Todays' Irish County News

Yes, there are many news items not included here. We deliberately avoid: politics, death, disaster and other mayhem.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Regional round up from Antrim to Wicklow
All the news that probably won't make the national headlines. We hope you enjoy these bits and bobs from all over the country. You can read just the blurb we have here - or, if you'd like to read the story in full, click on the county name.





Antrim: Primary teacher recognised for being one of best
Lesley Hunter from Creavery Primary School has been recognised as one of the most talented science teachers from across the UK. She received the award during the Primary Science Teaching Awards hosted at the recent Association for science Education (ASE) Annual Conference 2012, held in Liverpool and supported by AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. One of eight winners from across the UK and the only representative from Northern Ireland, Lesley was recognised for achieving excellence in her primary science teaching.

Armagh: Resource Centre study plan for parochial hall
A new community resource centre for Armagh City could take the place of the disused parochial hall on the Cathedral Road. The council are currently undertaking a study to see how feasible such a project will be in the area. And one of the options being considered is St Patrick's Parochial Hall on the Cathedral Road. The NRP is exploring the possibility of converting the Parochial Hall into a community resource centre, which would provide a central hub for people living in the Armagh Neighbourhood Renewal area and other areas of Armagh City and District.

Carlow: Major awards for Irish language groups
The county will benefit to the tune of €4,500 after two local organisations scooped major awards in the 51st annual Glór na nGael competition. Glór Cheatharlach and Glór Balána were once again applauded by the national group when results were announced during a live broadcast on Raidió na Gaeltachta on Friday. Glór Cheatharlach bagged a prize worth more than €3,000 in recognition of its tremendous promotion of the Irish language in the print media.There was good news also for Ballon village, as Glór Balána was also declared winners of the Heritage Council prize of €1,500.

Cavan: New location for Gaelscoil Bhreifne
Students and staff at Gaelscoil Bhreifne, hope to be in a brand spanking new premises for the start of the September 2012 school year. The Department of Education gave its 'approval in principle' to relocate the school from its current home at the Scout Den to the premises formerly known as Jacksons Garage Showroom on Farnham Street. The news comes after a 15-year campaign by the school to get a purpose-built school in and around Cavan town. While the principal welcomes the move to Jacksons, Nora Ní Loinsigh is still hopeful that a purpose-built facility will eventually become a reality.

Clare: Taking farming to a moo frontier
No more will Albert Moylan from Tubber have to rely on a telephone call or a farm-check by a neighbour as he can now be notified by text anywhere in the world if there’s a problem back home. He can then log on to his Moominder.ie account to check on the animals. Distance is no problem due to the ground-breaking technology developed by Albert, a small farmer and software engineer from Cloonselherne, Tubber. The Moominder.ie system allows a farmer to be notified via text message of physiological events of each cow in the herd, such as heat detection, calving or mastitis among other problems. It is already attracting global attention.

Cork: Young science on show at the lab
The 'Physics of Scrummaging in Rugby', 'The impact of economic decline on social patterns' or 'Champion Conkers: The Science of Winning' are among some of the prize winning projects by Cork entrants to the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition now on display at Lifetime Lab. "For aspiring young scientists who have not had the opportunity to visit the exhibition in Dublin, the display at Lifetime Lab is an ideal opportunity to view the high standard of Cork entries that qualified for the national final," said Mervyn Horgan, manager of Lifetime Lab.

Derry: Work to begin on transforming riverfront
The public realm scheme at Queen’s Quay will see 70 existing car parking spaces replaced by a cycle path, pedestrian walkway, street furniture, planting and lighting. The North’s Social Development minister Nelson McCausland says the scheme, which gets underway on February 20, is one of a number of improvements being made ahead of Derry’s year as City of Culture. He says the city’s riverfront is “one of the city’s great assets and this project will transform a key part of the riverside.” “As we gear up for the UK City of Culture celebrations in 2013, this will be one of many schemes to be delivered."

