Local Notes: London and New York Welcome Ballagh Locals, Ladies Night in Ballagh, Get Into Golf
Ballaghs on Tour - Nicholas Murphy Ian Bermingham and Danny Egan meet Helena from The Hercules Holloway Road supporting Mayo in London last weekend.
Ballaghaderreen witnessed something of a mass exodus last week as Gaelic football supporters from both sides of the divide travelled in large numbers to London and New York respectively. Supporters with Ballaghaderreen connections followed Mayo to Ruislip, where they overcame a spirited London side, while Roscommon supporters made the journey to Gaelic Park to see their county negotiate an assignment against New York. Both London and New York will no doubt have benefited financially and culturally from the influx of travelling GAA supporters, and the town extends sincere thanks to the clubs and communities in both great cities for their hospitality. Ballaghaderreen has long-standing ties with both London and New York, with generations from the area having found work, friendship and welcome there over many decades. On to the next round of the unique Ballagh rivalry in late April.
A ladies night will take place in Durkin’s, on Saturday, April 18th at 7 p.m., featuring a makeup demonstration by Megan McDonnell with a talk from Epiluxe Beauty Clinic (Maria McCarthy), along with a hair demo from Headerz Hair Studio and a wellness talk from Anam Cairde Yoga with Olivia. Guests will be welcomed with prosecco on arrival, goodie bags and a raffle on the night, followed by live music from Jenna Sloane in The Hatch Bar. Tickets are €25 and must be purchased in advance, available from Castle Kidz and Headerz or by contacting 087 1206069 or castlekidzdance@gmail.com, with all proceeds in aid of Castle Kidz Childcare.
The Ballaghaderreen Women’s Shed will hold its annual day trip on Tuesday, June 9th with this year’s outing titled ‘The Erris Experience’. The trip is open to all guests and not just members, and promises a full day of fun, music, dancing, laughter and good company. The coach will depart from Ballaghaderreen at 8 a.m. and return at approximately 9 p.m. with pick-up and drop-off in the town. All food and light refreshments are included, and full details can be found on the Women’s Shed Group socials. The BWSG would be delighted to welcome along anyone interested in joining.
Ballaghaderreen Golf Club will run its Get into Golf programme for new beginner ladies and complete beginners, starting on April 13th at 7 p.m. in the clubhouse with an introduction night, meet and greet, and refreshments. No experience or golf clubs are needed. Junior registration dates will be confirmed in mid to late April. For further information, contact 087 1463625 or ballaghaderreen-golfclub@gmail.com, or follow the club on Facebook.
he GAA 50/50 draw was held on Sunday, April12th in Clarke’s Bar, Pound Street. Winner of the jackpot of €525 were Abi & James Beirne c/o The Hatch, selling agents, The Hatch. Next draw is on Sunday, April 19th in Spell’s Bar.
Brusna Defibrillator Group is holding the annual Spring Clean on Saturday, April 18th, meeting point Brusna Church at 11 a.m. bags, gloves etc will be distributed to be used for the clean-up. If you are unable to do your area on the 18th you can do it any day or time that suits you before April 26th. If you have any queries, contact 086 1271035.
Would you be interested in a free paediatric first aid course running on a weekday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.? The course will cover infant and child CPR and AED, along with how to manage common injuries, fractures, burns, allergies and seizures. It is open to parents, guardians and grandparents only, and not for those working in a professional childcare setting. Anyone interested can email lauryn@ridc.ie to book a place, subject to numbers.
Ballaghaderreen Community Games will hold its local athletics day on Sunday, April 26th starting at 10 a.m. at Ballaghaderreen Community Park. It promises to be a great local occasion for young athletes and families, with the event forming part of the Cairn Community Games programme in the town.
The Ballaghaderreen 50/50 Club draw took place on Tuesday, April 7th with a jackpot of €320, won by Ava Hanley and Ciaran Horan. The winning ticket was sold in Hatch Bar. The next draw will take place on April 14th at the Community Park. Many thanks to everyone for their continued support. Tickets remain available in outlets throughout the town and online at Clubforce.com, while annual tickets are also available for €90.
The dates for Year 4 of the Ballaghaderreen Arts Festival have been announced as August 1st to 9th. Further details on acts and ticket information will be released at a later stage, and updates will be shared on the festival page.
The next artist monthly meet up will be held in Ballagh Library on Thursday, April 30th from 6 - 7.30.m.. The theme is Reaching out / Working Together. If you 'd like to share your practice in an informal setting, email Joanna at creativeplacesballagh@gmail.com
A creative art café will start monthly on the first Friday - May 1st 6 – 8 p.m. at The Shambles.
A meeting to discuss and gauge interest in a local film club will be held on Tuesday, April 21st, 7.30 p.m. - 8.30 p.m. in The Shambles.
Do you love everything to do with art, creativity and culture? Do you want to meet people and help out with events, activities, interactions?Creative Places Ballagh is looking for volunteers, 18yrs +, to help out at various events throughout the year. The role is voluntary, and can include evenings and weekends. Contact 0868372921 or creativeplacesballagh@gmail.com
The Ballaghaderreen Notes is a space for the community — if you have local news, a story worth sharing, an upcoming event, a fundraiser, a milestone, or anything happening in and around Ballaghaderreen, feel free to send it in so it can be included for others to see. Whether it’s a club update, school achievement, charity drive, “thank you” note, community notice, or a reminder about something coming up, this column is here to reflect what’s going on locally and to help keep people connected. Contact Erik Nielsen at ballaghaderreennotes@gmail.com
