Time to decorate the town primrose and blue
It has been a long time since Boyle had so many connections with a county senior GAA team. We have had players on teams before but never players, coaches, back room personnel and a manger all with Boyle connections. On Sunday this same county team head to Galway with high hopes of securing the Nestor Cup for the first time 2010. Considering the Boyle involvement it would be great if as many premises as possible displayed the primrose and blue and put up flags and bunting in support of the team. Hopefully all the decorations can then be left up for the next round games, following a victory in Salthill this weekend.
CCTV needed to catch vandals in action
Once again the need for a CCTV system for Boyle was highlighted last weekend when more flowers were vandalised in town. This time it was the turn of the bed at the junction with Bridge street and Shop street to get uprooted and thrown all over the street. Many people would not have noticed the vandalism such was the speed that local business owners were in action, replanting and cleaning up after the thugs. It must be extremely disheartening for the Tidy Towns commitee, the Mens Shed, the Town Team who funded the shrubs this year and indeed the general public who would love to see the perpetrators caught in the act. As we have said before in this blog, the stamping out of this so called petty crime is vitally important to ensure the bigger crimes do not become acceptable in our town.
Community spirit in action
Last weekend’s John Brehony Honda 50 run that started in Ballinafad and passed through Boyle was a great example of community spirit in action. It was most evident in Ballinafad before and after the event. Friends brought tea and sandwiches to the Mayfly Inn for enjoyment in advance of departure while they had hot food for all on return. Everyone helped out and the good will and friendship that was evident is something you only see in small communities like we have around this area. Later in the evening the Cloonloo bus arrived and the hardy men from west of Boyle took on their counterparts from “across the Curlews” in tug o’ war on the main road right outside the pub! Egged on by the charismatic and energetic Francis Candon on the decks, the craic was mighty. After the best of three pulls, all went back into the Mayfly for some well earned refreshments and you could hear the laughter back in Boyle. During all the events throughout the day, funds were being raised for Cancer Care West. Well done to all involved.
King House listed as top wedding venue
It was great to see that Boyle’s jewel in the Crown – King House was recognised as one of the top wedding venues in Ireland recently . Online wedding website onefabday.com listed King House in the top 11 new wedding venues in Ireland. The listed selection varied from restaurants and country houses to barns and industrial mills with “a little something to suit all tastes and locations” according to the website. It described King House as “A fab choice for those of you in the midlands, King House is a restored Georgian mansion and cultural centre. A public museum, King House is also available for exclusive hire for weddings and events”.
The downside to social media in Boyle
Social Media and the internet have revolutionised the way news is reported globally, nationally and locally. Now we can read what happens in an instant and not have to wait until the following week as was the case in the past when traditional media was the chosen format. Of course the down side to social media, and Facebook in particular, is the platform it gives certain individuals to personally attack other individuals and organisations. On occasion, comments are published to back up a persons personal opinion and can be quite damaging to the progress being made in our town. The need to “talk up” Boyle and to “be positive” was highlighted recently by Minister Naughten and is paramount if a good image is to be portrayed of Boyle. Personal attacks and unnecessary comments about individuals and organisations on Facebook in the name of news is not being positive. In fact the comments, on occasion, are verging on defamatory. This is the negativity that Minister Naughten warned against, the same negativity that is doing our town damage each day and should be avoided at all costs.
And finally…!
Two hillbillies walk into a restaurant. While having a bite to eat, they talk about their moonshine operation.
Suddenly, a woman at a nearby table, who is eating a sandwich, begins to cough. After a minute or so, it becomes apparent that she is in real distress. One of the hillbillies looks at her and says, ‘Kin ya swallar?’
The woman shakes her head no. Then he asks, ‘Kin ya breathe?’ The woman begins to turn blue and shakes her head no.
The hillbilly walks over to the woman, lifts up her dress and quickly gives her right-butt cheek a lick with his tongue.
The woman is so shocked that she has a violent spasm and the obstruction flies out of her mouth.
As she begins to breathe again, the Hillbilly walks slowly back to his table. His partner says,
‘Ya know, I’d heerd of that there ‘Hind Lick Maneuver’ but I ain’t niver seed nobody do it before!’
