Slane
CONTACT ME
Contact Sean on 087-6783729 or email swall32@gmail.com if you have an item for this column.
SHOP LOCAL
With businesses now beginning to open up again after being closed for more than three months people are asked to shop local and help get your local business up and running again after what has been a very difficult period for them. Remember to shop in your own community and support local.
CHURCHES REOPENING
Slane and Monknewtown churches have reopened for religious services. Public Mass will be celebrated in St Patrick’s Church, Slane, this Tuesday evening, June 30th, at 7pm. Mass will also be celebrated Wednesday - Friday at 9am, Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 11am. Mass in Monknewtown is at 9.30am on Sunday, July 5th, at 9.30am.Arrangements have being devised so that proper procedures are in place in order to safeguard the health of all who attend Mass. Churches will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
There are regulations which apply to everyone. Sanitizers will be available for use at al entrances. Some seats will be cordoned off and the rest will hav markings. There will be stewards to direct you to a suitable place. It is highly recommended that you wear a mask in the church.
For those who are unable to attend, the webcam in St Patrick’s Church, Slane will be in operation for all services. On your computer or smart phone enter Watchmcnmedia.tv and then tap the image of Slane. Mass can also be heard on radio on FM107.8. For latest updates of Mass times see Slane & Monknewtown Parish facebook page.
SLANE CRAFT COLLECTIVE
The good news from Slane Craft Collective is that they will be reopening their doors for business this Wednesday, July 1st at 11am.
They are looking forward to seeing all their loyal customers again and will be starting off with a shorter week for the present, opening from Wednesday through to Saturday 11am to 5.30pm.
SPOTLESS VILLAGE
The village is looking splendid at present, thanks in no small part to the volunteers of the local Tidy Towns committee who have been out i force in recent days painting, sweeping and cleaning as well as attending to the hanging baskets and potted plants.
The annual planting has been completed over the past couple of weeks leaving the village looking very colourful with a splendid array of flowers.
Thanks is expressed to Irene and Peter Fleming for their very generous donation and for their continued support on a Saturday morning keeping the Tidy Towns volunteers fed and watered.
DRIVE-IN BINGO
Slane Wanderers soccer club are planning a fundraising DriveIn Bingoat Wheatfield Park on Saturday, July 25th at 3pm.
More information will be posted in the coming weeks.
SLANE ASSESSMENT HUB
The HSE has a Community Assessment Hub in Slane at their Health Centre on Chapel Street. The hub will be for patients who have a confirmed diagnosis of Covid-19 or symptoms of CovidAfter an initial phone consultation with a GP, if it’s decided a patient needs face to face treatment they will be referred to the assessment hub.
Patients can only access these hubs when referred by their GP. Once seen at the hub patients may either be asked to return home, to enter isolation or to attend an acute hospital.
The assessment hub is staffed mostly by GPs but is supported by healthcare professionals including nurses and physiotherapists as well as administrative support personnel.
The assessment hub is open Mon - Fri, 9am-5pm.
This may change or be extended based on demand and in consultation wit local GPs. When you get to the hub please adhere to the clearly-marked signs that are in place.
PLAYGROUND REOPENS
The playground in the village has reopened and users are reminded of a number of rules that apply. Children using the playground must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times.
Parents or guardians are required to bring their own hand sanitizers for the cleaning of their children’s hands before, at regular intervals during and after use of the playground equipment. In the absence of such sanitation parents or guardians are requested to refrain from allowing their children use of the equipment. Physical distancing between children should be ensured and children should be advised to avoid touching their face, eyes, nose and mouth.
Everyone must adhere to the most up to date health advice.
ALZHEIMER’S BIKE DAY
Cyclists in the Slane area are invited to take part in the Alzheimer’s Bike Day on Sunday 12th July.
This year’s cycle will have a new format so that social distance can be observed. Cyclists in their area are invited to travel on their bikes and make their way to the Day Care Centre at Whistlemount on the Kells road. On arrival they can make a donation to the centre between the hours of 10am to noon.
The club thank their good friend and cycling colleague Brian Connaughton winner of the 1969 Ras Tailteann who once again is the main sponsor of the event.
LARRY GOFUNDME
Larry Clarke is still clocking up the miles at his home in the village where he set up his Cocoon Roller Cycle. Proceeds from from the cycle will go to the frontline workers who are doing tremendous work in these strange times. Larry will continue his fundraising effort until the Covid-19 crisis has passed and has set up a GoFundMe page where donations can be made.
