Bumblebee Super Car Run visists Kilronan today
Bumblebee 100 – “The Fast and Furious Road Trip”- featuring over 100 supercars will visit Kilronan Castle today Friday June 14th. The cars will travel via Leitrim Village and Keadue to arrive at the Castle at approximately 1pm for a lunch stop. There will be Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ford, McLaren, Nissan GTRs and Porsche cars on the trip along with a number of guest cars. The three day event, in aid of Little Blue Heroes, commenced in Barberstown Castle this morning at 8am and will conclude in Belmullet around 5.30pm. On Saturday the convoy travels from Belmullet to Limerick City and on Sunday the cars set off from Portlaoise Plaza finishing at Kinnegad Plaza. Kilronan Castle itself will be closed to walk-ins from 12pm until 3pm today Friday 14th. Residents, wedding guests and pre booked dining and spa appointments will be allowed access to the Hotel Grounds and will be directed by the hotel team at the main gate and around the grounds. If you have a reservation between 12.00pm and 3.00pm please allow plenty of time for arrival due to traffic. If you are planning to attend the Bumblebee 1000 Run at the Castle, please note that the Castle grounds will be closed to ALL spectator traffic. There is a shuttle bus in operation from Ballyfarnon Church to Kilronan Castle. The Shuttle Bus will be in operation from 12.15pm to 3.15pm.
AsIAm Forest Ramble in Boyle
Boyle’s Lough Key Forest Park is one of the venues on Sunday week’s (June 23rd) for an AsIAm Forest Ramble. A ramble through the woods is a real treat for the senses, with different things to see, hear, smell and touch. On June 23rd between 9am and 12pm, join members of the AsIAm team to help raise vital funds to continue the AsIAm team’s work for the Autistic community. These self guided sensory walks are taking place in: Avondale Forest Park, Co Wicklow, Donadea Forest Park, Co Kildare, Curragh Chase Forest Park, Co Limerick, Gougane Barra Forest Park, Co Cork, Lough Key Forest Park, Boyle, Co Roscommon and Rossmore Forest Park, Co Monaghan. You can sign up for the walk here
Election Miscellany
- With counting concluding in the European Elections for the Midlands North West shortly after 3am this morning, counting is well and truly over in the local elections with the six County Councillors for the Boyle M.D. now known: Valerie Byrne, Liam Callaghan, Tom Crosby, Leah Cull, Micheal Frain and Sean Moylan. Interestingly, we now have a situation where there is no Councillor living in Boyle town on the Boyle M.D. We can only hope that those elected will give Boyle the attention and support it deserves when they sit at the Council table over the next few years.
- One has to wonder why the European election ballot paper and local election ballot paper were put into the one ballot box. Surely it would have saved time at the count centres if they were in separate boxes?
- Nowadays results are available online within a few seconds after they become available at the count centre but it was not always that way. In the seventies and eighties here in Boyle, and before the advent of the internet or mobile phone, reporters from the local newspaper had to leave the count centre, head for the nearest pay phone and ring in the results which were then written onto a sheet and displayed in the window of the newspaper in the now Spool Factory building. Large crowds would gather on St. Patrick Street late into the night to see the ‘up to date’ situation in Roscommon.
- The first elected Councillor for the Boyle MD, Elphin’s Valerie Byrne said she never put up a poster or used social media during her campaign. She received 1565 first preference votes.
- Independent candidate in the Boyle LEA Sajjad Hussain has said the level of abuse and “dirty tricks” he was subjected to throughout the campaign represented a significant escalation since the last time he contested the local elections.
- Data from the ballot boxes in Boyle Abbey Primary School Polling Stations show the following first preference votes cast: Ali Majid (19), Fayiz Alsani (29), Angela Beirne (19), Valerie Byrne (108), Liam Callaghan (42), Tom Crosby (30), Leah Cull (283), Dympna Daly-Finn (207), Paul Forde (401), Micheal Frain (35), Sajjad Hussain (32), Sean Moylan (204), Caoimhin O’Miadh (6), Aidan Sampey (57), Edmund Shanahan (18) and Rory Doyle (1).
- In total, 1503 people cast a vote last Friday at the 6 polling booths in Boyle Abbey Primary School.
Have you visited all the attractions Boyle has to offer?
