockdown we were lucky to work with Enda Oates on a series of ‘Plays on the Radio’… that kept us alive and kept us in touch on WhatsApp. “That was really interesting but at the end of the day it’s just not the same. The whole point is that it’s live drama and so you lose something when you take it away from the stage,” said Con, who also highlighted the longevity those involved can enjoy when it comes to their hobby. “Drama is not like football or team sports, where you might get players deciding that the time has come to work on the golf handicap. You can play your part in drama for as long as you wish. There are also people who get

involved who don’t want to act, but they go on and play an important role backstage. There’s lots of other things going on behind the scenes”. The cast and crew have been busy rehearsing in Hannon’s Hotel ahead of their performances in April and the director is pleased with preparations so far. “I’m delighted with them all. Using another sports analogy…it’s like coaching a team. If you have a good team then you can stand back and let them off!” ‘Bookworms’ is a comedy farce which remains as topical today as it was when written in 2010 following the post-Celtic Tiger crash, as Con explains: “Larry is an out-of-work builder and his wife Ann has this book club which is a great excuse for these women to get together. It’s when the husbands are asked to get involved that things

get tricky! “You also have Robert who works in the bank; Dorothy, who has had a tough time of it recently; Larry’s brother Vincent, who’s home from London, and Aisling who has just returned from Australia. “It’s a very funny play and it’s full of misunderstandings. Farrell specialises in this kind of thing: throwing a bunch of characters together who would otherwise never normally meet. “It’s an Irish production and it’s very relatable and we are hoping that people will come out in their droves to see it,” Con said. While local productions were put on the back-burner over the last two years, Roscommon Drama Group did enjoy success on the One Act Drama circuit, recently finishing third in the All-Ireland finals, with Tom Holian winning the Confined Best Actor award. The group’s latest production at Roscommon Arts Centre this April will be a welcome return to entertaining local audiences and tickets are priced at €14/€12.

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

Step into Spring…with a Spring in our step

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Cheering on Roscommon v Clare in Dr Hyde Park last Sunday. Photo: Mick McCormack

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Three artists showcase their work at The Dock The Dock in Carrick-on-Shannon is showing the work of three Irish artists for the centre’s Spring Exhibition programme. With distinct styles and approaches to their art making, the three artists – Clíodhna Ní Anluain, Harry Walsh Foreman and Lauren Conway – offer visitors to the galleries a variety and balance as they explore the works on show, which feature photography, audio, drawing and sculpture. ‘Things without (undue) Comment’ in Gallery One showcases the work of Clíodhna NÍ

Anluain, who is exploring what can be imagined when relating already existing and newlywritten texts, sounds, and visual material. In Gallery Two is Harry Walsh Foreman, who lives and works in Dublin. His ongoing project, subtitled ‘Mortal Engines’, creates a graphic reflection of the people and places he encounters in his daily life. Lauren Conway is a 2021 graduate of Art at IADT Dún Laoghaire and the recipient of the 2021 IADT/Dock Student Award. Her exhibition in Gal-

lery Three marks another moment in the ongoing evolution of drawings that she has been developing over the past number of years. You can enjoy a tour of these three distinct bodies of work until Saturday, April 2nd. The Dock galleries are open from 1 am to 5 pm, Tuesday to Saturday, and admission is free. Group tours of the galleries are free, and can be arranged by prior appointment. If you would like to book a group tour, please contact Laura Mahon on lmahon@ leitrimcoco.ie

Put Thursday, March 10th, in your diary if you love spellbinding live music performances, because that is when the always brilliant Kieran Goss makes a welcome return to The Dock. This time, the show has the added attraction of singer Annie Kinsella, who will appear alongside Kieran. The duo recorded and released

their debut duo album ‘Oh, The Starlings’ back in 2020, but have had to wait until now to bring all the wonderful new songs to audiences as their planned 2020 tour had to be postponed. The album was recorded in New York with eight-time Grammy winning engineer Kevin Killen (who has worked with David Bowie, Peter Ga-

briel, U2, and Elvis Costello) at the helm. So join Kieran and Annie if you can, and bring a friend or two. Who knows, you might even make some new ones! Tickets are on sale now on The Dock website at thedock.ie or from the box office on 0719650828.

‘The Island of Saints’ is a new, ground-breaking, feature-length music film by director Eric Fraad, inspired by the music ensemble Anakronos’ highlyacclaimed album ‘The Red

Book of Ossory’ and its back story. The film’s Irish premiere is set to take place at The Dock in Carrick-on-Shannon. ‘The Island of Saints’ oscillates between different scenes,

including scenes of Anakronos performing music from ‘The Red Book of Ossory’ alongside scenes dramatising the infamous witch hunt and trial of Dame Alice Kyteler in 1324 and the burning of her servant Petronilla de Meath. ‘The Red Book of Ossory’ is an important 14th Century medieval manuscript, which was compiled in Kilkenny and is housed in St. Canice’s Cathedral. Pre-eminent among the manuscript’s texts are sixty remarkable Latin poems by Richard de Ledrede, Bishop of Ossory. Tickets are just €7 and available from The Dock box office on 071-9650828 or online at thedock.ie.

Kieran Goss returns with singer Annie Kinsella

The Dock hosts Irish premiere of ‘The Island Of Saints’ by Eric Fraad Frank Keane, Larry Kilcommons and Cllr. Dermot Connolly pictured at the launch of the Creggs Rural Development Village Plan at Creggs National School on Thursday evening last. Pic: Mick McCormack

Lily Connolly, Etaoin Conry, Aoibheann Gannon, Leah Connolly, and Oisin Connolly pictured at the launch of the Creggs Rural Development Village Plan at Creggs National School on Thursday evening last. Pic: Mick McCormack

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

Step into Spring…with a Spring in our step

Part 2: The ownership record for Hughes’ Bar through the 1900s IN TIMES GONE BY… CASTLECOOTE MEMORIES A three-part series by TONY CONBOY

Boyle-based author and historian Tony Conboy has penned an affectionate series of articles on memories of his youth in his native Castlecoote. The articles revolve around the local shop – Hughes’ – and to a lesser extent the adjoining Thatch Bar. A slice of social history, this series will be fascinating reading for people from the area, and further afield. Part 3 next week.

An aerial photograph of Hughes’ Shop & Thatch Bar at Castlecoote.

A memorial tablet now on a wall beside the Church in Castlecoote.

PJ and Bernie Naughton (present-day owners of the premises).

A very rare photo of Hughes’ Thatch Bar, with person in front and a sidecar on what is called the ‘New Road’.

Death of Andrew McDonagh (1910)

coote originated, but the 1850s’ may be close.

In April 2010 the ‘Roscommon People’ was running an interesting series titled ‘It happened 100 years ago’. The content was extracted from the pages of the ‘Roscommon Journal’ of early in the 1900s’. In it was a paragraph titled ‘Castlecoote Death’. The deceased was a Mister Andrew McDonagh. It stated that Mr. McDonagh was born in Castlecoote 84 years earlier, which would have been circa 1826. It recognises him as ‘proprietor of the licensed premises in his name at Castlecoote’. His funeral journey took the remains to Kilbegnet to be buried and the funeral was one of the largest seen in the district for many years. This suggests that Kilbegnet was the ancestral origin of the Castlecoote-McDonagh family from prior to 1826. Ann Treacy, Athleague, in her lovely and informative book on the Athleague district titled ‘Ballinturley: The Story of a Roscommon Townland and its People’ references McDonaghs in Fuerty also. Her book was published in 2018 and on page 71 has a list of schools and schoolteachers for Fuerty in 1835 with ‘Day-school kept by John McDonagh’. There is also a reference to the McDonaghs’ as schoolteachers – ‘hedge’ and ‘national’ subsequently. I have struggled to try and establish accurately when the tavern/Thatch Bar in Castle-

The Hughes’ Memorial Cross in Fuerty (old) Cemetery There is an impressive headstone dedicated to the Hughes family to the immediate right of the entrance gate at Fuerty Graveyard which I will refer to later. Behind this there is another headstone with the inscription as follows: ‘Have Mercy O Lord on the soul of Patrick Fannon/Who died Dec. 24th 1875 aged 86 years also his wife/Margaret died March 17th 1873 aged 79 years RIP/Erected by their son-in-law Andrew McDonagh’. This Fannon family’s origins were in nearby Colleighter where they had some land prior to the Famine, while increasing it post-Famine. The Fannon son-in-law, Andrew McDonagh, was to marry Ellen Fannon in the early to middle 1960s. Andrew I presume was to the fore again with a plaque which is inside the Castlecoote/Creemully church wall, to the left of the entrance gate, as follows: ‘Erected in memory of Ellen/The Beloved Wife of Andrew McDonagh of Castlecoote/ died 21st of December 1893 aged 59 years/Also in memory of his fond daughter Margaret Anne, who died on the 31st of Jan. 1895 aged 22 years/Sweet Jesus have Mercy on their souls’.

There was also a child, Andrew Patrick, born Oct. 12 1874, who died three years later. I seem to remember this plaque as being in the old church there and it was probably placed in this location when the old church became the local Community Centre. Andrew McDonagh Senior died, as referenced in the opening lines of the paper account above, in April 1910. The surviving member of this McDonagh family was Mary Ellen who was born on Sept. 1867 and lived a long life until 1953.

McDonagh marries Hughes Mary Ellen McDonagh married Matthew Hughes Senior from near Ballygar on June 8th 1896. So began the Castlecoote branch of the Hughes family. Their family comprised of Margaret Mary born 1897; Ellen Kate (referred to as Nellie through her life) born 1898; Andrew Michael (‘Sonny’ as pictured in the Fuerty football team of 1929) and Matthew (Jnr.) Patrick born 1909. So the senior proprietors of Hughes’ Shop and licensed premises were Matthew Hughes Senior succeeded by Matthew Hughes Junior until the 1970s. The business obviously did well as members of the family branched out with Andrew Michael ‘Sonny’ establishing a licensed premises at Ballinamore Bridge near Ballinasloe

Mattie Hughes and his wife Carmel.

which has become very well known in the region. Margaret Mary married a Patrick Kelly from Ballygar and they went into business in Four Roads. A member of their family, Mamie Kelly-Delaney, came to live with aunt Nellie and uncle Mattie Hughes at Castlecoote when a young girl. Mamie later married Mark Delaney and they established what is now Castlecoote Stores and Post Office. Mamie is a highly regarded community activist especially with the ‘Tidy Towns Committee’ which has led to Castlecoote becoming a real contender, at national level, for the premier tidy towns award. Ellen Kate or Nellie managed ‘the shop’ business for many years. Some years after Mattie (Jnr) got married she joined Mamie Delaney in her house which was adjoined later by ‘Castlecoote Stores’. This had been known in the 1800s’ as ‘The Miller’s House’. It was also the residence of the family of J. Frawley N.T. for a period from the late 1940s through the 1950s. (Matthew Senior died April 24th, 1944. His wife Mary Ellen died January 12th 1953. Their daughter Ellen-Nellie died May 20th 1978. All three are buried in Fuerty Graveyard and remembered on an impressive Celtic Cross just right of the main gate as referenced above).

Matthew/Mattie Hughes Mattie was the proprietor of the li-

censed premises after his parents’ demise. He also had a great interest in farming, having parcels of land in various townlands in the area. He got married to Carmel Hennessy from Tullamore in January 1956. Carmel was from a business background in Tullamore and so she joined in the running of the Castlecoote business with zeal. The famous ‘Thatch Pub’ relocated across the road to its present bar location in the early 1960s as the shop was being wound down. Nellie died in 1978 and is buried in Fuerty with her parents, as stated above. Carmel sold on the premises in 1976 and retired to live in Kiltoom. Carmel J. Hughes died on February 9, 2011 and is buried with her husband Mattie in Athleague cemetery.

Ownership post-Hughes’ era

The business was purchased by Pat and Bridie Carton in 1976 until Nonie and Jimmy Golden took ownership in 1986. The Golden family were in situ until 2002 with son-in-law Joe Ennis and his wife Marie Golden in the later years. JJ Cattigan and Carol owned it for a decade, from 2002 to 2012. Since then it has been the property of PJ and Bernie Naughton. It has continued to be a very popular business premises. Like so many such premises’ it is now facing its greatest challenge. I hope however that this iconic crossroads institution continues in the decades to come.

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

FARMING & RURAL LIVING

Thoughts and reminiscences on Roscommon Lamb Festival < GERRY BROWNE

Roscommon Lamb Festival meant many things to many different people. It celebrated the farming traditions our county is famous for, and it also embraced the many new nationalities who have made their homes here in recent years. It did this through cooking and serving locally produced food at events such as the Brazilian BBQ and The Global Kitchen, wool craft demonstrations, farm walks and heritage events. As we look back, it is good to remember those who were part of the festival but who are no longer with us. Oliver Burke was a prominent committee member who died suddenly during the festival in 2014. Oliver was the Chief Agricultural Officer with Teagasc at the time and he fully appreciated the importance of linking town and country as our events schedule tried to do. Oliver is remembered by the ‘Oliver Burke Memorial Trophy’ presented to the farmer with the best commercial ewe with twin lambs at the special sale at Roscommon Livestock Mart. The trophy is a sculpture of a ewe and lamb carved from Lecarrow limestone by local craftsman Mark Feeley. 2008 was the inaugural year of the Roscommon Lamb Festival and Geraldo Marques, aka Toko, was the head chef at the famous Brazilian BBQ, held for the first time that year. The BBQ was one of our flagship events every year and it ‘converted’ many people to eating Roscommon lamb. Toko’s skills as a BBQ chef were legendary and he presided over many wedding feasts and other celebrations in the Roscommon area. He was a great

horseman and an outstanding memory is that of Toko dressed in traditional Gaúcho clothes, riding at the front of the Lamb Festival float in the Easter Parade. He proudly carried the flag of his native Brazil alongside the primrose and blue flag of Ros Comán. Toko sadly succumbed to cancer in October 2016. Another member of that team, Pedro Mendez, died in a car crash in Brazil some years earlier. We also have very fond memories of the Rev. Liz McElhinney who hosted the ‘Thanksgiving for the flocks of the fields’ in St Coman’s Church of Ireland on the Wednesday night. This was an ecumenical event, and she was ably assisted in the early years by Monsignor Charles Travers. Both Liz and Charlie have since passed into the arms of The Good Shepherd who they served so faithfully in this life. So our joyful memories of the festival are tinged with sadness at the loss of these friends. Looking at old brochures, the memories come flooding back. Local playwrights Tommy Murray and Tom Costello wrote and staged plays at the mart and at the local Arts Centre, with Roscommon Drama Group as cast. The heritage events throughout the county were held with the help of Nollaig Feeney in the Heritage Office. I think also of the farm walks where people got to see the realities of sheep farming. The craft village sponsored by LEO, where local crafts people displayed their work. The handcrafts associated with wool from shearing, carding, spinning, and dyeing, to weaving a piece of cloth. The textile art of Frances Crowe and her fellow artists

from Ireland and abroad. The 2013 ‘Gathering’ of female veterinary surgeons for the Aleen Cust memorial conference. The Roscommon Youth Talent competition organised by Gerry Jago. The International Sheepdog Trials in Walsh’s field, organised by Con McGarry. The Family fun day in Loughnaneane Park. Woodland and metal craft demonstrations by Muintir na Coille. The Pet Lamb, Bo Peep and Boy Blue competitions for children. The food stalls, the archery demos, chainsaw carving, Billy Garvin’s oneman band, the ice cream on children’s faces, picnics in the park, the barrel train and its eccentric driver. The Tullyboy farm animals. The rare sheep breeds. The Alpacas. The climbing wall. The pony rides organised by Anthony Tully and the Roscommon Hunt. The ‘Dog and Duck Man’. The GAA inter-club sheep shearing competition. The hand shearing in the park. The Guinness Book of Record project for the most knitters at the one event in Dr Hyde Park. Wonderful memories of cooperation and hard work to promote our town and county…the ‘Wool Merchants Cup’ golfing competition, the céili on Sunday night. The Carers mini marathon on the Monday, organised by Bernie Dowling. Our thanks to the many stewards and volunteers who kept everyone safe in Loughnaneane Park at the Family fun day. Also, to the tidy towns committee who worked tirelessly to leave the park and the Square clean when the crowds departed. Thanks to The Civil Defence team for emergency services.

In later years Macra na Feirme became involved and hosted dances on the Sunday night in the Marquee. It was great to see the younger people getting involved. Our thanks also to the busi-

nesses, farmers and individuals who were our loyal sponsors over the years and who trusted us to use their contributions wisely in promotion of Ros Comáin. Our committee has now

retired and in so doing creates a space for initiatives from a younger and more energetic group to continue the work of highlighting our county as a great place in which to live.

