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Lanesboro Ballyleague
The Green – A living History
In No 46 there was Bertie and Mrs Brennan and their family from Co. Roscommon, they were followed into 46 by Jim and Mary Gearty and the residents since are Dessie and Goretti Mc Cosker and their family Ricky, Dawn and Andrew. In No 47 there was Paddy and Mrs. Donohoe and the family, Pat, Mary, Michael and Thomas and the house remains in the Donohoe family. In No 48 the families I have are Mick and Mrs Kennedy from Sligo, The Larkin family, Stig Anderson, Jack and Janetta Murray and their family of Helen, John, Mabel, David, Danny, Sydney, Michael, Irene and Willie who moved up from No 15 and the next family and current occupiers are the Ganly family and their children Tom and Eileen Ganly were next into the house and their family was Elaine, twins Liam and Sean, Aidan, David, Declan and Denise who moved up from No 18. In No 49 there were two firsts, the first resident on the Green was Sean Mc Namara from Athleague, Co. Roscommon, Sean was followed by Paddy and Mrs. Wyse and family, their daughter Mary was the first girl registered as born on the Green. Mick and Thelma Gearty were the next residents and their family Mickie, Jacqui, Ian and Martina and the house still remains in the Gearty name.
Death
There was tremendous shock and sadness when we learned of the tragic death on Sunday morning 27th March of Eileen Collins, The Green. Lena as she was more commonly known moved to the Green with her husband John many years ago. The Collins family were a quiet family and Lena was a woman of gentleness and warmth. She always loved to have a chat and none more so than when any hurling match was after being played the previous day. She was a native of Co. Kilkenny and the love of hurling ran through her veins always. She was magnanimous in defeat as she was in victory and in Kilkenny’s case it was mostly victory. Lena was a very loyal and honourable lady and a lady of great faith. Her mild manner, concern for others and endearing smile will be sadly missed within our community. She was a woman with a great outlook on life and you always felt a whole lot better after chatting with her for a while. Lena will be sadly missed by us all.
Lena reposed at her residence on Tuesday last before being removed to St. Mary’s Church, Lanesboro on Wednesday for her Funeral Mass. She was laid to rest in Clonbonny cemetery following Mass. To her husband John, daughter Anne, brothers Joe, John, Seamus and Kieran sister Mary Corr relatives and her many heartbroken friends we extend our deepest sympathy.
Be involved in the Lough Ree Monster Festival
Come along and be part of a growing number involving themselves in the Lough Ree Monster Festival. There are many proposals and suggestions being made to the group and we would love to hear your thoughts and vies in making the Festival to best thing ever to hit not only the community but the entire general area. The festival is starting to take shape and the group would love to have new faces and fresh ideas to those already being debated. The next meeting will take place on Wednesday week 13th April in Sorohan’s Lifebelt bar at 9pm.
The group encourages anyone that can to sign up for the upcoming Defibrillator course – bookings can be made with Martina O’Brien at the shop 3321107.
Learn to Jive
St. Faithleach’s GAA in association with Colin Butler are running 5 weeks of jiving lessons starting on Tue April 5th in Ballyleague hall at 8.30pm for 5 weeks. Please contact Colin Butler 087 7660470.
Birth
Congratulations to Mick and Eimear Shorthall, Main St., on the birth last week of a baby boy.
50/50
The 50/50 draw took place Monday night 28th March in the Yacht Bar and the winner of the draw was Chloe Hopkins, Newpark. Chloe was the lucky winner of €428. As you may have noticed the weekly prizemoney in the rise and club encourages greater support as they hope in the very near future to have the prize weekly at €500 and more. It is down to your support and club is deeply grateful to everyone that continues to support the draw weekly. The next draw takes place on Monday 11th April in Adie’s
Blood Donor Clinic
The Blood Donor clinic will take place this week in Roscommon. There is a change from the usual venue next week when the clinic takes place in the Dr. Hyde Centre on Wednesday and Thursday from 5pm to 8.30pm.
Defibrillator Training
Have you signed up for the defibrillator training yet? It is very important as many as possible get trained in the use of the defibrillator and it is also important that those due for recertification also sign up for recertification.
