Lanesboro Ballyleague
Longford Association in London
The Longford Association in London is holding their 62nd Annual Dinner Dance on 18th February at The Crown Hotel Cricklewood.
The committee is looking forward to meeting some old friends and hopefully making some new ones.
Tickets are now available. If anyone would like to book, please message or call Aidan Ganly to arrange 00447786081999
A big call to all Lanesboro people living and working in and around London to go along and meet up with locals from home and have a whale of a night.
A very important meeting
Athletics in our wider communities has continued for a long time and from time to time with great success as many past members will recount of their days at All-Irelands and running through the mud at many venues throughout Ireland. The days and evenings with the athletic club are always looked on with great memories and affection.
The club has served so many for so long and I hope that the present parents and former members will make themselves available for the club AGM on Thursday. Your support is vital for the progression and continued development of the club and the young people it supports.
Lough Ree AC will hold its AGM in the Parish Hall on Thursday 19th January at 9.00pm and I earnestly hope that there will be a big attendance supporting the club from all surrounding parishes.
Death
Saturday 7th January 2017 will be long remembered as the date that we lost one of the finest ladies to come into our community. It is ironic that the two latest deaths in our community – one each side of Christmas were of Galway ladies that gave so much to our community.
Anna Egan, Strokestown Road, Ballyleague came to our community with her late husband Tom who was transferred to serve at Lanesboro Garda Station. Anna was predeceased by her husband Tom who passed away 12 years ago.
Anna was a very proud native of Tuam, Co. Galway and it was fitting that it was in the next parish of Milltown only 12km from her native town that she passed away.
Anna was a real community woman from the very outset always around to do work in the improvement of her community. She was a lady who was always very vibrant and had a fabulous spirit and outlook on life. Her warmth of spirit was infectious and Anna was a true and loyal friend. Her passing will leave a great emptiness in our community. She was an excellent music teacher, piano was her chosen choice of music teaching and world renowned local pianist Peter Regan was one of her students. Anna was a wonderful gardener and her tidy, neat garden typified the lady she was and during a time herself and Tom took great pride in a rose they called Bridgie Rose. It showed the joviality and devilment that typified her. Anna was also a very keen golfer and played at Roscommon Golf Club.
In recent times Anna was in declining health but this did not shake her inimitable spirit. She saw sun shining on the darkest of days and if you were in her company that day you also seen the sun through her eyes.
Anna was very proud of her daughters and in recent times the arrival and growth of her grandchildren. She enjoyed the company of their youthfulness and I have no doubt instilled some of her great spirit and devilness in them as she childminded them in recent years.
Anna will be sadly and greatly missed by us all and especially by her daughters Grainne and Sarah, son in law Shane, grandchildren Tom, Kate and Jack and a legion of friends to who we extend our sincere sympathy.
Anna reposed at her residence on the Strokestown Road on Monday 9th and was removed to the Church of the Holy Rosary on Tuesday for her Requiem Mass. She was laid to rest alongside her husband Tom in Cloontuskert cemetery
Lanesboro Says Thank You
The Lanesboro Christmas Lighting committee would like to sincerely thank all the following for helping to make Lanesboro a much brighter place over the Christmas time. Your support was tremendous and it is your support that makes it all worthwhile. A very big thank you to Mike and Nancy Casserly, Lough Ree Community Resource Group, Longford County Council, Joe and Martina O Brien, Martin Donohue, Vinnie McGowan, Peter Mullooly, Mike Green, Orla O’ Brien, Bernard Keane Supervalu, Margaret Brehon, Mags Gillen, Larry Leavy, Chris Cullen, Bridie Holmes, Martha Farrell, Joe and Mary Ghee, Stella O Sullivan, Donnellan Engineering, the residents of Knock for facilitating the poles and Michéal Farrell for all the call outs over the holidays.
50/50
On Tuesday night 9th January, the 50/50 draw took place in the Yacht Bar. The Rathcline 50/50 draw winners were brothers John and Danial Mc Cormack, Church View. The lads were the recipients of the pool of €389.
The club thanks you for your continued support. Blue weekly tickets are on sale in all local businesses and yearly pink tickets are also available costing €100.
Lanesborough Primary Enrolment
Lanesborough Primary School are holding their Enrolment Afternoon for September 2017 on
Friday January 27th in the school from 1-3. This gives parents an opportunity
to visit the school and meet with the Principal and teachers. All are welcome.
Monster Meeting Wednesday week
The Lough Ree Monster group will have its first meeting of the New Year in Rosie’s at the Lifebelt on Wednesday 25th January at 9pm.
Last week we welcomed new members to our meeting and we look forward to more coming along to the forthcoming meetings.
Bridge Returns
Following the Christmas break Lanesboro Bridge will resume this Wednesday night 18th January.
