Local Notes: Charlestown ladies senior team and Mothers&Others played in Michael Byrnes Memorial Challenge
Charlestown Sarsfields Ladies senior team and Gaelic Mothers&Others teams who took part in the Michael Byrnes Memorial Challenge on St Stephen’s Day in Fr O’Hara Park
There was no winner of the Charlestown Sarsfields GAA lotto jackpot of €9,600 in the weekly draw held on Sunday night, December 31, and the following were the four numbers drawn; 2, 21, 24 and 29. The winners of the 2 x €50 weekly prizes were Eilis Marren and the staff of Colleran’s Pharmacy, Main Street, Charlestown. To coincide with the Christmas season the club also gave away 2 x €150 online One For All vouchers the winners of which were Angela Haran and James Kilroy.
The latest jackpot increased to €9,700 and the draw was held on Sunday night, January 7. Tickets are on sale in a number of outlets in the town and are also available on the online platform which can be accessed via the smart lotto or the club’s Facebook page. The club would like to thank all who played and supported the weekly lotto, the support is very much appreciated.
The death took place recently of Bridie Brennan (nee Elward), Cashel South, Curry, Co Sligo, and formerly of Knockalass, Buinninadden and Ballyglass, Curry. Deepest sympathies are tendered to the bereaved.
A vacancy exists for a caretaker in St Joseph’s Community College. It has a specified purpose contract of 19.5 hours per week. For more information check out; https://www.jobsalert.ie/..../caretaker-mayo-sligo-and...application form is available at https://msletb.ie/.../caretaker-st-josephs.
The death took place at the Mayo Hospice, Castlebar, of Ann Gallagher (nee Brennan), Cloonamna, Kilmovee, and formerly of Glann, Charlestown. Deepest sympathies are tendered to the bereaved.
SEAI offers a range of home energy upgrades to suit different homeowner budgets and needs, whether carrying out a complete home energy upgrade in one go or over time. For more details visit Home Energy Upgrades /Home Energy/Home Energy/SEAI.
The death took place at the North West Hospice, Sligo of Sean Duffy, Bellaghy, Charlestown, and formerly of Finchley, London. His remains were removed from Horkan’s Funeral Home, Lowpark, Charlestown, to St. James’s Church, Charlestown and burial took place after solemn requiem Mass to the Cemetery of the Resurrection. He is survived by his wife Mary, son Peter, daughter Claire, son-in law, daughter-in law, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, relatives and a wide circle of friends.
The late Sean was a quiet, unassuming man who spent many years working in London before returning to his native Charlestown and Bellaghy some years ago. He was a kind man who worked hard throughout his life and was a good provider for his family . He formed a great bond with his wife and together they made sure their family lacked for nothing in life. Family meant the world to Sean and he enjoyed his retirement surrounded by many loyal friends as he was well got in the area and was a good neighbour to all in the community of Bellaghy who have lost one of their best and nicest citizens. He had many great qualities and leaves a rich legacy of happy and treasured memories which his family will cling dear to and cherish in these deep dark hours and days. He was a good man in the true sense of the word and his passing is deeply regretted. We tender our deepest sympathies to the bereaved.
The East Mayo Athletics Club couch 2 5k returns for 2024 and is open to men and women of all abilities from complete beginners to experienced runners. The club’s experienced coaches will provide excellent guidance and encouragement over an 8 week plan. The programme starts Tuesday (this evening), January 9, and every Tuesday and Thursday thereafter for eight weeks at 7pm. The cost is €35 which covers membership and insurance and all details on how to sign up are available on the club’s splendid Facebook page.
Well done to Paul Towey and Conor O’Donoghue who lined out on opposite sides in the recent Mayo v Club Stars Charity game in aid of the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association held in the NUIG Air Dome on Saturday, December 30, last. Paul lined out for the Mayo selection with Conor coming on as a sub for the Club Stars combination with both lads acquitting themselves well as they got some valuable game time and minutes into their legs. The Mayo selection were emphatic winners as they coasted to a 7-20 to 0-17 victory with Paul bagging 1-2 of the Mayo tally in a useful thirty minute cameo where he once again underlined his predatory instincts and finishing skills with a clinical goal in an eye catching display.
Conor came on at various intervals for the Club Stars side and was his usual busy and energetic self as he kicked two good scores for a team that were well outgunned by a slick and impressive Mayo side who had some of their best players on view in what was an entertaining game played at a brisk and furious pace which the Dome seems to lend to as Mayo continue their build-up to the FBD Connacht League which got underway last weekend.
Paul is already on the Mayo panel and will be hoping to get some more game time in the coming weeks and months as he looks to stake a claim for inclusion in these FBD games which are all about impressing the management team as the build-up to the national league proper begins in earnest. Conor will also be hoping that he might have an outside chance of getting on an extended panel having impressed for the club in the last number of years as he remains one of the best and most consistent club players in the county. Both lads are and will be key cogs for the Sarsfields for their 2024 league and championship campaigns as they look to build on the good progress made in recent seasons and set their sights higher for the new season..