PSRA NO: 004422

Flashback: Pictured at the 2018 Roscommon Lamb Festival were Aaron and Luke Keenan from Rahara. Photo: Michelle Hughes Walsh

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

FARMING & RURAL LIVING

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Green Cert in Roscommon? < SEÁN DOORLEY

Young Roscommon and Longford farmers have three options available to them by which they can complete their Green Cert. All three options lead to similar results and benefits for the young trained farmer. Two of these three options will be available locally in the Roscommon/Longford Teagasc Unit this spring and autumn, and the third option can be accessed from our two nearest agricultural colleges – Mountbellew, Co. Galway, and Ballyhaise, Co. Cavan. The three options are outlined below, starting with the choices most suitable to a young school leaver, right up to the choices facing aspiring students in their 30s, 40s, and beyond. The most important thing to remember is that there is a route for everyone, and the education staff in the Roscommon/Longford Teagasc Unit are always available to guide you in your choices. The first option is offered on a fulltime basis in agricultural colleges. Students must be seventeen years of age or over on January 1st following entry to the course. This course is most suitable for school leavers and it would be desirable, but not essential, to have completed the Leaving Cert cycle in secondary school. The course runs over two years, with a combination of formal course work and a period of practical learning experience. This course is

also suitable for young people seeking employment on farms. Applications can be made directly to the colleges or by using the online application via teagasc.ie. If applying online, you can apply for a number of colleges using the preference system. There is a meanstested Teagasc grant scheme associated with this option, and for more information on this, check directly with the college in question. The second option is called The Teagasc Part Time Green Cert, and will on offer in the Roscommon/Longford Teagasc Unit this autumn, 2022. Applicants must be over 23 years of age when starting this course, and there is no upper age limit applicable. It is desirable, but not essential, to have completed the Leaving Cert cycle in secondary school. Students must have access to a working farm including the financial details of the same farm. The course duration will be approximately two years on a part-time basis, generally one day per week from September to April. The course work is split between practical/skills training and classroom sessions. The course consists of a range of modules such as farm business, principles of agriculture, farm safety, farm enterprise production, safe use of pesticides etc. Students interested in taking this route to a Green Cert should contact Therese Hilliard in the Longford Teagasc Office on 043 3341021 to put their name on the expression of interest list. The third option is called The Teagasc Distance Education Green Cert (for Non-Agricul-

tural Award Holders). This option will also be available in the Roscommon/Longford Teagasc Unit, commencing on May 6th, 2022. Applicants for this course must have obtained a Level 6 or higher major award in a non-agricultural discipline. In recent years, plumbers, carpenters, mechanics, nurses and engineers have all been able to avail of this express option. This part-time option extends over a period of 15-18 months incorporating at least 27 contact days, roughly two per month. The course work covered is the same as that in the routes/ options above, but the main difference is that students opting for this route will be doing a ‘fast forward’ type of course. The shorter time span is based on the assumption that students with previous college experience are capable of working on their own initiative to meet the tighter deadlines. Students interested in taking Green Cert Route 3 should contact Caitríona Corcoran or Catherine Divilly in the Roscommon Teagasc Office on 090 6626166 for an application pack as soon as possible. The Teagasc Green Cert is well known as the course many people starting up in farming complete. While young people are not prohibited from entering farming without it or its equivalent, there are a number of attractive benefits that can be obtained by the young trained farmer. So what are these benefits, and why is there such a demand for the Teagasc Green Cert? There are educational requirements for certain Department of Agriculture and Revenue

schemes. More often than not these schemes will be of financial benefit to the young trained farmer. Some of these include Revenue schemes like stamp duty relief and agricultural stock relief, and DAFM schemes like Entrant in a Registered Farm Partnership, the TAMS Scheme (60% grant), the National Reserve, and the Young Farmers Scheme (25% top up). The QQI Level 6 Specific Purpose Certificate in Farm Administration (Teagasc Green Cert) is the minimum requirement for all of the above schemes. The DAFM trend in recent years requires applicants to have the course completed at the time of application for the various incentives. With a new CAP package presently being negotiated in Brussels for 2023, it would be a shrewd move for young farmers to start planning their training now so they will be in a position to maximise their benefits under whatever CAP 2023 has to offer this cohort.

*Seán Doorley (BAgSc (Hons), MAgrSc) is Business and Technology Adviser, Teagasc, Longford

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

FARMING & RURAL LIVING

Property Services Providers Licence No. 002249

TELEPHONE: 094 9620300 Email: info@castlerealivestockmart.com Web: www.castlerealivestockmart.com THURSDAY WEEKLY:

SALE OF BULLOCKS, HEIFERS, COWS, CALVES, RUNNERS AND WEANLINGS FORTHCOMING SALES: Thursday 10th March in conjunction with our usual SALE OF BULLOCKS, HEIFERS, COWS, CALVES, RUNNERS AND WEANLINGS. Castlerea Mart in association with Abbey Community College, Boyle and the Irish Certified Angus are running an ABERDEEN ANGUS SUCK CALF COMPETITION OF AA CALVES UNDER 42 DAYS OF AGE. PRIZES ON THE DAY FOR BOTH BULLS AND HEIFERS. THURSDAY 17TH MARCH:

NO SALE (PATRICKS DAY) MONDAY 21ST MARCH:

BULLOCK SALE RESUMES ON MONDAYS St Coman’s pitch/The Lough in Roscommon is prone to being ‘under water’ but it was especially so this week! The location is pictured, with Roscommon Castle and Loughnaneane Park visible in the background. Photo taken via drone on Tuesday. Pic: Derek Fetherstone

Real green agenda is to destroy viability of farmers – IFA IFA President Tim Cullinan said recent comments by Minister Hackett that farmers having to go ‘parttime’ because of reduced payments should ‘be welcomed’ is an astonishing position. He also noted that Agriculture Minister McConalogue must clarify his position immediately. He said the reality is that many farmers are forced to work off farm because of the drop in their incomes arising from reduced direct payments. Mr Cullinan said this would be a shocking comment from anybody, never mind a Minister in the Departmentt of Agriculture, com-

menting that the Minister is effectively celebrating the fact her policies are making farming unviable. “The Minister is correct that ‘part-time’ farmers should be supported. Many of these farmers are actually working more than forty hours on their farms, but also have to work off farm in order to survive,” he said. “The Minister has now revealed the real green agenda, which is to destroy farmer viability. “This comes on top of the actions of Green MEP Ciaran Cuffe writing to the banks asking them not to lend to young

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farmers. It shows they are completely hostile to anyone trying to make a living from farming. Minister McConalogue must clarify immediately if he too feels we should ‘welcome’ the destruction

of farm viability”. IFA Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden said direct payments make up a huge percentage of drystock farmers’ incomes. “The Minister’s statement will confirm the

suspicion of many farmers that Minister Hackett and the Green Party are running the show and are seeking to put livestock farmers, whether full-time or part-time, out of business,” he said.

Castlerea MART WATCH There were large numbers of stock presented for sale again this week, with a good amount of buyers, both in-person and online, actively trying to source stock for further feeding. The heifer ring reported a very strong trade with a top price of €2070 recorded for a 620kgs Charolais cross and a good clearance recorded. The bullock ring saw the lighter quality stores peak at €3.11 a kilo with heavier lots making up to €1800. The forward dry cows saw prices peak at €2.61 a kilo, while the stores cows were in strong demand also. Breeding stock made up to €2020, while the weanling rings witnessed the heifers peak at €3.48 a kilo, with bulls making up to €3.20 a kilo. Calves made up to €470 but the plainer dairy cross calves were a harder sell this week. Bullocks, sample prices: Ch 485kgs €1510, AAx 495kgs €1350, Ch 525kgs €1530, Ch 500kgs €1500, Lim 500kgs €1340, Her 530kgs €1440, Ch 568kgs €1660, AA 600kgs €1710, and Sim 670kgs €1800. Heifers, sample prices: Lm 425kgs €1290, Ch 415kgs €1260, Lm 360kgs €1150, Lm 485kgs €1400, Ch 480kgs €1350,

Lm 445kgs €1340, Ch 620kgs €2070, Ch 760kgs €1980, Lm 570kgs €1890, Lm 640kgs €1750, and Ch 610kgs €1660. Dry cows, sample prices: AAx 910kgs €2010, Lm 765kgs €2000, Ch 815kgs €1950, Ch 795kgs €1790, Fr 480kgs €610, Sim 750kgs €1750, and Her 710kgs €1310. Calves, sample prices: Hex hfr €300, BBx hfr €470, AAx bull €250, AAx bull €200, Fr bull €50, and Fr bull €25. Weanling bulls, sample prices: Lm 295kgs €830, Lm 265kgs €780, Lm 375kgs €1200, Lm 430kgs €1160, AA 250kgs €650, Lm 340kgs €1040, and Ch 355kgs €1030. Weanling heifers, sample prices: Lm 290kgs €1000, Ch 250kgs €870, Lm 260kgs €840, AAx 235kgs €650, Ch 345kgs €1100, Ch 315kgs €1010, Ch 310kgs €990, and Ch 410kgs €1070. Springers made from €1020 to €2020, and runners made from €190 to €770 for continental lots. Sales continue today, the 24th of February, with our weekly sale of bullocks, heifers, cows, calves, runners, and weanlings All sales commence at 11 am, with three rings in operation.

For Enquiries Please Contact Mart Office Or Visit Our Website For Details.

Drumshanbo Mart Plc FRIDAY EVENING 25TH OF FEB AT 7.00 PM

RING 1: SALE OF DRY COWS FOLLOWED BY SUCKLERS AND INCALF COWS WITH A SPECIAL ENTRY OF 14 INCALF CH HEIFERS CALVING FROM MARCH ONWARDS TO AA BULL. 10 INCALF COWS 3/4 CALVERS TO CH BULL 5 COWS WITH LM AI CALVES AT FOOT (FIRST CALVERS) RING 2: SPECIAL SALE OF STORE AND WEANLING HEIFERS RING 3: SALE OF BULLOCKS AND WEANLING BULLS.

SHEEP SALE on Thursday evening 24th of February at 7pm

SALE OF STORE AND FAT LAMBS AND BREEDING EWES

44TH ANNUAL SHOW AND SALE OF BULLOCKS TUESDAY, 1ST OF MARCH AT 12 NOON

44TH ANNUAL SHOW AND SALE OF WEANLING BULLS TUESDAY, 8TH OF MARCH AT 12 NOON.

HORSE PONY AND DONKEY SALE Saturday, February 26th at 10am SHOW AND SALE OF DRY COWS On Friday evening March 4th Drumshanbo Mart PLC, Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim PSRA Licence No: 3868 Phone: 071 9641116/7, Fax: 071 9641118 Email: drumshanbomart@gmail.com Web: www.drumshanbomart.ie

Please ring the Constituency Office in advance to make an appointment, tel: 090 66 28479 or email michael.fitzmaurice@oireachtas.ie

Michael

Fitzmaurice TD Mobile:

086 1914565 Michael.Fitzmaurice@Oireachtas.ie

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

FARMING & RURAL LIVING

Are you familiar with the changes to the Fair Deal Scheme? Tommie Fallon, Partner at ifac says: “A recent amendment to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme will certainly benefit family-owned farms and businesses”. Under the Nursing Home Support Scheme (commonly known as the Fair Deal Scheme), State assistance is available to supplement the cost of nursing home care for eligible individuals. The individual pays a weekly contribution towards the cost of their care and the State covers any shortfall that may be due to the nursing home. The support available under the Scheme is means-tested. In assessing an individual’s means, the capital value of their principal private residence is only included for the first three years of their time in care. However, until recently, productive assets such as farms and businesses did not qualify for this so-called ‘three-year cap’ unless the farmer or business owner had suffered a sudden illness or disability that required nursing home care. The new amendment to Fair Deal Scheme legislation means the value of family-owned farms and businesses will no longer be taken into account after three years. This is subject to satisfying certain conditions. In another change to the Fair Deal Scheme, the three-year cap now also applies to proceeds from the sale of an individual’s principal primary

3.75% of assets. The State contributes the balance. How to apply for the Fair Deal Scheme There are two steps to the Fair Deal Scheme application process — care needs assessment and a financial assessment. Depending on the outcome of these assessments, there are then two types of support: State support —the HSE pays any balance due to the nursing home after your weekly contribution. Nursing home loan — If you own assets, you can choose to apply for a Nursing Home Loan which will allow your weekly contribution to be collected from your estate after your death. When applying for this loan, you must provide written consent to having a charging order registered against your asset. residence. This means that where a nursing home resident’s family home is sold, the proceeds are not included in the financial assessment for the Scheme once three years have passed. How is an individual’s financial contribution towards their nursing home care calculated? A financial assessment determines the

individual’s contribution to their nursing home care. This takes into account any assets that an individual has gifted away in the five years before applying for the Fair Deal Scheme. Where an individual’s assessed weekly contribution is greater than the cost of care, they do not qualify for financial support. Individuals who qualify for the Fair Deal Scheme contribute 80% of their

assessable income annually, plus a maximum of 7.5% of the value of their assets, investments and savings which is now capped at three years. The first €36,000 of an individual’s assets or €72,000 in the case of a couple is not counted in the financial assessment. Where one individual from a couple avails of the scheme, their contribution is 40% of the assessable income and

We are early risers, we are tax advisors, we are accountants, farmers, foresters and forecasters. We are ifac.

Find out how our National Team of Advisors can help your farm business to plan for the future. Call Tommie Fallon on 0906 626599 or visit www.ifac.ie

Charlie Devaney

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Tax relief You can claim Income Tax relief on your weekly contribution towards nursing home expenses even if you are supported by the Fair Deal Scheme. If you are in doubt about whether you are eligible for the Fair Deal Scheme, or have questions about the recent changes, contact ifac’s Roscommon office for assistance.

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

FARMING & RURAL LIVING

Lessons must be learned from BEAM scheme mess – ICSA

ICSA beef chair Edmund Graham has said the final figures for the BEAM scheme show what a spectacular mess was made of devising a scheme that was meant to help farmers in deep difficulty. “It is a stunning indictment of the Department that a scheme that was meant to deliver €100 million to farmers has ended up delivering about €60 million. Lessons must be learned from this. “It cannot be emphasised strongly enough that ICSA and others warned the Minister and his officials at the very outset that the scheme was unworkable. It all went wrong when officials accepted unworkable condition-

ality in the EU regulations for a scheme that was specifically tailored for Ireland. “Lessons must be learned. This fad for conditionality is creeping in more and more and it must be tackled head on. Either there is a case to help farmers or there isn’t. In the case of BEAM, farmers had suffered a serious price collapse due to Brexit disruption which was not their fault. The EU and the Department of Public Expenditure both accepted that there was a case to help farmers in trouble and accordingly allocated €100 million. “The initial application process showed that farmers foresaw difficulties with the scheme as

their applications were for about €78 million. However, the final results show that about 11,000 of the 33,000 applicants will be subjected to clawbacks, and some 95% of those will lose the full payment. “This is shocking stuff. ICSA has been contacted by members who are now in deep difficulty. In some cases, the immediate clawback of €10,000 is causing serious cash flow stresses. It is very wrong that to add insult to injury, these farmers are being threatened with punitive interest charges. ICSA is insisting that farmers should not be charged interest especially given that Irish government bonds are at close to

zero rates. “However, the big lesson that must be taken from this is that the Department must engage in a meaningful way at an early stage with farm representatives when designing schemes, in order to iron out problems. Unfortunately, the trend in recent years has been to present schemes as a done deal far too late in the process. “In addition, the Department has allowed Brussels to impose its views, even though it is evident that the EU has increasingly taken an idealistic view in relation to policy which is divorced from reality on the ground. This must be challenged, and it is particularly relevant to the CAP plan”.

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Tommy Dillon Farm Buildings Kilkerrin Road Glenamaddy, Co. Galway

Telephone: 094 9659187 Mobile: 087 2616955

SLYMAN

Plant Hire & Groundworks

Conor: 087 7726301 Michael: 087 2490146

Gannon Agri Contractors Creggs, Co. Galway Tel: 086 2538169

Pictured at the sod-turning on the new Cloonamahon Native Woodland Park in Sligo were Marina Conway (CEO, Western Forestry Co-operative), Pippa Hackett (Minister of State for Biodiversity and Land Use at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine), Martin Beirne (Property Manager, HSE), Brian McGarraghy (Coillte Forestry Manager), Colm Gilheaney (Western Forestry Co-operative, Forestry Project Manager) and Denis O’Rourke (HSE, Maintenance Foreman Cloonamahon Services).

Macra attends JCAM on eradication of Bovine TB On Wednesday, February 16th, Macra na Feirme attended the Joint Oireachtas Committee of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on the topic of eradication of Bovine TB. Wildlife control, research and education were high on the list of priorities for eradication of Bovine TB for Macra na Feirme. Greater investment in research in the areas of vaccine development and

improvement, vaccine efficacy and the potential for whole genome sequencing to play a major role in eradication were all discussed. The numbers of reactors in recent years have been generally trending downwards. Herd incidence remains in the region of 4% and the focus has been on reducing this in the Bovine population. Testing by DAFM on

wild deer populations in certain areas are showing that a similar incidence rate is being found as to that in the wider Bovine population. “The setting up of another Deer Management Forum is essential in order to investigate the role deer play in the transmission of this disease. A complete approach to wildlife management is required to reduce the

spread and eventually eliminate this disease. Studies conducted in the UK show that there is an interaction between cattle and badgers relating to genome sequencing” said Macra na Feirme National President John Keane. There is significant funding required to invest in this technology. These developments can aid the development of the determination of transmis-

sion pathways and the relationships between incidences found within the cattle and badger populations. Macra na Feirme highlighted the importance of developing practical solutions that do not disturb markets for cattle trade within Ireland. “Education through both the general public and the farming population must be simple and targeted”, concluded Mr Keane.