The defibrillator group under Kevin Madden will soon be holding a new training course and a re-cert course. We urge as many people from as many groups as possible to sign up for the course as we never know the time or the hour that your lifesaving skills with the defibrillator will be required. What with all the different events and festivals coming along the more people trained and recertified in the use of the defibrillator the better. To make booking for the new course or recertification please contact Martina O’Brien in the shop or phone 3321107
Passed Away
While chatting with Mrs. Phil Chalmers the other day and discussing the news of the death of Mrs. Eileen Duke, Roscommon she told me that Eileen Duke taught her to cook and bake. Eileen used to come to Fermoyle school and all the young girls from the area used to come to her cooking and baking class. She said she used to make her trip from her home to the school as many young girls of the time did and I thought it would be nice for all those that learned to cook and bake under Eileen’s guidance should be aware that she passed away. We extend our deepest sympathy to the Duke family, Roscommon.
Mammoth Canoe for Charity
We have often heard the tune, made famous by Finbar Furey, The Lonesome Boatman, well we will soon have our own version only that it will be the Lonesome Canoe man when local man Junior Hannon will undertake the mammoth canoe from the bridge all the way to Limerick City commencing on Friday 27th May. Junior is about to fulfil a burning ambition when he will undertake the mammoth canoe from Lanesboro to Limerick Junior all in the great cause of raising funds for the Irish Cancer Society. This huge paddle deserves everyone’s support and sponsorship cards are available locally and in O’Brien’s and I encourage everyone to contribute towards a wonderful cause. Let’s give Junior some great support for this huge undertaking for the Irish Cancer Society.
Death
On Tuesday 29th March it was with great sadness we learned of the death at Innis Ree Lodge of the oldest resident on Main St. Mrs Mary Farrell. Mary was in her 93rd year and it was only in recent months that Mary went to Innis Ree lodge. She was a lady of indefatigable faith who was a daily mass goer, every Tuesday she was at the adoration and rarely passed the church on her daily walk with dropping in. She was a lady with a great strength who as a young woman was left a widow when her late husband James passed away. Being reared on a farm in her native Newtowncashel stood to her as she was left with three young children and a farm to run. Mary was a woman who was very active in Lanesboro Social Services and was a lady who always wanted to make people’s lives better. She was a real homemaker, she had a great interest in baking, cooking, her vegetable garden and poultry. Mary had a great interest and eye for fashion and she always walked out in very elegant clothes. In recent years Mary loved to travel with her daughter Anne and it was always great to hear her recount tales of her travels. Mary’s departure has left many saddened hearts as she was a great friend to so many I the community.
Her remains reposed at her son Gay’s home in Lehery on Wednesday and on Thursday last her remains were removed to St. Mary’s Church for her Funeral Mass. Following Mass, she was laid to rest alongside her husband James. To her daughter Anne, sons Padraig and Gay, family and a wide circle of friends we extend our deepest sympathy.
Terry Mc Cormack Memorial Cycle
We have a community full of cyclists and I am urging each and every one of you to partake in the upcoming Terry Mc Cormack Memorial cycle that will take place on Saturday next 9th April. Registration will take place at Longford Rugby club from 9am. There is a cycle option of a 30k or 60k.
The entry fee is €25 and all funds will be donated to Fighting Blindness, to help fund vital vision research into treatments and cures for blindness.
For more information, contact Sean 086-2266498.
Fr all of us that has played football down through the years right up to the present day we could not but come across the name Mc Cormack and never a fairer family ever played in Longford GAA. The passing of Terry was a big blow to his family and indeed to all of us that knew him on or off the field. Terry had taken up cycling in later years and he would be seen in the shop chatting or pulling in to have a chat with some local as he passed through the town, indeed he could stop several times depending on who was on the street.
Pilgrimage to Lourdes
The Ardagh and Clonmacnois Pilgrimage to Lourdes will take place from Friday 27th May to Wednesday 1st June. The Pilgrimage will be under the leadership of Most Rev. Francis Duffy, Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois. The Pilgrimage director is Monsignor Bernard Noonan and the special section for the Sick is dealt with by Rev. Michael Scanlon. Flights are from Knock airport under the direction of Joe Walsh Tours, 143 Lr. Baggot St., Dublin 2 and you can also contact them by phoning 01-2410812 or 01-2410811.
