Manorhamilton

NO STOP STATE AID

North West STOP members expressed deep annoyance at the failure of the government to provide financial help to the local suicide prevention organisation for its work when the organisation’s recent annual general meeting took place in the Bee Park Community Centre Manorhamilton.

Chair Tom O’Reilly stated that North West STOP, which is a voluntary organisation, does not receive any funding from the government in the work it does in preventing suicide, counselling suicide victims and supporting families bereaved by suicide.

North West STOP provides essential and life saving services in its whole area of its operation that takes in Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Longford, Cavan and Fermanagh.

The chairman also expressed deep concern with the way that all mental health issues and problems were being dealt with by those charged to do so, noting it borders on almost total neglect on their part.

Tom O’Reilly also addressed the issue of rural isolation at the AGM saying ‘people are isolated in villages and towns’ as well as in the countryside, ‘ particularly older people.’

Giving an example of a incidents of severe rural isolation Tom explained ‘the only time some local bachelor or widowed farmers in the area talk to another human being is when they attended the local mart each week or it maybe for a much longer period of time in some cases.’

The following North West STOP officers were elected at the end of the AGM – chairperson Tom O’Reilly, Vice-chairperson Dermot Lahiff, secretary Deirdre O’Hagan, Assistant secretary Bláithín Sweeney, treasurer Tina McSharry, Assistant treasurer, Ita McTernan, Joint PROs Aisling McGowan and PJ Leddy, and Compliance Officer Paula Lahiff.

LARGY NS

There was great chatter recently in Largy National School Senior Room when all of the students brought in their Team Hope Shoeboxes for delivery to the local Team Hope depot in Manorhamilton, namely the former Bredin’s Newsagents shop on Main Street.

Having spent their recent midterm enthusiastically filling their respective boxes with the four essentials, something to write, wash, wear and wow – the Largy students were at the end all excitedly comparing their wow donation contributions.

What a variety? Some very lucky children will get a very happy surprise come the day of opening on Christmas Day.

CHARITY SALE

A Christmas Sale will take place in aid of a most admirable charity, namely, St Vincent de Paul on this Thursday, November 22, at 12.15 p.m. in Our Lady’s Hospital, Manorhamilton.

It will be in the Rheumatology Sitting Room on the Ground Floor. There will be Home Baking, Jams, Christmas Gifts (new), Ornaments, Lancôme Hampers and a Homemade Christmas Cake for raffle. There will be bargains galore. Please support this worthy cause.

CEMETERIES QUESTION

The Cloonclare-Killasnett (Manorhamilton-Mullies-Glencar) parish council has written to the local Manorhamilton Municipal District elected members of Leitrim County Council requesting them to check with county Council why it has taken a decision to cease maintaining the graveyards which the council owns (e.g. locally – St Clare’s Cemetery Manorhamilton and Mullies Cemetery).

DISTRICT NEWS

Please send items for the Manorhamilton District News by 8 a.m. at the latest on Friday morning to PJ Leddy at pjleddy@ yahoo.com.