Ballinasloe Showcase Day 2023
 
When: Thursday April 27th at 1pm – 2pm             
Where: Ballinasloe Enterprise Centre, H53E9R2
 
Come and hear why Ballinasloe is a fantastic location for investment, business, remote workers & entrepreneurs.
 
Are you:

• A local business or entrepreneur in the area?
• A business leader transitioning & embedding remote and hybrid ways of work?
• Already working remotely or interested in remote work opportunities?
• A business mentor, company advisor or enterprise development professional?
• A Community member interested in the development of Ballinasloe?

 
If your answer to any of these questions is - Yes - then our 'Why choose Ballinasloe 2023' lunch briefing is for you.
 
As a part of the national Connected Hubs Showcase Day, Ballinasloe Enterprise Centre in conjunction with The Pulse Club & Grow Remote are hosting a briefing session to launch its Why Choose Ballinasloe campaign, a campaign which highlights what makes our town a great location for business and remote work.
 
The meetup will be opened by  Sen Aisling Dolan and closing remarks by Cllr Evelyn Parsons and MC'd by Renate Kohlmann.
 
Our panel of speakers are drawn from the different sectors of what makes our town a great location for collaboration, remote work, and a great environment for business.
 
Our panel of experts for the meetup will include:
 

• Seamus Duffy, Chair, Ballinasloe Area Community Development
• Lyn Donnelly, Manager, Ballinasloe Enterprise Centre & Hub
• Cait Mc Conn, Operations Manager, Grow Remote
• Joanne Mangan, Remote Transformation Manager, Grow Remote
• Niamh Creaven Connaughton, The Pulse Club & Araya Business & Marketing Solutions.

 
Light lunch, tea and coffee provided.

All attendees must pre-register @ Connected Hubs

The Golf Club confirmed Frankie Kenny, a 36 year old Kiltormer native as the new Franchisee for the Bar and Food Operation this month.

From a Garbally Leaving Cert his hospitality career began with Tomas and Caroline Gullane as your typical lounge staff and he progressed there before moving to Haydens under the Creaven and Downey years as Bar Manager.
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He returned to Gullanes in the Bar and Restaurant section before taking up a position with the previous contractees to the Gold Club as Bar Manager in March of last year.

“Tee19@BallinasloeGolfClub” is what the outfit will be branded; bringing no nonsense dining and catering to hungry golfers and visitors alike.

Open for the members from 11.00 am with a lite brunch offering and then from noon till close of kitchen a solid tasty and refreshing limited menu will be provided  at modest fare – seven days a week.

Commencing service from mid April onwards Tee19 will aim to provide Club users and guests a distinctive West of Ireland slant to their kitchen with changing evening specials and of course an A La Carte Sunday lunch offering.

“We are still going to chase the private party and function market and will be able to cater for groups with special finger food up to 100 guests and for smaller intimate family gatherings – like birthdays or anniversaries“, explains Frankie who is really looking forward to the new opportunity.

Full and Part time positions are still available and you can contact the facility by calling the Golf Club main number at 0909642126 or if you wish to offer a CV by emailing frankietee19@gmail.com 

All the exciting Offers and Specials will be posted regularly on the new Fbook page;  TEE 19, Ballinasloe Golf Club.

 ​A number of activities for locals and visitors to experience:

1. Rambling House  Gibbons Bar Friday 26th May @ 9pm
2. Guided Bog Walk from Ballinasloe to Clonfert Saturday 27th May @ 9.00am & 11am
3. Guided Tour Ahascragh Distillery Saturday 27th May @11am
4. Boat Cruise from Shannonbridge to Ballinasloe  Saturday 27th May @ 4pm
5. Tour of Battle of Aughrim  Sunday 28th @ 10 am
6. Kayaking on River Suck Sunday 28th @1pm & 2pm
7. Kids Heritage & Treasure Trail Sunday 28th @ 1pm

These events are being coordinated by the Ballinasloe Tourism Group set up under the umbrella of Ballinasloe Area Community Development Clg. All general enquiries can be made to Lyn or Martina at info@bacd.ie or 09096 46516.