DEAD & WORN-OUT ANIMALS TOM ROGERS

Contact Strokestown, Co. Roscommon Tel. (071) 96 34783 and (071) 96 33344

Your LOCAL Collector – Guaranteed lowest price

MICHAEL CUDDY & CO

Chartered Accountants & Statutory Audit Firm 1 Fry Place, Athlone, Co. Westmeath Telephone:

090 64 94311

Email: info@mcuddy.com Web: www.mcuddy.com Our reputation has been built on client satisfaction

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

FARMING & RURAL LIVING

Call for higher payment rates in new environment scheme IFA Rural Development Chairman Michael Biggins said the higher payment rates proposed for the new Agri-Environment and Climate Measure (AECM) scheme in the CAP Strategic Plan must be available to all farmers who participate. The new environment scheme proposes that up to 20,000 farmers in eight areas that have been identified as having particular environmental characteristics, identified on maps released by the Department, would receive a payment of up to €10,500, with an average payment of €7,400. It’s proposed that farmers in these eight areas would participate in the new

IFA Rural Development Chairman Michael Biggins

(Proudly serving farmers for over 62 years) Property Services Providers Licence No. 001373

Friday, February 25th at 11am.

Special Sale of Bullocks 50 pens of bullocks on offer Also Heifers & Dry Cows ----------------------

Friday, March 4th at 11am.

Special Sale of Heifers Also Bullocks & Dry Cows Bookings accepted up to 5 p.m. Monday, 28th February ----------------------

Tuesday, March 1st at 4pm.

Show & Sale of Weanlings Also Suckler Cows Bookings accepted up to 5 p.m. Thursday, 24th February ----------------------

Lambs & Cast Ewes

that it would recognise existing features and continue to enhance earlier schemes. Results-based measures can have a major negative impact on payments. They must be realistic, suitable for the relevant sectors, and provide for simple scoring, which is easily defined. They must also be practical and achievable. “The proposal is to open the scheme over a number of tranches and it is proposed to limit the number of farmers participating in the scheme to 50,000. This will not meet demand, based on current number participating in GLAS and the number who applied for REAP,” he concluded.

Westmeath native appointed to top Teagasc role Dr Siobhán Jordan has commenced her role as the new Head of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation in Teagasc. Dr Jordan will play a key role in the development and leadership of Teagasc’s innovation strategy. She will have responsibility for leading and developing commercialisation relationships with industry, university partners and other stakeholders. Congratulating Dr Jordan on her appointment, Professor Frank O’Mara, Teagasc Director said: “Siobhán brings a wealth

of experience to this important role in Teagasc, and will lead the transfer of research outputs including intellectual property, capabilities and related information between Teagasc, the business community and other stakeholders. I look forward to working with her over the coming years”. Dr Jordan holds degrees in Biotechnology and Process Engineering from Dublin City University and a PhD in human genetics from Trinity College, Dublin. Prior to joining Teagasc she was

the founding Director of Interface programme in Scotland, implementing the vision of a central point of access for matching business challenges to world-leading research across all Scottish Universities, Research Institutes and Colleges. A native of Co. Westmeath, her previous posts include senior researcher at the Medical Research Council, and Human Genetics Unit and Applications Manager for the Proof of Concept Programme, Scottish Enterprise.

Dr Siobhán Jordan

Roscommon MART WATCH

Each Wednesday at 11am. ----------------------

Sheep Scanning Service Each Wednesday - Strictly 9am. to 10am. ----------------------

Saturday, March 5th at 12 Noon-

Organic Sale – Cattle & Sheep Bookings accepted up to 5 p.m. Monday, 28th February

ENQUIRIES 090 6626352

Email: roscommonmart@gmail.com Visit our website: www.roscommonmart.ie

scheme through cooperative project teams. The remaining 30,000 farmers would participate in a general option and will receive a maximum payment of approximate €7,300, with an average payment of €5,000. Michael Biggins said: “The payment rate of €10,500 per farmer must not be limited to 20,000 farmers in the co-operative areas identified by the Department, and it cannot include nonproductive investments required as part of the scheme. “IFA welcomes that prescription-based measures offer a large list of options, as we requested. However, it’s critical

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There were increased numbers at our cattle sale this week with a cracking trade for all classes. Heifers made from an average of €2.72 per kilo up to €3.07 per kilo, and dry cows ranged from an average of €2.38 per kilo up to €2.80 per kilo with a full clearance of lots. Again this week, there was a good number of customers at the ringside, along with good activity online also. On Friday, February 25th, at 11 am we will have our spring sale of bullocks with 49 pens on offer as well as a general sale of heifers and dry cows. On Friday, March 4th, we will a special sale of heifers and general sale of bullocks and dry cows.

Bookings will be accepted up until 5 pm on Monday, February 28th. There was a similar trade for hoggets this week at our sale on Wednesday, February 23rd, with larger numbers on offer. Hoggets made up to €156, stag ewes fetched up to €170, ewes and lambs made up to €315 for one lamb at foot, ewes with two lambs at foot, in-lamb ewes made up to €180. Cast ewes made from €78 to €170 per lot, ewes with two lambs at foot made up to €315, ewes with one lamb at foot made up to €265, and in-lamb ewes made up to €180. Our next sheep sale for lambs and cast ewes is on Wednesday,

March 2nd, at 11 am. Our sheep scanning service runs on Wednesday next from 9 am to 10 am. The yard opens at 8 am, and all stock must be penned by 10 am. The sale can be viewed live on livestock-live. com. Please note all sheep must be tagged with a full yellow EID tag set. Sample prices for heifers: BBX 765kgs €2080, Char X 745kgs €2070, Char X 685kgs €1990, Char X 690kgs €1990, Char X 680kgs €1930, Char X 640kgs €1840, Char X 650kgs €1840, 2 Char X 565kgs €1650, Char X 570kgs €1670, AAX 645kgs €1640, BBX 580kgs €1760, 2 AAX 550kgs €1380, Char X 495kgs €1350, Char X 520kgs

€1570, Char X 490kgs €1350, 2 Lim X 457kgs €1320, 4 Char X 385kgs €1080, Lim X 340kgs €980, Lim X 325kgs €1000. Dry cows: Lim X 900kgs €2380, Lim X 835kgs €2280, Lim X 865kgs €2190, Lim X 840kgs €2190, Lim X 760kgs €2010, BBX 790kgs €1900, Lim X 675kgs €1890, Lim X 680kgs €1680, Lim X 650kgs €1600, BBX 590kgs €1480, Lim X 680kgs €1880, Lim X 695kgs €1850. Finished hoggets: 56.8kgs €156, 52.2kgs €156, 50.6kgs €155, 65kgs €153, 51kgs €152, 48.5kgs €150, 52.7kgs €150, 49kgs €148, 48.5kgs €142. Store hoggets: 41.8kgs €126, 41.9kgs €120, 40.1kgs €120, 39.5kgs €115.

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

Classifieds

Everyone wants it Everyone reads it 80,000 PEOPLE READ OUR NEWSPAPER EVERY WEEK!

To advertise, telephone 090 66 34633 or email advertising@roscommonpeople.ie

CHIMNEY CLEANING

Complete Chimney Services

Chimney Cleaning

• Power brush and vacuum technology for cleaning chimneys, stoves, ranges and open fires

• Removes up to 50% more than traditional methods CCTV CAMERA INSPECTIONS • Firebacks replaced and flues repaired • Can be cleaned from the bottom up • Chimney cowls and crow guards fitted Power washing and gutter cleaning services. Telephone:

087 2798704

CONNAUGHT CHIMNEY CLEANING Chimneys Power Sweep ( no mess) - Openfire - Stoves - Ranges Chimney CCTV Inspection OIL BOILERS SERVICED Burners Repaired CARPETS CLEANING Satellite and Digital TV Installation All areas covered Mob: 086 2495851 www.connaughtchimney cleaning.com

CHIROPRACTOR

ROSCOMMON CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC Specialising in:

• BACK PAIN • HEADACHES • NECK PAIN • LIMB PAIN

Telephone: 086 8433433

Roscommon West Business Park, Circular Road, Roscommon. David Connor

BSC (Hon.) Chiro. MSc. Chiropractic Association of Ireland

VHI and Laya Covered

COMPUTERS

DC Computer Services Providing IT services for Homes, Businesses & Schools. Home Callouts.

NO FIX NO FEE

PC Maintenance – Upgrades, Repairs, Virus & Spyware removal. Network Solutions – Cabling, Hardware & Software Installation & Maintenance. Contact David Conboy Tel: 087 7496459 Email: info@dccomputerservices.ie Web: www.dccomputerservices.ie

COUNSELLING & HYPNOTHERAPY Are you affected by Anger Issues, Bullying, Bereavement, Confidence/self-esteem issues, OCD, Stress, Depression, Eating disorders Panic/Anxiety, Relationships, Exam pressure, Sexual Abuse Contact: Billy 094 96 59966 Mobile: 086 0675433 or visit www.billybrogan.com

COUNSELLING Are you experiencing difficulties in your life? Such as depression, anxiety, life or spiritural crisis. Are you having difficulties in relationships at work? Have you experienced sexual abuse or abuse and need counselling to help you? Please call Glynis on

085 2514394

email: downeyglynis@yahoo.co.uk

web: www.psychotherapyglynisdowney.com

CONSTRUCTION

Stephen Casey

Construction General Building l Extensions & Roofing l Groundworks l Renovations l Chimney CCTV Inspections l Chimney Repair - Insurance Claims l

Submit your Classified online

COUNSELLING

Strokestown, Co. Roscommon

087 9268424 stephenrockcasey@ gmail.com

Send your Classified advertisement to

To have your advert seen by over 80,000 people every week advertise with us! The most read newspaper in Co. Roscommon!

Paul McStay DSA/ADI (UK) RSA

MIAM ROSPA Approved Driving Instructor Former BSM Driving Instructor and UK advanced Met. Police Driver. GIFT VOUCHER CARDS AVAILABLE Castlerea & Roscommon

EDT Lessons Available Telephone:

FOR SALE < GOLDEN DOODLE PUPS FOR SALE: From a registered breeder, cream/ beige, ready 22/3/22. Wormed, vaccinated and micro chipped €700. Pure bred sire - white golden Retriever and a Red Doodle. Tel: 089 4117337 < FOR SALE: Hik vision CCTV Recorder, new hard drive with 5 cameras and can take 8. Beige glass case corner unit, brown maghony coloured glass case, old style dressing table, single bed and mattress (fold away). Tel: 083 8828882

094 96 20099 Mobile:

086 8936012

This driving School conforms for the new RSA regulations & legislation

FARMING < FOR SALE: Silage bales, excellent quality, Kilkerrin area. Tel: 086 1519011

FENCING/GATES

Des Kelly Fencing Over 20 years in business All types of fencing supplied and erected Including: • Cresoted Posts • Agricultural Fencing • Site Fencing • Security Fencing • Post & Rail Fencing • Concrete Fencing • Grant Approved Fencing No job too big or too small Just give us a call on

087 2346364

FRANCIS REGAN FENCING LTD l l

For all your fencing needs. GLAS Fencing Grant Fencing Post Rail l

Tel: 087 2172281

GARDENING

CORBETT

TREE CARE & LANDSCAPING

General Maintenance Dangerous Tree Removal l Garden Hedges & Trees reduced and shaped l Wood Chipping l Fully Insured Contact Alan on l

087 6558597

www.corbetttreecareandlandscaping.com

GARDENING SERVICES Including: • Hedge Cutting • Hedge Planting • Grass Cutting • Spraying • Strimming • Weeding • Garden Tidy-ups • Planting • Gutter Cleaning, etc. Chainsaw work also available

Phone John on

087 2860428

FAMILY NOTICES • Anniversary Remembrance • Acknowledgements • Birthday Remembrance

advertising@ roscommonpeople.ie or alternatively call 090 66 34633

DRIVING LESSONS

NO JOB TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL

The local paper!

Phone: (090) 66 34633 Email: advertising@roscommonpeople.ie

GARDENING

JOE HEALY

Tree Services

• Hedge Cutting • Dangerous Tree Removal • Wood Chipping • Fully Insured

Phone:

087 2721193

• Certified Arborists • Tree Surgery • Dangerous Tree Removal • Wood Chipping • Leylandii hedges reduced and shaped

PHYSICAL THERAPY

Roscommon Physical Therapy Clinic Movement Matters 20 years experience treating babies to adults. Everyday aches & pains to sports injuries. Physical Therapy CranioSacral Therapy Medical Dry Needling Prescription Orthotics Pilates – Small Classes

Can we help you? Call us today to enquire 090 663 0009 Like us on Facebook www.rosptc.com 1 Castleview, Roscommon F42 C902

PLANNINGS

Comprehensive Insurance Cover. I.S.A. member.

Tel: 086 6077307 or 086 8125165

www.parklawntreeservices.

GATELY GARDENING

Four Roads, Co. Roscommon • Landscaping • Timber Decking • Patios • General Maintenance Contact Liam on 086 8749550 or 090 66 27496

HAIRDRESSER

KATHLEEN’S HAIRDRESSING SERVICE Ladies and Gents Hairdressing Services. Also Mobile service available. Evening appointments available. Free 10 mins Indian Head Massage for every appointment

For enquiries Tel./text: 085 8514270 or tel. 094 9643286

Email: kathfinnhair@gmail.com SEE FACEBOOK PAGE

Design Consultation Planning Applications New Build, Extend, Renovate Bespoke Design Domestic, Commercial & Agricultural

086 3482387 info@moleskinarchitecture.com

facebook.com/moleskinarch

To have your advert seen by over 80,000 people every week advertise with us!

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

Classifieds PLANNINGS ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL I am applying to Roscommon County Council for retention permission and completion for a domestic garage and retention permission for revised site boundary on behalf of Brian Casserly at Scrabbagh, Kilmore, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Roscommon.

Signed: Seamus Murray, Project Managers, Engineers & Surveyors. Castle St., Roscommon. Ph: (087) 2222874 The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours and that submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission.

ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL We, Vantage Towers Limited intend to apply for permission to erect a 30m high telecommunications monopole structure together with antennas, dishes and associated telecommunications equipment enclosed by security fencing at Raheen, Elphin, Co. Roscommon.

ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL Altore Td., Ballinlough, Co. Roscommon We, John and Michelle Black, intend to apply for permission for development at the above site to consist of the demolition of existing outbuildings and the construction of an extension to existing dwelling house together with the upgrading of on-site effluent facilities with effluent treatment system and soil polishing filter and associated site works and services.

The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, €20, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application, and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission. Signed: John and Michelle Black

To advertise, telephone 090 66 34633 or email advertising@roscommonpeople.ie

PLANNINGS ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL I am applying to Roscommon County Council for full planning permission on behalf of Yvonne Naughton and Kenneth Kenny to construct a dwellinghouse, garage, waste water treatment system and associated siteworks at Dundonnell, Taughmaconnell, Ballinasloe, Co. Roscommon.

ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL We, Egan Mulready and Associates on behalf of our client, Christian Kahler, intend to apply for outline permission for development at this site: Carrownamaddy, Lecarrow, Co. Roscommon. The development will consist of the following: a detached dwelling, single storey domestic garage, the installation of a treatment system, percolation area, site entrance and all associated site works.

ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL I, Declan Gaffney, am applying for permission for construction of a domestic garage/shed and all associated site works at Tullyloyd Td., Elphin, Co. Roscommon.

This planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application. Signed: Brandon O Brien Ltd. (Agent) Church Street, Roscommon. Consulting Engineers Tel: 090 6625005

PLANNINGS ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL We, Stephen and Monica Beirne intend to make application to Roscommon County Council for planning permission to construct single storey dwelling, domestic garage, waste water treatment system and percolation area, associated site development works and services at Farbreagues, Knockcroghery, Co. Roscommon.

Signed: Gaynor Architectural + Design Services Ltd. Architects Fallon Avenue, Roscommon. Phone: 090 6626974 Mobile: 086 8115449 The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of a fee of €20 within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the planning authority of the application and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions or may refuse to grant permission.

ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL MSL Ventures Ltd intend to make application to Roscommon County Council for planning permission to construct 8 no semidetached two storey dwellings on sites 7-14 and 1 no single storey dwelling on site 15 previously granted planning permission under P&D Ref 10/46, associated site development works and services at Srah, Knockcroghery, Co. Roscommon.

PLANNINGS ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL I intend to apply to Roscommon County Council for planning permission to erect an agricultural shed together with ancillary services to facilitate same at Kilbegly, Ballinasloe, Co. Roscommon.

The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee of €20 within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application and such submission or observation will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission. Signed: Enda Doran

ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL We, Biesty Construction Ltd are applying to Roscommon County Council for Permission for the following: 1. Permission to construct an extension to existing building to create a one bedroom apartment at first floor. 2. Permission to construct external staircase to rear for access to first floor apartment and carryout all ancillary site development works and connections to services at Main Street, Knockcroghery, Roscommon.

The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee, €20 within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application, and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission. Signed:

Unit 5, Ballypheason House, Circular Road Roscommon, F42 C982. Ph: 090 6634365 Mob: 0878228529 E: james@jlce.ie & aaron@jlce.ie Web:www.jlce.ie Architectural Designs – Consulting Engineers

To have your advert seen by over 80,000 people every week advertise with us! THE MOST READ NEWSPAPER IN COUNTY ROSCOMMON!

The local paper!

PLANNINGS ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL We are applying to Roscommon County Council on behalf of Simon Coyle for planning permission for the construction of 8 detached dwelling houses complete with the installation of a waste water treatment system/tertiary treatment and infiltration area, for demolition of two derelict buildings, for the provision of storm water attenuation/ connection to existing storm water drainage system, for the provision of a compensatory flood water storage area, for the provision of a public path fronting the site along the R357 Road, for the provision of a refuse collection storage area, for the creation of a new entrance onto the public road, for the connections to the existing public utilities and all necessary landscaping/ ancillary siteworks at Carricknagat, Four Roads, Co. Roscommon.