Sympathy
We would like to extend our sympathy to Eamon and Freda Kenny and family, Blenavoher on the death of Eamon’s brother in law Paddy Mc Cann, Kiltoom last week.
Lough Ree Golfing Society
The society’s first outing of 2016 was held on Wednesday last 30th March at Co Longford Golf Club.
The weather was good, the course was in excellent condition and the large attendance of ladies and gentleman had a very enjoyable day. A big thank you to Co Longford Golf Club and especially to the course committee and greenkeeper for the wonderful amenity. Thanks also to Emer in the bar for providing everyone with lovely food and drink.
The golf was good and the first prize was won by Jarlath Reynolds, with a score of 39 stableford points, off an 18 handicap. Timmy Glynn, playing off a handicap of 13 had a very good 36 points to take 2nd prize and 3rd was won by Fintan Jordan playing off an 18 handicap. The front nine was won by Alan Farrell with 19 points and the back nine went to John O’Donnell with 17 points.
Nearest the pin on the 8th hole was won by Jarlath Reynolds. First in the ladies’ competition was Fiona Gillen with 31 points playing off 35 handicap and 2nd was Bernie Taylor with 25 points of a handicap of 31.
After the meal and prizes the AGM was held and the following were elected for 2016: Captain: Ronan Cullen, Secretary: Frank Conmy, Treasurer: Fiona Gillen and committee members: Michael Brennan(ex-officio) and Brendan Whitty.
The new captain, Ronan, wishes all members a good year’s golfing at the great venues chosen for 2016. New members from the Lanesborough/Ballyleague area are always welcome; text Frank on 0879730611 if you would like to join us for some or all of our outings in 2016.
Sympathy
The death took place in Killorglin, Co. Kerry on Monday 28th March of Jim Casey, formerly of Newtowncashel. Jim was brother to the late Mrs. Josie Kiernan, and brother of Mrs. Annie Ross Church View, and her sisters Mary, Church View and Martha, the Green. We extend our deepest sympathy to all his extended family.
Thank You
The Longford branch of the Irish Kidney Association wishes to sincerely thank all who contributed so generously to the collection of €1,500 in Lanesboro on Saturday last 2nd April.
A special thanks to the volunteer collectors and staff of Casserley Spar and SuperValu.
Lanesboro Bridge Club
The results for Wednesday 23rd March are; N/S 1st tie between Loretto Cooney and Brendan Dowling & Eileen Kelly and Una Clarke, 2nd Mona O’Flaherty and Bernadette Gillen and 3rd Phil Chalmers and Cyril Hussey. E/W 1st Maureen Hynes and Patsy Canavan, 2nd Patricia Mc Gann and Mary Jameson and 3rd Mike Flynn and Katharine Harrison. On Wednesday last 30th March the results are; 1st Maura Hanley and Maureen Hynes, 2nd Patricia Mc Gann and Mary Jameson and 3rd Mae Casey and Noreen Dunne.
Lough Ree 2000 Bridge
The results of the competition held on 13th March are; 1st J.J. Donlon and Margaret Gillen, 2nd Kathleen Hanley and Mary Fallon and 3rd Joan Donlon and Fergal McGuinness. Gross: Mike Flynn and Brendan Dowling.
Wedding
The marriage took place in St. John’s Church, Lecarrow on Friday 18th March of Emmet Farrell, son of Brendan and Josephine Farrell, Church View and Edel Quinn, daughter of Sean and Marion Quinn, Carnagh, Kiltoom, Co. Roscommon. Bestman was Diarmuid Farrell brother of the Groom. Groomsmen were Shane Flanagan and Daniel Condon both friends of the Groom. Chief Bridesmaid was Marina Quinn sister of the Bride. Bridesmaids were Tara O’Grady and Dawn Mc Manus both friends of the Bride. The marriage ceremony was celebrated by Fr. Ray Milton, Knockcroghery assisted by Fr. Mickey Reilly, Lanesboro. The wedding reception took place in the Shearwater Hotel, Ballinasloe.
We wish the happy couple many years of wedded happiness.
Toastmasters
Longford Toastmasters Club next meeting is on Thursday 7th April in the Longford Arms Hotel (first floor) 8.20pm. Meetings are held on the first and third Thursday of every month. Visit their Facebook Page for updates and more information. Visitors are always welcome.
