09 August 2024 Roscommon People by RossiePeople

The newly-crowned Rose of Castlerea, Tara Keane, pictured with her parents Michael and Rosaleen at the Castlerea Agricultural Trade and Craft Show last Monday. Pic: Kieran Croghan

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Rent a Room Relief

Please advise if private homeowners can rent out a room in their home and avail of tax relief on the rental income. I am considering renting a room in my home to college students this year. Does the tax relief on rental income only apply to a 12 month lease or does it apply if I take in a student for their academic year also?

If a private homeowner decides to rent a room (or rooms) in their home to private tenants, the rental income earned may be exempt from income tax, PRSI and USC provided this income from rent and related services does not exceed €14,000 in a tax year.

The relief applies only to residential tenancies, not to short-term guest arrangements. The occupants must be using the room on a long-term basis. For example, renting a room to a student for the academic year is covered, but taking in guests for short breaks is not.

Homeowners will NOT qualify for this tax relief if any of the following apply:

1. Income from rent and related services exceeds €14,000 in a tax year.

2. Renting a room to a son or daughter.

3. Renting a room to short-term guests.

Any such rental accommodation provided is essentially a room in a private home and is therefore not covered by landlord and tenant legislation. Tenants will therefore be staying under a Licensee Agreement, not a Tenancy Agreement.

Any such Licensee Agreement should set out terms in writing to include such details as the rent payable and the manner in which it is payable i.e. by cash, cheque etc; the term of the tenancy; notice periods required should either party wish to end the arrangement; arrangements for payment of utility bills; rules regarding guests etc. This Agreement should be signed by both parties and a copy retained by each.

With PAUL HEALY

THURSDAY

You know how we’ve been talking about launching a new political party, with me as the candidate and you as my general dogsbod… sorry, Director of Elections… Yes…

Well, we’re going to catch the political establishment on the hop! Most of the politicians in the country are on holidays (Editor’s note: ‘Local TDs, senators and councillors, there is no need to write in, we know, we know…’). So, I suggest we go amongst the people, when our future opponents have their eye off the ball, and we start an information gathering exercise!

Well…

My friend, the ego has landed! I’m going for it! It’s time you and I answer our nation’s call, instead of wasting time! Time to live in the real world!

Can you give me ﬁve minutes, I just want to see how EastEnders ﬁnishes…

THURSDAY NIGHT

After EastEnders, the boyos head to Ballaghaderreen Arts Festival, mingling with Rossies, while also being very nice to Mayo people, for fear there might be a constituency change soon. The boyos discreetly sound out locals to see if they’d welcome a new party. They receive some support (but mostly strange looks)

FRIDAY

They arrive at the Galway Races. Boyo 1

Thebarstoolboyos

approaches wealthy looking farmer-type in betting ring

Excuse me Sir… my friend and I are thinking of starting a new, rural-based political party. I will be the ﬁrst candidate obviously… Boyo 2 (whispering): Be clever… diplomatic… don’t rush in!

Boyo 1: I couldn’t help but notice you placing €500 bets over the past while,

WATCHING People

and was wondering if an initial donation of €5000 would…

(Boyo 2 frantically drags his friend away, as the confused farmer lays another huge bet)

A generous donor at Galway Races! Endangered Species

What are you doing? You can’t just walk up to strangers and demand cash! Sorry, I lost the run of myself! Look into their eyes, shake their hands ﬁrmly, smile, listen intently… DON’T ASK FOR DONATIONS… yet! Sorry, got it!

FRIDAY NIGHT

The boyos are in a pub in Galway. Outside, burgers are being served in a marquee. Boyo 1 goes to order two. Ten minutes later he returns, ecstatically happy

Why are you so happy?

You won’t believe what happened! I went into the marquee for the burgers… and met the wealthy farmer from the betting ring earlier! He remembered me! He says he loves our idea, takes out his wallet, and counts out €5k! Then he very kindly takes an envelope from his jacket pocket, I think it was brown (the envelope), and places the donation in it! Then wishes us well! Let me get this straight! You want to set up a political party, and you’ve just accepted 5,000 euro in cash in a brown envelope… in a TENT during Galway Race Week?!!! Er… sorry!

It’s been a GOOD week for…

Irish sport, with a record medal haul at the Olympic Games, including four glittering golds!

Local festivals in County Roscommon, with large crowds enjoying a variety of such annual events in our towns and villages

Leitrim footballers, who won the TG4 LGFA AllIreland Intermediate title

It’s been a BAD week for…

The credibility of the boxing in the Olympics, with controversy (in some instances) over the integrity of the refereeing and judging, Roscommon’s Aoife O’Rourke arguably one of the victims of dubious ofﬁciating

PIC OF THE WEEK: My ball! No, referee Brendan Beirne didn’t decide to play himself during Saturday’s Roscommon SFC game between Michael Glaveys and St Brigid’s in Ballinlough…. Brendan was obviously moving the ball after a decision. Pic: Bernie O’Farrell

Intolerable: ‘Stress, ill health, loss of income and heartbreak’

Dear Editor,

No progress has been made in solving the Lough Funshinagh ﬂooding problem.

In fact, the lives of those in the locality, those visiting the locality, and those who need to pass by on their daily business, have been worsened. This has been done by locking off a stretch of the public road, requiring very inconvenient detours. This locked-off area of public road is very difﬁcult to cope with. Not alone is it very poorly signposted for strangers, but it is indeed an impossible inconvenience for locals and strangers alike. This includes school attend-

ance, businesses, church-goers, and, especially, farmers with fragmented holdings.

It is completely intolerable for the farming community. Livestock movement, fertilising and crop cultivation, winter fodder cutting and storage – it’s a nightmare. Some farmers in the surrounding area were at a major loss, with up to 60 acres and more of their holding ﬂooded before this punishment was meted out to them by Roscommon County Council.

The Friends of the Irish Environment’s meddling has caused the world of stress, ill health, loss of income and heartbreak. Some farmers have lost

perhaps half or more of their income. This includes loss of farm payments due to ﬂooded acreage, stock number reduction, damage to buildings, etc.

It’s not tolerable that farmers have to make inconvenient detours several times a day to carry out their day’s work and earn an income. It’s not very pleasant for the inhabitants of the locked-in area either.

The problem requires immediate attention on behalf of the County Council and the people of the area. There is no way the situation can be allowed get any worse.

Yours sincerely, Imelda Fitzgerald

• ST. COMAN’S WOOD, ROSCOMMON

• KILLINA NATIONAL SCHOOL

• CREGGS NATIONAL SCHOOL

• GAEL SCOIL DE HIDE

• KILTEEVAN NATIONAL SCHOOL

• ABBEY BOYS NATIONAL SCHOOL

• BALLAGH NATIONAL SCHOOL

• ATHLEAGUE NATIONAL SCHOOL

• ROSCOMMON COMMUNITY COLLEGE

• CONVENT OF MERCY SECONDARY SCHOOL

• ST. MARY’S COLLEGE, BALLYGAR

• COMMUNITY COLLEGE, LANESBORO

• CBS, ROSCOMMON

• SCOIL MHUIRE, STROKESTOWN

Knitwear

Sculptor Brendan O’Neill (seventh from left) and his wife Susan (sixth from left) pictured with their children, grandchildren and extended family who travelled from the USA for the unveiling of the life-size bronze sculpture titled ‘The Gift’, which commemorates the generous aid provided by the Choctaw Nation to Ireland during the Famine, outside the National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park, Roscommon. Pic: Brian Farrell

Scene from area around Lough Funshinagh. File photograph by Kieran Croghan.

Fitzmaurice criticises ‘alarming’ waiting lists

Independent Ireland TD Michael Fitzmaurice has strongly criticised the Government for its “failure to adequately staff” the Health Service Executive (HSE), highlighting the signiﬁcant issues in recruitment and retention due to what he called the ongoing housing affordability crisis.

Fitzmaurice emphasised that these “systemic failures” are contributing to growing waiting lists and driving emigration among doctors and nurses.

Recent data reveals that waiting

lists for community healthcare have surged by over 50% in the past ﬁve years. There were 233,766 people on waiting lists for assessments or community services in May 2024, up from 148,697 in May 2019.

“The Government’s response to healthcare challenges has been wholly inadequate, and has failed to address the root causes of these problems”, Deputy Fitzmaurice said.

“The recent recruitment embargo and cap on recruitment while numbers on waiting lists continue to in-

crease, clearly illustrates the failures of the Minister for Health and the Government”.

Fitzmaurice also highlighted the impact of the housing crisis on the healthcare sector: “The affordability of housing is a critical factor in the recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals. Many doctors and nurses are emigrating because they cannot afford to live in Ireland. This is a direct result of the Government’s failure to address the housing crisis”.

The 4-star Abbey Hotel in Roscommon have unveiled their exciting new seasonal à la carte menu for summer.

The new menu provides a fabulous selection of delicious dishes to choose from, with something for everyone to enjoy at the Abbey’s award-winning Terrace Restaurant. Combining outstanding food with an inviting atmosphere, the Abbey offers the ideal setting for your next meal out – for both intimate gatherings and larger events.

Reservations are now open for all special occasions, with booking now being accepted for family gatherings, birthdays, anniversaries, retirement parties, and any other private functions.

Please note that booking is essential, and can be done by phone on 090 6626240 or email via restaurant@abbeyhotel.ie

Don’t forget to keep up to date with the Abbey Hotel, Roscommon by following them on all social media channels – Facebook, Instagram,

TikTok, and X (Twitter). Don’t miss out on the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful dining experience in a beautiful setting, and experience the new seasonal à la carte menu available now at the Abbey Hotel’s awardwining restaurant!

Martin Shanagher, Shanagher Hearing, Harrison Centre, Roscommon

Dillon, Cian and Eamon Carthy pictured with Declan Woods during last Saturday’s Roscommon SFC rst round match between Michael Glaveys and St Brigid’s in Ballinlough. Pic: Bernie O’Farrell

THE RENOWNED SYSTEM 10 WEIGHT

LOSS PLAN RETURNS TO ROSCOMMON

Lose up to 2 stone in 10 weeks

LOSE UP TO 2 STONE IN 10 WEEKS

Clinics available in Carrick on Shannon and Roscommon town

The TRUTH is there are 3 keys to a genuine weight loss (real fat loss) plan - diet, exercise and metabolism correction. All 3 keys interconnect, one will not work without the other. Your metabolism is the most powerful of all the 3 keys. It is the ‘switch’ that controls everything else.

In most people this ‘switch’ is off.

Metabolism problems like Slow Thyroid, Type 2 Diabetes, Sluggish Liver, Hormone Imbalances, PCOS, Endometriosis, Infertility and Digestive Problems like Constipation, IBS and Diverticulitis will limit or stop your weight loss, no matter how much dieting or exercise you do .

Work on fixing your metabolism problems for amazing results. Combine this with a reasonable diet and exercise and you will get the best, the fastest and the easiest weight loss ever.

THE SYSTEM 10 PLAN INCLUDES:

• An analysis of your metabolism

•Nutritionist designed highly balanced food plans of normal, natural foods, no pills, bars or shakes.

• An exercise plan (home - walk, jog or bike) or gym plan including toning.

•Nutritional supplement recommendations to rapidly repair your system.

•Private weigh-ins, motivational tips and support throughout the programme.

• We can guarantee that every pound you lose is a pound of fat (you don’t lose water or muscle like most plans).

You will lose 2-3lbs every week and because our programme is designed to speed up your metabolism, you will keep the weight off when you finish your plan. Programmes available for men and women.

WEEKLY CLINIC AT THE HIVE, DUBLIN ROAD, CARRICK-ON-SHANNON EVERY WEDNESDAY.

WEEKLY CLINIC EVERY THURSDAY

At The Cube FlexiSpace, Lanesborough Road, Roscommon F42 DX61

BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL. TEL MARTINA: 086-3846302

Farming Rathcroghan Conference 2024

The full list of speakers has been announced for this year’s Farming Rathcroghan Conference, which takes place on Friday 23rd August 2024 from 9.00am to 5.00pm at the Rathcroghan Visitor Centre, Tulsk, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon.

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One of the main events of the conference will be the launch of the Farming Rathcroghan EIP Report 2019-2023, which will highlight the key activities, training, ﬁndings, assessments and recommendations of the EIP project over the last ﬁve years. The conference will hear also from a number of representative stakeholders, and speakers offering presentations and discussion on such areas as Agricultural Insights and Sustainability from Bord Bia, the County Roscommon Local Authority Climate Action Plan 2024-2029,Irish Farmers Association and the new Nature Restoration Law, the Breeding WadersEuropean Innovation Project, Archaeology in the Planning Process, Farmland Biodiversity, Collecting Field Names and Placenames and the Wrought Iron Farm Gate. The conference is a

key event in the Count Roscommon programme of events for Heritage Week 2024 (17th- 25th August). This year’s themes of Connections, Routes and Networks are reﬂected in the programme proceedings, forming a programme of discussion on current topics and subjects which can potentially inform and shape further project developments. The conference is one

of a number of events in the Farming Rathcroghan promotions and publicity programme for 2024 and a project delivery event for the EU Just Transition Fund. The full draft programme of conference is available on www. farmingrathcroghan.ie The event is free but places are limited and booking is essential to richie@ farmingrathcroghan.ie

THURSDAY

(H)ambition…

It’s funny the goals you set yourself.

One of my ‘life ambitions’ just now is to succeed in opening the fridge and unwrapping the ham slices (for a sandwich)… without our pet dog hearing it all from the adjoining room and rushing in to (relentlessly) guilttrip me.

*A Google search has just informed me that dogs have ‘super-sensitive’ hearing and, because they are focussed on food, they will associate certain sounds with food, and hence respond to (for example) the fridge being opened.

FRIDAY (Shell)shocked!

Did ye hear the one about the two Skibbereen rowers who got into a shell(boat), headed for the Olympics in Paris… and hoped for the best?

The contrast between the media interviews given by swimmer Daniel Wiffen, gymnast Rhys McClenaghan and rower Paul O’Donovan could be viewed as a great example of the difference between the ‘traditional Irish sportsman’ and the ‘modern Irish sportsman’. That’s if you were to fall for O’Donovan’s self-deprecating codology!

O’Donovan loves to talk down his and rowing partner Fintan McCarthy’s chances of success in a tournament, laying on the ‘Sure we’ll do our best anyway’ type talk. Of course where a sporting superstar playing down their chances of success (against all logic) would usually be annoying, in O’Donovan’s case it’s charming, if also pointless: after all, listeners and viewers know he’s codding, and the Skibbereen man knows that we know!

In contrast to O’Donovan Speak, Daniel Wiffen refreshingly talks with absolute conﬁdence about his chances of success, as does Rhys McClenaghan.

This Wiffen Speak isn’t how we were reared. In the old days, we watched successive Olympics’ with no expectation of an Irish presence on the podium; instead, we tuned

PAUL HEALY’S WEEK

A (mostly) light-hearted look at the week that was… paul@roscommonpeople.ie

in to conﬁrm the validity of our collective national inferiority complex, perhaps occasionally allowing ourselves to dream that we might witness a particularly honourable defeat by a competitor in green.

With Wiffen Speak (or McClenaghan Speak), we are asked to hear and watch an Irish Olympian express conﬁdence that they can win a medal! Such selfbelief being delivered in public in advance of competing is not an Irish trait – but it’s good to see.

Meanwhile, the genial O’Donovan spent much of this week telling the media fairytales. He and Fintan McCarthy were ranked below a number of fellow contenders, he said. All year, they had “thrown the kitchen sink” at the Swiss, but to no avail. (While the Irish pair have been down in the rankings this year, Paul omitted to say this is largely down to injuries).

When the Skibbereen duo won their lightweight double sculls semi-ﬁnal earlier in the week, it was a “big, big shock” Paul declared.

Anyone not familiar with O’Donovan’s mischievous sense of fun

might think he wouldn’t know where to sit in a boat.

Personally, I was beginning to worry that our rowing hopefuls might capsize in front of the world when – to my relief, and no doubt Paul’s too – the multiple-world champion and his teammate stormed to a historic gold medal win in today’s men’s lightweight double sculls ﬁnal at the Olympics.

Afterwards, Paul said it was “a ﬂuke”.

SATURDAY

Horsepower…

Yes, we’ve come a long way as a sporting nation! There was a time when we watched the gymnastics at the Olympics merely to marvel at the supreme and almost impossibly supple Chinese, Russians, Romanians, et all.

It was all quite alien to us, as young superstars like Nadia Comaneci gracefully entertained (and amazed) us every four years. Now, one of our own, Rhys McClenaghan, has just won gold on the pommel horse. (See also ‘Sports Desk’ on page 26).

SUNDAY

Where now September?

A week on from Armagh’s win… and I’m already missing the GAA intercounty season, currently a prisoner to its uncomfortable July ﬁnale. No more (for now) the magical mystery tour into the heart of September. Oh well, just 42/43 weeks or so to go. (If nothing else, the previous sentence has proven that one can end a sentence with four consecutive two-letter words, each containing an ‘o’).

MONDAY

Free the cap!

The crisis, ﬁrst raised in this newspaper by the Barstool Boyos (on page 2), is now an emergency. It’s affecting households across the country, and causing huge inconvenience for hundreds of thousands of people –and yet nothing is being done about it.

I refer – of course – to the ongoing

BLT controversy. Bottle lid trauma, that is. The boyos highlighted this shocking societal development in June, but it now falls to me, as Editor of your favourite local newspaper, to effectively editorialise on this scandal.

To recap (so to speak), the powers that be sprung an incredible shock on us earlier this year, when they brought in a new law whereby companies must ensure that all plastic caps and bottles are attached from now on. This might have made some sense in theory, but in practice, it is causing carnage. Take milk cartons, for a start. What were always straightforward morning and afternoon tea/ coffee routines have now descended into messy farces, as people twist (and, er, shout) when trying to negotiate the once-simple step of putting milk into a cup.

The greatest risk is that if one leaves the cap/lid attached to the carton or bottle, chances are – because your view of the milk could be obscured – you might allow too much of the liquid to gush into your cup (meaning you have to start the process again). Another common problem is that you will end up spilling milk all over the worktop or table due to frustration over the entire process. Anecdotally, I understand that most people are simply ripping the lid/cap off the container, in order to save their sanity.

Whether it becomes an election issue or not remains to be seen, but take it that the campaign for urgent new ‘CAP reform’ starts here. Give us back our simple pleasures! Yes, there actually is a point to crying over spilt milk. Free the cap! This crisis is now an emergency. Before it gets worse, I call on our masters to put a lid on it.

TUESDAY

Golden girl…

Tonight at the Olympics? Wow. There really is something special about boxer supreme Kellie Harrington. Tonight, this magniﬁcent warrior won back-to-back Olympic golds. I’m not sure if we will ever see her likes again.

The search is on for Miss Roscommon!

The quest for the 77th Miss Ireland begins! In a glorious celebration of beauty, grace, and empowerment, the search has ofﬁcially kicked off for the new Miss Roscommon, who will follow in the footsteps of current Miss Roscommon, Eimear Noone from Fourmilehouse.

Aged 20, Eimear is studying for post-primary teaching. During her time as Miss Roscommon, Eimear raised funds for the Children’s Health Foundation. She chose this charity for her ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ project –because no child should have to experience what the children in CHI hospitals do, and the work this foundation does helps the little warriors journey a little bit easier. Eimear also helped to raise funds for Miss Ireland’s partner charity, the Julian Benson Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She is delighted to help the charity in reaching its goal and inform people about its incredible

Learn of the beneﬁts

of Ashwaganda from Au Naturel Health & Wellness Store

Ashwaganda is an ayurvedic herb often referred to as ‘Indian Ginseng’. Ayurveda is the traditional system of healing in India. Ashwaganda is one of the most highly prized plants for rejuvenating and strengthening mind and body. It has been used as a nutritional tonic for thousands of years. It has wide-ranging health beneﬁts, acting as a tonic for children, and to increase vitality and health in middle age and the elderly. It is especially valued as a nerve tonic, to reduce stress, and as a memory enhancer. Modern research conﬁrms this age-old use. It has anti-anxiety, anti-depressive and neuro-protective effects, it’s most valued properties due to it’s effects on the brain and nervous system as it helps restore neurological networks, it has very interestingly been shown to protect against the destructive effects of β-Amyloid, one of the primary mediators of age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

Of 5 clinical studies done in 2014 to explore the anti-anxiety effects of Ashwaganda, all showed a reduction in anxiety, depression and stress related symptoms. It was found that 300mg taken twice daily signiﬁcantly reduced symptoms of stress and anxiety and reduced blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol after

just 8 weeks of daily use, Ashwaganda has been shown in studies to improve symptoms of chronic fatigue by 45%.

