Great excitement already at the return of ‘The Balloons’
It has been a long time since a post here on Boyletoday.com generated as much positive reaction as Tuesday’s story that the Irish Hot Air Ballooning Championship is returning to Boyle’s Lough Key Forest Park. There was unanimous delight at the news, which was ‘officially’ announced yesterday (Thursday) in the Park before a large crowd of onlookers – some witnessing their first ever balloon launch, with others reminiscing on the good times they had ‘crewing’ for the various participants back in the late eighties and early nineties and the ‘craic’ during ‘Balloon Week’ in Maloney’s Pub on St. Patrick Street, which became the unofficial home of the event at the time.
The first Ballooning Championship was held in Boyle in September 1979 when nine balloons gathered to launch from the great lawn in Rockingham. After a break for a few years, in 1989, the balloons came back to the area and remained here for a few more years. A hard-working local committee ensured sponsorship and free propane gas kept the crews happy but it was indeed hard work and the novelty and sponsorship took it’s natural course with the balloons departing in the mid nineties, leaving many memories and hope that they would return again some day.
Those who were children in the eighties and who are now parents were among the many who expressed their delight at the news of the return of ‘The Balloons’ next September. Among them was Forest Park manager Dermot Beggan who was instrumental in getting next year’s championship back to Boyle. Dermot told Boyletoday.com that he has great memories of the balloons flying over his home when he was a child and his own children were in the Park yesterday enjoying the excitement. At Thursday’s launch, it was time for many children to share the magic of their parent’s youth every September back in the eighties and nineties, as young and old now look forward to September 2025 when the Balloons will ‘go up’ once again over Boyle.
Road to close in an estate with alleged misspelt name
Roscommon County Council has given notice of its intention to close the L-5132 road at Cnoc na h-abhainn in Warren Townland for 30 metres from junction with L-51327 at Cnoc na h-abhainn to the junction with L-51326 at Cnoc Na Habhainn. Traffic will be diverted via L-51325 and L-51327 Cnoc na h-abhainn and vice versa. The road will close from 03/12/2024 to 07/08/2025 to facilitate the construction of Social Housing. Residents will be contacted and notified directly by the Contractor in advance of the closure ands objections may be made in writing by 4 .00 p.m. on Tuesday 12th November 2024, according to Roscommon Co Co.
While on the subject of this estate, a viewer has been in contact with us in relation to the correct spelling of the estate name. They said: “I think there is a grammatical mistake in the Irish spelling of an estate near Forest View. Please excuse me if I am wrong but I think the correct grammar should be Cnoc na h-Abhann. e.g.”abhainn is baninscne (female), “ag an abhainn” but “bruach na h-abhann”.
High level appointment for Knockvicar native
Congratulations to Aine Burke, originally from Knockvicar who has been appointed as a new assistant chief State solicitor. Ms Burke, who has over 20 years’ public sector experience, will lead the State property division in the Chief State Solicitor’s Office (CSSO). She is a graduate of UCC School of Law and also holds a Law Society diploma in property law as well as certificates in public law, leadership, corporate governance and risk management. Ms Burke is also a former Council member of the Dublin Solicitors’ Bar Association (DSBA) and former chair of the DSBA’s probate and taxation committee. Aine is daughter of John and the late Tina Burke, Riversdale, Knockvicar.
A new traffic maneuver in Boyle
A new (or maybe not that new to some) driving maneuver in Boyle was witnessed during the week. A motorist stopped at McDonagh’s Corner, planning to head over St. Patrick Street told of a frightening experience when a van coming behind them on Main Street – instead of waiting for the motorist to cross the road – proceeded to mount the footpath at McDonaghs and cut to the left of the car before driving back onto the carriageway and going over the bridge and up the Crescent. If anyone had been walking on the path around the corner at McDonagh’s they would most definitely have been hit. The impatient motorist didn’t get very far as they got caught in traffic at An Rioga!
News snippets from around Boyle
Tickets for ‘The Sound of Music’ will go on sale from 1pm this Saturday, November 2nd. The Booking Office is located at the New Art Gallery in An Ríoga (former Royal Hotel) on Bridge Street. Tickets can be purchased and bookings can be made here from 1pm to 4:30pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday until November 23rd. Cash, credit and debit cards accepted. Telephone bookings: 087 062 7789. This line will be open during booking office hours only. Boyle Musical Society are again appealing to the generous community of Boyle and its surrounds for financial support for our 2024 production and you can donate here………….Drop into Boyle Library every Tuesday 6.30-7.30pm to speak as Ghaeilge. All welcome! Contact Carolyn 071/ 9662800. Email: [email protected]………….Why are Irish Rail still using commuter trains on an intercity Dublin – Sligo line? The green commuters were in operation a number of times this week………..Music session with Liam Purcell and friends will take place on Sunday, 3rd November from 4-6pm, in the Crossna Community Centre, Cleen Hall. F52 A 497. All welcome and children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian………. It was a proud day last Tuesday in King House for everyone associated with Spool Factory based animation company Studio Meala. Over 100 locals got an opportunity to be the first to see the companies new animated cartoon series Doodle Girl which will screen for the first time on RTE Junior on Monday next……..A number of power outages, albeit for a few seconds at a time, have been reported around the town over the past few nights……… Drumshanbo Traditional Music Course Concert in King House on Wednesday November 6th at 2pm. Admission €5…………The dry, mild weather last evening (Thursday) saw many young people out enjoying trick and treating around the town. It always saw large groups of teenagers congregate in the Pleasure Grounds until well into the night………Ardcarne Garden Centre will launch their Christmas Shop this weekend and they will also host their annual Hospice event on Saturday from 11am-6pm. All are invited to come along and support the Hospice with complimentary mulled wine and nibbles and a chance to win €500 in prizes in a free draw……..The Crescent Plaza area got a great clean up by the Tidy Town volunteers on Thursday morning. Were it not for these volunteers, one wonders what state the town would be in.
And finally…..!
An elderly man in Cavan calls his son in Sydney and says, “I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; “forty-five years of misery is enough.”
“Dad, what are you talking about?” the son screams.
“We can’t stand the sight of each other any longer,” the old man says.
“We’re sick of each other, and I’m sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Brisbane and tell her,” and he hangs up.
Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. “No way are they’re getting divorced,” she shouts, “I’ll take care of this.”
She calls her dad immediately, and screams at her father, “You are NOT getting divorced! Don’t do a single thing until I get there. I’m calling my brother back, and we’ll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don’t do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?” and hangs up.
The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife.
“Don’t worry,”he says, “it’s sorted”. “They’re coming for Christmas and they are paying their own airfares.”
