Great plans for restoration of Main Street property
This blog previously spoke about the welcomed regeneration of Main Street and the area to the rear of the street along by the river. Part of this regeneration includes the conservation and restoration of the former Mullaney’s shop on the street. An application is currently before Roscommon Co Co for the provision of two town houses and ground floor commercial unit at the site including new traditional shopfront, restoration of rear outbuildings and landscaping and improvement works to the rear yard that faces onto the river. A look at the planning file will show the great lengths the current owner is going to, to bring back to it’s former glory, what was a Bank before it became a clothes shop. This restoration project along with other plans for Main Street and the river walkway is just what is needed in this area.
All support appreciated for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Well done to the handful of people who had their initial meeting recently to organise a St. Patrick’s Day parade in our town. It has been confirmed that the parade will indeed take place as usual on March 17th but it would be great if a few more people got involved with the committee. This ad hoc committee has a little over 4 weeks to get plans in place for the big day. If you cannot help organise the event, perhaps you might be able to help out on the day? Or as importantly, perhaps you might enter a float? Float entry forms are available from [email protected] or contact Lorcan on 0876521271. This year, there is great prize money for the various winners: Overall Winner €500, Runner Up €200, Junior Winner €200, Junior Runner Up €100, Best Window – Cup. Other spot prizes on the day and entry is free for all participants
Following on from last year successful parade, the viewing stand will remain on the Crescent and there will be a D.J. playing before and after the parade
According to the organisers: “The big success of the parade last year was the inclusion of Music Generation and all the local young people who played after the parade. This year Music Generation will play music at the rear of An Rioga before the parade with face painting taking place there. After the parade, Music Generation will move to St Joseph’s Hall where they have a number of different bands and groups, playing a variety of music from Rock to Traditional Irish Music. The Parade costs approximately €4000 to run and all support is greatly appreciated via our GoFundMe page here.
The effects of publishing false information on social media
Lessons need to be learned from recent cases where false information has been spread on social media. Only last weekend an alleged incident at a youth disco in Roscommon town resulted in Gardai issuing a statement “Urging the public to remain calm and not spread false information”. It followed a rumour sent on social media that a person had entered a nightclub and ‘needle spiked an individual and some drinks’, which led to panic among those in attendance. After an investigation, Gardai and management confirmed that no crime had taken place but not before people took to social media blaming everyone and anyone and even suggesting certain demographics concerning those allegedly involved.
Let’s hope the Garda investigation into the incident finds out who the person was that made the false allegation, as people who publish untruths on social media need to be held accountable for their actions.
Delays next week through Carrick
If you are heading east through Carrick-on-Shannon from Monday next be ready for some delays, as Leitrim County Council carry out lighting works on the arches of the N4 bridge in the town from 10am-3pm daily until Friday 23rd.
Due to the nature of the works and equipment required to carry out the works, it will be necessary to close one of the bridge’s lanes during these hours.
A stop / go traffic management plan will be in place while the works are ongoing.
Dealing with a housing crisis in Boyle
CSO figures released during the week show that Roscommon is the worst-performing area in the country in meeting housing supply demands with one housing unit built for every 648 people living in the county. The previous week a national newspaper highlighted the severe shortage of available housing nationally especially in western counties with one estate agent saying his company in Boyle has about 100 people on a waiting list looking for property to rent or buy. Mike Smith from Smith Auctioneers told the newspaper:“If we put something online to rent we would have 50 or 60 replies overnight”.
But is there another way to deal with the housing crisis in towns like Boyle? Could we not get the 30 or so derelict premises in the town centre that have a residential element to them, ready to house some of those 100 people that Mike Smith refers to? Back in 2018 Boyle was one of six towns nationwide chosen to participate in the pilot residential occupancy scheme. All six towns reported the same reasons there were so many town centre properties lying idle – inheritance problems, cost of construction, planning issues, to name a few. If these problems could be surmounted and we got the vacant premises in the town centre ready for occupancy, (along of course with some new builds) then we could be well on our way to dealing with any housing problem we may have in our town.