New CD
Local man Fran Deffew, Rathcline Road is part of a newly formed group Rake the Ashes. They have released a new album entitled “The Pitman’s Pay”. Local man and piper Noel Carberry is also involved as a guest musician on the CD. There’s 15 tracks on the CD for €10, available from O’Brien’s shop and from Mags Gillen’s salon.
The group are having a launch night for the album on Sat 28th Jan in The Grand Social, 35 Liffey St. Lower, Dublin and it would be great to see locals living in the city calling in to support a local man and have the craic. Admission on the door €10 which gets you a free CD as well.
Fermoyle National School Enrolment
Enrolment for the Academic Year 2017/2018 is now open until February 3rd 2017.
Please call or contact the school office for an Enrolment Pack any Monday, Wednesday or Friday between 9.30am and 1.30pm. Tel: 043 3321959. Email: fermoylens@gmail.com
Defibrillator Course
We, by now, should be patently aware of the benefits of being capable of using the defibrillators located through both parishes. As you may know the siting and knowledge of the use of a defibrillator at Clonbonny was vital when a young player was in need a time ago.
A new course will soon be available and it is very important that more and more people in the wider community get trained in the use of a defibrillator. There is also the need for those who are already trained up to do a refresher course.
Each and every club in this and surrounding parishes should have at least one person doing this course.
Please give your name and contact details in to Martina O’Brien at the Corner Shop or phone Martina at 3321107 or 086-3538934.
Lanesboro Library
Knitting & Crochet Group continues on Monday 23rd January from 2-4pm. All Welcome!
Lasraí Writers Group
The very popular ‘Poetry and Music’ will continue at Lanesboro Library on Monday 23rd January from 4.30 to 5.30pm. Come along and share a favourite poem. The group is looking forward to seeing you there and meeting new people interested in poetry and music and song.
ESOL Class continues Tuesday evening 24th January 7-10pm.
Book club: The first Book club of 2017 takes place on Friday morning 27th January at 11am. Come along and enjoy chat, refreshments & read great books. All welcome!
Remembering Anthony Healy
The Anthony Healy Memorial card game will now take place in Clarke’s Bar on Sunday week 29th January commencing at 7pm. If you had bought tickets for the original date, then bring them along as they will be valid for this date. We are remembering one of our most popular local characters and a dear friend and we would like to encourage everyone to buy a ticket or turn up on the evening and have a bit of fun as Anthony would want it.
The organisers would like to encourage everyone in the locality to support this game either by buying tickets or coming along and playing in the game.
The proceeds will go to the Roscommon Mayo Hospice and your support is keeping the memory one of our favourite sons alive. Please be generous. Tickets are available locally in shops and bars at only €10.
First Goal Winner
The Rathcline Ladies first goal competition is held every week on a selected match and the winner of the first goal scored will receive €50. The winning ticket for the first goal game was David Rooney and Lauren Guinan where the goal was scored in the 5th minute. Tickets are on sale in local pubs and from Mike Greene from only €2.
It is a small but significant fundraiser for the Ladies Club and your support will be greatly appreciated.
Be a Referee
Now is the time to be thinking of becoming a GAA referee. Foundation courses and referee introductions in Longford GAA will commence from mid/late February. The new system introduced in Longford last year was an outstanding success and between the nine new referees they officiated at almost 200 games. The system has gained wide acclaim and it is a great welcome to refereeing.
Longford for the first time had 2 female referees which was very welcomed and they would like to increase that number of ladies next year and in the coming years.
If you want any more information or want to let your name go forward contact me at joea@iol.ie, phone 086-2460840 or email Longford county board secretary.longford@gaa.ie with your name and contact details.
Tractor Run
Newtowncashel Tractor Run will take place from Newtowncashel on Saturday 25th February. The Tractor Run is in aid of the Irish Hospice Foundation and it start from ‘The Local’ at 4.30pm. The entry fee is €20 and every sort and type of tractor is welcome to participate.
Later that evening music and a raffle will take place in ‘The Local’
Kick of Your New Year
Why not kick off the New Year by getting out, get healthy and fit. Training has started for the Ronan McCormack Charity Challenge 2017, walking/jogging/running training takes place on Tuesdays and Thursday at 7pm from the Quad Centre Roscommon Town. Cycling training takes place on Saturday mornings at 10am. Every age and ability catered for. A perfect opportunity to clear the head and shed a few pounds for 2017.
Thank You
The Ballyleague Christmas lights committee is just ‘bowled over’ by the incredible reaction to last weekend’s fundraising table quiz. The turnout on the night was incredible with 22 tables and
every chair in Rosie’s Bar and lounge taken up and the generosity of others who didn’t attend but made a donation or sponsorship was superb. Over €1500 was raised on the night and the money is still coming in. All funds raised will go towards ensuring the Christmas lights continue to be of a high calibre in the village and that’s a promise for years to come. The committee wish to thank the following for helping out: Eamon Bolger – our quiz master, Gerry Trimble, Mike
Sorohan, Ciaran Mullooly, Gerry Trimble, Noel Moran and James and Marie from Rosie’s at the Lifebelt for providing the venue and finger food on the night.
