Local couple Arthur and Deborah Carr received the prestigious Christine Buckley Volunteer of the Year Award 2020 for their outstanding work with Claddagh Watch Patrol and Galway East Life Support.
The pair were announced as the latest winners live on RTE radio when Ryan Tubridy surprised the couple announcing that they had won ,during an interview. The unexpected award served as a valuable reward for them and their volunteers' recent activity and achievements. The Claddagh Watch was set up in January 2019 after five people tragically lost their lives to the Galway river in one week. The group attempts to prevent death by accident or suicide in the canals, rivers, and seas of Galway City. Together the couple have trained almost 100 volunteers from all sorts of different backgrounds for the Claddagh Watch patrol and there is not a week where the couple are not involved in the patrol venturing out and surveying the bridges and waterways of Galway City along with the other volunteers going out multiple times a week. Simultaneously fundraising for the vital equipment that is needed to assist the volunteers in their patrols and securing a base for the crew to operate. Along with the Claddagh watch, the couple also run a mental health support line Galway East Life Support formed in 2013 with four pillars of Education, Prevention, Awareness and Support. Over the past seven years the GELS centre located in Cullen’s Yard offer training courses, community talks and support. GELS helpline 0851237878 remains open with 75 calls being answered in 2020. Before Covid-19 the centre was open 3 days a week and all were available to call in for advice or information post restrictions the group will facilitate weekly meetings hosting in the Men’s Shed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Gamblers Anonymous on Tuesday at 8:30pm, a weekly two art groups, a ME/Fibromyalgia support group. To finance the operation GELS also have a charity shop named ‘A New & Slightly Used’ stocked with clothing, shoes, gifts, books and more stock located on the second floor of their building with plans to open the store two weekends a month. The couple has been recognised in their voluntary efforts before with Galway East Life Support being the proud winners at the Ballinasloe Mayor Awards of the Award for Social & Community Support in 2014. Arthur was then presented with the Social & Community Support Award at the 2015 Ballinasloe Credit Union People of the Year Awards. In 2016 Arthur scooped up Volunteer of the Year for Galway at the Cathaoirleach Community Awards and Deborah was nominated in the Social, Community & Civic Pride category for the 2017 Credit Union People of the Year Awards. The Christine Buckley Award comes with no less pleasure and even better they were completely unaware to the fact that they were even up for the award, in what was an early Christmas present live on RTE Radio Ryan presented them with a giant cheque of €1,000 for the two charities and they were also presented with an engraved trophy, some complimentary tickets to the EPIC Museum of Irish Emigration in Dublin, a painting of the Long Walk in Galway, and a framed letter from the country’s president Michael D. Higgins. Arthur and Deborah hope it will bring further attention to their cause and bring further financial support to their organisations. CEO of Volunteer Ireland Nina Arwitz said: “Arthur and Deborah embody everything about the true volunteering spirit. They have a clear passion for helping others and dedicate so much of their free time to supporting those in crisis.” Commenting after winning the award, Deborah exclaimed: “Arthur and I would like to thank everyone that has: phoned, messaged, posted liked and shared and congratulated us. The Volunteer Ireland Safety & Emergency Skills award was unexpected. We had thought that perhaps Claddagh Watch would get a nomination, which it did but we never considered ourselves Then the Christine Buckley Volunteer of the Year award completely blew us both away. Our feet have yet to touch the ground. Whilst our names are on the 2 awards they belong to every volunteer, board member, sponsor, donor and cheerleader past and present that are or have ever been involved with both Claddagh Watch Patrol and GELS without them nothing would have been achieved.” Over the latest Lockdown, Claddagh Watch Patrol and Galway East Life Support are still active and ready to support whoever is in need. Volunteers that come from every background are dedicated to the cause and have been of help to save many lives since the organisations beginning.
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The local Soroptimists Branch as part of worldwide organisation collaborated with the united nations in an international campaign to highlight domestic violence against women and girls.