Signed: Seamus Dowd & Associates Ltd, Registered Surveyors, Chartered Construction Managers, Building Consultants. Tel: (090) 6623417 Mob.086-8546035. The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee of €20 within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application and such submission or observation will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions or may refuse to grant permission.

ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL We are applying to Roscommon County Council on behalf of John Kelly for planning permission for the construction of a dwelling house, a domestic garage/store together with the installation of a waste water treatment system/ percolation area and all necessary site services/ ancillary siteworks at Liswilliam, Dysart, Co. Roscommon.

PODIATRIST Podiatrist/Chiropodist

Sarah Fleming

CB.Sc (Hons) Podiatry MScPI at

Tullys

PODIATRIST FOOT CLINIC ROSCOMMON – MOLLOYS PHARMACY (Monday to Saturday) Also available in Boyle & Athlone -------Chiropody treatment and all aspects of Foot Pain. Orthotics prescribed

By Appointment Only –

087 2982214

Tel: Catriona Byrne DIP CHFP

HSE Trained and Approved l Home visits available l

For any of your foot issues call:

094 9620009

PODIATRIST

For all foot ailments

Corns, calluses, ingrown toenails, verruca, orthotics, diabetic assessments and treatment.

Siobhan Murray BSc (Hons) Podiatry M.Ch.S.I.

Department of Health Approved Kearney’s Chemist Main Street, Castlerea For appointment: (094) 96 21647 / (089) 4142233 • Home visits SIOBHAN ALSO RUNS A CLINIC FROM KNOCK

• 20 years experience

PROPERTIES TO LET/RENT/WANTED CHAZEY PROPERTIES: We require properties for waiting tenants, we advertise, conduct viewings, arrange references, read meters, set up tenancy agreements and arrange direct debit payments straight into your bank. We charge a one off fee only if we are successful in renting your property. If not no fees are payable. Tel: 086 8212732 < ROOM TO LET: In shared house, Cloverhill area, 3 miles from Roscommon Town. O.F.C.H. + solid fuel. Would suit professional person. Rent reasonable, WiFi in house. Tel: 087 6056974

REFLEXOLOGY

REFLEXOLOGY MARINA FUREY (MNRRI)

The Galway Podiatrist FOOT AND ANKLE CLINIC

Aoife Reilly BSc Pod, MChSI, SCPI (registered with VHI, AVIVA, LAYA & GloHealth)

For Bookings Contact:

College Road, For Bookings Contact: Mountbellew,

(087) 707 5803

(087) 707 5803 (Saturday & evening appointments available)

Co Galway H53 D7W8

(Saturday & evening appointments available) Treanrevagh, Mountbellew, Co. Galway H53 D7W8 Open under Goverment + HSE Guidelines

PODIATRIST/ CHIROPODIST

Reflexology may bring relief from conditions such as: • Allergies • Colic • Eczema • Constipation • Migraine • Back Problems • Stress • Infertility • Insomnia • Respiratory Disorders • Blood Pressure • Pain • Bowel Disorders • Joint/Muscle Problems • Thyroid Imbalance • Emotional Disorders - Fertility Reflexology - Ante Natal Reflexology - Baby Reflexology - Cancer Care Reflexology - Special Needs Reflexology Mobile Service Available Marina Furey B. Sc. (Hons)

Knockcroghery, Co. Roscommon

Tel: 087 2264951 Find us on facebook

Mark Kilgallon B.Sc Podiatry (Hons) M.Ch.S.I. Department of Health Approved

EVERY FRIDAY St. Joseph’s Resource Centre, Boyle For appointment

085 1503353 086 8538404

Email: m.kilgallon23@gmail.com

• House Visits • Insoles and Orthotics Prescribed • Chiropody Services

Clinics also in Ballaghaderreen and Castlebar

Submit your Classified online Send your Classified advertisement to advertising@ roscommonpeople.ie or alternatively call 090 66 34633

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

Classifieds ROOFING

Phone: 091 416029 Liam or Mick 085 7619827

Affordable Roofing and Gutter Repairs, we replace and install in Roscommon area. Our Services: • Roof Repairs • Gutter Repairs • New Roofs • Flat Roofs • Gutter Exchange • Lead Valley Roof • Cleaning Gutter • Cleaning

email: roofingcontractors27@gmail.com

Phone: 091 416029

SOULMATES < S O U L M AT E S Don’t be alone, meet that special person for friendship and romance with like minded people. Safe, secure and confidential. Tel: 087 9216302 or 087 7720250

TURF/FUEL/ FIREWOOD

To advertise, telephone 090 66 34633 or email advertising@roscommonpeople.ie

USEFUL SERVICES

MG Services

PROFESSIONAL PAINTER AVAILABLE

• Tiling (Wall and Floor) • Timber Floors • Timber Fencing, Decking • Garden Maintenance • Power Washing AND ALL OTHER JOBS CONSIDERED

Telephone:

087 2478609

10x6 Loads of Turf, saved in good weather and stored in dry shed, will deliver. Phone:

083 0684011

< THIS WEEK’S SPECIAL OFFERS: • Net bags of seasoned firewood only €3 per bag, buy 20 bags get 1 free • Tonne bags firewood/turf only €35 per bag. Half tonne bags of Ash/Beech only €35 per bag. All includes free delivery. Contact Tom: 086 2628439 or Tony 087 7055800

Quality Small Job Services For Home or Business

OIL BOILER SERVICE

ONLY €80 Includes new nozzle, Efficiency report, Printout, etc .... 094 9373445 087 9100477

• Bathroom planning and design to suit you • All aspects of plumbing and maintenance • Boiler Servicing • Heating Installation • Call for FREE QUOTATION

Contact Luke on

085 7359120 Working throughout current restrictions with full PPE equipment.

SEPTIC TANKS EMPTIED DRAINS/SEWERS CLEANED

TURF AVAILABLE

PERMIT NO: WCP - MO - 09 - 0267 - 01

Bulk bags of Turf available

TELEPHONE MICHAEL HAVERTY: 086 8381227 or 086 1997815

Tel: Donal

086 2721812 (All areas)

Also loads of Peat bedding for livestock (delivered)

WANTED: Fallen trees for firewood. Ash, Beech, Birch and Whitethorn. We are safety certified and insured. Phone:

086 2437376

MONTH’S MIND MASS CRONIN Michael (Sonny)

Mote Park, Roscommon. Who passed away on 15th January 2022

REYNOLDS Sadie & Harry Clooncullane, Elphin, Co. Roscommon (Sadie 5th and Harry 28th Anniversaries) In loving memory of Sadie, who died on 14th January, 2017, and Harry, who died on 20th February, 1994

Tried & Trusted Since 1993

Phone JOHN

083 8838022

Plumbing & Maintenance TOP QUALITY TURF

FOR ALL EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR PAINTING

FAMILYNOTICES ....ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND ANNIVERSARIES

Electrician Available Safe Electric Registered. Domestic and Industrial, All work considered. No Job too small. Phone Paul 086 2553153 or 090 666 3053 or Email p0862553153@ gmail.com.

PAINTER & DECORATOR Private & Commercial Power washing 25 years experience Free Estimates Given

Phone Alan on:

090 6661635 or Mobile:

087 2683079

PROFESSIONAL PAINTING & DECORATING CONTRACTOR For all your decorating needs

The family of the late Sonny Cronin would like to extend their sincere thanks to all who showed kindness and support on the loss of our dear father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Our sincere thanks to the doctors, nurses, staff and Palliative Care Nurse Helen in Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe. A special thank you to Dr. Keenan for his care and kindness to Dad over the years. To the staff of the Medical Centre and RosMed Pharmacy, to the great carers who cared for him in his home. Thank you to Fr. Ray Milton and Fr. Ali Jo who visited Dad at home. Sincere thanks to Fr. Ali Jo and Fr. Brendan O’Sullivan for celebrating the Funeral Mass. To Pat Smyth Funeral Directors Roscommon for his very professional manner while showing compassion and sympathy to us. Thank you to the choir, to our wonderful neighbours, family and friends who supported us in everyway. Thank you to the grave diggers who prepared Dad’s final resting place. We thank everyone who sent Mass cards, enrolments, letters of sympathy and those who posted condolences on rip.ie. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be offered for all your intentions. Sonny’s Month’s Mind Mass will take place in St. Patrick’s Church, Knockcroghery on Saturday, 26th February at 11am.

Mam and Dad, You are the Angels now, it was time to say goodbye yet still, it’s hard to hide the pain, no matter how we try. For you were such special parents, with lots of love to share and knowing you are no longer here, is very hard to bear. And though the grief will pass and time will help to heal the pain somehow life without you Mam and Dad, will never be the same. Quietly today your memories are kept no need for words, we will never forget. When thoughts go back, as they always do we treasure the memories we have of you

Always lovingly remembered by their sons, daughters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law and families. Anniversary Mass in St. Patrick’s Church, Elphin on Sunday 27th February, 2022 at 11.30am.

McMANUS Evelyn Athlone Road, Roscommon Town Who passed away on the 1st March 2014 (8th Anniversary)

MONAGHAN Mary Edmonton, London and formerly Gallowstown, Roscommon (8th Anniversary) Who passed away on the 16th February 2014

CONTACT JOHN

086 4679798 Do you have a house or shed that you want cleaned out and all unwanted items removed? If so ring:

087 9657933

or 090 66 33084

Alan O’Toole

WINDOW CLEANING

Window Protection Ireland Commercial/Domestic Registered and Insured All areas covered Also protecting windows during construction see windowprotection.ie GUTTER CLEANING ALSO AVAILABLE Telephone

087 9795226

Scrine, Athleague, Co. Roscommon Third generation Monumental Sculptors specialising in: • New Headstones • New Inscriptions • Restoration and Cleaning of Monuments • Wall Plaques and Name Plates • Grave Maintenance Service

“I light a candle for you today, as you did when the need was mine. There for your needs it brightly burns, true symbol bright of God divine.”

Fond memories, always treasured with love, by her husband, Noel, daughters Deirdre, Rebecca and Judith.

Mary, quietly today your memory is kept, no need for words, we will never forget. No longer in our lives to share, but in our hearts you are always there.

Sadly missed by your brother Simon, Ann, Simon Jnr and Shane Doyle.

Nonpareil. N.

Contact James on 087 3549574 or David on 087 6086723 E-mail: info@anthonymurrayandsons.com www.anthonymurrayandsons.com Locally owned ... in the heart of the community

Submit your Classified online Send your Classified advertisement to advertising@ roscommonpeople.ie or alternatively call 090 66 34633

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

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FAMILYNOTICES ....ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND ANNIVERSARIES MONAGHAN Mary Edmonton, London and formerly Gallowstown, Roscommon (8th Anniversary) Who passed away on the 16th February 2014

COOKE May

KELLY Breda

Castlerea, Co. Roscommon In loving memory of May whose first anniversary occurs on 28th February 2022.

Derrada, Aughrim, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway In loving memory of Breda Kelly whose first anniversary occured on 15th February 2022.

BRIAN MURRAY MEMORIALS • Superior Quality Headstones • Restoration work carried out • New Inscriptions added

CONTACT HAZEL

087 6758874

Scrine, Athleague, www.brianmuraystone.com Co. Roscommon E: brianmurraystone@gmail.com

A silent thought, a silent prayer for a special sister in God’s care.

Remembered with love, her sister Kathleen Langan and family.

O’ROURKE Jim In loving memory of Jim O’Rourke whose first anniversary occurs on 3rd March 2022.

God called your name so softly that only you could hear, and no one heard the footsteps of Angels drawing near, The Golden Gates stood open, God saw you needed rest, His garden must be beautiful, He only takes the best.

Deeply loved, sadly missed and always remembered by her son David, daughter-in-law Frances, grandchildren Niall, Simon and Michelle. Also Sinead, John and Megan, her sister Anna, sisterin-law Pearl, brother-in-law Frank, her nieces and nephews. Pre-deceased by her husband John whose anniversary mass also occurs around this time. Anniversary Mass for both May and John will be held in St. Patrick’s Church, Castlerea on Sunday, 27th February 2022 at 12 noon. Mass will be live-streamed on the following link: www.mcnmedia.tv/camera/st-patricks-church-castlereagh

FEATHERSTON Tom and Margaret Ballinapark, Donamon (30th & 15th Anniversary) Who passed away on 19th April 1992 and 28th February 2007

Those we love don’t go away, they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed and very dear.

Deeply loved, sadly missed and always remembered by his loving children Marina, Bobby and James, son-inlaw Noel, James’s partner Katie and his grandchildren Arwen, Senan and Rían.

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As each day dawns, we think of you. As each night falls, we pray for you. Throughout our lives, no matter where, in our hearts you are always there.

Always loved and remembered by their family. Anniversary Mass in Clooneycolgan Church on Sunday, 27th February at 9.30am.

GIBBONS Tony Caggle, Strokestown Who passed away on 28th February (16th Anniversary)

Even in the darkest days since we’ve been apart, memories of the times we shared help to warm our hearts. Life is full of mysteries that no one can explain, but we know someday, somewhere we will meet again. Until we do we’ll find the strength to live through each new day, grateful for the happy years before you went away. Missed and loved always Mom, Dad, David, Alan and their families.

FAMILY NOTICES • Anniversary Remembrance • Acknowledgements • Birthday Remembrance Phone: (090) 66 34633 Email: advertising@roscommonpeople.ie

We hold you close within our hearts, and there you shall remain, to walk with us throughout our lives, until we meet again. Deeply loved, sadly missed and always remembered by her loving family Janet, Vivien, Frances, Kevin, Carmel, son-in-law David, daughter-in-law Eileen, 13 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Pre-deceased by her husband Martin (Sonny) whose anniversary also occurs on 27th February. Anniversary Mass for both Breda and Sonny will be held in St. Patrick’s Church, Castlerea on Sunday, 27th February 2022 at 12 noon. Mass will be live-streamed on the following link: www.mcnmedia.tv/camera/st-patricks-church-castlereagh

MONTH’S MIND MASS MULHERN Paddy

Passage, Athleague, Co. Roscommon Who passed away on the 21st January 2022

CARTY (Nee Gately) Annie

Cloontuskert, Lanesboro. Formerly Garynagran, Ballyforan Dysart. Who passed away peacefully on 22nd December 2021. (In her 97th Year)

The family of the late Annie Carty wish to express their heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to all those who sympathised and supported us on the sad loss of our beloved Mother, Granny and Great Grandmother. Thanks to all those who sent mass cards, phone calls, text messages and left messages on RIP.ie. Your kind and supportive words and actions gave us great support, particularly at a time where family and friends could not travel to be with us in person to support and show their love and respect for Annie. We wish to thank all those who stood on the roadside when Annie made her final journey home to Cloontuskert. Our sincere thanks to the staff at Innis Ree Lodge Nursing Home, your kindness, empathy and professionalism will always be remembered by Annie’s family. A special word of thanks to our family friend Fr. Larry Behan for his support, prayers and masses for Annie in her final days and the celebration of Annie’s Funeral Mass. Thanks also to Fr. Daniel Udofia for receiving Annie into the Church and for also assisting at the Funeral Mass. A word of thanks to Maureen Curley for the beautiful recitation of the Rosary in the church. Our sincere thanks to Teresa Costello and Amy Casey for their beautiful singing during the ceremony. Thanks to Smyths Funeral Directors for their professionalism in arranging Annie’s funeral and a special thanks to our neighbours who prepared Annie’s final resting place. A special word of thanks to St. Faithleachs GAA Club for the use of the Clubhouse for our meal and to the staff who generously gave up their time on Christmas Eve to cater for us. Your selflessness and generosity will never be forgotten. Also to Steven Dowd who prepared a beautiful meal for us all, thank you. To those who dropped food to Annie’s home and to those who supported us from near and far, thank you. It is very much appreciated. Mass will be offered for all your intentions. Forever loved and always missed by her family, daughter’s Mary, Eileen, Ena and son Sean, grandchildren, great grandchildren Kelsey and Alex, son’s-in-law and daughter-in-law.

The family of the late Paddy Mulhern wish to thank most sincerely all those who sympathised and supported us on the sad loss of a treasured husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle. To all who attended the funeral home, mass and Paddy’s burial. To all who travelled long distances, thank you all for sharing his final journey with us. Thanks to all who sent Mass and Sympathy cards, letters, phone and text messages, flowers and condolences online. It was all greatly appreciated. Heartfelt thanks to our relatives, neighbours and friends, who brought food and helped in many ways. To all our family and friends who visited regularly and supported us during Paddy’s long illness. Sincere thanks to all at Castle Street Surgery, Louis Conlon Pharmacy and to all the wonderful carers, nurses and Palliative Care Team, who made it possible to have Paddy taken care of in his home. A special word of thanks to Fr. Christopher, Canon McLoughlin and Canon Delaney for celebrating the beautiful mass. Thanks to Margaret and Sean for enhancing the Liturgy with their singing and music. Sincere thanks to Henry Hamrock of Hamrocks Funeral Home for your professionalism in management of the funeral arrangements and facilitating our family wishes throughout. A very special word of thanks to the grave diggers for preparing Paddy’s resting place so carefully. A beautiful and important ritual that Paddy would have very much appreciated. To Ursula and all the staff of Hannon’s Hotel, sincere thanks for a beautiful meal. As it is impossible to thank everybody individually, we hope that you will accept this notice as an expression of deep gratitude and appreciation. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass has been offered for all your intentions. Sadly missed by his wife Peggy, daughters Patricia, Lorraine and Olivia, sons Pat and Joe, brother Tom, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, relatives and friends. Paddy’s Month’s Mind Mass will be celebrated in Athleague Church on Sunday, 27th February at 10am.