Other promising studies from 2011 are showing this herb’s use to reduce stress-related infertility and erectile disfunction in men, showing a 57% increase in sperm mobility, 167% increase in sperm count and 53% increase in semen volume, when taken for 90 days consistently.

Ashwaganda is an ingredient in many stress-related supplements, most notably in the BioAdvanced range, Stress support from Nature’s plus which contains many stress reducing ingredients including l-theanine, rhodiola, holy basil, lemon balm and many more. Now on sale at 20% discount while stocks last!

Ashwaganda is available in capsules from One Nutrition, and is also available in powder, both of which are organically grown.

For further information, please contact Susan/Siobhan in Au Naturel, Goff Street, Roscommon, 090 6630492. Au Naturel Roscommon is located on Goff Street in Roscommon Town, and is open from 10 am to 6 pm, Monday to Saturday. You can also visit the store’s social media channels or go to AuNaturel.ie, where online purchase can also be made.

Wellness Respite Retreat.

The search is now on to ﬁnd contestants from each county to take part in the Miss Ireland 2024/2025 competition. Each county winner will take in various events, awards, and appearances, and also take part in a spectacular show on March 29th 2025 to crown the new Miss Ireland and Mr Ireland!

Full details on how to enter are available on missireland.ie, the Miss Ireland App (now available from Apple App Store or Google Play), and social media (@ missirelandorg and @mrirelandorg on Instagram and Facebook). Applications close on August 31st 2024.

The winner of Miss Ireland and Mr Ireland will receive a lucrative agency contract and a host of prizes, and both will jet off to represent their country at their respective Mr World and Miss World Festival, which is televised in over 100 countries around the world. See miss-ireland. ie for more information.

Samaritan Information Meeting

Athlone Samaritans need additional volunteers to maintain their 24-hour befriending service

Could you be a Samaritan volunteer? No experience or qualiﬁcation needed as we will train, mentor and support you. If you think you might be interested please come along to an information meeting on Sunday, 11th of August at 11 am or call Anne on 087 7176189. The meeting will take place at 3, Court Devenish, Athlone. Samaritans provide 24-hour emotional support on Freecall 116123.

66 30492

Large range of Ashwaganda products in store – call in and talk to us about what would suit you best!

Pictured is the current Miss Roscommon, Eimear Noone from Fourmilehouse.

Pictured is the reigning Miss Ireland, Jasmine Gerhardt.

Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2025 now open

Roscommon County Council is seeking applications from those interested in availing of the Built Heritage Investment Scheme for 2025.

Eligible structures include Protected Structures, structures within Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs) and Vernacular Structures. Scheme information and Application Forms are available on www.roscommoncoco.ie or by contacting the Heritage Ofﬁce on 090 6637136 or heritage@roscommoncoco.ie

Completed applications shall be marked “Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2025” and submitted before 5.00pm on Friday 27th September 2024 either by post to: Heritage Ofﬁce, Roscommon County Council, Áras an Chontae, Roscommon, Co Roscommon F42 VR98 or by email to heritage@roscommoncoco.ie

Development Acts.

A limited amount of funding is also available for works of routine maintenance and minor repairs. Given the large number of applicants for a limited pot of funding, it is unlikely that applicants will be awarded the full amount requested. Successful applicants must pay for the works themselves and they will receive the grant funding at the end of 2025.

Speaking following the opening of applications, Heritage Ofﬁcer with Roscommon County Council Nollaig Feeney remarked:

The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) 2025 provides support of between €2,500 and €50,000 to assist with the repair and conservation of historic buildings and structures, helping owners of buildings with statutory protection to meet their obligations under the Planning and

‘The Department of |Housing, Local Government & Heritage have announced the BHIS 2025 scheme months earlier this year. Successful applicants will be notiﬁed in January 2025. This will give successful applicants more time to complete their works in 2025.”

The scheme also supports the employment of conservation professionals and craftspeople in the repair of the historic built environment.

To apply and receive scheme information and application forms, visit www.roscommoncoco.

Any queries about the scheme can be forwarded to Nollaig Feeney, Heritage Ofﬁcer 087 9078860.

ie or by contacting the Heritage Ofﬁce on 090 6637136 or email heritage@ roscommoncoco.ie

Local groups to beneﬁt from Community Recognition Fund

Roscommon County Council has received approval for three major projects from the Department of Rural and Community Development under the Community Recognition Fund, totalling €795,787.

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has announced a total of €16.5 million is to be delivered among 185 community projects nationwide under the Community Recognition Fund 2024, in respect of the ﬁrst window of application.

€500,000 has been allocated to The Growing Tree Integrated Early Years Education and Childcare Facility, Ballaghaderreen under the auspices of Roscommon Leader Partnership (RLP).

€149,787 has been sanctioned for Roscommon Home Services Cooperative Society Ltd., who trade as RHS Home Care or Fáilte Le Chéile (Welcome for All) project. The monies allocated will assist in the renovation of a building in the centre of Roscom-

mon Town as a new Community Space.The county’s third allocation of €149,787 has been granted to the Boyle Family Resource Centre Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre as part of a major renovation and expansion project.

Applications were invited from communities welcoming ‘New Arrivals’ to the community by the Community Department in Roscommon County Council earlier in May.

The Community Recognition Fund aims to support the development of community infrastructure and facilities in recognition of communities hosting new arrivals from Ukraine and other countries (Temporary Protection and international Protection Applicants).

A further window for applications will be advertised in November/December of this year, through Roscommon County Council’s social media platforms, the Public Participation Network (PPN) and local press. For further information email crf@roscommoncoco.ie

Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2025

Roscommon County Council in conjunction with the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage are inviting applications for the “Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2025”.

The Built Heritage Investment Scheme provides support of between €2,500 and €50,000 to assist with the repair and conservation of historic buildings and structures. In doing so it helps owners of buildings with statutory protection to meet their obligations under the Planning and Development Acts, and supports the employment of conservation professionals and craftspeople in the repair of the historic built environment.

A limited amount of funding is also available for works of routine maintenance and minor repairs. Given the large number of applicants for a limited pot of funding, it is unlikely that applicants will be awarded the full amount requested. Successful applicants will be noti ed in January2025. Successful applicants must pay for the works themselves and they will receive the grant funding at the end of 2025.

Eligible Structures include:

• Protected structures

• Structures within Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs)

• Vernacular Structures

How do I apply?

Scheme information and Application Forms are available on www. roscommoncoco.ie or by contacting the Heritage O ce on 090 6637136 or heritage@roscommoncoco.ie

Completed applications shall be marked “Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2025” and submitted before 5pm on Friday 27th September 2024 either by post to: Heritage O ce, Roscommon County Council, Áras an Chontae, Roscommon, Co Roscommon F42 VR98 or by email to heritage@roscommoncoco.ie

Repairs to Ballymoe Station funded under BHIS

Local ladies set style at Galway Races!

€4,200 (on 45 numbers) at 8.30pm Eircode: F42 P440

Is proud to be the ﬁrst law ﬁrm in Ireland to join the four-day working week

Pilgrimage to Attymass

A Pilgrimage to Attymass takes place on Monday, 12th of August. Day of prayer and relaxation. For details, contact Tom Beirne on 086 3861954.

Tour of Ardcarne Old Graveyard

There will be a tour given by Mary B Timoney (archaeologist) of Ardcarne Old Graveyard on Saturday, August 17th 2024 at 11 am. This tour will highlight the di erent designs of the memorials dating from the 17th to the 20th century. Admission is free. Booking essential.

Please email ardcarneparishgraveyards@gmail.com if you wish to reserve a place.

Lisnamult Indoor Market this Sunday

The Lisnamult Indoor Market will be held on Sunday, 11th of August from 11.30 am to 3 pm. The venue is Lisnamult Community Centre (F42 NN72). The market will feature all kinds of bric a brac, clothes (including hand-knitted baby cardigans), jewellery, homemade jams, etc. Also handmade jewellery, candles and soaps. Stall with items that bene t cats too. All very welcome.

Mass in Kileenan Graveyard

Mass will be celebrated in Kileenan Graveyard on Saturday, August 17th, at 3 pm, and in Ardcarne Graveyard on Sunday, August 18th, at 12 noon. There will also be a collection at Ardcarne Graveyard for the cost of lighting the church and graveyard for the coming year. Your support would be greatly appreciated.

Athleague Indoor Market

Athleague Indoor Market will be held on Sunday, the 11th of August (10 am-3 pm) in Athleague Community Centre, and thereafter on every second Sunday of the month. For enquiries, call 087 9136692.

Sharon Cox from Athlone pictured during last Friday’s ‘Most Stylish’ event at the Galway Races (sponsored by Athlone Town Centre). Pic: Brian Farrell

Hayley Doherty from Longford pictured attending Ladies Day at the Galway Races. Pic: Andrew Downes, xposure

Jennifer Wrynne, award-winning milliner and fashion blogger from Leitrim, pictured attending Ladies Day at the Galway Races. Pic: Andrew Downes, xposure

‘Best Dressed Lady’ nalist Lisa Walsh (Dunboyne, Co Meath) pictured with Tracey Carty from Longford town during Ladies Day at the Galway Races. Pic: Andrew Downes, xposure

‘Best Dressed’ nalists Genevieve Ryan (Knockcroghery, Roscommon), Caoimhe Magennis (Armagh), and Zoya Egan (Pennsylvania) pictured at Ladies Day of the Galway Races. Pic: Andrew Downes, xposure

‘Best Dressed’ nalist Genevieve Ryan (Knockcroghery, Roscommon) pictured at Galway Races for Ladies Day. Pic: Andrew Downes, xposure

Gum Litter Taskforce roadshow tackles gum disposal in Roscommon

On August 1st, the Gum Litter Taskforce (GLT) brought its Summer Roadshow to Roscommon, aiming to raise awareness and educate the public on the proper disposal of chewing gum. The GLT, now in its seventeenth year, collaborates with Food Drink Ireland, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, the chewing gum industry, and local authorities to combat gum litter.

Recent ﬁndings reveal that one in seven people still discard their gum improperly, with men more likely to do so than women (19% versus 9%). However, attitudes are changing, especially among children educated on the environmental and ﬁscal impacts of gum litter. The 2023 GLT campaign led to a 5% increase in those reporting that they ‘always’ or ‘usually’ bin their gum, reaching a record high of 92%.

The National Litter Pollution Monitoring report also indicates a decline in gum litter, now accounting for 8.6% of total litter.

Cllr Paschal Fitzmaurice, Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council, welcomed the GLT back to Roscommon: “The Roadshow is a fantastic way to show people the sustainable impacts of responsibly

disposing of gum litter and changing their disposal behaviours.

“The campaign has seen a visible reduction of gum litter on our streets since it ﬁrst began, and it’s an important reminder to contin-

ue reducing litter to protect our local environment”.

The GLT research underscores peer pressure as a signiﬁcant deterrent against gum litter, with one in four people altering their behaviour due to the educational

messaging from the Bin It! campaign.

This year’s campaign will continue to work with local authorities and communities, conducting education and awareness initiatives.

The Bin It! education pro-

For more information on the Gum Litter Taskforce and its initiatives, visit www.gumlittertaskforce.ie

gramme will travel across the country, delivering 60 performances annually to primary and secondary schools, aiming to reach 180 schools by 2025. The programme also provides lesson plan materials to nearly 730 schools across Ireland.

€1,505 raised for Nicola’s MND/ALS journey

Roscommon Rose Rachel Hastings recently helped raise the fantastic sum of €1,505 to support local woman Nicola Brennan-Murphy through her MND/ ALS journey.

The funds were raised during Rachel’s ‘Rose Send-Off Party’, and many thanks go out to all who were in attendance to support the event. Many thanks also go out to the all sponsors who donated prizes for the rafﬂe on the night.

Rachel hopes that the funds will assist with Nicola’s care and home improvements.

Roscommon Rose Rachel Hastings pictured presenting a cheque for €1,505 to Joe Murphy in aid of his wife Nicola BrennanMurphy’s MND/ALS journey.

Pictured at the launch of the Anti-Gum Taskforce initiative, details of which were unveiled at the Clock Tower on The Crescent in Boyle were (l to r) Danny McHugh, Litter Warden; Sabrina Lawless, Environmental Section, Roscommon County Council; Jonathan Jones, Environmental Education and Awareness O cer, Roscommon County Council and Cllr Valerie Byrne, member of Roscommon County Council.

Members of the Anti-Gum Taskforce pictured at their Roadshow at the Clock Tower on The Crescent in Boyle.

Will is Roscommon Pride event Grand Marshall

Roscommon Pride is gearing up for its ﬁrst ever Pride march and a weekend full of festivities. Will Keane, a well-known LGBTQIA+ activist from Roscommon, has been named the Grand Marshall for the event. The inaugural march will take place on Saturday, 24th of August, starting at 2 pm at The Quad in Roscommon Town. Keane, who played a signiﬁcant role in Roscommon’s campaign for marriage equality in 2015,

expressed his excitement about the event. He highlighted the signiﬁcance of celebrating diversity and the positive societal changes in Roscommon and Ireland.

Reﬂecting on his own journey, Keane said: “Looking back at a 14-year-old version of myself, I could never have imagined being fully accepted in my own town. To imagine 30 years later that Roscommon town is preparing itself to celebrate its ﬁrst Pride

Festival is a testament to the societal change within our country and county. I couldn’t be prouder to be Roscommon Pride’s ﬁrst Grand Marshall”.

Will added: “Change is rarely sudden and not always obvious. A rainbow flag beside a till, a Pride sticker in the window or an accepting smile can build a person’s sense of worth, sense of belonging, and sense of acceptance. I’m overjoyed that the rainbow flag will fly

proudly over this celebratory weekend”.

Event Manager, Karina Murray, emphasised that Roscommon Pride is more than just a Pride march. She stated: “The entire weekend will send a powerful statement of inclusivity to the whole county and will act as a platform to launch a year-round LGBTQAI+ community group in Roscommon. We invite everyone, LGBTQAI+ folks and their allies, to join us in making history together”.

Event highlights

The weekend kicks off on Friday night, August 23rd, with Drag Bingo at the Red Parrot public house on the Square, hosted by Donatello.

Saturday begins with a discussion on LGBTQ+ resilience at The Quad Youth Centre on the Circular Road, followed by the Pride March at 2 pm. Post-march, there will be a Family Fun Day in Loughnaneane Park, fea-

turing performances and a ‘Pooch of Pride’ contest for the best dressed pupster in town.

The celebrations continue into the night with a Pride Party at The Coachman’s Inn on Castle Street, featuring performances by The HAUS of KWÉN and a DJ

set. The weekend wraps up on Sunday with a familyfriendly Colour Run and a special ﬁlm screening in Boyle.

*For ticketing and preregistration and full details of the weekend line-up and events, visit www.roscommonpride.ie

Will Keane has been named the Grand Marshall for Roscommon Pride march.The inaugural march will take place on Saturday, 24th of August, starting at 2 pm at The Quad in Roscommon Town.

Cllr John Keogh (then-Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council), members of Roscommon Pride and guests pictured on the grounds of Roscommon Castle for the recent launch of the upcoming Roscommon Pride weekend. Picture: David Pierce, Black Hole Studios.

FRANK BRANDON

FRANK BRANDON’S unique take on life ...

Inspiring display from Ireland at Olympics

Our columnist Frank Brandon on there always being another day for the disappointed sports fan, Ireland’s recordbreaking performance at this year’s Olympics, the obstacles facing children interested in swimming, and the success of Creggs GAA’s recent club draw…

It’s the Sunday of the August Bank Holiday weekend as I write, and there is no doubt that the weather has been a fairly big spoilsport. The almost constant rain has put a dampener (literally) on stuff all over the place. There are so many festivals going on

around us at the moment, with Ballygar and Castlerea (among others) having huge events on this weekend, so I can only hope that tomorrow, Monday, will give them some respite (Editor: It did).

As a result of the wet weather, I have spent a lot of the day watching the Olympics, where water also played a big part in our medal hopes.

Obviously Daniel Wiffen had a huge chance in the 1500 metre swim ﬁnal, but his earlier exertions probably caught up with him as he earned yet another medal for Team Ireland. This time it was a bronze, to go with his earlier gold, and that hard-earned medal brought Ireland’s total so far to seven – the highest we have ever earned in any Olympics, with a lot of stuff still to go!

However, on the other side of things, after making a big burst through the ﬁeld and getting himself into serious

contention for a medal, Rory McIlroy found the water on the 15th hole – a mistake that put paid to any chance he had of ﬁnishing on the podium. He still ﬁnished in a very creditable 5th place, but I do think he would have got at least a bronze if he hadn’t lost two shots on that hole.

We had our daughter and two granddaughters visiting for the weekend, and so I also spent some time watching episodes of Paw Patrol and Super Kitties before I had the misfortune of tuning in to see the Galway ladies get a bit of a trouncing in the All-Ireland final by Kerry. I had put up a few Galway flags in anticipation of two AllIreland final appearances, but weather permitting, they will be coming down early this week.

I know I shouldn’t say it, but I really believe the Galway men blew the best chance they will have for a long time to win Sam Maguire, and while I am

not as clued in to the ladies’ situation, it may be a long road back for them as well.

So tomorrow my ﬁve ﬂags will go back into cold storage, and it could be a while before I need them again.

Before I leave the Olympics – it would be churlish not to comment on the atrocious refereeing that Castlerea’s Aoife O’Rourke was subject to, and although I didn’t see Daina Moorehouse’s bout, it seems that she too was simply robbed by shocking ofﬁciating. Every Olympics there seems to be more and more controversy in the boxing, and surely the day will come when that sport will manage to get itself removed from the actual event.

However, no matter what happens from now on, Team Ireland have excelled in many different sports. It is remarkable how swimming and rowing have taken off in Ireland, and how

Gremlins, goals and a missing masterpiece!

According to most dictionaries, gremlins are imaginary, mischievous creatures that cause things to malfunction. As such, the greatest sportswriter of all time (in my opinion) Con Houlihan used to always blame the gremlins whenever there was any misprint or mistake in his printed article.

Well last week the gremlins got at a piece I had written – but rather than causing a malfunction, they simply devoured the whole lot! Though I might have been a little to blame as well… because I totally forgot to send the email to this newspaper!

Anyway, the gist of the lost masterpiece was that the magic of sport comes from the fact that no matter how disappointed or even devastated we may be after defeat (either as participants or supporters), there is always another day.

For us on the Galway side of the divide in Creggs, after the terrible let-down of the AllIreland ﬁnal, we at least had the ﬁrst round game in the Intermediate football championship against St Croan’s to look forward to. And so on Friday evening last, in front of a great crowd in Creggs, on a pitch that looked absolutely resplendent, we got the chance to

wipe out the disappointment of the previous weekend, and after a very shaky ﬁrst-half performance we turned it on in the second half to record a very welcome (and very rare) win in the Intermediate Championship!

It’s funny how things can happen, because we had a number of injuries to key players, and I suppose we weren’t expecting too much on the night. The truth is that Croans could have been out of sight by half-time if their shooting had been a little better.

However, their failure to put us away during that ﬁrst half left us hanging in, and a superb Darren Gately goal right on half-time left us in the almost unbelievable position of being a point ahead at the break.

And so we kicked on after the interval, and having managed to pull off an unexpected win, we headed to the village and had a few quiet pints to celebrate.

It’s only the ﬁrst game out of three, so there’s some tough games ahead, but last weekend at least, Galway’s demise was a long way from my mind.

