Roundstone News 3rd July 2006

.Wow what a great weekend here in Roundstone with every aspect of the arts, great music and mighty Crac, without giving out too much details of what one did and didn’t, just use your imagination.

Roundstone Arts weekend:
I thought I would give a little run down of the last few days of the Arts weekend.

Thursday
we had the opening here in the gallery showing the works of the four artists who were part of the residency for the last two weeks, some very good works, and just to let you know the show will remain for another week.

Then in the evening we had music in the Hall of errisbeg with Joe Chester and Emmet Scanlon “ what the good thought”, Talking about Emmet what great musician they are certainly are a rising Irish Band to watch, but the best part for me was when most of the visitors left, there way of windinding down was to play amongst them selves in to the we hours of the morning, the same sort of scenario we had some years ago with Damien Rice, Emmet by the way has been invited By Damien to play in Stradbally at this years electric Picnic. Wow what an extraordinary feeling to have a semi private session in the house, you just can’t pay for that

Friday:
Lots of things for the kids to do more music with Altan in the community Hall and our own Fiachra O’Regan and Gary Jones played in the Roundstone Hotel. And an early barbecue again at my place for the youth club with a few other guests

Saturday:
More things to do for the kids, one in particular was the kids painting hunt in the grounds of my place, with Paula de Courcey, and Kate Ferron as leaders, it was noisy and fun, I did not really realize the grounds of errisbeg are ideal for all sorts of events. Then at the Roundstone Hotel Sara Agrellas who has been working in O’ Dowd’s for the past few years, Sara is an artist and print maker launched her second book it is beautifully presented with all the images of Roundstone, of which a few copies are on display here in the gallery, as well in other venues around the village, well done Sara

Sunday:
More music in the village, and then a huge birthday Party to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Roundstone Arts Week, with Barbecue that started at 3.30 and ended at 8.30pm, the concert should have been outside on the tennis courts, but according to the Met office, we were supposed to have rain, so it was decided not to take the risk with all the electrics so it ended up in the community Hall instead.

All said and done, a lot of work went into the organizing the weekend, I know what it is like to make things work, there was a little noise element in the wee hours of the morning, one must be careful of our senior citizens, how one control this, I am not sure, a festival is a festival, I would like to think that Ann and Sheena would like me to thank the mighty few who volunteered their time to help out, it’s a thankless job but well done you guys, so to remind you that part two of the Arts week will be held July 28th, 29th, 30th

Irish Nights:
The Irish nights are starting up again having being absent last year, Wednesday 5th July and every Wednesday until the end of August, these nights will commence 8.30pm sharp to 10.30 pm, and of course as usual these nights will be hosted with no better person than Christina Lowry, there will be lots of local musicians, local Sean Nos dancing, singing and raffle prizes

Roundstone Pony show:
Well it’s all going to happen this week to iron out the finer details, for next Sunday 9th July kicking off at 10am. We still need a few more ladies to come forward as Queen of the show, of which the judging will take place on the Friday night at Eldon’s Hotel, so please lets have a few more contestants, there are lots of good looking girls out there, so please girls don’t be shy, it will be a fun time. Just get in touch with Joanne Conneely on 086 8775450, or if it helps get in touch with me and I will guide you in the right direction, oh and while I think about it more donkeys please, that’s for the donkey class of course on the ninth July

Loran Conneely:
Our congratulations to Loran Conneely who reached her 10th Birthday on Friday.

Also good wishes to Olivia Thornton daughter to Sean and Imelda de Courcey, Olivia gave berth to a baby Boy, “Master Toby”

To end off more birthday wishes to some of our senior Citizens, first of all to Sara Nee who has reached her 90th birthday tomorrow, whoops I was always told never to divulge a lady’s age, but hey what can I say, sorry but you are looking good Sara, and the same goes to May King, May will also be ninety on Wednesday, congratulations to you both and have a great day as I am sure you will if I know your family.

Not quite so senior another happy birthday wish, this time to Paul Broderick, Paul by the way is an assistant chef with Siobhan Vaughan at the Roundstone House Hotel, so happy birthday Paul

Well that’s all from me, at last an early night coming up, I hope, thanks for listening, and a gentle reminder it’s the Green Bags that go out Tuesday morning.

Have a great week, and see you at the show on Sunday, and please bring Donkeys

Sláin awhilia

R.D.C Press Release
Roundstone Community Development Council welcomes the decision of

An Bord Pleanala June 22nd 06 in relation to an application by Jackie Folan to build 7 houses in Roundstone. The Bord has granted permission subject to several conditions chief among these the stipulation that the houses can only be sold for full-time occupancy use and therefore cannot be used as holiday homes.  The Inspector noted the importance of this very fact in his report:

 "In my opinion, particularly in the context of the proliferation of existing holiday homes in Roundstone as well documented in the submissions on file, any permission for the proposed residential development should in particular include a condition restricting use/occupancy of the proposed dwellings to ‘permanent occupation’ use only, and specifically require that letting of the proposed houses for use by persons other than the owners and permanent residents should not occur"

This is in line with positive sustainable development of the village of Roundstone and as such Roundstone Community Development warmly welcomes the decision of the Board.

Ballot Paper:

The result of the Roundstone Community Development Council Ltd Vote in relation to the following question “Are you in favour of large scale holiday home developments in Roundstone”?

Total votes Caste;
Total Votes Caste 275, Spoilt Votes: 11, Valid Poll 264.

Result of the vote:
Yes 101 (38.3 %), NO vote 163 (61.7%), Total 264 (100%).

Votes counted and results complied by Mannion Lochrin & Co, charted Accounts, Clifden, Co, Galway 26th June 2006.

At the end of the day there are no winners and losers as such, with the out come of these to agenda’s it is just possible the community will have to com together’ there is so much miss conception that RDC blankets all building progress, this is not the case, if a developer wants to come to our area for a development, and is able to give us affordable housing as well as some industry, RDC would be in favour to back it. Local people and their heirs have the right to build for the future; RDC will back them before the Developers