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For more information on Beechlawn Organic Farm and their wonderful produce check out their webshop or sign up for their weekly deliveries of fresh, delicious, organic fruit and veg!
Timeline, Business Development
• 2002: 2 acres of veg grown, 1st volunteer stays with us on a 6 week internship from a horticulture college in France. 1 small polytunnel erected, 20 customers joined our new box scheme, and application for Organic licence submitted. Farm shed is cleaned out and whitewashed for the new enterprise. • 2003: Lots of volunteers come this year, sometimes three at a time. Organic Licence granted! 2nd polytunnel erected, heated propagator bought, Grant received from Galway Rural Development, rotovator, tractor, two wheel rotovator, plough, and tiller bought. • 2004: 3rd polytunnel erected. Deliveries in Athlone and Ballinasloe now up to 80 customers on the box scheme. • 2005: 1st farm van purchased. 4th polytunnel erected, 1st full time employee on the farm for the Spring Summer and Autumn. Market in Athlone and Ballinasloe begins in August. Home delivery customer numbers reduce as people now come to our market stall. Cold room built into farm shed. • 2006: Market in Loughrea starts in August. Home deliveries down to 30. Wooden student house erected for volunteers and farm workers. • 2007: 2 full time employees as well as Padraig and Úna working full time. New shed door and a 10,000 sq ft multi span polytunnel with the help of the Dept. of Agriculture “Organic Grant”. New extended heated propagator and our 1st tunnel is devoted completely to seed sowing and germinating. Number of volunteers who have stayed with us since 2002 now above 60! 1st Farm Open Day with music, food and tours in August. Home delivery numbers increase to 50, now including Loughrea. A busy Christmas with extra markets and our annual holiday after Christmas. • 2008: Started selling at the Oranmore and Moycullen Farmers market. We grew 13 acres that year, in cluding 8 new acres rented across the road from the farm. • 2009: With the help of Musgraves, Supervalu and Bord Bia and with some funding from the Organic Unit at the Dept of Agriculture Forestry and Food we bought a shrink wrapper and a barcode label printer. We renovated our packing shed and started selling packaged veg to shops and supermarkets. We put another four acres of rented land into organic conversion and planted a green manure for using in 2012. • 2010: With another grant from the Dept. of agriculture we began renovating another farm shed to use as a wash house to wash earthy veg coming in from the field and keep it away from the washed clean veg and imported fruit. We began employing an administrative and accounts assistant. • 2011: We harvested over 30 tons of potatoes this year in a partnership with another farmer in Kilconnell, Ballinasloe, continued to sell to more shops and grew 17 acres of veg. In the summer we started selling mixed pallets of veg using transport companies to bring them to Cork, Dublin, Wicklow and Kerry. We finished up selling in three markets and focused on Loughrea and Oranmore market alone. We purchased a root crop washer for washing carrots potatoes, turnip and other roots coming in from the fields. We employed an new delivery driver, veg packing supervisor. We got help from a crop planning advisor John Hogan this year. • 2012: We continued expanding with the purchase of a leek washer. We began to build an office above the new veg washouse.
Beechlawn Organic Farm featured on Galway Matters this week!
"We started growing commercially in 2002, gradually building up the business since then. 
Beechlawn Organic Farm is a business partnership that was conceived and has been developed by husband and wife, Padraig Fahy and Úna Ní Bhroin. The seeds were first sown after Padraig and Úna met at The Organic College, Dromcollogher, Co. Limerick, and both qualified with Diplomas in Organic Horticulture. The business germinated in 2001 when they began the garden, which they nurtured producing their first fruits in 2002.