Thanks to the following who donated prizes for the raffle: Noel Moran, Gerry Trimble, Ita at Counterpoint, PS Red restaurant, Joan Browne, Peggy Moran, O’Brien’s Corner Shop, Mary Brogan, Steve and Theresa Ormsby of Clarkes Bar.
Thanks also to Mags Gillen, Sean and Pauline Farrell of Ballyleague and Darren Dunne of Cloontuskert for the kind cash donations. Special thanks to the following club, businesses and organisations for supporting our quiz:
Ballyleague Tidy Towns, Rosie’s at the lifebelt, Ventura ltd, Joe Cribben Daybreak, Lanesboro Tourism and Tidy Towns, Yacht Bar, Lanesboro Badminton club, Lough Ree Sub Aqua Club, Lanesborough Angling hub, Lanesboro/Ballyleague Credit Union, The Convent B and B, St Faithleach’s GAA club, Lanesboro Triathlon club, Lanesboro Christmas lights group.
Category Winners on the night were: Sport section: Lough Ree Sub Aqua Club, Business section: The Convent B and B Guesthouse, Lanesboro Community group section: Ballyleague Village Renewal & Tidy Towns. Congratulations to the overall quiz winners who were not associated to any group, club or sporting organisation. There were 22 tables on the
night and the total raised was €1520.
Thanks also to Sonny Wallace and Lanesboro Ballyleague Credit Union for providing the Christmas lights in the village with power over the Christmas and to Micheál Farrell who did a superb job erecting the lights with Gerry, Noel Mike, Joe and Chris.
In the coming weeks and months, it is hoped to use our Christmas tree structures for the commemoration and celebration of other seasonal events in the village so watch this space for the first one coming up in February.
Badminton Club Table Quiz
Lanesboro Ballyleague have set the date for our annual fundraising table quiz, which will be held in Clarke’s Bar on this coming Friday 20th January at 9pm with lots of spot prizes on the night. We hope to see plenty of teams of four on the night for this fundraising table quiz for the Badminton Club. If you don’t have a full team don’t worry, come along we can organise some teams, it’s part of what we do!
International Adult Poetry Competition and Primary School Midlands Poetry Competition
As part of the Maria Edgeworth Literary Festival 5th – 7th May 2017, there will be an International Adult Poetry Competition and Primary School Midlands Poetry Competition with cash prizes. Entries to be sent through www.edgeworthstown.net/festival or by post to Competition Secretary, Edgeworth Literary Society, Old School House, Ballymahon Road, Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford. Tel: 043-6671801. Email: edgelocdev@eircom.net. Closing date is 24th February 2017.
Health Care Training
Healthcare training Programme FETAC Level 5 takes place in the EDI Centre Longford commencing February 16th, 9.15-4.30 One day per week for five weeks. Starting with the care skills module, Excellent employment opportunities are now available – Care Assistant – Personal Care, Home Care worker, Nursing Homes and Hospitals. Cost €295.00 if in receipt of welfare payment, you may be eligible for funding, please contact the local DSP office. For further information please contact EDI Centre on 043 3347515 or enquiries@edilongford.ie.
Shannon Gaels Minor Club
We are seeking former players and current players aged 18 (this year) and upwards to consider a career in refereeing. Longford Co Referees committee is actively seeking new recruits for the coming year. The Foundation course for new referees will commence on Monday 20th February and will continue for the following 3 Monday nights. Following that you will be assigned to some of the senior referees for further guidance and mentoring. This is a new and innovative course and one that was hugely successful last year.
Refereeing can and will be fun and it will draw you to a completely different side of local and national GAA.
If you are interested contact Joe O’Brien, 086-2460840.
Under 14 training will commence in the hall on Friday night next at 7pm under the guidance of Sean Kenny, Alan Fayne and coach Shane Donohue.
Our Under 16 and 18 panels will commence S&C under the guidance of Joey Horgan.
We welcome Mickie Farrell as manager of our U16 panel.
Our under 13 and 15 panels are preparing for entry into the Leinster league.
We welcome everyone back to a new season and if you are not part of us at any age group please feel free to come along and join with us and have lots of fun in Clonbonny and the many GAA pitches we visit over the coming season.
Defibrillator course: it is essential that we have people competent in the use of the defibrillator at the club grounds and we would encourage parents and supporters to get the upcoming training. As we all seen a few seasons back the value of the defibrillator and someone with the knowledge of its use so it is important that we have people available in Clonbonny for all our games fully up to speed with its use. Please give your name to Tina, Sharon, Collette or Bríd.