Total disregard by some for our beautiful Park
Before photographs emerged on social media, and on this website, last Tuesday of the rubbish that was left behind in Lough Key Forest Park, the talk in Boyle was of the number of people who had visited the facility last weekend from outside their 5k exercise zone and in particular, the number of people who were seen (and known) in the Park from Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo and even as far as Dublin! Comment was also made on the total disregard people had for parking with many using the grass, while the car parks remained empty. In addition, the large number of young people swimming from the piers (and drinking alcohol) was also noted. In fact some of these teenage swimmers were seen disposing of their empty bottles and pizza boxes into the water. Apart from the irresponsible act of dumping rubbish in the lake, nobody – young or old – should ever drink alcohol and then go swimming – we were very lucky we did not have to deal with something a lot more serious than rubbish in the Park last weekend.
As stated ad nausea on this website, and by the Park management over the last few weeks, the park is currently NOT open to all – only those within 5k of the facility (and perhaps 20k from Monday). It is also highly irresponsible and ridiculous to have local media (Boyletoday.com) requesting people to ‘Visit Lough Key Forest Park Now’ when the Park and it’s facilities are not even open!! Is it any wonder people are ignoring the requests of management.
Last weekend, as a result of it’s current closure, there were no cleaning staff on duty and no bin service in the Park so there was an onus on people to bring their rubbish home, which of course many did not do. But thanks to the intervention of local Councillor John Cummins, Roscommon Co Co personnel and their vehicles came to the Park on Monday morning to empty bins. Credit is also due to Park employee David Frazer who was also singled out for all he did to clean up after Bank Holiday Monday’s mess. Shame on everyone who left their rubbish behind and on the table tops – your type are not wanted in Lough Key Forest Park.
Going forward, and with the 5k limit being extended to 20k from Monday, if the Park is to remain open for those ’20k’ers’, then some form of rubbish collection will be needed along with the reinstatement of the barrier. In addition, the Litter Warden and extra Gardai will need to patrol the Park, especially at weekends.
A good local news story in strange times
A story has reached the Boyle’d Pot of a good deed that took place near Boyle last weekend. A local person out cycling close to Eastersnow in Croghan on Monday, came upon a mobile phone and associated case with debit cards etc on the carriageway – perhaps after falling from a car roof or something similar. When the cyclist made his way back to Boyle he went to the Garda Station and handed in the phone etc. The name of the person on the cards was not instantly recognisable and it was decided to contact local website Boyletoday.com to see if the publication of the persons name would garner a response. But before the post got traction, Boyle Gardai stepped up to the mark, identified who the phone belonged to and where the person who lost the phone lived and drove to his home on Sunday evening, reuniting phone, wallet and debit cards etc with it’s rightful owner.
Prices need to drop if people are to holiday in Ireland
Chances are a trip out of the country is off the cards for many this year due to Covid-19. It is therefore hoped that Irish people will stay at home and holiday in Ireland, but that will only happen if hotels etc keep their prices low and make staycations affordable to families. A quick look on website Booking.com shows a weekend break for two adults in a hotel in Sligo on August 7th costing €278 (€139 per room per night) with breakfast an extra €12 per person per day! In Galway the same weekend will cost you up to €400 bed only, and if you look to bring a family – 2 adults 2 children to, say a standard hotel in Galway, on August 7th you could pay up to €800 for your two night stay before you have a bite to eat! Accommodation providers in some of the holiday hot spots around Ireland need to get real or they will be feeling the effects of Covid -19 for a lot longer than they think.
Old habits die hard with parking in Boyle
Even with the town the quietest it has been in years, people continue to park illegally in Boyle, especially outside the stores that have remained open. On Main Street, with very few vehicles around, cars still pull up on the double yellow lines to park. Likewise on Bridge Street, cars are still parking on the left on double yellow lines as you come down the Crescent approaching the junction of Shop Street. It just goes to show that habit and ease of convenience overrides the requirement to park lawfully in Boyle
Concern at water quality and swimming at the Wooden Bridge
The fine weather of last weekend seen a number of young people swimming either side of the flyover at the Wooden Bridge. Apart from the question of safety at this location, there is also a question over water quality and whither anyone should be in the water there. A viewer sent this website video footage in recent days of a strange looking algae floating on the surface of the river at the Wooden Bridge. The viewer queried river pollution and suggested “enough is not being done to highlight the pollution of the Boyle river and subsequently Lough Key”. Maybe it is the low water levels or it could be pollution – perhaps it is something Waterways Ireland could look into, but in the meantime, swimming should be discouraged at this location.
Reopening businesses need your support
Many businesses in Boyle are hoping that Phase Two of the reopening of businesses will get the go ahead from Government today (Friday). If so, we could see a number of businesses reopen in our town next Monday. Like every town and village in Ireland and around the world, Boyle has been hit hard by the economic devastation of Covid-19. Travelling outside our permitted zone could increase your chances of contracting the virus, therefore, it is vitally important, for your health and for the future of Boyle businesses that we now, more so than ever – shop local. You can get most of what you need here in Boyle so please make a special effort to stay in Boyle over the next few weeks to help stop the spread of Covid-19 while supporting the businesses who support the town.
And Finally….!
Two hunters are out in the woods hunting bears when one of them suddenly collapses.
The other guy checks him over and realises that he’s not breathing and his eyes are a bit glazed. So he grabs his phone and immediately calls 999.
I think my friend’s dead!</em>” he yells down the phone with panic in his voice. “<em>What should I do?
Sir, if you can just calm down I’ll help you</em>” says the operator calmly. “<em>Let’s just make sure he’s dead first.
There’s then a moment of silence, followed by what is clearly a gunshot.
Back on the phone, the guy then says to the operator, “<em>Right, now what?
