Roundstone News 1st March 2010 (Ann Conneely)
Keep scrolling down for the news of the 15th March 2010

Mary King:
Congratulations to Mary King from Kings bar on her 70th Birthday last Wednesday.

The family gave Mary a surprise birthday party in the Shamrock on Saturday, unfortunately I was unable to attend, however the grapevine tells, it was quite a surprise for her. Mary’s family took her to dinner in Abbeyglen Hotel and then they returned to a party in the Shamrock bar where all the locals and friends had gathered to celebrate with her. Mike Fahy & John Joe Ford supplied the music on the night. Shamrock Bar did great food for the party. Mary’s daughter Geraldine and grandson Dylon were to be there for the party but were caught up in the snow storm in New York but arrived the Sunday morning with Eileen who was on a surprise visit from Florida as was Ann Marie from London. So congratulations Mary, may you have many more.

Roundstone bingo Club:
Over the past few weeks Richard has been going on about a bingo for Roundstone and he has just confirmed that a licence has been granted by the courts So it will be all go to get this up and running in the next few weeks.

Water
Galway County Councillor, Jim Cullen has assured the people of Roundstone that the water from the public supply is totally safe, and that the treatment plant in Carna was up to the highest standards and that people could be assured that the water reached the quality levels in Europe. This is great news but tell me why people are still drinking bottled water only or are they all back to drinking tap water. Another question and one that is on all our minds come the busy season. Will we have ample water this summer should we have a dry one? I suppose only time will tell. Still Kilkerrin is a long way off with lots of villages to cater for before reaching Roundstone!!!.

Pot Holes in and around Roundstone.
Firstly I must say what a great job was done by Galway Council in various parts of the road between Roundstone and Ballyconneely with the new Black top in place near Fonacree and again before you get to Ballyconneely village. This has improved immensely, but I feel that they have forgotten about the rest of it, the rest is in a diabolical state with potholes and rough surface. Between Roundstone village and the turn up to Errisbeg house is a disgrace even the walkers are complaining about this stretch as they are afraid they will twist an ankle the surface is so bad. Again at the turning to Murvey there are some huge potholes but what I deem to be the most dangerous section is just before Ballyconneely. If you are coming from Roundstone you are avoiding potholes and a car coming from Ballyconneely is doing good speed on the new section so I can see a serious accident waiting to happen on that corner which takes you down to the little beach there. So guys please rectify this and make us all happy. And well done on the work which you did today from Ballyconneely to Clifden is A1 again #

Noyelles sous Lens:
It is that time of the year when plans are afoot for the French trip with Richard and Geraldine Coyne with the Roundstone youth club. He tells me that this year he has been going to France since the year 2000. He tells me that since the year 2000 Richard and Geraldine will have the smallest group. Disney world is one of the highlights.


 

Roundstone News 15th March 2010 (R.de S)

I hope all you mothers were spoilt rotten this weekend, being mother’s day, equally with the mothers day lotto draw which was held in O’Dowd’s with lots of prizes for the mammies, no winner yet, it now stands at €9’700. Next Sunday the Easter Bumper draw will be held in Ryan’s.

Talking about the local lotto, it has been decided with the lotto committee to give €200 to the Connemara Community Radio as an annual payment to allow us to advertise the lotto nights on air.

Click here to visit the gallery

St Patrick’s week end clean up:
Ann and I have now begun to realise that we should never under estimate the age group of children from the National School to do some community work, for example, with the kids i.e. Michael McDonagh, Cian & Allen Conneely, Kieran Connolly, Clara King, Pat Mahon with his two sons Liam & Owen, Cahill O’Donnell and Lea Anne King were available to do a clean sweep through the village to pick up litter and recycle some of it. We were amazed of their enthusiasm and thoroughness of find the bad areas, pick it up, bag it and take it away, in the end 9 full bags, some photo’s we took of the day will be on the website tomorrow

Our thanks to the National school kids and to GCC in providing, pick up sticks, bags and gloves, also to thank Ann and Brongha for supplying drinks for the troops at Eldon’s after the clean Sweep.

We will be do a repeat performance again on the 10th April as part of the GCC spring clean up in Roundstone, incorporating this time Gurteen and Dogs bay beaches. So well done all, it was fun working with you.

We will also attempt to bring back a metal collection at a later date.
 

Tidy Towns ;
There was a meeting in the community Hall, with the Tidy towns committee, RDC members and Donal Nee who is the supervisor for the FAS Scheme in preparation for this years competition, on going works were discussed at length, but of course money was an issue, to cut a long story short, the local lotto has allocated €2’500, and the Website account allocated €1’000, also RDC will allocate a few shillings so to speak for the various projects around the village to help Donal with his team of lads to implement the new works, one of the biggest work that’s going on at the moment is the Landscaping of eye sore area’s, Tennis Courts, Maggie’s Corner, the Triangle and of course more shrubs for the new beds. If these four projects’ get finished this will give us a few more points in this years Tidy Town’s competition.

Mink:
Mink being very much in the news lately relating to the control of these predators, young Eamon with his father Joe Mongan for the last few weeks have being setting the traps, with a very interesting bait, which by the way works, its rat poison block’s attached to some wire, this does the business, within five weeks master Eamon Mongan with the help of his dad Joe have caught to date three, the last one was four days ago a very mature female carrying kits. Interestingly, I received an email last night from Eddie Conneely who was holidaying on Innishnee, they informed me that on Friday last 10.30 pm while crossing the new bridge 2 mink ran across to the road at the end of the bridge on the Innishnee side with exact location, so a trap will be placed, this sort of information is very helpful, we need to be vigilant. Eradication is not the target, it’s the control, and we will not give the mink the Ceil a Mille Failté.

Cathal Nee:
Birthday wishes and congratulations to Cahill Nee who has reached his 21st Birthday on Friday past, also congrats to Kieran Mullen who reached the grand old age of 23, last Thursday. Golly it seems only yesterday they were youth club age, scary ! scary!

Bridget Mullen;
Our condolences to the immediate members to the Mullen family, on the loss of Pat Mullen’s sister Bridget whose remains were brought to the church in Ballyconneely for mass this weekend, then eventually buried in Oughterard. May she rest in peace.

Diocesan Safeguarding Children’s Policy;
In these difficult times within the catholic church there is a new revised policy to safe guard children within church settings, i.e. sacristan’s, ministers of the Eucharist, readers, in fact all nominees who play a part within the church parish and that are involved with children. This new policy will be launched on the 22nd March at 8pm to 9.30 at a local level with training in the station house for all Pastoral council’s members within the Diocese. We will be receiving 10 copies of the safe guarding Children policy booklet to be passed out to the Roundstone group. The reason why I mention this we need six people who are involved in our church to accompany Fr John McCarthy as representatives of the Dioceses.

For the Record:
You may remember our pub quiz that was held some times ago for the Haiti appeal; Kieran Delapp received a letter of thanks from John O’Shea, representing the international Humanitarian organisation, GOAL for our donation of €810. The letter thanked everybody who participated.

Jive Classes:
Also for the record, through the Roundstone Development Council, with the Jive classes that were held this winter a further €810 was raised after expenses to go towards the refurbishment of the Top part of the Community Hall, starting with new windows and the washroom areas.

RDC:
Tonight is the AGM for the Roundstone Community Development Council at 9.00pm in the community Hall, so here is your chance to express your views, or contribute some ideas tonight, to the council how we can improve to enhance our village for the future generation, that’s our responsibility to safe guard this legacy.

A very Happy St Patrick’s day on Wednesday to all you guys out there