Volunteerism is alive and well in Boyle
If ever examples were needed of community spirit and volunteerism, they were evident in abundance in Boyle last weekend. On Friday night/Saturday morning a host of volunteers assisted in ensuring the Darkness into Light event was another success. From organisers to marshals, from residents who lit up their area with candles to those who provide refreshments and music – it was true community spirit in action. Then on Sunday another host of volunteers made sure the 200 cyclist who took part in the Lough Key Classic cycling sportive, had an enjoyable day out in our town. With participants from all over Ireland taking part, the general consensus of the cyclists was that the scenery around Boyle would match anywhere else in Ireland. There was also great praise for the mid way food stop in King House – another Boyle treasure. Thankfully volunteerism is alive and well in Boyle and long may that continue.
More accommodation will lead to greater opportunities for Boyle
On Tuesday last we published a story detailing the upcoming ‘Animation Directors Lab’ conference that will be held in Boyle this June. It is understood the business end of the conference will be based in the newly opened Frybrook House in the town centre where many of those in attendance will stay, along with local bed and breakfasts and Air B&B’s where possible. Evening entertainment is also planned around the town for the participants.
The conference would not have been held in Boyle if Frybrook House was not open and goes to show what we all know too well – we need more accommodation venues here in Boyle – not only hotel type accommodation- but having high end rooms for rent would be a start.
Surely there must be some energetic people out there who see the opportunity to provide such accommodation to compliment what we already have in Boyle? There are plenty of properties on the market or available in the town centre where five or ten 4* roomed bed and breakfast (or no breakfast) could be constructed quite easily. Likewise chalets or cabins in the town centre for tourist accommodation would also see high occupancy not only in the summer months but also in winter. A hotel would be great asset but a number of high quality rooms would be a help at this point in time.
New footpaths are not the main cause of traffic congestion
The new footpaths in Boyle are getting a mixed reaction. Some people are delighted with them while others say they are too wide. The trend for wider footpaths all over Ireland was confirmed at a recent meeting of Roscommon Co Co when a senior Council official said that in the past priority was given in road design for large vehicles but “that has all changed now” and design for urban areas “is concentrating on pedestrians and cyclists”. The wider footpaths are now in place and like them or not we have to get used to them. No doubt when the proposed planters are put in place on the wider sections, when hopefully some of the buildings on Bridge Street and Shop Street receive a make over, when the road is resurfaced and lined out and when some businesses put out tables and chairs (subject to permission), then the footpaths should look a lot better.
While on the subject of the public realm work, a recent conversation suggested that the new footpaths are leading to traffic delays in the town. With the exception of when traffic lights are in operation, that suggestion may not be fully correct, which was evidenced by a situation last Saturday morning when a car did not park – but nosed in to a parking space outside the former Logan Knotts shop, while on the opposite side three cars parked one after the other on the hatched double yellow lined ‘no parking’ area. The result – gridlock – as a truck coming into town could not get past the jutting out car while vehicles coming up Main Street got stuck behind the three illegally parked cars – and all this in an area where there isn’t a new footpath in sight!
Grants announced for a number of Boyle clubs and organisations
At a recent meeting of Boyle Municipal District, elected members approved funding for a number of local clubs and organisations. Approximately 40 groups in the District will receive funding and in Boyle they include: Abbeytown Road Residents Association €2,500, Ardcarne Parish Graveyard Committee €2,500; Assylinn Cemetery Committee €1,500; Aughanagh Parish Pastoral Council €2,000; Ballinameen GAA €1,500; Boyle Bridge Club €1,900; Boyle Family Resource Centre €2,500; Boyle Golf Club €2,000; BVC Development Association €2,890; Christina Kelly €2,000; Cootehall Village Enhancement €2,000; Croghan Community Group €2,000; Croghan Community Projects Group €2,500; Lough Key Swim Club €1,500; Plunkett Avenue Famine Burial Ground €1,500; and St. Joseph’s Parochial Hall €2,000.
News snippets from around Boyle
Local tourist attraction the ‘Caves of Keash’ featured in a newspaper article recently titled “Eleven hidden gems: The best lesser known attractions to visit around Ireland on a budget”…………Best wishes to all the children from the parish who will receive their First Holy Communion on Saturday at 12 noon in St. Joseph’s Church……….Good to see local men Colin and Sean Flanagan and their company F.V.D.L. getting great praise for their workmanship on the 12 social housing units in Elm Court Lisnamult that they constructed on behalf of Roscommon County Council. The houses were officially opened this week by Minister Dara O’ Brien……………Observant individuals high up on the Crescent will see a new mast on Green Street with a bright red warning beacon on top. This 20m high telecommunications structure was initially the subject of an appeal to An Bord Pleanala who granted Eir permission for the mast after deciding not to accept their Inspector’s recommendation to refuse permission for the development……………And the big names keep coming for this year’s Boyle Arts Festival with former RTE broadcaster Brian Dobson the latest to be announced for the Festival………Well done and thank you to Ms. Cronin’s TY class from Abbey College who undertook a litter pick in the Pleasure Grounds and The Lawn area on Thursday morning as part of the Tidy Town Spring Clean Up…………Good luck to Boyle man Kyle McLoughlin and his company Posude Limited who will represent Roscommon at the National Enterprise Awards next week. The Finalists compete for a prize fund of €50,000 and along with an overall National Enterprise of the Year winner there are categories for Best Start-Up, Best Export Business, an Innovation Award, a One-to-Watch Award and a Sustainability Award……… Make Sure to call into Boyle Craft Shop in the grounds of King House to pick up your free children’s activity sheets to celebrate National Biodiversity Week.
And finally…….!
A drunk man is stumbling through the woods when he comes upon a priest baptizing people in the river.
He proceeds into the water, subsequently bumping into the priest.
The priest turns around and is almost overcome by the smell of alcohol, whereupon he asks the drunk, “Are you ready to find Jesus?”
The drunk shouts, “Sure I will try anyway.”
So, the priest grabs him and dunks him in the water.
He pulls him back and asks, “Brother, have you found Jesus?”
The drunk replies, “No, I haven’t found Jesus!”
The priest, shocked at the answer, dunks him again but for a little longer.
He again pulls him out of the water and asks, “Have you found Jesus, brother?”
The drunk answers, “No, I haven’t found Jesus!”
By this time, the priest is at his wits end and dunks the drunk again, but this time holds him down for about 30 seconds and when he begins kicking his arms and legs about, he pulls him up.
The priest again asks the drunk, “For the love of God, have you found Jesus?”
The drunk staggers upright, wipes his eyes, coughs up a bit of water, catches his breath and says to the priest,
‘Are you sure this is where he fell in?…..”
