No Jobs Announcement – yet
There was much disappointment in Boyle earlier this week when the rumour of the weekend was shattered with confirmation on this website that there was no good news, in the short term at least, of a jobs announcement for the town. The word on the street since this day week was that 80 jobs in the poultry producing industry were to be announced for the vacant Green Isle factory. The IDA and Enterprise Ireland said they were not aware of any news and the Auctioneer with the sale of the property confirmed the factory was still on the market. The only positive news from all this is that it is understood that a person with strong links to the town has been looking at the factory with a view to establishing a venture that is not manufacturing. While nothing has been confirmed to date, let’s hope this plan progresses and we could yet have a good news story for our town.
A Busy Lough Key Forest and Activity Park
Work is continuing a pace out in Lough Key Forest Park to have the Electric Bike hire and Woodland Segway businesses open for Easter weekend. Since details of the ventures were announced, there has been great excitement locally at having yet two more activities in our Park. The Electric Bike company were on the ball during the week, providing bikes for the launch of three new routes from Knock Airport – smart thinking and a good marketing idea on behalf of the company. With Zipit, Boda Berg, tree canopy walk, the reception/shop/restaurant area and now the Electric Bike Trails and the Woodland Segway’s we really do have an “Activity Park” in Boyle and one we should proudly tell everyone about.
The Largest Employer in Boyle
Once upon a time manufacturing businesses like Feeley’s, Stewarts and the Roscommon Herald were among the largest employers in the town but the economic downturn has changed that and these businesses no longer employ the numbers they did in previous years. Indeed the Garda Siochana were also big employers once but that too has changed. Now, apart from Vention in Forest View, the largest employers in the town seems to be our Nursing Homes – Drumderrig, Abbey Haven and the Plunkett Home. It has been suggested that the three facilities are among the best in Ireland and apart from giving much needed employment their success should be marketed, along with the Family Life Centre and the Brothers of Charity in Forest View, by civic bodies as examples of the caring town we are and this can be used as a reason for families to move here. Fact is we need to look at all avenues to increase the population of the town.
Local Election Promises For Boyle
The local elections are only around the corner and the canvassing has begun in some areas of Boyle. With time closing in, an opportunity has been missed to bring the candidates into St. Joseph’s Hall for a public meeting to ask them what are they going to do for our town if elected. It is important you know that before you decide who you will vote for, so when they come a knocking ask the vote seeker what he/she will do to progress the town of Boyle if elected.
Grant Aid for Rockingham Gate Lodges
A news story on this website on Tuesday detailed three Boyle premises that recently received grant aid for restoration works under the Built Heritage Jobs Leverage Scheme for 2014. This scheme seeks to leverage private capital for investment in a significant number of labour-intensive, small-scale conservation projects across the country and to support the employment of skilled and experienced conservation professionals, craftspeople and tradespersons in the repair of the historic built environment. One of the stipulations is that the building must be on the protected structure list. Wouldn’t this grant aid have been ideal for the second gate of Rockingham? There are plenty of conservation grants available and an ad hoc committee should be formed to source funding to renovate both gate lodges into Rockingham. While on the subject of the second gate, it was interesting to see the results of the weekly poll here on Boyletoday.com showing that 64% of respondents would give of their time freely to renovate the building. Do you think that is a good or bad response?
Boyle Men in Action On Saturday
Pairc Sean in Carrick-on-Shannon is the place to be this Saturday afternoon at 2.30pm for the Connacht U21 football Championship Final between Roscommon and Leitrim. If Sligo was a short trip for the semi’s, then Carrick is even shorter. With two Boyle men are on the team – Donie and Enda Smith – a strong and vocal Boyle support could help the county team bring the silverware across the Shannon.
Post Office Getting Busier
Other news stories have superseded the talk of the closure of rural post offices but no doubt the subject will surface on our radar again. Here in Boyle we have a busy Post Office which will hopefully be around for many more years to come. In fact, what is needed is an extension to the Boyle office such are the crowds now now using it. And the space is there, with the sorting office having moved to a state of the art building in Forest View. Apart from enhancing the facility, an extension to Boyle Post Office would be a vote of confidence and an acknowledgement that our Post Office will remain in any future rationalisation that may occur.
Comment Section
Remember you can comment on any item in the Boyle’d Pot in the section under this blog and indeed as this is an interactive website, you can comment on any story published on Boyletoday.com at any stage .
And Finally…..!
Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy takes out his phone and calls the emergency services.
He gasps: “My friend is dead! What can I do?” The operator says: “Calm down, I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.” There is a silence, then a gunshot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says: “OK, now what?”
