Local Notes: Cutting the ribbon to start the Sunset4Stop 5km walk in Belmullet
Director of North West STOP Tom Reilly cutting the ribbon to start the fundraising 5km walk after officially launching the Erris branch of North West STOP Counseling and Addiction service in Belmullet.
The official service launch of the Erris branch of North West STOP counselling and addiction service and the 5km fundraising walk (all funds raised stays in the community) was held on Monday evening, August 12, from the Broadhaven Bay Hotel. Almost 150 took part. This vital service has been operating in the community since October 2022. There are two counsellors delivering two days of counselling each week in the community. From January to July this year over 200 sessions of free counselling have been provided and since the service began, 99 people in the community have benefited from this support. STOP Suicide was originally founded in 2004 by families who were bereaved by suicide. The organisation was rebranded in 2018 to North West STOP. North West STOP provides counselling free of charge for all ages.
Erris Workability is a new programme for people with a disability who are over 16 years of age. They aim to provide you with the opportunity to gain and sustain employment, or get training to improve your employment prospects. Erris Workability will focus on you and your needs and match them accordingly with local employers. If you wish to register for the programme, or find out more, get in touch with rosemariemangan@mayonortheastldc.com or call Siobhán on 087 499 6605. Más maith leat clarú mar rannpháirtí, nó má tá ceist ar bith agat, déan teagmháil linn go luath.
There was no winner of this week’s Kiltane GAA Club weekly lotto jackpot of €14,000 with the two €50 winners being Colm Spencer, Bangor, and Megan and Ann Holmes while Bridie O’Donnell, Cloontakilla and Eileen McHale, Cloontakilla both won €25. The two online winners were Lisa Carey, Coolaba €50 and Martin McManamon, Glenturk €25.
Bingo will continue in the Bangor complex this Tuesday, August 20, at 8pm with a €1,000 jackpot in 54 calls or less.
In the first of the six weekly Club Development Draws the club had a total of six winners; Jimmy Flannery, Geesala €500, while the following won €200 each, Mandy Carrabine, Bangor, Seamus O’Hara (Jnr), Doolough, Seamus Murphy, Belmullet, Ann/Eamon Gallagher, Doohoma and Flainn Lynam, Nottingham.
Massive congratulations to the four athletes who represented both Belmullet/Kilmore and Mayo so well in the regional finals of the Community Games held in Athlone recently. Casey Coyle qualified for the 200m final and came in 6th overall. Conn Howard came 5th in his extremely fast 80m heat. Sean Monaghan came 6th in the 800m final. Ben came 1st in 60m hurdles winning gold. Well done to you all.
Ben O’Connor has qualified for the Cairns Community Games finals in Carlow on August 24. There is also a number of other athletes who have qualified from the County Community Games finals for the Cairns Community Games finals in Carlow on August 24. U10 mixed relay team of Michael Walsh, Ben O’ Connor, Lily Barrett, Róisin Edwards, Mila Jay McLaughlin and Oliver Reilly; Louie O’Connor will be participating in the U8, 60m; Emily Gaughan will run in the U8, 60m; Michael Walsh will run in the U10, 200m and Ròisìn Edwards will run in the U10, 100m.
Tullaghan Bay Rowing had a great day at Rasaí na Curragh on the Blacksod recently. Donal Murphy and Kathleen Doocey won the mixed race. Donal was in action again in the senior men’s with PJ Keane and Derek Lavelle coming second. Maedbh Ní Mhonacháin took part in the senior women’s race with Kathleen and another second place was secured.
It was a day for the youth with very impressive rowing in tough conditions from locals - the Keane brothers, Kea and Josh Lavelle, Jean Geraghty and Ruth and Éabha Gormley . Jean rowed with Tighe Hefferon and Maedbh came in third in the Youth Race.
Fittest Family 2024 was fierce family fun. The teams rowed for six minutes for the longest distance on slides, punched for six minutes, planked for six minutes or as long as they could. They took on the ski-erg , battle ropes, ball throw and hang tough. In the end there was nothing between them. Second place went to Eamon Barrett and his team Aaron, Ann and Mevagh.
First place and Festivals Fittest Family 2024 are the Sweeney’s - Evie, Sean, Packie and David. Well done and thanks to all who helped out.
Heritage Week 2024 is around the corner. It is a chance to celebrate some special aspects of history and heritage. This year being the 200th birthday of the town, Belmullet Tidy Towns and Áras Inis Gluaire have teamed up to create a two-day event especially for 2024. Éigse agus Imirce will take place on Friday, August 23 and Saturday, August 24, in Áras Inis Gluaire and in SOLAS (Scéalta an Atlantaigh), Eachléim with talks, music and poems from those intimately connected to Erris and it’s fascinating past, especially the Tuke Fund and Assisted Emigration of 1882-1884. For more details of this unique event, check the Facebook Page of Belmullet Tidy Towns / Baile Slachtmhar Bhéal an Mhuirthead.
An information night about the Diploma in Irish in Béal an Mhuirthead (new class B1) The Irish University Academy (University of Galway) and Gaeilge Iorrais will be held in Áras Inis Gluaire, Béal an Mhuirthead on Monday, August 26, at 7pm. If the demand is there, they expect that the Diploma course in Irish B1 will take place again in Béal an Mhuirthead starting this autumn. Everything will be explained on the night. Send an email to ofigif.gi@gmail.com.
A meeting to explore the idea of Belmullet becoming an ‘Autism Friendly Town’ will take place in Áras Inis Gluaire, Belmullet on August 27, at 7pm. William Nester (Community Inclusion Officer) from ‘As I am Charity’ will talk through the process on the night.
A charity tractor run will take place on Sunday, August 25, with proceeds to Help Mags Find Relief. Tractors will leave Belderrig Community Centre and travel via the high road to Porturlin and on to Teach Greannai in Cornboy. Then it will be on to Glenamoy where Mags is from before finishing back at Belderrig Community Centre where there will be refreshments available. Entry fee is €20 and there will be buckets to help you support this important cause. Why not decorate your tractor? For more information contact Martin on 087 41972205.
Erris IWA is delighted that phase 2 of the accessible garden project at An Fraoch in Logmore Belmullet, accessible housing development, is almost complete – thanks to the wonderful volunteers. Unfortunately, when the houses were built there were no funds to make the gardens useable for the tenants, so they were seeded, and all the tenants could use was the footpath. Each year the Erris Exiles in London do a fundraising dance for the IWA Erris Branch. This event started in 2012 when the branch was fundraising for the new centre and almost €20,000 was raised for the centre that year. The group kept the dance going every year since, except during Covid-19, and each year raise funds for the Erris Branch and other groups in Erris.
The funds raised at this event over the last two years went towards making the tenants gardens inclusive and accessible. Last year the Erris Branch of IWA funded work on five of the seven independent living homes in Belmullet covering repair to storm damaged fencing, building block walls between gardens, and putting in accessible patio areas in each of the gardens included raised beds for planting. This year they completed the two remaining gardens, so now all seven gardens are wheelchair accessible, and the tenants are very happy with their additional space, despite the poor summer. Erris IWA are so grateful to the Erris Exiles in London and also to the IWA Erris Branch and all who support them. This year’s fundraising dance is November 9, in The Claddagh Ring London.
