Tubbercurry
OLD FAIR DAY FESTIVAL
Tubbercurry Old Fair Day Festival Committee are delighted to launch the 33rd Tubbercurry Old Fair Day Festival, which opened on Saturday, August 4, and run to the highlight of the festival the Old Fair Day on Wednesday, August 8. A five-day festival this August in Sligo for all the family to enjoy.
Chairman Seán McDonagh explains the highlights of this year’s festival ‘We are delighted to present our 33rd Festival. The voluntary committee has worked tirelessly trying to organise an event that has something for everyone to enjoy. Our hard work was recognised, and we were delighted to win the Best Cultural Festival and overall Tourism award in 2017 at the Sligo Business Awards.
Tuesday, August 7, sees our popular family treasure hunt while Wednesday the eighth is our showcase the Old Fair Day, where people will get the chance to experience the sights and sounds of fair days gone in our arts, crafts and heritage village, artisan food and bread displays, children’s fun zones and enjoy live demonstrations from glass blowing, pottery, spinning, weaving, basket making to thatching and trashing. We have over 50+ heritage and craft exhibitors and demonstrators. Our ever popular and expanding vintage collection of tractors, cars, and machinery will be a centrepiece. You can also visit bank of Ireland tent who will present a Coder.
Dojo workshop and fun activities. We are delighted to welcome Sligo Volunteer Centre, who will host an exhibition, displays from community groups and talks entitled ‘volunteer voices’ in the hall.
As always thanks to the local farmers who bring their prize-winning cattle, sheep, pigs and various other animals for our visitors to view. There will be over a hundred exhibitors dotted throughout the town and we are delighted to have the hugely popular Lisa McHugh and her band provide live music proceeded by Shane McGowan and friends. Ocean FM will broadcast live from 9 a.m. with the Niall Delaney show. A fun filled festival awaits you in Tubbercurry during the day and nightly enjoy Murray’s funfair and live music in the local pubs’. We are proud to present our fair as a festival where old and new friends alike can meet and savour the hospitality our town offers. For more information, follow us on Facebook and Twitter or visit our website oldfairday.ie #OldFairDay.
CLOONACOOL CHURCH
The Cloonacool church renovation fund committee are holding a fundraiser at the Tubbercurry ‘Old Fair Day’ on Wednesday next, August 8, Guess the combined weight of the animal’s at €2 a line or €5 for three lines for a prize of €100 will be available to punters all day long. The animals Maizy and Rico a cow and a calf will be on view to the public with entry available on the square from early morning till 6 p.m. approx. The winner will then be announced by the committee chairperson Fr Dan O’Mahony. All support for this fundraising venture will be greatly appreciated.
ANNUAL FAMINE MASS
The annual Famine Mass takes place in the Famine Graveyard at the back of North Connaught College on Thursday evening, August 16 at 7 p.m. Some Irish music and the choir would be most welcome.
BANADA ABBEY REUNION
The Benada Abbey Leaving Cert Clan of 1976 are having a class re-union on Saturday, August 11, at 5 p.m. in Cawleys Hotel, Tubbercurry. All members of 1976 Leaving Cert Class are invited. Contact details for more info Geraldine Kennedy Ph. 087 6284474 email tom4gerry@ gmail.com.
WALKING FESTIVAL
The South Sligo One Day Walking Festival takes place Saturday, August 11, registration at the Ox Mountain Heritage and Outdoor Pursuits Centre, Drummartin, Aclare 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the day. There are three walks Short Walk of 3.5 miles, Medium walk of 6-7 miles approximately and a Long walk 10 miles approximately. Short walk €5, Medium walk €10, Long walk €15. Refreshments along the way plus a large bowl of home made soup on returning to the centre. Further information phone Maureen at 087 2771778. See oxmountain. com.
SMART COMMUNITY
Discussions have been ongoing over the last month with various stakeholders about the possibility of having Tubbercurry developed as a designated Computer Smart Community.
Stakeholders are from both Private and Public Sector including the HSE, Dept. Social Protection, and other various Government agencies while An Post and bank of Ireland are also on board as is Tubbercurry, Chamber of Commerce and Community Association.
People that might be interested in this concept to develop Tubbercurry as a Computer Smart Community could express their interest to Chamber of Commerce members including president Geraldine Brennan or PRO Roger McCarrick.
VIARMES TOWN TWINNING
From May 9 to May 13, 2019, we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Twinning with Tubbercurry so we are inviting a group of people including students to travel to Viarmes for this celebration. If you or any of your family or friends are interested do not hesitate to email info@tubbercurry.ie to discuss. We require some musicians/dancers etc to participate in the celebratory concert on the Friday night May 10, 2019.