Change will only come about by raising public awareness on violence against women and girls. With their recent Orange the World campaign which spread over 16 days from late November to December 10 members of the club safely gathered at Marina Rd placing a banner to raise awareness and end gender-based violence. The colour orange was chosen to catch the eye of those passing by while it also symbolises a brighter future without violence. It shows solidarity in eliminating all forms of violence. To raise awareness a banner was placed on Marina Road by Former National President of Soroptimists International Maria Finnegan and Ballinasloe Soroptimist member Mary Courtney. Myrnne Kelly current President “One in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence worldwide. I believe our role is to focus on prevention through education. Equality starting in the home, our schools and the workplace. We as a group need to need to continue to strive to raise awareness and work to improve services for the survivors of violence in any situation”. They also produced a video with Detective Inspector Inspector Declan Rock States which highlighted that from January 1, 2020, to November 30, 2020, the local Gardai had 10 prosecutions for victims of domestic violence. Worryingly In 2020 - 109 reports of domestic violence in Ballinasloe represent a 28% from the year before. The video was aired on the LIFE fbook page and had a huge 4,000 reach and was viewed by nearly 1000 folks. Soroptimist Ballinasloe and nationally are calling on the government to plan a new national strategy based on the startling facts that are being presented and collected by the Garda, and other . Throughout the ORANGE campaign, the wish through working together to improve the services available to survivors of domestic violence. Spreading awareness on domestic violence and protecting those who are vulnerable explaining how to report domestic violence and to encourage those who are affected to call to the local garda station should they wish to speak in privacy were all key aspects to the campaign. They urge those who are experiencing Domestic violence to not sit there in silence but to reach out to various groups and agencies. During Covid-19 the social diary of the Soroptimists had to be planned very carefully with 25-year anniversary celebrations that was to be marked by a town wide tree planting being cancelled. A planned Gala Charity Concert fell by the wayside also. For celebrations instead a Covid-19 friendly afternoon tea party was held. Earlier in the year the Soroptimists had an environmental protection project given Climate Ambassador status by An Taisce. A partnership with the National Women’s Council has enabled them to progress on their advocacy for rural women particularly in relation to public transport. Their National Public Speaking competition for secondary school girls was successfully managed once again by Kathleen Croffy, as one of the group’s aims focuses on a commitment to developing leadership in girls. A bursary was provided to support girls starting 3rd Level Education was greatly appreciated by recipients in Ard Scoil Mhuire. The group continues to support girls who are interested in progressing opportunities in their chosen areas and those seeking to join are more than welcome. Get in touch via Siballinasloe21@gmail.com 26 years old Sive Brassil , a Ballinasloe native, is an elite athlete training in Modern Pentathlon, a multi-discipline sport that involves running, swimming, show jumping, fencing and shooting, she holds ambitions to compete at next summers rescheduled Olympic games taking place in Tokyo. “It would be a dream to represent Ireland should I qualify”. Growing up in Mount Pleasant Avenue, her home, where she was able to see and hear the showgrounds, ignited her passion for sports. Sive attended Scoil Uí Cheithearnaigh where she was continuously supported in her sports. Being the youngest of five Sive followed in her sibling's footsteps becoming a member of East Galway Hunt Pony club, Swimming Club and Athletics Club at age 7 when she was old enough to join after watching her siblings in all these clubs as she grew up. She added fencing and shooting by the time she was 12 years old to complete the Pentathlon. As a teenager, Sive attended Our Lady’s Bower School for Girls where she continued with her sports. Falling in love with the sports Sive states: “I have so many fond memories of all of these clubs, and the positive experiences I have had here in town are what made me want to continue with the sport and become a full-time athlete. The town’s Olympic hopeful has many supporters and key sporting influencers from growing up such as learning to ride under the mentorship of Liz Scott in East Galway Pony Club. The Athletes love for running began in the Ballinasloe and District Athletics Club, nurtured under the coaching of Michael and Anne Burke. Sive enjoyed many years in Coral Leisure swimming pool with the Ballinasloe Swimming Club too with a few great coaches, including John Jordan and Gerry Downey.
