A close call with Ali
Wednesday’s Storm Ali was one of the worst to hit Boyle in a long time – possibly inflicting more damage in this area than Storm Ophelia. Boyletoday.com carried a news story on Monday giving advance warning of the then not named Strom Ali. The information came via a website that on occasion can be more accurate than some of the other main stream weather sites – ‘The Donegal Weather Channel’. That website follows weather charts in making predictions and is normally very accurate as it was on this occasion. But back to Storm Ali. As the winds were peeking around 9.30am, to the amazement of many, including those cutting back a fallen tree on the Carrick Road, some people were to be seen out walking around the Abbeytown, Maple Drive, Carrick Road circuit. Five minutes after the walkers passed on Maple Drive, a large tree came crashing down on the footpath. When there is a storm it is best to stay indoors and certainly not go for any unnecessary walks. And full credit to Roscommon County Council who had outdoor staff cleaning the streets of Boyle on Wednesday afternoon as the storm was abating. To assist further, the road sweeper was in town early on Thursday morning cleaning up any remaining roadside debris. Well done.
Seeking ancestry information
We received the following request for information during the week: “I am researching my ancestors, the family of Elizabeth “Lizzie” Logan born 1844 Derreenahinch, Ardcarn,Co ( My G G Grandmother), she Married Patrick Garrity who was born somewhere in Roscommon in 1838, and her Father Stephen Logan who shows a record of sharing land in common with Owen and John Grey and Thomas Leyden/Leadon. Located in Derrinahinch in 1834. Stephen married Mary Conlon. Their Landlord was Thomas Tennison I am told. I am visiting Ireland for the first time next week and was hoping to find a local historian that might have some stories to share, (as recommended by one of the members of the website Ireland xo.) Any help would be very much appreciated. Sincerely, Morag McLeanNee Garrity. Morag can be contacted on [email protected]
Fr Pat’s shock at break-in
Boyle native and Parish Priest of St. Anne’s in Sligo, Fr Pat Lombard has spoken of his shock at a break in and vandalism at his Church in Sligo last weekend. Fr Pat found the break in shortly after 11pm on Friday night after the thieves broke down doors to gain access to the sacristy of the church where they got away with a small sum of money and the hard drive of the CCTV system. Fr Pat, who lives in a house behind the church with two other priests, said that in light of the break in they are reviewing their own personal security at that of the churches.
Unprecedented cooperation will see the resurgence of Boyle
Images of the former Royal Hotel and a number of other properties in Boyle featured in the intro to a story on Prime Time concerning the future of rural towns, broadcast on Tuesday evening. With the exception of Gareth Scahill and Benny O’Connell from Castlerea, the majority of the speakers bemoaned all that is wrong with rural towns in Ireland, blaming everyone except themselves. As was the case here locally, the story gave the negative moaners and ‘Hurlers on the Ditch’ an opportunity to try and slate all the efforts of those who are trying to make rural towns like Boyle prosper again. Had Prime Time interviewed the positive people in Boyle, instead of showing our dereliction, they would have been told a different story to that which the segment portrayed. While everyone agrees we have suffered from decay and abandonment over the years, the fight back is in full swing with unprecedented close cooperation now existing between so many organisations and groupings in the town. This in turn has seen a greater working relationship between the town and local authority and also central government. The result is an ongoing plan that when finalised will change the face of Boyle and it’s future for the better for years to come. When unveiled in the next few weeks, it should put a gobstopper in the mouths of the local negative whingers once and for all.
Boyle connection to Lambert Puppet Theatre
Radio host Ray Darcy recently interviewed Paula Lambert – the voice of Bosco and daughter of Eugene and Mai Lambert from the famous Lambert Puppet Theatre. During the course of the interview, Paula said her mother was from Boyle but left the town to join the nuns after the death of her mother from TB and when her dad “went to war”. Her mother’s siblings went to the Nazareth Home in Sligo. Mai ran away from the “nunnery” and moved to Sligo where she met her future husband. Paula did not give much information during the interview on her mother but investigations with some of the older people in Boyle unearthed her mother’s maiden name could have been Bolton with a connection in the Termon area. It has also been suggested that the Brennan family who lived in Marian Road many years ago were related to Eugene Lambert. Both Mai and Eugene reared 10 children in Dublin after they moved from Sligo and were the leading lights behind the famous puppet theatre company.
And finally…!
A young doctor moved to a small community to replace one who was retiring.
The older doctor suggested that he should accompany him on his rounds.
At the first house a woman complains, “I’ve been a little sick in my stomach.”
The doctor says, “You’ve probably been overdoing the fresh fruit. Cut back on the amount and see if that works?”
As they left, the younger man said, “You didn’t even examine that woman, How did you know?”
“I dropped my stethoscope on the floor and when I bent over to pick it up, I noticed a dozen banana peels in the bin that was what probably was making her sick.”
The younger doctor said, “Very clever I’ll try that at the next house.”
At the next house, they spent several minutes talking with a younger woman.
She said that she just didn’t have the energy she once did saying, “I’m feeling run down lately.”
“You’ve probably been doing too much for the church,” the younger doctor told her.
“Perhaps you should cut back a bit and see if that helps.”
As they left, the older doctor said, “I know that woman well and she’s very active in the church, but how did you arrive at that?”
“I did what you did at the last house.
I dropped my stethoscope and when I bent down to retrieve it, I noticed the Priest under the bed.”
