In These Rooms will bring back many memories
There will be plenty of reminiscing (and no doubt calls for ‘Boyle needs a hotel’) this weekend and into next week when ‘In These Rooms’ exhibition takes place in An Rioga on Bridge Street in Boyle (Details on the homepage of this website). The exhibition will use images, video and interviews to show the important role The Royal played in the lives of so many people over the years. Christenings, weddings, retirements, funerals, dinner dances, discos and many other events were held in The Royal and indeed many marriages were made (and maybe broken!) in the historic building.
The hotel was built by John Freeman in 1782 and was of major historical importance being a pick up post for the Bianconi coaches that served the Dublin Sligo route. It also hosted a number of famous names over the years. The hotel had many owners and when it closed and lay idle, Roscommon Co Co stepped up to the mark and bought the building in 2017, embarking on a multi million make over turning what had become an eyesore into a civic space. All are invited to the opening and to view the exhibition with opening times etc. on our homepage.
One wonders what Seanie McGuinn would have to say about An Rioga if he was around today! Maybe his spirit is still alive in the building, hovering around ‘the hatch’ where he held court many nights over the years!!
New station stop on Sligo – Dublin Rail Line
Rail users on the Dublin Sligo line that serves Boyle now have the benefit of a new stop at Broombridge. The stop came into operation on Monday last and allows passengers to connect with the Luas Green Line which serves Stephens Green, Dundrum and Ranelagh. There are also some minor alterations to train departure times on the line with customers asked to check timetables in advance of travelling.
Tender advertised for Park redevelopment
Coillte has advertised the tender for the “Architect Led Integrated Design Team Services for the Proposed Development at Lough Key Forest and Activity Park, Co. Roscommon”. Viewers will recall that Coillte were awarded €1.2m back in June under the EU Just Transition Fund for the initial design and planning stages of what is believed to be a €15m ‘Master Plan’ regeneration project for Boyle’s Lough Key Forest Park. Tenders for the design stage of this project have to be returned by September 30th with the development having a duration of “50 months”. The contract will be awarded in October and has to be accepted by November.
It is understood this exciting and sympathetic to the environment master plan will see some major developments take place in the Park that will double visitor and employment numbers in the popular tourist attraction. The developments will include upgrades to the visitors centre and stable building, caravan park and parking areas, new water based activities and a new project at the Moylurg Tower, increased food and retail outlets and other developments that will be announced in due course.
Supporting the Lough Key Triathlon
One of the great late season events on the local sporting calendar takes place in Boyle’s Lough Key Forest Park on Sunday when the annual Lough Key Triathlon takes to the road and water. The Triathlon is always a great spectacle and brings a large number of competitors and their families to the area. The Triathlon gets underway at 10.30am with prize giving scheduled for 1.15pm. With fine weather forecast, it would be great to see a big local support for the athletes on Sunday as there will be many from Boyle taking part.
Help sought in locating lost wallet in Boyle
Well done to the local people who turned out in the rain on Monday evening last to help search for a wallet containing passport card etc belonging to a Ukrainian national that was lost in the vicinity of the Pleasure Grounds last weekend. The group was made up of members of Boyle Tidy Towns and they searched the Pleasure Grounds and surrounding area to no avail. If you are in the area and find a wallet with a Ukrainian plastic passport and bank cards in the name Prach Halyna or Ukrainian bank cards, please hand same into Boyle Garda Station or to Boyletoday.com c/o The Spool Factory.
Musical rehearsals commence on Monday
If you are new to Boyle, a great way to meet people is to join the local Musical Society. With rehearsals commencing on Monday next (September 2nd) for this years show – The Sound of Music- now is an ideal time to get involved in what promises to be a fun and enjoyable way to spend the autumn evenings. The show itself will be staged from November 20th to 23rd.
Rehearsals will begin at 8pm on Monday in St. Joseph’s Hall and a warm welcome is extended to all new, former and existing members to join up for twelve unforgettable weeks of music, singing, drama, dancing, comedy and lots more.
News snippets from a round Boyle
A long and happy retirement is wished to Matt and Eileen Dowd who recently announced the closure of their popular tourist attraction outside Boyle – Tullyboy Farm……..Best wishes to Abbey School principal Mike Solan who will also soon take over as Longford GAA senior football manager………One of Boyle’s most dangerous junctions just got a lot worse with road markings now nearly non existent at McDonagh’s Corner in the centre of the town. Following the recent pipe burst, resurfacing work took place at the junction but the road markings are no longer visible and strangers are driving straight through from Main Street to St. Patrick Street with an accident waiting to happen………..Culture Friday today in Una Bhan Craft Shop from 1pm to 1.30 pm where you will be inspired by Melissa’s Jewellery creation story……….Good luck to Boyle GAA team in Round 3 of the Senior Football Championship against Pearses on Saturday at 6pm in Woodmount. The game is all ticket and will also be streamed on Roscommon GAA TV………..Abbey Community College in Boyle is starting the academic year with an Irish Heart Foundation award after receiving a CPR 4 Schools recognition for the incredible efforts of the school, students and teachers in promoting CPR awareness through the programme……….Thankfully the return of the sunshine on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon brought more people into town as the traditional autumn slow down seemed to have commenced on Monday last leaving Boyle, like every other similar size town in Ireland, devoid of footfall……There have been calls for a number of years now to have a maintenance contract put in place for the Lough Key to Boyle Cycleway, which is getting more over grown by the day and in some locations, particularly between the Wooden Bridge and Erris, it is only able to accommodate a maximum of two people walking or cycling abreast. Recently a local person used a spade to cut back the overgrowth on that section to show that the tarmac is hidden by about two foot each side. Roscommon Co Co need to find funding to provide a maintenance plan for the Cycleway or the project will soon become so overgrown and full of debris that it will be unusable in sections…….Well done to the Tidy Towns volunteers who did great work during the week weeding the Plaza area on the Crescent……..15 year old Orla Connolly from Boyle will represent Ireland in the Amateur European Morakot Muay-Thai Championship in Wales this November. To assist Orla and her team on their travels, there is a sponsorship form in Abbeytown shop. It would be greatly appreciated if anyone could donate to this or via the GoFundMe page here
And finally….!
On a golf tour in Ireland, Tiger Woods drives his BMW into a petrol station in a remote part of the Irish countryside.
The pump attendant obviously knows nothing about golf, greets him in a typical Irish manner completely unaware of who the golfing pro is.
Top of the mornin’ to ya, sir” says the attendant.
Tiger nods a quick “hello” and bends forward to pick up the nozzle.
As he does so, two tees fall out of his shirt pocket onto the ground.
“What are those things for? asks the attendant.
“They’re called tees” replies Tiger.
“And what do they do?” inquires the Irishman.
“They’re for resting my balls on when I’m driving”, says Tiger.
“Jaysus” said the attendant, “don’t BMW think of everything”
