Lanesboro Ballyleague Notes
It is all about to kick off in Lanesboro and Ballyleague.
Last week there was lots of breaking and exciting development news for Lanesboro. What with the Premier Lakeland Food Hub seeking tenders for design and this news was quickly followed by the announcements of two new coffee shops that are about to open on the Main Street. All this followed on from the ongoing feasibility study that is currently being carried out on a Boardwalk proposal by Roscommon County Council.
The Clancy family Peter, Michael and Sheila are moving towards the commencement their Lough Ree Distillery development on Main Street and in the next few weeks will be coming with new and exciting proposals.
There is also a strong rumour of a new business development on the site of the Cullen’s filling station on the Longford Road which will greatly enhance the business community of our community and will no doubt be a big draw to our community.
There is really a great buzz and excitement in and about Lanesboro and Ballyleague that the powerful new developments are being worked upon and we look forward to the brilliant new proposals that, I am sure, will be announced over the coming months. There is fabulous work being done within the community to support and drive ourselves forward.
Tenders sought for New Food Hub
After many years of hard work and graft Stephen Dowd has come to a very exciting stage of his plan for a Food Hub in Lanesboro. Stephen is a far-seeing man who has worked tirelessly overcoming many obstacles and se backs to get to this day. When many others would have called a halt, such were the obstacles he had to overcome Stephen’s self-belief and utter dedication to the project led him to this momentous day.
Just this week Premier Lakelands Food Hub has entered e-tenders seeking an Architectural Led Design Team to put in place the vision of a new food hub on the Longford Road in a 4.5acre field beside the Fire Station. They are also still searching, talking and engaging with reliable partners or sponsors and stakeholders who wish to partake on this exciting journey with them from the beginning with a vision to make this development sustainable and creative reducing carbon footprints whilst moulding the future of food innovation for the region and creating much needed employment. Should you or your company be interested in partnering them on this momentous journey from the onset they would welcome your suggestions to www.lakelandsfoodhub@gmail.com
The proposed vision for the hub includes:
Start-up incubation units
Manufacturing/food production units
Training demonstration area
Community development kitchen
Artisan sphere community space
A testimony to the work done by Stephen can be seen by the following agencies who have given this project their support, Longford County Council and LCRL and part funded by Enterprise Ireland under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund and The Just Transition Fund of Ireland in conjunction with Longford County Enterprise Board.
Well done Stephen and we look forward to your dream being finalised in the not-too-distant future.
Coffee Shops
It was a dark day when one by one of our butcher shops closed over the past couple of years. The news has just come to our attention that both of the shops will reopen but this time not for the selling meat but for the selling of coffee as both shops are to be transformed into Coffee Shops.
Marie O’Dowd, daughter of Margaret and the late Kevin O’Dowd, Barnacor will expand her Coffee Shops to two. Marie has the very popular and successful Wilder and Gold on Main Street, Ballymahon and she is going to open in James Casey’s old butcher’s shop on Main Street.
In the recent past the butcher left John Casey’s and in no time at all Brenda and Regina Carroll took up a lease on the building and they are presently working hard to alter the building to create a unique coffee shop. Brenda is daughter of Mary and the late Michael Carroll and Regina is daughter of Sean and Anne Carroll Rathcline.
We would like to wish Marie, Brenda and Regina the very best of luck in their new adventure.
Darkness into Light on Saturday
This year the annual Darkness into Light 5km walk is a virtual event, and it will take place on Saturday 8th May.
While people cannot meet up as in previous years they can walk, run, cycle or swim at sunrise on the 8th or anytime over that weekend doing all this while adhering to Government guidelines.
The vital funds raised will go to Pieta House for suicide prevention. The work of Pieta House will give the gift of hope to those impacted by suicide and self-harm. Pieta House offers a 24/7 counselling service and Darkness into Light event helps to keep this invaluable service available.
You can sign up to partake by logging into the Darkness into Light website www.darknessintolight.ie If you pledge to raising €150 then the sign-up fee will be waived.
If you want to be creative with your activity you can contact me, and I will publicise your creativity and fundraising here in these notes and also in our shop window.
Remember that no matter how you choose to take part this year, you will be giving the gift of hope to those in your community in suicidal crisis, or self-harming.
Searching for Coaches
Rathcline Ladies are looking forward to getting back into training during the coming week. With a growing number of girls/ladies wanting to play there is an urgent need for trainers and coaches required for our U14 and U16 Teams. If you are interest in helping the development of these young footballers, you are asked to contact Declan Fox or Antoinette Kenny.
You can now book your boat trips
It is great to confirm that, after a lot of hard work and preparation, the town’s new passenger boat service for trips on the river Shannon will commence daily sailings on Tuesday May 4th. This service is on board the new access for all boat which will bring out both people with disability and also able-bodied passengers on the Shannon from the bridge and the marina in Ballyleague at 10.30am and 2.30pm Monday to Friday.
This is a great boost for the town and tourism here. We have been waiting for decades for our own daily passenger boat service and here it is. Trips will be of 90 minutes duration and longer if required with angling and sight-seeing or other activities available. Weekend sailings will be available in July, August and September.