I am going to send this piece immediately now, while Con Houlihan’s gremlins are hopefully fast asleep!

many top class competitors are coming through in both of those events. As an aside, with all the interest there now is in swimming and with children wanting to swim from a very young age, I am told it’s almost impossible for kids to get a place in any swimming clubs in Co Mayo; none of them will even place children on a waiting list, they are so full. I don’t know how to solve the problem, but in this day and age surely the political will should be there to encourage all children to learn to swim as early as possible. *Funnily enough, just after I had written that piece about the difﬁculties in getting kids into swimming clubs, I read Brendan O’Connor’s front page article on the Sunday Independent, in which he spoke about all the young kids pretending to be Daniel Wiffen and wanting to swim like him – “that’s if they can ﬁnd a public pool to swim in”.

And ﬁnally…

As I told you in the piece about our game with St Croan’s, our pitch was absolutely resplendent on Friday night. But of course these things don’t just happen by accident.

A couple of years ago, the pitch was in such a bad state that it had to be completely revamped, and as a result it was out of action for almost two years. This revamp involved a lot of local fundraising. Fundraising plays a huge part for all small clubs, as development of everything has to be paid for, and it’s a never-ending struggle for these clubs to keep going.

To that point, over the last few weeks out here in Creggs several club members have gone above and beyond in their efforts to sell tickets for the local draw for All-Ireland tickets, along with a couple of overnight stays in the fabulous Gibson Hotel – and as a result of their dedication, the draw was a great success!

The legend that is Mary D (Mary Devaney for the few that don’t know) has asked me to thank all the kind and generous people who bought tickets from her, and who in doing so are doing their bit to keep Creggs GAA Club aﬂoat. They support every draw and fundraiser that the club undertakes, but it is the likes of Mary D who give up their time to continue calling on people and knocking on doors that are the real heroes. As she thanks all of those who supported her, I wish to thank Mary and everyone else who put enormous effort into selling these and all other tickets! Without them and their likes all over, where would we – or every other rural club – be?

The late Con Houlihan

Rachel is NYCI Local Champion for Roscommon-Galway

The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), which represents organisations working with young people nationwide, has launched its Local Champions initiative for 2024. The campaign is aimed at ensuring increased investment in young people and youth work locally and nationally. Rachel Trimble from Kilbride has been conﬁrmed for a second year running as the Local Champion for the RoscommonGalway constituency.

Grace McManus (NYCI Cam-

paigns Manager) explained, “As part of the Local Champions initiative, a group of passionate young individuals has been selected as representatives from their communities to engage with their local politicians and champion the cause of youth work”.

The Local Champions received training and support from NYCI to effectively convey the positive impact youth work has on their lives and the lives of young people in the local area, as well

as the importance of investing in youth work. NYCI is calling for an increased investment of €15 million in youth work in Budget 2025, to support services with increasing pressures, and ensure equal access to youth work for all young people nationwide.

Rachel is hoping to engage with public representatives, including TDs Michael Fitzmaurice, Claire Kerrane and Denis Naughten (among others).

Rachel Trimble said, “As someone who has a big interest in

advocating for and representing the well-being of young people, I was delighted to be selected again this year to be a Local Champion. I was delighted I got the opportunity to share some of my experiences from various groups including Jigsaw, Foróige and many more”.

The Local Champions initiative will include activities such as engaging with policy-makers, sharing personal stories, and using social media to raise awareness and mobilise support.

New initiative to record experiences of Arigna miners

A new initiative, which records stories of the miners who worked in the coalmines of Arigna, will provide tourists visiting ‘The Miners Way and Historical Trail’ with the opportunity to explore the experiences of past miners through audio and visuals.

The project is being funded by The Department of Rural and Community Development under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme 2023 (ORIS), and is being implemented by Roscommon LEADER Partnership.

newsbriefs

Roscommon Show is on August 17th

Preparations are continuing for one of the top agricultural shows in the country, now little over more than a week away. The 2024 Roscommon Industrial & Agricultural Show will be held at the usual venue, Hannon’s Field, Roscommon, on Saturday, August 17th next. See next week’s Roscommon People for full coverage in advance of the show.

RSPCA Church gate collections

The Roscommon Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) will be holding Church gate collections at the following churches over the weekend of August 17th and 18th. On Sunday, August 18th, collections will be held at St Catherine’s Church in Killina and in St Brigid’s Church in Breedogue. Collections will also be held at the Church of The Sacred Heart and St Barry in Tarmonbarry on both Saturday, August 17th, and Sunday, August 18th. This collection is a great opportunity to raise much-needed funds for animal welfare work and also to raise awareness of RSPCA’s mission and vision. If you would like to learn more about our organisation, please visit roscommonspca.ie or call 087 0505594. Your support would be greatly appreciated. All donations go directly towards animal welfare in the county.

The aim of the project is to enhance visitors’ experience of the popular walking trail by introducing new QR codes dotted along the route of the ‘Miner’s Way and Historical Trail’, which will redirect the walkers to a webpage where they can hear stories from people who worked in the mines.

The initiative will help promote the trail and preserve the heritage of Arigna and surrounding areas. When complete, the project will provide visitors with a better understanding

of the area; its heritage, employment history, and local stories.

It’s vital that as many stories as possible from the people in the community who worked in the mines, or who had family members involved in mining, are recorded. Former miners and their families are encouraged to share their experiences and add to this project. To do so, please email arignaminingmemories@gmail.com with your contact details, and you will be contacted in relation to the recording of interviews.

WESTWARD

is the sole distributor of Scania products in the Republic of Ireland since 1976

Reporting to the Parts Manager, we are recruiting the following Parts

Department Adviser / Warehouse Operative

Dealing with Truck and Bus/Coach customers your duties will include;

• Identifying & Organising Parts for Workshop and Retail Customers.

• Picking, Packing & Invoicing of Scania Dealer orders.

• Dealing with phone enquiries from Retail Customers.

• Ordering stock.

• Goods inwards & Stock Control.

o Checking & binning of Spare Parts.

o Inventory counts.

• Manage and process Spare Parts returns & Service Exchange Parts.

• General warehouse duties.

Requirements:

• PC literate.

• Self-motivated.

• Team player.

• Able to work on own initiative.

• Excellent communication skills.

• Excellent telephone manner.

• You pay close attention to detail.

• Driving & Forklift Licence an advantage.

Salary commensurate with experience.

Experience would be desirable, but if you have a knowledge of commercial vehicles and looking for a job which will o er excellent opportunities to progress, please forward your CV to:

P.J. Kelly, After Sales Parts Manager, Westward Scania. Strokestown, Co. Roscommon.

Or by e-mail to: pj.kelly@westwardscania.com

Closing date for

Rachel Trimble from Kilbride pictured being awarded a certi cate to con rm her as an NYCI Local Champion for the Roscommon-Galway constituency by Daniel Meister (NYCI) at a special event in Dublin to launch the National Youth Council of Ireland’s Pre-Budget Submission. Pic: Jason Clarke

Members of the Conway family from Ballymoe pictured at the Castlerea Agricultural Trade and Craft Show last Monday. Pic: Kieran Croghan

COUNTY ROSCOMMON PLAYDAY A BIG SUCCESS…

Smiling faces at the County Roscommon Playday held in Lough Key Forest Park in Boyle. Pic: Liam Reynolds

Grace and Kirsty Smyth pictured with Molly O’Brien (left) from Circus 250 during the County Roscommon Playday held in Lough Key Forest Park in Boyle. Pic: Liam Reynolds

Thumbs up from Jamie Webb during the County Roscommon Playday held in Lough Key Forest Park in Boyle. Pic: Liam Reynolds

Leas-Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council Cllr Larry Brennan pictured with a stilt walker during the County Roscommon Playday held in Lough Key Forest Park in Boyle. Pic: Liam Reynolds

Leas-Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council Cllr Larry Brennan takes a shot at goal while being watched by Damon Keavney during the County Roscommon Playday held in Lough Key Forest Park in Boyle. Pic: Liam Reynolds

Molly O’Brien from Circus 250 pictured with some young people who attended the County Roscommon Playday held in Lough Key Forest Park in Boyle. Pic: Liam Reynolds

Leas-Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council Cllr Larry Brennan (second from left) pictured with Sheila Coyle (left) and Cathriona MacCarthy (right) along with a family enjoying their day at the County Roscommon Playday held in Lough Key Forest Park in Boyle. Pic: Liam Reynolds

Sheila Coyle, Aine Mannion, Sinead McQuaid and Cathriona MacCarthy pictured during the County Roscommon Playday held in Lough Key Forest Park in Boyle. Pic: Liam Reynolds

Mishi Borodai playing Tug O’War with his dog Loki during the County Roscommon Playday held in Lough Key Forest Park in Boyle. Pic: Liam Reynolds

Cathriona MacCarthy, Sheila Coyle and Aisling Dunne pictured during the County Roscommon Playday held in Lough Key Forest Park in Boyle. Pic: Liam Reynolds

Jamie Webb pictured with his puppy Cuddles during the County Roscommon Playday held in Lough Key Forest Park in Boyle. Pic: Liam Reynolds

An opinion poll last weekend saw Fine Gael restored to the status of currently being the country’s most popular political party. It continues a positive trend for the party since Simon Harris took over as Fine Gael Leader and Taoiseach earlier this year. EMMETT CORCORAN assesses the ‘Simon bounce’ that has transformed Fine Gael’s fortunes…

Could Simon Harris be the saviour Fine Gael has been looking for?

 EMMETT CORCORAN

Since Simon Harris took over the leadership of Fine Gael, the party has seen a resurgence, marked by successes in both the recent local and European elections. Under his guidance, Fine Gael managed to retain two seats in Midlands-North-West in the recent European elections and 245 council seats nationally, only three fewer than Fianna Fáil.

The result in MidlandsNorth-West was particularly surprising given that Nina Carberry, a late addition to the ticket, avoided media interactions and instead invested heavily in social media and postering while comfortably taking a second seat alongside her incumbent running mate, Maria Walsh MEP.

However, the question remains: is Fine Gael’s recent success more attributable to Harris’s competent and assertive leadership than to the candidates themselves?

Taoiseach Harris has adopt-

ed a ﬁrm stance on critical issues such as immigration and the cost of living crisis. While it remains to be seen if his rhetoric will translate into action, he seems to be winning back the hearts and minds of Fine Gael’s core grassroots supporters. By steering the party back to its natural home in the more socially conservative centre-right roots, Harris appears to understand the electorate better than his predecessor Leo Varadkar did. When faced with difﬁcult questions, he tends to provide clear answers, a quality that Varadkar often lacked. Under Varadkar’s leadership, Fine Gael had moved towards a style-over-substance approach, which many, especially in rural areas, saw as mere virtue signalling. Harris, on the other hand, seems to be bringing substance back to national politics, which bodes well for the party in the upcoming General Election.

Despite his youth, Harris doesn’t lack experience and was mentored under the capable leadership of Enda

Kenny, one of the few Taoisigh in recent times who stepped down on his own terms. Although Kenny was not particularly popular in Roscommon, his ability to connect with people was evident, and when you were in a room with the Mayo man you knew you were in the presence of a particularly astute politician.

Harris seems to be reviving this old-school Fine Gael leadership style. Despite the impending loss of 13 out of the current 33 sitting Fine Gael TDs (with two already moved on to bigger and better things since the 2020 elections), Harris is intent on leading the party back into power following the next General Election. It remains to be seen if he can undo the damage to Fine Gael’s reputation caused by previous leadership. However, Harris has shown a level of conﬁdence, sincerity and competence in his interactions with opposition TDs and the public which has been missing in recent times. He appears to

have his ﬁnger on the pulse and is not afraid to resist the often mass hysteria of more left-leaning groups, a stance that resonates well with Fine Gael’s traditional base. At this stage, it seems likely that the next government will be a coalition of at least three parties. Harris’s growing popularity is helping Fine Gael recover lost ground, both at the ballot box and in the polls. The reality of Irish politics is that despite vocal outrage from some quarters, the electorate tends to prefer stability over the unknown. If Harris can replicate the success of the local and European elections in the upcoming General Election, he stands a solid chance of leading the next coalition government, as Fianna Fáil struggles to regain ground lost under the current leadership of Micheál Martin (ironically, the most popular leader in the country going by polls).

Fine Gael’s new tagline of Harris bringing ‘new energy’ seems to be a departing salvo from the style-over-sub-

Funding for new Ballaghaderreen childcare facility welcomed

Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane has welcomed conﬁrmation from the Department of Children that funding of €500,000 has been awarded for a new childcare facility in Ballaghaderreen.

Deputy Kerrane said, “I have just received conﬁrmation of €500,000 for a brand new childcare facility for Ballaghaderreen. This is wonderful news for the town and locality.

“After a lot of over and back, discussions with Department ofﬁcials and the Minister, work by LEADER and the County Childcare Committee, we now have funding and it’s full steam ahead.

“This will mean a much-needed childcare service for the town as well as new jobs”, she said. “This is in recognition of the part Ballaghaderreen has played with the EROC and is thoroughly deserved for the town”.

Launch of new book – ‘Where Sligo meets Roscommon’

Edwin and Diana Oxlade have received a lot of support following the launch of their new book, ‘Where Sligo meets Roscommon’, last month.

‘Where Sligo meets Roscommon’ was launched at the Boyle Craft Shop in the grounds of King House on July 20th, during the recent Boyle Arts Festival.

The publication features text written by Edwin, accompanied by beautiful pen drawings by his wife Diana, and is the perfect ﬁt for any ﬁshing, shooting, and/ or wildlife enthusiast.

The book is currently on sale at Boyle Craft Shop, along with another publication of theirs, ‘50 Weeds’.

You can also buy the book online and have it delivered straight to your door, no matter where you are in the world.

Just visit boylecraftshop.com.

stance approach of past leadership and the introduction of the tricolour to Fine Gael’s branding since Harris took the reins is also very telling. Whether one is a Fine Gael supporter or not, it is fair to say that Harris’s more conventional and non-confrontational style of leadership and willingness to tackle difﬁcult issues head-on may indeed save Fine Gael from the oblivion it seemed to be facing only a few months ago. The biggest challenge now is recruiting enough candidates of a similar calibre to Taoiseach Harris around the country to ensure Fine Gael is in a strong position to lead the next coalition.

As we approach the General Election, all eyes will be on Simon Harris to see if he can continue to steer Fine Gael towards success and restore its reputation or whether the honeymoon period will end a tad too soon; however, his leadership thus far suggests he might just be the saviour Fine Gael has been looking for.

Diana and Edwin Oxlade pictured with their new book, ‘Where Sligo meets Roscommon’.

University of Galway’s ag-innovation course helped Daragh develop his oat-bread business

Daragh Morgan of ‘Daragh & Oats’ recently completed University of Galway’s Masters in Ag-Innovation course – a one-year agricultural innovation and entrepreneurship programme focused on helping students develop technological solutions to problems within Irish agriculture and the food sector. Daragh credits the course for helping him further develop his own business, a line of oat-based breads and scones called ‘Daragh & Oats’. Read about his experience here…

How I became an unknown innovator!

The gut-mind connection is something that I didn’t fully understand until I experienced issues with my own gut. There is a saying: ‘If life gives you lemons, make lemonade’…. in my case it was, ‘life gave me gut issues – and I made oat bread!’

A great chapter in the story of my life began with a problem. As a young man, I loved outdoor sports; hiking, cycling, swimming, running – you name it.

Local business supports local community group at ‘grassroots’ level

Pat Towey of Towey’s Spar and Top Oil Station in Ballaghaderreen recently sponsored an event in Kilmovee, wherein pupils from Kilmovee National School were invited to plant hundreds of bulbs and wild ﬂower seeds on the newly-opened loop walk in the village.

However, my stomach wasn’t always up to the rigorous gauntlet of adventures I placed in its path. One day, while visiting a friend in Waterford, I told his mam about my stomach issues. She introduced me to oats! Because there’s no gluten in oats, they are kind to your stomach, and they have been proven to be a slow-releasing energy source.

Inspired by my friend’s mam, I started baking oat bread and scones, which really enabled me to enjoy my adventures in sport. I wanted to share this revelation with others, so I told my friends about oat bread, who told their friends, and suddenly I was making (and selling) loaves of oat bread for people I didn’t know! And to deliver my fresh-baked loaves, I was riding all over Galway on my bike.

The second chapter of my story started when I was introduced to the one-year masters programme in ag-innovation at the University of Galway. No previous qualiﬁcations were required, and as a springboard course, the fees were subsidised by the Irish Government

and the EU. And since the programme combined weekly Zoom classes and nine Saturday workshop sessions at the university, I could work fulltime while studying.

So I threw my hat in the ring and got accepted! The next year was a complete adventure and an intellectual rollercoaster – a lot different to what I had done in the past. But I loved learning new things –and the learning environment cultivated by the group.

I focused on perfecting my oat bread as a product and developing a plan for my business, and so, ‘Daragh & Oats’ was born. I’ve now got a brand, identiﬁed my customer base, applied for funding, and made friends amongst my classmates.

I am thrilled to have just handed in my dissertation, and am conﬁdent that I will be getting my Masters Degree in November. I can’t wait to expand ‘Daragh & Oats’!

So, what’s the most important thing I learned while on the ag-innovation course? To have the awareness to identify problems, and come up

with solutions that play to your strengths.

We all have strengths and weaknesses, but leveraging these strengths is vital. The course allowed me to not only challenge myself in an intellectual manner, but also gave me the tools to set up a business that I presumed was just a hobby.

Applications are now being taken for the next aginnovation programme. Just log onto springboardcourses. ie/details/14235 or contact Professor Bernard Carlson at walterbernard.carlson@universityofgalway.ie or 083 095 1714.

Give it a go – it can be lifechanging!

Back on track? WDC welcomes all-Ireland rail review

“Local businesses like Towey’s Spar supporting local communities like ours is hugely important to us”, explained Trisha Duffy, project manager of Kilmovee Community Centre. “They enable us to offer more services and opportunities, and we are so delighted that Pat Towey and his staff chose to support Kilmovee in this way”.

Community groups across the country work hard to be inclusive and offer services to the wider area, but they are constantly held back because of funds. And so, when business owner Pat Towey said he would like to help out Kilmovee Community Centre and sponsor this event for the local community group, it was very much appreciated.

To mark the occasion, Damien McDonnell from Blue Way Branding designed and produced a charming sign, featuring the signatures of all the pupils who got involved in the planting. This sign will go up on the loop walk entrance. It’s a beautiful sign, which will be there for years to come.

Kilmovee Loop Walk, located adjacent to Kilmovee Community Centre, is 750 metres of tarred footpath with multiple exercise stations, and it is ﬂood-lit at night.

Vhi in expansion of Health Centre Network with new facility in Galway

Vhi has announced the forthcoming expansion of the Vhi 360 Health Centre network, with the planned redevelopment of the Vhi Medical Centre in Galway. The new centre will offer a range of beneﬁts to members in the West of Ireland, including an Urgent Care Clinic for the treatment of minor injuries and illnesses, an improved member experience, and access to a multi-disciplinary team of clinicians, who will collaborate to deliver the best solution for members’ health needs. The development of the Galway centre will see the addition of an urgent care clinic for

minor injuries and illnesses. This will enable access to an expanded range of healthcare services for treating wounds, orthopaedic injuries, and other minor illnesses, as well as providing new diagnostics such as x-ray. Existing innovative services including ‘Health Check/Screening’ and ‘Hospital@Home’ will continue to be operated from the facility.

This new centre is part of the broader expansion of Vhi’s Health and Wellbeing services, which last year delivered 630,000 healthcare interactions to members. This represented a 21%

increase on 2022. Anne O’Connor (Managing Director of Vhi Health and Wellbeing) said, “We are delighted to announce that we are expanding our health services in Galway to meet the evolving needs of our members in the West of Ireland.

“With an expanded health and wellness offering that includes access to urgent care services seven days a week for minor illnesses and injuries, members in the region will be able to beneﬁt from access to our expert team of clinicians helping to deliver the best possible outcomes for members’ health needs”.

The Western Development Commission (WDC) has welcomed the recently-released All-Ireland Strategic Rail Review, recognising its potential to signiﬁcantly enhance rail connectivity in the western region. The WDC has continually advocated for the need for better transport links and welcomes the commitment to invest in more sustainable transport.