Recently in this blog we wondered how many of our younger residents have ever visited King House, Boyle Abbey or the Rockingham Remembered tour in our own Lough Key Forest Park? One viewer got in touch suggesting that the tours should be part of the curriculum in all Boyle schools while another suggested free entry to all three facilities on a certain day for local people under the age of 18. In any case, it is important that we all – young and old – visit our three top tourist attractions so we can become ambassadors for our town and let others know of the great facilities we have here for tourists.
In King House, for example you have a brilliant ‘Hidden Gem’ exhibition featuring the work of local Goldsmith Erwin Springbunn. Erwin was a unique craftsman, an exceptional goldsmith and an extraordinary gemstone cutter. His works grace private and public collections in Ireland, the UK, America and beyond and his creations hang in the National Museum of Ireland and the Basilica in Knock, among others. You also have the McAlesse Collection containing exciting pieces of art and artefacts from all over the world, including the Middle East, Asia, Europe and various counties, organisations and associations in Ireland, gifted to former President Mary McAleese. In addition, visitors can see Boyle Civic Art Collection along with a history of Rockingham and the Connacht Rangers – all this right in the centre of our town!
News snippets from around Boyle
Free children’s event in Boyle Library on Saturday June 15th at 12 noon when Helen McSharry will read from her latest children’s book – The Return of the Tuatha Dé Danann. No booking is required, just come along and enjoy free storytime as part of Cruinniú na nÓg………..Plenty of other events happening over the weekend also as part of Cruinniu na nOg with information here………..Along with the ongoing problem of illegal parking in Boyle, perhaps it is time to stamp out cycling on footpaths which is also becoming more prevalent around town. Last week a person was observed cycling at speed down town on the footpath, with headphones on and nearly colliding with a pedestrian on the corner at King House………Bootcamp Season will soon commence at the Fitt Factory in Boyle with bookings now being taken for the July and August bootcamps – “2 weeks 6 classes, great results”. July course runs the 8th to the 19th and August course runs the 12th to the 23rd. Bookings with Siobhan on 086 087 8676………Great to see Boyle’s Lough Key Forest Park joining Strokestown Park House and Arigna Mining Experience at a tourism trade show in Milan recently………..Men’s Health Event in Boyle Family Resource Centre on Monday next from 12-3pm. Refreshments on the day with some guest speakers and blood pressure checks………Culture Friday today from 1-1.30 at Boyle Craft Shop. Explore artist Margaret Rattigan’s inspiring creations and hear the stories behind her art……………Good luck to Roscommon GAA and the Boyle contingent in their crucial game against Cavan on Saturday in Longford. If you are deciding whiter to travel or not, remember the game is not being shown on TV or GAAGO……..Lough Key and in particular the iconic McDermott’s Castle had drone footage featured on Rozanna Purcell’s Instagram account during the week. Ms. Purcell has 586,000 followers…………..Have you ever wanted to try using Activator Poles? Particularly suitable for people with balance or mobility issues, they boast many benefits including improved posture, increased core strength and reduced impact on hips and knees as you walk. To celebrate the launch of the Activator Pole lending service, there will be a taster session starting at Boyle Library on Wednesday 19th June at 10am! Places are limited. To attend, please call 090 6630853……….With local Primary Schools closing early, Boyle Celtic are offering a 3rd Summer Camp option for the holidays on 24th – 28th June. 9.30am-1pm at Celtic Park, Boyle. Booking here
And finally…..!
A man was sitting at the bar staring at his drink when a large, trouble-making biker steps up next to him, grabs his drink and gulps it down in one swig.
“Well, whatcha’ gonna do about it” the biker says menacingly, as the man burst into tears.
“Come on, man,” the biker says, “I didn’t think you’d CRY. I can’t stand to see a man crying.”
“This is the worst day of my life,” the man says. “I’m a complete failure. I was late for a meeting and my boss fired me. When I went to the car park, I found my car had been stolen and I don’t have any insurance. I left my wallet in the taxi I took home. I found my wife with another man and then my dog bit me. So I came to this bar to work up the courage to put an end to it all – I buy a drink, I drop a capsule in and sit here watching the poison dissolve; then you show up and drink the whole thing!
But anyway, enough about me, how’s your day going”…….