Talent by The Shannon
Have you a talent for performing that could earn you a cash prize??
‘Talent by the Shannon’ is an exciting new talent show that will take place in Ballyleague Hall on Friday May 27th, 2016. Top prize is €500, with €200 for 2nd place. So whether your talent is for singing, playing music, dancing, storytelling or something completely different, why don’t you get involved and enter? Entry fee is €25 per act and the competition is open to solo acts and group acts and there is no age limit! Email: talentbytheshannon@gmail.com for application form, terms & conditions. Alternatively, ring 09066 25884 for further enquiries. Please note deadline for receipt of application forms is Thursday April 21st at 3pm.
Pike Angling Club
On Sunday next 10th April, Lanesboro Pike Angling Club, will hold the Michael Casey Perpetual Trophy Pike Boat competition on Lough Ree. Fishing will be from 11am to 5pm. Entry fees will be taken from 10.30am at Lanesboro harbour. The entry fee is €25 per boat with a maximum of 2 rods per person and 4 rods per boat. The prizes are 1st €125, 2nd €100, 3rd €80, 4th €50 and 5th €30. There will also be a prize of €25 for the smallest fish caught.
This will be members only competition and membership can be taken out on the day, the membership fee is adults €10 and €5 for OAP’s and juniors. The presentation will take place following fishing in the Swan Tavern.
The club will also be holding a draw for non-fishing members for a 40inch Toshiba Smart TV and other cash prizes.
Lanesboro Library invites you
Lanesboro library invites you to partake in all their events or just come along and use their services. There are many great advantages to being involved in Lanesboro library and you should go along and chat with Stella.
Art class 6 with Nicolette continues in Lanesboro Library on Wednesday 30th March at 8pm. The Cost of the course is €10.00 per night.
The Easter Rising 1916 Centenary Calendar is on sale in Lanesboro Library with wonderful drawings by Laura Doherty. Price €5.
Foreign Currency Appeal Reminder
The library staff is still collecting unwanted foreign currency and old coins/notes in aid of ISPCC. The smallest donation can make a huge difference.
Used stamps also being collected at the library for ISPCC.
RSG 24/7 Care Service
Are you in need of a break from caring in the home? Do you need extra care helping? If so RSG 24/7 Care Service, a long established, Not for Profit Provider can give you professional help at a low cost. All aspects of care are catered for and packages are tailored to meet your needs. Staff are fully trained and Garda Vetted. Phone 090 66 25852 or email rsgcil@eircom.net or visit the website www.rosdisabilities.ie
The Care Service is seeking volunteers to help with the service and if you would like to or can give an hour or two of your time contact Margaret Bourke, Rathcline Road for information.
Rathcline GAA
On Saturday last our Reserve League team were scheduled to travel to Killashee but owing to the Killashee pitch being unplayable the game was transferred to Clonbonny. It was not a good day on the pitch for our lads especially after the previous week’s great performance. Killashee ran out comprehensive winners.
The Leader Cup Division 1 resumes on Friday evening next when our lads travel to play Clonguish in Newtownforbes for the second round of the league at 8.30pm. It is very important that every player is in the dressing room in good time. We expect a great performance from the team as there is no doubt we have the ability. We hope for a great turnout of supporters to cheer the lads on.
The 50/50 draw took place Monday night 28th March in the Yacht Bar and the winner of the draw was Chloe Hopkins, Newpark. Chloe was the lucky winner of €428. As you may have noticed the weekly prizemoney in the rise and club encourages greater support as they hope in the very near future to have the prize weekly at €500 and more. It is down to your support and club is deeply grateful to everyone that continues to support the draw weekly. The next draw takes place on Monday 11th April in Adie’s
The Minor section of the club held an under8, 10 12 blitz in Clonbonny on Saturday last. There was a great turnout of young people both boys and girls in Clonbonny having an absolutely wonderful time. It was great to see so many parents in attendance as well as members of the senior panel.
The club is open to every young boy and girls in our community and we would like to encourage and welcome all young people and their parents to Clonbonny on any occasion.
