St Francis Appreciation Night in St Mary's Church, Ballinrobe
Sr Francis McMyler being interviewed by Liam Horan at the recent Sr Francis Appreciation Night in St Mary’s Church, Ballinrobe. Photo: White Thorn Media.
St Mary’s Church in Ballinrobe resonated with a powerful celebration of Sr Francis McMyler’s remarkable contribution to the town’s musical legacy on Friday night last. The Sr Francis Appreciation Night saw an impressive turnout of over 600 people.
The evening unfolded with breathtaking musical talent, a fitting tribute to Sr Francis, a cornerstone of Ballinrobe’s musical tradition since the 1970s. The audience was treated to an array of exceptional performances from Dave Langan, St Joseph’s School Band and Choir, Bernadine O’Grady, Catherine Conway, Daithi Ryder, John Lane, Niall Conway, Jenny Mulvey, Ballinrobe Adult Choir, Sean Costello and Ballinrobe Musical Society. Michael Finlay provided musical accompaniment.
Master of ceremonies was Liam Horan. There were interviews during the show with Edel O’Neill and Gerry Hughes, who revived great memories of Sr Francis’s role as a tireless promoter of music and performance locally.
All the performers came on stage for a finale to round off a night that will be long remembered. When asked to describe her emotions after the event, Sr Francis simply said, ‘I could fly.’ The event was not only a local success but also reached a broader audience through a live stream on the Ballinrobe Parish Facebook and ChurchTV profiles. It is now archived for viewing on the Facebook page. The programme and a wide array of relevant photos can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/sr-francis-pix.
At Sr Francis’s request, the money left over after all costs were covered will be donated to St Joseph’s Primary School. This figure amounts to €2,280.
Fr Denis Carney, PP, and Jarlath Walsh, sacristan, were thanked for facilitating the event in St Mary’s Church.
The organising committee comprised Siobhan Costello, Jenny Mulvey, Dymphna Culhane, Gerry Hughes, Eugene O’Malley Snr, Helen O’Shea, Richard Crumlish and Liam Horan.
The following officers were elected at the annual general meeting of Ballinrobe LGFA recently: chairperson, Nicola Macken; vice-chairperson, Mary Langan; secretary, Kieran Dingle; treasurer, role to be filled by the GAA Club; PRO, Julie Duffy; ladies representative, to be nominated by players before the start of the 2024 season; development officer, Denise Horan; children’s officer, role to be filled by the GAA Club.
‘We have 186 registered players this season and our numbers are continuing to grow year on year. We were involved in several finals and semi-finals this year, with our U14 girls winning the Division 3 Shield in Ballindine last June. I believe we have some very talented girls in our club, who our coaches continue to mentor. More importantly, our coaches have seen improvements in girls across all abilities,’ chairperson Nicola Macken told the meeting.
‘We have enjoyed great success on the field with our teams reaching finals at U13, U14, U16 and junior grades. Finals bring a sense of occasion for the players and coaching teams involved. I hope as a club we can build on this success and most importantly retain as many players as possible to help our club progress even more,’ reported outgoing secretary Declan O’Loughlin.
Tributes were paid to Declan O’Loughlin (secretary) and Gerry Donnelly (treasurer), who stepped down from the executive after being involved for many years.
Five Ballinrobe players have been selected on the Mayo GAA Club All-Star panel to play the Mayo senior football team on 30 December, in Garrymore. They are Evan O’Brien, Liam Burke, Kevin Quinn, Diarmuid Duffy and Luke Jennings.
The charity match is in aid of the Mayo branch of the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association. Ballinrobe reached this year’s Mayo Intermediate Football Championship final only to lose to Kilmeena in a closely contested encounter.
Results of Mixed Scramble sponsored by Seamus and Margaret McHugh: 1 Danny Merrigan, Noel Galvin, Maria Hobson, Phyllis Loftus; 2 Chris Mellott, Paddy Murphy, Gabrielle Clesham, Ann OReilly; 3 Declan Faherty, Jim McGovern, Tom Hughes, Eilish Gleeson. For the coming weeks, the Sunday scrambles will be from 1pm onwards.
The annual general meeting of Ballinrobe Civic, Art and Amenity Centre (BCAAC) will be held on Wednesday, 6 December, at 8pm in the Café room of the Town Hall. All are welcome to attend to learn about progress of the new Town Hall (formerly the Valkenburg).
Ballinrobe’s annual Christmas Lights Tractor Parade takes place on Sunday, December 3, at 5pm. The event will also feature a kiddies tractor parade. Registration for both parades will open in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for updates on the Christmas Tractor Parade Facebook page and be sure to mark your calendars for this popular festive event.
Ballinrobe Town Park hold their annual general meeting on Thursday, November 30, in the Parish Centre at 8pm. All are welcome to attend. The Town Park – aka The Green – is an important local facility that hosts a variety of sports and activities.