To book a seat call Lisa or Dylan here in town at 04333 21734 or go online today and book at www.loughreeboattrips.com
Have a Safe Tour
A good number of our local members of the Defence Forces last week embarked on a six-month overseas tour of duty. We wish each and everyone of them and their fellow soldiers a safe and happy tour and we look forward to having you back in our fold in six months’ time.
Free Living Well Programme
New dates have been added to the HSE, Free Living Well Programme.
The news dates are 18th May, 20th May, and 26th May
The Living Well Programme is a workshop for adults living with a long-term health condition. The workshop is delivered over six workshops (2.5hrs x6) and is free of charge to those diagnosed with a mental or physical illness.
You will develop self-management skills and confidence to live well with your health condition.
Please book your place by calling: 086 6078950 or email: olga.maguire@mayocil.ie
Lanesboro Library
Grow it Forward with free seeds from your local library
GIY, in partnership with Healthy Ireland and public libraries will distribute 50,000 free food growing kits as part of a new ‘Grow it Forward’ initiative.
Get your #GrowItForward Seed Kits while stocks last at the Library!!
Contact us if you would like to try growing Carrots, Tomatoes, Peas, Beetroot & Oriental Greens. Included in the kits also are some gift tags so you can share your produce with friends & family throughout the growing process!
Email lanesborolibrary@longfordcoco.ie or call 0433321291 to register for a seed kit.
#KeepWell #HealthyIrelandAtYourLibrary
Ballyboro Returns
Over 30 enthusiastic and excited under 6s participated in what was the first of a series of fun coaching sessions on Sunday last. The boys and girls really enjoyed the sessions in their respective pods. Thanks are due to all who helped out on the day, and to the parents of the youngsters for their cooperation. The fun coaching for the under 6s continue at 10am. on this Sunday. All are welcome!
All Ballyboro teams resumed training last week. The League confirmed that there will be special competitions for all age groups when competitive action resumes.
Closer to Car Draw time
The days are running for your opportunity to be in for the chance to win a car in the Killashee GAA draw. Tickets are priced at €50 each or 3 for €130. You can buy your tickets online at hhtp://linktr.ee/Killasheegaa
In a final push for sales members of the club will be out and about our parish over the next coming weeks.
St. Mary’s Church
Weekly Masses
Mass continues to be celebrated privately every day by our priests at the usual times Monday to Thursday 10am, Friday 7pm Saturday 7.30pm and Sunday 11.30am and Masses can be seen on the St. Mary’s Church, Lanesboro Facebook page.
Shrine Candles
To cover the rising cost of the church shrine candles it is regrettable to say that the cost of each candle must rise to 25c. Your usual generosity will be appreciated.
Mass intentions will continue to be booked for weekdays for the present. People wishing to book masses can do so by contacting Fr Sergiy before or after mass during the week in the Sacristy. All that have booked masses are asked to rebook them for weekdays for the foreseeable future.
Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays in the church from 10.30 to 8pm. It is very important that there will be at least two people in the church for each hour. Of the Adoration.
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will resume on Friday evenings, starting this Friday evening and it will take place between 6pm and 6.45pm.
Urgent contacts
Fr. Sergiy Ruchenko can be contacted at the presbytery or by phoning 3321166 or 0833892362. Alternatively, you can contact Fr. Merlyn Kenny, Newtowncashel 0860603433 and Fr. Turlough Baxter, Killashee 0879972259 who are assisting Fr. Sergiy during his ministery in the parish.
Shannon Gaels Minor Club
Clonbonny is really buzzing.
We can all see the affect the Lockdown and training restrictions had on our young people all through last week. The reopening of the Clonbonny pitch for training brought young boys and girls to the pitch in their droves. They were like spring lambs enjoying the excitement and the expansive green grass after been restricted for so long.
It was fabulous to see the enthusiasm and excitement and the coming together of so many young people who have not met in a sporting way for such a long time.
The return was also a great time for our coaches and club executive who had put so much time into preparation and development of training techniques and club development for this fateful day.
We wish all the young people, coaches, and management team the very best of luck for the coming season.
Young people welcomed.
Last week saw the club register a number of new players to the club. We extend a very warm welcome to the young people and their parents and we hope that we can give each and everyone of them a wonderful experience with us in the Shannon Gaels Minor Club.
The club is continuing to welcome new players and their parents and if you would like to join with us in the club, I advise you contact Mark at Secretarybng.shannongaels.longford@gaa.ie or call into O’Brien’s Shop for further information.
Thank You
The minor club would like to thank everyone from the club that turned up and helped with the clean up of the club grounds on Saturday last. Your help was greatly appreciated.
Rathcline GAA
The 50/50 Weekly Draw is back! It’s online and in the local shops! The draw will take place every Monday night. We encourage everyone to buy online if you can. Please see Rathcline GAA Facebook page for the link https://member.clubspot.app/club/rathcline-gaa/fundraiser/tickets, or look out for envelopes in local shops.