“Without a doubt, my parents have always been and still are my biggest supporters. I’d be lost without them and they’ve always encouraged me to do what I love. Ballinasloe is where I found my passion for sport and so many people have helped me along the way,” states Sive. Sive was chosen along with 24 other athletes to take part in the Olympic Federation of Ireland’s ‘Dare to Believe’ schools programme. Through this programme, she was able to revisit her old primary school Scoil Ui Cheirthearnaigh after the school applied for a curriculum based on the Olympic values. She officially visited 2019 where she was able to reconnect with her old teachers and pupils. She spoke to the kids about their “Olympic sized dreams” and was able to teach the students all about goal setting. At the school, they were able to showcase some of the sports that Sive trains in. Sive said: “It was such a pleasure to return to Scoil Uí Cheithearnaigh and meet some of the staff that were there when I was a student. I got to say hello to my old teachers and meet some of the newer ones who were students with me when I was in school! It was so fun to talk to the kids too, they were all full of great ideas and big dreams which was exciting to see!” In the first lockdown back in March, the athlete's Olympic progress was halted. With everything put into disarray, Sive was unable to train using her usual facilities. But she never lost her winning mentality knowing from early on that the Olympics would never be cancelled just postponed and that gave her the motivation to push herself every day in hopes of achieving her goal. The athlete continued to go for runs and she practised her shooting and fencing drills in her garden. It was a tough time but having pulled through Sive has been more fortunate in recent lockdowns with elite athletes permitted to continue with their training. “I’m fortunate that training for elite athletes who are preparing for the Olympics has been allowed to continue. So, I’m still able to use the pool and track and I can do sessions with my fencing coach and riding coach too. So, I’m very lucky to be able to continue my training!”, enthuses a relieved Sive. Sive empathises with the youth today who are having trouble with their goals and are struggling during Covid-19: “It’s a difficult time for everyone at the moment but I’d encourage people to keep busy if they can. It’s also important to get out and exercise if you can too, it’s a great way to clear your head and stay healthy during the lockdown. I would encourage young people to find what they love and work hard at it. It’s easier to dedicate yourself and work hard at something if you’re passionate about it. I’d also advise young people with big dreams not to get too caught up in the result, but to enjoy the journey”, she encourages. Sive Brassil is looking forward to the summer of 2021 and continues to train very hard every day - “I just want to be able to build throughout the season, get stronger, and peak for Tokyo. That would be my dream season, ” she explains. Due to Covid-19, the plans of Ahascragh village were put on hold with the annual village Fair Day having to be cancelled however the Ahascragh Development Association sought to implement something for the streetscape that people could enjoy even under Covid-19 restrictions.
Similar to other small Galway and Roscommom places many derelict buildings adorn the village and the Ahascragh Development Association devised a plan to give the village a face-lift all while bringing some culture to the community. The idea came about when Secretary of Ahascragh Development Margaret Smyth drove through another Irish town and seen images of famous poets such as WB Yeats, Seamus Heaney and James Joyce and many more accompanied with a couple of lines of their poetry. In love with the idea, Margaret discussed the idea of implementing it in their village suggesting the of using Ahascragh’s very own local poet Michael Glynn’s poems for the trail. Michael Glynn had recently published a book of poetry entitled “The Man with the Cap” and after discussing the plan with mike he was very enthusiastic about it and willing to allow the Committee to use his verse around town free of charge. Poems selected were poems that had a relevance to the area such as “Leaving Killure”, “The Old School”, and “The Rambling House” among the six poems that were selected. ADA went to local printing company Signs & Systems Ballinasloe to get the poems printed and implemented an excellent stained glass effect put in as a background to the poetry. The poems have been given pride of place by an old garage in the village. The project was paid for by a grant supplied by the LCDC Community Enhancement programme. “We are getting phenomenal feedback to this project! Signs & Systems printed up the poems for us and most of the poems have a local connection” states Sec. Margaret. The poetry had gathered attention from people outside the village with many coming to the village to experience the trail. This included Councillor Dr Evelyn Parsons who after experiencing the poetry trail turned on the village’s Christmas tree lights in a busy weekend for the Development Association. The poem was only the start of Ahascragh Development Association’s plans to tackle the problem of derelict buildings they have also placed artwork in the windows of more derelict buildings as part of their enhancement project with images of flowers and fields being put throughout the town. Ahascragh hopes in the future to add more artwork to the village over the next few months adding more culture for residents and visitors to enjoy. Jacqueline Daly - recipient of the Laura Brennan Award for her advocacy work for cancer patients.28/1/2021
East Galway Midlands Cancer Support Centre’s Director of Services, Jacqueline Daly, became the third recipient of the Laura Brennan Award for her Advocacy work for cancer patients.
