Local Notes: Remembering John O'Mahony, heritage group tour and healing night
Mary Finnerty, Niamh Daly, Sarah Finnerty and Gráinne Cunniffe, celebrating St. Brigid’s intermediate ladies’ football victory from 20 years’ ago, at a get-together in St. Brigid’s clubhouse. Pic. Gerard O’Loughlin
With adjudication in the Tidy Towns and village competition now imminent, a number of Tidy Town groups in South Roscommon villages have been busy in recent months in their endeavours to improve the overall marks of the respective villages in the competition this year. Ballyforan trader, Mrs Maureen Kenny, is a joint treasurer of the Ballyforan Tidy Towns group. She has operated a general grocery outlet in the village for the past 55 years and she is pleased with the general upkeep and infrastructural improvements in the village environs over the past two decades in particular. Aside from general tidying and maintenance the Ballyforan group has erected four hanging baskets in the environs of the village pump. Two new seats have also been placed in the village and there has been additional planting of flowers and shrubs on the approach roads. The trees have also been "pruned" in the car park. Maureen stresses that all the members of the village group play their part by way of work input annually.
The chairperson of the Lecarrow Tidy Towns Group, Jimmy Darcy, is delighted that the recently installed path from Coffey's general grocery and licensed premises to the Ballybrogan road is now a much appreciated additional extra to the village structure. The additional public lighting has been switched on and members of the committee plan on removing bushes and thorns from the walk-way along Lecarrow Canal. He is also delighted with the Leader funded part-time worker. Lecarrow upped its marks by five in the competition last year and Jimmy hopes that there will be a further improvement this year.
Cllr Tony Ward is the chairperson of the Curraghboy Tidy Village Committee. He is pleased that the approach roads to the village look well and also that the St Brigid's Handball Complex in the centre of the village has been recently painted. The committee has also planted additional shurbs and flowers. He has praised his committee for the "trojan work" they do annually in picking up litter around the village.
In his role as chairperson and PRO of Taughmaconnell Community Council, Seamus Kelly prefaces his comments by pointing out that nine new houses have been built in recent years in the environs of the Chapel Street village structure. Under the umbrella of the Community Council a Community Employment Scheme with six participants and a supervisor have been operating for a number of years. The work remit includes car parks and cemeteries and the general maintenance of flower beds and grass cutting. Currently the Community Council is looking at the possibility, in association with the Skyvalley Rovers Soccer Club, of extending the public lighting and footpath down the Brideswell road to include the soccer pitch environs. He stresses that the Community Council also part funds the CE scheme annually and some finance was raised in recent years by the staging of the drama in the Community Centre.
A sense of sadness was felt among the GAA activists in the Parish of Kiltoom and Cam on Sunday when the news broke of the death of John O'Mahony, the former Mayo, Leitrim and Galway senior team manager for varying time periods. The deceased, who also served as a Fine Gael Dail Deputy for Mayo and latterly in the Seanad, was the trainer-coach of the St Brigid's senior panel in 1997 when they defeated Clann Na nGael in the county senior final in Dr Hyde Park. The following year he went on to manage the Galway senior panel to All-Ireland successes. He had been ill in recent months and sympathy is extended to his wife, five daughters and extended family.
There will be a Holy Hour with Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in St Brigid's Church, Curraghboy, on this Friday, July 12th, at 7 p.m..
The recent Lourdes Assisted Pilgrims collection realised €826.74 in the Parish of Kiltoom and Cam. Meanwhile, the Spiritans have expressed their thanks to all those in the Parish of Kiltoom and Cam who contributed to their recent envelope collection, which realised €950.
This week sees the start of a new exhibition in Ballinasloe Library’s Church Gallery by the local Artlink Collective. With members from three counties including Galway, Roscommon, Westmeath, this year’s chosen theme is “Foodie Art”. The exhibition runs until Friday, July 26th with an official opening on Saturday, July 13th at 2 .30 p.m. in the Library with an opportunity to meet some of the artists taking part. Using a wide variety of mediums, members of the group have explored their own personal interpretations of the subject with a varied and interesting take on the topic. The artists involved are Bernard Dooley, Catherine and Lucy Kelly Desmond, Rosemarie Langtry, James and Martin McDonnell, Noreen O’Sullivan, Catherine Patrickson, Ness Porter Kelly and Anne Towers.
