Local Notes: New mural unveiled at Ballyhaunis Friary

Timber merchant invests for a growing fuel market

A timber merchant near Ballyhaunis is seeing very strong demand for quality timber but sees newer standards driving out more speculative operators.

Patrick Flanagan, CEO of PJ Firewood, is “bananas” busy processing, drying and delivering timber sourced from forestry companies.

“We’ve not seen anything like it since covid,” said Flanagan.

Ninety percent of Flanagan’s sales are to domestic customers who can buy over the phone or through the company’s website.

At 33, he has grown a significant business, installing a drying kiln at the premises in Carrowbehy in 2018 with support from LEADER, the EU-back rural development fund. His entry into the industry came about by accident when land his father purchased came with a shed of logs.

“We bought a log splitter and we sold it and then people came back for more.”

The kiln at Carrowbehy runs seven days a week for much of the year, usually starting in late August.

A shift in strategy by Ireland’s main forestry player, Coillte, meanwhile has made timber harder to come by. Flanagan bought in 30 articulated lorries of timber -about 900 tonnes worth – in recent months from forestry firms in the locality.

“When it came up for sale we bought it, it came from ten kilometres away and the rest from within 30km.”

Coillte, seeking to extract higher value from its trees, has been shifting its supply to a chip mill in Waterford and is also supplying another semi-state firm, Bord na Móna, explained Flanagan.

“We made the decision not to rely on Coillte. There is a supply but the supply comes in a feast or a famine.”

Because PJ Firewood is a licensed operator it cannot buy random supply from tree surgeons, for instance, “because we wouldn’t be able to certify it, and there has to be a felling license for the timber we use”.

Irish law requires commercially marketed firewood to be certified as having come from a traceable source. Likewise, it must be certified as having a moisture content of less than 25% — hence the kiln. This figure will drop to 20% in 2025, Flanagan anticipates.

Such commercial standards mean competition is thin on the ground – Flanagan has seen six or seven other smaller timber merchants exit the industry in recent years.

“Lots of new entrants have quit the timber business because there’s a lot of work in it. You have to invest — the day of the chainsaw log splitter is gone.”

Flanagan relies on four different timber suppliers, most of them forestry companies with plantations locally. Kiln dried timber, says Flanagan, is emerging as a cleaner, more efficient alternative to other solid fuels. Timber dried to a standard gives off less ash, he adds.

“The turf and coal generation is gone. People don’t want ashes, they want ready heat when they come home and they don’t want lots of ashes.”

Having achieved the various certifications and quality standards demanded in the marketplace, Flanagan plans to invest further in his business.

“We are going big. Go big or go home, I say!”

Top post for Ballyhaunis native at University of Galway

A native of Main St in Ballyhaunis, Peter McHugh told this column he’s “tremendously excited” about being appointed to be vice president of the University of Galway, the second most senior position in the University.

Professor of biomedical engineering at University of Galway, McHugh explained his new role makes him the chief academic officer who is responsible for the leadership and management of teaching and learning across the University.

Peter, whose family once ran a shop in the town, said: “I am looking forward to doing my very best to make sure that we continue to deliver education of the highest quality, and that we can grow the educational opportunities for our students, to future-proof our graduates so that they can hit the ground running as leaders in the chosen fields, setting them on the path to very successful future careers.

“I will also have the responsibility of ensuring that the University’s critically important duties in education and research are done in as fully sustainable a way as possible so that our students are immersed in a culture of sustainability and that our graduates come away with full knowledge of its importance, which will have huge positive impacts for society and the future of the planet.”

In his academic research career, Peter has focused on biomedical engineering and medical technology. Medical technology — or MedTech as we know it – is an industrial area of immense critical importance to the west of Ireland, and Ireland more generally, and also in research making a difference in people’s lives and their health.

“It’s a great time for me to be coming into this new role at the University, as this year we launched a major, new research institute focused on clinical trials and we are in the process of establishing a second major research institute focused on developing new biomedical and health technology.”

Christy wins €540

Congratulations to Christy Nicholson of Pattenspark, winner of €540 in the Ballyhaunis GAA 50/50 draw on October 29 on an envelope sold in Paddy’s Bar.

Gerry opts out of local elections

Local auctioneer and Fine Gael activist Gerry Coffey has made what he termed the “difficult decision” to opt out of next year’s local elections to focus on his business interests.

Based just over the border in Tullaghaune, Coffey scored 1,074 votes when he ran in the 2019 election for Roscommon County Council.

“Running a business takes up a lot of time and commitment,” said Coffey, who is also a self-professed environmentalist and a farmer. “Politics has changed in recent times and the role of the local county councillor is almost a full-time role. The size of the municipal area is very large from Cloonfad to Ballyleague and in 2014 the number of sitting councillors has been reduced, this puts more pressure on elected representatives.”

County councillors are paid approximately €18,000 per year and are entitled to claim expenses.

Energy meeting

A group seeking to establish a Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) in Ballyhaunis is inviting members of the public to an information meeting on November 8 at the Family Resource Centre at the Friary House with a view to forming a committee to further the SEC.

Run by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), the SEC programme allows communities to come up with a plan for the local adoption of renewable energy, with funding also provided to help implement the plan.

The meeting commences at 7pm and will also hear from an SEAI expert.

Trees for planting

Students from Ballyhaunis primary and secondary schools will meet with tree experts in the friary grounds on November 9 for a fun workshop to prepare for the planting of a Choill Bheag (small woodland) of native Irish trees.

The Choill Bheag project will be overseen by tree experts from An Taisce. Later in the month, the pupils and members of the public will be invited to help plant the trees which are being funded by the environmental department of Mayo County Council and coordinated by the Abbey Partnership, which oversees the Friary and grounds for the community.

Featuring various native Irish tree species — like alder, birch and hazel — the Choill Bheag will be 10m by 20m in area.

After planting by local school children and other volunteers, signage will also be added on site naming various trees to be planted.

Local talent prepare for Centre Stage

Two local church choirs and several amateur folk groups have signed up for a talent show funded by the Government and hosted by several local organisations.

Centre Stage, a variety talent show to be held on Sunday, November 12, at 1pm, in the Community Hall, invites singers, dancers and musical acts who want to showcase their talent on a local stage.

All ages are welcome to perform a song, dance, instrumental piece or recitation in any language or genre. This show is funded by a grant to Ballyhaunis Community Council from the Communities Integration Fund disbursed by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

The event is being co-ordinated by Le Cairde, a group of diverse local musical talent born out of Ballyhaunis Language Café. Please contact the organisers on 086-3705649 before November 5 to get on the programme.