Boyle features in Sunday’s ‘Small Town Trends’
Don’t forget to tune into RTE Radio 1 this Sunday evening at 7pm when “Small Town Trends” will focus on the town of Boyle. This four-part series, which concludes this week with the Boyle show, is presented by John Murray and looks at the challenges facing small Irish towns as they adapt to changes happening all around them. John and producer Sheila O’Callaghan (who has Elphin connections through marriage), were in Boyle yesterday (Thursday) and interviewed a number of people associated with Boyle and how it is changing for the better.
‘One of Ireland’s Hidden Gems’ is no longer hidden!
The inclusion of the Doon Shore in Failte Ireland’s ’10 Must Visit’ swim spots this Christmas will no doubt boost visitor numbers to the ‘hidden gem’, especially when the weather improves during the summer months. Referred to as a place “treasured by the locals and unknown to many tourists” and “one of Ireland’s hidden gems”, the Doon Shore has featured in the life of many generations of young people who have fond memories of hot summer days, jumping off the pier, swimming in the lake and stopping off in Casey’s shop on the way home for sweets and minerals. In the last year, the Doon Shore has had a €160,000 make over which included the creation of defined parking spaces to accommodate cars, trailers and users with disability and surface repairs to existing trafficked areas, an extension of the existing green space to provide a separation between vehicular traffic and pedestrians, provision of a coloured pedestrian footway along the existing shoreline concrete structure, wooden surfaces on the piers and a new toilet block.
Publicity in one newspaper surrounding the inclusion of Doon Shore in the ’10 Must Visit’ list stated “After your swim, you can enjoy lunch at Jinny’s Bakery and Tearoom and even rent an electric bike to cycle along the Acres Lake up to Drumshambo (sic)”. Geography is obviously not top of the list with whoever wrote that piece, as you would have a good hunger on you if you left the Doon Shore and by passed Boyle heading to Drumshanbo for lunch!!
Art Exhibition opens in An Rioga
Just in time for Christmas, an art exhibition will be held in An Rioga from Saturday December 9th until Saturday December 23rd. This is a great idea and opens up An Rioga to members of the public. Any enquires in relation to the Exhibition can be sent to [email protected] or in person to the ‘New Art Gallery’ at The Shambles.
Community Information Day was a great success
Last Friday’s ‘Community Information Day’ in Boyle Family Resource Centre was a great success and attended by over 50 people who have recently moved to the town. There was also a large number of locals in attendance to welcome those who came out to see how they can get involved in Boyle life. It was great also to see members of the Chess Club, Tidy Towns, Boyle Celtic, GAA and other clubs warmly welcome our new residents and sign them up for their various activities and events to help them successfully integrate. Well done to all in Boyle Family Resource Centre for organising the morning which really showed the caring and welcoming community we have here in Boyle.
Road resurfacing to commence at Shilling Hill
Motorists using the Shilling Hill will be delighted to know that work will commence on Tuesday next on resurfacing a section of the carriageway that has been in a deplorable state for a long time. The work will take place near the roundabout at the junction of N61 Military Road and Abbeytown Road, Boyle from Tuesday 12th until Friday 15th December. A stop/go Traffic Management system will be in operation. There will be disruption to traffic and, in particular, to traffic entering /exiting Abbeytown Road. According to Roscommon Co Co, “In order to pave around the roundabout, it maybe necessary to close Abbeytown Road for certain periods”.
Increased Garda presence is welcomed
The promised additional Garda mobile and foot patrols in Boyle have commenced with an increased visible Garda presence in the town in the last week or so, which is to be welcomed. In addition, a reported drug search on Saturday last in Boyle, resulted in €1600 worth of cocaine been taken out of circulation in the town, which is also to be welcomed. The seizure and the increased number of patrols were mentioned at the Roscommon Joint Policing Meeting on Monday last, where there was a call by the Boyle representatives on the committee for the patrols to remain after Christmas, for more Gardai to be assigned to Boyle Garda Station, for an additional patrol car for the station along with longer opening hours. Previously the representatives had met with Garda management where they outlined the need for additional patrols in the town and area to bring them back to previous levels and to deal with the levels of vandalism and anti social behaviour by a number of young people in town over the last few months.
