Every Saturday in Breffni FRC, €2 per person. Professional Tutorials, booking advisable 071 96 22566.
FETAC Level 5 First Aid Training (3 Day)
14 October 2011 By
Breffni Family Resource Centre are holding FETAC Level 5 First Aid and Refresher First Aid Training in November. Fully OFA certified for two years covering Business Health & Safety Regulations. Price includes cert, training and supervised examination. Please contact us for further details by calling: 071-9622566
Newtownmanor Community Development Group
11 September 2011 By
Newtownmanor Community Development Group was formed in late 2007 to promote and enhance the Newtownmanor area and to develop existing facilities. A group of between 10 to 15 dedicated volunteers meet regularly to discuss local issues, organise projects and events. Recent projects include:
1. The complete re-refurbishment of Newtownmanor Hall, both internally and externally. The hall is now being used a minimum of 4 nights each week during the Winter months, with additional weekend bookings.
2. The erection of bi-lingual place-name stones at the 4 main entrances to the Newtownmanor area.
3. The erection of a limestone sculpture at Lough Doon viewing point.
4. The significant enhancement of the Bring Bank area at Newtownmanor Church.
Through our inclusion in voluntary initiatives such as the Adopt a Road and Bring Bank schemes, the Community Group hope to further enhance the beauty of the area to encourage outdoor recreation activities. Newtownmanor is already classified as an area of outstanding beauty and through the eventual upgrading of our civic areas, lakes and hill walks we hope that in time the Newtownmanor area will distinguish itself as a destination attractive to both locals, new residents and tourists.
To date we have received funding from the following bodies:-
• Leitrim Development Company
• Clár
• Foras na Gaeilge
• Leitrim County Council.
We are affiliated to The North Leitrim Network.
Current Projects include (August/Sept 2011)
• The Community Group is currently undertaking a Feasibility Study into the provision of a car park (to accommodate approx 50 cars) and children’s play area adjacent to Newtownmanor Community Hall. This will be our most significant project to date and is being supported by Leitrim Development Company.
• 2011 Floral Pride Competition
• On going facilitator of participants in the Rural Social Scheme
The Community Hall is available for Hire @ a cost of €15 per hour including light and heat. Terms and conditions apply.
Please contact us @ newtownmanorcdg@gmail.com
NEW MEMBERS WELCOME!
St Vincent de Paul County Leitrim
6 September 2011 By
St Vincent de Paul Conference
Contact Details in County Leitrim
Ballinamore 087 9360562
Carrick on Shannon
Ozman House Shop
071 96 20380
Drumshambo 086 0868733
Drumkeerin 086 4094399
Kinlough 087 6278707
Manorhamilton 086 8430827
Mohill 087 6776391
All Calls to St Vincent de Paul are treated in strict confidence.
Please leave your name & contact details and a member of St Vincent de Paul will return your call.
Other services
Leitrim Money Advice Budgeting Service Office
Ballinamore 071 96 44994
Millennium Choir
20 August 2011 By
“Where words fail, music speaks”
(Hans Christian Andersen)
Formed in late 1998 to celebrate the millennium in a special way, the Millennium Choir initially comprised 100 amateur singers, members of the church choirs of the diverse areas of Carrick-on-Shannon, Mohill and Longford. The Choir’s first performances were in early 2000, with a concert in each of the constituent towns, and it has continued to give nearly annual concerts ever since.
The Choir is now comprised of between 65 and 80 amateur singers from the region, and has performed well over 40 concerts locally, regionally and internationally (including the largest lunchtime concert attendance in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York). Conductor Mrs. Monica O’Gorman, accompanist/orchestral director extraordinaire Fintan Farrelly, and artistic director Joe Moore have been with us since the start, supplemented and assisted by rehearsal tutors/music committee Elizabeth O’Halloran, Siobhán Talbot, Sr. Nora Keenan, Sr. Martina Sheridan and Sarah Moran.
Over the years the Choir has performed with the Army Band, the Band of An Garda Siochána, in a cross-border event with several Northern choirs, and with a host of prominent guest soloist tenors and sopranos, including popular Sandra Oman, LaScala-based Emily Alexander, and the award-winning and very popular Celine Byrne who joined us on several occasions. ’Our orchestra’ over the years has been comprised of top musicians from across the country, including Sligo’s wonderful violinist and recording artist Niamh Crowley who is a regular. The Choir has spawned some up and coming singers – Lorraine McLoughlin and Deirdre McCabe among them, enjoys the participation of established professional singers Frankie Simon and Fergus Harmon, and holds high hopes for young Gavin Sweeney from Drumshanbo who joined the choir in 2010.