Accommodation Details:
Gullanes hotel €139 per night per room 
Shearwater Hotel €200 per night per room 
Moycarn Lodge & Marina €140 per night per room 
Gibbons B&B €70 per night per room

To book any event - click into the image or click on this LINK

Location:  Starting Point at Gun Club & Lismanny Board walk
Time: 9am & 11.15 am Saturday 27th May

2 options

• Option 1 - Distance 18 Km, walk time 5 hours approx. Ballinasloe to Clonfert
• Option 2 - Distance 9 km Walk, Time 2.5 hours Lismanny Boardwalk to Clonfert

Option 1:
Walkers will meet at Gullanes car park at 8.45 am and bus transferred to the Gun Club for 9.00 am walk start. The group will stop at Lismany board walk for lunch (approx. 11.15am) where tea/coffee will be provided.

Walk Details:  Commence at Ballinasloe Gun Club, along the Grand canal towpath ( following the Hymany way route) past the aqueduct where the Grand Canal and Ballinure river meet, and on to the Lismanny Boardwalk where there is a break for lunch.  After the break continue past Kylemore School house and church, along a track,  through a forest path alongside Kylemore bog, then bog tracks and finish at Clonfert Cathedral  where a bus will be waiting to drop all walkers back to start of walk at Ballinasloe Gun club/Gullanes Hotel

Option 2:
Meet bus in Lawrencetown village at 11 am and brought by bus to Lismanny boardwalk (53.2628805, -8.1564162, 7R7V+5C4) at 11.15 am.

​Walk Details: Join the group for the second half of the walk along tracks, forest and bog to Clonfert Cathedral.   where a bus will be waiting to drop all walkers back to start of walk at Laurencetown/Ballinasloe Gun Club/Gullanes Hotel

Tour Guides:
The walk will be guided by Claire Kelly & Fiona Maguire. Claire is an ecologist and will explain the expansive biodiversity and eco systems along the route. Fiona Maguire is a local archaeologist who will talk about the rich cultural heritage along the route.

The terrain is a mix of road and grassy trails so please be mindful of footwear. We advise walkers to have good walking boots/shoes, appropriate clothing for the weather to ensure your greatest comfort and safety.
Please remember to have water to keep you hydrated, and snacks for along the way if you so wish. We will provide Tea/ Coffee for the stop scheduled at Lismany boardwalk.
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Cost: €5
Enquiries: Brid Lyons on 0874136769

NB: THIS WALK IS FOR MODERATE LEVELS OF FITNESS & AT PARTICIPANTS OWN RISK
All persons participating in this event being organized by Ballinasloe Area Community Development (BACD Clg) do so at their OWN RISK. By purchasing ticket for the event you herby agree to accept all Responsibility. BACD Clg nor its Directors, Volunteers or Employees accept any Responsibility whatsoever caused by any injury or damage suffered by any person participating in this event.
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Venue: Shannon Bridge to Ballinasloe along the River Suck 
Time: Boat departs Shannonbridge 4pm ( bus pick up in Ballinasloe @ 3pm) Saturday 27th May
Duration: 2 Hours
Details: Cruise along the majestic River Suck to Ballinasloe  onboard the luxurious, all-weather River Queen.  Snap photos and enjoy unsurpassed views of this spectacular waterway with live on board entertainment and full bar facilities. 2 Drop of points on way back 1) Moycarn  Marina and 2) Ballinasloe Marina
On arrival at Moycarn Lodge, A complimentary glass of Bubbly and Chef's Canapes will be served on the Marina to welcome you​. 
Cost: €20 per person
Enquiries: Lyn on 0863070579

Venue: Moycarn Marina
Time: 1pm & 2pm Sunday 28th.
Details: Kayak along the river Suck with an experienced guide who will take you along the banks of the River Suck to give you a unique view of the countryside. Small Groups, No kayaking experience required. We will supply kayaks, buoyancy aids, helmets  and paddles.
Meet at Moycarn Marina 15 minutes before start time. Wear old runners, tracksuit bottom or shorts, a t shirt and a wind breaker, or under-armour type top. If you have your own wetsuit, feel free to wear it but not a necessity.
Duration of activity: 1 hour
Queries: Leo : Lets Enjoy Outside: 086 8406726 

A small group of passionate and dedicated volunteers have been meeting since the new year to attempt to establish a new grouping focused on heritage and history in all it’s guises in the locality.

The ad hoc group ran a small pop up Heritage Hub in Greene’s Store , Society St during St. Patrick’s day featuring a lot of lovely dated and mounted black and white photos of times past from the Gerry Devlin Archive.