Among the highlighted improvements are the enhanced services on routes between Galway, Mayo, Sligo, and Dublin as well as the reinstatement of services from Athenry to Claremorris, part of the Western Rail Corridor. The Athenry-Claremorris route is an important element in improved interregional connectivity for passengers as well as freight.

Allan Mulrooney (CEO of the WDC) noted, “The inclusion of the Claremorris-Athenry route in the Strategic Rail Review is a major milestone for our region. Improving interregional connectivity is a key enabler in supporting more balanced regional growth – a key priority of the Government’s National Planning Framework (NPF).

“Transport links between urban centres across our region enables economic growth. For example, the improved links between Limerick and Galway, both road and rail, have supported the economic growth of both these centres and the regions they serve. It is important that the line from Claremorris to Athenry will be delivered to a passenger speciﬁcation with frequencies and journey times to make it attractive to those who currently journey by car”.

Mr Mulrooney added, “While this is a great step forward for the region, we need to extend this capacity to Sligo and beyond so the west/northwest can deliver for the ambition in the National Planning Framework”. The WDC has previously highlighted the potential freight demand in the region in the 2015 study Rail Freight and the western region, and again in the 2016 study ‘Rail Freight: A More Sustainable Transport Option’, demonstrating the carbon savings from rail freight.

1 Daragh Morgan of ‘Daragh & Oats’ pictured selling his product at a local farmers market.

Pat Towey of Towey’s Spar and Top Oil Station in Ballaghaderreen (pictured) recently sponsored an event in Kilmovee (see article).

An unveiling took place recently at Kilmovee Community Centre for the new sign, which will be put up on the loop walk entrance.

€146k for Boyle

FRC welcomed

The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has announced further funding for projects across Ireland under the Community Recognition Fund – ﬁrst introduced last year to recognise the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland.

Deputy Frank Feighan has welcomed this funding, particularly the allocation of €146,000 for Boyle Family Resource Centre to allow further expansion and renovation of their Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre.

In a statement, the Fine Gael TD said, “This funding –alongside another €500,000 for ‘The Growing Tree’ to develop a fully serviced childcare facility in Ballaghadereen – is very welcome news for services in North Roscommon.

“I would like to thank the Boyle FRC management committee, including Louise Moran and ofﬁcials from Roscommon County Council, for working hard on this project to ensure it got across the line.

“I also wish to acknowledge the commitment of government in recognising communities who have played their part in welcoming refugees into their local area and ensuring that some really good projects to enhance community facilities can beneﬁt from generous funding allocations”, concluded Deputy Feighan.

Event to celebrate Monsignor Kevin’s 65 years in priesthood

On Friday, August 16th, people of the parish and surrounding areas will gather at Kilglass Gaels GAA Centre to celebrate with Monsignor Kevin Flanagan.

Fr Kevin, as he is affectionately known, is a native of Ruane in Kilglass, and the year 2024 marks both the 65th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, and also his 90th birthday.

His priestly ministry has been served in the diocese of Patterson, New Jersey, USA. However, he has retained his Roscommon links by returning each summer to his family home. The only year in 65 years that he missed returning to Kilglass was in 2020, due to Covid restrictions.

Fr Kevin is well known, not only in Kilglass but throughout Roscommon. He has celebrated Mass with the Roscommon senior footballers in New York and also with teams in Ireland.

Obituary: The late Billy O’Flaherty

Frenchpark native was a ‘proud Rossie all his life’

Roscommon native William ‘Billy’ O’Flaherty passed away on the 16th of June 2024 in Newport, Wales. His funeral took place on Thursday, July 18th at St Michael’s RC Church in Pillgwenlly in Newport.

Billy was born in Frenchpark, Roscommon, on the 23rd of April 1939 to his parents Jack and Winnie. He was the second oldest of their twelve children (seven girls and ﬁve boys). He left Ireland in 1955 at the age of 16, travelling with his uncle

Bobby to Huddersﬁeld in West Yorkshire, England. While working in Huddersﬁeld, Billy sent some of the money he was earning back home to his mother Winnie so that she could buy a cow to provide for her and the family – a story he recounted proudly many times over the years.

Billy had a strong love for sport, particularly Gaelic football, and was a founding member of the (now) Brothers Pearse GAA Club in Huddersﬁeld, going on to captain them from 1957 and lead the team to four consecutive Yorkshire championships.

Billy loved attending Irish dances, which is where he met his dearly loved wife Annie – formerly of Cong,

Co Mayo. In 1959, Annie was offered a job in London, and Billy moved there with her. They were married in 1960, in Shepherd’s Bush, West London. While in London, he was approached by St Vincent’s GAA Club, whom he went on to captain to a London championship in 1961/2.

In June 1962, he captained London against New York at Wembley Stadium, a huge honour and achievement. He also captained London against Meath in the All-Ireland Junior Championship in Navan in 1962. In October 1962, he captained London to an All-Britain Championship against Warwickshire in New Eltham, and proudly wore his winner’s medal

around his neck for the rest of his life.

During their time in London, Billy and Annie would often travel on his cherished motorbike to visit family in Newport. In 1963, they decided to buy a house there and settled in Temple Street, where they lived very happily.

In 1966, they were blessed with their ﬁrst child, Paul, and four years later in 1970, they were blessed with their second, Julie. Growing up, the family would enjoy wonderful holidays, ferrying back and forth to Ireland twice a year to visit relations in Mayo and Roscommon.

On arriving in Newport, Billy was fundamental in founding Pride of Erin

GAA Club. He led them to six county championships and won numerous county and league titles, gaining seventeen medals between 1965 and 1980. Sadly, Annie passed away suddenly in 2023. Not long after, Paul and Julie moved to Ireland to live with their partners and children, and Billy would frequently visit to spend quality time with his children and grandchildren.

Billy was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, and fought courageously until his passing. Although times were tough, he never lost his faith, good spirits, sense of humour, and his love for music – often singing for anyone who’d listen and cheering up other patients along the way.

His love for sport remained legendary throughout his life as well. Billy was a ‘player of the year’ at every club he played for. He was a great footballer, a great GAA man, and a true ‘Gael’. He was always a great supporter of Roscommon GAA, and remained a proud ‘Rossie’ all his life.

Predeceased by his beloved wife Annie, William ‘Billy’ O’Flaherty will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered by his children Julie and Paul, grandchildren (Terrianne, Liam, Sean, Tadhg and Aine), great-grandchildren (Kiernan and Nevaeh), daughter-in-law Barbara, and son-in-law Tom. May he rest in peace.

*Thanks to Brian Feeney and John Feeney for assistance in compiling this article.

He has supported many families personally known to him in north Roscommon during times of illness, as well as with bereavements and in celebrating family occasions, including weddings.

Fr Kevin has only agreed to the night of celebration on the strict understanding that there be no gifts, monetary or otherwise, and no presentations. It is to be an evening with the people from the countryside and small towns of this rural area.

The evening will commence with a celebration of Mass at 7.30 pm. Mass will be followed by refreshments. This will be a night of song and dance, and recitation too, performed by the local community. The occasion will mirror the old rambling housestyle that Fr Kevin was so familiar with before his ordination, and on his many visits to homes in the area. Don’t miss out on the celebration!

Kilglass will be holding a celebration on Friday, August 16th to recognise Monsignor Kevin Flanagan (pictured).

William ‘Billy’ O’Flaherty pictured lifting the London Championship trophy in 1961, after his team defeated St Monica’s.

Pictured is the late William ‘Billy’ O’Flaherty.

William ‘Billy’ O’Flaherty (front row, second from left) pictured before playing for Yorkshire against Carrick-on-Shannon in Carrick-on-Shannon in 1959.

Ireland’s love-hate relationship with its rebellious women

It’s hard not to juxtapose how we mourn our female trailblazers with how we treated them during their biggest moments…

Let’s talk about

Some coincidences leave you particularly incredulous. Like the chances of having an author’s latest book sitting in the bag in your hands when you read the headline ‘Acclaimed Irish writer Edna O’Brien passes away’, and realise it is now also, officially, their last book.

I had O’Brien’s ‘Girl’ on the ‘to read’ list for months before I finally picked up a copy the other week, during one of my routine (completely unnecessary) sprees in Charlie Byrne’s in Galway. I’d been recommended it a while ago, but had opted for other, lighter titles in the period since –not in the mood to read what I’d assumed could only be a very heavy plotline after reading the synopsises of the 2019 novel, which follows the struggles of a young girl kidnapped by jihadist group Boko Haram. I’d also been slightly discouraged by the contrasting credit and criticism surrounding the book since its release. The book had had rave reviews and won the Women’s Prize, but it was by no means universally praised. Mollified somewhat by the fact that O’Brien had indeed done extensive research on ‘Girl’s subject matter – travelling to Nigeria in her 80s to interview real-life victims of Boko Haram’s atrocities and various experts –controversy nonetheless arose around the question of whether O’Brien should’ve opted to write a non-fiction account inspired by her research, so as to let the real victims’ experiences take precedence, as well as whether an old, white, Irish woman was the correct person to tell a story like ‘Girl’ in the first place. Where O’Brien’s voice fits more naturally, of course, is in the works which made her name, works which centre on the struggles of Irish women and girls: her 1960 debut, ‘The Country Girls’, and the other two ensuing books in that eponymous trilogy. It is these books that Edna O’Brien is fastest associated with and most praised for – although this was certainly not always the case.

Upon release, ‘The Country Girls’ sparked a roar of controversy in Ireland. For her frank portrayals of the inner lives of Irish women and their sex lives, O’Brien was accused of “corrupting the minds of young women”. And her early books were not just widely criticised; they were placed on the censorship index and banned, they were literally denounced from the pulpit. The misogynistic, conservative society critiqued in O’Brien’s work swiftly imposed the very same unjust

repression she had denounced on the page right onto her – ironically, exemplifying the societal constraints and moral judgements she had, in their view, supposedly invented for her novels.

But of course O’Brien’s condemnation in her native country did not stand the test of time. Her reputation, by the time of her passing, had long ago evolved to that of a revered literary icon, a writer celebrated for ground-breaking contributions and fearless exploration of complex themes. In the flurry of tributes that have been cropping up since her death, she is credited with “transforming Irish society”, being “one of our most fearless trailblazers” and “among Ireland’s most beloved writers”.

Time has a lot to do with the complete turnaround Ireland’s perception of O’Brien has done over the decades – a modern reading of ‘The Country Girls’ is a far different thing than reading it circa 1960. And in some sense, any before-their-time artist will eventually by vindicated as cultural shifts, evolving social norms, and increased acceptance of diverse perspectives set in over time. But the gulf between O’Brien’s 1960 reputation and her 2024 one feels especially cavernous due to just how passionate her early critics were –particularly, because the initial condemnation

that greeted her was a brand specifically reserved for Irish women who dared step outside their prescribed roles; it’s one thing to be controversial, but to be controversial when your ‘job’ is to conform, be quiet, and serve… is another grievance entirely.

This pattern is not unique to O’Brien. Facing early criticism but eventual acclaim is a trajectory that has greeted many other Irish women who have rebelled against the country’s traditional values and institutions.

Take the late Sinéad O’Connor, another woman to experience this love-hate reception from Irish society; initially denounced for her outspoken nature and defiance of norms, only to have her contributions reassessed and celebrated years later.

Like O’Brien, there were several points in O’Connor’s career which were dominated by her country’s misplaced condemnation of her assertiveness, her nonconformity, her willingness to address taboo subjects, etc.

Like O’Brien, there were several significant periods during which Irish society regarded her as a totally vilified figure. But by the time of her passing – a day shy of being exactly a year before O’Brien’s – the tide had long since turned for O’Connor too, and she received similarly glowing tributes from the public.

O’Connor’s complicated relationship with fame and the country’s turbulent relationship with how she was regarded at any one time added a weird, complex layer to the discourse following her passing. At some points, as if there’d been an effort to overcorrect, the tsunami of undiluted posthumous praise felt almost omissive. Like suggesting there’d only every been praise in the first place. But really Ireland loves O’Connor like Ireland loves O’Brien; decades after hating her like the devil for years. Like playing catch-up. Like making up for something.

Like many other Irish women, both O’Brien and O’Connor’s biggest career moments – their most visible, vulnerable moments –were the moments in which Ireland vilified, rather than venerated them. And that is a great pity, but hopefully, a fading precedent. It is a good thing surely that in any case, we as a country have indeed finally come around to giving women like O’Brien and O’Connor the credit they deserve, not just for the art they created but for the dual service they achieved in opening up wider, incredibly important societal conversations. Hopefully the trailblazing Irish women who come after them, who were perhaps inspired by them, will not have the same challenges to contend with.

Alannah Ita Healy

(A student’s perspective)

Remembering Edna O’Brien (and Sinead O’Connor)

Edna O’Brien.

Sinead O’Connor.

To feature in this section, call 090-6634632 or email advertising@roscommonpeople.ie

Entertainment, Culture & Arts Local singer-songwriter Adrian releases new single

Adrian Martin Murphy, a talented country music singer-songwriter based in Roscommon, is making waves in the music industry with his heartfelt and authentic tunes.

With two albums and a ‘best of’ compilation already under his belt, Adrian’s passion for music is evident. His journey took a signiﬁcant leap in 2007 when he recorded two singles at the prestigious Sound Shop Studios in Nashville. These included an original piece titled ‘Back Then’ and a cover of Waylon Jennings’ classic, ‘The Door Is Always Open’.

Music is in Adrian’s blood. His father was a prominent ﬁgure in the showband scene, performing with The Johnny Flynn Showband from Tuam in County Galway. Continuing

the family legacy, his aunt led Murphy and The Swallows, achieving several hits in Ireland in the early 1970s.

Adrian’s latest single, ‘The Hustler,’ is inspired by his many nights spent playing pool. This track showcases his knack for storytelling and musical prowess. Fans can also look forward to an accompanying video, set to be released soon.

Looking ahead, Adrian is excited about the future. He plans to record more singles and eventually release a new album, continuing to share his love for country music. His dedication to his craft is unwavering, having nurtured a passion for singing since the tender age of eight.

Adrian extends his heartfelt gratitude to all the radio stations that have sup-

New exhibition at the Dock by award-winning artist

Richard Malone, the 2023 winner of the Golden Fleece Award, recently opened a new solo exhibition at The Dock in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim, entitled ‘A Record of Tenderness’.

Incorporating sculptural installations, artistic performances, and ﬁlm, ‘A Record of Tenderness’ is a powerful exploration of labour and class, which sees Malone combines disparate gendered practices to build propositional frameworks and dismantle constructed identities. In ‘A Record of Tenderness’, the queer imagination takes centre stage.

Malone’s work has been celebrated internationally and is in some of the world’s most prestigious museums and collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) in New York, The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London, The National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, and Central Saint Martins’ Museum & Study Collection in London.

In 2023, Richard was the

of The Golden Fleece

ported his music. Their airplay has been instrumental in his journey, and he eagerly anticipates sharing more of his work with them and his growing fan base. Adrian’s latest single, ‘The Hustler’, was recorded at MCM Recording Studios (Headford, Co Galway) and produced by Tony Maher.

Adrian Martin Murphy pictured with Greg Glancy.

Artist

winner

Award, Ireland’s largest and most prestigious award for contemporary art. More information about Malone’s ex-

Roscommon artists Kate Oram and Frances Crowe pictured at the opening of Richard Malone’s exhibition ‘A Record of Tenderness’ at The Dock in Carrick-on-Shannon recently. Pic: Brian Farrell

Pictured at the opening of Richard Malone’s exhibition ‘A Record of Tenderness’ at The Dock in Carrick-on-Shannon recently were Tom Garnon, artist Richard Malone and curators Linda Shevlin and Mary Dolan. Pic: Brian Farrell

Cliona McGrath from Sligo; Una Burke from Knockvicar; and Sinead O’Hanlon from Sligo pictured at the opening of Richard Malone’s exhibition ‘A Record of Tenderness’ at The Dock in Carrick-on-Shannon recently. Pic: Brian Farrell

Curator Linda Shelvin, from Boyle, pictured at the opening of Richard Malone’s exhibition ‘A Record of Tenderness’ at The Dock in Carrick on Shannon recently. Pic: Brian Farrell

Roscommon artists Naomi Draper (left) and Frances Crowe (right) pictured with Richard Malone at the opening of his exhibition ‘A Record of Tenderness’ at The Dock in Carrickon-Shannon recently. Pic: Brian Farrell

Recent 30th anniversary celebrations at Elphin Day Centre ...

The Elphin Day Centre committee (l-r) Catherine McGrath, manager; Mary Fahy, chairperson; Cyril Clarke, treasurer; Pauline Jackson, director; Mary Lerma, secretary; and Jackie Costello, committee member pictured during the Elphin Day Centre’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Maureen Carty, Anges Hanly and Ursula Mulleady pictured at the Elphin Day Centre during the centre’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Bridie Keane, Celine O’Connell and Pauline Caufield pictured at the Elphin Day Centre during the centre’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Some of the people who attended the Elphin Day Centre’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Raymond Diffley (left) and his wife Rosarii (right) presenting a cheque to Elphin Day Centre manager Catherine McGrath of funds raised from a CD released by Raymond earlier this year. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Raymond Diffley (front row, left) and his wife Rosarii (front row, right) presenting a cheque to Elphin Day Centre manager Catherine McGrath (front row, centre) of funds raised from a CD released by Raymond earlier this year. Also in the photo are committee members (back row, l-r) Mary Lerma, secretary; Jackie Costello, committee member; Pauline Jackson, director; Cyril Clarke, treasurer and Mary Fahy, chairperson. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Padraig McGrath, Senator Eugene Murphy and Mary Lerma pictured at the Elphin Day Centre during the centre’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Ann Caslin and Dympna Gormley pictured at the Elphin Day Centre during the centre’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Una Killoran, Biddie Browne, Mary Lyster, Assumpta McCormack and Senator Eugene Murphy pictured at the Elphin Day Centre during the centre’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Recent 30th anniversary celebrations at Elphin Day Centre ...

Pictured at Elphin Day Centre’s 30th anniversary celebrations were (l-r) Catherine McGrath, Fr Stephen, Bernie Darcy, Carmel Moran, Conor McCann, Angela Casey, Padraig McDermott and Shona Costello. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Patrick Lynch and his daughter Dette Diffley pictured at the Elphin Day Centre during the centre’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Francis and Kathleen Casserly pictured at the Elphin Day Centre during the centre’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Denise Law, Teresa Cullinan and Rita Quinn pictured at the Elphin Day Centre during the centre’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Cormac, Caillín and Gavin Beirne pictured at the Elphin Day Centre during the centre’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Teresa Carroll, Teresa Duffy and Ursula Mulleady pictured at the Elphin Day Centre during the centre’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Rosarii Diffley, Cllr Valerie Byrne and Ann Caslin pictured at the Elphin Day Centre during the centre’s 30th anniversary celebrations last. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Darren McClean (back row, second from left) and Adrian McHale (back row, second from right) from Wills Brothers Construction, who donated funding to the centre, pictured with members of the Elphin Day Centre staff and service users during the centre’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Thursday 19th September: Continental Weanling Show and Sale

Monday 23rd September: Continental Bullock Show and Sale

Thursday 26th September: Continental Heifer Show and Sale and Belgian Blue Weanling Show and Sale

Monday 30th September: AA Bullock Show and Sale

Thursday

Climate Resilient Reforestation Pilot scheme a missed opportunity – IFA

IFA National Farm Forestry Chairperson Padraic Stapleton has outlined his disappointment at the detail of the new Climate Resilient Reforestation Pilot scheme, which was just launched by the Department of Agriculture.

“This is another missed opportunity by the Department of Agriculture”, he said. “The scheme overall is very disappointing, especially for commercial forests where a setback will

apply, and the area is not included in this scheme. Also, the proposed seven-year payments for ecosystems are far too short and should be extended”.

The scheme has three support options for forest owners who are considering nature forest management at reforestation stage. An individual application under this scheme can apply under one, two, or all three elements –as long as no physical overlap exists, and one element is selected per plot.

“This scheme is an opportunity to encourage reforestation but it is not ﬁt for purpose in how it is designed,” Padraic Stapleton continued.

“We will be writing to the minister to seek a meeting on this to outline our issues with the scheme and press home that changes are absolutely necessary in order to make it attractive for forestry owners to apply to it,” he concluded.

