Roundstone News 4th September 2006

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those that keep up with the news from Roundstone that sent messages of condolences to me on the loss of my mother some weeks ago.

National Heritage Award:
On Friday 1st September, the Roundstone Beach Committee won the overall Galway County Council National Heritage award for their conservation of the Marron Grass on Dogs Bay and Gurteen.
Congratulations to the Beach committee on this well deserved award.

Siobhan & Johnny:
Our congratulations to Siobhan Vaughan, daughter to Maureen Vaughan of the Roundstone House Hotel, announced her engagement to Johnny Sheehan last week.

Christening:
Our congratulations to Patrick (Manager of the Ballinahinch Castle)and Cleona (Zetland Hotel) Prendergast who had their first born son baptised with Father McCarthy last week.

Mink:
The dreaded mink have struck again.
A friend of mine purchased 100 six week old pheasants with the idea to release them in to the wild to try and rear them in the wild. These pheasants were given out to six people within the area to be released, not to be shot but to see if we can get them to breed in the wild. Bearing in mind these birds could fly, the mink struck again to my neighbours pens and killed a few.
We are now getting desperate, therefore we are going to start the Roundstone Gun Club again, to try and control the vermin and have Larsen traps built (to trap grey Crows and Magpies) with regular shoots. We do have a few young people who are very keen to help us out, and want to learn about conservation and game keepering therefore work with us adults that have guns. We have talked about for years to set grey leg partridge and Grouse back into the wild, (believe it or not in the early fifties and sixties these birds thrived) but this can not be accomplished unless there is proper vermin control, otherwise we are just wasting our time. Time will tell.

Roundstone Playground:
A new play ground for Roundstone has been on going for a few years now, with fund raising, donations and grants from various sources, to date through the parents group here in Roundstone, they have raised €8’800 and the leader Grant has committed €15.000.
The total sum that is needed is €70,000, there is a bit of a way to go. So if anybody wants to make a donation for this vital project to enhance Roundstone for the young and for the future, let me know, or in fact you can make direct contact with Theresa Welsh.

Innishnee:
The Galway County Council put out to tender yesterday for at last a new slipway and a small car park out on Innishnee. So keep your fingers crossed that work can start soon and have it finished before next years summer season, looking at it with all the projects going on in Roundstone, it could be the start of a face lift for the area. It has to be said that this all came to pass from the efforts of Bridie Davis of Innishnee who has been fighting for over 20 years to improve the area of Innishnee.

Therapist:
We now have a mobile Therapist Regina King based in Roundstone, with Relaxation Treatments, and also Body and Facial Treatments, Regina is the daughter of Stephan and Nora King.
Regina is well qualified, ITEC, CIBTAC, and Cidesco qualifications, we wish her well for her venture.

Clifden Arts Week:
The opening of the Clifden Arts Week at the Community School Thursday 14th was a great success opened with Dr John Moriorty, who gave a great talk about the importance and the spirit of music, Liz and Yvonne Keane gave a wonderful recital with various other local musicians, but for me the high light was to watch Marty Vaughan with his Seanós dancing and Brian Cunningham with his own style of Seanós Dancing, they both got up together (Impromptu) much to the delight of the audience, these two young guys were really amazing and are great ambassadors for youth and Connemara.