Ballymote
FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE NEWS
As a Family Resource Centre serving a local community of over 8,000 people, we work with all ages and stages, providing essential services such as counselling, family support, food packages, opportunities for further education, lifeskills courses, parenting courses and many other supports and services.
In the current environment these services are crucial and while we the centre doors are closed we are working tirelessly to ensure a continuity of service where possible, as well as devising creative and innovative new ways to support and assist people of all ages in the community who need help.
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE – Linking in with the HSE and Public Health Nurses, we have identified those in the community who are extremely vulnerable and we are making weekly ‘check-in’ calls to see how everyone is doing, if they need any food or essentials, and just to have a friendly chat.
This can be a lifeline to some who live alone and have been particularly isolated by the current crisis and we have so enjoyed having this opportunity to really connect with these people in our community.
FAMILY SUPPORT – Families and children are an intrinsic part of our service and though we must temporarily cease all ‘in person’ services we are working to adapt to the new situation and bring in new and innovative ways to connect – through offering virtual supports on hangouts, skype and over the phone.
We are also preparing and delivering vital food packages and children’s activity packs to families and individuals.
Our in house play therapist has been working closely with is to identify online supports and resources on meditation, mindfulness, arts crafts and old fashioned play which are being shared with parents through new Facebook groups that have been set up specifically for the Covid crisis – Kids Corner, and Staying Healthy and Active.
These pages are updated daily with relevant and appropriate activities and ideas to feed young brains and bodies.
We were also delighted to collaborate with Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál, the local primary school, to deliver school books out to families in the area, to help families with the task of homeschooling.
FOOD PACKAGES AND FOOD DELIVERY – Back in early March we began liaising with our local garda, Sligo County Council, the Community Champions, Sligo Leader and St Vincent de Paul to get a clear idea of the emerging needs of the community and the ways that we could address these needs.
We were thrilled with the response to a call for volunteers on our website and once volunteers were registered we were able to offer a delivery service for anyone who needed groceries or medications delivered.
The remit of the Ballymote FRC is very large in geographical terms and many of those we service live in remote and rural settings and with very limited public transport, therefore it was essential that this service was up and running quickly.
We are now manning the control centre from nine to five each day to ensure this service is seamless, and we thank our volunteers for the vital role they play in this.
The service is adapting weekly as the situation evolves and we strive to continue to be flexible to the needs of our cherished community.
Though we are apart, our bond continues to grow and strengthen.
SYMPATHY
Sympathy is extended to the family, relatives and friends of Patrick (Pax) Egan, keash; Mary Carew, Oldrock, whose deaths occurred recently.
YOUR NEWS
Anyone, who wishes to have news items included in the notes email miriamsfinn@eircom.net phone 085 7561547. The deadline for submission of notes is 5 p.m. every Thursday. passing these stories on through generations is what makes our culture and traditions so rich. Leitrim County Council’s Heritage Office, with funding from the Heritage Council, is launching an Oral History Project to harness our local stories and memories. Oral history is evidence of the past told directly by those who actually experienced it; it is living history and part of our everyday lives.
Now is your opportunity to get involved. Send some highlights from your interview, between 200 words to 800 words, and including an overview of the person, their memories and stories, to the Leitrim Heritage Officer (smalone@leitrimcoco.ie).We’ll consider these and get back to you to let you know if we want to add these to our Oral History Project.
Closing date for submissions June 1.
We want to hear first hand stories about what life was like across Leitrim decades ago, and gather experiences, attitudes and practices directly from those who know best. We want to connect our modern community with the cultures and traditions which have shaped today’s Leitrim.
And we need your help to do it. We are looking for people to go find those stories and bring them to us.
MASS
All of you who are missing going to Mass at this difficult time can log in to Fr Patsy McDermott PP Killenummery and Killery on Facebook.
Fr Patsy McDermott will be offering Mass from his home a few days a week at 12.30 and Sundays at midday. Just search patsy mcdermott on Facebook.
If you don’t have internet, you can get Sunday Mass on TV Also online there’s Holy Mass every day from Knock at midday and 7.30 p.m. on weekdays.
Of course Ocean FM broadcast Sunday Mass from Sligo Cathedral at 10.30 a.m. Take care everyone, keep washing your hands, keep physical distance from people if you’re out shopping or walking and keep safe.
FREE DELIVERY SERVICE
Both Dromahair Centra (071 9164630) and Gala (071 9164666) are offering free delivery to anyone who wants to avail of it at this time.
ANY NEWS?
Remember If you have any items you wish included in the local notes contact us Friday before 11 a.m. on dda.tidytowns@ gmail.com or call 086 1625287 taining the winning Glencar/Manor team in 1999 Leitrim Junior ‘A’ football championship final in Drumkeerin when they defeated Mohill.
During his four decades in An Garda Síochána all Hugh’s service took place in Donegal – starting off in Lifford, then moving to Castlefin and Pettigo before completing it in Ballyshannon.
