Local Notes: Adoration, Social Dance, Rosary Rally
Students from Cloonakilla NS with their Roscommon Herald souvenir posters celebrating Connacht Final wins for Roscommon teams.
Two members of Roscommon County Council from the Athlone Electoral Area will be selected as chairperson and vice-chairperson of Roscommon County Council at the AGM next month. Fine Gael Cllr Dominic Connolly will take the council chair and Independent Cllr Laurence Fallon, Ballagh, Rahara, will be elected council vice-chairperson. Cllr Connolly was first elected as a Fine Gael councillor in the Mid-Roscommon Electoral Area in 1991. He lost his seat in the 1999 local elections but was re-elected in 2004 and 2009 as a Fine Gael councillor in the electoral area. The closure of the Accident and Emergency unit at Roscommon University Hospital in 2011 resulted in both himself and Cllr Fallon resigning from the Fine Gael party. He was elected as an Independent member of the council in Mid-Roscommon in 2014, but lost out in the 2019 election when he also ran as an Independent candidate. He rejoined the Fine Gael party and successfully contested the 2024 election as a Fine Gael candidate in the Athlone Electoral Area. In that election the geographic areas of Athleague and Castlecoote were in the redrawn Athlone Electoral Area. Cllr Connolly is noted for his GAA involvements in particular. He has served as chairperson of Fuerty GAA Club and was manager of its 1991 junior side which won the Junior championship for the first time in 50 years. He is also a long-time activist with the Athleague Hurling Club and was manager of its senior panel for some years in the late nineties. He has also been an activist in Community Alert in Fuerty over the years.Cllr Fallon was initially elected as a Fine Gael member of Roscommon County Council in 2009 and left the party over the downgrading of Roscommon Hospital in 2011 and has remained an Independent member since then. He had the distinction of serving as chairperson of the council in 2020-2021 for one year. He has also served as chairperson of the Athlone Municipal District and is currently the chairperson of the Local Economic Development Committee of the council. He is also the current chairperson of the Roscommon Heritage Forum. He was actively involved in Macra Na Feirme back in the eighties and nineties and was national president of Macra from 1989 to 1991. He was also president of the European Council of Young Farmers from 1992 to 1994 and served as chairperson of the IFA Sheep Committee nationally in 2000-2001. He farms the family farm in his native Rahara.
General operatives and cleaning staff are required for the St Brigid's (Kiltoom and Cam) Parish Community Employment scheme in the Kiltoom area. The positions are for 19.5 work hours per week and anyone over the age of 50 signing for credits for a number of years may now apply for participation on the scheme. Those interested are requested to contact 0866005961 or email GAAadmin@stbrigidskiltoomce.com
The Roscommon Mobile Library service will visit Monksland on Thursday, June 4th, and again on Thursday, June 18th, from 1 p.m. to 3.30 p.m.. Library membership is free.
There will be Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at St Brigid's Church, Curraghboy, on this Friday, May 29th, at 7 p.m..
The winners of the weekly progressive 25 card drive at St Brigid's Handball Complex in Curraghboy on Tuesday night last were Mrs Marian Lynch, Mrs Bernadette Burke, Padraig Harney, Vinny Brady, Johnny Hughes, John McHugh, Ms Edel Geraghty, Mrs Audrey Flatley, Mrs Eimer Coyle, Gerry Menton, Mark Doyle, Ms Mary Duignan and Eamon Ward.
Hundreds of farm families in Mid-South Roscommon are being severely impacted by increased overheads for diesel, fertiliser and plastic as the hay saving and silage saving season looms in the weeks ahead. The outgoing chairperson of the Roscommon IFA County Executive, Pat Leonard, Station Road, Kiltoom, informed the Herald this week that concerns over price increases for diesel, fertiliser and plastic for wrapping were voiced by a number of farmers in attendance at the April county executive meeting of Roscommon IFA in Hannon's Hotel. Mr Leonard added that the recent Government financial package for farmers, contractors and hauliers is "a big help" but there is "still too much at play for the farmer". Pat intends to cut silage in June and also intends to save some hay in bales. While land conditions have improved with the recent fine spell of weather, land is still wetter than normal for this time of year. The silage and hay baling contractors will be charging extra due to increased diesel prices and plastic wrapping for bales. Fertiliser has also "gone up 30 percent in price" according to him. He hopes that the Middle East situation will be resolved amicably as soon as possible. The chairperson of the Moore IFA branch, Michael Glennon, Camcloon, Ballydangan, who is also chairperson of the Roscommon IFA Sheep Committee, told the Herald this week that winter was very long this year with a lot of rain, leaving fields nearly impassable. This resulted in a late spring with poor grass growth. The price increases for diesel, fertiliser , plastic and nearly all other farm related products will add to the silage and hay costs and the outcome is that this will in turn eat into the profits for individual farmers. Michael added that farmers now have sheep flocks with lambs out on grass and dog owners should know where their pets are at all times.
