Lighting of new pedestrian crossing
We were contacted recently by a viewer who asked: “Any idea when the lights on Elphin Street pedestrian crossing and Londis pedestrian crossing will be in operation? A van came down town at some speed last week when a person was crossing. Luckily the pedestrian spotted the van, as the driver did not see him. These issues need to fixed immediately as it could save a life“.
We contacted a representative from Roscommon Co Co to get an answer and were informed that: “Works have been completed for a number of weeks now on that part of the scheme and we have been waiting on ESB to connect the power. We had been in weekly contact trying to get this done. Unfortunately this was scheduled to happen last Friday but since the storm ESB has been very busy on related matters. We hope to have the crossings lit asap”.
New €4.2m Boyle Community Library goes to tender
The tender for the construction of the €4.2m new Boyle Community Library has been published. The closing date for receipt of completed tenders is Friday March 7th with a contract duration of approximately 16 months. According to the tender the project involves “The construction of a new two storey library along the river on the site of the former Royal Hotel in Boyle. The modern Community Library facility will be fully accessible, flexible and suitable for the provision of innovative library services into the future. This purpose built community facility will form part of a programme of developments to regenerate the centre of the town. it will be located in the Cultural Quarter of Boyle as outlined in Boyle 2040. The ground floor has an open plan with the main spaces orientated to the river and new public square with services areas at the rear of the building. The spaces orientated to the river will be glazed with floor to ceiling glazing connecting to the external spaces. The library will be clad in timber at first floor with framed windows overlooking the river. The services and utility connections for the library will be taken from connection points within the public realm areas adjacent to the library site”. It is understood work should start on the building mid summer 2025.
Devising a ‘Boyle Community Emergency Response Plan’
Our suggestion last week that a “Boyle Community Emergency Response Plan” could be put in place has resulted in a number of people contacting us with suggestions. All are of the opinion that it would be great to have such a plan in place for when we get another serious storm or indeed heavy snow or as one put it “when climate change leads to the Boyle river flooding our homes”. Suggestions were made that there should be a regularly updated plan drawn up with a list of first responders, qualified chain saw operators, those willing to assist in an emergency, where generators and sandbags are available, a regularly updated list of the elderly and most vulnerable in our community that will need to be checked on, where emergency food can be sought etc etc. The plan should also have a point of first contact who would then put the plan into place and direct resources as required from a designated safe location. One thing we have got good at here in Boyle is providing for ourselves and not waiting for others. A “Boyle Community Emergency Response Plan” would be another example of Boyle people leading the way when it comes to helping each other out in a time of need.
New rural road speed limits in place from today
From today Friday February 7th, speed limits on rural local roads around Ireland will reduce from 80km/h to 60 km/h. This change is being implemented to “make the roads safer for motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and all road users”. Reducing speed can significantly increase the chance of survival in the event of a traffic collision, and lowering speed limits on Ireland’s road network will save lives. Later in 2025, the speed limit in urban cores, which include built up areas as well as housing estates and town centres, will reduce to 30km/h. The speed limit on national secondary roads will also reduce from 100km/h to 80km/h.
Questions need to be answered following Storm Eowyn
It really is hard to believe that there are so many homes still without power 15 days after Storm Eowyn. And here, in and around Boyle, some customers have been told that it could be Sunday or Monday before they are reconnected. Acceptance, that turned to frustration, has now boiled over to anger among those without power. One household of a cluster of 20 in Boyle that still had no electricity on Thursday wrote on our social media: “Absolutely outrageous service. First 29th Jan, then 5th Feb now 8th Feb. 3 people called to inspect the fault at the back of our garden. Access no problem, along road, inside speed limit in town. Fault visible and all wires appear intact. 20 houses impacted. One of the assessors said problem could be fixed in 1.5 hours, at a loss to understand why we are still in the dark after two weeks”.
