COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD
Do you have an item for the Community Noticeboard? Get in touch with Myles Buchanan at 0404 67004 or m.buchanan@peoplenews.ie
Covid-19
Have you a Coronavirus-related story or photo you would like to share with us? Then we’d like to hear from you.
Over the next number of weeks, the Wicklow People will be highlighting how the Covid-19 crisis has impacted the lives of everyone in County Wexford. We’ll be covering everything from travel disruptions, cancellations of medical procedures, cancellations of weddings and parties to the challenges we are facing working from home, home schooling and in the coming weeks as restrictions begin to ease.
We would also like to hear about the many good-news stories out there as communities rally together to help the vulnerable in these unprecedented times and get creative as a means of keeping spirits up.
So, if you have a story to tell, or a photo to share, please get in touch with us via email on myles.buchanan@peoplenews.ie.
Obituaries
This newspaper offers tribute pieces to bereaved family members within the local community who have recently suffered the loss of a loved one.
The service is available free of charge, and will be completed in a manner that is sensitive to your own personal wishes and requests.
Please contact the journalist whose details are listed above if this is something that interests you or is something you would like to do to honour the memory of your loved one who has recently passed away.
Active Retirement
Wicklow Active Retirement Association trusts its members are all keeping well and staying positive at this difficult time.
Everyone is missing the Tuesday coffee mornings in the Pastoral Centre and hopefully it won’t be too long before everyone can all be together again.
The Active Retirement outings may be curtailed for some time, but they can manage if there is some social interaction. Some members are lucky to have gardens and with the good weather we have had, they should be looking beautiful. It is great to be able to go out for a walk now and everyone is looking forward to summer and being out and about. Please be careful everyone and do not take unnecessary risks.
The contact number is 087 3302189.
Blessing of theGraves
The blessing of the graves in Glendalough and Brockagh are cancelled due to the continuing Covid-19 restrictions.
It had been planned to hold the blessing of the graves in Glendalough on Saturday, May 16, starting at 7 p.m., while Brockagh Cemetery was due to be blessed on Saturday, May 23, after 7 p.m. mass. Both events are now cancelled for the foreseeable future.
Road closure
Part of the R764 road joining the villages of Roundwood and Ashford will remain closed until July while upgrade works are carried out on the Vartry Reservoir.
The R-764 between its junctions with the L-5061 (Knockraheen) and L-1076 (Tomdarragh) will be closed from Wednesday, June 3 to Friday, July 17. There are two alternative route options.
At Roundwood you can continue north, turning right onto R-765 then right onto L-5061 and then left onto the R-764 to Ashford and vice versa.
The second option for motorists would be to continue north at Roundwood onto the R-765 then right onto L-5061 and then left onto the R-764 to Ashford and vice-versa. Any person wishing to object to the proposed road closure must lodge their objection in writing to roadtrans@wicklowcoco.ie.
The deadline for objections is 12 noon on May 20.
Allotments
Grow your health in Wicklow with Tírmór allotments in Newcastle. They are freshly renovated and manicured and ready for all-year growth. There is Covid-19 spacing between plots. Contact 087 8041636 or email tirmor@ hub13.ie.
Medjugorje
A pilgrimage to Medjugorje will leave Roundwood on October 7 for seven days at a cost of €679, fully inclusive. A €200 deposit secures booking. This trip will be accompanied by a Spiritual Director. The accommodation is close to the church. For more information and booking, contact Mary King at 087 2185067.
Brockagh Centre
The Brockagh Resource Centre still plans to hold a scrap metal day, so hold on to your scrap metal until a date has been confirmed. Brockagh Centre is part of the Community Call.
Anyone needing assistance should call community assistance on 1800 868399 or email the centre at brockaghresourcecentre@gmail.com.
For further details or to share advice, email brockaghresourcecentre@gmail.com, consult the Brockagh Resource Centre Facebook page or visit www.brockaghresourcecentre.ie.
The clothes bank and bottle recycling banks are still being emptied when full.
Heritage trail
Young people are being invited by the Wicklow Town Team to share their stories as part of the development of a new heritage trail. A joint initiative with Wicklow County Council and Wicklow Municipal District, the heritage trail will include various points of interest around town, with each having an audio/visual QR link.
The Town Team is inviting students aged between six and 18 to record a short one to two-minute podcast or video telling the story in their own words of the history of their chosen site. Most phones have voice and video recorders, which means making your own video or podcast at home is easier than ever.
For younger children, this may mean using a parent’s phone and enlisting their help or supervision.
The Town Team are looking for stories on St Patrick’s Church, the Abbey Grounds, Captain Robert Halpin, the Town Hall and Market Square, Billy Byrne, Black Castle, Travelahawk Beach and St Patrick, Barrow Green and Wicklow Gaol.
Observe social distancing guidelines at all times.
Each entry is to be submitted by email to wicklowheritage@gmail.com by Friday, June 5, at 5 p.m., with ‘Wicklow Heritage Stories’ the subject.
Art competition
Hub 13 co-working office in conjunction with Newtownmountkennedy Tidy Towns and Newtown 2050 are holding an art competition for children within a 10k radius of Newtownmountkennedy.
There is a painting, drawing and colouring competition for 7 to 11 year olds. There is a €75 prize fund and the judges are Annick Bishop and Orla Madden.
A poetry competition is taking place for 12 to 16 year olds, judged by Breda Wall, Eithne Hand and Carol Boland.
Free form rap will also be accepted.
Entry is by email in pdf format only and there is a prize fund of €150.
The third and final category is a smartphone video competition for 11 to 18 year olds. This section will be judged by Andrew Lane, architect, Pat Kiernan, director of Corcadorca and actor Dominic Moore. Entries by WeTransfer only. There is a prize fund of €200 and each smartphone video entry can only last for a maximum of three minutes.
Reiki healing
A Wicklow town-based Reiki master and energy healing practitioner is offering free distance treatments to people and animals.
If you so choose you can make a donation to the RNLI or any charity of your choice in lieu of payment for the treatment provided by Dr Avril Rothwell.
Reiki energy healing is a holistic treatment that does not seek to diagnose or cure, but to awaken the body’s own natural healing processes.
If you would like to experience a Reiki energy distance healing treatment, then Avril is available on 087 3131568 or Avril.Rothwell@yahoo.com.
Chair yoga
Louise Curran has been keeping active with clients by providing chair yoga classes online, supporting health and fitness in recent weeks.
She usually holds classes in the Brockagh Centre but they are on hold while Covid-19 restrictions are in place.
If you would like to join, you can contact Louise on 087 603 2202 or email louiseyoga12@ gmail.com.
Support line
ALONE has launched a national support line and additional supports for older people who have concerns or are facing difficulties relating to the outbreak of Covid-19.
Professional staff are available to answer queries and give advice and reassurance where necessary.
The support line is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., by calling 0818 222 024.
Hours may be extended to meet the demand.
Photo competition
Entries are still being sought for the second Wicklow and District Credit Union Photography Competition.
Most people probably find they have plenty of time on their hands during Covid-19 lockdown, so why not take a look around and see what you can capture with your camera which is befitting of the competition theme ‘Your Credit Union, Your Community’, while course adhering to the current restrictions on travel.
A winner will be selected along with 11 runners-up to feature in the upcoming 2021 calendar.
Entries can be submitted by email only to calendarwicklowcu@hotmail.com.
Jenny’s Pre-school
Jenny’s Pre-school Moneystown is now enrolling for September 2020 and 2021.
Anyone interested should contact the school at 086 1705238. Alternatively, you can email Jennyspreschoolmoneystown@gmail.com.