She becomes the first person in the West to have received this award with only Laura Brennan who this award is in remembrance of and Joan Moore being the second recipient. The Ballinasloe native was awarded the accolade by The Irish Society of Gynaecological Oncology after the incredible work that she has provided to cancer patients over the years, just before Christmas. The Brackernagh based Cancer Support Centre has its roots back in 2009 when Jacqueline and Michael Daly noticed a gap in their first-hand experiences with cancer. Following Jacqueline's battle with malignant melanoma and Michael’s battle with prostate cancer, the couple experienced the loneliness and isolation that had come with such diagnosis. From this, the family opened telling their experiences and they established a support group to aid and care for cancer patients and their families. Today, they have over 200 patients attending weekly with an army of volunteers all doing their part to support them. Their services are offered free of charge. Jacqueline stated that she is: “absolutely chuffed” that she is the third recipient of the award after the incredible work that she provided to cancer patients. The award was named in remembrance of prominent HPV vaccine campaigner who unfortunately passed away in 2019 from cervical cancer at the age of 26. It recognises outstanding contribution or achievement in areas of patient advocacy and research. Jacqueline spoke of the accolade and dedicated it to Laura’s work saying “It is an incredible honour to accept this award and to continue Laura Brennan’s legacy of advocacy. Laura is a huge inspiration to me, and she will always be my hero. She was and still is a huge champion for women everywhere.” Speaking how they are operating during Covid-19 Jacqueline states “We've found a way to make it work. You can't start to support people and then pull the rug from under them. Mental health is going to be the big casualty of this. At the end of the day, people need people.” Jacqueline has been pivotal to ensuring that the support centre remains active during Covid-19 Their group provides counselling over the phone or over zoom with the group expanding from one counsellor last year to now having five. The group have moved all their support systems online and hold a one-way system in their building complete with a sanitation set for their therapy rooms. With fewer people coming into the centre. Jacqueline’s work has been pivotal in keeping their clients informed and supported throughout the pandemic. They provided services such as bringing patients to their radiotherapy appointments however due to COVID-19 they have been restricted in what they can do. Jacqueline always acknowledges the role of the wider community : “Amazingly, people have continued to fundraise for us, they have been very creative during these times ”, states Jacky. Eimear Noone , the Killconnell native, internationally renowned musical conductor and composer will be conferred by the National University of Ireland, Galway with an honorary doctoral degree. Typically awarded to those who have achieved significant contributions to cultural affairs, public service, scholarship or a field of knowledge. The ceremony will take place on campus in the summer of 2021. Noone receives this award after making for her achievement of being the first female conductor at the Academy Awards in February of 2020. Eimear Noone also the first female conductor in the National Concert Hall in Dublin was ecstatic to learn that she has been nominated for such an award saying: “For this to happen in my home county could not be more meaningful”. Due to Covid-19, the virtual award ceremony had to be moved from November to the summer of 2021, that they may be able to host a celebratory event on campus for our 2020 graduates.” NUIG President Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh states “Each one has made an excellent and distinctive contribution to public life, the betterment of society and the interests of humanity.NUI Galway is very pleased to be in a position to respect and recognise these exceptional individuals.” With over 23.6 million viewers tuning in to watch the 2020 Oscars. The spotlight was on Eimear to perform. She thrived with Eimear and her orchestra receiving a standing ovation for their performance. Eimear worked with RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra once again in a St. Stephens Broadcast ; it was her first performance in the country since conducting the Academy Awards earlier in February. In her appearance on Lyric FM, Eimear conducted big orchestral scores from video games and