Ballinrobe’s Piece of Cake Writers Group, established earlier this year, will hold its first public reading on Friday, December 8, at 7pm in the Piece of Cake Cafe on New Street. The group, which convenes every Saturday morning at 10.15am, will present a collection of literary pieces, encompassing poetry, short stories, and reflections. All are welcome to attend the event.
The annual general meeting (AGM) of Ballinrobe GAA Club is scheduled for Saturday, December 2, 2023, at 7pm in Carra Bar, Ballinrobe Racecourse. The nomination form, featuring the names of outgoing officers and club executive members, is available for informational purposes. To vie for a position on the executive, a full member requires nominations from at least two fellow members, with the completed form due back to the Club Secretary at secretary.ballinrobe.mayo@gaa.ie immediately.
The annual general meeting of Lake District Athletic Club will take place on Thursday, December 7, in the Maple Youth Centre, at 8pm. All adult members and youth members’ parents and guardians are encouraged to attend.
The Ballinrobe Town AGM took place in The Maple Youth Centre, on Sunday, November 12, and the following officers were appointed: chairpersons, Alan Dowling/Marc Hughes; adult teams secretary, Pat O’Sullivan; youths teams secretary, Noreen Jennings; treasurer, Kevin Tierney; facilities manager, Tom Murphy; child welfare officer, Mark Smith; PRO, JP O’Gorman.
The meeting reflected on a very successful year for the club with more than 450 members registered. The committee thanked Pat O’Sullivan as he steps down as junior team manager after three very successful years, resulting in the club now planning for life in the Super League for the 2024 season. Catherine Cummins was also thanked for her work as treasurer.
The club will host a major fundraiser - The Jungle Challenge - on May 31, 2024, in the McWilliam Park Hotel, Claremorris. Further details will be available at a later date.
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Kilmaine.
Shaskeen are coming to Kilmaine Community Centre on Saturday, December 2.
Tickets cost €20 and are available locally or at door on the night. Doors open at 7.30p. and show starts at 8pm.
The numbers drawn on November 20, were 2, 4, 12 and 27. There was no jackpot winner. The names drawn for other prizes were Gerard O’Toole, Tom Walsh and David Doherty.
Sunny Days Breakfast Club/After School Service are delighted to announce that under the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) or TUS Community employment scheme the following position is available for immediate start: Childcare Assistant required for 19.5 hours per week. Onsite training and Garda vetting provided. To qualify, the applicant must be in receipt of a social welfare payment or farm assist payment. For further information contact 087 298 6590 or glencorribcommunityservices@gmail.com.
The numbers drawn in the Western Alzheimers Lotto on November 2, for a jackpot of €2,100 were; 11, 02, 09, 14. Next week’s lotto jackpot will be €2,200. If anyone would like to play the lotto phone 094 93 64900 or play on line www.westernalzheimers.ie.
Mayo hotel Lydon’s Lodge are urging their local community to get behind Cancer Fund for Children’s Santa Cause campaign this Christmas to help support children and young people impacted by cancer across Ireland. Cancer Fund for Children provides informal emotional, social and therapeutic support to children diagnosed with cancer and their families, at home, in hospital and at their therapeutic short break centre, Daisy Lodge. They are currently working to build a second Daisy Lodge on the shores of Lough Corrib in Cong, Co. Mayo so they can be there for every family that needs them, in every county and every community.
Speaking on why they are getting behind this charity’s campaign, Olga and Stephen Lydon of Lydon’s Lodge Hotel said: Lydon’s Lodge Hotel, Cong, are so proud to support Cancer Fund for Children and their Santa Cause Appeal. This truly amazing charity benefits families who are impacted by childhood cancer and we feel it is a worthy cause. Monies raised also goes towards the building of Daisy Lodge Cong which will have a huge impact on families dealing with childhood cancer and we are proud to be a part of that.”
Mairead Geehan, Partnership and Philanthropy Executive with Cancer Fund for Children said: “We are so grateful to have such passionate and dedicated supporters in Olga, Stephen and their team at Lydon’s Lodge Hotel. Throughout the month of December, approximately 30 children and young people (aged 0-24) will be diagnosed with cancer across Ireland. We at Cancer Fund for Children provide vital services to help ensure none of these children have to face this experience alone and we couldn’t do that without the incredible support of local businesses and the local community. Getting involved in our Santa Cause campaign this festive season will help make such a difference in the lives of families impacted by childhood cancer.”
You too can get involved in this charity’s Santa Cause appeal by taking on your own fundraising activity. Organise a coffee morning, festive jumper day or sponsored walk and help support children and young people impacted by cancer. Find out more today on www.cancerfundforchildren.com.
