Roundstone News 18 th April 05

When the sun shines and its nice and warm it gives a whole new lease of life, particularly last Saturday. Houses were getting a lick of paint and general spring cleaning took place around Roundstone, a few youth club members helped to the clean all around the hall and the green field, the beaches also had a bit of a clear up. For the first time in a long time there was very little litter to pick up on the beaches.

So thanks to all concerned, for the help, it’s a great start for the tidy towns competition that will commence as from May 21 st.

It also has to be mentioned the good weather can also bring its dangers, just last week on Errisbeg East a gorse fire could have burnt down a few houses, never mind the destruction it did to the water pipes, and yet again on Saturday evening last thanks to the quick thinking of a couple of people living in Roundstone the Fire brigade had to be called out to Innishnee to control yet another gorse fire, which came very close to the burning of two houses, so, what I am trying to get at that if gorse fires have to be lit for god sake pay attention to the wind direction and stay on the site preferably not on your own.

And bare in mind I am not sure that nature and the wild life will thank you for burning at this time of the year, and all should be aware as from the first March there should be no burning of the gorse at all.

Broadband:

The meeting that was held in the community Hall was not that well attended, however at least it was a start to explore options re broadband, Our guest speaker was Fergus Cameron (IT Consultant) who talked about Community Broadband, it’s a pretty simple scheme in theory everyone who commits to the scheme gets a share in the ownership, in other words it is a co-operative, not sure whether this is the way to go, even though the government are supporting schemes at the moment with 55% funding.

Unfortunately Caitriona McQuillan who is the west regional authority’s group broadband co-ordinator was unable to attend the meeting, and in my opinion Caitriona is the vital link for us, so within a week or two we will arrange another public meeting hopefully with Caitriona to view other options and to explain the funding.

The widespread availability of super fast Internet, affordable, monthly fee for as long as you want on the Internet.

This is what is called Broadband.

Mean while it is still important for any anybody who shows interest in having broadband and to make contact with the people that have holiday homes in Connemara should register with www.galway.ie the more people that register the interest, the better chance we have of not being ignored.

Arts Festival:

A table quiz was held in the shamrock bar last Thursday to raise funds for the forthcoming arts week festival.

€350 was raised in the end for the festival and the winning table was

Michael & Ellen Connolly with Fiona who is the physiotherapist.

Ann asked me to take this opportunity to thank the sponsors on her behalf for the donations that were given for the event i.e. The Abbeyglen, Eldon’s, The Shamrock Bar, Michael Reynolds and Stephan Blades.

Working Group to Leitrim:

You may remember that two weeks ago I mentioned that

Martin J. Conneely as a representative of the Development Council was to go on a field trip to Leitrim on a fact-finding mission, his first stop was at the Anna Glens Arts Centre in Manorhamiliton, this isolated church was converted to a 135 seated theatre of which plays are held once a month, they also added a number of small rooms which are rented out as offices, training centres which brings in a yearly income.

Next day onto an IT training centre in Ballagh, again this was another old church of Ireland.

Martin was telling me that the one advantage that the North has that for projects like these funding are available from the peace and Reconciliation fund which is available across the border.

An Organic garden was visited.

The bottom line Martin felt that this was a very worthwhile field trip visiting other small villages, and has accumulated a few ideas that could be implemented here over a period of time.

Female Mallard Duck:

I have been lucky in the past for my next request.

Some months ago I was given a wild female Mallard Duck, with a so called Mallard Drake, of which the said drake was taken by the mink, leaving the female on her own, she however was able to fly in and out of the pen when ever she wanted to because I don’t like to clip her wings, and also there is some thing nice about ducks flying around the grounds and to encourage to breed in the wild, anyway to cut a long story short, I had not seen her for a few weeks, and one morning she appeared and so after feeding her, followed her and found her nest with 14 eggs amongst the leaves and her feathers in the hedge row.

Yesterday, however, I noticed that she was off her nest a little too often so decided to check on her nest, to my dismay all of the eggs were missing and there was some broken egg shells scattered around by her nest, I don’t think it was a mink or maybe it was, thank goodness the duck could fly, the point of the story is apart from filling in a bit of air time, I am looking for some wild Mallard eggs to hatch out in the incubator with a view to be able release some ducks and pheasants on my grounds and then encourage them on to the Errisbeg mountain.

Or even a Mallard Drake to keep her company, not the big domestic Mallard, the smaller type, after all she is very small her self

Josephine Keane:

Who has just gone out to Australia to visit her brother Kevin who has had a serious accident and is in hospital as we speak, the community have been showing concern, so all we can do is to pray for him and hope for a speedy recovery.

Annie Corcoran:

Annie passed away this morning in Clifden at the grand age of 88.

Our deepest sympathy on behalf of the community and myself go out to Annie’s sisters, Maggie Creane and Buddy Conneely and of course to other members of the family. Annie was brought home for the wake this evening at 6pm and will be brought to the church at 7pm tomorrow Tuesday, and finally buried on Gurteen after on Wednesday after mass at 12am.

On a personal note, during the Christmas period visiting with Santy, and the youth club, Annie was always very welcoming, and always had a nice word for the youth that were with me, Annie was a very elegant lady and walked with great dignity, I am glad to have met her, May she rest in peace.

Marie O’Donnell:

Birthday wishes, to Marie O’Donnell and all the trimmings that go with it, after all Marie is 21 today, and I am told that Marie had a pre birthday party two days ago, what’s the betting there will be another tonight, anyway congratulations Marie, party on.

Frightening all the O’Donnell troops are growing up too fast, oh well that’s life.

Malachy Kearns:

Malachy Bodhran married Gifty Lawson in a Registry Office in the Clarenbridge Hotel on the Thursday of the 14 th April.

A reception at the St Clarence House just outside Craughwell.

The whole afternoon was a splendid affair, dancing the night away with Carmel Dempsey & Martin O’Connor

Malachy and Gifty we wish you all the best in the world.

And finally just to wish all the troops luck for the next three days with their Oral Irish as part of the leaving cert.

Roundstone troops just think Edinbrough.