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The Pillar House Folk Club celebrated its first anniversary last month with a superb and thoroughly enjoyable performance by Mary Coughlan and as the Summer season continues The Folk Club in this intimate 80-seater venue welcomes the inimitable Andy Irvine on Friday, 17th July at 9pm. Andy Irvine has enjoyed a long and successful career as a traditional Irish musician. A founding member of Planxty with fellow musicians Christy Moore, Donal Lunny and Liam O’ Flynn, they went on to achieve huge success and legendary status, reigniting traditional music as a popular genre. While Planxty took a break in 1967, Andy took the time to record another piece of work with Paul Brady. The two recorded a classic album together, simply entitled “Andy Irvine & Paul Brady”. Planxty regrouped from 1979 – 1983. When the group permanently disbanded, Andy began his solo career. He recorded his first album “Rainy Sundays…. windy dreams” shortly after. His second album was “Parallel Lines” a duo album with the great Scots troubadour, Dick Gaughan. Taking a break from working solo, Andy formed a band with Donal Lunny and some European friends called Mozaik. They completed one European summer tour before Andy returned to his solo and collaborative work. These collaborations led to the formation of Irelands first traditional “super group” Patrick Street. The group consisted of Kevin Burke (Bothy Band), Jackie Daly (De Dannan) and guitar maestro Arty McGlynn. The group toured from 1987–1990, releasing three albums in the process. They would regroup in 1993 to release a further five albums, although in between Andy recorded two solo albums. One of these albums consisted of entirely Balkan music, which Andy had learned on his earlier travels. In 2002, Andy finally formed his “dream band”, Mozaik, with Donal Lunny, Dutch guitarist Rens van der Zalm, Hungarian bagpiper Nikola Parov and American fiddler Bruce Molsky. The group have completed tours of Australia, Europe and America and have released two highly acclaimed albums Andy continues to tour the world with Mozaik as well as Patrick Street. He has also completed a brief series of reunion concerts with Planxty and Paul Brady in the last few years. His constant touring is testament to the fact that he is still as passionate about his music as when he began. As a musician and a living icon, Andy Irvine will remain in the Irish music scene for a long time to come. Tickets are €20 and are available from The Pillar House, Tel: 090 96 43939 / 087 9046140. Please see www.thepillarhouse.ie for upcoming dates.  Following from the “Ballinasloe Town Benchmarking Report” published earlier this year, the town team are hosting a Business Networking Barbeque in Maud Millars on Friday 10th July from 6.00-7.30pm . The cost will be €10 per person which includes food and either a pint of beer or a glass of wine. The main purpose of the event is to bring the businesses in the area together to generate ideas for inclusion in the Town Action Plan and to discuss promotion and cross-marketing of existing businesses in the area. All businesses in the area are more than welcome to attend, so please feel free to forward to anyone you think may be interested. If you require any further information, contact Lyn in Ballinasloe Enterprise Centre. Full details of the town benchmarking report are available here Also if you have not already done so please submit your business details here for inclusion in the business directory for the area. Look forward to seeing you then. On behalf of the town team. Jacinta Divilly, Val Colleran, Colm Croffy, Lyn Donnelly, Aidan Donoghue, Seamus Duffy, Tara Galvin, Paula Harley, Carmel Grealy, Kate Murray, Mike O’Brien, Pádraig Ó Ceithearnaigh& Ger Tully.  RESULT U10 "A" QUARTER FINAL
Ballinasloe 5-01 Davitts 2-02 A huge Well Done to the U10 team this eve who gave a brilliant display of skill and determination in the "A" Quarter Final against Davitts at Kilrickle this eve. Ballinasloe won the toss and were aided by the breeze in the first half . The girls kept the pressure on and scored 4 goals and a pointed free to give Ballinasloe a cushion at half time. The second half was always going to be tough with Davitts scoring 2 goals and a brace of points , but the Ballinasloe girls tightened up the defence and finished winners on a final scoreline of 5-01 to 2-02. Well done girls on an excellent display. Thanks to the Ballinasloe support that travelled and encouraged the girls. Semi Final Fri eve v Abbeyknockmoy in Kilreekil at 6.15. Visit Cumann Camógaíochta Beal Atha Na Slua on facebook for updates on all things Camogie in the town!  National Track & Field Championships U9-U11
