Local Notes: Ballina students qualify for national final
Pupils from The Quay National School, Ballina who qualified for the Bebras National Computational Thinking Final in Maynooth University pictured with their school principal, Seán Gallagher. From left are Gareth Doyle, Róisín Brennan, James Doherty, Fionán Conlon Stiasny, Sophie Brennan, Leah Dwyer, Michael McHale, Brody Loftus and Jamie Gallagher.
Nine pupils from fifth and sixth classes in The Quay National School, Ballina qualified for the Bebras National Computational Thinking Final organised by the Irish Computer Society (ICS) Skills in Maynooth University.
Bebras is an international initiative where the goal is to promote informatics and computational thinking, especially among teachers and children of all ages.
All nine pupils did a further online computational thinking test, competing with finalists from across Ireland.
School principal Seán Gallagher commended the pupils for representing the school in such a fine manner, and their teachers Ms Reape, Mrs Carey and Mrs Gilvarry for preparing them so well.
A total of 25,000 pupils took part in the first round computational thinking challenge with 340 finalists invited to Maynooth.
The death has taken place of Mary Loftus (née Harrison), Cullane, Attymass, Ballina and formerly of Byhalla, Attymass.
Mary will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her daughters Teresa Mitchell (Manchester), Margaret (Peggy) Naughton (Manchester), Marion Moran (Killala), Anne Rafter (Corrimbla South), Christine Fleming (Bonniconlon) and Geraldine Quinn (Bonniconlon), her sons Patrick (Pake) (Manchester), Sean (Manchester), Martin (Crossmolina) and Kevin Cullane (Attymass), grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great grandchild, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, relatives, neighbours and friends.
She was predeceased by her husband John and son Micheal.
Mary reposed at the residence of her son, Kevin, and Paula.
Funeral Mass was celebrated in St. Joseph’s Church, Attymass, followed by burial in Killeen New Cemetery.
Ballina Dragons Boat Club is aiming to raise €2,500 on its GoFundMe page, to go towards the purchase of a new boat.
The funds raised will help acquire the new boat which, in turn, will be used to support cancer survivors and friends on their healing journey.
“We are blown away with your support so far and we value your generosity,” said club founder, Denise Swanick.
Ballina Dragons Boat Club, established in 2023 and based at The Quay, Ballina, meets each week for boat paddles, pool paddles, Pilates and social outings, and the organisation also hosts health promotion events.
The club is inclusive of all those aged 18 or over and was established to support the community, people affected by cancer and those who have been impacted by the recent pandemic at every level.
Ballina Dragons Boat Club is a volunteer-led, non-profit club, based in the local community.
Dragon boats are large, canoe-like vessels, 12 metres long and with 20 paddlers, a drummer to keep paddlers in unison and a helmsperson to steer. In this ancient Chinese sport, the paddlers sit side by side in pairs.
You can find out more information about joining the club at www.ballinadragons.com.
Or, if you would like to contribute to this very exciting new sports and community-minded group, visit their GoFundMe page.
The death has taken place of Joan Loftus (née Rafter), Quignashee, Ballina and formerly of Phibsborough, Dublin.
Joan was the beloved mother of David. She will be sadly missed by her son, daughter-in-law Emer, grandchildren Aria and Darragh, brothers Sean and Robert, sisters-in-law, brother-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.
She was predeceased by her husband Vivian, parents Jack and Josie, sister Maureen and brother Willie.
Joan reposed at McGowan’s Funeral Home, Ballina on Thursday of last week, with removal afterwards to St Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina.
Requiem Mass was celebrated on Friday, followed by burial in Leigue Cemetery, Ballina.
Members of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association (PTAA) in Ballina are reminded that Connacht Pioneers is organising a pilgrimage to Lourdes this summer.
The five-night visit to the French Catholic pilgrimage site will include full board, staying at the Hotel Agenda. The flight will take off from Ireland West Airport Knock, flying out on July 18.
The national organisation, which supports a faith-based approach to abstaining from alcohol, marked its 125th anniversary during 2024, a year in which the Pioneer group also elected its first woman president, Galway’s Frances Egan.
Contact Fr Joe Delaney at 087-6660408 for further information.
A HeritACT initiative in Ballina next week for members of the public will see a Geodesign Workshop conducted in the local library.
HeritACT, a project funded by the European Union, bridges the past and the future of towns and cities by activating heritage through engaging experiences and innovative design, in order to facilitate urban sustainable development.
This Geodesign Workshop will explore the town’s cultural heritage, and residents of Ballina, all of whom are stakeholders in its future, are invited to come along.
It will be an opportunity for people to engage in proactive dialogue around the cultural identity of Ballina, with the aim of achieving the sustainable development of its heritage.
The organisers will welcome everyone’s perspective on the history, local experiences, stories, ideas and proposals regarding reactivating the cultural heritage of the town.
The Geodesign Workshop will take place in Ballina Library, Pearse Street, from 12pm to 4pm on Tuesday, May 14, and again on Tuesday, May 21.
