Local Notes:Community Games Art, Family Painting, Film Club
The first Ballaghaderreen Community Food Feast took place on Sunday in Ballaghaderreen Community Garden, bringing together local residents and newcomers for an afternoon of food, music and conversation.
The Kilmovee Community First Responder group has been operational with the National Ambulance Service (NAS) since November 24th, 2025 and hopes to have an official launch evening for the group towards the end of September 2026. This is a volunteer group trained to attend certain types of emergency calls within the area/community. The operational area is a 6 km radius from Kilmovee village. Theareas covered include Kilmovee, Urlaur, Tavraun, Lisacul, Loughglynn, Gorthaganny, Brosna, Castlemore to the outskirts of Ballaghaderreen town. The group responds to emergencies 24/7 having been dispatched by the National Ambulance Service (NAS) on receipt of 112/999 calls into the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC). The aim is to reach a potentially life-threatening emergency in the first vital minutes to preserve life until the ambulance reaches the patient. The role is to help stabilise the patient and provide the appropriate care until the more highly skilled ambulance crew arrives on scene to take over the treatment. This care includes the use of CPR & fefibrillation in the management of a cardiac arrest call; the assessment and treatment of heart attacks or strokes and the relief of choking incidences. Currently the group has four fully trained responders who, for the past seven months, once activated by NAS, have attended numerous emergency callouts within the operational areas. The group is running a free community first responder training course for anyone living/working in the operational areas on Saturday, June 20th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Kilmovee Community Centre, F45WY80 Anyone in the community over the age of 18 can become a volunteer lifesavers by training to become a community first responder. If you wish to participate then please contact either by Watsapp, text or -email, Gerry Regan, co-ordinator on mobile 086 6815009 or email kilmoveecfrg@gmail.com
Ballaghaderreen Community Games once again showcased the wonderful creativity and artistic talent of local young people at the recent art competition. Children across a range of age categories produced an impressive variety of artwork, making judging a difficult task for organisers. Congratulations to all participants who took part and represented their schools and community so well. Winners included Aoife Ginty, Jamal Hussain, Arwen Tansey, Martin Hanley, Isabel Griffin, Muhammad Musa, Muhammad Hussain and Shannah Kenneth, who secured first-place honours in their respective categories. The competition highlighted the imagination, skill and enthusiasm of the young artists, while also providing a valuable opportunity for children to express themselves through art. Best wishes are extended to all first and second-place winners who now progress to the county finals, which will take place in Ballymoe Community Centre on June 13th. The entire community wishes them every success as they represent Ballaghaderreen at county level.
The Ballagh 50/50 draw on Sunday night last, in The Hatch, for a jackpot of €600 was won by Eoin Buckley. Next draw is in Mannions.
The Tractors & Tea Family Fun Day returns on Sunday, June 14th at Tibohine Community Centre (F45 HD83), with all proceeds going to support Tibohine National School and Sunflower Children’s Hospice. Sponsored by Regan Tractor & Jeep Sales, the event will feature the annual tractor and motor run, tea and refreshments, a Lego coding workshop, parrots, a bouncing castle, face painting, music, and plenty of family entertainment throughout the day. Registration opens at 8 a.m., children’s entertainment begins at 12 noon and participating vehicles depart at 1:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy a great community day while supporting two worthy causes.
The first Ballaghaderreen Community Food Feast took place on Sunday in Ballaghaderreen Community Garden, bringing together local residents and newcomers for an afternoon of food, music and conversation. Tables were filled with homemade dishes from a variety of cultures, including Hungary, Pakistan, and Holland while musicians from Ireland, Ukraine, Hungary and France entertained visitors throughout the afternoon. One of the youngest contributors was 14-year-old Rebecca, whose homemade cupcakes and cookies proved extremely popular. The event was organised entirely by volunteers and reflected the warmth, diversity and community spirit that exists in Ballaghaderreen. Organisers would like to thank everyone who brought food, performed, helped with the preparations or simply came along to support the day, as well as Ballaghaderreen Community Garden for hosting the event. Following the success of the inaugural Food Feast, it is hoped that the event will become a regular fixture in the town's community calendar.
The Mayo/Roscommon Support Group in Ballaghaderreen will hold its Sunflower Days for Hospice on Friday, June 12th and Saturday, June 13th. The annual collection is an important fundraiser in support of hospice services, helping to provide care, comfort and support to patients and families when they need it most. Members of the public are asked to support the collection where possible, and all generosity shown over the two days will be greatly appreciated.
Conor McDonagh and Andrew Caden will perform in concert on Saturday, June 13th at 8 p.m. in the Coleman Music Centre, Gurteen, F56 TF88. Admission is €15 and bookings can be made by calling 071 9182599, or online at www.colemanirishmusic.com. Andrew Caden, a fiddle player from Bethesda, Maryland, brings the flowing, lyrical style of the Sligo tradition to his music, while Conor McDonagh, a flute player from Killavil, County Sligo, delivers a sound rich in lift, rhythm and energy. This promises to be a wonderful evening of traditional Irish music.
The Ballaghaderreen FC 50/50 club draw winner of the jackpot of €280 on Tuesday last was Gavin & Sarah Jane, c/o Agnes Conway, seller, The Hatch, Next draw is June 9th at the Community Park. Thank you for your continued support. Tickets are available in outlets throughout the town and online at Clubforce.com.
Congratulations to the Ballagh FC ladies playing for the RDYSL team that took part in the recent U-14 tournament and lifted the Gaynor Shield with a final win over Derry.
As part of the Creative Places Ballaghaderreen project a monthly spoken word event will be held in Spells Bar, curated by Jessamine O'Connor, an award winning author and poet. It starts on Thursday, June 18th at 7 p.m..
Artist and Australian native Elisha Caulfield is hosting puppet workshops at St Attracta’s NS, encouraging over 17 local children in the world of puppetry and self-expression. This is a Creative Places Ballaghaderreen initiative.
Family painting workshops with Yaroslava are hugely popular in Ballaghaderreen and remain booked out, with three generations painting together in one workshop. A celebratory exhibition will be held at The Shambles Community Resource Centre on Friday, June 26th at 3.30 p.m..
Creative Places Ballaghaderreen has a public art project underway by talented artist Anna King and local stonemason Dominoc Keogh, who are exploring the infamous history of Anna Deanes Well. For more information contact anna7king@gmail.com
New to Ballaghaderreen is a film club for adults to chat and connect over curated films. Contact James on 0870940335 to attend. Next event is Monday, June 15th from 7-9p p.m. at The Shambles Community Resource Centre.