movies. Eimear conducted with Sibeal, ‘Stand for Hope’, composed to praise the frontline workers during this pandemic, and ‘Malach Angel Messenger’ from World of Warcraft written in memory of her baby son Aaron. Also featuring is music from Fortnite, The Legend of Zelda, Tomb Raider, and much more. Commenting on the show Eimear stated “This concert is extremely important to me. Right now, people need their music more than ever and we all need a bit of a lift. We chose inspirational music which we hope will keep spirits high. I’m so thrilled to have worked with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra again. To be able to make this performance happen during this very challenging time in all our lives and, at a time when we can’t all be together at the concert hall, to know we can still reach audiences in Ireland and beyond with RTÉ lyric FM is truly a great joy.” by Bernard Larkin Retired Fire Station Commander Bernard Larkin a native of Derrymullen and residing in the village pens a warm recollection of winterime trips to town in the forties. “Go catch the pony “
The above order was gleefully received by many a young fellow in the 1940’s because it heralded a trip to town. Visits to town were few and far between in the 1940’s as it was War Time (Or the Emergency ) and money was scarce. Yet, certain tasks had to be done such as payment of rent and rates, (no electronic transfers in those days), so a trip to town was necessary a couple of times each year. Now to the pony, I think he had a good idea when those trips were due because he immediately moved to the furthest end of the field and had to be coaxed to the middle by a fistful of oats in a tin basin. This always did the trick. It is always an equine treat to have oats. The big tub trap was then pulled out and the pony fitted with his harness (nicely cleaned and polished) and we were ready for the road. The road itself deserving of a mention here for it was no shiny tarmacadam surface, but a loose sandy and sometimes potholed one. It was not until we reached about 3 miles from Town that a tarred road was encountered. In Winter, this presented a problem in frosty weather as there was an ever-present danger of the pony slipping and injuring himself or the passengers or breaking a shaft of the trap which would lead to an expensive visit to John Lyons who was a coach builder in Dunlo street. The slippage danger was countered by the fitting of the horseshoes with special frost nails which gripped the road surface and in later time, patent studs were used on the shoes. Having negotiated the long slope of Brackernagh, the next step was to find stabling for the pony. At that time most public houses had a few stables in the yard for their country customers, and over the years most people became regulars at their favourite pub/grocery, as most pubs had a small grocery counter attached where the essentials could be purchased. There was a kind of segregation practiced also where pubs in Dunlo Street catered for people from Clontuskert/Laurencetown/Kiltormer areas while Society Street accommodated those from Ahascragh/Kilconnell/Aughrim districts. Bridge St/River St catered for the “Roscommon people”. Some people would take a small sack of hay or maybe a pound or two of oats to fuel the pony for the journey home. The oats were fed by means of a nosebag which was a small sack that could be attached to the horse’s head, then he could have lunch on demand. Some yards had a stable boy, usually a 12/13-year-old who kept an eye on things in the hope of a shilling or two of a tip in the evening. None of them became rich as a result of this, but it led to one story about a stable boy who burst into the bar where the animal’s owner was having a glasheen with the following announcement. “Sir, sir, there’s a hole in the horses nosebag and the oats is falling out, it will be all gone before he has it half ate.” During the short Winter days, some provisions had to be made for the journey home. Lighting was one. Most traps were fitted with a pair of carriage lamps, nice square glass fronted units with a spring-loaded tube underneath into which was fitted a great big candle. This produced about one candle power which just about made it visible to the few other road users. Cars were such a novelty then that there was always the danger of a pony taking fright at those strange machines. Some standout memories from those visits to town were:
The lead up to Christmas for the ShopBallinasloe team was a remarkably busy period with the launch of the Town Voucher back in November – giving shoppers the choice to shop local in over 120 stores .