IFA launch pre-Budget submission

IFA President Francie Gorman said Budget ’25 will be the most important for farming during the lifetime of this Government.

Launching the pre-Budget submission ‘Supporting the Sustainable Development of the Food & Farming Sector’, Francie Gorman said farmers are faced with multiple threats to their viability.

In a recent meeting with the Minister for Agriculture, he said the combination of excessive costs and squeezed margins requires additional targeted support in the October Budget.

“The National Farm Survey released by Teagasc provides all the evidence that’s needed for the Government”, he said. “No sector is immune from the vice grip of escalating costs, greater regulations,

and price volatility – all of which are having an impact on farm income.

“We emphasised to the minister and his ofﬁcials that farmers, across all sectors, need greater support than ever to provide a shelter for families and farm operations”.

Francie Gorman said the submission also deals with measures needed to incentivise new blood into the sector; protect the genuine farmer, and measures to promote climate action.

“IFA will mount a nationwide campaign between now and October 1st, en-

Cattle: There was a smaller entry of stock on o er at last Friday’s special sale of heifers (August 2nd).

Heifers fetched an average of €2.99 per kilo up to €5.40 per kilo. There was a small entry of dry cows and they made an average of €2.37 per kilo up to €2.69 per kilo. There was a good attendance of customers at the ringside with online bidders also active.

Dry cows ranged from an average of €2.37 per kilo up to €2.69 per kilo. Sample prices:

LMX -885KG -€2380 -€2.69 per kg, CHX- 925KG€2280- €2.46 per kg, SAX -835KG- €1950- €2.34 per kg, LMX -710KG -€1900- €2.68 per kg, AU620KG- €1400- €2.26 per kg, and AAX-670KG -€1100- €1.64 per kg.

Heifers ranged from an average of €2.99 per kilo up to €5.40 per kilo. Sample prices: CHX- 700KG- €2390 - €3.41 per kg, LMX-550KG€1610- €2.93 per kg, LMX- 435KG- €1600€3.68 per kg, BBX- 405KG- €1400- €3.46 per kg, two CHX -425KG - €1320-€3.11 per kg, CHX385KG- €1210- €3.14 per kg, and BAX- 320KG€975- €3.05 per kg.

Sheep

We had a large number of sheep on o er at our weekly sale on Wednesday, August 7th. Prices for spring lambs made up to €174 while stag ewes topped out at €300. Our next sale of lambs and cast ewes is on Wednesday, August 14th. The yard opens at 8 am and all stock must be penned by 10 am. Please note all sheep must be tagged with a full yellow EID Tag set. The sale can be viewed live on livestock-live.com.

Spring lambs, sample prices: 61kgs -€174€2.85 per kg, 57kgs -€173- €3.04 per kg, 53.1kgs -€174- €3.28 per kg, 50.3kgs -€165€3.28 per kg, 49kgs-€163-€3.33 per kg, 48kgs€161 -€3.35 per kg, 47.1kgs - €160- €3.40 per kg, 46.3 kgs- €157-€3.39 per kg, and 45.5 kgs-€153-€3.36 per kg.

Cast ewes, sample prices: 100kgs - €300 - €3.00 per kg, 92kgs - €300 - €3.26 per kg, 88.2Kgs - €248 - €2.81 per kg, 85Kgs - €200 - €2.35 per kg, 83.7kgs - €185 - €2.21 per kg, 81Kgs- €150 - €1.85 per kg, and 77kgs- €140€1.82 per kg.

gaging directly with politicians about the key measures needed for farmers,” he concluded.

There were slightly smaller numbers presented for sale at Castlerea Mart on August 1st, as farmers availed of the ne spell of weather.

Trade and prices remained rm with more store-type lots up for grabs. The bullock ring saw prices peak at €1900 while heifers made up to €2160 and the top quality stores made up to €3.96 a kilo. Dry cows topped out at €2050 and breeding stock made up to €1480. The weanling rings, with increased numbers on o er, reported excellent demand, with bulls peaking at €3.53 a kilo, while the heifer weanlings peaked at €3.56 a kilo. The calf and runner rings also reported a good clearance, with a good attendance of buyers both at the ringside and online.

Bullocks, sample prices: Ch 485kgs €1520, Ch 415kgs €1480, Lm 440kgs €1480, AA 455kgs €1430, Ch 505kgs €1650, Lm 535kgs €1620, Lm 550kgs €1700, AA 570kgs €1600, Ch 615kgs €1900, Lm 600kgs €1740, and AA 615kgs €1690. Heifers, sample prices: Ch 425kgs €1320, Lm 400kgs €1250, Ch 345kgs €1070, Ch 455kgs €1350, Ch 740kgs €2160, Lm 525kgs €2080, Lm 570kgs €2070, Lm 620kgs €1930, and AA 665kgs €1830.

Dry cows, sample prices: Lm 700kgs €2050, Lm 700kgs €1990, Sa 785kgs €1980, Ch 755kgs €1870, Sim 485kgs €1200, Hex 725kgs €1630, Ch 680kgs €1770, and Fr 550kgs €830. Cows with calves at foot made up to €1240, springers made from €1450 to €1480, and young calves made from €120 to €190 with runners making from €160 to €760 for continental lots.

Weanling bulls, sample prices: Ch 450kgs €1590, Ch 375kgs €1350, Lm 285kgs €1080, Sim 290kgs €900, Ch 305kgs €1130, Lm 310kgs €1090, Ch 310kgs €1030, Ch 375kgs €1210, Ch 375kgs €1350, and Ch 340kgs €1110.

Weanling heifers, sample prices: Ch 270kgs €900, Ch 240kgs €800, Lm 310kgs €1100, Lm 305kgs €1090, Ch 340kgs €1040, AAx 225kgs €570, and Ch 280kgs €800.

Sales continue at Castlerea Mart with our weekly Thursday sale of bullocks, heifers, cows, calves, runners and weanlings. All sales commence at 11 am.

Upcoming shows & sales

There are also a number of special shows and sales coming up. On Thursday, September 19th, Castlerea Mart will hold a continental weanling show and sale. On Monday, September 23rd, there will be a continental bullock show and sale. Thursday, September 26th, will see both a continental heifer show and sale and Belgian blue weanling show and sale take place. On Monday, September 30th, Castlerea Mart will hold an AA bullock show and sale. On Thursday, October 3rd, there will be an AA heifer show and sale. Bookings are being taken for any of the above shows and sales from Tuesday, August 6th.

The Finnertys from Ballinagare pictured at the Castlerea Agricultural Trade and Craft Show last Monday. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Laura Harkin with baby Amy pictured at the Castlerea Agricultural Trade and Craft Show last Monday. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Michéal Kilheeney and Alanah Conroy pictured at the Castlerea Agricultural Trade and Craft Show last Monday. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Dylan Kelly and Chloe Donnellan pictured with their children Céighna and Eabhán at the Castlerea Agricultural Trade and Craft Show last Monday. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Members of the Doherty family from Castlerea pictured at the Castlerea Agricultural Trade and Craft Show last Monday. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Pictured at the Castlerea Agricultural Trade and Craft Show last Monday. Pic: Kieran Croghan

Remax Team Earley close sale on prime Glenamaddy residence

This week, Cathal Meares of Remax Team Earley is pleased to advise that he has closed the sale of a ﬁve-bedroomed, detached residence, standing on approximately 0.7 of an acre and located close to Glenamaddy town.

This fine detached residence came to the market in fine condition, covering approximately 1,840 square feet. The downstairs accommodation comprises of a reception/hallway, lounge, bedroom (with ensuite and walk-in wardrobe), kitchen/dining room, conservatory, utility and WC. On the first floors there are four more bedrooms (master is ensuite), as well as a spacious landing and family bathroom.

The property is well situated between the busy towns and villages of Glenamaddy and Creggs, and convenient to the towns of Tuam, Claremorris and Roscommon. Amenities are located within easy reach, and include shops, pubs, a credit union, post ofﬁce, primary and secondary schools, a church, and bus services.

Remax Team Earley are currently seeking detached and semi-detached properties in the Glenamaddy/ Creggs area for disappointed underbidders.

For further details, please contact Remax Team Earley, Stonecourt,

Roscommon on 090 6626579,email teamearley@remax.ie, or log onto teamearley.ie, or contact one of the auctioneers directly by contacting Cormac on 086 3519492, Cathal on 086 1409158, or Keith on 086 0848590.

Houses in Oldwood area urgently wanted

Due to a number of properties in the Oldwood area of Roscommon town reaching ‘sale agreed’ status over the last seven days, Remax Team Earley are urgently looking for properties for disappointed cash buyers and mortgage-approved clients.

All properties will be considered, and a free appraisal service is offered. And remember: no sale, no fee!

For further details or to arrange a free consultation, please contact Remax Team Earley, Stonecourt Roscommon on 090 66 26579, email teamearley@remax.ie, or log onto teamearley.ie.

You can also contact one of the auctioneers directly by phoning Keith on 086 0848590, Cormac on 086 3519492, or Cathal on 086 1409158.

5-bedroomed, detached residence, standing on approximately 0.7 of an acre and located close to Glenamaddy town.

Classifieds

ALCOHOLICS

ANONYMOUS

 ALCOHOLICS

ANONYMOUS: Roscommon Town Group, Castle Street, Roscommon. Eir Code: F42 RP21 (1st Floor).

Meetings: Tuesday 8pm to 9pm, Wednesday 1pm to 2pm, Thursday 8pm to 9pm, Friday 8pm to 9pm, Saturday 8pm to 9pm, Sunday 12 noon to 1.pm.

If you WANT to stop gambling ... and REMAIN stopped ... you CAN! GAMBLERS

ANONYMOUS MEETING every Monday at 8.45 pm at St. Kieran’s Community Centre, Athlone (N37 W7P3).

CHIMNEY CLEANING

Complete Chimney Services

CHIMNEY CLEANING

• Power brush and vacuum technology for cleaning chimneys, stoves, ranges and open res

• Removes up to 50% more than traditional methods

CCTV CAMERA INSPECTIONS

• Firebacks replaced and ues repaired

• Can be cleaned from the bottom up

• Chimney cowls and crow guards tted Power washing and gutter cleaning services. Telephone: 087 2798704

Advertise with us to have your advert seen by over 80,000 people every week!

Specialising

Stephen Casey Construction

● General Building

● Extensions & Roo ng

● Groundworks

● Renovations

● Chimney CCTV Inspections

● Chimney Repair

- Insurance Claims

Strokestown, Co. Roscommon 087 9268424

Kathleen’s Mobile Footcare Professional and friendly footcare in the comfort of your own home.

Kathleen Wynne MCFHP, MAFHP Foot Care Practitioner 086 3562718 kathleenwynne63@gmail.com www.kathleensmobilefootcare.ie

FARMING

 FARM REPAIR SHOP

– Roscommon/Lanesboro area. Tel 087-2755738.

 FOR SALE – 8 acres of meadow for hay or silage. Athleague/Mount Talbot area. Tel. 089 4145833.

WANTED

 FILL/RUBBLE WANTED: Needed to ll up a low area for a foundation. Can be very rough. Ideally located near the Fairymount/ Moyne area. Contact: James 086 7784030.

stephenrockcasey@ gmail.com NO JOB TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL

COUNSELLING

& HYPNOTHERAPY

Are you a ected byAnger Issues, Bullying, Bereavement, Con dence/self-esteem issues, OCD, Stress, Depression, Eating disorders Panic/Anxiety, Relationships, Exam pressure, Sexual Abuse Contact: Billy 094 96 59966 Mobile: 086 0675433 or visit www.billybrogan.com

FUEL FOR SALE

 FOR SALE: Good quality black turf. Tel. 086 7219331.

 100 BAGS OF TURF FOR SALE at €4 each. Kiltullagh/ Ballinlough area. Tel. 087 7195757.

BOOM SPRAYER TESTING SERVICE

• Sprayers tested on owners premises

• Test report & D.A.F.M. stickers provided.

• Small stock of parts available and can be tted on sprayers

All sprayers tested in 2020/2021 are now due re-test Contact: Thomas Neilan on 087 2395171 or 090 6663069

e-mail: thomasneilan4@ gmail.com

D.A.F.M. Approved Reg No: EI000083

FENCING/GATES

LTD

available. Please call Glynis on 085 2514394 email: downeyglynis@yahoo.co.uk web: www psychotherapy glynisdowney.com

For all your fencing

 FUEL FOR SALE: 10 x 6 trailer loads and bags for sale. Tel 087-2798704.

MAN AVAILABLE

MAN AVAILABLE to cut lawns and hedges, power washing of houses/ slatted sheds/driveways. Drain unblocking and cleaning. Gutter cleaning. Tel. 086 101 8237

CAR FOR SALE

 FOR SALE: 2006 VW Caddy 1.9 TDI, Red in colour. Tel.087 6810731.

GARDENING

Send your Classiﬁed advertisement to advertising@

or alternatively call 090 66 34633

PLANNINGS

ROSCOMMON

COUNTY

COUNCIL

Fallsollus, Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon. F45 XD86.

I, Angelika Forst, am applying to Roscommon County Council for full planning permission for development at the above address. The development will consist relocating and upgrading of the existing septic tank with a new packaged wastewater treatment unit and on-site polishing lter, designed to EPA 2021 Code of Practice and all associated site works. The Planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the oﬃces of the planning authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, €20, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application, and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission.

Signed: Angelika Forst.

ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL

Name of applicant: Michael Di ey. Ref. number on the Application: PD/24/25. Application submitted on 26.02.2024. The development applied for consisted of: 4 bay sheep shed and associated services and site development works at Carranure Lower, Lecarrow, Co. Roscommon and a Natural Impact Statement has been submitted with the application.

Signiﬁcant

PLANNINGS PLANNINGS PLANNINGS

ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL

Áras an Chontae, Roscommon, County Roscommon

I, Agnieszka Tuzimek, intend to apply for permission for development at this site: Tully, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon

The Development will consist of:

1. Demolition of existing dwelling.

2. Removal of existing ruins to accommodate new treatment system.

3. Construction of a Bungalow Dwelling, e uent treatment system together with site access & all associated site works.

The Planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the oﬃces of the planning authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, €20, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application, and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission.

Signed: Donal Byrne, Agent. Byrne Rapid Build Ltd., Foxford Road, Swinford, Co. Mayo.

Acceptance of an advertisement or payment therefore is not to be taken as implying guarantee that the advertisement will be published. The right is reserved to refuse to insert any advertisement, without giving any reason; also to discontinue the publication of any advertisement previously published, without compensation for any loss or damage claimed for non-publication. Publication of an advertisement cannot be guaranteed on a speci c week or at all, whether or not a particular week has been stipulated by the advertiser, and the company will not be liable for any loss claimed by such omission, whether from all editions or any particular edition or editions of the paper. Right is reserved to alter any advertisement without liability for any compensation for such alteration. Further, the company does not accept liability for any loss or damage caused by an error or inaccuracy in the printing of any advertisement.

ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL

I, Siobhan McDermott, am applying to Roscommon County Council for planning permission for the following:

1. To demolish derelict shed and construct extensions to side and rear of existing cottage along with making alterations to the front elevation of the cottage.

2. To construct domestic garage,

3. To form new domestic entrance and remove existing entrance.

4. To upgrade treatment system and percolation and all ancillary site development works at Kileenboy, Kilteevan, Co. Roscommon, F42K683

The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the o ces of the planning authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee, €20 within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application, and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application.

The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission.

Signed:

Unit 5, Ballypheason House, Circular Road Roscommon, F42 C982. Ph: 090 6634365 Mob: 085 1299470 E: james@jlce.ie & elaine@jlce.ie Web: www.jlce.ie Planning & Design Consulting Engineers

ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL

Inland Fisheries Ireland intend to apply to Roscommon County Council for Planning

ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL

Áras an Chontae, Roscommon, County Roscommon F U R T H E R INFORMATION

APPLICANT: Ross Engineering Ltd

APPLICATION ADDRESS: Roxborough Td., Roscommon Town, Roscommon.

PLANNING REFERENCE: PD/24/60028

DEVELOPMENT: Planning permission and retention permission for the following: Retention planning permission for: 1. As constructed industrial units which are at variance with planning permissions PD/97/229, PD/01/97 and PD/03/846. 2. The change of use from mineral water bottling plant and associated stores/o ces & ancillaries previously permitted under Planning Ref. No’s PD/97/229, PD/01/97

PD/03/846 to current light industrial use. Planning permission for: 3. The construction of a single storey extension to building granted under PD/03/846 to include reception area, o ce space, sta welfare facilities and plant room and upgrade elevations with new cladding, new windows, signage and removal of a rear annex. (Eircode F42PY26) 4. The upgrade of elevations of building granted under PD/97/229 and extended under PD/01/97 with new cladding, new windows and signage (Eircode F42XF54) 5. The construction of a new machinery storage shed to the rear of the site 6. The installation of a new proprietary treatment system and polishing lter in lieu of malfunctioning septic tank and treatment system (which are both for decommissioning and removal). 7. The removal of one entrance and upgrading existing entrance and boundary treatments, landscaping and all ancillary site works, car parking and surface nishes at Roxborough Td., Roscommon Town, Roscommon.

1) Signi cant Further Information in relation to the application has been furnished to the Planning Authority and is available for inspection or purchase at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the o ces of the Authority during its public opening hours, and

2) A submission or observation in relation to the Further Information may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee of €20 not later than two weeks after the receipt of the newspaper notice and site notice by the Planning Authority.

3) There will be no fee payable on a further submission/ observation if it is accompanied by a copy of the acknowledgement of a previous submission/ observation.

Signed:

Planning & Design Consulting Engineers, Unit 5, Ballypheason House, Circular Road, Roscommon, F42 C982. Ph: 090 6634365. Mob: 085 1299470. E: james@ jlce.ie & elaine@jlce.ie; Web: www.jlce.ie

LEGAL NOTICE

Case No. D; LIC: ROS: 2024:005915

AN CHUIRT DUICHE – THE DISTRICT COURT No. 86.3

Public Dance Halls Act, 1935

NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A PUBLIC DANCING LICENCE

District Court Area of Roscommon District No. 4

MH Hospitality Limited – Applicant

TAKE NOTICE that the above named Applicant, MH Hospitality Limited of Hannon’s Hotel, Ardsallagh Beg, Athlone Road, Roscommon, Roscommon, Ireland intends to apply to the District Court at Roscommon District Court on the 17 September 2024 at 10.30 am for the grant of an Annual Dance Licence a Licence to use a particular place, to wit:

Location: Hannon’s Hotel, Ardsallagh Beg, Athlone Road, Roscommon situated at Ardsallagh Beg, Roscommon, Roscommon in court area and district aforesaid, for public dancing.

Dated this: 02 August 2024.

Signed: Patrick J. Neilan LLP, Solicitor for Applicant, Solicitors, Church Street, Roscommon.

To the: Garda Superintendent, at MR.Roscommon.CE@garda.ie, Roscommon Garda Sation, Abbey Street, Roscommon, Roscommon, F42 HN32

To the: Fire O cer, at re@roscommoncoco.ie, Roscommon County Council, Roscommon, Roscommon, F42 VR98

To the: Co. Council O cial, at info@roscommoncoco.ie, Church Road, Roscommon town, Roscommon, F42 VR98

To the: District Court Clerk, Roscommon District Court.

CHAZEY PROPERTIES:

We require properties for waiting tenants, we advertise, conduct viewings, arrange references, read meters, set up tenancy agreements and arrange direct debit payments straight into your bank. We charge a one o fee only if we are successful in renting your property. If not no fees are payable. Tel: 086 8212732

Permission to construct a sheries base, the proposed development will include, (a) a single-storey building with a combination of at and pitched roofs, this building will contain o ces, meeting rooms, a canteen, sanitary, changing facilities and ancillary areas along with storage facilities for boats and associated equipment; (b) new vehicular access, entrance walls, driveways, car parking areas, and storage yards; (c) installation of a new mechanical aeration unit with a polishing lter system, a rainwater harvesting system, groundmounted solar array, site lighting, security fencing, and general landscaping, along with all associated site works at Lackan Townland, Portrunny, Co. Roscommon.