‘It can still just take one small problem to tip someone into crisis and poverty’………..
Always a very well supported collection is the annual St. Joseph’s Conference Appeal (formerly known as the St. Vincent’s de Paul Appeal). According to the local conference: “Today, for too many people, it can still just take one small problem to tip someone into crisis and poverty. It can be an unexpected illness or unexpected bills. We, in St. Josephs Conference, Boyle know that a little help at the right time can help a family during these difficult times.
Thank you to so many of you who regularly support our work. Without this help, we simply would not be able to support those struggling and in need of our help”.
“This Christmas please support our Annual Appeal. Our Collection will take place in St. Joseph’s Church on the weekend 9th/10th December where envelopes will be available in the porch. Envelopes received through the post may also be returned to the church. Alternatively, you can donate directly to the Boyle Conference by Tel: 0818176176 or online to svp.ie/stjosephsconferenceboyleappeal23. Thank you for your continued generosity”.
New snippets from around Boyle
Let’s hope the weather plays it’s part for Sunday’s “Christmas Spectacular” in the Pleasure Grounds. Billed as a “festive treat”, the event takes place from 4.30pm-6pm and is brought to you by Victoria Walker Dance supported by Roscommon Creative Ireland Programme………………Bernadine Casserly and pianist Anne Kielty will host their sold out Christmas Concert tonight Friday December 8th in the King House at 8pm………………Isn’t it so comical to see those who put every obstacle in the way of the redevelopment of Boyle, now trying to take the spotlight when projects are coming to fruition………….Don’t miss Family Time at Boyle Library on Tuesday December 12th at 1.30pm. On the day there will be songs and stories with Fiona, including puppets, music, stories and lots, lots more. Suitable for ages 0 to 8 years. More details on 071 9662800 or [email protected]…………There is still a lot of money needed to pay for this year’s Christmas Lights in Boyle. All businesses both big and small benefit from having a town lit up for the festive season so can those businesses who have not contributed so far please donate via the GoFundMe page here or by bank transfer to account IE07BORN99215620274601…………..Well done to all who helped out at an emergency outside the Post Office on Wednesday morning last when a person became unwell. Members of the public provided first aid and called an ambulance and comforted the persons relative who could not speak English. Yet another example of the caring and welcoming town Boyle is and how lucky we and others are to live here…………Rail travel on the Dublin Sligo line that serves Boyle was a mess yesterday with “a mechanical issue” on 15.05 service from Sligo resulting in the train stopping between Edgeworthstown and Mullingar for a period of time. This had a knock on effect all day with the last train into Boyle not arriving on Thursday night until after 11pm and to add insult to injury, it was a commuter train not the planned intercity. And it has not started off great this morning (Friday) with the 6.13am service from Boyle now delayed by 15minutes in Longford due to “a technical issue”………… The first indications of what Shop Street and Bridge Street will look like when all the electricity poles and cables are taken away came on Wednesday last when a number of the new street lights that are associated with the ongoing public realm upgrade were installed opposite the entrance to An Rioga Car Park……….Always an enjoyable afternoon out for the younger people is the Boyle Ladybirds, Brownies and Girl Guides annual Christmas Jumper Party in St. Joseph’s Hall which takes place this Sunday from 4-6pm.
And finally……!
A doctor was addressing a large audience in Oxford on the subject of modern nutrition:
“The rubbish we put into our stomachs should have killed most of us sitting here, years ago”.
“Red meat is full of steroids and dye. Soft drinks corrode your stomach lining. Oriental food is loaded with MSG”. “High trans fat diets can be disastrous, and none of us realize the long-term harm caused by the germs in our drinking water”.
“But, there is one thing that is the most dangerous of all and most of us have, or will eat it”.
“Can anyone here tell me what food it is that causes the most grief and suffering for years after eating it?”
After several seconds of quiet, a 70-year-old man in the front row raised his hand, and softly said:
“Wedding Cake?“