GREENWAY UPDATE
Following the recent publication by Government of a new Greenway Strategy, it seems more likely than ever that Sligo will have a greenway in the future. Greenways provide safe, off-road cycle and walking routes, providing a much-needed local amenity and a great tourist attraction. Sligo Greenway Co-op are the local community working with Sligo Co Co to help create the greenway on the disused line; Sligo To Bellaghy. You can help by signing up for Co-op membership at these local outlets: Collooney (Centra), Coolaney (O’ Grady’s and Mountain Inn), Tubbercurry (Computerbits, Laundy Basket and Coffee Dock), Curry (Yeats County Inn) and Charlestown (Market Café). Membership is also available on the Co-op website, sligogreenway.com.
ACTIVE RETIREMENT
A Coach from Tubbercurry for a One Day Pilgrimage to Lough Derg is being organised for Tuesday, September 4, next. It will leave Teach Laighne car park at 7 a.m., with a pick-up at Achonry Creamery. The cost will be €60 p.p., and covers the cost of coach and boat travel and the Island fee of €45, which includes tea or coffee and scones plus light Lunch. Please book your seat before August 25 by ringing 071 9184053 or 087 7720950. The One Day Retreats are very popular and follow a set programme of prayer and reflection ending with the celebration of Mass in St Patrick’s Basilica. (Fasting or walking barefooted is not required).
AN CHROI
An Chroi is a new Enterprise Centre developed by Tubbercurry Chamber of Commerce over the last few years in the old office building of Aurivo (Connacht Gold) on Ballina Rd.
The Enterprise Centre is fully equipped for office accommodation and budding business or entrepreneurs can operate out of the offices at very reasonable costs. The centre has recently launched a new website. com and bookings for all facilities including office space, training rooms and boardrooms can be done. Short or long term rentals facilitated as are one off bookings for special events.
GOLF OUTING
The South Sligo Golf outing to Enniscrone takes place Monday 13TH August. Formerly known as the Gillespie Cup, it now has a new format but the old people are still involved as it is now called ‘The Masters’. John Gillespie is taking names and times for the time sheet and it is filling up fast. Call in to him at Teeling Street or ring him 087 2885980. Old and New or young golfers from all over South Sligo or with a connection to South Sligo are invited to attend. A wonderful occasion is always guaranteed where many friends are re-acquainted.
ANNUAL MEMORIAL MASS
The annual Memorial Mass takes place in Rhue Cemetery on Sunday, August 12, at 8 p.m. Everyone welcome.
FOREST WALK
The Forest Walk at Rathscanlon, behind the Old Creamery continues to be an excellent and well used local amenity and further good news was announced just recently. Funding was recently approved for an excellent extension to the walk and work will be commencing shortly. A local contribution is required to pay some of the cost of the works and the Chamber of Commerce committee involved with the development will be organising a fundraiser in the near future. They ask that individuals and households be as generous as possible to develop this excellent amenity. Further details will follow shortly.
VOLUNTEERS WANTED
Would you have any spare time? Have you an interest in retailing? We are currently looking for volunteers to work in St Vincent de Paul Shop in Tubbercurry for a few hours weekly. If interested or have any queries contact Enda at 087 2668605.
CLOTHES BAG COLLECTION
Cloonacool Community Centre will be holding a clothes bag collection in early August. Further details may be obtained from Attracta McIntyre at 086 3058844.
SPANISH SCHOOL THANKS
Fifteen years ago a small group of Spanish students arrived to Tubbercurry with the help of people from town who thought that having a Spanish summer school in the town would have a positive experience for both students and locals alike. Well, now this is a fact and Tubbercurry welcomes every summer a group of Spanish students who come here to learn English.
Now we have got to the end of the fifteenth summer and everything has been much better than it had ever been expected. A lot of work has been done to get to this point by the leaders in charge of the students and the teachers, but nothing would have been possible without the help of the people from the town. Host families have become a second family to the students, that’s why we would like to thank them for their help and support.We’d also like to thank the Irish coordinators who believed in this project from the very beginning, the South Sligo summer School in which the students learnt Irish music and they really enjoyed it, and of course the whole town for the hospitality that has been given to all of us which made us feel like at home. We will never forget it.
This year, like the previous one, we made a barbecue in which host families, teachers, coordinators and everyone who wanted to attend had a great time. A fundraising took place and all the money was donated to Sligo Cancer Support Centre based in Tubbercurry.
This year our students have left a piece of art in Tubbercurry with the help of local artist Damien Moran. It has been a wonderful experience. You can see that piece of art in the passage from the main street to SuperValu car park. It is beautiful. Now we have started to work for next year’s course with more enthusiasm than ever. Thank you and see you next summer.
CORRESPONDENT
Email Roger McCarrick – tubbercurrynotes@eircom.net.