Local Notes: Kevin raises over €7,200 for Mayo Roscommon Hospice
Kevin Hughes (second from right) presenting a cheque for €7,235 to Marie McGuinness from the fundraising department of Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation. The money is the proceeds from the Christmas Lights display held at Kevin's home in Coolegrane, Foxford. Also included are Brendan Hughes, Coolegrane Lights and Frank Mulvihill, board member of Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation. Picture: Louis McNulty
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 this (Tuesday, February 6) and 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!
A Valentine’s Youths Disco will be held at Foxford Sports and Leisure Centre pm Saturday, February 10. It is being organised by Foxford Foroige. Entry is €7 and the event will run from 8.30pm to 11pm. Contact 086-6679112 for club bookings.
It’s been a proud time of late for Moy Davitts GAA Club and for the Reid Family in particular with the recent selections of Conor and Lisa for the Mayo senior men’s and ladies football teams. Conor Reid made his Allianz Football League debut when playing the entire 70 minutes of Mayo’s terrific eight points victory away to Galway in the opening round of Division 1. And just 24 hours earlier, Lisa was minding the posts for Mayo who picked up their first win of the Lidl National League Division 1 season when also beating Galway away from home, by one point. Lisa had made her league debut the week before against Meath at the Connacht GAA Air Dome.
While a number of Moy Davitts players had represented the Mayo ladies in recent years, Conor Reid is the first from the club to play senior men’s football for the county since Brian Reape scored two points against Donegal in 2020, which was also in the opening round of the Allianz Football League.
The Straide siblings are wished continued success in the county colours.
The 2024 Mayo Boxing Championships proved a very happy hunting ground for members of Knockmore Foxford Boxing Club with no fewer than seven of its boxers winning county titles. Congratulations are extended to Joshua Garvin, Martin Lawrence, Alan McTigue, Cian Hannigan, Kaiden Hardy, Lorcan Ryder and Thomas Tuffy who all triumphed at the championships which were hosted by St Anne’s Boxing Club in Westport.
Meanwhile, KFBC are on the look out for a small and secure room to store some of the club’s gear. The facility would not need electricity, water or heat but must be dry. Contact 086-8373646 with any information. Any help would be very much appreciated.
The pupils of Foxford National School are leading the way in terms of combating unnecessary litter and waste and doing their bit to make the school more environmentally friendly. The children-led Green School Committee suggested a clever way to reduce their use of paper hand towels, which accounts for a huge amount of the litter and waste produced by the school, by asking that each child brings in their own towel to school and use that to dry their hands before returning home to be washed and changed as necessary.
The first year soccer team from St Joseph’s Secondary School in Foxford has advanced from its group to the quarter-final stage of the FAI Schools Connacht Cup. Their latest win came on Monday last, January 29 when they got the better of St Brendan’s College, Belmullet courtesy of a hat-trick from Brady Guilfoyle and a penalty scored by Rory Gruddy, in what was an all-round good team performance.
SláinteCare Healthy Communities, in conjunction with Age Friendly Mayo, are organising a free health and wellbeing event, ‘Valentine’s Vitality’, which will be held at the Great National Hotel in Ballina from 10am to 1pm on Valentine’s Day, Wednesday, February 14. The event is aimed at those aged 55 and over, and will provide information around overall health, fitness and nutrition. A number of speakers will be there on the day, advising on various aspects of wellbeing, while CROÍ will provide free blood pressure checks. Refreshments will be served.
For further information you can email agefriendlymayo@mayococo.ie.
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.
Players and members of Moy Davitts GAA Club will this year have the added bonus of being able to avail of membership of the new gym that this week has been undergoing installation at the home ground of Sraith Garbh. The membership, however, is restricted to over 18s only and terms and conditions apply.
Club membership for the 2024 season is now open and players and coaches are reminded that they must register at foireann.ie (or via the Moy Davitts app) before training for the new season commences. Players from four years of age all the way up to senior can register. Under ‘Membership options’, take care not to select ‘Adult member’ unless you are a senior player.
Anyone with any queries or questions can contact Annette at 087-6781500.
Congratulations to Michael Kelly from Knockmore who is the latest winner of the Moy Davitts GAA 50/50 draw. Michael scooped a jackpot of €403. Entering the draw has never been easier because as well purchasing from the usual sellers and outlets, you can also enter the draw via the Moy Davitts GAA app. Just click on the fundraising link at the bottom of the app page. The app can be downloaded to your smart device from the Google Play Store and the Apple Store, and aside from the 50/50 draw it will keep you up to date with happenings within the club.
Foxford National School is to host an enrolment evening for children starting school in September this year, on Monday, February 12 at 7pm at the school.
The following vacancies have arisen at The Growing Tree, Admiral Brown Road, Foxford. Early Years Educators: Applicants must have a minimum Level 5 qualification in Early Childhood Education. Also, school aged childcare staff. Please apply with CV to thegrowingtreefoxford@gmail.com by this coming Friday, February 9, 2024.
The senior ladies football team of Moy Davitts LGFA will return to training this coming Sunday, February 11. The session will commence at 9am at Swinford Amenity Pitch. The invitation is out for all players – past, present and new – to come along and join the team for the season ahead. If you would like to express your interest or have any questions, feel free to contact the senior team manager Colm Carney at 086-8347187.
A number of players from Moy Davitts LGFA have been called into Mayo underage panels during the past week or so. Megan Byrne and Rhea Gostick have been selected for the Mayo U14s, Kate Byrne has been selected and appointed vice-captain of the Mayo U16s, and Sarah Carney and Beth Roache have been picked on the Mayo minor panel for 2024. Well done to all.
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.
Training returns for the Moy Davitts GAA U8 boys (born in 2016 and 2017) next Monday, February 12. All players must be registered on the GAA’s online portal, Foireann, in order to be added to the text group for 2024. Only those registered will be able to participate in sessions. If you have any queries, contact 087-9034267.
The next walks organised by Moy Davitts GAA as part of the ‘Every Step Counts Challenge’ will take place this coming Wednesday and Saturday. Foxford Sports and Leisure Centre is the start point for the 5k walk on Wednesday, February 7 which gets underway at 7pm. On Saturday next, February 10, the distance is 8k and that walk will set off from Bohola village at 9.30am.
