Local Notes: Keith claims another Poker League title in Kiltimagh
Keith Lydon has once again won the Kiltimagh Winter Poker League.
Keith Lydon has done it again. Keith was the winner of the final of the Winter League in Teach O’Hora on Wednesday night last. Keith has won the League on a number of occasions on the past.
Fourteen players had qualified for the big game to play for a prize pool of €1,865. After over six hours of play, Keith came out on top to take the Jeremy Dee Memorial Cup after a lengthy heads-up battle with the runner-up Michael Higgins. Third prize was won by Pat Boyle and Enda Ruane was fourth.
A new fifteen-week league commences in Teach O’Hora this Wednesday night, February 5th, with the game starting at 8pm. Entry is €25 and is confined to league members and, unfortunately, membership is full at the moment.
Local councillor Adrian Forkan has called for more outdoor staff for Mayo County Council in the wake of the damage caused by Storm Éowyn.
“The damage that was done was unprecedented,” Cllr Forkan told the . “No-one expected the level of damage to sheds and trees, and when I contacted the council offices in relation to trees that were down on roads around Kiltimagh, they told me they were inundated with calls. It was a massive operational challenge for the staff.
"What this storm proves is the need for more outdoor staff for local authorities. The staff that are there did a fantastic job with what they could, but there’s just not enough of them. They can’t cope. There needs to be a huge investment in outdoor staff, not just to react to storms, but for everyday tasks like the clearing of water tables, cutting back hedges and collection of litter.”
Cllr Forkan added that there was a huge problem with decaying ash trees in Ireland.
“What we have in this country, and especially in Mayo, is ash-dieback. It’s going to be a serious problem because the trees are dying from the inside out and there are lines of them along every road in the country. Something is going to have to be done about them, as well, because they’ll cause a big problem falling out onto roads and onto power and broadband cables.”
Cllr Forkan said there is not enough staff in the utility companies to deal with the cable faults and the other issues that arise.
“The ESB themselves haven’t enough staff. They sent crews into towns and repaired some of the lines, but the crew was then moved elsewhere, leaving pockets without power. It happened in Greenfields and out in Cahir, Goulboy and Kilcun. These areas were left without power and the crew moved on.
"Places where there was no power had no water. The communications were hit too. The tower in Kilbride in Swinford came down and this had a huge impact on phone signals. People couldn’t contact anyone. And when people were ringing trying to report trees down and lines down, they couldn’t get anyone; they couldn’t communicate. That has to be sorted out.
“As councillors, we have to look for more outdoor staff for the everyday running of the county. If we as councillors are tasked with running a county, it cannot just be run as an accountancy exercise. There are certain tasks and functions that have to be carried out to make sure that we provide a service to the people of the county. Outdoor staff vacancies need to be filled promptly and more staff need to be taken on. These are workers on the ground.
"There are four vacancies at the council office in Swinford. They should have been filled immediately. That would have been four more chainsaws or four more lads moving obstacles. It’s the same in every area around the county.
"There’s a main ESB line coming across at the back of the mountain and something is going to have to be done with that."
Cllr Forkan said there was assistance for people impacted by the storm.
“There’s a once-off payment for housing that was damaged during the storm that people can avail of, and I have application forms for that,” he remarked.
To mark European Day for Crime Victims, which occurs annually on February 22nd, Kiltimagh-based Victim Assistance has organised a special Mass at Knock Basilica to be celebrated on Sunday, February 23rd, at 12 noon.
Representatives from the emergency services and victims of crime are invited to attend. Refreshments will be served afterwards in St John's Rest and Care Centre. The Kiltimagh Parish Choir will sing at the mass.
Victims Assistance is a national charity based in Kiltimagh, which supports victims of crime nationally. European Day has turned into a week of events all over Europe, with organisations hosting events in the week leading up to that date.
Clann Machua Drama Group will present Roddy Doyle’s ‘The Snapper,’ a full-length comedy play, in Kiltimagh Town Hall Theatre on February 13th, 14th and 15th. This will be the first time the play has ever been performed in Mayo.
‘The Snapper’ is set in Dublin in the late 1980s. It is the story of Sharon Rabbitte, a 20-year-old living with her parents who becomes pregnant after an encounter with a man she’d rather forget. She refuses to tell anyone who the father is. She decides to keep the child and slowly starts to tell her family and friends. She quickly becomes the talk of the town and there is much discussion on who the identity of the father could be. That is until one unlikely candidate starts to come to the fore.