You can sign up to the workshop at www.herithub-ballina.eu.
It’s still not too late to join in with the Ballina Darkness Into Light walk/run this coming weekend.
Darkness Into Light takes place this year early on Saturday morning, May 11.
The Ballina walk/run will begin at 4.15am from St Muredach’s Cathedral, and the participants will be among over 150,000 people who will take part in events at more than 200 locations around the country that morning.
Darkness Into Light is an annual charity event to raise funds for Pieta, the suicide and self-harm organisation.
Visit the Darkness Into Light Ballina Facebook page for more information.
Saturday Open Sessions have commenced at The Core, Ballina, where like-minded teenage musicians can jam and make friends, or just hang out. The facility is free to members.
For further information about the regular sessions, please email Philip Cassidy at philipcassidy@msletb.ie or call 087-7485954.
Summer may be on the way, but Ballina Library is still keen to promote energy efficiency in the home.
Home Energy Saving Kits are available to borrow for free from the town centre library on Pearse Street.
The kits have been developed by Dublin energy agency Codema, and they contain five tools and six exercises to help local homeowners save energy.
The kits are available to borrow for a period of one week and each kit contains five tools and six exercises for householders to save energy and cut costs.
The items in the toolkit address three key areas of energy use in the home - space heating, hot water and electricity consumption - and can help identify common problems such as lack of insulation, poor ventilation and the appliances in the home that might be driving up your electricity bills.
The kit is also accompanied by a step-by-step user manual, so it can appeal to homeowners with even the most basic knowledge of energy-saving.
Among the five tools and six exercises in the Home Energy Saving Kits are a fridge freezer thermometer, a temperature and humidity meter, a radiator key, a thermal leak detector, a plug-in energy monitor and a water flow rate exercise.
To borrow a kit, please contact Ballina Library on 096-70833 or email librarymayo@mayococo.ie.
The death has taken place of Joyce Johnston (née Foley), Quignalecka, Sligo Road, Ballina and formerly of Ardnaree, Ballina.
Joyce was the beloved wife of Chevalier and loving mother to Chevalier Junior (Chevy) and Christopher.
She will be sadly missed by her loving husband, sons, son-in-law Dougie, daughter-in-law Rosanna, cherished grandson William, brothers Brendan and Tiernan, sister Kathleen Gardiner, cousin Mary Reilly, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.
She was predeceased by her parents Annie (Maw) and William, sisters Lilia and Letty, and brother Billy.
Joyce reposed at McGowan’s Funeral Home, Ballina on Sunday. Requiem Mass was celebrated in St Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina yesterday (Monday), followed by burial in Leigue Cemetery, Ballina.
The quarterly cash draw at Ballina Credit Union distributed €137,500 in prizemoney last year.
The cash draw for members over 18 years of age takes place every three months, with the next draw due in June.
The cost of entry into the draw is €2.76 per month and all proceeds are returned to lucky members as prizes. No administration or other fees are charged and you can opt out at any time.
To enter, just complete the entry form which is available by calling into Ballina Credit Union office on O’Rahilly Street (just down from the Post Office).
The first draw of 2024 in March distributed total prizemoney of €41,570, including a top prize of €15,000 for lucky credit union member Mary McDermott.
The new public plaza at IQ Ballina – an area formerly known as The Military Quarter – will host a show by country music star Mike Denver this summer.
This first major music event in the impressive and newly-developed town centre public space will take place during Ballina Salmon Festival.
2024 marks the 60th year of Ballina Salmon Festival, and it will see the plaza transformed into a dynamic dance floor for the gig.
The town centre enterprise and social quarter, located just off Market Square, is poised to be a hub for memorable music shows during the 2024 festival and beyond. Mike Denver will take to the stage on Thursday, July 11.
The country singer is known for delivering quality live performances, with foot-tapping music that gets the dance floor packed.
The redevelopment of the Military Barracks in Ballina has set in motion the transformation of the town centre and it will act as a catalyst for urban regeneration for many years to come. IQ Ballina is meeting the demand for high quality enterprise space in Ballina and north Mayo while also addressing dereliction and vacancy in the property stock of the town.
The courtyard plaza at IQ Ballina has already seen community and social activity since it was opened to the public just four months ago, including for the Mayo.ie Western People West of Ireland Women’s Mini Marathon last Sunday.
Admission for the Mike Denver concert is €20 per person with a charge of €5 for those under 16. However, all children in possession of a ticket must be accompanied by an adult. A family ticket will cost €45 (for two adults and two children).
Tickets can now be purchased online at Eventbrite.
The top performing players in the Ballina Bridge Club game, which was played on Tuesday, April 23, were: 1st, Ann and Sean Callaghan; 2nd, Mary Lowry and Trisha Slowey; 3rd, Helena Moran and Mary Mongan; 4th, Ethel Walker and Amy Maguire; 5th, Gerard Moran and Bill Thomas; and 6th, Ann Ivers and Breedge Mulligan.