The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the oﬃces of planning authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee of €20 within a period of ﬁve weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application and such submission or observation will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions or may refuse to grant permission.

PODIATRIST

Tullys

Podiatrist/Chiropodist

Sarah Fleming

CB.Sc (Hons) Podiatry MScPI

Sarah will be in Tullys Totalhealth Pharmacy, Castlerea on Monday and Friday and Boyle Totalhealth Pharmacy on Tuesdays.

● HSE Trained and Approved ● Home visits available

For any of your foot issues call: 094 9620009

PODIATRIST

For all foot ailments

Corns, calluses, ingrown toenails, verruca, orthotics, diabetic assessments and treatmeny

Siobhan Murray BSc (Hons) Podiatry M.Ch.S.I.

Department of Health Approved Kearney’s Chemist Main Street, Castlerea For appointment: Phone: (089) 4142233

SIOBHAN

FOOT CLINIC ROSCOMMON –MOLLOYS PHARMACY

(Monday to Saturday) Also available in Boyle

Chiropody treatment and all aspects of Foot Pain. Orthotics prescribed By Appointment Only –

Catriona

DIP CHFP

(Monday - Saturday) Tel: 087 2982214

USEFUL SERVICES

Electrician Available

Safe Electric Registered. Domestic and Industrial, All work considered. No Job too small. Phone Paul 086 2553153 or email: p0862553153 @gmail.com

CAN’T

FIND

ANYONE to do that small job, or you haven’t got the time ... WE DO ANYTHING

From ﬁtting Curtain Rails to laying that footpath

• Fast Reliable Service

• Professional, Courteous Employees

• Trustworthy ONE CALL DOES IT ALL ! 094 9373445 087 9100477

www.oddjobsolutions.ie Established since 2005

GARDENING

www.westsidegardening.ie

GARDENING: Lawns mowed and seeded, Leylandi and Laurel Hedge Cut and Shaped, Tree Felling, Fencing, Posts and Panels, Decorative Stone, Bark Mulch, Power Washing and Waste Removal.

CONCRETE: Kerbing, Paving, Patios, Concrete Slabs and Base, Stone Walls and Plastering

DIGGER: Foundations, Land Drainage, Ditch and Hedge removal

STEEL: Sheds, Gates, Cattle Crushes and Pens, all Welding repairs

Would you like to work in a busy, professional o ce, dealing with the public and providing free, con dential and impartial information, advice and advocacy services to the public on their civil and social rights and entitlements?

Are you highly motivated, and can you work on your own initiative and work well as part of a team? If so, you should consider working with the Citizens Information Service on a Community Employment Scheme. Eligibility for the post and pay scales are based on Community Employment criteria and subject to Department of Employment and Social Protection (DEASP) funding and approval. All applicants must con rm their eligibility for the Community Employment scheme with DEASP prior to submitting their application.

COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMME DETAILS

Employer: Roscommon & District Soccer League C.E. Scheme Ltd

Position: Administration Assistant

Location: Roscommon Citizens Information Centre

Hours per Week: 19 ½ hours

Role:

• Client facing – reception duties (good understanding of written and spoken English)

• Administrative duties

• Oversee and manage busy public reception area

• Manage appointment schedules and telephone callback system

• Attending meetings and required training

• A good level of IT

Candidates seeking further information should contact David Kelly on 086 1960342 or by email at roscommonsoccer@yahoo.co.uk

A curriculum vitae with the names of two referees should be sent to: By Post: C.E. Supervisor, Roscommon & District Soccer League O ce, Culleen, Knockcroghery, Co Roscommon

Closing date for receipt of applications is 5pm on Friday 16th August 2024. Roscommon & District Soccer Club League CE Scheme Ltd. is an equal opportunities employer. This position is funded and supported under the Employment Services Programme by the Department of Employment and Social Protection.

We are hiring!

Temporary Full-Time Community Employment Supervisor

Duration: Temporary position, 6 months maternity cover.

O ce Location: Brothers of Charity Services Ireland, West Region, Lanesboro Street, Roscommon. Pay: Point 1 of the supervisor scale €671.97 per week.

Start Date: September 2024

Overall View: To enable participants in the scheme to develop and gain quality work experience and training for their own future. An essential part of this role is to ensure the e ective and e cient direction and co-ordination of the material and nancial resources.

Quali cations/Experience/Skills:

• A recognised quali cation in secretarial/administration and pro ciency in IT packages is advantageous.

• At least 1 years’ experience working in the area of administration/accounts/payroll/revenue returns, including experience working with Microsoft packages and computer Databases is essential.

• Ability to exercise good judgement discretion and con dentiality

• A full clean driving licence and use of a car is an essential requirement of the post.

• Fluency in verbal and written English is an essential requirement of this post.

HOW TO APPLY:

Submit CV & Cover letter by post or email Email to: Avril.McTeigue@bocsi.ie

Post to: Avril McTeigue, PA to Roscommon Services Manager BOCSI Roscommon O ces, Lanesboro Street, Roscommon, Eircode: F42 XA62

For informal enquires please contact Avril McTeigue at 0906628500

Closing date for receipt of applications is 5pm, Friday 16th August 2024. Interviews will be held on Wednesday 28th August 2024

Its Mission Statement is to provide a community radio station which promotes equality of access and opportunity to the community it serves, especially disadvantaged communities. Since its inception through the Equal Programme, the radio station has a strong focus on supporting people with disabilities. This ethos is maintained in the current broadcasting contract with BAI, aiming to “project an image of professionalism amongst people with disabilities in the community.”

Manager - Responsible for the delivery of the ROS FM Community Services Programme

Essential criteria:

● Minimum 2 years experience in the operations of a radio station including programming, administration and commercial activities

● Experience within a disability related eld and or related life experience

● Budget and nancial management

● Project management

● Dynamic interpersonal and communication skills including the ability to network, liaise and negotiate with other local groups and agencies and to form positive working relationships with local community group committees and funders

● Excellent IT & Social Media Skills

● A full clean driving licence with access to own transport at all times during the working week is essential

● Experience of working in the area of Community Development & Social Enterprise desirable

● Maintain all records as required by Pobal, Coimisiún na Meán and ROS FM

Compliance with the funder’s requirements regarding eligibility of individuals to hold a CSP supported post is set out in the job description, which is available from recruitment@rosfm.ie

Job Descriptions for each post

Please email manager@rosfm.ie for full Job Description for each role before submitting application

How to Apply: please submit a letter of application detailing how you meet the requirements along with your full CV to manager@rosfm.ie or by post to:

FAO Martina Dockery, ROS FM, The Cube Flexi Space, Lanesborough Road, Roscommon town. Closing date for receipt of applications Friday, 23rd August, 2024 at 5pm. All roles are subject to funding continuation.

A panel may be formed from which future vacancies may be lled. ROS FM Community Radio Ltd is an Equal Opportunities Employer. Satisfactory references and Garda vetting will be required.

Laltec Electrical Contractors

Mountpleasant, Strokestown, Co. Roscommon Email: info@laltec.ie | Web: www.laltec.ie

Laltec Electrical has immediate vacancies for the following:

l Electricians- Full and Part-Time Basis.

l 3rd and 4th Year Apprentice Electricians.

l Sub-contractors.

l Semi-Skilled Tradesmen and Helpers.

l Must have Safe Pass and Manual Handling.

Suitable candidates should send their CV in confidence to: nlally@laltec.ie

KILDUFF

Tom 5 Circular Road, Roscommon 12th August 1998 (26th Anniversary)

life’s way, quietly remembered every day. No longer in our life to share, but in our hearts, you are always there.

Remembered with love by Thomas, Eddie, Hugh, Anne and family.

CONROY

Claire Marie

Druminardly, Rooskey, Co. Roscommon. Who passed away on August 8th 2023 (1st Anniversary)

The Broken Chain

Little did we know that morning God was going to call your name in life we love you dearly, in death we do the same. It broke our hearts to lose you, you did not go alone, for part of us went with you, the day God called you home. You left us lovely happy memories your love is still our guide, and though we cannot see you are always by our side. Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems the same, but as God calls us one by one, The Chain will link again.

Love you Claire ♥

Always loved never forgotten

Lots of love from Mammy, Daddy, Trisha and Darren; uncles, aunt, cousins, relatives and friends.

RIP CLAIRE xxx

Claire’s Anniversary Mass will take place on Sunday, 11th August at 10.30 am in Sacred Heart Church, Kilglass, Co. Roscommon.

MULLOOLY

(née Lennon)

Margaret

Cornamart, Knockcroghery, Roscommon.

We, the family of the late Margaret Mullooly, who passed away on the 3rd of July 2024 wish to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude to all who sympathised with and supported us on the loss of our cherished mother and grandmother.

A special thanks to all our kind neighbours, friends and family who brought food to our home and who gave us great comfort. Grateful thanks to all who called to our house, all who phoned, texted, sent owers, Mass Cards and Messages of Condolence and to everyone who attended the Funeral Home, Mass and Burial.

A special word of thanks to Fr Ray Milton and Fr. Joseph Ali for their kindness, spiritual care and support during Mam’s illness and for the beautiful Funeral Mass, also to all who took part in the Mass: the Servers, Eucharistic Ministers and Singers.

Thank you to Dr. Wojciech Wawrzynek and Dr. Fiona Sweeney and their team, the Public Health Nurse Ann Marie, for their support during the nal week. Together, with the family, you all made it possible to ensure Margaret had her wish to remain in her home to the end.

Thanks to Smyth’s Funeral Directors for their professionalism, sensitivity and guidance with the Funeral arrangements

Thank you to our wonderful neighbours who prepared Margaret’s nal resting place with such care and attention, alongside our dear Father Vincent, (Rest in Peace). We wish to thank the Knockcroghery Community Centre committee for the use of the centre and those who prepared a meal for the grave diggers. Thanks also to Hannon’s Hotel sta for the meal after the Funeral.

As it would not be possible to thank everyone individually, please accept this acknowledgement as an expression of our sincere thanks to everyone who helped us in any way through this di cult time. The Holy Sacri ce of the Mass will be o ered for your intentions.

Margaret’s Month’s Mind Mass will be celebrated on Saturday 10th August at 11am in St. Patrick’s Church Knockcroghery.

BURKE

Margaret

Go Street, Roscommon (21st Anniversary)

In loving memory of Margaret who passed away on 10th August 2003.

R.I.P.

Just as you were, you will always be, someone special in our memory.

Lovingly remembered by your sister Eileen and family, Rahara.

Anniversary Mass in the Sacred Heart Church, Roscommon on Thursday, 22nd August at 11am.

FEENEY

Martin

Greenﬁeld Road, Lisnamult, Roscommon Town and formerly of Ballyglass, Ballinaheglish, Co. Roscommon. (2nd Anniversary)

In loving memory memory of Martin who sadly passed on 11th of August 2022

Unspoken words, no outward show. But deep inside we miss you so.

Sadly missed by his wife Agnes and family.

Anniversary Mass on Saturday 10th August 2024 in the Sacred Heart Church, Roscommon Town at 10am.

Mary

Clooneykelly, Athleague, Co. Roscommon. Who passed away on the 28th June 2024

We, the family of the late Mary Fallon. would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to everyone who supported and sympathised with us following her recent passing.

A heartfelt thanks to all who attended her Removal, Funeral Mass and Burial. To those who travelled long distances, watched via livestream, sent Mass cards, sympathy cards, phone calls, text messages, oral tributes and left thoughtful online condolences, thank you.

A special thank you to the caring sta in the Sacred Heart Nursing Home for all the kindness and attention given to Mary during her time there.

To her carers Ann, Rebecca and Liz who cared for Mary during her last few years at home.

Thank you to Fr. Christopher for the beautiful ceremony and to Teresa Murray for preparing the Church. Thank you to Fr. Sean in the Sacred Heart Nursing Home, Fr Richard Kelly, Maynooth and the Poor Claire Sisters in Drumshanbo for their time and prayers for Mary.

Thank you to Carmel for the wonderful music and singing. Thank you to Henry Hamrock and family, Funeral Directors; to Henry for his kindness, professionalism and guidance during this di cult time. Sincere thanks to Anne Harlow for the beautiful arrangement of owers.

To Sean Connaughton and the grave diggers who prepared Mary’s resting place with such considerate care and attention, thank you.

To Athleague Community Centre Committee a special thanks for use of beautiful centre and to ‘Delicious Catering’ for the excellent meal and service.

A special thanks to our good neighbours and friends who called to our homes, brought refreshments and supported us. Your thoughts, prayers and support gave us great comfort.

As it is not possible to thank everybody individually please accept this acknowledgement as an expression of our heartfelt gratitude.

Month’s Mind Mass for Mary Fallon will be held in St. Patrick’s Church, Athleague on Saturday, 10th August at 7pm.

FALLON (nee O’Brien)

Sports PEOPLE

Support for Aoife

There has been a public outpouring of support for Aoife O’Rourke on social media since her defeat at the Olympic Games.The Castlerea.ie Facebook page said: ‘Aoife, you are a double Olympian. You are a champion. We are so proud of all you have achieved. You have inspired a legion of young boxers, athletes and fans. We have loved this journey with you. Keep your head held high. Love from the community of Castlerea’. Senator Aisling Dolan also said after the ﬁght: ‘Aoife is an amazing Olympian and a credit to her county and country’.

See page 36.

Leitrim’s All-Ireland joy

TG4 LGFA All-Ireland IFC Final Leitrim 3-11 Tyrone 3-10

 DENIESE O’FLAHERTY

Victorious manager Jonny Garrity hailed his players after Leitrim won the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup in a thrilling TG4 All-Ireland intermediate football ﬁnal at Croke Park on Sunday. It was a tremendous victory for Leitrim, who had narrowly defeated Roscommon in the recent semi-ﬁnal.

“We had to produce something special to beat a team of that quality” Garrity said after the win over Tyrone. “Having done so already in the group stage, they were going to come back and bite back even more. We had to dig right down into our reserves; as players and people. We did all that. When all is said and done the girls were exceptional”.

His side had to survive a late Tyrone ﬁghtback to win the title for the ﬁrst time since 2007.

“My message to the girls was that they had to show everybody else what we can do,” added Garrity. “We have to show the rest of Ireland our brand of football, our energy, our never-say-die attitude and we’ve done that now”.

The Connacht side, inspired by Ailbhe Clancy, were seven points ahead at one stage in the second half. In the 45th minute Tyrone’s Joanne Barrett was sin-binned when she brought down Muireann Devaney. Up stepped Clancy and she made no mistake from the penalty spot. O’Dowd kicked over a lovely point minutes later to stretch Leitrim’s lead to seven.

Tyrone were back in the game in the 49th min-

when

Leitrim captain Michelle Guckian lifts the Mary Quinn Memorial cup after winning the TG4 AllIreland Ladies Football Intermediate Championship nal last Sunday at Croke Park in Dublin. Pic: Ray McManus/Sports le

ute

Aoibhinn McHugh got in for a goal. Two points from Chlor McCaffrey, one of them a free, and

Emma Conroy effort cut the gap to one by the 59th minute, but Leitrim hung on to claim the crown.

Leitrim: M Monaghan; E Quigley, C Tyrell, C Ow-

ens; S Reynolds, K Bruen, Elise Bruen; N Tighe, M Guckian (0-5, 4 frees); O Flynn, L O’Dowd (1-2), M Devaney (0-1); A Clancy (2-3, 1 pen), S Quinn, A Redican. Subs: L Fox for Quinn (37), B O’Rourke for Guckian (49), M Murphy for Quigley (57).

Laura O’Dowd of Leitrim takes a shot under pressure from Meabh Mallon of Tyrone during the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Intermediate Championship nal at Croke Park in Dublin last Sunday. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sports le

Roscommon boxer Aoife O’Rourke (right) is left visibly shocked after losing her 75kg Round of 16 bout to Poland’s Elzbieta Wojcik (left).

Successful Galway Festival comes to a close

Horses for Courses

We just gave you the result of the major race of the festival, Tote Galway Plate, last week due to time constraints.

Noel Meade’s Pinkerton, ridden by Donagh Meyler, beat the Gordon Elliott pair of Duffle Coat and Zanahiyr at 20/1, with Henry de Bromhead’s Life In The Park fourth, and another Elliott runner, Chemical Energy, fifth. The first three home are all trained in County Meath.

Meade also completed a quick double when Monasterboice won the penultimate ﬂat handicap under Colin Keane.

The ﬁnal race went to Joseph O’Brien’s Busselton under Declan McDonagh.

On Thursday, the featured Grade A Guinness Galway Handicap Hurdle was won by the Joseph O’Brien trained Nurburgring, beating Ndaawi in second, with My Mate Mozzie in third for the second year in a row.

In the ﬁnal race there was a local winner when Iggy Madden’s Brave Crogha came from last to ﬁrst up the hill to win at 200/1, yes two hundred to one.

On Friday, the James’s Gate Irish EBF Auction Maiden was won by another big price outsider when Bessie Abott, 50/1. The winner is trained by Michael Mulvaney and was ridden by Wesley Joyce, who was very severely injured when Red Heel stumbled at the festival in 2022 and has made an unbelievable recovery.

The Galway Blazers Handicap Chase was won by a nose by Elliott’s Battleoverdoyen,

by Tom Red

ridden by local Danny Gilligan, from Moonovercloon and Flanking Maneuver at odds of 20/1. It is Gilligan’s 60th winner and he loses his claim.

In the featured Guinness Handicap, there were 18 runners and Eagles Way, trained by Bill Durkan and ridden by Chris Hayes, beat Chally Chute and Soaring Monarch by a short head and 1¼l.

Saturday opened with a maiden hurdle won by Willie and Danny Mullins with Jackﬁnbar at 11/4. The featured Listed Handicap Hurdle went to the Gordon Elliott trained The Wallpark, with Sam Ewing in the saddle, at 14/1.

The 2-Y-O maiden was won by odds-on favourite Puppet Master, trained by Aidan O’Brien with Wayne Lordan steering, at 1/2. Flying Bay won the Bathshack Maiden for Andrew Kinirons and Ben Coen.

In the 2-Y-O Whiriskey Refrigeration Irish EBF Handicap, Lady O, 10/3, beat the 15/8 favourite Elzem for Jessica Harrington and Shane Foley. The Ardilaun Hotel Handicap went the way of the 4/1 favourite Imposing Supreme ridden by Gavin Ryan for Tom Gibney.

The McDonagh Capital Investments Handicap went to the 7/1 shot Oriole trained by Natalia Lupini and ridden by Dylan Browne-McMonagle. Racing ended with a bumper win for the daughter of Quevega, Cameletta Vega for WP Mullins and son Patrick

at 8/11.

On Sunday, the opening 2m Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle provided Philip Dempsey and jockey Charlie O’Dwyer with a winner in Neveradullmoment at 7/1.

The following Kenny Galway Handicap Hurdle was won by the favourite, Flicker Of Hope at 10/3, trained by Mark Fahey and ridden by Jack Kennedy, who followed up for a double with Hurricane Georgie in the Kinlay Hostel Chase at 4/1.

The Lord Hemphill Memorial Handicap Chase provided a win for Saint Roi at 13/2 for WP and claimer Aidan Kelly. The feature Irish Stallion Farms EBF Ahonoora Handicap was won by Physique, for Cork trainer Mickey Fenton and Seamie Heffernan, at 9/1. Joseph O’Brien’s outsider Sigh No More won the 2-Y-O Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden at 14/1.

The penultimate Village Salthill Handicap went to another outsider, Sylkie at 28/1, ridden by Rory Cleary for Daniel Howard, and the festival ended by sending the punters home happy with the favourite, The Passing Wife, winning the Fr Breen Memorial Flat Race, breaking Gavin Cromwell’s duck for the meeting and jockey Declan Lavery, a winning favourites bringing the festival to an end for punters.

Willie Mullins ended the week with ﬁve winners and the champion trainer’s crown. Wayne Lordan was in the winners’ enclosure on four occasions and won the ﬂat jockeys championship and Jack Kennedy won the jumping crown, also with four winners.

Roscommon Review

In Lenabane on Tuesday, an 8-race card meeting opened with the Railway Bar Maiden Hurdle won by outsider Vaureal at 25/1. The winner is trained by Colin Bowe in Wexford and was ridden by Jordan Gainsford.

