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| Around the 32 Counties | | Print | |
| Thursday, 04 February 2010 | |
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Antrim: A novel use for a hospital car park It has long been the practice for people to park their cars in the car park at Antrim Area Hospital before being given lifts to their work in either Belfast or Ballymena. However a new sector of the community is now making use of free parking. When the hospital attempted to contact the owner of a car which had been slightly damaged in a minor collision, it was to discover that the owner was out of the country. It then emerged that people flying out of Belfast International Airport have been parking for free at the hospital and then taking a taxi to catch their flights, leaving their cars for up to a fortnight. Armagh: Markethill man revisits wartime friends When eighty-six-year-old Arthur Smith, a veteran of the Royal Navy from Markethill, struck up a friendship with a family on the Italian island of Ischia during the war, he little thought that the friendship would endure for more than sixty years. But recently, with a grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s Heroes Return 2 programme, he and his wife Freda paid another visit to the Conte family whom he helped with food rations from his ship after they welcomed him into their home. The two families have become such good friends that when Arthur and Freda celebrated their golden wedding anniversary Mr and Mrs Conte travelled to join in the celebrations.
For the past four years two Carlow opticians, Bernard Jennings and Brendan Harding, have travelled to Kenya to help with the work being carried out in Nuu by Sister Goretti, who is also from Carlow. The two men have set up a charity, Asante, which takes care of the eyesight of those living in the area, and to date they have tested more than two thousand patients. Of these, some two hundred have had surgery which has helped restore their sight. Now the two are asking for the help of the people of Carlow in fundraising for the charity and are hoping to start a series of events on March 19.
The back wall of the new stand at Corlough GAA grounds has an unusual exhibition, a series of paintings of the club’s footballers in action. These are the work of Maria Gkinala from Athens who has been living in Coorlough for five years with her partner, Micheál Ó Rahaill and her daughter Bridget. In her youth Maria was herself a track a field athlete. In addition to the paintings of footballers, Maria has also painted the White Horses of Benaughlin, and a painting of St Bridget of Laragh, the home place of Cardinal Seán Brady, now hangs in the Primate’s Armagh residence.
Nine-year-old Jack Caldwell from Ennis and his golden Labrador Aggie have both graduated from a training course operated by Irish Dogs for the Disabled. Jack, who has ataxic cerebral palsy, was walking with the help of a frame, but now he can use just one stick while he has stability dog Aggie’s handle to hold onto with the other hand. According to his mother, Emer Sherry, Jack has become much more confident since he was introduced to Aggie, as he is more sure of his walking. He is also less shy of strangers since Aggie takes all the attention away from him.
A man from Fairhill in Cork city and now based in the US has been putting in long hours acting as stunt man, body double and stand-in for Mel Gibson in the recently released film “Edge of Darkness”. Patrick Hayes has been working as a stunt man since an attempt to set up a business in the US didn’t take off, having first worked on the drama “The Brotherhood”, but his latest venture saw him putting in long hours on the set. He also had to learn the entire script as Gibson’s stand-in, but said he received much helpful advice from the actor. Patrick is now spending a few weeks at home in Cork with his wife Christiana.
The Gasyard Development Trust has decided to investigate the history of the Bogside area of Derry city, to show that it had its place in history long before the latest Troubles. With lottery funding, the project is co-ordinated by Mickey Cooper and will comprise a series of lectures on various aspects of the area’s history including St Columba, who built a church overlooking the original wetlands from which Bogside takes its name. The part it played in the Siege of Derry and the significance of the street names will also feature, a book is to be published by the Guildhall Press, and an online archive is to be established.
Dr Tom Blake of the School of Cosmic Physics at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies has confirmed that the institute plans to install a permanent seismic network station in the county this year. In the past week Donegal has again experienced tremors, this time centred on Clonmore, south of Buncrana and measuring 1.5 and 1.7 on the Richter scale. Among those who experienced the tremors were all the pupils of St Egney’s National School in Desertegney, which is one of the schools that hosts a seismometer for the institute as part of the Seismology in Schools Programme.