If anyone would like to receive a silver or gold pioneer pin or indeed become a member of the Diocesan Pioneer Association email achonrypioneers@gmail.com or contact Thomas on 087 2344338.
Could you spare two hours a month to help the current Community Coffee Morning team? You will meet new people, have some fun, all the while helping others along the way . For more information contact Patricia at 086 8514682 or Sinead 087 2997049 or email info@charlestown.ie.
Flourish Social Prescribing Service in conjunction with the HSE are delivered through The Family Centre, Castlebar, and is now available in the Charlestown/Carracastle and surrounding East Mayo area. Lisa is the link worker in the area and is available to confidentially meet you to discuss ways in which you can connect with your local community. Do you sometimes feel your life could be more enjoyable? Have you recently experienced a change in life such as retirement, a health issue, becoming a parent, change in employment, new to your area, relationship changes, etc? If so, Flourish is maybe for you. Contact Lisa for further details on 086 2599699 or email lmarren.flourish@thefamilycentre.com or check out the website www.familycentre.com/flourish. Flourish Social Prescribing Service is free of charge.
The weekly bridge game will resume in Walsh’s Bar, Main Street, Charlestown, on Wednesday, January 10, and the club wish all their members and players a very happy and prosperous new year.
Achonry Accord Counselling Service has re-located from Charlestown to the Bishop’s House, Ballaghaderreen. It offers marriage and relationship counselling in a secure setting, facilitating couples and individuals to explore, reflect upon and work to resolve difficulties that arise in their relationships. Contact 094 9022214 or email accordcastle-bar@gmail.com.
The weekly 25 card drive will resume in Walsh’s Bar, Main Street, Charlestown, on Tuesday, this evening, January 9, at 9pm. All are welcome and new members are especially welcome.
The Men’s Shed will resume their weekly meetings in the CBD Sports and Recreational Centre on Wednesday afternoons between 1-3pm and all are welcome and new members are especially welcome.
Art classes resume in the Town Hall Arts Centre on Wednesday, January 10, from 11am-2pm and all are welcome.
Well done to Nikodem Buganski who was crowned Mayo Novice A champion at the Mayo Boxing Novice finals held recently. This was another significant success for Darren Fahey and all the coaches at the Charlestown Boxing Club who have enjoyed some terrific successes in the last number of years. Nikodem looks another very good prospect for the club and has plenty of power and athleticism in his locker and is a name to watch out for in the months and years ahead should he maintain his application and dedication and keeps listening to his coaches.
It’s that time of year again when the Charlestown Sarsfields GAA Club are asking their many faithful and dedicated members to renew their annual lotto tickets for the 2024 season. The annual lotto has been an outstanding success since its launch in 2001 and has provided the club with a steady and valuable source of income which has financed many a project and football team in the years that followed. The ticket remains a steal at €70 which covers all 52 weekly draws which represents great value hence why its proved so popular to many purchasers and subscribers over its life time.
The 2023 ticket is due to expire in the next six weeks or so with many enjoying plenty of success in the weekly draws and in some cases netting a tidy profit on their investment. The format remains the same where you select four numbers from a pot of 36 and these become your numbers for each and every weekly draw. In the event of the jackpot not being one there is a draw for 2 x €50 prizes which more often than not throw up one annual lotto ticket holder each week. The club also offers an incentive to all annual lotto ticket subscribers by way of entering them into a draw with three cash prizes up for grabs and this too has encouraged and cajoled many to sign up and take the plunge so to speak. The club are keenly aware of the pressures people are under as we enter a new year as bills come through the door following the Christmas splurge but people have always answered the call and supported the club through thick and thin and they are hoping this year will prove no different. The club have details of how to sign up on their excellent Facebook page which contains all you need to know by clicking on the relevant link. The club are deeply appreciative and grateful for all the support they receive from the local community with the annual lotto ticket providing some vital funds to help fund the many teams who play under the Sarsfields banner as well developing their infrastructure to provide the best in terms of facilities for the next generation of Sarsfields stars.
St Vincent De Paul respects the dignity of those who contact them, offering assistance and advice when sought, assisting people towards long term self-sufficiency in a relationship of friendship, trust and confidentiality. If you need them contact 086 8892098.
Alone is a national organisation that enables older people to age at home. If you are in need of advice, support or information, call the National Support and Referral line (0818 222 024), seven days a week from 8am-8pm.
Charlestown & Districts Development Association annual general meeting will take place in the coming weeks. More news anon.
The opening hours of Charlestown library is Tuesdays and Thursday from 12 noon-7pm and Saturdays from 11am-4pm. There has been a terrific response to the library since its re-opening and people are encouraged to pop in and say hello to the new librarian Elizabeth and pick up a books from the well stocked shelves with something for everyone available and on display.
Mayo Cancer Support offer a range of emotional supports to people with cancer and their families. For more information call 094 9038407.
Enable Ireland, Mayo Services, require volunteers in all areas of County Mayo to work with children with a disability. Volunteers usually work one to one with a child within their home but also within their community or at the centre in Castlebar. No more than three hours are required per week and work can be arranged around a person’s availability. Training is provided. If you are interested, contact Fiona at 087 6808350 or email fscully@enableireland.ie for further information. This is a rewarding activity and volunteers are very positive about their experience.
