Do you know the location of Defibrillators around Boyle?
Back in 2021, John McDermott and Roscommon Rapid Response developed the EmCall App as part of the Emergency Community Response System for people who may suffer a cardiac arrest in Co. Roscommon. Using your phone, the EmCall App enabled you, with 3 button presses, to ring the emergency services, provide location coordinates automatically/Home Eircode, notify the 8 nearest CPR trained responders and locate the nearest accessible defibrillator. It was a brilliant App but in the interim, John unfortunately passed away and the App is no longer in use.
In recent days, it has been brought to our attention that the defibrillator at Boyle Garda Station is no longer in use, which leads to the question: “Where are defibrillators located in Boyle and are they in operation”. At last count there were defibrillators in the following locations – but there could be more or indeed less and some are indoors and others outdoors: Abbey College, Boyle Celtic, Boyle GAA club, Boyle Primary Care Centre, King House, Lough Key Visitors Centre, Roscommon Co Co offices, Scoil na nAingeal Naofa, Supervalu, Tawnytaskin Community Centre, St. Joseph’s Church and in the Spool Factory car park adjacent to the Fitt Factory entrance.
Maybe someone in our community can try and get the EmCall App operational again or at least get an updated list of Defib locations in Boyle made public.
Tidy up work commences on public realm enhancement project
Power washing and sealing of the new footpaths around town is currently underway, as the public realm work on Bridge Street and An Rioga car park draws to an end with new pedestrian crossing mounds also installed overnight on Main Street under the ‘Boyle Traffic Safety Scheme’. Planting of the recently installed stone planters, that form part of the public realm project, will also take place, hopefully in advance of St. Patrick’s Day, while planting will also take place in An Rioga car park once the final layer of macadam is laid. Electric Skyline have still to install the remainder of the decorative street lights as soon as the wall brackets arrive. An Rioga has also received a anti fungal coating in an effort to stop the green algae forming on the north facing walls of the building.
In The Lawn, overgrown hedging and saplings have been removed which has unearthed the level of indiscriminate dumping that has taken place there over the years. Work will continue here throughout the next few months with overhanging branches cut, new paths, kerbs, seating and planting installed, which will give a major upgrade to this scenic location.
All of the work in relation to the Bridge Street/Shop Street public realm project is being overseen by Roscommon Co Co Regeneration Team executive engineer Adrian Farrell who has kept property owners and Boyle Town Team regularly updated of all the work that is ongoing in that area, which is very much appreciated.
Additional funding for Greenway is welcomed
There was further good news for the area on Wednesday last when an additional €400,000 was awarded for preparatory work to establish a Greenway between Carrick and Lough Key Forest Park in Boyle. Viewers may recall that the project had a public consultation in the visitors centre in the Park back in September 2023 when it was revealed that the project could take up to 5 years before soil is broken. The funding is now coming on stream at regular intervals allowing the idea to move through the various stages. Back in 2023 we were told the Study Area was not adjacent to the N4, as some believed, but takes in a large area around Cootehall and Knockvicar. The project timeline is in seven stages: 1. Concept and Feasibility 2. Options Selection 3. Design and Environmental Evaluation 4. Statutory Process 5. Enabling and Procurement 6. Construction and Implementation and 7. Close out and Review. While there are some who say the Greenway will draw tourists from the Park to Carrick, that is looking at the glass half full. People should look at the bigger picture and the availability of being able to cycle off road from Carrick to Boyle and visa versa and the benefits that will bring to both towns if people avail of the opportunities it will provide.
A new parking problem is developing
Regular viewers of this blog will be aware of our highlighting of illegal parking in Boyle, which is annoying considering we have free parking all around the town and in car parks on the Crescent, Green Street and An Rioga. But a problem is developing that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. People are now parking cars that have broken down or are unroadworthy – often without tax, insurance or NCT – in the various car parks, taking up valuable space. In the Green Street car park, there are currently three vehicles with either deflated tyres or defects. Previously we had a similar situation on Bridge Street but An Garda Siochana were quick to act on getting those vehicles moved. Hopefully they will do the same with the cars abandoned in our town centre car parks to show people that public car parks are not dumping grounds.