With only 7,000 homes now supposedly without power nationwide, many are wondering where are all the crews that got the over 700,000 others reconnected? They certainly did not seem to have been redirected to Boyle this week. And the argument that the ESB need specialised crews in first to cut trees certainly doesn’t echo well for the 20 households above who are in the dark in a main town with no forestry around them. Last night’s RTE TV programme ‘Powerless’ saw the Fire Service in Monaghan assist in felling trees. Why can this not happen in rural Boyle and around the county where trees need to be cut and where we have a fire service ready and willing to assist in this emergency?
Many question need to be answered once power is restored to those who are still suffering.
(Since the above was published we have been informed that many in Boyle, including the 20 homes referred to above have had power restored, but there are still a number in rural Boyle without power, including a number only 2k from the town centre)
The future of the rural post office
This week we were informed that the price to post a letter will increase by 25c to €1.65 on February 27th. A standard international stamp will also increase – from €2.20 to €2.65. According to An Post, the increase is as a result of “wage increases for postal staff in line with national pay award, increased operating costs and letter volumes which have declined over 8% in the last 12 months, 40% since 2017 and 50% in the last decade”. One has to ask the obvious question” “Why increases prices when volumes are falling”? It’s a bit like the counter productive act of ailing local newspapers who continually increase their cover price as their circulations decline further.
The knock on effect of these latest An Post increases will do nothing for the future of rural post offices where, in some areas, footfall is falling, leading to less over the counter transactions with a resultant fear that some remaining post offices will face the same future as rural banks. In recent weeks Carrick and Roscommon Post Offices have moved to local Supervalu stores. Here in Boyle, while our local Post Office building is on the market, we were reassured by An Post last September that “our post office in Boyle will neither move or close” which is good to know.
News snippets from around Boyle
The current works on Main Street under the Boyle Traffic Safety Scheme has had people suggesting that consideration should once more be given to implementing a one way system on Bridge Street and Main Street in the town. What do you think? Please vote in our weekly poll at the bottom right of this page………..Motorists are advised of the temporary closure of the R361 Boyle to Frenchpark road from Monday 10th to Friday 21st February. Diversion via the N5/N61. Map is available on www.roscommoncoco.ie\Notices\Roads……….Boyle man Chris O’Dowd’s new TV series “Small Town Big Story”, with scenes shot in the actor/directors home town, will premiere on Sky TV on February 27th……..The annual general meeting of Boyle Town Team will take place on Thursday February 13th at 7:00pm in the Spool Factory……….Open day for incoming junior infants (September 2025) in Corrigeenroe NS will be held on Friday February 14th from 1pm-3pm……..Boyle’s Lough Key Forest Park will host the first leg of the 2025 Duathlon Series Training Event this Sunday February 9th. 2km or 4km Run – 17km Bike – 2km Run. Briefing at 10am with 10.30am start. Registration here……….Good luck to all the members of Boyle Tennis Club who will compete in three Connacht Finals in the Connacht Winter League (Phase 1) at Sligo Tennis Club this Sunday………..The popular “Paint and Pour” evening returns to Dalys Bar on Friday next February 14th with pre booking necessary………The great work being undertaken by Boyle Family Resource Centre during the power crisis featured on a number of media outlets including national TV on a few occasions……….Well done to ‘local’ hotel Kilronan Castle who were awarded gold for ‘best hotel accommodation’ at this year’s CIE Tours Awards of Excellence which took place this week……..Yesterday evening’s 19.05 train from Sligo – Dublin was delayed for 51 minutes in Carrick on Shannon awaiting Gardai to deal with yet another ‘passenger issue’.
And finally!
A man got on the bus with both of his front trouser pockets full of golf balls and sat down next to a female passenger.
The puzzled woman kept looking at him and his bulging pockets.
Finally, after many glances from her, he said, “It’s ok – It’s golf balls.”
The woman continued to look at him for a very long time, thinking deeply about what he had said.
Finally, unable to contain her curiosity any longer, she asked,
“Does it hurt as much as tennis elbow?”