A group of artists whose work has been inspired by the beauty of the county’s coastline have set up a campaign to protest at the Environment Agency’s decision to remove its designation as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The sculptors, painters and photographers have mounted an exhibition in the Library Gallery in Downpatrick to highlight their campaign. Among those protesting are Jim Manley from Killough and George Smyth, both of whom have expressed concern about the motive for the redesignation and possible development of the area.
Archaeologists who have been carrying out excavations since last year on a site at Smithfield owned by the Office of Public Works have uncovered evidence of a Viking house. The eleventh century house fronts onto Church Street which would have been a major route to the city from the north, and there is evidence of a second house beside the first one. According to Dr Pat Wallace, director of the National Museum, evidence to support the presence of a group of houses north of the Liffey would be of enormous significance. The archaeologists have found latrines and ditches, and the post holes where wooden posts would have been placed in the ground to support the walls of the house.
The children from seventh class in St Ninnidh’s school in Derrylin had a chance recently to visit a cave which is connected with their school’s patron saint. The children climbed through the hazel wood at Knockninny before entering Knockninny Cave armed with torches. There is a legend that the saint lived in the cave as a hermit. The children first explored the cave standing up but eventually had to crawl on their hands and knees, before they emerged into the daylight through another exit where they then enjoyed a picnic.
Galway City Council has reversed its decision to construct a road linking the Dyke Road and the Quincentenary Bridge, which would have gone through the Terryland Forest Park. The road had been included in the Galway City Development Plan 2011-2017 and would have involved a set of traffic lights on the already congested bridge. Some ten thousand people signed a petition protesting against the road, not least because the trees in the forest park were planted by a small army of volunteers. The move has been welcomed by the Friends of Terryland Forest, who now want to see schools and colleges encouraged to use the park as a resource.
When Nathan Kingerlee, who runs Outdoors Ireland in Killarney, decided to walk the Blackwater Way from Shrone to Clogheen in Co. Tipperary, he took with him two companions, a dog and a goat. His choice of a goat was prompted by his having just read “Round Ireland With A Fridge”, though he thought a goat would be better company. The walk of almost one hundred and seventy kilometres took him a week with his dog Cara and Bob the goat, lent to him by Cronin’s Yard at Carrantuohill. Nathan was keen to test whether the famous Irish hospitality still existed, and found that he was given a great welcome wherever he stopped en route.
Jean Herlihy from Naas is keeping her fingers crossed that she will be heading for Los Angeles at the beginning of March to witness the Academy Awards. For Jean, a past student of St Mary’s College in Naas, is one of eight animators responsible for the six-minute film “Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” which has received an Oscar nomination in the Best Animated Short Film category. Jean has worked for the film’s creators, Brown Bag Films, for six years, after studying at Ballyfermot College of Further Education and spending a year in England. While she may not get to the actual ceremony, Jean hopes to be in Los Angeles for the legendary parties. Kilkenny: Kilkenny filmmakers celebrating success Tomm Moore from Graiguenamangh and Paul Young, who is cartoonist with the Kilkenny People, are celebrating this week after their cartoon “The Secret of Kells” was nominated for an Oscar in the Animated Feature Film category. The film features the voices of Brendan Gleeson, Mick Lally, and Evan McGuire as the twelve-year-old Brendan. It was produced by Kilkenny-based Cartoon Saloon in collaboration with a French and a Belgian company, and was named Best Irish Film at the Dublin Film Festival. It also won Audience Awards in Edinburgh and at the Annecy Festival of Animation in France.
Tim Bergin from Abbeyleix has been on trial with the Sheffield Eagles Rugby League side and seems to have impressed the head coach following the side’s recent victory over Doncaster. Tim played rugby union with Portlaoise RFC and only turned to rugby league two years ago with Portlaoise Panthers. Last year he played on the national side against Serbia, scoring twice, and he also lined out for the Irish Universities side in the Four Nations campaign. Other sporting achievements include being capped for the Scottish Universities side and he also played football with Ballyroan-Abbey.