This is Clann Machu’s entry into the All-Ireland 3-Act Drama Circuit for 2025. Over the course of the competition, the group will perform in festivals in Clare, Laois, Kildare, Cork Galway and Tipperary in their quest to qualify for the All-Ireland Finals, which will be held in Claremorris in April.
Early booking for the Kiltimagh shows is advisable. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.
Congratulations to Abdelkader Al Swidani, of St Louis Community School in Kiltimagh, who was amongst 12 students from Mayo who were awarded the prestigious Entrance Exhibition Awards for the 2024/5 academic year from Trinity College Dublin.
The awards go to students accepted into the first year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme, who achieved above a minimum of 500 CAO points (or equivalent) from their secondary school. The awards were presented last week at a ceremony at Trinity’s Old Dining Hall, to which the students and their school principals were invited. Abdelkader received a commemorative certificate and a €150 book token.
Housing offers have been made in the last few weeks to potential occupants of the 21-unit Carn Tulach housing development, off Cloonkedagh Road.
The development is made up of six 3-bedroom houses, eight 2-bedroom houses, six 2-bedroom apartments and one special needs bungalow. Carn Tulach was opened by Mayo Co Council last October and should be occupied in the next few weeks.
There are a number of part-time job opportunities available for farmers in the Kiltimagh, Bohola and Midfield areas. The work involves the caretaking of community facilities, village and countryside enhancement including maintenance of walkways, assistance in the Hospice shop, and with childcare facilities.
The vacancies are open through the Rural Social Scheme. Participants on the scheme work nineteen and half hours a week. Anyone interested is asked to contact the supervisor for the area, Caroline Cotter, on 087-2107385 or by calling into the Mayo North East Leader Partnership office on Aiden Street.
Irish Classes will recommence in Coillte Mach GAA clubhouse on this Thursday, February 6th, from 7.30 to 8.30pm. Fáilte roimh chách.
This is an ideal opportunity to brush up on your Gaeilge in an informal and enjoyable environment. Bí linn don spóirt, craic agus spraoi.
If you are interested, call Aingeal on 087-9885165.
Kiltimagh extends a welcome to Jimmy Connor who is currently constructing a Sand Martin wall at the Emgirant Park.
Jimmy has previously built a similar wall in Lough Carra and the Kiltimagh project is being funded by Mayo County Council Climate Action Fund. The hope is that the park will be welcoming Sand Martins to Kiltimagh for their breeding season in the coming months.
The Sand Martin (Riparia Riparia), also known as Collared Sand Martin or Common Sand Martin - and in the Americas as the Bank Swallow - is a migratory passerine bird in the Swallow family Hirundinidae. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the whole Holarctic area, from Europe, across Asia to the Pacific Ocean, and throughout North America. It winters in eastern and southern Africa, southern Asia, and South America.
The next meeting of the Kiltimagh Women’s Group will take place in the Library tonight, Tuesday, February 4th, at 7pm.
The sudden death has occurred of Vincent Creighton, of Ballinamore, Kiltimagh.
Vincent, who died at his residence on January 25th, was predeceased by his parents James and Rita, brothers John, Andrew, infant brother Enda Paul and grandson Sonny.
Vincent will be deeply missed by his wife Anne, sons Damien, Kieran and Aiden, daughter Michelle; grandsons Evan, Theo, Noah, Adam and Ryan; brothers Seamus and Padraig, sisters Mary, Helena, Una and Patrice, nieces, nephews, daughters-in-law, son-in-law, cousins and good friends and neighbours.
Vincent was laid to rest in Kilkinure Cemetery after Funeral Mass in the Church of the Holy Family, Kiltimagh.
May he rest in peace.
The death has occurred of Attracta Ivers (nee Loftus), of Treenkeel, Kiltimagh and formerly of Brackloon, Swinford, and late of Ballinamore Nursing Home, Kiltimagh.
Attracta died peacefully at Mayo University Hospital surrounded by her loving family. She was predeceased by her father Michael, mother Bridget, and sister Mary. She will be deeply missed by her loving husband Michael (M.P), children Michael, Mary, John and Thomas, daughters-in-law Geraldine, Rosaleen and Brenda, son-in-law Pat, eleven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, extended family, friends and neighbours.
Attracta was laid to rest in Midfield Cemetery after Funeral Mass at the Church of the Holy Family, Kiltimagh.
May she rest in peace.
