|
A new sport comes to a Derry adventure centre, eight Limerick swimmers take the difficult route to France, and a Wexford town has a surprise royal visitor.
Antrim: New role for Conway Mill
Conway Mill on the Falls Road in Belfast, once the first flax spinning factory in the city and latterly used to display Irish art, is to undergo a total renovation programme which will allow its use by the local community for education and employment. One of the aims of the project, which is expected to be completed by 2010, will be to generate up to one hundred jobs within four years of its opening. Funding for the multi-million pound renovation has come from a number of sources including the Department of Social Development and Minister Margaret Ritchie has expressed the belief that the renovation of the mill will encourage further social and economic opportunities in the area.
Armagh: Owners surprised at sighting of lost pet
Karen Evans, now living in Portadown, was surprised to hear that a milk snake had been seen in Mourneview in Lurgan, where she used to live, a year and a half after it had gone missing. The non-venomous reptile was spotted by Sam Cardwell behind the bins in the back garden of his home in Glenfield Road and reported to the USPCA. When a notice appeared in the local paper it was spotted by Karen, who said that her children Meghan and Joshua, who had named the snake Slither, had really missed him. So now the family is hoping that Slither will again be spotted and can be returned to them.
Carlow: Dublin success leads to Carlow opening
The success of its Bridal Store in Dublin has led the children's charity Barnardos to expand with the opening of a Bridal Store on Dublin Street in Carlow. The store offers wedding dresses and all the accessories at greatly reduced prices, with dresses ranging from €150 to €900; the entire stock of the new store has been donated by wholesalers and retailers. The bridal service is by appointment only, and all money raised at the store goes directly to Barnardos. Attending the opening last week was Elaine Crowley of TV3 and "Xpose" star Sybil Mulcahy.
Cavan: St Aidan's rededicated
The rededication of St Aidan's Church in Butlersbridge took place last weekend in a service conducted by Bishop Leo Reilly. Among works carried out were refurnishing of the sanctuary with an ambo, a celebrant's chair and a baptismal font, in addition to a marble reredos. In the rededication Mass Bishop O'Reilly used the Creevalea chalice, dating from the seventeenth century, which was discovered in the walls of the old church on land belonging to Thomas and Sarah O'Reilly at Derrygarra some one hundred and fifty years ago; it was also used in the rededication ceremony in 1972.
Clare: County celebrates success in Tidy Towns
A number of awards came the way of the county in this year's Tidy Towns awards, which were announced at the beginning of the week. For the second time in three years Ennis took the title of tidiest urban centre, and also received awards for the best presented bring bank in the Mid-West, and the National Le Gaeilge award. Meanwhile Best New Entry went to Lissycasey, Killaloe won an Endeavour award and the Nature Award for the Mid-West was presented to Labasheeda Community Pride. Ennis also featured in the awards to schools, with the school award for the Mid-West going to the Holy Family Senior National School on Station Road.
Cork: New hopes for Cork-Swansea ferry link
With the belief that the days of cheap flights are coming to an end, port authorities in both Cork and Swansea are to make a joint submission to a number of ferry companies in an attempt to revive the Cork-Swansea ferry, which closed two years ago. The commercial director of the Port of Cork, Michael McCarthy, has pointed out that not only has the region's tourism suffered since the link was abandoned, but the port has suffered the loss of a substantial trade in freight. Now Port chief executive Brendan Keating is hoping that advertising for the new service can begin in the next few months.
Derry: Zorbing comes to Moneymore
Brother and sister Sarah and Robert Carmichael from Derry have introduced the sport of zorbing to the Jungle activity centre at Moneymore on the Derry-Tyrone border. The sport, involving rolling downhill in a ten-foot diameter plastic ball, was discovered by the Carmichaels while on their travels and they immediately realised it would be a good fit for the expansion of their activity centre on the family farm. Two people ride inside the sphere, strapped in, while it rolls down a hill. Alternatively it can be used as a 'hydrosphere', with water placed in the outer section; in this case those riding the sphere do not need to be strapped in.
Donegal: Old boats to be removed from Inishowen piers
A new by-law to be introduced by the county council will see an end to otherwise picturesque harbours being spoilt by abandoned boats. One of those affected is Carrickarory pier in Moville and the new by-law has been welcomed by local councillor Marian McDonald, who said she had been approached by many people over the years who have expressed concerns about the vessels. The area has been attracting more people since the new picnic tables were installed, but they are put off by the derelict vessels. The council will now be able to prosecute those who leave their boats in public harbours, and will have the authority to remove any vessels for which the owners cannot be identified.
