Lots of entertainment in Boyle this weekend
It is hard to believe that the August weekend is already upon us. The holiday season is in full swing and tourist numbers will surely show an increase this year in Boyle on previous years. This weekend there is plenty of entertainment for the visitor and local alike in the town. The 25th Arts Festival draws to a close and the weekend Moylurg Festival kicks off. Well done to the enterprising Aaron Finn from the Moylurg Inn who is the driving force behind the 3 day festival. Further down town Mattimoe’s and the Stonehouse Café will hold another Summer Barbeque on Saturday evening. Other pubs have organised events and music (see entertainment listing on events page) so this weekend our young people will have an opportunity to stay in Boyle for what is shaping up to be a busy festival like weekend in the town.
A memorial to Rockingham House
Pat Flanagan’s grandson Sean Rafferty launched his exhibition in Rockingham last week using stones salvaged from around the Park that once belonged to the big house. The stones are currently on display in the grass roundabout in front of the visitors centre and have been favourably commented on by many. Those at the launch last week discussed the many artefacts from Rockingham House that are still lying around the Park and indeed in private ownership in Boyle. Ornate columns from the House are still visible resting in the water at the pier beside the bamboo woods. Close to this area also is home to what was once the King Harmon tennis courts. Overgrown now, this area contains many more columns and stones from the house. In addition, there are pillars, balustrades and other items in private ownership locally that could all be used to construct a museum or some form of memorial in the Park to Rockingham House.
Closer links to Sligo town
The announcement during the week that the dual carriageway between Catlebaldwin and Collooney has got the go ahead is good news for Boyle. There are those that will disagree and say it will facilitate out of town shopping but it is in the context of employment that the journey time to Sligo should be looked at. It is probable that Boyle will never see a large scale jobs announcement in the near future so we must look towards gateway towns like Sligo as out nearest large scale employment base. If the journey time from Boyle to Sligo will only take 20 minutes when the new road comes on stream, the best we can hope for is that people will get employment in Sligo and live in Boyle. In that way we could become a dormitory town for Sligo while retaining our residential friendly town atmosphere.
Boyle – The publicity capital of the West
The Arts festival always attracts positive national publicity for Boyle and this year was no exception. Along with reviews of the various exhibitions and concerts in the national press , the Irish Independent and Irish Times this week carried reports on the town itself. Since Chris O’Dowd shot to fame and also brought Moone Boy to our screens, Boyle continues to receive the national publicity other towns can only dream of. Journalist Kim Bielenberg wrote “Boyle may have it’s ups and downs but there is plenty to see and do and there is now a mini tourist industry around Moone Boy”. Kim also tried out the Segway’s in Lough Key Forest Park – another activity that tourists are craving about – and gives mention to the next tourist attraction that Boyle needs now to work on – the U.F.O.’s
And Finally….!
A couple who went to the cinema found themselves sitting directly behind two nuns – the ones with the large headgear.
Trying to see the screen, the girl muttered to her boyfriend: “It would be nice to go to Scotland, there are not so many nuns there”.
The boyfriend replied audibly: “What about Sweden, there are even fewer there”.
One of the nuns turned around, gave the couple a sweet smile and said:” Why don’t you both go to hell, you won’t find any there either”