Leitrim: Verdicts at odds on the county While the latest edition of the Lonely Planet backpacker guide book has many good things to say about Leitrim, Discover Ireland does not seem to place as much importance on its attractions. According to the guide book, the county offers an “enormous welcome for visitors”, Carrick-on-Shannon is a charming town with great music and arts, and numerous places to stay or to eat are mentioned. The Leitrim Way and Rossinver Organic Centre also get a favourable mention. However in the Calendar of Festivals and Events 2010 published by Discover Ireland, not one festival based within the county is included, much to the disappointment of Tourism Officer Sinéad McDermott.
Ahmed Jamal Maaz, a student at Griffith College in Limerick, has been awarded first place in the world in the Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Business Information Technologies. Originally from India, Ahmed received the Global High Achiever Award after completing his diploma over nine months and sitting his exam last July. At present working for PC World in Castletroy, he has also been named that company’s top salesman. His next step is to undertake a Master of Science in Strategic Business Information Technology at Griffith College.
The county council has announced that the new pedestrian lights on the Dublin Road, at the crossing used by pupils of St Joseph’s School, will be switched on during the mid-term break later this month. It has also been decided that after a period of two weeks the services of the lollipop man will be dispensed with. However some have expressed concern at this, including Councillor Paul Connell, who said that younger children could not be expected to effectively work the pedestrian lights. The school has four hundred pupils between the ages of four and eleven and a lollipop man has been helping pupils across the busy road for the past thirty years.
Louth: Drogheda couple beat the deadline When Sandra McKeever and Michael Reade contacted the office of the registrar in Drogheda to book a civil wedding they discovered that their options were severely limited. For not only were there only three dates available in the period up to the end of June, but no weddings could take place in July or August due to the registrar being on holiday. Fortunately for Sandra and Michael they were able to agree on a date in May but any other couples hoping for a summer marriage will have to move their ceremony to the neighbouring counties of Cavan or Monaghan.
Eamonn Keane from Louisburgh has qualified for the 2010 Guinness Book of World Records by becoming the first man to complete the Superhuman Strength Challenge. Eamonn, a primary school teacher, completed the challenge at the Lough Lannagh Fitness Centre in Castlebar. He had to undertake a series of challenges known as The Big 5, including a one-hour bench press; a one-hour barbell squat; a one-hour deadlift; a one-hour military press; and a one-hour incline dumb-bell flys. Eamonn has won a number of Ironman Power Championships around the world since he took up power-lifting some years ago.
While the county council had had to shelve plans for a new park for Navan due to financial constraints, work is now expected to begin in the next few months. Initial work will involve drainage, the provision of sports pitches and a walkway on the sixty-six acre site along the banks of the Blackwater after approval of a grant of €750,000 from the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism. The park will eventually include playing pitches, a children’s playground, a bowling green and a car park. A schedule of work will be presented to council members in the near future by landscape architects Ferguson McAlveen.
Two properties in Castleblayney are the subject of discussion among members of the Town Council. A site owned by the council on the McGrath Road had caught the interest of a group of local doctors who want to build a medical centre on the land. Their initial tender of €450,000 was reduced to €300,000 when the council banned any retail element of the development; they will make a decision next month. Meanwhile the mayor of Castleblayney, Joe Brennan, has put forward a motion that the Government be asked for a grant to furnish a new building to house the District Court, for which a premises is to be provided by local solicitors. If the funding is not forthcoming the court will move permanently to Carrickmacross.
Offaly: Tullamore company secures major contract Glenn Wood of Tullamore has emerged as the victor from a short list of twenty-two to carry out work on the new Aviva Stadium on Dublin’s Lansdowne Road. The company, based at Axis Business Park on the Clara Road, will work in conjunction with John Sisk & Co in manufacturing and installing some one hundred bar and retail counter units in the new stadium. Jim Ryan, managing director of Glenn Wood, said that the contract had been valuable to the company not only in retaining employees but also in creating additional jobs. The work on the stadium is due to be completed in May.
Although her family is based in Ballyhaunis, the favourite to win the All-Ireland Talent Show on RTE is Olwyn Murray, granddaughter of Seán and Mary McNeill from Roscommon town. Olwyn is the daughter of Breda and Adrian Murray and last year she represented Ireland at the World Championships of Performing Arts, winning five gold medals in her individual vocal categories. She has many uncles and aunts still living in Roscommon, among them footballers Liam and Padraig, and Olwyn herself plays football with St Mary’s GAA club in Ballyhaunis. She works in the family business, The Clock.