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Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

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FAMILYNOTICES ....ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND ANNIVERSARIES CUMMINS (nee Mee) Noreen

BEIRNE Kathleen (14th Anniversary)

Aughmagree, Kilteevan, Co. Roscommon Who passed away on 15th November 2021

The family of the late Noreen Cummins would like to extend their sincere thanks and deep appreciation to all who expressed sympathy, kindness, and support on the loss of our dearly beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother, and friend. A special word of thanks to Costello’s Nursing Home in Ballyleague which was Mums home away from home for nearly two years. To Sarah, Shay and staff who looked after mum and made her and the family welcome and comfortable during this difficult time. Thank you for your support and understanding, it will never be forgotten. Also, to the Palliative Care Team who made Mum’s final time with us as comfortable and dignified as possible. Our heartfelt thanks to all the medical professionals including the doctors, nurses and ambulance crews at Roscommon University Hospital and Galway University Hospital who treated and cared for Mum in recent years during her many admissions and hospital visits. To Dr. Martina Hanratty, Dr. Farrell and Ms. Deirdre Jones and their colleagues, we thank you sincerely for your care, kindness and compassion shown to mum. To mum’s carers, Mary, Marian and Jackie who helped to keep mum at home for as long as possible, we thank you. To our wonderful neighbours, family and friends who supported us through this difficult time, thank you for your company and friendship and to our neighbours who managed the traffic while Mum reposed at home. Also, to the Peppermill and Abbey Hotel for the food and refreshments. Thank you, Fr. Dan who administered the Holy Sacrament and Fr. Sean Beirne, for celebrating Mum’s Funeral Mass with such meaning and comforting words. Sincere thanks to Theresa Donlon who sang so beautifully in the church at Mum’s Funeral Mass and in particular “Four Roads to Glenamaddy”, Mum would have loved it! To Pat and Gillian Smyth who looked after the funeral arrangements in a professional and caring way and to the grave diggers who prepared Mum’s final resting place. Our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to everyone who attended Mum’s funeral, especially family and friends who travelled a long way including her two brothers Eamon and Gerald and sisters Sheila, Moira and Margaret. We thank everyone who sent mass cards, letters, messages, phone calls and who posted condolences. As it would be impossible to thank everyone individually, please accept our deepest gratitude for your support and understanding. Always remembered with love by Billy, daughter Sheila, sons Thomas, Eamon and Damien, sonin-law Shane, daughters-in-law Olive, Teresa and Amanda and grandchildren.

Love’s Greatest Gift - Remembrance

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In loving memory of our sister Kathleen, late of Cloonbrackna Court and Ballymacurley, Roscommon, who passed away on February 27th 2008 R.I.P. Softly the leaves of memory fall, gently we gather and treasure them all. Unseen, unheard you are always near, still loved and missed everyday of the year.

BRENNAN John

R.I.P. Fairfield, Creggs, Co. Galway (8th Anniversary) Who passed away on the 23rd February 2014

Curraghboy, Athlone. Co. Roscommon (2nd Anniversary)

In loving memory of Bridgetta, who passed away on the 7th March 2020.

Cartron, Kilteevan, Roscommon (16th Anniversary) Who passed away on the 24th February 2006

In loving memory of my dear husband, John Your life touched so many others, and will be remembered forever more. To leave the world a better place than it had been before.

Sadly missed and always remembered by his wife Mae, family and friends.

Always remembered by Patsy and Maureen.

MENTON Bridgetta

MANNION Jack

DOWDALL Mrs. Agnes M M.I.A.V.I.

23rd February 1989 In loving memory of a great mother and grandmother Never to be forgotten Always remembered with love and affection by her family. Mass has been offered for Agnes and John in the Sacred Heart Church, Roscommon on Wednesday, 23rd February at 11am.

KEEGAN Bridie

I lost a father with a heart of gold, how much I miss him can never be told. He shared my troubles and helped me along, if I follow his footsteps I will never go wrong. I miss you from your fireside chair, your loving smile and gentle air. Your vacant place no one can fill, I miss you father and always will.

Loved and missed so much by daughter Sharon and granddaughter Shauna.

LYONS Mikie Creeve, Donamon, Co. Roscommon (6th Anniversary ) In loving memory of Mikie who passed away on 27th January 2016.

Loved and remembered by her parents Gerard and Caroline, her sister Edel, her brothers Thomas and Eoin, her extended family and loyal friends. Anniversary Mass in St. Brigid’s Church, Curraghboy on Friday, 4th March at 7pm.

Our hearts are full of memories, with pride we speak your name. Although life goes on without you, it will never be the same. Those special days will not return, when we were all together, but with love and memories in our hearts, you will walk with us forever.

Sadly missed by her nephews Canon Joe, Kevin, niece Moria, niece-in-law Bernie, nephew-in-law Christy and grandnieces and grandnephews. Masses offered.

We express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who sympathised and supported us on the untimely death of Pat. Thank you to our very kind neighbours, relatives and friends for their sympathy and continued support. A special thank you to everyone who sent Mass cards, text messages and letters. It was comforting to read all the messages posted on RIP.ie, Shannonside Radio and on all social media platforms. Thank you to those who travelled long journeys to be with us and those who joined us for Pat’s Funeral Mass via the live stream. Thanks to everyone who dropped food to our home and looked after us in every way. We express thanks to Dr. Graham Kearon, Dr. Mark McCormick, all the doctors and staff in Clonbrusk Medical Centre, Athlone, who took care of Pat during his life and especially during his illness. Sincere thank you to Stephen and staff of McGorisks Chemist, Clonbrusk and to the management and staff of Tearmainn Bhride Nursing Home, Brideswell. Also thank you to the Home Help Carers and Public Health team who cared for Pat. Thank you to those who lined the roads to show sympathy while Pat’s funeral cortege passed. Thanks to Fr. Micheal McManus and Deacon Willie Gacquin for the kind prayers and words, both in the funeral home and at Pat’s Funeral Mass. A special thanks to Henry Hamrock for providing music at the Church and to Mark and Rory Henshaw for the fitting musical tribute at the graveside. Thank you to the Hodson Bay Hotel for providing us with a beautiful meal after the funeral. We are very grateful to Hamrocks Funeral Directors for the professionalism and attention to detail with the funeral arrangements. A special thank you to our neighbours and friends who prepared Pat’s final resting place in Kiltoom Cemetery.

Muff, Castlecoote, Roscommon (24th Anniversary)

In loving memory of our dear Aunt Bridie who passed away on 6th March 1998

Ballycreggan, Kiltoom, Athlone, Co. Roscommon.

The family of the late Pat Naughton, who died on 19th December 2021, wish to acknowledge all those who supported our family in so many ways following our sad loss.

BRIDGE OF LOVE There is a bridge of memory, from earth to Heaven above. It keeps you always near us, it’s called the Bridge of Love. May you always walk in sunshine and God’s love around you flow, for happiness you gave us, no one will ever know. It broke our hearts to lose you, but you did not go alone, for part of us went with you, the day God called you home.

NAUGHTON Pat

A silent though, a quiet prayer for a special person in God’s care.

Always remembered by his sister-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. Anniversary Mass in St. Patrick’s Church, Ballinaheglish on Sunday, 27th February at 11am.

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As it would not be possible to thank everyone individually please accept this acknowledgement as an expression of our family’s sincere gratitude. Pat was a loving and much loved husband, brother, brother in law, uncle, great neighbour, a cherished friend, a vibrant and charismatic man with great empathy for others and a great sense of humour who brightened the day for all who knew him. Pat will always be remembered and the many memories we have of Pat will be an inspiration to us throughout our lives. May his gentle soul rest in eternal peace. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be offered for your intentions on Saturday, 26th February at 7pm in the Church of the Risen Christ, Kiltoom.

Rogers Funeral Directors Rooskey

(Covering Rooskey and surrounding areas)

Mobile: 087 2365453 Landline: 071 9638739 email: jrrogers40@hotmail.com

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

AtYourService BLINDS

To advertise, telephone 090 66 34633 or email advertising@roscommonpeople.ie

CARS

FARMING

SEPTIC TANKS EMPTIED

Dead & Worn-Out Animals Contact JOHN GREENE BALLINASLOE

SEPTIC TANKS EMPTIED ALSO DRAIN JETTING SERVICE

BRENDAN DOOLIN

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Also Wooden Venetians, Velux Window Blinds.

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CHIMNEY REPAIRS

- Chimney Repairs - Soot & Smoke Problems - Demolish, Re Build & Re Flue Line - Chimney Fires - Flexible Stainless Steel Liner - Insurance Claims processed

- CCTV Camera Inspection For Professional For Professional Advice Contact Advice Contact: John Hibbitt: Tel: 090

9673336 2678350

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We buy any CARS, VANS, TRUCKS, JEEPS all types wanted. End of life certs can be provided. Also scrap metal

Daily collection

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Martin Hibbitt APA-PL, CIP, CDIP LA Mountbellew, Co. Mountbellew, Co. Galway Mountbellew, Co.Galway Galway

info@mhla.ie 091 380900 | 0879818153 9818153Co. Galway info@mhla.ie Mountbellew, 091 || 087 info@mhla.ie 091 380900 380900 087 9818153

Cleaning Services • Roscommon • Carpets & Upholstery Cleaning • WINDOW CLEANING • POWER WASHING Fascias & Soffits • Gutters & Down pipes • Drive ways ‘paths and patios’

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DOORS/ WINDOWS SERVICE SHOWROOM:

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andfrom quotes Unit advice 2,Grants Ballybrit Industrial €1,214 to Estate, Galway

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Tel: 090 662 6898 AFTER HOURS/24 HOUR EMERGENCY

087 2596055 You must call in advance to order repeat prescriptions

Please ring to make an appointment for the small animal clinic.

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Telephone: 090 66 33026 www.roscommonwindows.ie

Chris’s Window Service

Springfield, Williamstown, Co. Galway Window restrictors l Burglary repairs l Window locks l Cylinder and lock supplied l Hinge replacement l Glass replacement l Window and door seals l Window and door handles supplied and fitted l Aluminium and uPVC doors and windows repaired.

Te l : 0 8 5 2 1 9 1 2 3 4

email: chrislocksmith.162@gmail.com

DOOR & WINDOW SERVICE

Supply and fit uPVC Doors and Windows ONLY TOP QUALITY PRODUCTS USED Composite Doors, French Doors, Patio Doors in a wide range of styles and colours Also various styles and colours of uPVC Windows

Full replacement service provided and all work carried out to a high quality finish

REPAIRS & SERVICING ALSO CARRIED OUT Contact Pat Hanley on

086 6002721

to discuss your requirements

Email: pjmhanley@gmail.com

GENERAL SERVICES

RECYCLING

Castlerea Vehicle Recycling All NCT Failures Destruction Certs Issued l Sale of Second Hand Parts l Contracted to all Major Car Companies l Farm Machinery, Old Gates l Metals, Iron Baths l Old Cooking Ranges l Weighbridge on Site

Patios l Decking Houses l Vehicles l Driveways l Caravans l Walls l Gutters l Domestic Cleaning l Roof Cleaning l All Types of Algae Treated l

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Cellulose, Sheepswool, Fibreglass, Call in SIGA or contact us for free Airtightness advice and quotes New Buildings & Retrofit

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Cellulose, Sheepswool, Fibreglass, SIGA Airtightness Bonded Bead Cavity &Wall Insulation New Buildings Retrofit

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We SUPPLY & FIT Double & Treble Glazed Windows & Doors, Patio Doors, French Doors, Porches and Conservatories

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Tel: 090

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Nationwide Service Stoves and Ranges Fitted All Work Guaranteed

Contact Maurice on 086 2538169 or Kenneth on 086 8044030 Gannon Environmental Services Ltd.

Full & Mini Car Valeting (we come to you)

RECYCLING ALL TYPES OF METAL

Castlerea ELV Recycling Ltd., Cloonkeen, Castlerea Kevin & Martina Keenan Tel: 094 96 21250 Mob: 086 2522231

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Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

Classifieds

To advertise, telephone 090 66 34633 or email advertising@roscommonpeople.ie

Appointments EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES WITH ST HILDA’S SERVICES We now wish to recruit a

PSYCHOLOGIST

EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES WITH ST HILDA’S SERVICES St. Hilda’s Services is a voluntary organisation, grant aided bynow the HSE. We wishEstablished to recruit ain 1964, St. Hilda’s provides services to people with an intellectual disability. If you have a passion for working with persons with intellectual disability and you possess the PSYCHOLOGIST relevant skills and experience, we would love to hear from you: Ref. 22/01. Psychologist – Basic Grade Part-Time Based in St Hilda’s Athlone St. Hilda’s Services is a voluntary organisation, grant aided by the HSE. Established in 1964, St. Hilda’s provides services to people with an intellectual disability. If you have a passion for working with persons with intellectual disability and you possess the relevant skills and Overall Purpose of the Post: experience, we would loveofto hear from you: Provide a psychology service to meet the identified and emerging needs service users who are supported by St Hilda’s Services. The focus of this position is Ref. 22/01. Psychologist – Basic Grade Sherry Fitzgerald P Burke auctioneers are currently recruiting a behaviour support. Part-Time St. Hilda’s Services is seeking to appoint a Psychologist who willHilda’s be responsible Based in St Athlone for the following: • Provision of psychological assessment, intervention to service users as appropriate. This includes supports to Post: our service users with intellectual disabilities presenting The candidate may have experience but full training will be Overall Purpose of the with a diversity of needs including Autism, mental health difficulties, behaviours provided whether the candidate has a PSRA licence that areadescribed as challenging, personal family and relationships issues, Provide psychology service to meet the and identified emerging needs of service users who are supported by St Hilda’s dementiaThe andfocus problems associated aging, issues in relation to the or is interested in working towards their licence. Services. of this positionwith is behaviour support. development of individualised service arrangements. The Candidate should be capable of working on own initiative • Engage in functional assessments of behaviour and collaborate in the development of behaviour management plans.a Psychologist who will be responsible for the following:in addition to working in a team environment St. Hilda’s Services is seeking to appoint • Management of the behaviour support service, including day-to-day management of the staff team together with provision of professional and clinical supervision. • and Provision of psychological assessment, intervention to service users as appropriate. This includes supports to our Please email your CV in confidence to: • Develop implement training initiatives for parents/staff in response to service users with intellectual disabilities presenting with a diversity of needs including Autism, mental health identified need. • Provide assessments relating to the adaptive functioning difficulties, behaviours that are functioning, described asintellectual challenging, personal and family relationships issues, dementia and and emotional wellbeing of servicewith users. problems associated aging, issues in relation to the development of individualised service arrangements. • Develop interventions drawing uponof concepts and and techniques withinin the development of behaviour management • therapeutic Engage in functional assessments behaviour collaborate various therapeutic frameworks. plans. Tulsk Community Childcare Ltd • Work with service usersofand familiessupport to implement theincluding therapeutic • our Management thetheir behaviour service, day-to-day management of the staff team together with St. Fidelma's Childcare Centre interventions. provision of professional and clinical supervision. Corbally, Tulsk Commu nity CTulsk, hildcCo. areRoscommon Ltd • Manage confidential data and client information. Tel: Centre 071 9639202 • Develop and implement training initiatives for parents/staff in response to identified need. St. Fidelma's Childcare • Attend and participate in regular team and other meetings. Corbally, Tulsk, Co. Roscommon Providewith assessments relating the adaptive functioning, intellectual functioning and emotional wellbeing of service • Engage• effectively outside agencies andtoadvocate for the service users Tel: 071 9639202 users. attending the service. • Develop therapeutic interventions drawing upon concepts and techniques within therapeutic frameworks. St.various Fidelma’s Childcare Centre is currently recruiting for the following positions: • candidate Work with our service users and their families to implement the therapeutic interventions. St. Fidelma’s Childcare Centre is currently recruiting for the following positions: The ideal will: CleanerChildcare Centre is currently recruiting for the following positions: l Have a Degree or Diploma equivalent) obtained with 1st or • University Manage confidential data(QQ1 and level client8 information. St. Fidelma’s 2nd class honours in which Psychology was taken as a major subject and honours • Attend and participate in regular team and other meetings. 10 hours per week Monday-Friday after 6pm. Cleaner obtained that subject. • inEngage effectively with outside agencies and advocate for the service users attending the service. l And have an Irish post-graduate professional psychology qualification accredited 10week hours pertoweek Monday-Friday after 6pm. Thisper position isMonday-Friday subject Garda vetting and Reference validation. 10 hours after 6pm. by the Psychological Society of Ireland in Clinical, or Counselling Psychology or The candidate will: in Educational or Psychology or equivalent from an ideal equivalent qualification This isis subject to Vetting andforward Reference Validation. If you are interested in applying your C.V. to: Acting Manager: Pauline This position position subject to Garda Garda vettingthen and Reference validation. another jurisdiction validated by the Department of Health. Flanagan, St. Fidelma’s Childcare Centre, Corbally, Tulsk, Co. Roscommon or Email l Demonstrate working adults with level intellectual disabilities Ø Have competence a universityin degree or with diploma (QQ1 8 equivalent) obtained with If1st ortulskchildcare@gmail.com 2nd class honours in which you are interested in applying then forward your C.V. to: Acting Manager: Pauline - either Psychology at least 60 days or equivalent supervised clinical placements as part ofin that subject. was taken as a major subject and honours obtained Flanagan, St. Fidelma’s Childcare Centre, Corbally, Tulsk, Co. Roscommon or Email the professional qualification; or at least 60 days or equivalent post-qualification Ø And have an Irish post-graduate professional psychology qualification accredited by R eliethe f StaPsychological ff – Early Years EdSociety ucator . of tulskchildcare@gmail.com supervised work experience as a psychologist. Ireland in Clinical, or Counselling Psychology or an equivalent qualification in Educational or Psychology or equivalent l Must be eligible to work in Ireland We are We alsoare currently looking to develop a apanel Childcare Workers. also currently looking to develop panelof: of: Relief Relief Childcare Workers. from another jurisdiction validated by the Department of Health. R e l i e f S t a f f – E a r l y Y e a r s E d u c a t o r . l Excellent communication skills – oral and written Candidates are60 required minimum: Demonstrate competence in working with adults with intellectual disabilities Candidates - either at are least days orhave equivalent required to to have minimum: l FullØClean Licence – access to own vehicle Fetac Level 5 qualification in childcare or equivalent and We are also currently looking to develop a panel of: Relief Childcare Workers. supervised clinical placements as part of the professional qualification; or atFetac leastLevel 60 ofdays or equivalent post5 initiative qualification in childcare or equivalent and Lots and enthusiasm Candidates are required to have minimum: Lots of initiative and enthusiasm qualification supervised work experience as a psychologist. Application form and Garda Vetting Form NVB1 may Fetac Level• 5Be qualification in childcare or equivalent and team • aBegood a good teamplayer player Ø Must be eligible to work in Ireland Lots of initiative and enthusiasm be downloaded here interest community childcare • •An An interest inincommunity childcare Ø Excellent communication skills – oral and written •An An interest insupporting supporting and empowering children and their http://www.sthildas.ie/recruitment/ • interest in and empowering children andfamilies. their families. Ø Full Clean Licence – access to own vehicle • Be a good team player

SALES NEGOTIATOR

pburke@sfpburke.ie

CLEANER

RELIEF STAFF – EARLY YEARS EDUCATOR

Alternatively you may request them by calling 090 6475825

• All Anmembers interest inofcommunity childcare the panel be subjecttotoGarda Garda Clearance Clearance and reference validation. All members of the panel willwill be subject and reference validation. • Staff An interest inwill supporting and empowering children and their families. training be provided Staff training will be provided.

