Local Notes: Family history clinic, club takes centre stage in Croke Park and London Rose
Pictured is Rose of Roscommon Rachel Hastings presenting a cheque for the sum of €1,505 to Joe Murphy in aid of the Nicola Brennan-Murphy Fund. Many thanks to all who attended Rachel's Rose send-off party and helped raise this sum. Many thanks also to the all sponsors who donated prizes for the raffle.
As part of the Heritage Week celebrations there will be a free Family History Clinic with Eilish Feeley, genealogist, on Thursday, August 22nd in Strokestown Library. This is a rare opportunity to get guidance on tracing family ancestry. Places are limited, so to book a time slot, please contact Helen at the Library on 0906637227.
What a beautiful morning at Strokestown parkrun on Saturday as the volunteers and participants made their way into the lovely grounds of Strokestown House. There were. 36 participants, which included five first timers. Well done to all. Breda Neary, from Manchester, visiting family in Slatta took part.
Congratulations to Barry Lohan, first male and Katie Daly, first lady home, both regulars at the parkrun. Parkrun continues every Saturday at 9.30 a.m. with pre-briefing at 9.20 a.m.. Run, walk or jog, all abilities welcome. Do come along and join in for your 5km and enjoy a cuppa and chat in the lovely cafe.
Results of the SCDA fortnightly draw held on August 6th - numbers drawn - 6, 11, 14, 20. One "Lucky Dip" winner – Margaret Murphy, Scramogue. Next draw is on Tuesday, August 20th at the SCDA office. Thank you for your continued support.
As there will be only one priest serving in the parish on Sunday, August 18th Sunday Masses will be celebrated at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Strokestown, at 9 a.m., and 11.30 a.m., only.
Roscommon Dementia Alliance holds its monthly cafe on Wednesday, September 18th from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Lough Key Forest Park Visitor Centre, Boyle, and will include music, song, advice and a chat. Please contact Teresa Keegan at (087) 7061183 for more information.
Mrs Loretta Hand, Kildallogue Heights Strokestown, has been bereaved by the death of her sister, Mrs Jaqueline (Jackie) Whyte (nee Harlow) of Mullagh, Loughrea, County Galway, which took place recently at her home after a period of ill-health. She was a native of The Square, Roscommon Town. Requiem Mass was celebrated at St. Brendan's Church, Mullagh, and cremation followed at Shannon Crematorium. She is survived by her husband, Bernard; daughter, Angela; sons, Alan and Conor; son-in-law, Kenneth Sheil; Alan's partner, Carol McCarthy; grandchildren, Eliza Whyte, and Callum and Lachlan Jack Sheil; sisters, Mrs Marita Hegarty and Lorette; brother, Padraig; brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, the extended Whyte, Harlow and Dowling families. and other relatives to whom deepest sympathy is extended.
A one day pilgrimage to Lough Derg will be held on Sunday, August 25th. A bus will leave from Ballyleague Hall at 7 a.m. Enquires to Mary at 043 3321969 booking essential.
Last Sunday was a red-letter day for Tulsk Camogie Club with 80 club members travelling to Croke Park for the All Ireland Camogie finals. The club’s U-12 girls, who are sponsored by Kingsize.ie, were one of the select few teams in the country to have been chosen to play a mini game at half time of the Junior All-Ireland Final. Not only that but club representative Aoife Beirne paraded the pitch with the Roscommon U-14 team. Well done to everyone associated with the club on what was a memorable day for all concerned.
The sympathies of local residents are extended to Marie O'Connor of Curbsne, Tulsk on the passing of her father, Patrick (Pake) Harte, late of Clooncran, Trien, Castlerea in the care of the staff of Central Park Nursing Home, Clonberne, surrounded by his loving family. The deceased reposed at McDonagh’s Funeral Home, Castlerea before being removed to St. Caoilin’s Church, Trien where following Mass of the Resurrection yesterday (Monday) interment took place in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Castlerea.
This weekend the Tulsk History Society will be unveiling four wall plaques as part of Heritage Week in the county. Four esteemed natives of the parish will be honoured in the picnic area of the village – D-Day hero Mike Rogers, author and poet Mary Kelly Gorges, artist Roderic O’Conor, and traditional musician Tom McHale. There is an open invite for the event and anyone with an interest in the history and heritage of Tulsk parish is welcome and asked to come along. Teas and coffees will be served after the formal unveiling at 12.30 p.m. on Sunday, August 18th.
Well done to Roxy Moylan who represented Tulsk in the national Community Games finals in Athlone TU at the weekend. Roxy acquitted herself very well in the face of very strong competitors. The support of Roscommon Community Games is also acknowledged in supporting Roxy’s efforts.
The posters are up and the anticipation is building ahead of Glenna Mannion’s appearance at this year’s Rose of Tralee competition. Glenna is representing London as the London Rose in this year's competition and will have the best wishes of all the community ahead of her participation.
This year’s Farming Rathcroghan Conference takes place on Friday, August 23rd from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Rathcroghan Visitor Centre, Tulsk, F45 HH51. Following the success of Farming Rathcroghan EIP 2019-2023, which was a locally led approach, that delivered a unique farming, archaeology and cultural heritage project over the five years 2019-2023, the project is now being developed further. The initiative will be funded over the next two years under the Just Transition Fund 2024-2026 supporting and training up to 60 farmers across a 3.5 km square area in Rathcroghan in a number of activities related to farming, archaeology and preserving cultural heritage. The 2024 Farming Rathcroghan Conference provides an opportunity to share the success story of the project to date while offering a forum to discuss and debate relevant issues. The 2024 programme will examine the impact of new emerging issues in agriculture such as the new Just Transition Fund and Nature Restoration Law. Bord Bia will be participating and supporting conference at conference this year with some insights on sustainable agriculture. Roscommon County Council will be presenting an overview of its Climate Plan 2024-2029 and there are proposed talks on biodiversity and pollinator plans and the expectations for farmers. This year’s themes of Connections, Routes and Networks for Heritage Week, with built heritage such as our dry-stone walls and traditional farm gates, form part of conference proceedings. There will be a digital video presentation at conference this year on the very successful Rathcroghan Ogham Alphabet Garden at Bord Bia Bloom 2024.The conference will be dived into four presentation and discussion sections, namely Trends and Transitions from 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.; Agriculture and Sustainability from 11.30 a.m. to 12.30 a.m.; Farming and Agriculture from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and finally Culture and Heritage 3.30-4.30. Register now for this evening on www.farmingrathcroghan.ie or by emailing richie@farmingrathcroghan.ie or telephone 086-1704113.
Roscommon SPCA will hold its annual church gate collection at St. Catherine’s Church, Killina on Saturday, August 17th next. The support of parishioners would be greatly appreciated.
Rathcroghan Visitor Centre has announced a new discount package for visitors to the centre and a number of other tourist landmarks in the county. On paying full entry to the Rathcroghan Visitor Centre, National Famine Museum Strokestown, Arigna Mining Museum, King House Boyle or Rathcroghan visitor Centre, one will receive their ‘Roscommon Revealed’ card to get 20% off entry to the other four visitor attractions. This is an innovative and far sighted initiative which deserves to be supported. Local residents are encouraged to spread the word and tell their family, friends and visitors to the community.
Tune in to the Rathcroaghan Visitor Centre Facebook page if the You Tube Channel on Monday, August 19th at 6 p.m. to see Dr Eve Campbell’s talk titled “Later Medieval Gaelic Settlement in Machaire Connacht - insights from the N5 Ballaghadereen to Scramoge Road Project”. This talk is a pre-recorded event to mark National Heritage Week taking place between August 17th and 25th.