The death took place on May 7th at Mayo University Hospital of Mr Frank (Francis) Grehan, Kilmovee, Ballaghaderreen, who was a native of Camla, Taughmaconnell. The eldest of a farming family of six, he had been in ill health a short time and he bore his illness with characteristic fortitude. Educated at Taughmaconnell National School and Garbally College, Ballinasloe, he joined the Civil Service in Dublin at the age of 18 and resided in family setting at Templeogue, Dublin, for a number of years. In his initial years in Dublin he completed further studies in taxation and he was held in high regard by his work colleagues and all those with whom he became acquainted. He completed his career in the Civil Service at Davitt House, Castlebar, and resided in Kilmovee in recent decades. A devoted husband, father and grandfather, he was noted for his sense of neighbourliness in his residential catchment. A devout Catholic, he supported a wide range of church linked activities and attended both Papal visits in 1979 and 2018. An avid sports enthusiast, he was a follower of Gaelic games, rugby and golf. He was a staunch supporter of both the Roscommon and Mayo senior panels and spent many Sunday afternoons in Croke Park. He enjoyed the music scene generally as a hobby and danced to the showbands of yester year in Dublin ballrooms and also took an interest in the folk and ballad music scene. While a resident of Kilmovee he participated in a number of community activities. He was a member of the Board of Management of Tavrane National School and PRO of Kilmovee Community Games and Kilmovee Shamrocks Ladies GAA Club. His affability, innate decency and integrity was always to the fore and he enjoyed friendships with a wide age range. He is survived by his wife, Mary, a native of Kilmovee; son, Francis and daughters, Miriam, Emer and Niamh. He is also survived by his brothers, Michael, Dublin; Ger, Taughmaconnell; sister, Nuala, Cappataggle; grandson, Jude; nieces, nephews and a number of other relatives. Following Mass on Sunday, May 10th, at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Kilmovee, the burial took place in Naomh Mobhi Cemetery.
The next social dance at Moore Community Hall is scheduled for Friday, May 29th. Dancing will be from 9.30 p.m. with Matt Leavy. Contact Rosie @ 0877707105.
General operatives and administrative staff are required for diverse areas of the Moore Community Employment scheme. For additional information see www.jobsireland.ie or contact 0862501475.
The death took place on Saturday, May 9th, at the Galway Hospice of Ms Fiona Watson, Coill Clocha, Oranmore, Galway, who was a native of Creagh, Bealnamullia. In her early fifties, she had been in ill health for some time and she bore her illness with characteristic dignity. A lecturer at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, latterly the Atlantic Technical University, she had resided previously in Craughwell, County Galway. An individual of undoubted intellect, she will long be remembered by her work colleagues and former students for her teaching skills and her concern for the welfare and well-being of all her students. She was predeceased in recent months by her father, Pat, and she is survived by her son, Victor; mother, Evelyn, (nee Kelly, Carrick, Kiltoom) her ex-husband, Damien; brother, Brendan, sister, Patricia, nephew, nieces and a number of other relatives. Following the Funeral Mass at St Colman's Church, Craughwell, on Wednesday, May 13th, the remains were cremated at Shannon Crematorium.
At the May meeting of Taughmaconnell Community Council in Taughmaconnell Community Centre on Wednesday night last votes of sympathy were extended to Ronan Kelly, Dundonnell, Taughmaconnell, on the recent death of his sister, Mrs Frances Thomas, Warickshire, England, and formerly of Dundonnell and also to the Grehan family, Camla, Taughmaconnell, on the recent death of Frank Grehan, Kilmovee, and formerly of Camla.
A bus to Knock Shrine for the All-Ireland Rosary Rally will leave at Athlone at 7.45 a.m. on Saturday, June 6th. Booking is essential. Contact Caroline on 0861960256.