If you are interested please Send Your CV by post to: Mrs Pauline Flanagan Acting Manager, St Fidelma’s Please forward yourApplication completed Application Form, All members panelChurch will be Road, subjectTulsk, to Garda Clearance and reference validation. form and Garda Vetting Form NVB1 may be downloaded hereof the Childcare Roscommon or email: If Centre, youprovided are interested in eitherCastlerea, postionCo please send your CV bytulskchildcare@gmail.com. post to: Covering Letter and Formhttp://www.sthildas.ie/recruitment/ NVB1 Staff training will be If you are interested please Send Your CV by post to: Mrs Pauline Flanagan Acting Manager, St Fidelma’s Mrs Pauline Flanagan Acting Manager, St Fidelma’s Childcare Centre, Church Road, (marking envelope “Ref. 22/01”), Alternatively you may request them by calling 090 6475825 Childcare Centre, Church Road, Tulsk, Castlerea, Co Roscommon or email: tulskchildcare@gmail.com. Tulsk, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon or email: tulskchildcare@gmail.com by the 28/02/2022 to: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Please forward your completed Form, Covering Letter and Form NVB1 H.R. Manager, St. Hilda’s Services, Central Offices,Application Grace Park Road, “Investing in your future” (marking envelope “Ref. 22/01”), by the 28/02/2022 Athlone, Co. Westmeath.

to:-H.R. Manager, St. Hilda’s Services, Central Offices, Grace Park Road, Athlone, Co. Westmeath. _____________________________________________________________________________________ “Investing in your future”

St. Hilda’s Services is an equal opportunities Employer. Short-listing based on the St. Hilda’sinformation Services is anprovided equal opportunities apply Directors:may Seamus Conway, Michelle Keaveney, Jennifer Payne, Orla Carty. may apply Employer. Short-listing based on the information provided

St. Hilda’s is an equal opportunities employer. Short-listing may apply.

Directors: Seamus Conway, Michelle Keaveney, Jennifer Payne, Orla Carty.

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

Classifieds

To advertise, telephone 090 66 34633 or email advertising@roscommonpeople.ie

Appointments

Young Tiling & Flooring are currently seeking Full and Part-Time, Permanent

Tiling and Flooring Contractors

To join our Expanding Team Specialising in Industrial Flooring. l Experience essential l Full drivers licence required l Must be capable of working to a high standard l Great rates of pay dependent on individual experience/qualifications l Monday to Friday, with overtime available on weekends l Required for immediate start to work on various nationwide contracts Applications to: info@youngtilingandflooring.ie Mobile: 087 356 9042

A new Electrical Wholesale and Manufacturing Company located in the heart of the Midlands, Athlone are looking to expand its Team. We currently have the following positions available.

An electrical Switchgear, engineering, manufacturing and design com l the Midlands, Athlone are looking to expand its manufacturing team. following positions available.

Purchasing Co-Ordinator

This exciting position will entail the procurement and co-ordination of project specific parts from existing suppliers throughout Europe.

General Operative

Warehouse Operative

l CNC Operator

Gateway Community Care

Order Picking, Picker/Packer System, Mechanical / Electrical Assembly Technician Dispatch, Goods Inwards, Stock Control, Replenishing Stock.

Residential Care Worker

Sligo

€36,000

Location: Roscommon and Sligo Salary: Average €32,000 - €36,000 per annum Permanent and Relief Posts available per annum

We are seeking applications from enthusiastic care

workers with a passion for supporting clients with ts available

Previous experience is This is a great opportunity to join a fast-paced expanding engineering c required, however full offer training to willthe beideal givencandidate. to the

disability in our new residential house that is opening in Roscommon and our existing services in Sligo. These are ideal for thoseworkers who enjoy working ns frompositions enthusiastic care with ainpassion for supporting a team and want to make a difference in the lives of ur new residential house that opening inbeRoscommon and our children and young people with is disability. You will provided with extensive training in our model of care to hese positions assist you inare your ideal role. for those who enjoy working in a team

ence in Requirement the lives of children and young people with disability. You ideal candidate. • Qualification in relevant discipline (e.g.:to health, nsive training in our model of care assist you in your role. community care sector) FETAC Level 5 minimum. • Have a full driving license and be willing to drive company vehicles • Have a genuine passion for working with children and young people with disability

Please forward your CV’s to: Please apply with your CV directly to HR@centralswitchgear.ie or call 0

evant discipline (e.g.: health, community care sector) FETAC Level

Benefits to working with Company • Opportunity to work with a dedicated team in a role icense meaningful be willing to drive salary company vehicles •and Highly competitive incremental scale allowing progression ssion for• Premium working children rateswith paid on Sunday andand Bankyoung Holidays people • Flexible work schedule to accommodate both staff and service users Company • Extensive training opportunities • Significant promotion opportunities for those in progression rk with interested a dedicated team in a meaningful role

with disability

Companysalary Profile scale allowing progression incremental Gateway Community Care Our service and adults with significant d on Sunday andsupports Bankchildren Holidays and complex additional needs. Working with families dule to and accommodate both staff and service the community, we support the people we care forusers to build their independence and resilience. opportunities We offer residential care on a respite, shared and fulltime basis. The care we provide is tailored to the needs on opportunities interested in progression of those we helpfor andthose is supported by day service and community outreach services. Skills: Social Care: Residential Care: Teaching Activities of Daily Living: Low Arousal. Apply/forward CV to: careers@gatewaycc.ie

hr@centralswitchgear.ie or call directly on 090 64 98112

WANTED

LORRY DRIVER

FOR LOCAL DELIVERIES l In Mid-Roscommon l Must have HGV licence l 5 days a week l Top wages paid

Phone 087 1145009

en and adults with significant and complex additional needs. SITUATIONS WANTED Locally owned the community, we to build their ... in the heart of support the people we care for < MAN AVAILABLE: For power washing, painting, gardening and odd jobs. Telephone: 086 2200520 ce. the community

on a respite, shared and full-time basis. The care we provide is

SITUATIONS VACANT < SHUTTERING CARPENTER REQUIRED: For Coman Wood Ltd. in Castlerea, Demesne, Co. Roscommon. €30k p.a, 39 h.p.w Contact: paula@visasireland.ie < CHILDMINDER REQUIRED: For one toddler required Monday to Friday. In childs own home, Glenamaddy area. Please contact 086 3071152 < CARER REQUIRED: For night time care of elderly gentleman in his own home, Elphin area. Please contact 086 8415394

HORAN’S RESTAURANT Racecourse Rd., Roscommon Town

Experienced Chef/Cook & Waiting Staff Required 2/3 days a week, Roscommon Town Good conditions

Call John on 086 8538519

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

Classifieds

To advertise, telephone 090 66 34633 or email advertising@roscommonpeople.ie

Appointments

APPRENTICESHIP CAREER PATHWAYS We are passionate about raising standards in the construction industry through investment in our people and our systems of work. We encourage new entrants into the industry through traineeship programmes, apprenticeships, and third level institutions. As a turnkey design and build contractor with a direct labour force, we manage risk and deliver projects safely for our workers, our clients and the public. We can offer YOU invaluable comprehensive experience, in the following;

CIVIL | MECHANICAL | ELECTRICAL | PROCESS ENGINEERING DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

With opportunities to work with Ward & Burke across the world;

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Below are examples of courses from which graduates have found Full-Time Employment with Ward & Burke. These courses are offered by SOLAS and the Educational and Training Boards of Ireland; Electricians • Construction Plant Fitters Mechanical Automation and • Skilled Machine Operators Maintenance Fitting • Metal Fabricators Utility Industry Specialist - Pipelayers • Plumbers Tunnellers • Civil, Mechanical & Electrical Engineers Construction Management

CAREER PROGRESSION

Opportunity to gain invaluable practical experience onsite. Following 2 years site based experience, employees will be afforded the opportunity to apply for company sponsored further education and training. We provide excellent remuneration, terms and conditions including potential for promotion and the opportunity to advance your career. IRELAND HEAD OFFICE | Kilcolgan, Galway

TEL | +353 91 340 100

EMAIL | info@wardandburke.com

WEB | www.wardandburke.com

To have your advert seen by over 80,000 people every week advertise with us! THE MOST READ NEWSPAPER IN COUNTY ROSCOMMON!

The local paper!

OUR DEADLINE IS STRICTLY 2PM ON TUESDAY

We cannot guarantee publication after this time TEL: EMAIL:

090 66 34633

advertising@roscommonpeople.ie

Patients worried over easing of restrictions – Cancer Care West For cancer patients and their families, the recent easing of Covid restrictions, while very welcome, was perhaps also a time of increased worry for patients and their loved ones. With many cancer patients classed as being vulnerable, their need to maintain the public health advice on social distancing, wearing masks, and minimising contact with others has been paramount. Now that many of these precautions are no longer mandated, their adjustment back to pre-Covid activity may cause additional concern. Local charity Cancer Care West are seeing first-hand the worry this is causing cancer patients. Dr. Helen Greally (Director of Psychology and Support Services at the charity) commented: “For people living with cancer, it has been especially important to be rigorous in adhering to the pandemic public health advice. Now patients are surrounded by people who no longer need to be so careful, and this may leave patients feeling vulnerable and apprehensive. No cancer patient wants to add Covid-19 to their health concerns, but their sense of control over their ability to keep it at bay may feel compromised. “For people in this situation, it’s important to keep perspective and allow yourself time to adjust. Be patient with yourself and with your feelings. Feelings of anxiety are likely to pass with time as we get used to the ‘new normal’ but it’s important to do what we can during this period or re-adjustment to take care of our mental health”. The charity has drawn up a list of things to consider which may help cancer patients and others in the vulnerable group. Their message is that anyone who is feeling worried or anxious should contact their support network and talk through their concerns. If you are living with cancer and need support during this transition period please contact Cancer Care West on 091-540040. Some tips for coping with relaxed Covid restrictions include going at your own pace, not avoiding things entirely, getting your information from the right sources, discussing any changes with your close loved ones, making time to relax, challenging unhelpful thoughts, confiding in someone you trust (especially when feeling overwhelmed), planning social occasions, finding routine where you can, and focusing on the present.

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

Sports PEOPLE Creggs braced for Connemara challenge Connacht J1A League Final:

Creggs RFC v Connemara RFC on Saturday in Castlebar at 7 pm < DAN DOONER

Following the postponement of the Connacht J1A League final due to an Orange weather alert in Galway last Sunday, this season’s decider between archrivals Creggs and Connemara, which was scheduled to take place at the Sportsground, has now been moved to Castlebar for an evening kick-off this Saturday. Creggs finished the regular league season top of the table and have already beaten the Connemara All Blacks this season en route to claiming their third Cawley Cup in a row. Connemara, however, have looked formidable once again this season and just missed out on top spot in the league by a single bonus point. Creggs Head Coach Pat Cunningham is expected to have a full squad to choose from this weekend and while Connemara remain the team to beat at this level, confidence is high down at The Green that the Maroon and White can take the next step at this level. Cunningham told People Sport recently that his charges were looking forward to the challenge laid down by Connemara, and it will be interesting to see whether the change of venue offers a psychological boost to the men from the village.

My ball! Action from the National Football League Division Two match between Roscommon and Clare at Dr. Hyde Park last Sunday. Full match report on pages 54 and 55. Pic: Mick McCormack

Rossies travel north with promotion in their sights Allianz NFL Division Two (Round 4): Down v Roscommon at Pairc Esler, Newry on Saturday at 5 pm < SEAMUS DUKE

There was a time when travelling to Newry to face Down was in the “extremely difficult assignment” category but in recent years the Mourne men have slipped down the pecking order. They appointed legend James McCartan for his second stint as manager earlier in the season, and hopes are high in the county that he can restore some of the good times for this sleeping giant of Gaelic football. Last Sunday in Pairc Tailteann,

Down gained their first point of the campaign when they drew with Meath (2-6 apiece) and with their Kilcoo players still missing after their All-Ireland club heroics, Down will need at least two wins in the remainder of the campaign if they want to avoid relegation to Division Three and suffer the ignominy of having to play for the Tailteann Cup this summer. However, the ‘red and black’ have some excellent performers like Darren O’Hagan, Niall McPartland, Caolan Mooney, Andrew Gilmore and Kevin McKernan and at home they will have to be respected. The Roscommon panel looks much stronger now the Pearses and Faithleach’s players are back in the fold. Expect to see Conor Daly and Davy Murray challenging for places this

weekend in addition to the players who returned last week. Eoin McCormack, Brian Stack, Niall Daly and Richard Hughes have impressed at the back for Roscommon and Anthony Cunningham and his selectors are expected to continue with Ultan Harney and Eddie Nolan at midfield. Up front, the Smiths, Conor Cox and Cathal Heneghan have earned their corn thus far and Niall Kilroy continues in the ‘engine room’. Ciaráin and Diarmuid Murtagh will be putting the pressure on to get into the starting fifteen too. It would be unfair to judge any team who played in the storm last Sunday as the conditions played havoc across the country. Down failed to score in the entire second half in Navan last

Sunday, which is a damning statistic. It will be interesting to see if James McCartan can get a couple of the Kilcoo players back for this match. He certainly needs them. This is a very tricky game for Roscommon and much like Clare last Sunday, Down will take advantage of any complacency. However, Roscommon’s work ethic has been good in this campaign and the panel is getting stronger with every passing week. If Roscommon show Down the respect they deserve, they can prosper again this week. A win would put Roscommon in pole position for promotion. It will not be easy, but they have the quality to win by a couple of points. Prediction: Roscommon.

Connacht crunch! After defeating Westport in the Connacht J1A League semi-final earlier this month (pictured), Creggs RFC are set for a showdown in Castlebar with Connemara in this Saturday’s re-fixed final. Pic: Bernie O’Malley

Hurlers host Warwickshire at Kiltoom Allianz NHL Division 3A: Roscommon v Warwickshire on Sunday in Kiltoom at 1 pm < SEAMUS DUKE

Roscommon hurlers will be in an unfamiliar home setting this weekend when they face Warwickshire in round three of the Allianz National Hurling League at Kiltoom. Francis O’Halloran’s men will be hoping to build on a fine performance against Louth in round two and a draw against Tyrone on the opening day of the season. Warwickshire are pointless going into the game. They were beaten by Monaghan by a single point but were heavily beaten by Monaghan in round two. Roscommon will be looking at more new players this Sunday as they continue to prepare for the championship and another win would maintain their unbeaten run and put them in with a good shout of promotion. They should manage it on home territory. Prediction: Roscommon

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

SportsPeople

Horses for Courses Racing in Ireland today is at Thurles featuring the Grade 3 Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle, starting at 1.55 pm. Weekend racing starts tomorrow on the all-weather at Dundalk, away at 4 pm. On Saturday, the racing action is Fairyhouse, first race at 2 pm, and featuring two Grade 3, the Norman Colfer Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle and the Bobbyjo Chase. On Sunday, Naas, featuring a Grade 2 race, the Johnstown Novice Hurdle, the Grade 3 Newlands Chase and the Grade B Nas Na Riogh Handicap Chase all sponsored by BetVictor, first race at 2.30 pm. There is cross channel racing on TV on Saturday. ITV features five races from Kempton, including three Grade 2 races, the Adonis Juvenile Hurdle, the Pendil Novice Chase and the Dovecote Novice Hurdle, two from the all-weather at Lingfield, and one from Newcastle the Eider Chase over 4½ miles. The weather played a big part in Irish racing last weekend with Friday’s meeting at Dundalk moved to Monday. Navan’s fixture on Sunday was cancelled due to a waterlogged course and was run off on Tuesday. Cross channel, Friday night’s allweather meeting at Lingfield was abandoned due to high winds associated with Storm Eunice.