Life after bereavement can feel very lonely. Trained facilitators conduct a weekly ‘Bereavement Support Meeting’, at the Family Centre, Knock Shrine, each Wednesday at 11am.
There is also a special meeting for bereaved partners/spouses on the first Thursday of each month at 11am. No appointment is needed. For further information contact Monica Morley at 094 9375320.
Offices are open and answering your questions by phone during Covid-19. Call the Citizens Information Phone Service on 0818 07 4000 (Monday to Friday from 9am-8pm) or visit the website for the latest information https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/.
Chair based exercises for the over-60s will resume at Carracastle Community Centre from Wednesday, January 10, from 11am-12 noon. For more information and to book your place, contact Sarah at 086 3879635.
Active Retirement Meetings will resume their weekly meetings in January with Monday, January 22, the return date subject to confirmation. More news as it comes to hand next week.
There was no winner of the Curry GAA lotto jackpot of €3,000 in the weekly draw held on Tuesday night, January 2, and the following were the four numbers drawn; 14, 25, 26 and 28. The following were the winners of the 5 x €20 prizes; Elaine Cunney, Colette Hayes and Joseph Durcan.
The latest jackpot increased to €3,100 and the draw will took place on Monday night, January 8. Tickets can be bought in a number of outlets or via the online platform.
The Charlestown Sarsfields GAA Club wish to remind their members that membership for the 2024 season is now due and can be made payable to any member of the executive or alternatively can also be paid by following the link on the club’s excellent Facebook page which gives up to minute details on offers the club have in regard to membership, annual lotto and county board draw. The cost of the membership remains at €50 and the closing date for the same is March 31.
Grow is a mental health support program based on lived experience. This mean Grow groups are a meeting of peers, who are striving to develop and maintain good mental health.
If you would like to know more, you can call your local GROW office on 1800 558 268. You can also register for ‘Welcome to Grow’, the online orientation session. This will give you an introduction to how meetings work and an opportunity to ask questions. You can also search for a group close by to you by using Find a Group and just turning up. No registrations are needed.
Well done to the Caiseal trio of Paddy Dozio, Luke and Matthew Connor who are part of the Mayo senior hurling panel taking part in the Connacht Senior Hurling league presently. Luke Connor started at corner back in Mayo’s first outing against Roscommon which took place in the NUIG Air Dome on Wednesday last and acquitted himself well and cleared his lines with authority and intelligence while Paddy and Matthew were on the bench and are sure to feature in Mayo’s remaining games in the competition. All three are key members of the Caiseal Gaels junior team and are sure to feature prominently in the Gaels push for county glory later in the season. The three lads are very talented players and are wished all the best in the future as they look to push on and nail a starting place on the Mayo senior hurling team with plenty of opportunities sure to come their way in the national league which starts at the end of the month.
There was a good turnout for the first weekly darts competition of 2024 held in Walsh’s Bar, Main Street, Charlestown, on Monday night, January 1, as The Egg and The Magician locked horns in an interesting tussle that drew a large crowd to the splendidly appointed auditorium for a new year cracker. Governor Gus refereed was immense in his role as match referee as he ensured law and order and good sportsmanship prevailed throughout with a very raucous crowd testing his patience on numerous occasions. Both men were on a retrieval mission having being well beaten in their two previous final appearances respectively and were keen to start the new year on a positive hence we had a good match full of incident and drama.
The Egg blazed his way to the first set with some memorable finishing and continued this terrific form into set two as the magician struggled to match the big numbers of his rampant opponent. The Magician finally found some semblance of form in set three and steadied the ship with some consistent throwing as he began to find his range in and around the treble twenty mark. He snatched the set with a thrilling 161 finish in the fourth leg which brought his large band of supporters to their feet as the noise levels cranked up considerably as the match took on a much more even feel. McGowan raised his game to another level in set four as he pounded the treble twenty bed with laser like accuracy and raced away with the set as he hit every double with wonderful precision to square the match at two sets apiece with the Egg bearing a very grim look as his level had fallen off considerably. The fifth set was a see-saw affair as both men laid claims to victory and went at it hard. The Magician grabbed the early initiative when he grabbed the first leg but the Egg regained his poise of the opening two sets and won the second and third legs with some scintillating finishing.
The next leg proved to be the defining one of the match as both men went for broke. The Egg hit a maximum with his first three darts to put McGowan on the back foot but he responded superbly with two 140s hauling him right back into contention. He put the leg to bed with a treble fifteen, double eighteen blast as the Egg looked on somewhat stunned as the match looked his for the taking. There would be no stopping the Magician in the deciding leg as he careered his way to the double leaving a shell shocked Casey trailing in his wake. The Magician stepped forward to the ochie with 40 left on his scorecard and he wasted little time in sealing the deal as his first dart nestled in the heart of the double top bed to set off scenes of celebration and euphoria as the large crowd stood as one to applaud the victor. A mighty start to the new year for the magician as he closes in on the number three ranking with the Egg more than playing his part in a cracking game of darts.