Donegal: County ceol launches Donegal Gathering in Letterkenny
A night of music by Moya Brennan and other talented Donegal musicians and singers recently launched a new county tourism initiative in an event held in Letterkenny but seen around the world. The launch of the Donegal County Council initiative Donegal Gathering 2012, was held in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Letterkenny. Live streaming over the web site, livetrad.com, brought the event to a global audience. Watch a podcast of the event at www.livetrad.com. Moya said she was “thrilled to be an ambassador” for the county."I’m a real Donegal lass - I am not shy about talking about Donegal when I’m on stage.”

Down: Riders duel for race title
Banbridge and District Motorcycle club will host the eighth round of the Ulster Trials Championship and Jimmy Robinson Memorial Trophy at Closkelt Road, Dechomet, this Saturday (18 February) commencing at 11am. Local Banbridge rider Johnny Lunney, who currently lies second in the Senior A section of the Ulster Championship, will be trying to stop the championship leader Harold McQuad from winning at Dechomet. But McQuad has been unstoppable this season and is closing in on his fourth Ulster Title.

Dublin: Popular Garda calls it a day
Superintendent Joe Kelly is hanging up his uniform later this month and his years of service to the community were marked with a party thrown by friends and colleagues at the Bracken Court Hotel. Superintendent Kelly has presided over the Balbriggan district at a time when the population exploded bringing huge challenges for policing in the area. He oversaw an expansion of the local force to cope with the changing reality in the town and is responsible for setting up new units in Balbriggan such as the drugs unit and community policing unit.

Fermanagh: Manager Canavan expects a sharper squad
On Monday night Fermanagh learnt that they would have to travel back to London for the second time in a fortnight to play their postponed league fixture against the Exiles in Ruislip. With the squad set to travel on Saturday evening, it did not leave a lot of time for arrangements to be made, but manager Peter Canavan feels that there are plus points in the game being played this weekend. "It's late notice but in a way I'm pleased to get a few games under our belts," said Canavan. "If we had no game, we would only have played once in the space of four or five weeks so it is good to build up the momentum..."

Galway: Thousands of tourists to disembark at Galway
The local economy will to benefit from a major boost with the influx of more than 6,000 tourists arriving on cruise liners into Galway Bay. A plan to install new pontoons at Galway Docks has been submitted to Galway City Council. The pontoons are needed to facilitate the transfer passengers from a number of cruise liners that have confirmed their arrival into Galway throughout this year and into 2013. The first cruise liner is the 5,888 tonne ship Arion which is scheduled to arrive in Galway on May 21.

Kerry: Theatre group presenting John B. Keane's The Buds of Bullybunion
The talented members of Abbeyfeale Drama Group will take to the stage at their local GAA clubhouse this Thursday night, kicking off a sixnight run of John B Keane's play, The Buds of Ballybunion. While humorous and whimsical at times, the play acts as a historical document capturing a place and people that were soon to be no more, according to actor and director, Dick Woulfe. The 'Buds', he explained, were a group of country people who came to Ballybunion, bringing with them their own food to their own lodgings.

Kildare: First foal of year is named
The Irish National Stud launched a competition on Twitter for their followers to post suggestions to name the foal - a grey filly born to first-time mother Dreamaway. The final five suggestions were put forward for mum to decide. Five buckets with the name suggestions were laid out in a line and the name was chosen by whatever bucket Dreamaway picked. The names were Frozen Thoughts, Heart of Kildare, Heart of Verglas, Heritage Island and Jukkasjärvi (the name of a Swedish ice hotel). Dreamaway chose Heritage Island.

Kilkenny: Gowran tortoises renew vows for Valentines weekend
A most unlikely renewing of vows occurred at Reptile Zoo for Valentines weekend. Zoo director James Hennessy was on hand to witness the ceremony of tortoises Michael and Michelle say ‘I do’ once again in their own very special way. Even though both tortoises recently turned 40, it was not so much a mid-life crisis as an indication of how long they have spent together. They have 12 children, and one of them, their four month old daughter, was flower girl for the occasion.