Our U14 Div. 1 team will play Northern Gaels this Tuesday in the Laurels at 7pm and our U14 Div. 3 team will play St. Dominick’s in Kenagh on Friday at 7pm.
Our U16 team will take on Clonguish Óg in Dunbeggan on Friday at 7pm.
Rathcline Ladies
The senior ladies will play Clonguish in Clonbonny on Sunday. Check fixtures for time.
The U16 girls will continue their League on Thursday evening when they travel to play Ballymahon/Forgney.
Madaleine Murray would like to sincerely thank everyone that supported her in her Sleep Out for Simon on Good Friday night. Your support was much appreciated and the money went to a most worthwhile cause the Simon Community who do huge work in the midland region.
Huge Crowds and 1916 Car for Garden of Remembrance commemoration in Ballyleague
Ballyleague Village Renewal & Tidy Towns committee would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who came along in such numbers to the official opening of the new 1916 Garden of Remembrance in Ballyleague Riverside park on Easter Monday.
This garden will provide a lasting and fitting memorial to not only those men who signed the proclamation in 1916 but all of those men and women who fought in the name of Irish freedom and helped to establish our republic.
We acknowledge the funding support received from Roscommon County Council for this project under the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme so it was a great pleasure to welcome our special guests on the day – the Cathaoirleach of county council Councillor Paddy Kilduff, the Chief Executive officer of the council Mr Eugene Cummins and the County co-ordinator of the Roscommon 1916 commemoration committee Mr Richie Farrell
We sincerely thank the colour party provided for us on Easter Monday by the Ballyboro scouts and venturers – and we say thanks once again to the members of the Castlerea brass and reed band who joined us for this special occasion. The memorable parade from the village down to this garden was joined by a beautifully restored Ford Model T motorcar and we want to thank Eamonn and Gabriel Creamer and Mr John Gilligan for bringing this fantastic car to Ballyleague – especially seen as it such a notable car of that period – having being owned by a member of the Kiernan family from Granard – and was reputed to have carried volunteers from this area after the rising and perhaps even one Michael Collins – who also had occasion to visit the Kiernan family from time to time.
We would like to thank so many people who have worked with us to make the ceremony possible on Easter Monday. First of all, a word of thanks to the members of our committee who brought this idea to us at one of our own committee meetings early this year. When the whole 1916 garden of remembrance project was being launched nationwide last year we were deeply engrossed in the final stages of the €300,000 re-development of our riverside park and the new promenade in Ballyleague so we did not at first become aware of the initiative but in November at one of our meetings the garden was once again discussed and several members spoke in favour of it. It was at that stage that we decided to proceed and our thanks to those committee members who have pushed the project and supported it ever since.
Our 1916 Garden of Remembrance was designed and created by the landscape gardener Brendan Farrell from Ardagh Village Landscapes. Brendan met with our voluntary committee on a number of occasions over the last 3 months and together – they jointly devised a layout that includes seven native Irish silver birch trees (Betula utilis var. jacquemontii – White barked Birck), a native Irish hedge and a delightful splash of colour by way of heather and daffodils. The hedge is deliberately made up of a wide variety of species – from many different terrains and backgrounds – something that Brendan says was constructed and devised in that very manner to illustrate the make-up of the people of our nation in 2016 – coming as they do from diverse backgrounds, mixed nationalities and different races and creeds.
The trees and hedge were planted two weeks on an occasion marked by a little ceremony inn the riverside park…
6 of the trees were planted by the following students who shared some of their own names with the name of the patriot to whom it was dedicated (listed firstly): Thomas J. Clarke: Bryan THOMAS Mullooly of Ballyleague National School Junior Tidy Towns Team. Seán Mac Diarmada: Oisin MAC DERMOTT of Ballyleague National School Junior Tidy Towns Team. Thomas Mac Donagh: Kayleigh MC DONAGH of Lanesborough Community College. Padraig H. Pearse: PADRAIG Sorohan of Lanesborough Community College, James Connolly: JAMES Mimnagh: Ballyleague National School Junior Tidy Towns Team: Joseph Plunkett: Joey JOSEPH Trimble of Ballyleague National School Junior Tidy Towns Team. For help with the 7th tree we turned to the services of a teacher – and to honour Éamonn Ceannt: Fergal EAMON Mc Elgunn, teacher at Lanesborough Community College was on hand to assist.