The Coast to Curragh Maiden Hurdle Division One went to the Dermot McLoughlin trained Amanha at 9/1 on his hurdling debut under claimer Paddy O’Hanlon.

Division Two provided the only favourite of the meeting, as Zariygann also made a winning debut for M Halford and Tracey Collins with Jack Kennedy in the saddle.

The Connolly Red Mills sponsored handicap hurdle was won by Housemartin, trained by Eddie O’Grady with Philip Enright doing the steering.

The John F Hanley Groundscare Beginners Chase was won by the Mark McNiff,

Sligo-trained, Presenting Lad, completing a quick double for Enright at 7/1. Jordan Gainford rode a double when Brandt, at 8/1, won the Kepak Handicap Chase for Cian Collins. The Paul Byron Handicap Chase went to Philip Dempsey’s Le Grand Vert and Donagh Meyler at 7/1.

Punters were off the mark again in the Brian Keenan OnCourse Bookmaker Flat Race as Willie and Patrick Mullins teamed up to win with Keep Up at 4/1, to beat the wellbacked favourite Jerry From Kerry at 4/6. Next meeting is a ﬂat meeting on the 20th of the month.

This weekend’s racing Racing this week begins this evening (Thursday) in Sligo over jumps, starting at 5.05 pm and on the ﬂat at Leopardstown, away at 4.52 pm.

Tomorrow (Friday) jump racing is at Wexford, away at 5.30 pm and on the ﬂat

at Tipperary at 4.45 pm.

On Saturday, action is at headquarters, the Curragh, with the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes in the afternoon with stalls open at 1.45 pm. Jump action is in the evening in Kilbeggan, starting at 5.30 pm.

On Sunday, afternoon racing is at Downpatrick with a national hunt meeting, off at 2.18 pm.

Racing on Monday evening is in Ballinrobe, a national hunt meeting, away at 5.20 pm.

Competition Time

Winners of tickets to Kilbeggan on Saturday are John Martin from Rahara, Mick McGarry from Roscommon and Shane Burke from Moate. Hope you all enjoy the day. To win tickets for Roscommon on Tuesday, the 20th of August we want to know which horse won the Galway Hurdle in Ballybrit last week?

We also have tickets for Kilbeggan on August 23rd. Simply let us know which Galway jockey, attached to Gordon Elliott, lost his claim in Galway on Friday?

Answers as usual please on a postcard to the Roscommon People, Abbey Street, Roscommon or by email to tomred17@gmail.com by 5 pm, Wednesday, August 14th , for Roscommon and August 21st for Kilbeggan.

As always, do not forget to include your name, address, and a contact with all competition entries. As usual, all tickets will have to be collected in the ofﬁce in Abbey Street.

Noel Fallon from Four Roads Hurling Club came in a very respectable ﬁfth place in this year’s All-Ireland Poc Fada ﬁnals which took place on Bank Monday on Annaverna Mountain in County Louth.

The Roscommon hurler, who won the Poc Fada Connacht ﬁnal in June, braved some brutal weather on the mountain, with heavy rain and high winds leading to a 5km section of the course being closed due to the dangerous conditions.

Noel was up against some stiff competition which included two All-Ireland winning hurlers from Clare, Peter Duggan and David Fitzgerald, and last year’s Poc Fada champion, Kerry hurler Fionan Mackessy, who retained his title this year.

St Dominic’s U-16 hurler Colm Fitzgerald also took part in the competition after winning the U-16 Poc Fada Connacht ﬁnal back in June.

Best wishes to Castlerea St. Kevin’s from

Hukum holds on from Westover in the King George Queen Elizabeth at Ascot

Noel Fallon from Four Roads Hurling Club pictured on Annaverna Mountain in County Louth during Monday’s AllIreland Poc Fada nals.

ALLEZ, AOIFE!: A group from ‘The Kilmore Inn’ in Ballinlough travelled to the Olympic Games in Paris last week where they attended Castlerea boxing star Aoife O’Rourke’s bout.

Short putts

BALLAGHADERREEN

Congratulations to Marie Cassidy, winner of this week’s 18-hole club competition. Well done also to Regina Clarke-Fitzgerald who won this week’s 9-hole competition.

The ladies scramble continues every Tuesday evening from 6.30 pm.

CARRICK-ON-SHANNON

The club would like to congratulate our very hard-working captain Paul Reid on his very successful Captain’s week.

The club would like to thank the volunteers and staff who had the course in excellent condition. Thanks also to the bar and restaurant staff for their excellent service.

Well done to all the winners. In the ladies section the Wednesday scramble was won by Lisa Casey, Mary Egan and Patrice Gallagher. The Captain’s prize to the ladies was won by Phil Emmett on 65 net.

In the gents section, the Captain’s prize was won by Niall Loftus. Sunday’s 18-hole winner was Gerard McGonigle, the men’s senior winner was John Kelly and the junior winner was Aaron Gibney.

The club’s Jimmy Bruen InterClub team were narrowly beaten in the Connacht semi-ﬁnal last Wednesday evening week. The

club would like to thank the captain and team for their effort.

Well done to Cathal Dowd, the winner of the recent Michael Keville Financial Services’ sponsored competition, on 37 pts.

Friday’s Ladies 9-hole club competition was won by Veronica Sheeran on 17 pts.

Congratulations to Ollie McWeeney-Hartley who won €545 in the last 50/50 draw.

CASTLEREA

Well done to Paul Claffey on winning the recent Bernie Keane Memorial Cup with a score of 65 net. Also to Juliet Kenny who won the ladies section with a score of 54 net.

Tuesday’s ladies club competition was won by Dympna McDonnell with 19 pts and Thursday’s ladies club competition was won by Kate Hawkshaw with 20 pts.

ROSCOMMON

Well done to James Quigley who won Seamus Duke’s Captain’s prize following a play-off on Sunday and well done also to Michael Sharkey who was a gallant runner-up.

Congratulations to Tomas Higgins on being selected on the Irish team to play in the Home Internationals in Scotland this week. It is a great honour for him and the club.

Thursday evening, there is a doubleheader in Lisnamult. Our Town 2 U-16 boys team play Shiven Rovers while our Town 1 side face Castlerea Celtic. There is also a 7s mini blitz in the Sports Park. On Friday, only one of our six boys

Big weekend ahead in Roscommon SHC

This weekend’s games in the Kepak Roscommon SHC will decide who will play in the play-off stages of the 2024 championship.

Four Roads are already through to the semi-ﬁnals and have a bye this weekend.

St Dominic’s meet Tremane in Creggs

and the winner of this game will join Four Roads in the semi-ﬁnals, with the losers going into the quarter-ﬁnals.

Athleague and Oran face each other in the knowledge that both are safely through to the quarter-ﬁnals.

The big game this weekend will be on

Sunday in Ballyforan at 3.45 pm when Roscommon Gaels play Padraig Pearses. A draw or a win will see the Gaels into the quarter-ﬁnals while Pearses must win to progress. The loser will be out of this year’s championship so there is a lot at stake in that match.

Egan edges great Super League showdown

The Hollywood Bar Darts Super League continued last Friday night with night six of eight. Once again, the standard was high, with excellent darts throughout. The main talking point on the night was the standard of ﬁnishing. Paul Carton (101), Ciaran Hickey (110), Brendan Mullarkey (114), Aaron Shannon (122) and Kieran McCormack (146) all hit great ﬁnishes in the group stages.

The standard went even higher in the knockout stages, as Mick Egan added a 154, Mick Kilroe a 158, and Thomas Concannon took out an impressive 164. However, the top ﬁnish on the night went to Krzysztof Wesolowski, who produced the always impressive maximum checkout of 170.

The final went down to two players showing top form across the night. Mick Egan, who having made his way through a difficult group, followed up with a last 16 win (3-0) over Gerard Killane, before a 3-0 quarter-final win against Gerard Glynn was backed up by a 3-0 semi-final win against Thomas Concannon.

On the other side of the draw, Mick Kilroe qualiﬁed from a difﬁcult group before a 3-1 win in the last 16 against John Mor-

ris saw him through to the quarter-ﬁnals. A hard-fought 3-2 win over James Morris was followed by a 3-0 win in the semiﬁnal against Paul Carton.

The ﬁnal itself started with both players out of the traps quickly. A 180 from Kilroe put him in pole position, before Egan rattled in a 154 ﬁnish to take a 15-dart leg and a 1-0 lead. Scores of 78, 96, 97 and 100 from Egan kept Kilroe under the cosh in the

second leg, but Kilroe responded superbly, as scores of 140, 123 and 100 helped him tie the game at 1-1. Kilroe kept the pressure on in the third leg, scores of 100, 81, 100 and 99 putting him in the driving seat. However, a score of 140 helped Egan to retake the lead (2-1). Kilroe pulled out all the stops in the fourth leg, with scores of 85, 140, 100 and 83. Egan had scores of 100, 140, 92 and 86 and followed up with some clinical ﬁnishing to seal a 3-1 win. Hard luck to Mick Kilroe and well done to Mick Egan.

Thanks to all the players who took part and thanks also to the Hollywood Bar management and staff for their sponsorship and their hospitality on the night. Visits of top pros

Following on from the visit of former World Grand Prix and World Matchplay Champion Colin ‘Jaws’ Lloyd to The Sportsman’Inn in Strokestown last weekend, 2018 World Champion Rob Cross will visit The Coachman’s Inn, Roscommon Town on Friday, September 6th. For those interested in attending this event and/or playing Rob, please check the Coachman’s Inn Facebook page for more details.

Newbridge to play Shiven, St John’s and Castlerea. Town 2 host St Cuan’s, Cloonfad and Dysart. Town 3 host St John’s, Kilkerrin and Glen Celtic. Our U-9 girls are in Newbridge to play Shiven Rovers and Dysart and ﬁnally, on Sunday evening, our U-18 girls team are at home to Kilkerrin.

Galway Cup

Well done to Town players Matthew Towey and Senan Lohan who are part of the RDYSL team that are taking part in the Galway Cup this week. We are proud of you.

Best wishes

Good luck to Zico Gomes who is refereeing his ﬁrst match this week. Zico also coaches with our U-9 boys. Thanks for your efforts Zico and best wishes in your new role.

Become a referee

If you would like to take up this important role in the game, see becomearef. ie.

Follow the Town

We have four social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube.

Best wishes to Castlerea St. Kevin’s from

Pictured are the Roscommon Town U-16 girls team.

Photo shows (left to right) runner-up Mick Kilroe and winner on the night, Mick Egan.

Controversial Olympic exit for Aoife O’Rourke

KENNY EGAN AMONGST THE CRITICS OF REFEREEING

Castlerea boxer Aoife O’Rourke, one of Ireland’s main medal hopefuls, was knocked out of the Olympics on Wednesday evening of last week after suffering a shock defeat to Poland’s Elzbieta Wojcik in the Round of 16 of the 75kg division.

O’Rourke, the number 2 seeded boxer in her weight division, had won all of her previous bouts against Wojcik up until then, which meant she was strong favourite to advance to the quarter-ﬁnals.

The polish ﬁghter had a point to prove

SPORTS DESK

Paul Healy

however and from the beginning she turned the ﬁght into a brawl, disrupting Aoife’s style and preventing her from ever ﬁnding her groove.

O’Rourke did win the ﬁrst round 3-2 after the referee, whose performance was called into question after the ﬁght for some perceived weak decision-making, deducted a point from Wojcik after multiple holding cautions.

Wojcik came back in the second round to win it 3-2 which meant that the outcome would be decided in the third and ﬁnal round.

The polish boxer was marginally the better ﬁghter in the ﬁnal round, although very few clean punches were thrown and it could be argued that Wojcik should have

Champion Aoife will bounce back

It says something about Aoife O’Rourke as a person that her ﬁrst thought after her shock defeat in the Olympics last week was to effectively apologise to her coaches and supporters.

Roscommon’s brilliant boxing champion – status she shares with her sister, Lisa – certainly didn’t have to utter those words.

The people of County Roscommon, and viewers around the country, are extremely proud of Aoife. Aoife’s defeat in her Olympics opener was controversial, amidst disaffection with the judging/refereeing. Aoife was typically digniﬁed and gracious in defeat.

This is merely a brief pause in a wonderful journey. Already a much-decorated champion, Aoife will bounce back. Great days lie ahead. And the people of County Roscommon are so proud of Aoife, the sportsperson, and person. She is a champion in every way.

It wasn’t always like this…

Some people (still) get a newspaper delivered to their house every day. Some people get milk delivered to their house every day.

As a nation, we’ve just had an Olympic medal delivered to us every day for a week or so.

It certainly wasn’t always like this. Team Ireland’s experience in Paris – some disappointments notwithstanding – has just got better and better and better.

It wasn’t always like this. For those of us who

been penalised again after multiple warnings by the referee, but ultimately the judges ruled in favour of Wojcik.

A visibly frustrated and upset Aoife O’Rourke was gracious when speaking with RTÉ after the ﬁght, saying: “I’m so disappointed, I’m disappointed that I’ve let myself down, the coaches down and all the support”. She added “I gave it my best, that’s all I can ask”.

Speaking about her opponent Elzbieta Wojcik, Aoife said: “She’s a brilliant opponent, it’s not our ﬁrst time to meet and I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy battle”.

Speaking during the Off The Ball podcast after the ﬁght, former Olympic boxer Kenny Egan said that it was “a messy affair” and he felt that “the referee was terrible”.

grew up in the 1970s/1980s, or earlier indeed, this is so different to our typical Olympics’ experience. That’s in terms of success.

We may have had little enough prospect of gaining medals, but we always loved the Olympics.

This marathon event had a magic of its own, one that not even the World Cup could quite match. Of course for soccer supporters, the World Cup was the pinnacle of our sporting universe every four years, but the Olympics had their own unique ‘selling point’… this was the ultimate showcase of human sporting endeavour, a gathering of almost impossibly wonderful variety, guaranteeing entertainment and drama.

In the era when there were only a handful of TV channels – no YouTube (or social media of any kind), no podcasts – we rearranged our daily lives to ensure we saw as much Olympic competition as possible.

The magic of the Olympics was in the wonder we felt at being introduced to superstars from around the world, people we more often than not weren’t aware of before the Games, not unless they had excelled in the previous Olympics or perhaps at a recent world championships. The magic of the Olympics was also in the way the Games introduced us to ‘new’ sports, or certainly to events that we hardly ever saw footage of other than when this extravaganza was beamed into our homes every four years.

On this joyous journey of discovery, there was always the guarantee of witnessing some extraordinary sporting achievements, the emergence of new stars, the setting of world records, classic showdowns between closely matched competitors, always with a serving of high drama and intense excitement.

In Ireland, we were, for the most part, happy to have a low-key presence on this great global stage. As for this tricky business of actually winning medals, for somehow staking claims to a place on the podium, we dared not dream. Not really. Yes, there was the odd medal prospect, but we travelled in a mindset of being grateful to be a part of it all, rather than in expectation of playing a starring role.

That reality puts what Ireland has achieved at the 2024 Games into perspective. While there have been some great medal successes for Ireland over the decades, the pickings have been slim. By the time I started watching the Olympics, Ireland was in the middle of a particularly barren spell. From 1960 (Rome) through to (and including) 1976 (Montreal), Ireland’s only medal win came in 1964 (Belfast’s Jim McCourt with a boxing bronze). That’s one medal in ﬁve Games (a 16-

year span). In the next four Olympic Games, we picked up ﬁve more medals, making it six in nine Olympics, i.e. six medals from 1960 to 1992. When Daniel Wiffen won a bronze in swimming on Sunday night, it was our seventh medal in seven days. We are having the Games of our lives…

Leitrim’s great win

As fortune would have it, we were having Sunday lunch in Cox’s Steakhouse in Dromod, County Leitrim as a terriﬁc All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Final played out on the big screens around us.

It was hard to concentrate on the Chicken à la King (I know, we’ve come a long way from conventional Irish Sunday dinners) as wave after wave of Leitrim attack closed in on the Tyrone defence.

Watching the Leitrim ladies excel in this ﬁnal at GAA HQ in the company of locals from Leitrim was a bonus. We were engrossed in Leitrim’s fortunes, while still enjoying our lunch. When Leitrim went seven clear in the second half, the prospects for a ﬁrst All-Ireland win since 2007 looked very good. But Tyrone began to cut into Leitrim’s lead, ominously so. Thank God (and someone in the GAA) for the ‘clock countdown’ system in Ladies’ football; after Tyrone missed a late chance to crown their comeback with an equaliser, there was no tense wait to see how long the referee would add on; instead, the clock obligingly ticked to ‘o’ and Leitrim were crowned.

Ailbhe Clancy (with 2-3) was the central ﬁgure on the day, but every Leitrim player can take a bow; this was a success for the entire panel and management. It was brilliant. Leitrim defeated Tyrone by 3-11 to 3-10 and are the 2024 TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Football champions (see also page 34).

Spare a thought for Wiffen’s

RTE cheerleaders!

Daniel Wiffen’s winning of a bronze medal in a compelling 1500m freestyle Olympic swimming ﬁnal on Sunday – a race which saw a world record being set by the winner, Bobby Finke – was an achievement to be proud of. It brings his medal haul to two, the bronze now joining the gold that

Wiffen won in the 800m ﬁnal.

A separate issue, which has nothing to do with Ireland’s swimming sensation, is the bizarre ‘subplot’ which was played out in ‘TV land’… starring a ludicrously over-conﬁdent RTE ‘team’.

Readers, please spare a thought this week for the RTE commentators (and studio panel) – who presumably have been dining on humble pie ever since their slightly humiliating experience! In Ireland, we often give out about the sometimes overly optimistic, sometimes biased, sometimes painfully arrogant sports commentary/punditry that our friends across the water (BBC, etc) can be guilty of. Frankly, we are capable of much the same ourselves!

To be fair, prior to the 1500m swim, Wiffen was hotly tipped to follow his brilliant 800m gold with another ﬁrst place ﬁnish. But the RTE ‘experts’ really embarrassed themselves.

Prior to the ﬁnal, the studio pundits said they expected Wiffen to “walk” it – and to set a world record in the process.

Over in Paris, as the ﬁnalists lined up, the two RTE commentators were… priceless.

One said: “My prediction is he (Wiffen) is going to win this by about ten metres… I think he’s going to destroy them”.

Later, with defending champion Bobby Finke into an early commanding lead – Wiffen in third place – one of the commentators said: “He (Finke) may be thinking ‘I’ve got to burn this guy (Wiffen) off’”.

Co-commentator: “He hasn’t a hope”. With 690 metres to go, the same commentator said the following: “Now folks, over the next two to three hundred metres, Daniel is going to take that lead”.

It never happened. Bit by bit, the penny began to drop that it wasn’t going to be Wiffen’s race. The commentary duo began to express some doubts. “Wiffen’s got work to do!” “I think Wiffen’s gone, guys!”

American swimmer Finke held his lead for the entire race, winning the gold medal and breaking the world record. Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri took silver, and Wiffen won bronze (12 metres behind the winner).

Honestly, if the British commentators had covered a race in this manner, we’d still be rolling our eyes!

*I am not casting any aspersions on Wiffen; he’s had a brilliant Olympics, and is planning to compete in Friday’s 10km open swim event. Wiffen is a brilliant sportsperson and we look forward to more great feats from him in the pool.

Castlerea boxer Aoife O’Rourke. Pic: Kieran Croghan

SportsPeople

Five-star Clann lay down a marker

< KEVIN EGAN

Ladies SFC

There was an emotional atmosphere at Kilbride on Monday morning when the home club returned to the playing field for the first time since the sad passing of their former colleague Rochelle Mullaney, with Clann na nGael the visitors to the mid-Roscommon venue for the round three fixture in the Dermot Hughes Cars senior championship.

Despite the ongoing absence of Fiona Tully and Aisling Hanly, the home team were quite competitive and will take heart from an improved performance, but their hopes of a fairytale win didn’t materialise as Clann ran out 5-15 to 3-5 winners.

Casey Keane led the way for Kilbride with 1-5, including a first-half goal, while Aisling and Niamh Shanagher also found the net for Con Moynihan’s side. Clann were simply too powerful however, and ran up 37 scoring chances, firing 5-12 from play.