Sligo: Two Sligo doctors in Haiti Two Sligo doctors, one of whom gave up a long-awaited holiday, are in Haiti helping the victims of the earthquake. Dr Jude MacSharry from Enniscrone, who is now with the Galway Clinic, was to take his first holiday in years with his wife Caroline, but at the last minute decided instead to offer his services in Haiti. When he flew out from Dublin he was accompanied by Dr Michael Sweeney of Ransboro, who will spend three weeks helping in the relief work. The children of Ransboro School, who include three of Dr Sweeney’s children, held a fundraising pyjama day and coffee morning at the school, while a pyjama day was also held at Cartron national school.
Two women from Nenagh are beginning a fundraising drive before heading for Moldova for two weeks at the end of June to help staff at an orphanage for disabled children. Celine Mitchell and Lisa Gleeson, who is originally from Portroe, both live in Tyone and for Celine it will be her third time to help out at the orphanage. The first event they have organised is a hair waxing in Figgerty’s pub in Summerhill, where one of those subjecting himself to the waxing will be Celine’s father, Arthur. Celine and Lisa are travelling with the charity Outreach Moldova. Tyrone: Mixed reception for Tesco expansion Plans by Tesco in Dungannon to expand their store by twenty thousand square feet has the approval of the Borough Council but not of other traders in the town. The £14m expansion would lead to some eighty extra jobs at the Beechvalley store but the planning office had recommended refusal on the grounds that it would have a detrimental effect on the town centre. This decision was welcomed by some of the town traders, including Jimmy Stuart and Andrew Trotter, who forecast further job losses if the development went ahead. However members of the council have asked that the Planning Management Board reconsider their decision.
Kelly Proper, a member of Ferrybank Athletic Club, secured her place in the World Indoor Championships in Quatar in March with a long jump of six metres sixty-two centimetres at the Vienna Indoor Gala. The jump beat her own Irish long jump record by three centimetres and gave her a thirty-five centimetre lead on Lauma Griva from Latvia. Kelly was particularly happy with her performance in Vienna since her mother Yvonne and her two coaches, Brid and Alan Golden, had accompanied her to the gala. Her next challenge will be the European Outdoor Championships in July.
It has taken a while, but the Slow Food movement has been introduced to Westmeath due to the efforts of Una Fitzgibbon of Coolure House, where the first dinner took place recently. Among the seventeen attending were the committee members of the Westmeath Slow Food Movement including textile designer Helen James from Castlepollard, Morag Newman from Fore and Helen Kelly of Lough Biship B&B. The idea of Slow Food is to use locally sourced ingredients and the meal at Coolure House featured smoked trout from Rathowen, Therese Gilsenan’s Inny Eel pate, venison from Greg Potterton’s farm at Ballinea, cheese from Mary Kelly’s Moonshine Farm at Dysart, and Helen Kelly’s mince pies.
A company from Co. Donegal, The Green Graveyard Company, has applied for planning permission for the country’s first natural graveyard to be located at a site at the foot of the Blackstairs Mountains. The proposed graveyard will differ from the conventional ones in accepting willow or banana leaf caskets, with graves being identified by small wooden or flat stone markings. For those who eschew even these green alternatives, microchips will be inserted that will emit GPS coordinates of the individual graves. Colin McAteer of the Donegal undertakers says they have already received almost a hundred enquiries and hope to hold their first burial by the end of April.
With votes being cast by more than one million customers of Hostelworld.com, West Wicklow Tours has been selected as the No.1 Tour Worldwide for 2009. Four hundred guests from around the world attended the award ceremony in Dublin last weekend at which tour company owners Denis and Angela O’Reilly accepted the award. Now running for twelve years, Wild Wicklow tours has daily coach tours from Dublin to Wicklow and in addition to their main tour of Avoca, Glendalough and the Sally Gap, they also offer private tours to Malahide Castle and Powerscourt House and Gardens.
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