Local Notes: The Mark English Connection, Nationwide, Willow Classes
Cece and Jo O'Heir, Cootehall enjoying Elphin Agricultural Show on Saturday. Pic: Breda Durr
The village of Knockcroghery was happy to celebrate the recent success of Mark English winning an historic European gold medal in athletics.
Mark made history on August 13th by winning the 800m gold at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, becoming the first Irish man to win an individual European gold medal. He also set a European championship record of in the semi-finals. His record time of 1:43.49 smashed Olaf Beyer’s championship record of 1:43.84 which was set all the way back to the 1978 European Athletics Championships in Prague where the East German upset Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe for the title. Mark’s grandfather Pat English hailed from Knockcroghery and previously represented Roscommon and Connacht on the football field. Pat came from Corbooley. He won two senior county football medals with the great St. Patrick’s team in 1945 and 1946. He went on to play senior football with Roscommon, losing out narrowly in the All-Ireland semi-final in 1953 to Armagh after a replay. His work as a member of An Garda Siochana took him to Letterkenny in County Donegal.
Mark’s father, Joe English, was a regular visitor to Knockcroghery in the 1960s and 1970s where he spent several memorable summer holidays with his first cousin Jim English, a local well known agricultural contractor. Jim’s father was the late Frank English and his mother Delia passed away in 2020 aged 97 years. Joe recalls playing handball in Knockcroghery handball alley, swimming and fishing in Portrunny on Lough Ree, hunting game, thinning turnips, drawing buckets of water from wells, turning hay, footing turf or simply picking mushrooms in a local field. In those hazy summer days, many a wafer ice-cream was enjoyed in Gordon’s Post Office in Knockcroghery or bringing groceries back on a bicycle from Murray’s General Store. Happy days were spent walking regularly to Joe’s aunt Peggy (English) Malynn who lived in Culleens and to his aunt Nancy (English) Finneran in Racecourse, both of whom have passed on to their eternal reward.
Mark English was born and raised in Letterkenny and attended secondary school at St Eunan's College. He played under-age Gaelic football before switching to athletics during his Transition Year. He studied medicine at University College Dublin (UCD) and qualified as a doctor in 2019, working through Covid on the wards of Dublin’s Mater hospital before pausing his practice ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.
He first came to prominence when he finished finished 5th at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona. He has won multiple European medals over a 12-year span, including outdoor bronze in 2014 and 2022, indoor silver in 2015, and indoor bronze in 2019 and 2025.Mark has competed at the Olympic Games in Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024. Mark is very proud of his Knockcroghery and Corbooley connections and looks forward to visiting again soon. He hopes to compete next at the World Ultimate Games in Budapest on Saturday September 12th.
WILLIAMSTOWN
With a certain normality having returned after our hectic, and very successful Heritage Week, we have our next meeting on this Wednesday, September 2, at 8 p.m. in Templetogher. In addition to reviewing events of the recent past, we will be continuing with our plans for ongoing projects. All members are asked to attend. Following the recent edition of the popular RTÉ 1 programme Nationwide, there has been a renewed interest in “The Puddler Poet - the Life, Times and Poetry of Michael McGovern”, the biography of a very talented local man from Castlefield, Williamstown, written by the renowned RTÉ broadcaster, the late Jim Fahy. It is currently available at €20, from many bookshops and other outlets in the locality, in the West of Ireland, and further afield. It can also be purchased directly from Leo Finnegan (086 1603043) (finneganleo100@gmail.com) We extend our sincere sympathy to the family, relatives and friends of the late Kathleen Murphy, Curragh West; also to the family, relatives and friends of the late Tommy Higgins, Knockanara. RIP Kathleen and Tommy. We congratulate the Williamstown footballers and management on a dramatic and important victory over St. Gabriel’s in the Primary Junior Championship tie, played in Kilconnell on Saturday evening. Though practically all of our members have renewed their membership fee for 2026, there are still some coming forward with their membership. A warm thank you to all of those who have renewed. All others who wish, may take out either regular membership or, for those not in a position to attend our meetings, associate membership, with the fee for both remaining at €20. You can see all the Heritage Society’s activities on our Facebook page - facebook.com/heritagewilliamstown
Our community, and the Curragh West area in particular, has just lost one of its senior and most popular members with the passing of Kathleen Murphy (nee Murray). She was originally from Cloonkeen, Glenamaddy and was predeceased by her husband, Patrick. She enjoyed a long, healthy and fulfilling life, with the three cornerstones of her life being her faith, her family and her work. Friendly and sociable by nature, she was the best of neighbours in the close-knit community of Curragh West. With her welcoming, generous manner, she was always ready to support the various positive community events over the years. We extend our sympathy to her sons James, Michael and Patrick, daughter Mary, daughter-in-law Anne, grandchildren, cousins, relatives, neighbours and friends. RIP Kathleen.