Down: Public invited to view restoration work
While necessary restoration work is being carried out on the stained glass windows of the chapel at Mount Stewart, members of the public have been invited along to watch the craftsmen and women at work. Some of the windows, more than one hundred and fifty years old, have been subject to wear and tear while creeper plants have worked their way into others. While the work is taking place at the National Trust property conservation workers will be on hand to answer any questions, and Claire Magill, one of the conservators, has said she believes it is important for the public to witness the work carried out by her colleagues.
Dublin: Reception on board for Stepaside bride
Kerry Horrigan from Stepaside had set her heart on having her reception on a boat when she marries Sean McLaverty, but presumed she and Sean would have to cut back on other items to make her dream come true. This was before she won a €50,000 prize with The Wedding Journal, which includes having their reception on one of the Global Maritime Group's luxury yachts; these include the Christina O on which Prince Ranier and Princess Grace of Monaco held their reception. The vessel will be moored at Sir John Rogersons Quay at the end of this month and Kerry and Sean will entertain one hundred and fifty family members and friends on board one of the fleet.
Fermanagh: Festival presents chance for a new hobby
As part of the Enniskillen Arts Festival, which will run from September 26 to October 5, the bell ringers of St Macartin's Cathedral in the town are inviting people to have a go at the art of campanology. Captain of the bell ringers Stewart Scott will lead a workshop, featuring his team of ten bell ringers, to which members of the public are invited. Participants will learn not only the art of bell ringing, but also the terminology associated with it. Eight bells were installed in 1842 when the church was rebuilt and a further two were added when the original oak frames were replaced by steel frames in 1936.
Galway: Wayfinding project takes top heritage award
When the Galway County Heritage Awards took place in Claregalway last week Galway East Tourism took first place for its Wayfinding Project which has gathered together the ecclesiastical and architectural heritage of east Galway in a variety of formats. For the Ballinasloe area the award went to Laurencetown Community Enterprise for its preservation of forty acres of raised bog in Lismany/Kylemore, where a one hundred metre boardwalk is to be built. And for his work in collecting heritage material on the islands, Pádraic Ó Biadha of Leitir Meallain was also recognised at the awards ceremony.
Kerry: Couple return to honeymoon venue 58 years later
Fifty-eight years ago Brian and Marjorie Frost-Smith from Cumbria in the UK spent their honeymoon in Killarney, and last week the couple returned to the town to revive old memories. They stayed with Kathleen O'Regan Sheppard at Kathleen's Country Home and revisited the Gap of Dunloe, armed with photographs from their honeymoon. There the ponymen helped them identify the driver of the pony who took them on their first trip through the Gap. The Frost-Smiths chose Ireland for their honeymoon as rationing was still in force in Britain at the time of their marriage.
Kildare: Wedding photo session with a difference in Kildare
Rosemarie Meleady of The Wedding Planner website in Kildare has come up with an unusual idea for a fundraiser, she is asking brides and grooms to don their wedding gear once more and get trashed for Sightsavers International. The idea is that each participant in the Trash the Dress sessions will be asked to raise €300 and they will then choose an activity in which to be photographed in their finery, be it horse riding, swimming or just messing about on a beach. Such is the interest in the idea that some single girls have bought dresses in charity shops so that they, too, can take part.
Kilkenny: McCarthy cup in safe hands before match
When it was decided that the Liam McCarthy Cup would need to be repaired before the weekend's All-Ireland final, it was somehow prophetic that the task was given to a Kilkenny-based goldsmith. The cup was delivered to the workshop of James Mary Kelly in the Kilkenny Design Centre. He was assisted in the repair work by silversmith David Byrne and the two repaired the handles of the cup and also stone-polished the base to remove names of fans which had been etched into the metal. Mr Kelly's firm provided the current replica version of the cup sixteen years ago; the original is in the GAA Museum.
Laois: Daniel takes gold
Daniel Mulvihill, the son of Dan and Monica of Doon, Borris-in-Ossory, was presented with the graduation gold medal during a ceremony at the University of Limerick for having achieved the highest degree result from all the faculties of the university this year. The twenty-two-year-old, who graduated with a first class honours degree in mechanical engineering, also received the Frederic Barnes Waldron prize from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers of Great Britain. A past pupil of both Killadooley national school and Coláiste Phobal Ros Cré, he is to undertake a three-year research programme, leading to a doctorate in engineering science, at Oxford University.
