Two uplifting news stories
Two of the more uplifting news stories around Boyle in the past week were the return of Boyle Arts Festival and the reopening of King House. As viewers of this page will have seen, the hugely popular Arts Festival will be back this August, albeit in a smaller form due to Covid-19. The events part of the festival will take place from Thursday 5th to Sunday 8th but the visual art exhibition will run until August 31st. Great credit is due to the organisers of BAF’21 who have taken the gamble to run an event this year and bring some much needed entertainment and a social outlet for the community.
King House reopens in July which is also welcomed. King House, along with Boyle Abbey and of course Lough Key Forest Park are our main tourism attractions. Add in the Arigna Mining experience and the recently opened John McGahern Barracks Museum in Cootehall and there will be plenty to see and do from a tourism perspective in this area from July onwards.
While on the subject of tourism, many have complimented the continental type vibe that exists around the bridge in Boyle since ‘Lovage at the Gate Lodge’ opened. For anyone passing through town, seeing people sitting out in this area paints such a positive story for the town. This of course is complimented by King House Tea Rooms, The Bazaar and The Stairs on the Crescent where you can sit out to eat or drink.
Memories of Bonfire Night
Despite it being a lovely summer evening, there were not that many bonfires around Boyle last Wednesday June 23rd. Any that were lit were in back gardens with the aim of keeping the tradition alive among the younger generation which is commendable. Years ago Bonfire night in Boyle was not a one night affair but started weeks beforehand, when garages were visited to get the coveted old tyres for the fire. The storing of these tyres in various locations by different neighbourhoods was a closely guarded secret. Panic set in when word spread that the Marian Road gang or the Abbeytown or Termon or Mockmoyne crew had heard where the neighbouring tyre stash was stored, and a well planned heist would take place resulting in a number of weeks work goning up in (black) smoke! Bonfire night itself was a great occasion in Boyle and families gathered around the fire long into the night with children going home black from head to toe with tyre dirt and not a word mentioned about health and safety.
Filming of ’13 Hours’ commences next Monday
Filming commences on Monday next here in Boyle on ’13 Hours’. This is a budget film and the hype and excitement that was associated with the filming of ‘Moone Boy’ a number of years ago may not be evident this time around. Most of the filming will take place on St. Patrick Street, in the vicinity of Clarkes Bar, but other areas of the town will also see action. The production base will be in King House along with other buildings and yards being utilised also. Advance members of the crew have been in town for the last week getting behind the scenes work completed and finalising locations. The economic advantage of having the film shot here in Boyle can not be underestimated with cafes, filling stations and retail outlets – the main businesses that are now open – all benefitting.
National advertising for Roscommon and Boyle
Last Saturday’s Irish Independent Weekender magazine carried a full page advert for staycations in County Roscommon. As expected, two Boyle attractions featured in the advert – Zipit and the Lough Key to Boyle Cycleway. It is heartening to see an effort finally being made to advertise Roscommon (and Boyle) on a national basis. Most of us lucky enough to live here, know and appreciate how beautiful this area is. Adverts like the one last Saturday will show others what they are missing by not visiting our county.
A Boyle building that goes under the radar
One building that slips under the radar in Boyle but which has great potential is the Military Barracks attached to King House. Currently home to a very small number of military personnel, the building is currently accessed via the side of the Garda Station but could also be accessed directly through or via the garden of King House. It would seem from a recent submission to the Commission on the Defence Forces by the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association that the Military have not intention of vacating this building despite there being reported low numbers utilising same. Surely a better and more logical option would be to find a new home for the Military in Boyle and utilise this wing of King House to it’s full potential. Maybe the ‘Boyle needs a hotel’ gang could spring into action on this………
Today is the day with the latest sunset
The 21st June is the summer solstice, a day many believe is the longest day of the year and that the days get shorter from there until December 21st, but that may not be correct. Weather watchers say June 21st was the day with the most sunlight, but the day with the latest sunset is today Friday June 25th at 21.58. The earliest sunrise was Thursday 17th and the sunrise is getting later every day since. But on the good side – forecasters are predicting an increase in temperatures from next week.
And finally….!
The man placed an order for one hamburger, french fries and a drink.
He unwrapped the plain hamburger and carefully cut it in half, placing one half in front of his wife
He then carefully counted out the french fries, dividing them into two piles and neatly placed one pile in front of his wife.
He took a sip of the drink, his wife took a sip and then set the cup down between them.
As he began to eat his few bites of hamburger, the people around them were looking over and whispering.
Obviously they were thinking, ‘That poor old couple – all they can afford is one meal for the two of them.’
As the man began to eat his fries a young man came to the table and politely offered to buy another meal for the old couple.
The old man said, they were just fine – they were used to sharing everything.
People closer to the table noticed the little old lady hadn’t eaten a bite. She sat there watching her husband eat and occasionally taking turns sipping the drink.
Again, the young man came over and begged them to let him buy another meal for them.
This time the old woman said ‘No, thank you, we are used to sharing everything.’
Finally, as the old man finished and was wiping his face neatly with the napkin, the young man again came over to the little old lady who had yet to eat a single bite of food and asked ‘What is it you are waiting for?’
“The Teeth” – she replied.