Review of the Week Gordon Elliott’s Teahupoo was an easy winner of the Red Mills Hurdle, the generous odds of 13/8 favourite under Robbie Power. Joseph O’Brien’s Darasso finished second with Henry de Bromhead’s

Quixilios staying on for third. The winning distances were 11l and the same. Only four went to post in the chase with Willie Mullins’ favourite Melon beating Sizing Pottsie and Hardline by 6l and 4¾ l with Daly Tiger last. Cross channel, Joseph O’Brien’s Fakir D’oudaries, the only Irish raider, won the Grade 1 Ascot Chase under Mark Walsh by 1¾l and the same from outsider Two For Gold and Fanion D’Estruval. He, having passed the runner-up at the last, battled all the way to the post to win at 9/4 favourite. The winner may go for the Ryanair at Cheltenham and the Melling Chase at Aintree. On Tuesday, in the rescheduled Navan fixture, the Grade 2 Boyne Hurdle was won by JP McManus’s Thedevilscoachman, trained in Meath by Noel Meade and ridden by Mark Walsh. The 6-Y-O gelding got up on the line to beat Ashdale Bob by a head with Commander Of Fleet 9 ½ l further back in third. Sean Mulryan’s Longhouse Poet finished a disappointing seventh. Just four went to post in the Ten Up Novice Chase, also a Grade 2, won by the Gordon Elliott-trained odds-on Farouk D’alene at 4/11 ridden by Jack Kennedy. Noel Meade’s Beacon Edge stayed on to finish second, beaten ¾l to give owners Gigginstown Stud a 1, 2 and Elliott’s Braeside finished 27l away in third.

Racing News English champion flat jockey Oisin Murphy was suspended for breach of Covid rules, two failed alcohol tests and acting in a man-

by Tom Red

Short putts

(News from local golf clubs)

Athlone

English champion flat jockey Oisin Murphy.

ner which is prejudicial to the proper integrity, conduct and good reputation of the sport. He was suspended for 14 months, ten days and 90 days for the alcohol positive test plus a further eleven months on each of the other three charges which will run concurrently. He will not be able to return to race riding until February 2023. In December, Murphy temporarily relinquished his licence to tackle health issues in the face of BHA charges relating to his alcohol failures at Chester and Newmarket. Trainer Bob Baffert has been suspended for 90 days and fined $7,500 with his Medina Spirit disqualified from last year’s Kentucky Derby win after testing positive. Medina Spirit died suddenly at Santa Anita last December.

Point-to-Point Corner Racing scheduled on the northern circuit on Saturday takes

place at Farmacaffley in Armagh with a 1 pm start and 78 entries. The Kildorrey meeting, which was cancelled last weekend, takes place on Saturday at Duhallow at 1 pm and there are 114 entries. There are three meetings down for decision in the south on Sunday. At Tinahely in Wicklow with 126 entries, at Lisronagh in Tipperary between Fethard and Clonmel, with 185 entries, and at Bandon in Cork with 88 entries. Tinahely starts at 1 pm, Bandon at 1.30 pm, and Lisronagh has been brought forward to 1 pm because of the large entry. Last Saturday’s fixture at Oldtown fell to Storm Eunice and on Sunday, after early morning inspections, Kildorrery and Nenagh followed due to waterlogged courses. The meeting at Ballycrystal in Wexford went ahead. Kildorrery takes place on Saturday and Nenagh has been rescheduled for Sunday, March 13th. The Oldtown meeting has been abandoned.

Members of the Éire Óg-Michael Glavey’s U-14 football team, county title winners 2020, were presented with their county medals on Saturday evening in the Michael Glavey’s Centre at Peadar Earley Park by Éire Óg and Michael Glavey’s Roscommon senior players.

The Captains’ Drive In will take place on Sunday, March 13th and will be followed by a scramble and light refreshments. The Athlone Golf Club community offers deepest sympathies to the family of Moira Grogan, Glasson, Lady Captain in 1989 and regular visitor to the club, who passed away recently. May she rest in peace. Sympathies are also extended to member Des Rushe, on the death of his father, Sean. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam. The recent 12-hole competition was won by Carol McGettrick with 25 points. Clare Campion was second with 22. PJ Martin was the winner of the AWGS 12-hole competition last week with 24 points. Terry Carmody was elected Captain for the coming golfing year following the recent Wednesday golfers’ AGM with Michael Tallon installed as President.

Roscommon This year’s Drive In was postponed until this Sunday (27th) at 2 pm (weather permitting) while the Ladies’ Spring League Matchplay Foursomes have been extended to March 5th.

Handball

Corrigan claims Connacht honours

While the performance levels of all Roscommon representatives at last weekend’s 40x20 Connacht finals was generally high, only Lisacul’s Shauna Corrigan came out on top in her grade. Shauna beat Galway’s Ava Sweeney 21-3, 21-9 in the Girls’ U-16 Singles final at St. Coman’s on Sunday. On the same bill, Seamie Carthy lost a wellcontested U-13 Singles match against Galway’s Jack O’Conghaile 5-15, 15-3, 4-15. Kilglass’s Allanah Coggeran ran into a wellprepared Karly Cooney from Castleconnor in Sligo in the Girls U-17 Singles and the Yeats County girl showed some fine touches in a comfortable 21-3, 21-7 win. St. Coman’s’ classy Eoghan Carthy had to withdraw from his U-16 decider due to injury. The match of the weekend was the Minor Singles meeting of Rory Carthy and Sligo’s Cormac Finn. Both have won All-Ireland titles in 60x30 and following their display in Ballaghaderreen, it seems only a matter of time before 40x20 honours follow. Their first game will go down as one of the best seen at underage level by all those in attendance. Both players were given a rousing ovation as they came out for a timeout at 20-20. In the end, it was Cormac who came away with the narrowest of wins. The 20-10 scoreline in favour of the Sligo man in the second doesn’t quite tell the whole story. Rory can take huge heart from this performance and can look forward to better results in the future. The full house in Ballaghaderreen was also treated to the very entertaining Ladies’ Junior final which saw Cormac’s sister Laura Finn defeating Roscommon’s Siobhan Treacy on a scoreline of 21-16, 18-21, 11-5 after one and a half hours of play. In the Junior ‘B’ Singles final, Moycullen’s Darragh Mulkerrins edged out Dylan Hanley on a scoreline of 21-9, 17-21, 11-9 in what was another thriller. Finally, Lisacul’s Ross Melvin in the new Junior ‘C’ county champion after he defeated St. Coman’s’ Enda Kelly 21-3, 21-17.

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

SportsPeople Creggs RFC Report

THE GAIN LINE

Development team set for two semi-finals The Creggs Development team faces two J1C semi-finals in coming weeks, the first of which is the league semifinal which takes place at 12.30 pm this Sunday away to Ballyhaunis. The side faces another away day against Tuam in the semi-final of the cup with a date to still to be decided. This weekend sees a break in competitions for Junior Rugby as underage players join up with their respective Connacht PTS groups. Next Sunday, Creggs U-16 Girls will travel to Ennis RFC for a friendly before their cup game the following weekend. Other teams also have participation games with the Girls U-18s due to play Ballina RFC, the U-13 Boys away to Sligo RFC and U-14 Boys at home to Oughterard RFC. All games are subject to pitch availability following a lot of cancellations last weekend throughout the province. Creggs RFC 11 Corinthians 19 (Connacht U-18.5 Cup): Creggs came up just short against league champions and cup favourites Corinthians at Creggs last weekend. The game was in the balance right up until the final five minutes when the visitors got in for the

deciding try. Two first-half penalties saw Creggs lead 6-5 at half-time, however the loss of Eoin Kelly through injury proved decisive as the second half wore on. Creggs did however impress on the resumption and were rewarded when Jack Fleming went over midway through the second half to stretch the lead to 11-5. Playing with the wind, the larger Corinthians pack began to make inroads and they eventually drove over from close range to take a one-point lead with just ten minutes remaining. The visitors completed the scoring with another pick and go try late on to send Creggs into the Connacht Plate competition. Creggs RFC 51 Ballinasloe RFC 17 (Connacht U-13 Cup): The U-13s enjoyed a very impressive first outing in the Connacht Cup as they scored nine tries to run out easy winners against Ballinasloe. Sam Walsh took the plaudits with a storming display of finishing from the left wing and he finished his afternoon with a whopping five tries, having completed his hattrick just before halftime. Daniel Nerney (2), Kian

Soccer Fixtures wash out! The weather played havoc on Roscommon & District Football League fixtures last weekend with a complete postponement of all fixtures. All re-fixed cup games will remain as scheduled with teams drawn at home retaining home advantage. Subject to weather, there are a number of cracking fixtures down for decision this weekend including those RDFL sides in Connacht Cup contention.

Fixtures Friday, February 25th Joe’s Bar RDFL Challenge Cup (8 pm) Ballymoe FC B v Ballaghaderreen FC B Moore United B v Glen Celtic

Saturday, February 26th Norio’s Premier Division Moore United v Ballaghaderreen FC. 7 pm

Sunday, February 27th TP Brennan Connacht Cup (2 pm) Salthill Devon v Ballymoe FC Boyle Celtic v Athenry FC Dynamo Blues v Ballinasloe Town Joe’s Bar RDFL Challenge Cup Cam Celtic v Dunmore Town B. 11 am CP Ajax v Ballinagare Manor United. 11 am St. Cuan’s Ahascragh United v Shiven Rovers. 11 am Roscommon United v Dysart FC. 11 am Cloonfad United B v Boyle Celtic B. 2 pm Rahara Rovers v Dunmore Town. 2 pm St. John’s Athletic B v Skyvalley Rovers B. 2 pm

BOD gets his ticket to Creggs’ big draw! Joe Ryan pictured with Ireland and Leinster legend Brian O’Driscoll at the Sportsground recently.

Hughes, and Niall Tinon were also on target and Harry Waldron also chipped in with three conversions. Creggs RFC 10 Galway Bay RFC 12 (Connacht U-14 Cup): The U-14s came up just short against Galway Bay in their last 16 tie which was played in very difficult conditions. The visitors made full

use of their wind advantage, scoring an early try in the first half and taking a 7-5 lead into the interval, a Kaylum Curran try Creggs’ only score. Creggs’ smart kicking gameplan was rewarded in the second half as Luke Skally used his soccer skills to bring Daniel Fleming’s cross-field kick under control for a try which gave the hosts

the lead. The conversion was missed, however, and Galway Bay benefitted from a suspected forward pass to rescue victory from the jaws of defeat with the last play of the game. Keep an eye on the Creggs RFC Facebook page for updates and for further enquiries please contact Dave Purcell on 087-7000547.

Norio’s Premier Division (11 am) St. John’s Athletic v Kilkerrin United Cloonfad United v Castlerea Celtic

Roscommon Town registration night will host a Roscommon Town Youth Soccer Club U-7s from girls and s boy for t registration nigh 6 to 7.30 from h) (25t ay Frid this s U-18 to up rts Park pm at Roscommon Community Spo clubhouse in Lisnamult. on are as Registration fees for the 2022 seas two players follows: €80 per player, €150 for ome. and €210 for three players. All welc

Darts

McDermott’s are tops again! Last Friday saw McDermott’s of Ballinaheglish back on top of the Roscommon Darts League pile following their convincing 5-1 win over Flanagan’s of Castleplunkett in the deferred 2020 Cup final. The form book went all the way back to 2019 and 2020 for this one and saw each team claiming a thrilling 5-4 win each. Time has moved on since then however and McDermott’s stormed into an early lead last Friday with doubles wins for David and Tom Concannon and then Gary Concannon and Mark Finneran. Flanagan’s did respond

through Noel Ryan and Jimmy Owens, but unfortunately for the Castleplunkett side, that was as good as it got and David Concannon, Thomas Concannon and Mark Finneran did the business in their singles matches to seal the title for McDermott’s. Doubles scores: Alan Owens/ Kieran McCormack 1 David Concannon/Tom Concannon Snr. 2; Francis Hussey/Brian McCormack 1 Gary Concannon/Mark Finneran 2; Noel Ryan/Jimmy Owens 2 Thomas Concannon/Mike Fallon 1. Singles: Aidan Fleming 1 David Concannon 4; Francis

Hussey 2 Thomas Concannon 4; Jimmy Owens 2 Mark Finneran 4. Roscommon Darts League extends its congratulations to McDermott’s and thanks to Hannon’s Hotel for their continued support and all the organisers on the night. A Roscommon Darts League meeting will take place this Friday night in Hannon’s Hotel ahead of the start of the new season. All views and opinions are welcome on the night. For more information, join the Roscommon Darts Facebook page or check out rosdarts. com.

Roscommon Darts League Cup winners 2020: Pictured (Left to right): Andy Fallon, Mark Concannon, Thomas Concannon, Jerry Fallon, Mark Finneran, Brendan Mullarkey, Joe Elliffe, Tom Concannon Snr., David Concannon, Mike Fallon, Gary Concannon. Also pictured is Damien Hannon of Hannon’s Hotel who made the presentation.

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

SportsPeople Mayo withstand fightback to claim spoils Leo Murphy Cup (U-20) Round 1 Mayo 1-12 Roscommon 1-9

Pictured recently at the Connaught Indoor Championships were Suck Valley AC’s Clare Kelly, Emily O’Shea, Michaela Noone, Caitlin Feeney, Kate Devaney, Lara Devaney, Emily Gately, and Niamh Ogilvie.

Suck Valley athletes impress at Connaught Indoor Championships 24 Suck Valley Athletics Club members competed across 21 events at the first Connaught Track and Field Indoor Championships since 2020, which took place at TUS Athlone last weekend (Saturday and Sunday, 19th and 20th) Athletes aged from U-12 to U-17 and from most of the local parishes including Oran, Knockcroghery, Kilbride, Glinsk, Creggs and Roscommon impressed across both days. On Saturday, Suck Valley’s U-12 Girls 4x200m relay teams ran times of 2:12.55 and 2:45.09 respectively before Lily Browne cleared 3m 43cm in the U-13 long jump. The U-12s long jumpers also impressed with Ciarra Keane the stand out performer at 2m 85cm and Anna Browne close behind with 2m 77cm. Best for the boys was Rian Towey with a jump of 2m 91cm. Eight of the U-12s competed in the 60m sprint with Cian Featherstone clocking an impressive 9.88 for the boys and the Devaney sisters of Lara and Kate running 10.70 and 11.00 respectively. Meanwhile, Niamh Ogilvie (11.03) and Claire Kelly (11.49) came very close to breaking 11 seconds. In the field events, Megan Molloy (U13) earned a sixth place finish in the shot putt with 5m 78cm while Emily O’Shea (U-12) threw 4m 55cm. Caitlin Feeney also impressed in what was her fourth

event of the day! The club’s first Connaught medal arrived in the 60m hurdles where Emily Gately secured bronze with a time of 12.85. Michaela Noone (2:22.87) and Noah Flynn (2:12.34) wrapped up day one with impressive performances in the 600m. The relays again kicked things off on day two the the U-14 girls clocking a solid 2 minutes 12 seconds in the 4x200m before Roisin Brennan cleared 3m 62cm to secure sixth place in the U-14 long jump. Izzy Flynn then threw 5m 76cm for seventh in the shot putt. On the inner track, Saoirse Towey set the standard for the Suck Valley sprinters with a 9.35 over 60 metres. Nicole Mulhearn also impressed in the hurdles, clocking 12.39. Hollie Kilroe then came to the fore in the U-17 400m as she claimed gold in a time of 59.01. She followed this up with victory in the U-18 800m shortly after in an incredible time of 2:22.78, less than a second outside the championship record. Aisling Harris was also busy on day two, and having competed in both high jump and shot putt, she clocked an impressive 3:04.65 in the U-15 800m. Beth O’Mahony then showed her class in the U-14 800m with a solid run of 2:51.02. It fell to Hollie Kilroe to wrap up an impres- On her way home after a good day’s work, medal secured: sive weekend by winning the U-17 200m pictured recently at the Connaught Indoor Championships was Suck Valley AC’s Emily Gately. in 26.56.

A second-half Roscommon revival wasn’t good enough to reel in Mayo in this entertaining clash played at Bekan last Saturday night. Mayo were by far the better team in the opening 25 minutes and they led by 1-6 to 0-1. But Oisin Cregg scored a fine goal before half-time for Roscommon, and points from the excellent Adam McDermott, Cormac Regan and Daire Cregg saw Roscommon only two points down at the half-way mark. The second half was very competitive and Roscommon could have got a share of the spoils late on when Adam McDermott’s goal bound shot came back off the crossbar in injury-time. Roscommon host Donegal this weekend as they build towards the Connacht Championship. Roscommon: C Feely; C Lohan, A McManus, E Ward; C Regan (0-1) S Trundle, P Gavin; O Cregg (0-1), C Glennon; C Hand (0-1), D Cregg (0-3), J Lennon; A McDermott (0-4), Cathal Feely, C McLeod. Subs: G Gately for McLeod, R Gibbons for G Lennon, M Staunton for Trundle, C Keogh for Lennon, J Green for Hand.

