Lanesboro Ballyleague Notes
Incredible
Celebrating 10 years in existence and in that time have hosted hugely successful triathlons on a yearly basis and last year were awarded the prestigious honour of being selected as Irish Triathlon club of the Year. The members of the Lanesboro Triathlon club showed in recent days the very reason they are so successful and why they have such a strong following. The club must be immensely proud of their recent 13-day achievement. They started out with a target of €2,000 and to run/walk a total of 3650Km.
Within the club a contest took place between the females and male as to who would cover the greater distance. This was easily won by the female members by almost 652 km. The distance that the club members covered was a staggering 6563.34km or in old money 4078.27miles.
All of this was done to raise money for the Palliative Care Unit at Roscommon Hospital who do so much brilliant work in boosting the quality of life for cancer patients when their cancer can no longer be cured. The club and its supporters raised the enormous sum of €7560 over €2 per day of the club’s existence. No amount of words of thanks seems sufficient to the club members and those that donated so generously – you are an incredible people.
Chairman of Longford County Council
Following the recent success of Micheál Carrigy in the latest Seanad election it fell to our local councillor Gerard Farrell to assume the position of Chairman of Longford County Council.
Gerard is the third generation of his family to take up this position with his grandfather Ger Farrell being the first followed by Gerard’s father Adie following next and now the accolade falls on Gerard’s shoulders.
We would like to wish Gerard the very best during his time as Chairman of our county.
Tidy Towns
The SuperValu sponsored National Tidy Towns competition has been cancelled for 2020. With the FÁS workers fully back to work this week and already doing a great job in maintain the town and surrounds so well it is incumbent on each and every one of us to play our part. We should make a huge effort to preserve the standards set down through the past number of years and make sure that our own general areas are pristine. Both sides of the bridge have gained so many excellent comments from passers-by and visitors to the area. This year with the likelihood of no visitors due to the Corona virus we should do it for ourselves and make our community as beautiful as possible and ensure that our standards do not drop in keeping Lanesboro and Ballyleague especially beautiful.
Lanesboro Ballyleague Credit Union
Due to Covid-19 the Credit Union is working within reduced hours.
On Tuesday and Wednesday the office will be open between the hours of 9.30 am and 3.00 pm. On Thursday and Friday, the office will be open from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm. The staff on available each of these days up to 5.00 pm to take card payments over the phone or to transfer money to a nominated bank account
On Saturday the staff are available to transfer monies to a nominated bank account up to 2.00 pm by ringing Lanesboro Ballyleague Credit Union on their new mobile which is 089 2395382
Just Transition Report
The Just Transition Commissioner Kieran Mulvey had his first report read into the Dáil records on Thursday last. Following the meeting with Minister for Energy, Richard Bruton and the Lanesboro Ballyleague Collaboration Group six months ago this is what the local group had been waiting for with bated breath.
Since the Think Tank/Brainstorming meeting last September the group has been going through all the thoughts of that day and the subsequent ideas that came flooding in. The group hope great developments can be realised from all your ideas.
The group has welcomed the report of the Just Transition Commissioner and there are very positive comments within it that gives hope for Lanesboro and Ballyleague to once again become a job hub for the entire area.
The next objective for the group is the presentation of those ideas to Kieran Mulvey and his team to ascertain the most viable projects and what ideas come back from the Just Transition team.
The collaboration group are now holding a series of meetings to pull together and forward their plans and they are very excited about some outcomes.
When all is said and done the developments that are craved for our community will be dependent on the support of the Government. The responses must come quickly as we, in our community, are staring into a black hole with the imminent closure and dismantlement of the power station along with the disappearance of Bord na Mona.
Time is not on our side and it is now we require immediate action and interaction with the Department of Energy, the Government and the council.
Roadworks Programme
In coming weeks Longford County Council has notified us of roadworks that will be commencing at the following areas of the parish: Mount Davis/Barnacor, Tullyvrane to Thureen, Fermoyle to the Shannon at Aghakeel, and Blenavoher to Thureen. Diversion signs will be put in place for people travelling these roads.
Testing Times
These are testing times for villages and towns like ours.
We need to focus like never before on the positive things in our community and that’s why we would like to ask you this week to support a smashing new project that is going to start this summer and help change the lives of many people.
Alan Farrell from the Yacht Bar and Ciaran Mullooly from the Angling hub have been working with Philip Gordon of Clonbonny and Alan Broderick from
Mullingar for more than 4 years to try and put a boat service on the river here – with a DAILY sailing from the bridge and now they’re nearly there!
