Local Notes: Plaque unveiled in Ballyhaunis in memory of Tommie
Pictured beside the defibrillator unit in Ballyhaunis town centre are John Jordan, Orla Loftus-Moran, Chairperson, Ballyhaunis Defibrillator Group and Eamon Carroll, brother of the late Tommie Carroll.
Ballyhaunis Defibrillator Group has expressed gratitude to the family of Tommie Carroll, Knox Street, Ballyhaunis and formerly of Erritt, Castlerea, for a bequest made to the voluntary group in the memory of Tommie, a popular and much-loved member of Ballyhaunis community passed away suddenly at home in October 2022. He was a long-time staff member at Halal/Avonmore/Dawn Meats.
The Carroll family donation has allowed for the purchase of a new lifesaving defibrillator and heated storage cabinet, which have been positioned close to Forde's Ltd. in the town square. A plaque generously supplied by Paul Donnellan, celebrating Tommie’s memory, is located beside the defibrillator.
The Carroll family said: “We, Tommie Carroll’s family, have donated this defibrillator to say thanks to the people of Ballyhaunis, Tommy’s adopted home, for their kindness, friendship and support to him over his many years in Knox St.
"Tommie had wonderful supportive and kind neighbours, friends and work colleagues whom he cherished. He was a proud Ballyhaunis man who lived and died here. We, his family, want Tommie to be remembered for his ever-present smile, his expressive wave and his positive attitude. We hope this defibrillator stands as a fitting tribute to a much loved and sorely missed brother."
Ballyhaunis wastewater treatment plant is not compliant with discharge limits for ammonia as set out in its operating license, according to an annual report published by Uisce Éireann on the operation of the treatment plant, which is located at Abbeyquarter, Ballyhaunis.
The report, which is available on Uisce Éireann's website, states: "The wastewater treatment plant discharge was not compliant with the emission values (ELVs) set in the wastewater discharge licence for the following: Ammonia-Total (as N) mg/l."
Ammonia is a compound made up of nitrogen and hydrogen which at high levels is toxic to aquatic life in waterways.
The findings are based on regular monitoring at an upstream and downstream point of the Dalgan River (into which the plant discharges the treated water). The river is near the plant, which Uisce Éireann manages.
“The ambient monitoring results do not meet the required EQS [Environmental Quality Standard] at the upstream and the downstream monitoring locations,” notes the report.
The EQS relates to the oxygenation and nutrient conditions set out in Ireland’s Surface Water Regulations 2009. The report states:
“Based on ambient monitoring results a deterioration in Ammonia (as N) mg/l, concentrations downstream of the effluent discharge is noted.”
Worryingly, the report states that the sampling results make the river water unfit for bathing or drinking and describes the WFD (Water Framework Directive) Ecological Status as “poor”. However, the report concludes the discharge from the wastewater treatment plant does not have an observable negative impact on the Water Framework Directive status, suggesting high levels of pollution from other sources entering the river.
Dawn Meats was one of several Irish meat companies to display their wares at the recent China International Food and Beverage Exhibition (SIAL) in Shanghai, one of China’s leading trade fairs for the food and beverage sector.
The visit was supported by the Shanghai offices of Bord Bia and is part of a push by Dawn to widen its sales network in East Asia.
Irish beef faces a difficult road into the huge Chinese market however, one dominated by American and South American suppliers. A recent visit to a meat wholesale market in Beijing by this writer found little evidence of Irish beef but vast supply of grain-fed American and Brazilian beef. The much touted grass-fed marketing tag prioritised by Bord Bia doesn’t attract a premium price, vendors explained, particularly when large volumes of lower-price meat from the Americas is available.
Dawn’s Ballyhaunis plant is offering 544 cents per kilo for steers according to the Beef Pricewatch website, operated by the Department of Agriculture. That’s back from 557 cents paid in early May.
Congratulations to Kate Mannion and Willie Forde, c/o Delaney's, who were the winners of €560 in the Ballyhaunis GAA 50/50 draw on June 9th last on an envelope sold in Delaney's.
Some residents of the Holywell area have been without internet service after several Eir poles were damaged by a large truck earlier this month.
One of the poles was broken in half while the anchors of several others were ripped about 200 metres from the railway crossing on the road, which has become a route for heavy, tall trucks unable or unwilling to pass under the railway bridge on the Devlis side of the town.
A local resident explained to this column: “It’s a narrow rural road but it is plagued with really big trucks, one of which tipped into a field several years ago after it lost its grip on a particularly narrow part of the road.”
The Mayo County Development Plan 2021-2027 includes as a priority for Ballyhaunis: “To facilitate the construction of the town’s outer bypass.”
A query to Eir’s press office has gone unanswered as of print time.
Several Ballyhaunis clubs were among those to benefit from a round of funding from Mayo Sports Partnership to encourage more participation in sports. Clubs are given funds to put on programmes that encourage particular groups in the community to become more active in sport.
Ballyhaunis Town FC received €700 under the 2024 Return to Sport Small grant scheme while Ballyhaunis GAA and Ballyhaunis Table Tennis Club each received €500 and Ballyhaunis Bears and Devils basketball teams received €400 each.
The grants were part of a €36,500 package allocated to 68 clubs and community organisations in Mayo through the Partnerships 2024 Return to Sport Small grant scheme with money from Sport Ireland and the Dormant Account Volunteer Fund.
Data from a Met Eireann monitoring station in Lavallyroe, on the Cloonfad side of Ballyhaunis, shows how climate change is bringing more rainfall to the area.
A total of 1,527.4 millimetres – over 1.5 metres – of rainfall fell in the locale in 2023 compared to 1,140 millimetres or 1.14 metres in 2014, according to data collected by the Met Eireann monitoring point.
December 2023 was a particularly wet month, with 238 millimetres of rainfall logged, with February the wettest month of 2014 with 226 millimetres logged.
The Lavallyroe monitoring station is one of a network of similar stations nationwide from which Met Eireann collects data.
Legislation set to be before the Oireachtas on June 19th could have a major impact on the lives of non-EU citizens in Ballyhaunis on working visas.
The Employment Permits Bill, which will make it easier for those on working visas to change employer, has been winding its way through the houses of parliament over the past year. Currently, work permits issued to non-EU employees are tied to specific employers and can only be changed with difficulty even in the case of worker illness or exploitation.
Several non-EU workers based in Ballyhaunis described to this column the complex process involved in changing employer for better terms.
“The only way to change at present, after 12 months has elapsed, is to make a whole new permit application, including a labour market needs test, paying €1,000," Neil Bruton, campaigns manager of the Migrant Rights Centre of Ireland told this column. “It is not a realistic option for the vast majority of people.”
The Employment Permits Bill proposes to change the rules so that general permit holders can switch jobs more easily while staying on their existing permit.
“Until it is passed, and we see the new process implemented, we continue to push for this new process of change of employer,” said Bruton.
Most non-EU workers come to Ireland on either a critical skills employment permit or a general employment permit. While those on the critical skills permit, for example IT workers, get full access to the labour market after two years (and can work in any job), those on general employment permits such as healthcare assistants or agricultural workers only get full access to the labour market after five years, which ties them to employers.
"This can lead to poor terms and conditions and exploitation," says Niall Bruton. "They can only apply to bring their family after a year and even if they manage to get them here they cannot work”.