The Millennium Choir sings four-part harmony (SATB) in a mix of popular/musicals, classical and sacred music, and has recently included showcase performances from members, which were very successful. Singers are not required to sight read music. However, the ability to sing as part of a group and to commit to serious rehearsals is required for acceptance in the Millennium Choir, and we are always looking for male singers in particular. Rehearsals begin in September for a spring performance, and rehearsals are usually once per week in the Community School in Carrick-on-Shannon. We are very appreciative of our Longford men’s contingent who add so much to the wonderful sounds of the Millennium Choir and travel a good distance to do so.
The Millennium Choir holds an AGM and the current officers are Enda Stenson (Chair), Liz McCarthy (Treasurer), Bernie Phillips (Secretary) and Mary C. Dolan (PRO). Men’s dress suits and ladies’ choir gowns are worn for concerts , and singers make a nominal contribution towards the cost of music and photocopying.
Carrick-on-Shannon Heritage Group Ltd.
17 August 2011 By
Carrick-on-Shannon Heritage Group Ltd
The Heritage Group identifies, develops and manages historical/heritage sites in Carrick-on-Shannon. The Heritage Group works closely with and receives funding support from a number of bodies including the HSE/St. Patrick’s Hospital, Carrick-on-Shannon & District Historical Society, The County Library, Leitrim County Council, Leitrim Development Company, The Heritage Council, the International Fund for Ireland, etc. Among the amenities under Heritage Group care at present are:
St. George’s Heritage & Visitor Centre:
Open to the public from Wednesday through Saturday, this purpose-built centre in the grounds of St. George’s Church of Ireland (built 1827, refurbished 2005-2006) in Church Lane/St. Mary’s Close (opposite Bush Hotel) offers a wonderful historical video (Leitrim – Enduring and Enchanting), exhibits of original papers belonging to the Clements Estate (Lords Leitrim), and access to St. George’s Church with its interactive presentations on the Twin Traditions of Carrick-on-Shannon, exhibits of important ecclesiastical silver and old books, old medals and trophies, the newly conserved and restored rare 1847 Telford Pipe Organ, and other items of interest.
Tours can be booked (including the amenities below) at 071 962 1757, email: stgeorgevisitorcentre@eircom.net.
Fees apply: €5 pp for tour of Heritage Centre and St. George’s; €5 pp for tour of Workhouse Attic; €7.50 pp for combined tour. Family and group rates available. Total tour under two hours.
The Church is also used for concerts and recitals during the year and enquiries can be made for scheduling appropriate events such as weddings.
Commencing 1st October 2011, a series of monthly music concerts will be held in St. George’s called ‘The Chapel Sessions”, a follow-0n from the popular ‘The River Sessions”. Info available on Facebook and posts to this website.
• Workhouse Attic Memorial and Reading Room:
If one looks down into the footpath leading from Carrick’s Main Street up Summerhill (or Gallows Hill as it was formerly known) towards St. Patrick’s Hospital, a series of bronze plaques will guide you to the Workhouse, an opportunity to put oneself back in time and imagine what it was like to take that final desperate voyage.
Sensitively and accurately restored to its original state, this dormitory under the roof of the original 1843 Workhouse (behind St. Patrick’s Hospital) is a stark and poignant reminder of the devastation that was An Gorta Mór. The destitute slept side by side on straw pallets, hanging their day clothes on wooden pegs, the only heat being from a thinly worn blanket and the crush of fellow inmates’ bodies.
A very emotive video by artist Alanna O’Kelly depicts the sorrow of the effects of the deprivation.
The adjacent Reading Room provides an opportunity to look through reproduced copies of the Minute Books of the Board of Guardians of the Carrick Workhouse for the years 1843 to 1850, and other items of interest and to see the display of original books.
The Heritage Group anticipates restoring and opening additional rooms within the Workhouse Attic in future to provide a fuller sense of the desperation of the place.
Access to the Workhouse Attic and Reading Room is by guided tour by arranging with the staff in St. George’s Heritage & Visitor Centre at 071 962 1757.
• Famine Garden of Remembrance:
A short stroll down a winding path behind the Hospital brings one to the long-forgotten mass graveyard that was required when the death toll reached its height and burial space was practically non-existent. On Saturday 18th July 1998, following a prayer service conducted by Rev. Brian Brennan and Rev. Ivan Biggs, President Mary McAleese officially opened the Garden of Remembrance. In her opening statement the President said :
“In dedicating this small part of Carrick-on-Shannon – the Famine Graveyard in the shadow of the former workhouse (itself a place that featured in the Great Famine), you are in a sense completing the process of grieving and accepting the terrible tragedy that has affected all our lives in way or another. That process of acceptance allows us to look back and reflect on what happened – to consider the factors that contributed to it – and to recognise that it is now very much part of our make-up.”