The new boat is costing 180,000 euro including insurance and it can hold 12 people for angling and sight-seeing trips It will specialise in bringing people with disability out on the river and it’s going to be a game changer for tourism here.
Most of the money has already been raised but Alan and Philip and Ciaran & Cllr Gerald Farrell from The Swan Tavern are all going to shave their heads next Monday June 1st to try and raise the last few bob.
The lads deserve your support.
If you can afford to give them a donation, please do it here on GO FUND ME & thanks again for supporting POSITIVITY
Roadworks Programme
In coming weeks Longford County Council has notified us of roadworks that will be commencing at the following areas of the parish: Mount Davis/Barnacor, Tullyvrane to Thureen, Fermoyle to the Shannon at Aghakeel, and Blenavoher to Thureen. Diversion signs will be put in place for people travelling these roads.
Lanesboro Library
Printing/Photocopying/Scanning service available.
Contact Stella to organise on 0863400648 or email sosullivan@longfordcoco.ie.
If you need books, contact Stella at the library on Tuesdays & Saturdays between 10 and 1pm.
Call 0863400648 or email sosullivan@longforddcoco.ie
Collect at library during above times or delivery available if necessary.
Books can also be collected at Joe and Martina O’Brien’s shop and Joe has kindly offered to deliver to anyone cocooning who is on his paper run who has no one to collect for them.
Check out our Facebook page for lots of activities & storytimes for kids!
Lanesboro Library: https://www.facebook.com/Lanesboro-Library-432171923496634/
Talking Sport with Stan
Fermoyle National School teacher and former Longford senior footballing great Sean Mc Cormack has recently turned his hand to interviewing during this time of Corona Virus.
Sean who is well known by his nickname ‘Stan’ has a podcast on YouTube called Talking Sport with Stan where he interviews locals.
To date Sean has completed six interviews and all are well worth listening to and especially the one with local brothers Shane and Oran Kenny talking club and county.
News from our local Parishes
Kilgefin parish notes
Opening Times
Ballyleague church will remain open each day from 10.30am to 8pm
Funerals and burials
Call Fr. Dusmanta at 043 3321171 or dusmanta.m.n@gmail.com
Government guidelines for the bereaved
Funeral arrangements are made via phone calls or emails. A limit of 10 people attending any ceremony with social distancing and no associated gatherings. The use of condolences books is discouraged; where possible. Close relatives and contacts of the deceased should use their own transport. Families and friends of the deceased will not be able to have gatherings after the funeral service.
Mass Intentions
All Mass intentions which have been book can be rescheduled for a later date when the current situation changes.
Collections
Fr. Dusmanta would like to thank everyone that has dropped in their collection envelopes into his house. Parishioners who can afford to are encouraged to drop off offertory and priest’s dues envelopes into his house whenever you are passing.
St. John’s Church of Ireland
St Johns church of Ireland diocesan Service broadcast takes place every Sunday at 10 a.m.
You can log onto Kilmore Elphin Ardagh YouTube or http: shortturl@/drbz3 or www.dkea.ie.and follow the link.
News from St. Mary’s Church
Opening Times
The church will remain open each day from 10.30am to 7.30pm
Urgent sick calls, funerals, and burials
The designated priests in this Deanery of the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois are Fr. Merlyn Kenny PP Newtowncashel 086 0603433 and Fr. Turlough Baxter, Killashee 087 9972259.
Government guidelines for the bereaved
Funeral arrangements are made via phone calls or emails. A limit of 10 people attending any ceremony with social distancing and no associated gatherings. The use of condolences books is discouraged; where possible. Close relatives and contacts of the deceased should use their own transport. Families and friends of the deceased will not be able to have gatherings after the funeral service.
Mass Intentions
All Mass intentions which have been book can be rescheduled for a later date when the current situation changes.
Parish Newsletter
The parish newsletter will be printed each week and it will be available in the Church porch from Friday afternoon. The newsletter will also be available from Friday afternoon in O’Brien’s Corner Shop.
Collections
Fr. Reilly would like to thank everyone that has dropped in their collection envelopes into his house. The current crisis is impacting significantly on the Parish Financial Resources and the ability to meet responsibilities. Parishioners are encouraged to drop off offertory and priest’s dues envelopes into his house and NOT to put them in the box in the church porch.