Laois: House in Portlaoise on offer for €10,000
Interested in buying a house that is cheaper than a caravan? An end ofterrace, two-bedroom, two-storey house near the centre of Portlaoise is expected to be sold at auction for about €10,000. The house is located at the entrance to O’Moore Place, just off the Mountmellick Road. The house, number 65, comes under the hammer at the next Allsop/Space property auctions, which takes place in the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin on Thursday 1 March. The Portlaoise property is just one of four from the county which will go up for auction.

Leitrim: Dromahair’s Kevin is Volunteer of the Year
Dromahair’s Kevin McGoldrick was awarded Muintir na Tíre Volunteer of the Year in Tipperary earlier this month. 78 year old Kevin McGoldrick who is chairperson of Dromahair Killargue Community Alert travelled to Basnsha in Tipperary on February 4 to receive his award which is sponsored by TASK Community Care. The award is given to a person who has “made a significant voluntary contribution to the work of Muintir na Tíre and to their community during the year.” Kevin has been involved in Community Alert in Dromahair and surrounding areas since its formation over 20 years ago in the area.

Limerick: Out and About in Limerick in 1991
The Limerick Leader has one of the most comprehensive photographic archives of any regional paper in the country. In the latest of their picture specials, Limerick Leader photographer Adrian Butler has assembled a superb collection of photographs from 1991, featuring children on their first day of school and families holidaying in the seaside village of Kilkee, Co Clare.

Longford: Titanic preparations step up a gear
Plans to commemorate the bravery of a Co Longford man, who perished on board the ill-fated Titanic, have been given a boost with the setting up of a special sub committee. Killoe’s James Farrell was one of over 1,400 passengers to lose their lives on the doomed cruise liner in April 1912. The 26-year-old was one of three Killoe residents on board the near 900 ft long steamship, two of whom the Clonee man helped save as the ship began sinking 400 miles south off North American province, Newfoundland.

Louth: Tiny tweeters star in their own chick flick
They were famous before they even hatched, and now the Scoil Aonghusa 'sicíní' have starred in their very own Chick Flick at just one day old! The arrival od the baby chicks was captured on camera by Muiteoir Aine Uí Bhearain's son, who had taken them home for safekeeping, and it can be viewed on Youtube for all the eager pupils who missed the birth. Although anyone who was expecting three fluffy yellow chicks may get a fright, as they are all black! 'We all got to hold them and they are really fluffy,' said pupil Holly Ni Mhurchú." Search for sicíní on Youtube if you want to see the arrival.

Mayo: County students make history
European Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn honoured students from Mayo at the Irish CREST Awards in The Helix, in Dublin, when she presented four Gold CREST Awards to students from Mayo - the highest possible accolade in these prestigious awards in recognition of their achievements in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. Such was the standard of submissions received this year that independent adjudicators were compelled to award the Gold CREST to four different projects devised by one team and three individuals – all from St. Gerald’s College in Mayo.

Meath: Trim pupils get on their bikes for COW initiative
St Mary's Convent Primary School in Trim relaunched its Cycle on Wednesdays (COW) initiative after the winter break last week and also unveiled the school's new bicycle shelter. Up to 40 children took part in last week's cycle to school and pupils were delighted to be escorted by the gardai for their first outing out this year. And, as part of their programme to achieve their fourth An Taisce Green Flag for transport, the school also began its WOW (Walk on Wednesdays) days.

Monaghan: Carrickmacross gets its own app
Carrickmacross company Aura Internet Services has released a new mobile app for Carrickmacross. The free app, allows people at home and abroad to access a broad range of information about Carrickmacross. The app provides information on local “news and events”, ‘things to do’, ‘places to stay’ and ‘where to eat’. The app will provide a map and direct to you to the service within the town. The app is available for iPhones and Android mobile phones, and is also available for the iPad.

Offaly: County may hold key to 30 year mystery
A 46-year-old Dutch champagne importer who bought a painting at a Charleville Castle auction for just nine pounds when she was 14 is appealing for help from Offaly to solve the mystery of her favourite, but unsigned, painting. Even experts from Adams Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers in Dublin have not been able to reveal the artist behind the painting, so now Sandra Olij suspects it may have been painted by a local amateur and is hoping to stir memories of the painting in Offaly in a bid to trace its roots.