The Group are keen to stress that the elements they wish this new project to embrace are our people, traditions, architecture, archaeology, fairs, Music, Sports, Industry and Art.

On the night in question – Mon 17th of April in Gullanes Hotel at 8.30 pm,  they are encouraging as many as possible to come but also for those who may have some unseen black and white photos, artefacts , old books, souvenir programmes, equipmen, uniforms or household items associated with East Galway or South Roscommon - to bring them along for an Antiques Roadshow display.

Items will be recorded on the night with the owner and a small video clip made for broadcasting later.
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It is hoped that the project will get as wide as possible support from the upsurge in local amenities, heritage, attractions and publications that all emerged during COVID.

Darkness into Light walk is set to return this year for its seventh cycle; departing early in the morning from the Emerald Ballroom, along with 200 similar fundraisers happening nationwide on the day.

Darkness into Light is Pieta House’s top fundraising and awareness event aiming to help those impacted by suicide and self-harm. The walk brings the participants from the pitch black of the early morning on a silent walk through their towns, eventually finishing their journey at the sunrise, symbolising victims finding the light of hope and wellness. Last year, over 450 locals joined the fundraiser, with the town lit in a great display of candlelight and lanterns.

This year’s event will depart from the Emerald Ballroom at 04:15am on Saturday May 6 2023. You can register to participate or donate online at darknessintolight.ie.

​Fully qualified therapists are also available 24/7 at the helpline (180) 024 7247 or by texting HELP to 51444 for those in distress or crisis.

The Ballinasloe Town Team formally launched their Sustainable Community Energy Plan with an extensive presentation at the Enterprise Centre from  three guest speakers Ryan Madden of Plan Energy, Ruth Buggie of SEAI (Sustainable Energy Association Ireland) and Brian Graham of Solar Home LTD.
 
Town Team Co – Ordinator Anita Kileen, who has personally championed this project as key issue of the next decade of development for the town, welcomed all to the centre and thanked those who had contributed and helped thus far.

The public launch was open to everyone, hoping to consult and collaborate with all our community on how to effectively manage  power, energy and reduce our carbon footprint over time.

Ryan Madden, a representative from Plan Energy, outlined the new Ballinasloe Energy Master Plan, reviewing the town’s current energy practises. Reportedly, on average, a household in town can spend over €350 a month on all electric appliances, with an immersion, tumble dryer and dishwasher taking the heaviest bulk of the cost. The primary heating sources of Ballinasloe were found to be oil at 35.7% and peat at 26%,  (average nationally with oil but over average with peat fuel) with the speaker encouraging the attendees to adopt wooden stoves or natural gas if they could.

Reflecting on the broader Sustainable Energy Community of 700 locations across Ireland, there are various practices Ballinasloe could adopt to reduce power usage and costs. In an analysis of ten residences in the region, Ballinasloe received a D1 in its Building Energy Rating for efficiency, which is in line with the SEC average but could be increased to a B1 by retrofitting 20-25% of buildings before 2023. Ryan Madden suggested other measures the town could aim for this decade included a 20% transition to electric vehicles and potentially adopting solar and wind power alternatives. Additionally, a 40% reduction in car journeys was suggested, which could be reached by simply walking to a workplace or operating from home once or twice a week.
 
Overall, the  goal has been set to reduce the community’s  carbon footprint by 3% every year, estimating it could be lowered by over 10,000 tonnes by 2030. In addition, the report detailed that the community could become significantly more sustainable with 36,792,146 kilowatts per hour of savings if the measures outlined were to be implemented.

To sponsor these initiatives, SEAI Programme Manager Ruth Buggie outlined attention to grants available from the Govt. Agency. This includes funding available for the community, which can vary from €50,000 to €2 million depending on the scale of the project, as well as grants  for home retrofits, sustainable transport upgrades and solar panel instalments for individuals in the locality. Attendees were actually taken aback at some of the schemes available.

Brian Graham of Solar Home LTD followed her on the topic of renewable initiatives, exploring different solar installation types as well as the cost, being €14,600 for a 4.5 kilowatt an hour panel fitting which can be alleviated by a SEAI grant of €2400. Located in Athenry, the company can be contacted at (091) 848 700.
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If you hope to find out more information about the Ballinasloe Master Plan, Ryan Madden can be contacted at ryan.madden@planenergy.com, or for more information on SEAI Energy Grants you can visit their website at www.seai.ie.