Mayo retirement event honours long-serving workers

The invaluable work performed by Rural Social Scheme (RSS) workers was honoured at a retirement party on August 7th for four RSS workers. John Joe Lyons and Tom Carney were both honoured for their lengthy service as RSS workers attached to Ballyhaunis Tidy Towns and the Abbey Partnership.

Also honoured were Tom Lilly who is retiring from his RSS post at Ballyhaunis GAA and Colm Devaney who is retiring as RSS worker attached to Ballyhaunis Rugby Club.

The various groups hosting the RSS workers jointly sponsored the farewell party at Delaney’s Bar. Also in attendance was Ann Moran, the RSS supervisor employed by Mayo Northeast LEADER Partnership which administers the government-funded scheme locally.

Initiated in 2003, the RSS aims to provide income support for farmers and fishermen in receipt of long-term social welfare payments and to provide services of benefit to rural communities. To encourage more applicants to sign up, the scheme was recently extended to non-farming rural dwellers.