Boyle link to St Patrick’s Day RTE Mass
The St. Patrick’s Day Mass which was broadcast live on RTE came from Strandhill where the celebrant was Boyle native Reverend Canon Niall Ahern. Canon Niall is a member of an old St. Patrick Street family who has never forgotten his native town, to which he is a regular visitor. Many in Boyle will have fond memories of Canon Niall’s late brothers Fergus and Rory who were such a part of the business and social fabric of the town for many years before their untimely deaths. Their father Bertie was the founding member of the 1st Roscommon Boy scout troop in the town.
Moneylenders operating in Boyle
During the week the growth of illegal money lending was highlighted nationally. Money lending is not confined to large centres of population and one would be quiet naive to think that Boyle has not escaped the clutch of the moneylenders. Frightening stories have been told of moneylenders operating in this and neighbouring town charging extortionate interest rates of 200% and the intimidating tactics they use to get paid! There are many regulated financial institutions to go to if you need money, where you will not pay the same rates as you could to a money lender. If you are in financial difficulty, you could also visit MABS. The Money Advice and Budgeting Service will work with you to find a solution to a problem debt in any area, including mortgage arrears, bank loans, overdrafts, utilities or credit cards. Find out more here
Casual trading regulation is welcome
The news that the local authority is to regulate casual trading in the county (see ‘around the county’ section of this website) is most welcome. There has been much comment and deliberation over the years in this and other towns on the issue of casual trading. Unfortunately some of the traders did themselves no favours and got the backs up of local residents when they built their stalls around, and on occasion, on top of parked cars on Saturday morning’s. There have also been calls to ban casual trading altogether in Boyle but that is a short sighted suggestion as casual trading brings a certain market feel to a town. A designated casual trading area is what is required as outlined in Boyle 2040 and traders need to be worked with not against. Publicly calling the traders ‘cowboys’ as was the case locally this week is divisive and unhelpful and representative of the Boyle that is still lived in by, thankfully, only a handful.
Parade good but missing some obvious participants
This year’s St Patrick’s Day parade in Boyle attracted a large audience but a small number of participants. This was not the fault of the organisers who deserve full praise for organising the event – without their efforts there would be a big vacuum in our town every March 17th. The fault, it would seem lies with the many businesses in Boyle who were obvious by their omission. While it is appreciated that the construction of a float is time consuming, surely there has to be a sense of pride among the larger businesses that should see their staff make an effort to participate. Likewise, a number of the larger local clubs were absent which is a concern. But well done to those who did make the effort and to the organisers who ensured we had a day out to celebrate and enjoy in our town of Boyle.
Illegal parking in Boyle
An interesting observation was made by a visitor to the town on St. Patrick’s Day. The visitor noticed, and queried, why the Gardai had to put no parking bollards on the double yellow lines and the hatching bays at the corners, when the lines themselves should be reason enough not to park there. The fact that the Gardai had to do this tells a story in itself and says something about the way certain motorists feel they can park anywhere and abuse the free parking that is available in Boyle. Our Gardai are very tolerant, especially when it comes to illegal parking on one side of Main Street. Maybe a few parking tickets may now be in order to get people to understand what double yellow lines really are for.
And finally….!
A seaman meets a pirate in a bar, and they take turns to tell their adventures on the seas. The seaman notes that the pirate has a peg-leg, hook, and an eye patch. Curious, the seaman asks “So, how did you end up with the peg-leg?”
The pirate replies “I was swept overboard into a school of sharks. Just as my men were pulling me out, a shark bit my leg off.”
“Wow!” said the seaman. “What about the hook?”
“Well…”, replied the pirate, “We were boarding an enemy ship and were battling the other sailors with swords. One of the enemy cut my hand clean off.”
“Incredible!” remarked the seaman. “How did you get the eye patch?”
“A seagull dropping fell into my eye,” replied the pirate.
“You lost your eye to a seagull dropping?” the sailor asked.
“Well…” said the pirate, “that was my first day with the hook.”