RosFM Community Radio celebrates its 20th anniversary with Mick Flavin on this Friday, July 12th in the Abbey Hotel from 9.30 p.m. to 12.30 a.m.. Admission €10 door prizes on the night.
Fire and Love Ministries, a Catholic lay evangelising group, is holding a healing night in Taughmaconnell Hall H53 V9D7 on Wednesday, July 17th from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.. Contact Marie Egan 087 3134010 or Mary Burnell 086 1532542. All welcome.
The marriage took place on Saturday, June 22nd, at the Church of the Risen Christ, Ballybay, Kiltoom, between Raymond Francis, son of Eddie and Carmel Francis, Ballycreggan, Kiltoom and Laura Connolly, daughter of Jim Connolly and Jennifer, Glannworth, County Cork. The bride was given away by her father. The ceremony with Nuptial Mass was performed by Very Rev. John Deignan, PP, Ss Peter and Paul, Athlone. The bestman was JP Delaney, friend of the groom. The groomsmen were Kevin Francis, brother of the groom; Billy Fitzgerald, brother-in-law of the bride and Jonathan Yu, friend of the groom. The bridesmaids were Jennifer Connolly, Rachel Fitzgerald, Sarah Connolly and Kelly Connolly, all sisters of the bride. The lessons were read by Carmel Francis, mother of the groom and Kristen Francis, niece of the groom. The flower girls were Robyn Francis, daughter of the bride and groom; Esme Fitzgerald, niece of the bride and Kristen Francis, niece of the groom. Hymns with musical accompaniment were rendered by Amber Moon. The reception was held at the Shamrock Lodge Hotel, Athlone, and the honeymoon was spent in Amsterdam. The couple will reside ar Danesfort, Monksland, South Roscommon.
The death took place on Thursday, June 20th, at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, of Mrs Teresa Greene, Lakeland, Ballydangan. The former Ms Teresa Berrigan, Clonark, Cornafulla, she had been lovingly cared for over the past five years at the Garbally View Nursing Home, Ballinasloe. Of a caring and affable disposition, the deceased was devoted to her immediate and extended family and respected in her residential catchment for her capacity for hard work on the family farm. Aged 95 on October 6th last, she was noted for performing neighbourly deeds and kind acts in her residential community and she was also a trustworthy friend to many. She had been a member of the Moore ICA Guild in the decades past and she supported a number of community and Church linked activities. A devout Catholic, she espoused Christian values by virtue of everyday example. Predeceased by her husband Patrick in September 1999, she is survived by sons, Willie, Loughrea; Padraig, Sligo; Joseph, Clonark; Vincent, Leixlip; Martin, Lakeland, Ballydangan; daughters, Mrs Mary Blade, Tuam; Mrs Kitty Leonard, Bishopstown, County Cork and Mrs Brid Kelly, Drum. A member of a family of one boy and three girls, she is also survived by one sister, Mrs Nancy Cogavin Creagh, Ballinasloe; 14 grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren; nieces, nephews and a number of other relatives. Following Concelebrated Mass at St Mary's Church, Moore, on Sunday, June 23rd, the burial took place in Moore New Cemetery. The principal celebrant of the Mass was Very Rev. Michael Molloy, PP, Moore and Cloonfad. The other celebrants were Very Rev. Tom Grenham, a native of Moore; Rev. Michael Hickey, CC, Drum and Rev. Joseph Wenzenlaus, CC, Ss Peter and Paul, Athlone.
To coincide with the 1500 anniversary of the death of St Brigid in 524, the Camino of St Brigid walk to the holy well of St Brigid in Brideswell will once again take place on Sunday, July 28th. The 11.7 km route will be from the Church of the Risen Christ, Ballybay, Kiltoom, to St Brigid's Church, Curraghboy and then on to St Brigid's Holy Well beside Brideswell National School in South Roscommon's most central village, Brideswell. The objective of the Camino of St Brigid is to give a sense of pilgrimage about the day and to encourage people to engage in pilgrimage and faith on that day. The annual pattern Mass is always celebrated at the Holy Well of St Brigid in Brideswell on the last Sunday in July and the traditional stations are recited at 4 p.m. on Sunday evening.
The Drum Heritage Group will travel to Limerick City this summer on their annual coach tour on this Sunday, July 14th. The travel cost of the coach is €15 per person which must be paid when the booking is made. The tour itinerary will include King John's Castle in Limerick and Bunratty Folk Park. Those who wish to make bookings are requested to telephone 085-2094555 as soon as possible.