While precise records are scanty, it is generally believed that a high proportion of the hundreds of burials of paupers in what was essentially a huge pit were of children who perished from the ravishes of hunger and disease. The graveyard has been refurbished as a tranquil garden with plaques, a water feature and benches to sit and reflect and perhaps pray for the poor souls who perished during one of the worst periods in Irish history, just 165 years ago.
• The Costello Memorial Chapel:
Built in the late 1800s as a memorial and burial crypt for his beloved wife, Mary Josephine, town businessman Edward Costello (who was later entombed in the Chapel in one of the largest funerals held in Carrick-on-Shannon for the time) built Ireland’s “Taj Mahal”. This is the smallest chapel in Ireland, measuring only 16 ft x 12 ft, and reputedly the second smallest in the world. It is located at the junction of Main & Bridge Streets, opposite the Town Clock. The Chapel underwent substantial restoration in 2009/2010 — roof repair, resetting the marble altar, refurbishment of the burial chambers, cleaning of stained glass and other restorative and conservation works.
In 2011 the Chapel was used by a visiting Canadian couple (MaryLee & Nick Konyi, pictured) for a 40th wedding anniversary renewal of vows, the first use of the Chapel since the burial of Edward Costello.
The Chapel is available for small, appropriate events. It is very tiny and doesn’t have seating, but a small group of 4 or 5 people for a ceremony is fine.
It is open daily year-round, generally from 9 am to 6 pm. There is no admission fee but contributions to its upkeep and lighting are welcomed.
• Carrick-on-Shannon Local History Centre:
A joint project of the Heritage Group and the Carrick-on-Shannon History Society opened in 2010, the Local History Centre is located in the Market Yard (Unit 5, 1st floor), has free admission, and is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11-4 pm.
Photographs, books, journals, pamphlets, videos, scale models, trophies, medals and memorabilia relating to Carrick and its history are on display under categories such as People and Places, Sports, The Arts, The River Shannon and Town Commerce. There are a number of publications such as parish histories issued by groups in other localities in North Roscommon, Mohill, Aghavas, Kiltubrid, Longford, etc. that are of interest as well. Researchers and students are welcomed to visit and review historical information.
Items of interest of historical or heritage nature (they need not have any significant monetary value) are welcomed either for permanent donation or on a loan basis. All items are catalogued and receipted.
Contributions to the Local History Centre upkeep and expansion are gratefully accepted. Email: cos.localhistorycentre@gmail.com.
Carrick-on-Shannon Water Music Festival
16 August 2011 By
Carrick-on-Shannon Water Music Festival (www.carrickonshannonwatermusic.com) is an annual festival of music and drama for all ages and tastes organised by volunteers since 2005, presenting circa 15 events over six days for public enjoyment, with the key events taking place on the weekend.
The Gala event is Saturday night and in 2011 and 2010 the festival committee presented a sold-out ‘Proms’ concert arranged and conducted by prominent Irish conductor Fergus Sheil. In 2011, our guest soloists were the internationally-acclaimed Irish soprano Sinéad Mulhern and English tenor Jonathan Stoughton in a programme themed “Love Songs–with a Twist”. Legendary UK rocker Joe Brown and his band were an outstanding success on the Friday night, 50 years in the business and still a world-class performer. We were delighted and enthralled with Sunday night’s performance of ‘Folk the Recession’ with Eleanor Shanley, Séamus Begley, Frankie Lane, Mick Hanly and Paul Kelly, with support from Donegal’s The Henry Girls, who were a great hit.
The festival uses an elegant Marquee as well as local venues such as The Dock and St. George’s Church for its events. Since 2005, the Festival has presented approx. 130 events and seen a through-put of over 17,000 event-goers in Carrick-on-Shannon, many of whom stay on to visit the County.
John McKenna Traditional Irish Music Society
27 July 2011 By
The John McKenna Traditional Irish Music Society was originally established in October 1978 by people in the Tarmon/Drumkeeran area of Co Leitrim
The aims of the society were:
•To honour the memory of John McKenna
•To foster, nurture and encourage traditional Irish music in the parish of Inishmagrath and the surroundings areas.
•To arrange for existing musicians to play and share their music on an informal basis.