The pathway into the garden was also laid by Brendan Farrell of Ardagh village landscapes and the beautiful plinth, paving and brick work was carried out on our behalf by Michael Harte.
The red brick is very much a flash back to the Dublin of the 1900s and the old tenement buildings and homes where the rebels took refuge at various stages during the rising.
The pathway into the park is, as you see, not a straight one – but instead a winding route with a turn or a twist along the way. Brendan says this is also symbolic of our nation and its own historic development since 1916 – the path of life is never really straight – and so it is with our little pathway in here too.
The granite copy of the proclamation was cut for us from a scanning of the original 1816 proclamation and provided to us and to all the 1916 Gardens of Remembrance committees around the country by Pat Nagle of Nagle Memorials in Killorglin, Co. Kerry.
Our thanks to Larry Leavy and Eamonn Leavy of Leavy Memorials here in Lanesborough who professionally designed and completed the granite memorial stone at the entrance to the park – and did such a fantastic job as I am sure you will agree.
In the last few days this new remembrance garden has really come into shape but not before a huge effort by all of the aforementioned crafts people and the voluntary members of our committee – we would like to especially thank James, Mary and Marie, Jimmy and Colin who started the grass cutting in the garden on Good Friday and Niall Donlon of Roscommon county council who did a superb job cutting the grass in the rest of the park on Good Friday. Our thanks also to John Mochler the area engineer of the county council here and to all the elected members for this municipal area who played their part in putting all the arrangements in place.
Finally – We to thank John O’Loughlin, John Francis Donlon, Doreen Oates, Gerry Trimble, Denis Dunne, Maura Hudson, Bryan and Eoghan and Ciaran Mullooly for their work in the park over the last few days. Special thanks to Colin Burke for the sound system on the day and Fr John for the use of the podium.
In keeping with our commemoration of this centenary our committee commissioned the ceramic artist Patsy Preston to create a special mosaic on the old swimming pool wall just around the corner in the riverside park – to leave us with a lasting reminder of the occasion. Patsy has already created three beautiful mosaic pieces when the park was officially opened last May – working on that occasion with young people in the area – students from Lanesborough community college and members of the Ballyboro scouts and venturers. On this occasion we asked her to visit the two care homes for the elderly in our parish and work hand in hand with the residents there to create a lasting memorial to the patriots of 1916 and reproduce some of the best known scenes in our village. Patsy worked with the residents of Innis Ree and Costello’s care home. The finished mosaic was unveiled by the Roscommon county manager Eugene Cummins – doing the honours with a beautiful piece that Patsy has created – a word of advice on the detail of the mosaic – you may see a lake boat on it and two men rowing it – this scene is based on a story that is recorded in local history sometime after 1916 when a local rebel was injured in a mine at Beechwood on the Roscommon road and was brought to an island on the lake during his recovery. Patsy has done a marvellous job and the mosaic is well complimented by the beautiful daffodils in our park provided to us free of charge by Jim McCaulfield and the Casey family from the Topaz shop on the circular road in Roscommon. The daffodils were planted by the young boys and girls from the junior tidy towns teams of Ballyleague national school last November and are fantastic.
Finally – a special word of thanks to Ballyboro scouts and venturers who brought the Fox – a heritage barge originally built in 1937 to the opening of the garden. This beautifully restored barge is a credit to the scouts and their leaders and provided brilliant hospitality to all our visitors on Easter Monday and, to conclude, a word of thank to Alan Horohoe and his team from Ventura who, not only provided a platform stage for the opening, but laid on a great model railway exhibition in the Thatch for the afternoon.
photo captions
1916 CAR……Richie Farrell (front right) of the Roscommon 1916-2016 committee with the owner of the restored 1916 Model T Eamon Creamer, Ballyleague ladies Anne Egan and Margaret Thompson and the chairman of Roscommon county council Cllr Paddy Kilduff at the recent opening of the 1916 Garden of Remembrance in Ballyleague. Photo by Nicolette Spellic
OPENING……some members of the Ballyleague Village Renewal committee with local political representatives and county council officials in the large crowd that attended the opening in Ballyleague of the 1916 Garden of Remembrance on Easter Monday. Photos by Nicolette Spellic