The National Track & Field Championships U9-U11 were held in Tullamore on Saturday June 27th. This is a paired event & scores are calculated by combining the results of each pair. 4 athletes from Ballinasloe & District Athletic Club managed to qualify out of Galway County & then Connacht to compete at National level. The competition on the day was outstanding with just the fastest 3 pairs from each province representing their clubs at the Nationals. Aoibheann Fitzpatrick & Kayla McKeon represented Ballinasloe in both the U10 60m & 500m. They both had a super sprint in the 60m & came in 6th position. They both also put in a fantastic performance in the 500m with both girls running it in a personal best time & the pair finished in 7th position. Well done to both of them! Ava McKeon & Mya Kelly ran in the U11 600m and the pair performed splendidly finishing in 8th place. Mya had a fantastic run knocking nearly 7 seconds off her previous PB. Ava had an outstanding run, she had the second fastest individual time in this event finishing less than a second behind the fastest time. Ballinasloe & District Athletic Club would like to congratulate the 4 girls on their brilliant performances. Visit Ballinasloe Athletic Club on Facebook for more information  Congratulations to the Girls Under 14 Féile Footballers who are in the Division 2 All Ireland Shield Semi-Final, that match is on 28th June at 12:15 against Naonh Eoin in Ballinakill in Wicklow. A great achievement and best of luck to the team and management!
 On the 30th of August, Miles for Emma is asking people to challenge themselves by climbing Croagh Patrick.
This event is to help promote Equality and Awareness for Children with Special Needs. We are also asking anyone taking part on the day to wear the colour Purple. We want to make a real statement and loads of people going up and the mountain in the same colour shows unity. So for all you hillwalking enthusiasts looking for a unique challenge for 2015? The Miles for Emma Croagh Patrick 4 peak Challenge is for you! 4 is the target but Individuals can climb the mountain as many times as they feel comfortable. There is NO ENTRY FEE and climbers take part at their own risk. We will have 100 Purple Miles for Emma Tech T-shirts on the day and they will be given out on a first come bases. It is up to individuals to make their own way to and from Westport For those attempting the Full Challenge we are meeting at the foot of Croagh Patrick for 7:30am The first ascend will start at 8am and individuals climb at their own pace Those planning on climbing the mountain once or twice can choose their own start time. This is a self-sustained event For more information please contact Ken on 0877654200 Or visit the Event on Facebook  Bootcamps for ALL fitness levels Mondays: Ladies Bootcamp in Pearses: 7.30 - 8.30pm Mens Circuits in Pearses: 8.30 - 9.30pm Tuesdays: Ladies Bootcamp, Taughmaconnell Hall 10 - 11am Wednesdays: Cuckoohill Outdoor Bootcamp - 9.30am Kilconnell Hall: 8.00 - 9.00pm Thursday: Ladies Bootcamp, Taughmaconnell Hall: 8.00 - 9.00pm Fridays: Couch to 5km and 10km in Pearses: 6.00 - 7.30pm Saturdays: Outdoor Bootcamp - Advanced 8.45am Adult & Child Bootcamp 2.00 - 3.30pm Sundays: Indoor Bootcamp in Killimor Hall: 7.00 - 8.00pm Visit our Event's Guide to keep these times handy! You can share them on your own personal calendar so you never miss a day by clicking into them. You can also share them by email or twitter or facebook.
Get Out - Get Active  The Ballinasloe Cancer Support Centre located on Main Street Ballinasloe (entrance beside John Dolan Auctioneers) offers a number of services in a private and confidential manner to anyone with a cancer diagnosis or their families.
Services offered:
Monday: 4pm – 6.30pm Wednesday: 10am – 1pm Friday: 10am – 1pm For more information, visit the Ballinasloe Cancer Support Group on their Facebook page or call: 090 9645574 086 8840441
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The Town Team was set up by BACD Ltd. to revive the fortunes of Ballinasloe and its hinterland. With the main focus to build on the town’s many strengths, change existing negative perceptions and bring about measurable improvements in the town centre economy and its wider social value.
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