Roscommon: ‘Players will bring further glory to county’
That's according to Fergal O'Donnell who was a popular choice as special guest at last Friday night’s Roscommon Herald/SuperValu Sportstar of the Year awards at the Abbey Hotel, Roscommon. He began his speech by commending “all the wonderful award winners” and the great wealth of talent that is produced in Roscommon to “compete at the highest level”. He also took the opportunity to praise the spirit of volunteerism across the county and all the wonderful sporting achievements of the past year.

Sligo: Strandill dunes accessible again
Access to the beach in Strandhill has re-opened but Sligo County Council has said the footpath could close again if further damage is caused by high tides. Chronic coastal erosion in recent months has severly damaged the beach and sand dunes, which left the walk path dangerous and it was subsequently closed for safety reasons. The southern eroded portion of the path has had minor emergency clearance works carried out, but is highly vulnerable to further damage at spring tides. However, the cobble storm bank at the foot of the Big Dune continues to build up naturally.

Tipperary: Tipp Man Running For People’s Choice Award
North West Regional College Lecturer John Crowe has been nominated for one of the UK’s most acclaimed vocational education prizes, the City & Guilds People’s Choice Award. John, who lectures in Hospitality & Catering at the College’s Strand Road Campus in Derry City, qualified for the award after collecting a Gold Medal in the City & Guilds annual medals for excellence programme, which celebrates the outstanding achievements of College students and staff.

Tyrone: Baby boom continues in Dungannon
Dungannon's baby boom continues to soar ahead with the latest government figures showing that it is still one of the most fertile places in the UK. In 2011, just as in the last four years, the district has topped the North’s birth-rate league tables. In fact, the local birth-rate has increased dramatically in the area since the start of the economic downturn.The strong Dungannon birth rate is evident on local streets, where it is not unusual to see a mother pushing a pram while trying to control another child or two.

Waterford:Tramore to get a lifeguard boost
Tramore set to get a tourism and industry boost as the plans for the National Surf Lifeguard Training Centre on the lower Promenade were met with unanimous support in Waterford Co. Council on Monday. The proposed building will have four areas with a wet zone, training area and lifeguard headquarters incorporating national facilities in the local Tramore area. Fine Gael Cllr. Ann Marie Power said that this would be a huge vote of confidence in Tramore and it would bring an economy boost with it.

Westmeath: Red Earth support Mater appeal with wooden hearts
Red Earth in Mullingar is supporting The Mater Heart Appeal for the month of February with an exclusive handmade wooden heart available to purchase in-store, by telephone or by email for €2. Red Earth is absorbing all costs, ensuring the full €2 goes directly to The Mater Heart Appeal to help raise funds for the Mater Hospital's Family Heart Screening Clinic. The hearts will be displayed throughout February on the Red Earth olive tree, a symbolic tree of life. Customers can also bring the hearts home if they wish.

Wexford: Dunbrody elebrates anniversary of famine ship
The Dunbrody Visitor Centre experienced their largest ever visitor numbers last Sunday when it offered free admission to celebrate the eleventh anniversary of the launching of the famed replica famine ship. 'It was the busiest day since we launched the ship,' said Sean Reidy, CEO of the JFK Trust. It is reckoned that over 2,000 people thronged the visitor centre throughout the day, where they experienced the new state-of-the-art exhibitions and displays, boarded the newly re-furbished ship and meet the celebrated Dunbrody actors.

Wicklow: Radio station' inundated with calls
Motorists on the N11 got a bit of a surprise when traveling on the north bound lane. Three hardy chaps had decided to do a Valentine's day jog with a difference to raise much needed cash for a outreach programme trip to Zambia. Laura Wood who was hosting East Coast FM's breakfast show "Freshly Squeezed" said they were inundated with text messages to the show telling us they had spotted these three on the N11, so we had to go and search for ourselves."

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