TENNIS COURT REOPENS
The tennis courts in Monknewtown have reopened. However since the committee are not in a position to supervise the courts users are requested to use common sense and good judgement in respect of maintaining social distancing and good order.
LOTTO RESULTS
The numbers drawn in the Slane GFC weekly lotto were 3, 19, 21, 23.There was no jackpot winner and the €10 winners were Ann Courtney, Tom Kirk, David Tully, Paddy Dunne. The jackpot is now €4575. Spot prizes are available for collection in Smyth’s shop. You can play the blotto through the Clubforce app and in the envelopes every week.
Meanwhile, the club have launched their new monthly fundraiser, the 50/50 draw. It’s €10 to enter and €5 goes to the club and €5 into a big pot. At the end of the month a ticket is drawn out and that lucky person wins the pot. To get your tickets visit Clubforce or they are also available from committee members. The winner will be announced on Friday, July 31st.
HOSPITAL HELPLINE
Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan, has set up a new dedicated telephone line that can be used by anyone seeking information regarding their appointment in the hospital.
The new number is 046 9078767 andoperates Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm. When you ring you will be put through to a member of staff who will deal with your query. If no staff member is available you’ll be asked to leave your name and contact details, and a member of staff will then return your call as soon as possible.
SCHOOL MESSAGE
Following on from their virtual tour of a day in the life of the school for their new junior infants who will be joining them in September, St Patrick’s NS Slane, Parents Association have put together another video for their school community.
They thank everyone for all their efforts over the past few months in keeping themselves and their families and friends safe and healthy and look forward to seeing them again at the start of the new school year. The video can be viewed on the St Patrick’s NS Parents Association facebook page.
SLANE SPINNERS
Unfortunately the easing of Covid restrictions hasn’t allowed Slane Spinners Cycling Club go ahead with their SOSAD Cycle which had been rescheduled for Sunday, July 26th. However the club has decided that club members will instead cycle the route to raise funds for SOSAD and a GoFundMe page has been set up where people can donate to this very worthwhile charity. Meanwhile the club’s mid-week spins have restarted on Wednesday evenings, leaving the car park at the cemetery at 7pm. are opting to either walk, jog and/or cycle in their daily lives, it would be wise to just check over the simple rules of the road, such as the correct side of the road that walkers, joggers and cyclists should be using and that these same cyclists make others aware of their presence, particularly those that are out walking on the quieter rural roads and the cyclist or cyclists are approaching at speed from behind, or on the `blind-side`!
CURRENT CRISIS.
So, by the time you read over this, phase three of the lifting of restrictions due to Covid-19 will have been implemented by the Government. Lots more stores, shops, crèches and business premises will be back up and running from Monday July 29th while people can also move about the entire country freely being allowed to revisit family members and friends, while pub/restaurants, libraries, museums, salons and other hospitality services will also be back on the agenda.
Now we are heading into the month of July and it is hard to believe that we began to isolate and lock ourselves away from the country and each-other only 14 weeks ago yet it feels like an eternity for many people, like a bad dream; a nightmare from which we have just awoken to discover it wasn’t real, but it was.
It is also interesting to note that, based on Government orders, who in turn were taking their direction from health experts, how quickly the general public across Ireland complied with the directions and safety measures which we were given regarding our movements as to what we could and couldn’t do, move or couldn’t move.
This particular lock-down, when looked back at by historians in the future, actually worked like clockwork and was basically carried out by every man, woman and child across the nation from mid. March until the close of June without a hitch.
And that says a lot about a people who can come together at a time of crisis and do whatever it takes to safeguard ourselves, our families, our friends, our neighbours, our community and our society when we feel we are under a real threat.
Although this dreaded Corona virus is still `lurking around the corner` awaiting on an unsuspecting public to let their guard down so that it can ravage communities for a second time. This is what now must be remembered; it hasn’t gone away, there is no current vaccine and it can re-emerge at any moment if the general public lets their guard down. We have but little over two months remaining of our 2020 summer and then preparations will be in place for our children to return to education at schools and colleges across the country and, as the evenings will unfortunately become darker, it will also become more evident that more people will then be coming together indoors.
This is where we should remember that the lock-down, carried out by the Irish people from March until the close of June 2020, was worth it and not lost in the autumn of that same year; Stay Safe!