News snippets from around Boyle
Corrigeenroe native, former Boyle Celtic player and current League of Ireland star with Drogheda United, James Bolger will be the Grand Marshal of Boyle’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade………Warren Residents Association are holding a clean up of their area on Saturday at 11am meeting at the football pitch. The clean up is part of An Taisce National Spring Clean week………..Like the camping site in Lough Key Forest Park, Boyle Abbey is scheduled to reopen to the public for the 2025 season on Friday March 14th………If you are into cycling, Boyle is the most certainly the place to be this May. First up is the the award wining Lough Key Classic cycling sportive which takes place in and around Boyle on Sunday May 18th. Then three days later on Wednesday 21st, the cream of Irish and International amateur cycling will descend on the town for the 1st stage finish of the 2025 Ras Tailteann International cycle race……..Why did Irish Rail not put on an additional train service from Sligo for this Saturday’s Six Nations game in the Aviva Stadium? There is an additional 10.55 service from Longford to Connolly, but that is of no use to those from this area………..Daly’s Drinks Wine Tasting evening takes place on Thursday March 13th at 7.30pm with tickets priced at €20………Well done to the eleven TY students from Abbey Community College who undertook litter picking yesterday in the Pleasure Grounds. All rubbish collected was taken away. They will continue next week with another area around the town. (Info via Boyle Tidy Town). Earlier in the week, the regular Wednesday morning Tidy Town volunteers did a litter pick around the Crescent area…….Summer Bulb event in Ardcarne Garden Centre this Saturday morning from 11-12. Price €20 with booking advised………The ‘Captain’s Drive -In’ takes place this Sunday at Boyle Golf Club. The Men’s Captain this year is Shane O’Dowd and Fiona Keenan is the Lady Captain. Shane and Fiona will be there on the day to do the traditional ceremonial drive so please come along to show your support for the new Captains, even if you cannot play. The competition format will be a 9 hole Scramble, with names to be in for a draw for teams at 12.30, with shotgun start at 1 pm……..Abbey Primary School, Boyle, are running a Cash for Clobber fundraiser on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday 11th -13th March. Please donate your unwanted clothes/paired shoes/belts/ bags. See poster for more details…………Please take time to vote for local film producer Grainne Creighton’s documentary ‘Anorexia: My Family and Me’ in the upcoming Royal Television Society Awards. You can vote here by clicking on the like symbol beside the programme and save and finish to receive confirmation that your vote has been submitted………..Despite the power washing of the new footpaths as detailed above, the tyre marks from the cars and vans that park on the paths, is now really dug in and will need specalised treatment to get removed……….Coffee morning fundraiser for Bumbleance on Wednesday 12th March at 11am in Boyle Further Education Training Centre. All welcome……….Beginners crochet classes starting soon in Boyle Library. Booking is essential as spaces are limited. Please phone 071 966 2800 to book your place………The new St. Patrick’s Day bunting looks great around town and with only 10 days to go, there is still a shortfall of €2,300 on the Boyle Parades GoFundMe page. The Parade could be in jeopardy if the required funding is not met so if you have not done so already, please donate here.
And finally…..!
An Irish man boarded an aircraft at Dublin Airport bound for New York, and taking his seat as he settled in, he noticed a very beautiful woman boarding the plane.
He realised she was heading straight toward his seat and bingo – she took the seat right beside him.
“Hello”, he blurted out, “Business trip or vacation?”
She turned, smiled enchantingly and said, “Business. I’m going to the annual nymphomaniac convention in the United States.”
He couldn’t believe what he had heard. Here was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen sitting next to him, and she was going to a meeting for nymphomaniacs !
Struggling to maintain his composure, he calmly asked, “What’s your business role at this convention ?”
“Lecturer,” she responded,” I use my experience to debunk some of the popular myths about sexuality.”
“Really”, he smiled, “What myths are those ?”
“Well,” she explained, “One popular myth is that African-American men are the most well-endowed when, in fact, it’s the Native American Indian who is most likely to possess that trait. Another popular myth is that French men are the best lovers, when actually it is the men of Greek descent. We have also found that the best potential lovers in all categories are the Irish.”
Suddenly the woman became uncomfortable and blushed. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I really shouldn’t be discussing this with you, I don’t even know your name !”
“Tonto,” the man said. “Tonto Papadopoulos, but my friends all call me Paddy.”
