The season of romance around Boyle
A warning with a local interest was issued this week by the National Parks and Wildlife Service who have advised motorists to be vigilant for deer running onto roads as the rutting season approaches. For those uninitiated, the rutting season is the deer equivalent of the mating season when amorous stags become that bit more adventurous. The NPWS have said particular care should be observed in the increasingly darker morning’s and evening’s when motoring visibility is reduced. Here in Boyle we associated deer with the general Rockingham area, but there are plenty of animals along the busy N4 from the Bailey Bridge to Erris, in Doon and up on the Curlews where extra care is needed.
The county of the welcomes
If there is one thing we have plenty of in County Roscommon, it’s politicians “welcoming” every positive bit of news that comes our way. Every day this website gets press releases from many of our elected representatives “welcoming” this, that and the other. As soon as the news of grant aid, a new scheme or a job announcement is made public, there is a scramble by some politicians to be the first to “welcome” the good news, perhaps in the hope that the public will naively believe the mentioned politician was the behind the announcement in the first place! With the year coming to a close in little over 13 weeks time, the “welcoming” scramble will start in earnests as grants and announcements are made before year end accounts are finalised.
It’s not only Boyle that’s feeling the pinch
For whatever reason, this past week has seemed a very quiet one from a commercial point of view in Boyle. Wednesday in particular looked the quietest – perhaps the hangover from the old Wednesday closing day still remains in Boyle? But if it is of any consolation, Boyle is not the only town that has noticed an end of September slow down. A meeting that this writer attended in Roscommon on Wednesday night heard those from other towns around the county also speak of the quietness, a number putting it down to the 30 day credit limit now expiring on back to school bills and the awaiting of the end of month pay cheque for those lucky enough to be in a job. In any event, Boyle needs your business and while it is understandable that one may have to travel to adjoining towns for certain items, please try and visit your town of Boyle as often as possible to keep businesses operating.
Big Boyle battle on Sunday
This Sunday will be an historic one, as Boyle GAA senior team take part in their first county senior semi final since 1927. It was that same year that Boyle went on to win their second ever county title against Donamon on a scoreline of 2-7 to 1-0. Boyle’s first ever county title was in 1890. It is a great achievement for the Boyle men to get this far in the championship and they deserve total support from the community. Well done to all the businesses and houses who have put out flags etc to show support. Hopefully on Sunday a large local support will travel to Strokestown to shout on our local team.
A marked improvement in the town’s appearance
The news story here on Boyletoday.com last Monday that Boyle had increased it’s marks in the national Tidy Towns competition was met with welcome by a large number of viewers. In fact it was the most read story so far this week on the website. No doubt one could assume Boyle’s mark would have been even higher had the judging taken place later in the year when all the planting and landscaping was completed and in full bloom. The town looked better than ever this year and that is one thing everyone can agree on. Funding of shrubs through the Town Team and Chamber of Commerce, the close cooperation and assistance of the Men’s Shed, Scouts and Foroige along with the backing of Roscommon County Council has seen a positive change in the appearance of Boyle in 2016. Let’s all plan and work now to make Boyle look even better in 2017. Getting the town to look attractive is the first step that is required if we are to make Boyle a bustling town once again over the next few years.
Our three tourism assets
The closure of Boyle Abbey in mid September raised concern last week among the business community in Boyle. Before this, the closure may have gone unnoticed but with weekly visits all summer by tourists from nearby Kilronan Castle , the Abbey has become what it should always have been – an attraction that brings visitors into the town of Boyle. The Abbey and King House along with Lough Key Forest Park are our three prize tourism assets. As such they should be sold as a package or joint ticket. Efforts should be made now, in the “off season”, to ensure this sales package is put in place and that closer cooperation exists in 2017 between the three locations.
And finally….!
A Swiss man, on holiday in Dublin, needed directions. He was standing outside Davy Byrne’s pub when he saw two youths walking by so he stops them and asks, ‘Entschuldigung, koennen Sie Deutsch sprechen?’
The two lads look at each other blankly and stare back at him.
‘Excusez-moi, parlez vous Français?’ He tries.
The two continue to stare.
‘Parlare Italiano?’ Still absolutely no response from the two lads.
‘Hablan ustedes Espanol?’ The Dublin lads remain totally silent.
The Swiss guy walks off extremely disappointed and downhearted that he had not been understood. One of the boys turns to the second and says, ‘Y’know, maybe we should learn a foreign language!’
‘Why?’ says the youth, ‘That guy knew four languages, and it didn’t do him any good!’