With the current lockdown, vouchers can be purchased from Dolan’s Centra, Duane’s Healthwise, and Salmons Department Store, J & S Photos on Society when they open back up. Alternatively, they are available online at www.ShopBallinasloe.ie The vouchers come in denominations of €10, €20 and €50. €55,000 worth of vouchers have been sold so far allowing businesses to continue to trade online even though their doors are closed allowing shoppers to browse across multiple products, services and selections and checkout in one single transaction with their order shipped from the supplier straight to their home. So many people got behind the local initiative, opting to shop local rather than online. In addition, many of the local businesses practically supported the project by gifting Town Vouchers for their staff as recognition for their hard work throughout the year. (Dolan’s Centra, Moycarn, Beechlawn, KPW, Ballinasloe Community Creche, Portunicula Sport Committee and Colleran’s Bus to name a few).www.shopballinasloe.ie To date over €55,000 worth of vouchers have been purchased from all corners of the world. The vouchers are not only for Christmas, but they are also available all year round making them the ideal gift option for any occasion as well as ideal prizes for Raffles, Draws, Golf Classics and Table Quizzes. So, if you have a special occasion coming up or maybe you have a family member overseas – have them gift you some Town Vouchers. The project is a joint initiative between local businesses marketing agency Araya Business Support Services (Honoria Mitchell Black, Niamh Creaven Connaughton) and Kickstart Web Design (Joe Glennon, David Ansley) the team are passionate about supporting local and making the town a better place to live in. The team have also received tremendous support from BACD and BCU as well as gaining a new team member - Hilary O’Brien in charge of onboarding businesses and driving the Town Voucher initiative. Supporting local businesses and jobs has never been more important. Choosing to ‘buy local’, ensures the town survives. By purchasing these vouchers everyone is making a difference that benefits the community economically . If you are a local retailer and would like to be involved, membership is now open and further information can be found on their website www.shopballinasloe.ie
A great opportunity for committee and parents to come together and review the year gone by was provided by the Clubs Zoom AGM.
Chairperson Ann Fitzpatrick welcomed all and Club Secretary Paula Harley, Club Treasurer Laura Kelly and Club PRO Marion Ruane provided detailed reports. A number of athletes competing in the Galway Indoor Competitions in January and the Connacht Indoor Competition in February, many got the opportunity to compete for the first time at those levels. Despite the usual COVID 19 interruptions many athletes continued to train and were delighted to have the opportunity to compete in the Galway Cross Country Championships in October. Some of the key highlights included: Galway Indoor Competition Kate Kilkenny take home Silver in the girls u11 600m and Lauren Loughrey also winning Silver in girls u10 Long Jump and coming 4th in 60m sprint. Adam Murray ran a strong 600m in the u 12 boys to finish with a Silver medal also. Aoife Berrigan finished in 4th place in a very competitive 600m as did Lisa Herity placing 4th in girls 60m. Martin Keane won Gold in the Senior Shot Put and Cillian Ó'Tuairisg also winning Gold in the boys u13 Shot Put. Jamie Fernandez took on the boys u18 3,000m to win Gold and secure a new PB. Jamie also competed in the boys u18 60m. Caoimhe Kilkenny also finished first in the girls u15 60m taking home another Gold for the club. Connacht Indoor Competition Luke Manning winning Bronze in the u15 boys 60 metre and Cillian ό Tuairisg, Ballinasloe & District Athletics Club winning Silver in the boys u13 Shot Put. National Indoor Championship Martin Keane won silver in weight for distance and 4th in Shot Putt and Veronica Burke also winning Silver in the 3,000 mts walk. Galway Cross Country Championship Laura Berrigan ran a great race under 10 on her Cross Country debut, finishing just one place short of winning a medal. Aoife Berrigan under 12 ran a super race in stiff competition to finish 3rd and win a bronze medal. Eva Ruane finished the day off in style for the club to win gold u14 and become Galway County Champion! Ending an era for the Club with Ann Fitzpatrick and Paula Harley stepping down from their roles as Club Officers and Coaches. The Club, and in particular the athletes past and present have been extremely fortunate to have had both Anne and Paula involved in coaching and mentoring .” We all share many great memories together and would like to express our sincere gratitude for the time they have given so willingly and the support and encouragement they have shown to everyone of our athletes”, stated new Chair Mags Kilkenny. Elected to serve for the next season were Chairperson Mags Kilkenny, Secretary Fidelma Herity, Assistant Secretary Antoinette Stephenson, PRO Marion Ruane, Treasurer Laura Kelly, Child Welfare Officers Emma Bookless & Grace Loughrey. Details of registration and training plans will be published on our Facebook page (see below) as soon as updates from Government allow. In the meantime, they encourage all athletes to stay active and to take every opportunity to get out and run! |
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April 2024
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