During Hugh’s long Garda career he was on duty for the visit of four US presidents to Ireland – Ronald Regan, George Bush (junior), Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
TOM SUPPORTS COVID-19 WORKERS
Kiltyclogher man and Drogheda Co. Louth Postmaster, Tom Maguire recently along with his An Post colleagues organised and participated in a very successful singing fundraiser for the local Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital frontline workers.
In all more than 50 An Post personnel participated in the singing fundraiser during which they made a video outside their sorting office of their rendition of ‘Ireland’s Call.’
They shared the video on social media and as a result an excellent sum of €14,000 has been now raised for the hospital frontline workers.
CIARÁN’S 10 HOUR CYCLE
Glenade’s Ciarán Clancy will cycle for 10 hours from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on a stationary bike in the Bee Park Community Centre car park on this Friday, May 22, to raise funds for North West STOP-Suicide Prevention.
facebook.com/donate/263098 3777223533/? is the Facebook link to go to for all who wish to donate to Ciarán marathon cycle for North West STOP-Suicide Prevention.
TRANSMISSION OF MASSES
St Clare’s Church Manorhamilton Mass is being streamed live on (ChurchTv) churchtv.ie – click Manorhamilton – at 11.30 a.m. Sundays and at 9.30 a.m. on weekdays.
Also daily Masses are being transmitted on the Cloonclare Killasnett Parish Facebook page each weekday from St Clare’s on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Meantime on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays the daily Masses are transmitted at 9.30 a.m. from St Osnat’s Church Glencar.
BLESSING OF THE GRAVES OFF
The originally scheduled blessing of the graves ceremonies for the cemeteries in Manorhamilton (Sunday, July 26), Glencar (Sunday, July 5) and Mullies (Sunday, July 19) have been postponed to later dates when ceremonies are again permitted.
Born in 1923, the youngest of eight children, Margaret finished school at 16 and initially went to Northern Ireland working before moving on to England in the early 1940s, at a time when World War two was raging across Europe. She settled around Leicester where some of her family had already gone to.
It was in Leicester she met the love of her life, Jimmy Niland, and in due course they married in the late ‘40’s in Leicester.
Jimmy and Margaret took the brave step of moving back to Ireland in 1951 when many of the Irish population were emigrating to England and America.
Swimming against the tide in these times was never easy for a young couple, but they made this brave step to take over Jimmy’s family farm and to rear their family in a safer place. Jimmy was the eldest boy of a big family and accepted the responsibility of helping out at home.
Over the following decades, Jimmy worked part time in England on road works while Margaret stayed in Doocastle rearing the expanding family and doing the farm work.
It was often said that Margaret was the real farmer in the house. Back in Fanad her father had been the local amateur vet for the area, and this was a trait Margaret inherited, always able to deal effectively with sick animals.
As a proud Donegal woman she was naturally able to knit all sorts of Aran jumpers and baking was another speciality of hers. For holidays she loved nothing better than to bring her husband and children back to Fanad in Donegal for family holidays, a time that was always enjoyed by all.
After Jimmy died in 1986, Margaret continued to run the farm till well in to her ‘80’s and gave advice thereafter.
Funeral and burial took place in Doocastle. Margaret is survived by sons Séamus and John (Australia), Dan (Leicester), Stephen (Doocastle), daughters Eileen (Sligo) and Marian Kielty (Culfadda), in – laws, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and many friends, all to whom sympathy is extended. May she rest in peace.
MAGNIFICENT WEATHER
The glorious sunshine of the last two months has been a saviour for many people unable to travel because of the Covid travel restrictions.
It has at least facilitated garden lovers and green thumbs to give their gardens a thorough fresh up and avid walkers have been able to get out daily for long walks.
In Tubbercurry the forest walk at Rathscanlon and Rhue is extremely well used and the weather has wildlife looking great.
The gorse or whin bush is now in full yellow bloom, while beautiful bog cotton is in abundance on the bogs.
Footed turf can be seen on many bogs already months ahead of other years. All these sights can be seen on the Rathscanlon/Rhue bog at the back of forest walk.
CONNACHT RANGERS
The Centenary Anniversary of the Connacht Rangers Mutiny in India was scheduled to take place in Tubbercurry on June 27 this year with President Michael D Higgins in official attendance.
However, this has now been deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has been provisionally re-scheduled for November 2 next.
Local man in Tubbercurry, James Gorman was a participant of the mutiny as part of their objection to the Black and Tans activities in 1920 in Ireland during the War of Independence.
)At that time the Connacht Rangers were a Regiment of the British Army, who had served for over a hundred years up to that point with loyalty, including in the First World War.
However, the atrocities carried out by the Black and Tans in 1920 were getting worldwide criticism, and this was what sparked the mutiny.
The leader of the mutiny James Daly was shot on November 2, 1920, for his part in igniting the rebellion, but James Gorman from Tubbercurry and his colleagues lived to tell the tale.
Hopefully, the country will have reverted to some form of normality by November to facilitate this ceremony proceeding. More details later.
CORRESPONDENT
Email Roger McCarrick tubbercurrynotes@gmail.com.