The edition of the popular RTÉ 1 Programme, Nationwide, which was broadcast on Monday, August 17, and which included a feature on Williamstown, continues to attract widespread, positive feedback. The feature dealt, in a detailed and positive manner, with the activities of the local Tidy Town group; the local Primary School; the achievement of the local Heritage Society in winning the first ever National Heritage Award, (this was a new section in the Annual National Tidy Town Competition, in 2023); the biography of long forgotten local poet, Michael McGovern, by the late renowned journalist, Jim Fahy, in conjunction with the local Heritage Society; and our community in general. Those interviewed on the programme were Chairman of Williamstown Tidy Towns, Noel Finnegan; Heritage Society activists, Mary and Darragh Mullins; Heritage Society Chairperson, Leo Finnegan; and Aideen Fahy, daughter of the late Jim Fahy. Again, all those involved in the feature wish to convey their warm thanks to the huge number of people who took the trouble to pass on their very complimentary remarks.
A Creggs fundraiser fashion show (F42 D592) with the renowned stylist Celia Holman-Lee & the Holman Lee Agency will take place on Friday, October 2nd. A wonderful night's entertainment with fashion from a wide range of boutiques to suit all ages - an award-winning milliner, jewellery & accessories. All showcased by the Holman-Lee Agency and expertly described by the stylist herself Celia Holman-Lee. She'll even give us her posture & modelling tips. The fundraiser is in aid of Creggs Rural Development and the new Sunflower Children's Hospice, Castlebar, the first children's hospice outside of Dublin which will be a place of care, comfort and compassion for children, and their families across the West of Ireland and beyond. Tickets €30 each on sale in O'Rourke's Creggs or phone Sheila 087 8382944.
Sympathy is extended to Mary Healy, Eamon and Jimmy Morris, Kiltultogue on the death of their sister Breda Cavers, whose death occurred recently in Leicester, England. May she rest in peace.
Music sessions with Liam Purcell and friends will resume in Crossna Community Centre, Cleen Hall, F52A497 on Sunday, September 6th, from 4-6 p.m.. All welcome.
Work with Willow classes - in Ardcarne Park Complex starting Sept 23rd for a six-week duration. Class is supported by Community Education Galway/ Roscommon ETB, numbers are limited. So booking is essential/ first come first included. Phone Nuala 086 3974566.
Cootehall, Crossna & Drumboylan Defibrillator Group are launching their 2026 Fundraising Appeal. From the second week of September to the first week of October, members of our committee will be calling to every house in the parish of Ardcarne with donation envelopes. We are asking for your support to help us raise enough money to purchase six new, state-of-the-art defibrillators to replace our existing units, which are now reaching the end of their operational lifespan. Every donation, no matter how big or small, will make a difference. Your support will help us ensure that our community continues to be a safe place to live, work and visit. Please support our Fundraising Appeal and help us continue to provide this vital, potentially life-saving service within our community. More information will be published in the coming weeks.
Graveyard Masses - Mass will be celebrated in Kileenan Graveyard on Saturday 5th September at 3 p.m. There will a collection at the gate for the ongoing maintenance of both graveyards. Mass will be celebrated in Ardcarne Graveyard on Sunday, September 6th at 12 noon. There will be a collection at the gate towards the cost of lighting Ardcarne Church and Graveyard. Your financial support would be greatly appreciated.
Full-time Adult Education courses starting September 2026 in Leitrim College of Further Education and Training (MSLETB) located at our Drumshanbo campus on the Hilly Road, N41 C6X6 and Carrick on Shannon campus - The Courtyard, N41 A386 and N41 TE20. Find out about our QQI Level 5 & 6 courses in Business, Equine, Health Nutrition and Food Science, Healthcare Skills, Music, Outdoor Sports and Recreation, Psychology, Youth and Social Studies and Tourism on our website www.leitrimcollege.ie, our Facebook and Instagram pages @LeitrimCollege or call 089-2667813.
