Would ‘Cafe Late’ work in Boyle?
It was great to have so many of our restaurants and cafes opening in the evening time during Arts Week. The owners of the businesses say that apart from the many tourists who dined out, local people have been very supportive of them which is heartening. But when the tourists leave, will the business be there for our restaurants to remain open in the evening and especially at the weekends?
Over in Galway an intersting pilot scheme was announced recently to boost evening trade in local cafes and perhaps it could also work in towns like Boyle. ‘Cafe Lates’ is a pilot grant initiative designed to foster a vibrant and diverse late-night café culture. Grants of between €500 and €2000 will be available to those who assist in building a programme of events that will encourage people to visit their premises in the evening time. The types of programming envisaged and encouraged are live performances from local bands to intimate acoustic and DJ sets, spoken word and poetry, comedy, book clubs, workshops, and tastings to themed nights. ‘Cafe Late’ also encourages programming that appeals to a youth audience, creating a welcoming and inclusive space for all.
If we had this in Boyle, it would be a great incentive to entice cafes and restaurants to open in the evening time.
Planning lodged for local developments
A number of planning applications for Boyle town have been, or will soon be lodged including the renovation of rear building and first floor extension of a mixed use building on St. Patrick Street to create two one bedroom apartments by David Reynolds and the demolition of an existing retail building, demolition of existing storage building and construction of a new retail/storage/office building for use in conjunction with existing onsite business by National Co-Operative Farm Relief Services Limited at Greatmeadow.
Are the youth of our town ‘broken’?
An interesting (but concerning) number of hand written and colourful posters were erected over the weekend in highly visible locations around Boyle with the heading “The youths of our town are broken”. The poster went on to tell the persons “own story” of smoking cannabis at aged 13, drinking heavily and ‘experimenting’ with Xanax and Cocaine and ‘becoming addicted to Ketamine, Acid and Ecstasy’. It also stated “I don’t wish for anyone to read this and assume that drugs are the problem. The problem is our society. Our culture has made it so difficult for young people to be happy. This is what we must change. I don’t know how to fix this but we have to try. To all reading this, hear our words. Our youth are hurting, We cannot help ourselves. You need to help us”.
One of the posters was sellotaped to the Town Clock and was commented on by many tourists who were here for the Arts Festival. A local who was at the Town Clock at the time the tourists were reading the poster, explained that there is indeed plenty of help out there for our youth with many people only too willing to offer assistance if it is sought. In Boyle Family Resource Centre you will find a caring and helpful team who are there to assist any of our youth with any addiction or mental heath problems and they can be contacted on 071 9663000 or by calling into the Centre in confidence.
Interesting talk on anniversary of Battle of the Curlieu Pass
An interesting free talk will be held in King House on August 15th at 2pm and 7pm when Archaeologist Dave Swift will present the firearms, cold steel weapons and armour used by the Irish and English forces at the Battle of the Curlieus. August 15th will be the 425th anniversary of this important event that took place during the nine years war 1595 – 1603.
The Battle of the Curlieu Pass is an integral part of the history of our town but chances are, not many even know where exactly it was fought outside Boyle. You can read more about the famous battle here
Not much for this area in Rail Review
There was not much of interest in relation to the rail network in the North West in the Strategic Rail Review published on Wednesday last. One positive for the Dublin Sligo line that serves Boyle was the recommendation that the Intercity Rail Network would be upgraded to top speeds of 200m/h. This would entail significant upgrades to signalling, track condition, level crossings, and rolling stock. From Mullingar to Maynooth there is also a recommendation to upgrade the line to dual track which could also be of benefit also to passengers from Boyle. This improvement would allow more commuter services to serve intermediate stations and thus enable intercity services to deliver faster city-to-city journey times. The only other mention of the Dublin – Sligo line is a recommendation to divert Sligo and Longford trains away from the Maynooth – Connolly corridor using a new link between Adamstown and Maynooth.
The downside is that all of the above are considered ‘medium to long term’ meaning they may not happen until sometime between 2030 and 2050!!
News snippets from around Boyle
If parking tickets are not issued, or if some form of deterrent is not erected, then the new footpaths opposite Moonstone Jewellers, Rockingham Arms, Conroys on the Corner, An Rioga, Taylors Interiors and King House entrance, will all be damaged by vehicles parking on them. Motorists are regularly abandoning their vehicles on the new footpaths in these locations which is illegal and downright ignorant……… Boyle Golf Club will hold a 5k Fun Run/Walk on Sunday, September 8th commencing at 11am. The unique route will consist of two challenging loops around the rolling parkland of the course with a mix of off-road and path. Entry €20 per person, €35 per family, with light refreshments afterwards. Registration on the day…………Culture Friday today at 1pm at Úna Bhán Tourism/ Boyle Craft Shop with award winning writer Louise G. Cole………..The voluntary enhancement work around town continues with wall painting in Termon as one heads down towards The Lawn and the refurbishment of a badly neglected bench on Green Street………It took a while but finally, last Saturday morning, Roscommon Co Co personnel cut back the overhanging hedges and briars on the footpath on the Carrick Road. What a pity they did not continue all the way around this popular walking route and also trim the grass verges when they were at it……..Shame on who ever broke the recently replaced glass covering on the heritage sign in The Lawn. The Tidy Town volunteers cleaned and painted the sign and replaced the glass at a cost of €100 only to see it broken this week………..Great to see resurfacing work finally being carried out in Forest View this week.
And finally…..!
A big city lawyer went duck hunting in rural Mayo. He shot and dropped a bird, but it fell into a farmer’s field on the other side of a fence.
As the lawyer climbed over the fence, an elderly farmer drove up on his tractor and asked him what he was doing.
The lawyer responded, ‘I shot a duck and it fell in this field, and now I’m going to retrieve it.’
The old farmer replied, ‘This is my property, and you are not coming over here.’
The indignant lawyer said, ‘I am one of the best trial lawyers in Ireland and, if you don’t let me get that duck, I’ll sue you and take everything you own.’
The old farmer smiled and said, ‘Apparently, you don’t know how we settle disputes here in Mayo. We settle small disagreements with the ‘Three Kick Rule’.’
The lawyer asked, ‘What is the ‘Three Kick Rule’?’
The Farmer replied, ‘Well, because the dispute occurs on my land, I get to go first. I kick you three times and then you kick me three times and so on back and forth until someone gives up.’
The lawyer quickly thought about the proposed contest and decided that he could easily take the old codger. He agreed to abide by the local custom.
The old farmer slowly climbed down from the tractor and walked up to the lawyer. His first kick planted the toe of his heavy steel toed work boot into the lawyer’s groin and dropped him to his knees. His second kick to the midriff sent the lawyer’s last meal gushing from his mouth. The lawyer was on all fours when the farmer’s third kick to his rear end, sent him face-first into fresh cow dung.
The lawyer summoned every bit of his will and managed to get to his feet. Wiping his face with the arm of his jacket, he said, ‘Okay, old man. Now it’s my turn.
The old farmer smiled and said, ‘Nah, I give up. You can have the duck.’