Róise Lennon shot 0-6 to head the scoring charts while there were five different goalscorers, including Hope Glynn, who showed immense promise on her second senior appearance.

Clann were still without established stars such as Caoimhe Lennon, Orla O’Neill and Jenny Higgins, while injury also ruled out Mia Mackin and Áine Connaughton from starting roles, but Megan Glynn thrived in her new role at centre-back, while up front Fiona Scally anchored the forward line on the edge of the square, registering a goal, with Kara Earle (1-2), Therese Lennon (0-3) and Ruth Finlass (1-2) also impressing.

Also at senior level, the tie of the round was at Knockcroghery, where St Dominic’s shot the last four points of their clash with Shannon Gaels to pick up an 0-12 to 1-8 win, their first of the campaign.

A string of missed frees haunted St Dominic’s in the early exchanges as they fell into an 0-4 to 0-1 deficit, with Chloe and Michaela Dunne playing well for Shannon Gaels up front, and Christina Beirne deployed in a sweeper role.

A missed penalty led to a shift in momentum and St Dominic’s drawing level by half-time – with wind advantage to come – but three points from Sorcha Bruen and a penalty from Sarah Boyd left Shannon Gaels in the driving seat coming into the closing minutes.

Between them, Aoife Gavin with two superb late points and Lilly Murray with a massive block at one end and the winning of a free at the other, were the central figures in their side making a late surge to achieve the win.

Two goals in the space of a minute for St Brigid’s midway through the second half of their clash with Éire Óg were the vital scores as Laura Harrison’s side made it three wins from three, prevailing by 5-9 to 0-13 in Loughglynn.

Lucy Sheffield got the game’s first goal, Abby Curran and Áine O’Brien also raised green flags to make it 3-4 to 0-7 at half-time, and while Éire Óg had the better of the third quarter, back-to-back goals from Sarah O’Rourke and O’Brien allowed them to ease over the finish line.

Please see http://roscommonlgfa.ie/fixtures-2024 for all updated fixtures and results. Roscommon LGFA would like to thank Dermot Hughes Cars for their generous sponsorship of the adult club championships in the county.

Claire Grehan of St Brigid’s watches her shot hit the upright during last Monday’s Roscommon Ladies SFC match against Éire Óg. Pic: Bernie O’Farrell

Four-goal Laura inspires St Ciarán’s

< KEVIN EGAN

Ladies IFC & JFC

In the intermediate championship, an unplayable pitch meant that Western Gaels and St Barry’s will have to wait another week to get their first game of the 2024 campaign, but there were emphatic victories for St Ciarán’s and St Croan’s over Michael Glaveys and Kilmore/Kilglass Gaels respectively.

Newly-promoted junior champions Michael Glaveys had home advantage for their clash against St Ciarán’s but the absence of a couple of established leaders from the side meant that despite the best efforts of Niamh Fleming, who led the way in terms of scoring, they suffered an outing that was every bit as tough as that endured by their senior men on Saturday evening.

Laura Fleming was in sensational form for St Ciarán’s as the county star weighed in with four goals, while Ciara Dowd, Tara O’Brien (two) and Elaine Daly also raised green flags in an 8-18 to 1-5 win for last year’s defeated finalists.

The only cloud on the horizon for the club, and indeed for Athleague’s chances of retaining their camogie title, is the news that Éala Coyle’s impressive showing will be her last for the foreseeable future as she heads out to Australia this week, with Aoife Beades and Chloe Whyte-Lennon set

to follow her to foreign shores after next weekend’s trip to Kilglass/Kilmore.

The Leitrim border combination have a lot of work to do themselves after they were overwhelmed by St Croan’s in Enfield, 7-26 to 1-3.

Croan’s had five goals on the board by half-time, with the two sister combinations – Ella and Emily Thompson, as well as Ava and Leah Malone – all enjoying productive afternoons. Team captain Áine Ward also impressed for St Croan’s at full-back.

Ladies JFC

In the junior championship, there was a thriller of a contest between Oran and Castlerea, ultimately finishing in a draw, 3-11 to 4-8.

Megan Flynn, with two goals from play, and Gráinne Whyte with six points from play were the stars for Oran, who led by eight points at the interval. However, Castlerea worked their way back into the game with a much-improved performance, taking the lead through a Lisa O’Rourke goal before Orla Connolly’s late equaliser ensured that Oran had something to show for their efforts.

In the second group, St Mary’s racked up a 5-16 to 1-6 win over Four Roads at Ballyforan, with Aoife Byrne and Niamh Feeney controlling the central positions, while Louise Brady (0-6) and Rebecca Keane

(2-3) did most of the damage up front. There was an entertaining contest in Lisnamult where Siofra Hession showed her quality with a strong scoring display from frees, and Shauna Walsh also impressed for Roscommon Gaels.

However, they didn’t have the firepower of St Faithleach’s, who ran out 6-17 to 2-11 winners. Eimear Flynn (2-7) and Ellen Irwin (1-5) topped the scoring charts for St Faithleach’s. In a strong and balanced team display, wing-forwards Orla Irwin and Rachel Banahan, as well as Niamh Scally at midfield and Marie Kelly at full-back, all stood out in an impressive showing from the Ballyleague women in what was their first outing of the season.

The last action of the weekend took place in Elphin, where last year’s beaten Junior championship finalists Northern Harps took on Strokestown in what was the first outing of the summer for Paddy Creevy’s side.

Against a young Strokestown team, Harps were the dominant side throughout, taking a 3-7 to 0-2 lead into the half-time break and running out 5-10 to 1-3 winners.

Lauren Shanagher (2-4) and Ciara Cunningham (2-1) led the scoring for the Elphin/Ballinameen combination, with Vanessa Kielty adding the fifth goal and county U-16 attacker Shauna McGrath underlining her potential with three points off the bench.

Aoife Beades and Éala Coyle of St Ciarán’s pictured at Ballinlough. Both played last weekend, but will depart for Australia in the coming weeks.

Ruth Finlass of Clann na nGael presents a pennant to Kilbride captain Alice Kelly in memory of the late Rochelle Mullaney (on Monday last).

SportsPeople

Lots of thrills in opening

Championship Review

< SEAMUS DUKE

Hodson Bay Hotel SFC

Group A

After an eight-point opening weekend win (see Kevin Egan’s match report) Roscommon Gaels will be happy with their start to the campaign while their opponents, Castlerea, know they will have to pick up points in their remaining games to

ensure that they stay in the top level of football.

In the other game in the group the wellworn cliché that ‘goals win games’ was never more appropriate as Tulsk scored three against Oran in Creggs.

The fact that Oran were the better team for most of the game will not be of much consolation this week as they watched Tulsk sub Kieran Donoghue blast home a winning goal with almost the last kick of the game.

Dylan Gaughan scored a brilliant solo goal in the opening half which kept Tulsk in contention. However Oran looked the better team, with Darragh Walsh and

Cormac Regan the most impressive performers for Sean Staunton’s side.

Just when it looked like Oran would pull away Daniel Connolly struck for a second Tulsk goal. Then, with just two in it, a third goal for Tulsk (in injurytime) sealed an unlikely win for them.

Group B

An opening day win for champions St Brigid’s against Michael Glaveys (see Kevin Egan’s report) did nothing to dispel the notion that the Kiltoom side are justified hottest of hot favourites to regain the Fahey Cup this year. The game between Western Gaels and

St Faithleach’s was postponed because of a bereavement in the Frenchpark club and will now be played on Saturday, 24th of August.

Group C

Boyle were less than impressive as they edged out St Dominic’s at Abbey Park. It was the Knockcroghery-based side that left the venue with regrets as they missed a number of good scoring chances.

Cian Kelly scored a fine goal for St Dominic’s before half-time. Boyle’s efficiency in front of the posts with debutant Cathal McKeon and the experi-

enced Donie Smith impressive ensured that Cian Smith’s men emerged victorious by two points. Boyle were without Daire Cregg and Cian McKeon, but they will need to improve.

In Johnstown, Clann na nGael struck late to stun neighbours Padraig Pearses. Pearses were full value for their fourpoint lead going into injury-time but a bizarre goal from Emmet Kenny, and points from Oisin O’Flaherty and a pointed free from Ciaran Lennon saw Clann snatch victory right at the death. It’s a huge win for Clann, but Pearses’ performance suggests that they will have a say later in the championship.

Gaels blow away league final blues

Hodson Bay Group Roscommon SFC

Roscommon Gaels 2-15

Castlerea St Kevin’s 1-10

< KEVIN EGAN AT O’ROURKE PARK

Spring was a time of rebirth in Roscommon town, specifically the rebirth of optimism and hope, after last year’s devastating championship semi-final defeat left Roscommon Gaels’ players and supporters in no doubt as to how far away they are from the heady days of 20 years ago and the culmination of a run of five senior championship wins in a decade. Under the guidance of new manager Mark Dowd, the Gaels mounted a strong defence of their O’Rourke Cup title, but a lot of that positivity seemed to evaporate into the ether when they

were blown away once again by St Brigid’s in the league final.

On Saturday evening at O’Rourke Park, the seeds of their second coming in 2024 started to germinate. Castlerea St Kevin’s were one of the more difficult teams to assess coming into this year’s Fahey Cup race. Their run to Connacht intermediate glory last winter was a robust endorsement of their ability and the players’ connection with, and respect for, Dara Bruen as manager is total. But experience and depth were real concerns, as was the potential for fatigue, given their long run of continuous action without a meaningful break.

However, there was a lot to like about what the home side produced in their return to senior football for the first time in six years. Their defence was robust, David Farrell showed why he is respected as one of the finest goalkeeping prospects

in the county, there was a solid kickout strategy and the attack was built around a traditional one-two punch, with Niall Connaughton as the big physical presence and Adam McDermott offering craft and incision around that.

What that meant, was that this was a real test for Roscommon Gaels – and they passed it. In the initial stages, they just looked that bit better overall. Mark Purcell shot over a fine point from play in the first attack, and while Castlerea came back with the next two points, including a nice solo effort from Donal Brennan, Gaels struck six of the next seven and looked to have far more penetration about them.

Central to that was Peter Gillooly at full-forward. With the wind favouring Castlerea, the challenge for the Gaels was to create space inside a much smaller ‘scoring zone’, and that was where the

number 14’s footwork and accuracy was vital. But a ten-minute spell from Castlerea before halftime changed everything. McDermott got them up and running with a free, earned for a cynical pullback when he might have been through on goal, and once they got air into their lungs and belief into their hearts, they caught fire. The impressive duo of Colm McDermott and John Curran combined to set up Niall Connaughton for a closerange goal, and points from Adam McDermott and Connaughton either side of half-time made it 1-7 to 0-7 in favour of Castlerea. Game on.

The big questions that were put to the Gaels were on the topics of composure, structure, and selfbelief. They answered them all. Gillooly ended a 12-minute scoring drought, Jack Donnelly strode forward to split the uprights, and once Cian Connolly exchanged passes with Ronan Gleeson and then fired a left-footed shot inside Farrell’s near post, there was no doubt about what way the game was going to go.

In the final quarter, Ryan Conlon’s cameo appearance was sufficiently impressive to suggest that he will be odds-on to start against Oran next time out, while Mark Purcell and Mark Healy at midfield, as well as Rory Carthy closer to goal, all showed their quality at various stages.

James Connolly’s late goal, palmed to the net after Conlon’s strong run made a fast breakaway count, felt like an unfair punishment at the end of a game Castlerea effort. But for the Gaels, it was a case of the pain of the league final truly being washed away. Onwards and upwards.

Teams & scorers

Roscommon Gaels: James Featherstone; Eoghan Carthy, Senan Lambe, Jack Donnelly (0-1); Tim Lambe, James Connolly (1-0), Joseph O’Malley; Mark Healy (0-1), Mark Purcell (0-3, 0-2f); Ronan Gleeson, Scott Oates, Paddy Fannon; Cian Connolly (1-1), Peter Gillooly (0-4), Rory Carthy (04, 0-2f). Subs used: Cathal Dineen for O’Malley (40), Ryan Conlon (0-1) for Fannon (44), John McGuinness for Oates (53).

Castlerea St Kevin’s: David Farrell; Frank Hester, Jack Keane, Thomas Callaghan; Pádraig Joyce, Seán Joyce, Michael Kelly (0-1); David Quinn, Michael Conroy; Colm McDermott, Adam McDermott (0-7, 0-6f), Donal Brennan (0-1); Peter Farrell, Niall Connaughton (1-1), John Curran. Subs used: Seamus Stenson for Curran (44), Shane Keenan for Kelly (44), John Farrell for Hester (48), Jonathan Hester for S Joyce (51), Eoghan Soares for P Joyce (59).

Referee: Ian Monaghan (St Brigid’s).

STAT ATTACK

Red cards: 0

Black cards: 0

Yellow cards: Roscommon Gaels

(Jack Donnelly, Mark Healy, Ronan Gleeson); Castlerea 0 Man of the Match: Peter Gillooly

Roscommon Gaels’ Peter Gillooly with the ball as Michael Kelly of Castlerea St Kevin’s gives chase during last Saturday’s Roscommon SFC match in Castlerea. Pic: Bernie O’Farrell

SportsPeople

weekend of club action

John Keane & Sons IFC

Group A

Elphin underlined their status as one of the favourites to win the Intermediate Football Championship as they had a comfortable 0-8 to 0-2 win against Padraig Pearses at Pairc an Piarsaigh in what was a dour encounter. Bigger tests lie ahead for Nigel Dineen’s men.

Shannon Gaels began their campaign in impressive fashion as they scored

3-15 against Kilbride. Matthew Bourke (1-6) and Evan Corcoran (2-4) were the Gaels’ scoring heroes on the day. On this form the men from Croghan will be a force in this intermediate campaign.

Group B

Creggs will be very happy with their six-point win against St Croan’s. With talisman Darren Gately and Ronan Dowd in top form, Creggs could be another dark horse.

St Croan’s (for whom Michael Holland starred) will want to win their next game to ease any worries

about a possible relegation battle. Last year’s ﬁnalists Eire Óg were pushed all the way by Fuerty and the accuracy of Conor Cox from frees proved crucial. Fuerty battled to the end with Gearoid Ennis excellent for the mid-Roscommon side.

Group C

Kilmore will be very happy with their three-point win against St Brigid’s. Caelan Bracken’s late goal sealed the win for Kilmore who had an outstanding performance from Jack Sharkey. St Brigid’s are now on the back foot and will be looking to

win one of their remaining games to stay in contention.

The match between St Michael’s and Strokestown was postponed and will be played this Saturday night in Cootehall at 7 pm. Strokestown will be expected to defeat last year’s junior championship winners.

King & Moffatt

Junior A FC

Six games took place in the opening round of the King & Moffatt Junior A Football Championship last weekend.

Ruthless St Brigid’s start in style

Hodson Bay Group Roscommon SFC St Brigid’s 0-17 Michael Glaveys 0-6

 KEVIN EGAN AT BALLINLOUGH

On Wednesday of last week, the assassination took place of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. While they haven’t formally taken responsibility, it’s widely accepted that Israel state forces conducted the operation, and that their choice of location was an example of muscle-ﬂexing on the world stage. After all, Haniyeh spent most of his time in Qatar, which would have been a much easier setting in which to carry out an attack of this nature.

Instead Israel (presumably) went into the heart of the most powerful nation in the region, at a time when security was heightened on account of the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian. This wasn’t just about removing an enemy, they wanted to demonstrate their power. If readers will pardon the comparison, St Brigid’s performance on Saturday night in Ballinlough was similar in a tactical sense. They took on a Michael Glaveys team that was in high spirits after winning the O’Gara Cup on their home ﬁeld, and they crushed their opponents with the relentless power, patience and precision of a Burmese Python that has a rabbit or a small deer in its grasp.

With the wind at their backs in the ﬁrst half, they built up a 0-9 to 0-1 lead, setting them well on the way to a double-digit victory that saw nine players get on the scoresheet for the club, while 0-16 out of the 0-17 tally came from open play.

Dylan Ruane missed one very scorable free after 17 minutes, and nearly ten more elapsed before Andy Glennon ﬁnally got the home team off the mark.

Meanwhile, St Brigid’s were devastatingly effective. Conor Hand opened the scoring from what was a perfectly-planned set-play off the throw-in. It took nearly eight minutes for Brian Derwin to add a second point and double the lead as Michael Glaveys had a few possessions that involved a lot of time probing and prodding around the middle third, but once the fullforward split the posts, St Brigid’s weren’t long getting up and running.

On Glaveys’ kickouts, the champions pushed right up to ensure that Seán Burke had no easy options, and even allowing for Caoileann Fitzmaurice’s power in the air, Shane Cunnane and Ruaidhrí Fallon piled on the pressure even further by winning the lion’s share of Burke’s restarts.

Cunnane was quite harshly pinged for one push in the back and Glaveys did win a couple of their own kicks, but in the main, Cunnane and Fallon either broke ball with accuracy and control into the path of a colleague, or else simply pulled it down out of the sky themselves – even though by some distance the best catch of the afternoon was a leap and grab from Brian Stack that must surely have scattered a few clouds, such was the altitude reached by the 2023 All-Star nominee.

The first ten minutes of the second half saw Hand add two more points – helping to push his final tally to 0-5 from play – either side of a fine score from the impressive John Cunningham. Glaveys’ second point of the day followed, but even Cathal Heneghan’s excellent strike from the right corner of the attack felt like trying to reinject the life back into a plate of burgers in your local butcher shop. Glaveys’ fate was sealed, and it was now a question of how much St Brigid’s really wanted to grill and char them.

The answer was not that much. Davy Cunniffe

and Pádraig Kelly in particular added energy off the bench, with Cunniffe probably doing enough to secure his starting slot next time out, but the rest of the team seemed largely happy to go through the motions, keep ticking along score for score, and just make sure they didn’t concede a goal. St Brigid’s managed that easily, sending out a clear signal to the rest of the county in the process.

Teams & scorers

St Brigid’s: Cormac Sheehy; Rúairí Smith, Pearse Frost, Robbie Dolan (0-1); Brian O’Hara Duggan, Brian Stack (0-1), Ronan Stack; Ruaidhrí Fallon (0-1), Shane Cunnane; Conor Hand (0-5), Eoin Sheehy, John Cunningham (0-2); Ciarán Sugrue (0-2), Brian Derwin (0-1), Bobby Nugent (0-3, 0-1f). Subs used: Davy Cunniffe (0-1) for Nugent (42), Pádraig Kelly for E Sheehy (44), Mark Daly for O’Hara Duggan (46).

Michael Glaveys: Seán Burke; Conor Donnellan, Shane O’Malley, David Frayne; Dylan Connolly, Liam Cregg, Neil Morris; Caoileann Fitzmaurice (0-1), Conor Hussey; Robert Heneghan, Andy Glennon (0-3, 0-2f), Dylan Ruane; Niall Heneghan, Cathal Heneghan (0-2, 0-1f), Daniel Hagney. Subs used: Luke Ruane for Frayne (42), Conor Ruane for Morris (48), Seán Brehony for Cregg (50), Séamus Burke for Hagney (54). Referee: Brendan Beirne (Ballinameen).

STAT ATTACK

Red cards: 0

Black cards: 0

Yellow cards: St Brigid’s 1 (Bobby Nugent); Michael Glaveys 1 (Conor Hussey)

In Group A, St Barry’s made a second-half comeback to defeat St Ronan’s on a scoreline of 2-18 to 0-14, while St Aidan’s defeated Western Gaels by one point, 0-10 to 1-6.

In Group B, Ballinameen got the better of Roscommon Gaels, winning the match by 0-10 to 0-4, while Clann na nGael ran out comfortable winners over St Joseph’s, 3-11 to 2-4. Finally, in Group C, Boyle overcame a resilient Kilglass Gaels side to win the match by one point, 1-7 to 0-9, and Strokestown were the winners of a high-scoring affair against Tulsk, 3-11 to 1-10.

Ciaran Sugrue nds a gap between Neil Morris and Conor Donnellan during last Saturday’s Roscommon SFC rst round match between Michael Glaveys and St Brigid’s in Ballinlough. Pic: Bernie O’Farrell

Man of the Match: Conor Hand