New report has some interesting stats on Boyle life
The Western Development Commission (WDC) this week published the updated Sustainable Mobility Index 2024 (SMI 24) for 40 rural towns in its seven county Western Region, including Boyle. Better understanding of active modes and public transport in a rural context is an overall objective of this Sustainable Mobility Index. This reflects the shift in transport policy to more sustainable travel, with a particular focus on public transport and active travel (cycling and walking) and the necessity of reducing carbon emissions from personal transport.
In relation to Boyle, the report produced a number of interesting statistics: 25% of our population is over 65 with 29% under 18. 22% of households in Boyle do not have a car, 22.4k is the average distance from work, median household gross income is €28,922 and our population grew 27% between 2002 – 2022. The report also contains a lot more information on transport use and needs in Boyle.
Another topical point that came out of the report was the need for an early morning train into Sligo. The report says: “The earliest train into Sligo arrives at 10:16 reducing commuting options for towns on this line (Carrick on Shannon, Boyle, Ballymote and Collooney). There is potential for the development of services which could allow commuters to arrive in the town in time for work or schools. This could include scheduling stops at smaller stations which might be bypassed in a city-to-city service. It is likely, however, that single tracks and the requirement for passing places restrict options here”.
Boyle’s rankings should increase in the next survey as a result of the recent public realm upgrades of Bridge Street and Shop Street which improve walkability around the town.
Overall, the SMI makes an important, practical contribution to our understanding of mobility needs of rural towns like Boyle. The Index provides food for thought, and also gives us a starting point for examining many wider questions about mobility and rural towns. You can read the report in full here
Tourism related jobs available in Boyle
Both King House and Lough Key Forest Park in Boyle have advertised job vacancies. King House (and Douglas Hyde Centre in Portahard) require Temporary Part-Time Seasonal Cultural Assistants. Application forms and candidate information booklets setting out full details in relation to this position are available by logging onto the Job Vacancies section on Roscommon County Council’s website www.roscommoncoco.ie. The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 4pm on Thursday 10th April 2025.
Lough Key Forest Park require a part-time Café Assistant to join their team. If you have experience in food preparation and handling, a passion for great service, a team player, and thrive in a lively setting, they’d love to hear from you! Experience essential. Midweek hours: 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM – ideal for those with school-age children. CV and cover letter to [email protected].
While not tourism related, another nice job has been advertised this morning in Boyle. The local Family Resource Centre now has a vacancy for a ‘Finance Officer’ for 21 hours per week. This might be an ideal opportunity for someone with a finance qualification who wants to get back into the workforce or someone who would like a nice work life balance while being part of a progressive local organisation. More details available later today on Boyle FRC website and social media.
Motorists causing concern at Termon Road junction
We have been contacted by a viewer to ask if we could highlight what they term as “an accident waiting to happen” at the junction of Station Road and Termon Road. It seems drivers coming from Station Road, heading into town, are cutting down on the wrong side of road sooner than going to the stop line and checking out Felton Road for oncoming traffic. They cut short and head into town not looking left with cars coming in Felton Road having to stop to avoid a collision.
Something similar happens at the Shilling Hill roundabout where a few motorists who think they are above the law , turn right from Abbey Terrace to Abbeytown and do not go around the roundabout. Like Station Road/Termon Road junction this is also “an accident waiting to happen”.
Low visitor numbers recorded at Boyle Abbey
Boyle Abbey opened to the public for the summer season on Friday March 14th last and will remain open every day for the next six months. While the Abbey is one of our prime tourist attractions, unfortunately visitor numbers to the heritage site are not what they should, and indeed could be. The most recent figures which were published on Thursday show that Boyle Abbey attracted only 8,357 visitors in 2024 – an increase of 495 on the previous year. Compare that to the Rock of Cashel which attracted 365,505 or indeed Sligo Abbey (34,135) and you will see how far off the mark Boyle Abbey is. Indeed, Thursday’s figures show that of the 90 heritage sites managed nationwide by the OPW, Boyle Abbey is one of 14 that recorded visitor numbers under 10,000. Joint selling of various local attractions, as initiated by Boyle Town Team some time back, might assist in seeing an increase in visitor numbers at the Abbey, but more needs to be done – and urgently – including enticing and providing facilities for tour buses to include the Boyle attractions on their itinerary and a root and branch look at how the Boyle Abbey is marketed and promoted.
News snippets from around Boyle
Two new decorative street lights were installed on Monday last in Boyle. One on Cryan’s building (Creighton’s) on Shop Street and the other on Mc Donagh’s building on Bridge Street. Now if we could only get the street lights repaired at the former National Irish Bank and outside McDonagh’s on Main Street……..Boyle Community Tennis Club’s AGM 2024/2025 will be held on the 31st March at 7pm in the clubhouse. Everyone welcome to attend……….Cake sale in St. Joseph’s Hall this Saturday from 9.30am-1.30pm to raise funds for the eight local dancers from Victoria Walker Dance who have qualified to represent Ireland at the Dance World Cup in Spain this summer. The girls are fundraising to help with some of the costs including Team Ireland merchandise and costumes etc. with the first event in Boyle this Saturday…………A number of people were observed east of Boyle on Monday evening taking photographs of what they thought were the Northern Lights when in fact what they were observing (to the east) was the reflection in the clouds from the floodlights in Ardcarne Park in Cootehall!!…………..Let’s hope the sun shines on the boys and girls being conferred with the Sacrament of Confirmation in St. Joseph’s Church tomorrow Saturday at 11am……….Best of luck to Roscommon senior team and all the Boyle contingent as they take on Monaghan on Saturday evening in the League Final in Croke Park. The late throw in is a bit of a disaster for those supporters who normally travel to Dublin games on the train or those who had already planned to travel to Castlebar for the Connacht v Munster rugby game on Saturday………Movie Night this Friday night at 7.30pm in Boyle Family Resource Centre organised by Boyle Film Club……..Storytime in Boyle Library on Saturday at 12 noon. All welcome to this free event……….Please give generously to Daffodil Day collection in Boyle this year. There are collections at various locations in the town. You can also donate to the worthy cause here……..Don’t forget to put your clocks forward at 1am Sunday morning as daylight saving time comes into operation.
And finally….!
Two Irish men, O’Brien and O’Riordan were looking at a mail order catalogue and admiring the models.
O’Brien remarks to O’Riordan, ‘Have you seen the beautiful girls in this catalogue?’
O’Riordan replies, ‘Yes, they are very beautiful….but look at the price.’
O’Brien says, with wide eyes, ‘Wow, they aren’t very expensive. At this price, I think I’ll buy one.’
O’Riordan, smiles and pats him on the back. ‘Good idea. Order one and if she’s as beautiful as she is in the catalogue, I might get one too.’
Three weeks later, O’Brien, the youngest of the two asks his friend, O’Riordan, ‘Did you ever receive the girl you ordered from that catalogue?’
O’Riordan replies with a glint in his eye, ‘No, but it shouldn’t be long now….she sent all her clothes yesterday’.