Early goal sees Oran fall short AIB All-Ireland Junior ‘B’ Camogie semifinal Kevin Barry’s 1-5 Oran 0-6 An early goal by joint captain Emma McAliskey propelled Derrylaughan Kevin Barry’s to the AIB AllIreland Junior B decider, as a result of a hard-fought 1-5 to 0-6 triumph over a gallant Oran side in this semi-final played at the home of the Tyrone and Ulster champions last Saturday. The Red Hand representatives held the whip hand for the majority of proceedings as a result of that strike but they had to withstand a gutsy comeback from their Roscommon opposition in the second half. The Tyrone side scored that vital goal midway through the first half when McAliskey was on target and it helped them into a 1-3 to 0-2 half-time lead. Oran brought on the injured Claire Curley and Leah Rowe in the second half and they levelled the scores with points from Claire Curley, Caitriona Regan and Orla Connolly. But Derrylaughan’s response was impressive towards the finish as Elisha Gervin split the posts twice to book the final berth. Oran: M Fallon; S Hoare, A McDermott, T Kelly; K Cronin, M Carty, C Owens; D Regan, O Connolly (0-3); K Cronin C Regan (0-1), C Gunning; C Fallon; A Farrell, G Whyte. Subs: E McDermott for Hoare, L Rowe for Farrell, C Curley (0-2) for C Fallon, T Cronin for K Cronin. Note: The Athleague v Eoghan Rua game in the Junior ‘A’ semi-final was called off because of bad weather and the scheduled Roscommon v Cavan National League game due to go ahead on Saturday was also called off.

Final countdown for Community Challenge It’s the final countdown ahead of the Roscommon Community Challenge on Friday, March 4th and there has been a very positive response to training and registration so far. There will be no registration on the night due to Covid-19 so those interested in taking part are encouraged to regis-

ter through eventbrite.ie. Almost 100 people have signed up to the challenge since January with everyone making great progress in their training over the last few weeks. None of this would have been possible without the support and Roscommon Sports Partnership and the organisers are ex-

tremely grateful to coordinator Noel Feeley and David Brady and Daire Feeley and Michaela Fallon for all their support. The beneficiaries of this year’s event will be Roscommon Special Olympics and Roscommon Community Sports Park. Roscommon has a proud association with

Special Olympics. There is a thriving club within the county with bowlers and swimmers meeting every week and the club are looking forward to resuming on the Astro pitch at Roscommon Community Sports Park shortly. They are very grateful to the Community Sports Park, Sharon and her

staff at Roscommon Leisure Centre and Michael and his staff at Roscommon Leisure Zone, for the use of their facilities. This event is very important to Roscommon Special Olympics and proceeds will enable the continued provision of these sports to a wonderful group of athletes. This community event is for

everyone including walkers, runners, individuals, teams and families. Everyone is encouraged to come out and take part and enjoy what promises to be great evening. Businesses and service providers who would like to share their products or services are asked to contact Jacqui on 086-1721181.

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

SportsPeople

Lady luck shines on Rossies! Lidl LGFA NFL Division 3A Louth 2-4 Roscommon 2-5

Abby Curran of Roscommon in action against Laura Collins of Louth during the Lidl NFL Division 3A match at Cooley Kickhams in Carlingford on Sunday last. Pic: Michelle Hughes Walsh

Roscommon Ladies football manager Ollie Lennon was delighted with the resilience shown by his team as they survived a late Louth rally to win by a point at Fr. McEvoy Park in Cooley last Sunday afternoon. Roscommon bounced back from their narrow defeat to Down the week before, with Aisling Hanly’s fortuitous goal from a free just after the second-half water break proving decisive. “It was another very tight game but thankfully we came out on the right side of the result this time around,” Lennon told People Sport this week. “It means that we have all to play for when we face Sligo in the final group game. I was very happy

with how the girls ground out the result and training is going well. “We have no new injuries after the Louth match which is also very positive. Our aim was to be in with a chance when we played Sligo and that’s the way it has turned out and we are looking forward to that match now,” he said. Hanly’s late deflected free found the net to give the visitors a 2-4 to 1-2 lead in the closing stages after a Jenny Higgins first-half free had trickled to the net to give Roscommon the upper hand early on. Laura Fleming was once again to the fore and she finished the match with four points to her name. Louth never gave up throughout, however, and stormed back in the closing stages with a late Ciara Woods goal setting up a nervy finish for Lennon’s charges. The visitors held on to win by the narrowest of margins and will be buoyed by

Roisin Wynne looks for options during Roscommon’s win over Louth in the Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 3A match at Cooley Kickhams, Carlingford on Sunday last. Pic: Michelle Hughes Walsh

this result as they prepare to face Sligo in Kiltoom on Saturday week. Roscommon: H. Cummins; S. Kenny, R. Brady, M. Kelly; R. Wynne, R.

Fitzmaurice, A. McAuliffe; K. Nolan, L. O’Rourke; L. Fleming (04, 2 frees), A. Curran, C. Conway; A. Hanly (1-1, 1-0 free), J. Higgins (1-0,

1-0 free), N. Feeney. Subs: E. Irwin for Wynne (halftime), M. McHugh for Conway (38), R. Lennon for Curran (42), L. Shanagher for Feeney (52).

Roscommon LGFA ‘goes fur it’ with Petmania’s Fit Pet Challenge!

Petmania Roscommon has announced its year-long sponsorship agreement with Roscommon Ladies Gaelic Football Association. The new partnership kicked off with the launch of Petmania’s Fit Pet Challenge at the Dr. Hyde Park training ground on Tuesday last (22nd). Roscommon underage players put the adorable pooches through their paces with a high octane kick-about and Petmania has challenged pet owners in the county to exer-

cise their four-legged friends every day for two weeks. The #FitPetChallenge is part of Petmania’s annual health and lifestyle programme ‘Operation TransPAWmation. With Roscommon LGFA on board, Petmania is challenging pet parents to go ‘fur’ it – walk, play, run, swim, climb, whatever it takes to get pets active and fit. Participants can tag three friends on social media and donate to Roscommon SPCA. Pet parents in Roscommon

Alannah McCormack and Orla Crehan pictured with Rosie at the launch of Petmania’s Fit Pet Challenge at Dr. Hyde Park on Tuesday. Pic: Mick McCormack

can take part by exercising their dog or cat every day for two weeks, getting a picture of the pet being active, uploading it to Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag and tagging Petmania, and nominating three friends to participate in the challenge! Donate to Petmania’s partner animal charities via gofundme.com/f/petmaniafitpetchallenge-fundraiser. Liam Laffey of Petmania Roscommon commented: “We are delighted to team up with

Roscommon LGFA this year. We had great craic in Dr. Hyde Park recently. There’s a few All-Stars among the four-legged team members too! “We hope everyone in Roscommon will get behind our #fitpetchallenge and exercise their dog or cat every day for two weeks. Not only will this challenge benefit your pet, but the funds raised will support abandoned animals waiting for their forever home across Ireland. It will be great fun on

our community channels, so share your active pet pics there and inspire others to join in. Don’t forget to nominate your friends!” Operation TransPAWmation is Petmania’s sixth annual health and wellbeing programme for pets. It aims to prevent obesity in cats and dogs and highlight everyday steps to healthier pets. The programme runs online and in stores throughout February and March with weekly updates,

a food diary, exercise and diet tips, fun activities, expert tutorials, plus exciting weekly health challenges for furry friends to complete. Participants will get exclusive access to a special webinar presented by Operation TransPAWmation’s panel of experts. Pet owners can follow the eight-week healthy lifestyle plan, for free, by registering on petmania.ie, where more information on the #FitPetChallenge can be found.

Grace Campbell, Siofra Hession, Georgia Gerrity, Emily Dixon, Alannah McCormack, Orla Crehan pictured with Caoimhe and Eadaoin Walsh of Petmania, Roscommon and Prince, Donald, Lucy, Sam and Rosie at the launch of Petmania’s Fit Pet Challenge at Dr. Hyde Park on Tuesday. Pic: Mick McCormack

<< Weekend Rewind

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

The

GAA Studio COMPILED BY PAUL HEALY

Weekend Fast-forward

Our Team of the weekend… And the award goes OVERSEAS…to London, surprise winners over Leitrim at the Connacht Centre of Excellence at Bekan. Now it’s three wins on the trot for London. Honourable mention to Mayo (comfortable winners over Dublin at Croke Park), Louth, Derry and Kerry.

More on that er, Dublin crisis… With the Dubs struggling (for now), needless to say the media is not holding back. ‘Dublin crisis deepens’ was the main headline on the sports supplement of the Sunday Independent! Other newspapers/media outlets took a similarly sombre view of the fact that Dublin, having lost their opening three league games, now find themselves in a relegation fight. ‘Dublin haven’t a clue’ was the slightly bizarre headline on Joe Brolly’s column (in the Sindo) where the cheeky chap wrote: “… Brian Fenton, Ciaran Kilkenny and Dean Rock bore the expression of lads who had been transferred without warning from Real Madrid to Wycombe Wanderers. “…it is impossible to improve on perfection, but even so, this Dublin team is a disorganised mess…Dublin, with no clear idea of how they wanted to play, quickly degenerated into a team that will be playing in Division 2 next year”. Dublin lost to Mayo at Croke Park, 2-11 to 0-12. * ‘Apology on behalf of all GAA writers’: See Paul Healy’s Week, page 6.

Two Rossie in GAA.ie Team of the Week Roscommon’s Brian Stack and Ultan Harney were named in the GAA.ie Football Team of the Week. Congrats, lads! Brian (of St. Brigid’s) got the nod at right corner-back (completing a line with Dan O’Donoghue and Oisin Mullin). Ultan (Clann) ‘lines out’ in midfield alongside Matthew Ruane.

Okay, one more time… an update on odds Galway, who didn’t play last weekend, remain favourites to win Division 2 of the National Football League. They are 4/5 with BoyleSports. In-form Derry, nine-point winners over a dismal Cork last weekend, are now 15/8 to take the title, from 5/2. Roscommon lost their 100% record but remain unbeaten, having drawn with Clare at Dr Hyde Park. It means they’ve drifted in the betting, out to an attractive 5/1 from 3/1. As per last time, that’s quite enough mention of the betting industry from us…

How could we resist?

A fine margin…between winning and drawing! Roscommon’s last-gasp attempt to win the game in the closing seconds on Sunday was so, so close! Pic: Mick McCormack

Mayo and Armagh set for Hyde showdown One of the biggest crowds to attend a league game in Roscommon town in many years is expected at Dr. Hyde Park on Sunday when Mayo ‘host’ Armagh in a very attractive top of the table Division One clash.

Elvery’s MacHale Park in Castlebar is out of commission at the moment as they are laying a new pitch at the stadium so Mayo are playing their ‘home’ league games at Connacht venues. Mayo come into the game

on the back of an excellent win against Dublin in Croke Park on Saturday. In earlier rounds, Mayo drew with Donegal and defeated Kildare. Armagh make the journey to Roscommon having beaten Dublin and

Tyrone and drawn with Monaghan. Both sides enjoy huge support and a crowd of 10,000 to 12,000 people is expected to attend. -Seamus Duke

So, with Roscommon leading by 0-9 to 0-8 against Clare at the Hyde last weekend, up stepped David Tubridy to shoot over an injury-time equaliser. Naturally, that prompts us to run with the following ‘headline’: ‘LATE LATE SHOW PRESENTED BY TUBRIDY’. Er…that’s it.

‘They’ll feck it up’ – Pat Spillane in warning to the entire nation MEDIA TRAWL: On the highlights show – Allianz League Sunday (RTÉ2) – veteran pundit Pat Spillane channeled his inner Father Jack (I know, beautiful image) when commenting on the latest GAA football season structure. As Joanne Cantwell patiently looked on, and Ciaran Whelan wisely downed tools for a minute, Pat – head shaking at the sheer madness of it all – gave it to us straight: “40 per cent of all the inter-county games are now played in January and February. By the end of April, three-quarters of all the inter-county matches are played…and by the end of May, 92 per cent (voice rises, to depict incredulity) of all the matches…inter-county matches, are finished…it is farcical. They’re trying to pack something into too tight a schedule…and weather conditions and everything like that are going to feck things up”.

The Hyde Park pitch pictured ahead of last Sunday’s match between Roscommon and Clare. Pic: Mick McCormack

SportsPeople

Roscommon manager, Anthony Cunningham pictured at Dr. Hyde Park. Pic: Mick McCormack

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

Roscommon up for Down challenge after slight ‘banner’ in the works! Allianz National Football League Division 2 Roscommon 0-9 Clare 0-9 < SEAMUS DUKE

Roscommon’s trip to Newry to take

Action from last Sunday’s match between Roscommon and Clare in Dr. Hyde Park. Pic: Mick McCormack

on Down this Saturday offers an opportunity for the team to return to winning ways and maintain their promotion push after last Sunday’s difficult encounter against Clare. The general feeling in Dr Hyde Park on Sunday was that a draw was a fair result after a tight battle played in brutal conditions. The re-

sult means that Roscommon remain unbeaten and in a very good position after three rounds of games. Roscommon manager Anthony Cunningham declared himself happy with a point despite his team being three ahead going into the final stages. “We would have taken a draw at

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

SportsPeople

Action from last Sunday’s match between Roscommon and Clare in Dr. Hyde Park. Pic: Mick McCormack

half-time but it was the kind of a day when it was easier to play against the wind. It was so swirly and hard to judge out there today. But I was happy with our second-half performance. I thought we could go on and win it when we went three points up, but fair play to Clare, they fought all the way to the finish. We are happy with a point”. Anthony Cunningham: “We have a huge game on Saturday in Newry and we will go there trying to improve again. Down will be much improved. They have players back and they got a good draw against Meath as well. This is such a competitive division…you can take no team for granted”. Given the conditions, Sunday’s game was never going to be a classic, and Cunningham preferred to hail the positives rather than dwell on what some supporters will view as a point lost. “We saw a tremendous Roscommon effort there in the second half. It was a really tough day for the players today – on both sides – but full marks to the people who did the work on the pitch. It was in super shape again. The only thing was that I was afraid the posts would fall at one stage, the wind was so strong! I thought that the black card against Ultan (Harney) was harsh and we were under pressure after that”. That Sunday’s game went ahead at all is a tribute to the ground staff at Dr Hyde Park, the work carried out on the pitch in recent years meaning that the surface was in top class condition. However, the gale-force winds and squally showers meant that any attempt to play flowing football was essentially doomed. Both teams actually played far better into the storm. With the elements at their backs in the opening half, Roscommon struggled to get any momentum going and Clare held on to the ball expertly with Podge Collins, Cian O’Dea, Darren O’Neill and Eoin Cleary outstanding. By the 21st minute Clare led by 0-4 to 0-2 and Roscommon were struggling. Points from Enda and Donie Smith (free), levelled matters by the 24th minute and two points from Conor Cox (both frees) saw the home side ahead by a single point at the break, 0-6 to 0-5. Given the ferocity of the wind it looked like the home side would be in big trouble in the second half, but they came out battling, and now it was Clare who were struggling to

take advantage of the elements. Scores were hard to come by on both sides in the monsoon-like conditions but Roscommon raised flags through Conor Cox, Richard Hughes and sub Diarmuid Murtagh, putting them 0-9 to 0-6 ahead with just eight minutes of normal time left. Then, Ultan Harney was blackcarded for a needless foul and Clare suddenly found their range. Keelan Sexton pointed a ’45 in the 65th minute and Eoin Cleary was on target two minutes later. Then in injury-time experienced sub David Tubridy earned his side a share of the spoils with a fine point from 40 metres. Roscommon had a late chance to win it but Enda Smith was crowded out by the Clare defence. On a really tough day for the players, Eoin McCormack (who is continuing to impress), Eddie Nolan, Colm Lavin, Enda Smith and Conor Cox stood out for Roscommon. Now Anthony Cunningham’s men head to Newry this Saturday with their promotion push still firmly on track.

Teams & scorers Roscommon: Colm Lavin; Mark Richardson, Brian Stack, Eoin McCormack; Dylan Ruane, Niall Daly, Richard Hughes (0-1); Ultan Harney, Eddie Nolan; Niall Kilroy, Enda Smith (0-1), Cathal Heneghan (0-1); Cian McKeon, Donie Smith (0-2, frees), Conor Cox (0-3, 2 frees). Subs: Niall Higgins for Richardson (half-time), Ciaráin Murtagh for Ruane (57), Diarmuid Murtagh (0-1) for Heneghan (60), Ciarán Sugrue for Cox (61), Keith Doyle for McKeon (70). Clare: Stephen Ryan; Marcus Doherty, Cillian Brennan, Cillian Rouine; Cian O’Dea, Eoghan Collins, Alan Sweeney (0-1); Cathal O’Connor, Darren O’Neill; Jamie Malone (0-1), Eoin Cleary (0-2), Pearse Lillis; Aaron Griffin (0-1), Keelan Sexton (0-1, ‘45), Padraic Collins (0-2). Subs: David Tubridy (0-1) for Malone (43), Daniel Walsh for Doherty (50), Emmet McMahon for E. Collins (67), Ciarán Downes for Griffin (70). Referee: Patrick Maguire (Longford).

Stat Attack Wides: Roscommon 7 (5, first half ); Clare 5 (1, first half ) Red cards: 0 Black cards: Roscommon 1 (Ultan Harney, 64); Clare 0 Yellow cards: Roscommon 2 (Niall Kilroy, Cian McKeon); Clare 4 (Jamie Malone, Darren O’Neill, Keelan Sexton, David Tubridy) Man of the Match: Podge Collins (Clare) Attendance: 2,000 Action from last Sunday’s match between Roscommon and Clare in Dr. Hyde Park. Pic: Mick McCormack

Roscommon People Friday 25 February 2022

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