•To promote Irish traditional music amongst young people in the locality.
•To erect a fitting memorial to John McKenna.
The Society ran a successful day event with traditional music; dance and song on the second Sunday in July each year. The Society hosted successful music competitions each year.
In September 1980 a memorial was erected to the memory of John McKenna, opposite St Patrick’s Church, Tarmon. The memorial was sculpted by Jim Joe McKiernan from Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim.
Unfortunately due to rising insurance costs and lack of funding the annual event had to be abandoned. In time the Society faded into obscurity in the early 1980’s.
The John McKenna traditional Irish Society was reformed in 1995 by members of the local community which included some members of the original society. The ethos of the society remains the same as the original Society with few alterations. The main objective of the Society continues to focus upon the promotion of traditional Irish music within the community. The reformed Society also added some ambitious goals including the purchase and restoration of the house where John McKenna was brought up in Tents, Tarmon. This project was successfully completed in 2008.
The reformed John McKenna Society held its first annual traditional weekend festival in 1995. The festival was a great success and has continued to grow from strength to strength since. In recent years the festival progressed from a three day event to a four day event such was the demand for concerts and other musical activities. The festival consists of a range of activities such as concerts, music sessions, work shops with musicians, music competitions and activities for children. The atmosphere from the festival spreads to the pubs in Drumkeeran which makes for a lively weekend.
John McKenna’s homestead at Tents, Tarmon is a prominent feature of the festival with an annual session held after Aifreann na Feile each year. The picturesque setting of the cottage – overlooking Lough Allen and surrounded by the rugged mountainous landscape of Drumkeeran and neighbouring Arigna makes this a truly unique event. The cottage in Tents has been as a base for Artists in Residence Niall Keegan and Jesse Smith.
The Society runs weekly music classes for children and young people in the area offering music classes in an array of different instruments- the flute exceeding other instruments in terms of its popularity. These classes have proved hugely successful with many of the young people whom have progressed going on to participate in the Fleadh Ceoil and various other traditional music occasions.
There are frequent informal music sessions held in the pubs in Drumkeeran and neighbouring areas. This assists in keeping the rich culture of traditional music alive in North Leitrim.
The Society remains committed to the continual nurturing and development of interest in Traditional Music in the area.
Mohill Community Development Association
19 July 2011 By
Mohill Community Development Association Ltd is affiliated to Leitrim Community Forum through South Leitrim Network, a representative body of community groups in the area. The MCDA was formed in 1985 by a group of local people with the aim of acting as a catalyst for community development in the Mohill area; promoting the social, economic and cultural welfare of the community; promoting industry and enterprise and empowering specific disadvantaged groups through programmes of personal and social development. MCDA was incorporated as a limited company by guarantee in 1995 and currently employs five full-time staff who work in the Mohill Enterprise Centre / Mohill Computer Training, both owned and operated by MCDA Ltd.
Mohill Enterprise Centre
Mohill Enterprise Centre was built in 1999 and comprises five industrial start-up enterprise units as well as a fully equipped Administration and three IT Training suites (Mohill Computer Training). The industrial units have provided a base for 16 different small businesses encompassing manufacturing, retail and service areas and these in turn are supported by the manager, staff and facilities of the administration centre. Mohill Computer Training provides a wide range of IT courses, both full-time and part-time which are aimed at a wide cross section of the local community and is a vital part of the educational infrastructure of South Leitrim and beyond with hundreds of students having completed various certified courses. A range of secretarial, printing and digital photography services are also available. The MCT training suites are also available for use by local community groups and commercial interests.
Mohill Computer Training Facilities
For further details on the any of the above call Liam at 071-9632024 or email info@mct.ie. Check out our website www.mct.ie or www.facebook.com/MohillComputerTraining.
Drumreilly Community Development
17 July 2011 By
Drumreilly Parish
The parish of Drumreilly with its main villages of Carrigallen, Newtowngore and Ballinamore nestles in the drumlins of South Leitrim.
It is approximately 30km from Cavan, 30 km from Longford, 28 km from Carrick On Shannon and 45 km from Enniskillen. Much of south Leitrim is dominated by Limestone rock, which is coated with thick layer and boulder clay deposited during the period of Glaciation.
The area is rural in nature and is surrounded by many lakes and rivers that form part of the Erne and Shannon waterway system. This waterway is well known for angling facilities and tourism. The waterway passes through the Parish and flows into Garadice Lake. The area is very beautiful.
This is a Scanned image of the Community Centre submitted by Michael Mc Govern