Local Notes: Foxford school team receive Mayo Sports Stars Award
Captain of the St Joseph’s, Foxford team who received the Schools award at last Friday night’s Western People Mayo Sports Stars Awards, Mila Sotoparra, and team manager Mr Ryan Merchant, in conversation with co-host Stuart Tynan. Picture: Michael Donnelly
Congratulations to St Joseph’s Secondary School on the award they received at last Friday night’s Western People Mayo Sports Stars Awards in Breaffy House Hotel.
The team who won the 2023 FAI Schools National Senior ‘B’ Cup were honoured, with a group of almost 40 players, school staff and supporters attending the function. They were presented with their Mayo Sports Stars ‘Schools Award’ by special guest Ger Canning, RTÉ commentator.
The Foxford Enhancement Group is looking for as many volunteers as possible to assist in a major clean-up of the town.
Easter Monday, April 1, has been set aside for the day of the clean-up that is aimed at helping to make Foxford look at its resplendent best for the summer season to come and for all the visitors who will spend their holiday time in the area.
Bags, gloves and pickers will be provided for the clean-up, with volunteers asked to assemble in the pharmacy car park at 11am.
All local residents are invited to volunteer a few hours. You can contact any member of the Foxford Enhancement Group in advance of simply turn up on the day.
Well done to S&F United on the selection of six of their players on the Mayo Football League’s U18 Division 1 Team of the Year. The announcement was made last week.
Dylan McHugh, Scott Lavelle, Dylan Dunleavey, Jamie Clarke, Sean Reid and Cian Fahy have all been named, with two of them, Jamie Clarke and Sean Reid, also shortlisted for U18 Player of the Year.
It’s an excellent reward for what was an excellent season, with S&F United winning the 2023 Helen Johnson League title and the inaugural Eleanor Quigley Shield.
There was a wonderful evening of music, song and dance on Friday night last, February 16, at the prize-winners concert hosted by Admiral Brown CCÉ in the Moy Hotel. The local Comhaltas branch held the night to recognise the achievements of its branch members at the 2023 All-Ireland Fleadh in Mullingar.
The talent on display was exceptional. Well done to everyone who took part and all the teachers who helped make the event possible. A special thanks is extended also to the parents and grandparents for all their behind the scenes work.
A special presentation was made on the evening to Connie O'Grady in recognition of her work last week in chaperoning a group of 15 young musicians who represented the Admiral Brown branch across four days at the prestigious ‘Music at Mount Leinster’, an opportunity that came about courtesy of Music Generation Mayo and Music Generation Carlow. Thanks was also extended to Áine Quinn-Hyland for her work in preparing and organising the uniforms of Glór na Sí, the branch’s céilí band.
The Achonry Regional Pioneer Dinner Dance will be held in the Yeats County Hotel, Curry, Co Sligo on Friday, March 8. Tickets, which are priced at €30, can be purchased from Thomas Marren on 087-2344338 or from Yvonne Moore in Moore’s Supermarket, Swinford. Music on the night is by The Duets. The night will get underway at 8pm.
Mayo County Council is offering two full scholarships to Leaving Certificate students to attend an intensive Gaeltacht course this coming Easter. Students who are resident in Mayo, or in school in Mayo, may apply. Full details and an application form are available at: www.mayo.ie.
Members of Admiral Brown CCÉ might like to take note that entries are now being accepted for Fleadh Cheoil Mhaigh Eo, which will take place in Westport on the weekend of May 10-12. Entry forms can be downloaded from the Mayo Comhaltas website, mayocomhaltas.weebly.com, where Fleadh competition rules and guidelines are also available. Entry forms should be returned to the branch secretary.
Congratulations to Edel McHale, Castlebar, who won a jackpot of €397 in the Moy Davitts 50/50 draw on Saturday, February 10. A huge thank you to everyone who supported the draw, it is greatly appreciated.
Tickets are available in the usual retail outlets and by clicking https://smartlotto.ie/Bohola-moy-davitts.
Clann Machua will present their new play ‘Stolen Child’ in Kiltimagh’s Townhall Theatre this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, February 22-24. Curtain is up nightly at 8pm.
Directed by Seamus Corry, 'Stolen Child' is a humorous and moving two-act play which centres around one woman’s search for her birth mother and will make you laugh and make you cry and remain long in your memory after you leave the theatre.
The play will also be performed in the Townhall Theatre in Westport on Wednesday, February 28, before hitting the road to take part in the All-Ireland Drama festival circuit. Admission is €15.
Foxford Men’s Shed remains on the lookout for a building that may be available for them to use, for the purpose of holding meetings and to have a small workshop to help with some projects locally. The group is looking to reestablish itself having been quite active up until the onset of Covid and its associated lockdowns.
If anyone thinks they might be able to assist, please contact William Devaney, the chairperson of Foxford Men’s Shed, at 086-8509600.
The social services centre, situated beside the Brown Memorial Hall, is the location for a game of bridge that is to be played this and every Wednesday evening between 6pm and 9pm. Everyone is welcome to come along and join in a game in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.
St Michael’s Church in Foxford will have the Stations of the Cross on every Friday during Lent, starting at 7pm.
Mayo North East Partnership’s Caroline Wilson, the Mayo Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) facilitator, is continuing to hold clinics to assist with the Enhanced DCB Grant scheme, by appointment every second Monday at Foxford Belass Centre from 10am until 1pm.
The call is also still out for anyone with an available property that can be rented out to people whose homes are impacted by pyrite. For further details, contact Caroline Wilson on 087-4828261 or email carolinewilson@mayonortheast.com.
Are you a parent who would love to find an activity to occupy your teenager that doesn’t involve gadgets and technology? Well, Foxford might have just the thing for you. Famed traditionally as a great place to meet for a game of ‘25’, a call has gone for the old and the young alike to put down their phones, tablets and the likes and to instead join in playing the classic card game every Tuesday evening in the Admiral Brown Memorial Hall.
The organisers are particularly looking for parents together with their teenage kids, be they beginners or experienced players, and indeed anyone who would like to talk and chat over a game of 25. All are welcome. The games will run from 7.30pm until 9.30pm. It’s time to remind ourselves how plenty of fun and entertainment can still be had without the gadgets!
ALONE are looking to recruit volunteers in Foxford and its surrounding areas. The organisation seeks to combat loneliness and isolation among the elderly and thus improve their quality of life by having members of the community call into them for a chat for one hour per week.
If this is something that interests you, then you can contact Paul Stafford, volunteer support officer, at 086-0135043 or email paul.stafford@alone.ie.