Leitrim: Funding approved for Glencar development
Improvements are to be made to the amenities associated with Glencar Waterfall following the approval of a grant of €262,500 from Fáilte Ireland and €87,500 from the county council. In addition to improving the parking facilities, the walkway up to the waterfall will be developed, as will a walkway on the old bog road. According to Joseph Gilhooley, Director of Services, Community, Cultural and Enterprise Development, there is the potential for a restaurant at the scenic site since visitor numbers have increased dramatically this year and there is no facility to provide refreshments at present.
Limerick: Limerick swimmers conquer Channel
Two relay teams from Limerick Masters Swimming Club last week swam the English Channel from Dover to Calais in atrocious weather conditions, which nearly caused the cancellation of the attempt, in a time of just under fifteen hours. Each team of four swimmers did a rotation of an hour in the water and three hours in the accompanying boat. The teams comprised John Battles, Phillip Mudge, Breda McNamara, Greg Scanlan, Marcella O'Neill, Tommy Moloney and Thomas and Darren Quinn. The idea of the swim was to raise €100,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Ireland Research Fund.
Longford: World Championship medal for Eamonn
Eamonn Prunty has a congenital spine disorder and has used a wheelchair all his life, but now he has won the European Disabled Waterski Championships in Italy. The son of John Patrick Prunty from Dooroc in Drumlist, where his grandmother Kathleen Prunty still lives, Eamonn took up waterskiing four years ago when the volunteers were needed for the championships. He was joined by other members of the family who then practised their newfound skills in Lanesboro. Now they have opened a centre for the sport in Co. Meath, the Irish Aquatic Sports Centre in Summerhill, where Eamonn has a full-time job as an instructor.
Louth: Stardom for Dundalk five-year-old
When Daniel Nordon of Heynestown, Dundalk performed at a Feis in Dublin he was approached by television producers to take part in auditions, and he is now appearing in an advertisement for the Health Service Executive. The five-year-old, who won an award for poetry at Feis Maitiú and another for music at a Sligo feis, is part of an advertisement for healthy eating. He is the son of Denis and Sharon Nordon and his mother runs a speech and drama school in Dundalk. Shooting the ad was carried out over three days in Dublin, with three other children aged between six and eight years.
Mayo: Three Mayo pubs make the grade
Of the seventeen pubs in Ireland which feature in the latest edition of The Michelen Eating Out in Pubs guide, three are within the county. They have named as one of the best pubs in Ireland the Sheebeen in Westport, owned by father and son Colm and Simon Cronin, and with head chef Frankie Mallon. The other two pubs in the county which made the grade this year are Crockets on the Quay in Ballina and JJ Gannon's in Ballinrobe. The former was praised for its ultra-friendly staff while the wide selection of wines in JJ Gannon's drew praise from the Michelin inspectors.
Meath: Tidy Towns award for Duleek school
A project initiated by fifth class children in Duleek Boys' National School took the National Tidy Towns Schools Award this year. Led by their teacher, Laura McManus, the fifth class boys began picking up litter in the town and also designed and made posters which were displayed in local shops. The entire school then became involved in the recycling section of the project and the class also set up a gardening club and a wildlife-watching programme. Attending the awards ceremony on Monday were students Cal McKenna, Craig Cassidy and Adam Smith accompanied by Laura McManus, school principal Gerry Conroy and Maria Levine, co-ordinator of the school's science programme.
Monaghan: Raft Race was a great day out
The fourth annual River Fane Raft Race took place recently, with more than thirty rafts leaving Magoney Bridge in Blackstaff at three-minute intervals under the direction of Master of Ceremonies Pat Keenan and taking up to an hour and a half to reach the finishing line at Inniskeen village park, travelling via Lannat. There both contestants and the large crowd who had gathered to greet them enjoyed a barbeque. The sponsored race was this year raising funds for Monaghan Sub Aqua Search and Recovery Unit's new base in Castleblayney, and also for St Brigid's Special School in Dundalk which caters for children with autism.
Offaly: Men fight back in Tullamore
Offaly men who have become tired of hearing about ladies' lunches, fashion shows and other nights out for ladies only have had their cause taken up by the Tullamore Lions Club. The club is organising a men-only night out at the beginning of October at which the guest speaker will be Johnny Giles and master of ceremonies for the night will be Michael Duignan. The event will take place in The Bridge House Hotel and will begin with a complimentary Guinness and Carlsberg reception in the foyer, where a jazz session will also be laid on. The proceeds from the night will go to the Alzheimer's Society and Dochas.
