Local Notes: Summer Party at Ballyhaunis Community Garden
Ballyhaunis Community Garden held its first Summer Party of the year on Sunday, May 18th, amid the glorious fine weather. There was lovely food prepared by the group, music and good company.
Two helicopters hired by Roscommon County Council crossed the border to lift water from the lakes in Derrylahan near Ballyhaunis during the recent bog fires which wiped out a precious biosphere and swathes of commercial forestry in Gortaganny.
The fires swept into County Mayo in a two-day blaze that was eventually controlled by local fire crews assisted by helicopters hired in from Executive Helicopters. Local man Peter Weigl filmed the helicopters swinging low over his farm with barrels attached to carry the water to the fires which at their worst reached the perimeter of the handball alley in Derrylahan, a heavily forested area.
A public meeting is planned in the coming week for Gorthaganny Hall to allow locals to share their views in the wake of the fires which have destroyed a unique peat habitat, which was the subject of study by ecologists from around the world.
“It’s totally gone,” said Seamus Cawley, chairman of Gorthaganny Community Development, a local group which worked with various state agencies in developing a popular series of walks through the peatlands.
“Foxes and badgers were seen leaving the bog,” said Cawley who is worried that the upper layer of peat on the bog also smouldered over two days before rain arrived.
It remains to be seen if that will endanger the survival of unique species of flora including mosses and grasses not found in any other site in Ireland.
Designated a special area of conservation (SAC) by the state and the EU, the raised bog sprawls from Gorthaganny to Ballinlough and Ballyhaunis.
The Gardaí and Coillte are working together to investigate the cause of the blaze, said Cawley. Locals meanwhile are taking stock.
“People lost turf, others lost forestry. The fences were burnt. People who had insurance on their forestry are now trying to find out if they’re covered.”
Firemen from Ballyhaunis and Ballaghaderreen spent several days on site to control the fire. Faced with huge flames that consumed 40 foot pine trees, the helicopters were a “life saver,” said Cawley.
The Brickens Tom's Lane Trail Committee “wish to thank the local councillors Richard Finn Deirdre Lawless and Alma Gallagher for their generous general municipal allocation (GMA) funding towards the maintenance and upkeep of this local amenity".
The representative body for privately owned nursing homes in Ireland is predicting more closures of care homes in Mayo unless what it terms an unfair government funding model is changed in an upcoming government review.
Tadhg Daly, CEO of Nursing Homes Ireland, told this column that the closure of nursing homes is an “ongoing and deeply concerning issue". He said one of the “primary drivers” behind these closures is the “failure of Fair Deal pricing to keep pace with the rising cost of delivering care".
“In County Mayo, under Fair Deal pricing, the differential between the average bed rate in public nursing homes and that in private nursing homes in Mayo was €698 per week. That equates to an extra €36,291 per resident per year. Such a significant funding disparity is unsustainable and directly impacts the viability of nursing homes.”
Daly said his members are now awaiting the publication of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) pricing review set to be published in early 2025.
The current pricing structure in the Fair Deal scheme is “forcing homes to close, denying residents access to primary care services, and creating profound inequities based on geography,” said Daly.
Nationally, 77 nursing homes have closed since 2018, resulting in the loss of over 2,800 beds - a loss, Daly says, which is causing “the displacement of residents from their communities, increased travel burdens for families, and the erosion of vital local healthcare provision.”
A €30 million government fund for first time buyers is welcome but will likely push up house prices, according to local estate agent Kevin Kirrane.
“My understanding is it’s for first-time buyers of second-hand homes which a lot of people don’t even know about. It levels the playing field as before the grants were only for new homes.
“It’s great news. But on the flip side it will probably push up house values a bit more...
"The government can never do right for doing wrong. But it is the right thing to do to help people get on the property ladder.”
The Government announcement of an extra €30 million in funding and the extension of the First Home Scheme – bringing the value of the scheme to €740m - will continue to support first-time buyers in Mayo. The scheme, which bridges the gap between people’s spending power and the price of a new home, has helped over 3,000 first-time buyers to purchase homes since its introduction in 2022.
Mayo County Council had carried out 705 inspections of septic tanks between 2013 and the end of 2024 with 104 of these in the Swinford Claremorris Municipal District of which Ballyhaunis is part.
Fail rates across the county during that time have averaged at 68%.
“A total of five cases remain open in the area,” Mayo County Council told this column in a statement. “Most households avail of the grant for remedial works where they qualify,” it added.
Ballyhaunis parish priest Fr Stephen Farragher was ordained to the priesthood 40 years ago next month, and to mark the anniversary, Ballyhaunis Parish will hold a celebration on Friday, June 20th starting with a special Mass at 7pm in St Patrick’s Church, with refreshments, music and presentation afterwards in the local Rugby Club. To cover costs, tickets priced at €15 can be bought in advance from Kevin Henry, Tommy Caulfield, Paula Donnellan, Kay Curley, Gabriel Smith, Mary Donnelly or Margaret Monaghan.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