News snippets from around Boyle
Good luck to Boyle Celtic U-17 girls as they take on Maree Oranmore F.C in the Final of the Connacht Shield Cup this Saturday in Lecarrow with a 12:30pm kick off………..Last Monday night’s documentary “Stalked” on TV3 was very powerful. Edited by Boyle woman Grainne Creighton, the documentary revealed the devastating impact of stalking through the deeply personal stories of three women as they faced terrifying stalkers. If you missed the documentary, you can catch it here………..If you are caring for someone with dementia or a memory deficit, you are welcome to join Roscommon Dementia Alliance Memory Café this Wednesday 21st at 2pm in Lough Key Forest and Activity Park for music, song and chat. More information from Teresa on 087 7061183………Not heading to Croke Park tomorrow? Then you can watch the Dublin v Roscommon game live on TG4 at 5pm…….Congratulations once again to Daly’s Drinks on Bridge Street in Boyle who were awarded with a Customer Service Excellence Award and a Certificate of Excellence at last week’s 2024 NOFFLA Off-Licence awards. The enterprising business can now add these most recent awards to the 2023 Connaught /Ulster Off Licence of the year award which they won last year and previously in 2020………..This time of year, many buildings in town look weathered after the winter rain and storms. But now is the time to plan ahead for spring and book a painter if you need one. There are currently some premises badly in need of upgrades on Bridge Street, that will look even worse when the public realm works are complete…………A sign of the times maybe – two well known food outlets announced their closure in Sligo this week – Baker Boys and Andersons Bar and Grill……….Congratulations to Boyle Ladies Tennis Team who were declared Connacht Champions on Sunday last when they overcame Portumna in the Grade 5 Connacht Winter League Final in Castlebar Tennis Club………Some really exciting acts were announced yesterday here on Boyletoday.com for this July’s Night and Day Festival, which promises to be a brilliant musical weekend right on our doorstep in Lough Key Forest Park………..Congratulations to Goretti Sheridan who was Superintendent in charge of Castlerea Garda District that covered Boyle in 2019/20 and who is this week being promoted to Chief Superintendent for Donegal.
And finally…….!
A soldier shows up for military training but realizes he forgot to bring his Rifle.
The sergeant hands him a stick and gestures to the training field.
“You’ll have to use this, soldier. If you need to shoot someone, just aim your stick at them and shout ‘Bangity bang-bang’. If someone gets too close to you, poke them in the gut with it as though it was a bayonet and shout ‘Stabbity stab-stab’. Now get moving.”
The soldier thinks this is pretty ridiculous, but to his surprise, when he aims his stick at a fellow trainee across the field and shouts “Bangity bang-bang!” the other soldier goes down in a theatrical display. Then, another trainee tries to run past him, so he pokes the guy in the ribs and shouts “Stabbity stab-stab!” and he too goes down, pretending to be dead.
So, the soldier starts running through the mock battlefield, shouting “Bangity bang-bang” and occasionally “Stabbity-stab-stab”, until eventually, he realizes he’s the last man standing.
He’s feeling pretty proud of himself until another soldier rounds a corner and starts walking toward him. Slowly. Stiffly. Menacingly.
The soldier takes aim with his stick and shouts, “Bangity-bang-bang!”
But the other soldier doesn’t go down this time. He keeps approaching, arms stiff at his sides, boots stomping aggressively into the ground.
The soldier begins to sweat. He clears his throat, adjusts his grip on his stick and hollers, “Bangity bang-bang!”
But nothing happens. The other soldier keeps marching toward him.
Now the soldier panics. He pretends to reload his stick and desperately cries out, “Bangity bang-bang! Bangity bang-bang! Stabbity stab-stab!”
But to his dismay, nothing works.
Finally, the other soldier reaches him, kicks him in the shin and knocks him onto the ground.
He stands over the fallen soldier and says:
“Tankity tank-tank.”