Roscommon: Strokestown musician plays in National Concert Hall
Owen Feely from Strokestown, a student of the Schola Cantorum at St Finian's College in Mullingar, was one of those selected to perform at a special concert in the National Concert Hall in Dublin last week. The sixteen-year-old oboeist was chosen by the Associated Board, the leading international examining body for music, to take part in their High Scorers' concert in the John Field Room and was the only oboeist to take part. Owen is also studying other instruments at St Finian's, including the piano, the organ and the traditional flute.
Sligo: A giant among mushrooms
When Patrick Waters from Scarden heard that, in an otherwise lean year, there were mushrooms to be found at Driniaghan, Knocknarea,
he set off to see what he could find. And while he didn't find the ordinary mushrooms he was expected, Pat did come across a giant specimen, growing close to a manure heap, which measured thirty-four inches in circumference and weighed in at almost two kilograms, or more than four pounds. Although the recent rain has provided almost perfect weather for mushrooms, there is a scarcity this year according to Pat, though he did find a few on Coney Island. But despite the size of the Drinaghan fungus he says he would not chance eating it.
Tipperary: Olympian to be honoured in Carrigatoher
A campaign is under way to have a bridge being built on the new Nenagh to Limerick motorway named after a local man who became an Olympic champion almost one hundred years ago. Local councillor John Sheehy is leading the campaign to honour the memory of Matt McGrath, with the suggestion coming from John's brother Pat and Tom Collins, who both live close to Curraghmore near Boher where the athlete grew up. McGrath competed in the hammer throwing in four Olympics, winning silver in two and the gold medal in 1920. He emigrated to the US and became a policeman in New York, winning a number of All-American titles also.
Tyrone: Tyrone supporter goes the full nine yards
Football supporter Mary McAleer from Aughabrack but now living in the Bridgend area of Strabane pulls no punches when it comes to supporting the county team. Not only has her house been painted red and white since the All-Ireland victory five years ago, she is now in the process of constructing a model of Hill 16 in her front garden which will be filled with model supporters. She has also amassed a group of teddy bears in full kit for each member of the team, and they are not forgotten inside the house either. Around her television she has Tyrone flags as well as a number of statues, and she says the rosary throughout every game broadcast.
Waterford: Andrew turns a hobby into a green career
Not only has Andrew Dunphy from Tramore turned what was a hobby from childhood into a successful career, he has also managed to follow the green route by using recycled materials. Andrew has been building his own kites for a number of years, using materials such as plastic sacks, wood and butchers' twine, and has now begun teaching the art of kite-making and kite-flying in a number of secondary schools. Already the students of the CBS in Tramore, Mount Sion, the Ursuline convent and the Abbey Community College in Ferrybank have benefited from his expertise. He has also instructed community groups and will be taking part in the Surf & Sea Festival next week.
Westmeath: Twins at the other end of the spectrum
The newspapers have been full over the past week or so of sets of twins beginning school all over the country, but one pair of twins in Athlone have just had a joint celebration of their eightieth birthday. Kitty Fagan and Nellie Connaughton were the second set of twins in the family of Dan and Katherine Hynes of Glasson. Both now widowed, Kitty has four children and one grandson while Nellie also has four children, and has fifteen grandchildren. Their families organised a surprise party for them at the Shamrock Lodge Hotel last weekend.
Wexford: A royal visitor for New Ross
Staff at the Portovino Hotel in New Ross were told that a VIP would be visiting the hotel for lunch last week but had no idea that their visitor would have a royal connection. For King Abdullah II of Jordan was undertaking a motorcycle tour of Ireland along with friends and a security detail. Travelling over the Wicklow mountains on his Harley Davidson, the king and his entourage, with a Garda escort, arrived in New Ross and were welcomed to the hotel by manager Karl O'Shaughnessy where the entire party enjoyed their lunch before continuing on to Cork via Tramore in Co. Waterford.
Wicklow: New base for mountain rescue team
A space at the back of the new garda station in Roundwood has been allocated to the Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team as their new base, and it was formally opened last week. Speaking at the event team leader Mark Flynn told the assembled dignitaries and members of the public that the team now had somewhere to store and dry their equipment; prior to this they had to work from a rescue vehicle. The new two-room facility, mostly paid for by the organisation's own fundraising, was blessed by the parish priest of Roundwood, Father Paul Kelly.
|
