Great atmosphere at Arts Festival opening
When the thunder, lightening and torrential rain arrived in Boyle around at 4.45pm yesterday evening, there must surely have been plenty of worried faces around the Arts Festival office! But after the darkness comes the light and by 7pm the sun was shing once again over beautiful Boyle – just in time for the opening parade of the 2025 Boyle Arts Festival. Hundreds of people lined the route from the Crescent to King House to see a great spectacle that involved young and old, along with new and established members of our community. It was an enjoyable event with praise for all who organised the workshops and helped make the parade possible.
Over at King House, there was a happy atmosphere as friends met up – some for the first time since last year – while locals delighted in being able to mingle about and have a glass of celebratory wine outdoors at a joyful event right in the centre of their home town.
Former RTE broadcaster Bryan Dobson opened the festival and chatted freely with the audience after. With the weather holding dry, people headed off to wander the streets to see the various art displays around the town, with more than a few remarking on how well the centre of Boyle was looking and the great use being made of vacant properties for the festival.
Local man Michael Hunt was announced as the popular winner of the overall Open Art Exhibition while the Most Promising Artist U25 award went to Kyle Fairbanks.
Boyle Arts Festival continues until July 26th with various events on every day, along with a number of exhibitions. Find out more on www.boylearts.com. (Full pictorial coverage of last night’s parade and opening can be seen on our Facebook page).
Top 10 listing for Boyle Campervan site
Boyle’s Lough Key Forest Parks’ Caravanning and Camping site was named as one of the top 10 campervan site in Ireland recently in an article on rte.ie. “This family-friendly campsite is tucked into a secluded corner of Lough Key Forest Park. The facilities are excellent and the 45 landscaped campervan pitches offer ample privacy, complete with electricity and water points throughout. When I visited, it was quiet, and I had my pick of spots to choose from. Pitch 38 is perfect if you’re seeking seclusion and a genuine sense of being immersed in nature. I parked my van beneath a massive old redwood, and it was blissful sitting there, listening to the birdsong. The campsite is a five-minute stroll from the Lough Key Visitor Centre and Lakeside Café, where you can grab a coffee, explore the treetop walk, or head out onto the water. There’s free WiFi in the main building if you really must check in with the outside world, but I’d recommend you don’t. It’s the perfect spot for a digital detox”. You can read the article here.
N4 Active Travel plan could be good for Boyle
There were some familiar Boyle faces at Public Consultation No. 3 for the N4 Active Travel Collooney to Castlebaldwin Scheme in person consultation which took place last Wednesday at Taylors Art Gallery in Castlebaldwin. The objective of this project, which is funded by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, is to provide high quality pedestrian and cycle links between the Collooney and Castlebaldwin. The delivery of this Scheme will enable day-to-day utility and recreational trips between Collooney and Castlebaldwin and to key local services and communities living along the corridor such as Drumfin and Tawnagh. In this way, the Scheme will offer a safe and sustainable alternative to the private car particularly for short trips. This scheme has the potential to link with the proposed Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway (SLNCR) Greenway, and the proposed Sligo Greenway – Collooney to Bellaghy, as well as the ongoing Active Travel interventions in Collooney Village. It could also link up with the Boyle to Lough Key and Carrick Greenway at some stage, hence the local interest in the project.
Fundraising for additional defibrillators for Boyle
Well done to all involved in trying to provide additional defibrillators around our town. Many years ago, the late Fergus Ahern was one of the first to come up with the idea of having a defibrillator in Boyle and wouldn’t he be very proud to see not one, but a large number of the devises located in his home town.
There are indeed many defibs in numerous locations around Boyle but since the demise of the EmCall App, the exact location of the devises are not generally known. Maybe that would be a good starting point and a list could be drawn up of where they are in Boyle, along with the names of those trained in their use.
The EmCall App was the brainchild of the late John McDermott, (who had strong Boyle connections) and Roscommon Rapid Response team who advised this blog back in March that they are rebuilding the App and it would soon be available for use.
Temporary traffic restrictions tonight for Boyle 5k race
Boyle Athletic Club’s 5k Road race takes place this evening and to facilitate the event, there will be temporary traffic restrictions in place from 8pm. The N61 from the Boyle River to Wooden Bridge Road will be affected briefly from 19.55pm – just before the start of the race. This section is used only for the first kilometer, so any disruption will be minimal and short-lived. The section of Wooden Bridge/Drum Road between Wooden Bridge and the Marina entrance will be significantly affected for approximately 20-30 minutes maximum. This is the main part of the race route and will be used for two circuits. Through traffic may be stopped or delayed in this area during that time to protect the safety of runners. Gardaí and marshals will be present to manage traffic flow. Boyle Athletic Club would like to thank the public for their understanding and support in making tonight’s event safe and enjoyable for all.
‘Remembering Home’ will be a must read for all locals
As expected there was a great reaction to the piece on Boyletoday’s social media page on Tuesday last that local man Christy Wynne is to launch his autobiography on Wednesday next during the Arts Festival.
‘Remembering Home’ is a lifetime of stories from Christy’s childhood growing up in Boyle — from mischievous adventures with friends, to quiet moments that shaped the man he would become. Blending heartfelt recollections with original poetry, treasured family photographs and glimpses of local history, this book is both a personal reflection and a loving tribute to a town of Boyle and its people. Whether you’re a native of Boyle or simply drawn to stories of Irish life, ‘Remembering Home’ captures the warmth, wit and resilience of a community across generations.
Christy and the general Wynne family are highly regarded in Boyle and have been part of the business, commercial and residential life of the town for generations. A noted historian, conversationalist and writer, Christy is a pleasure to meet as his friendly demeanor quickly leads to talk of times past and ‘Old Boyle’ – of which he has a wealth of knowledge that will no doubt feature in his new book.
The launch and book signing will take place in Una Bhán Craft Shop, King House, Boyle on the 23rd of July at 3pm. “Remembering Home” is available for purchase on Lulubookstore.com, in Betterbuys & Surprises and Una Bhán Craft Shop.
News snippets from around Boyle
Congratulations to SPAR Corrib Oil store in Boyle who received a SPAR 365 Retailing Standards Award for achieving exceptional standards in retailing at a ceremony in Co Kildare recently……..It’s hard to believe that Iarnroid Eireann did not put on any extra trains on the Sligo line for last Sunday’s Donegal game in Croke Park. There has been widespread criticism of the overcrowding and delays on the service after the match with a representative from the company subsequently accepting there were delays and overcrowding and apologising for not putting on extra trains on the line but promising additional services for Sunday week’s All Ireland final……..As happens every week, the local Tidy Town volunteers were in action on Monday last for a town clean up in advance of the Arts Festival. On Wednesday, volunteers picked all weeds along the Riverwalk from Bridge Street to King House via the Green Bridge. Later on Wednesday evening, this route was cleaned further with a leaf blower as was the rear of An Rioga and in to the Pleasure Grounds. Well done to all who give of their time freely to keep our town looking so well……..Good luck to all participating in this evening’s Boyle Athletic Club inaugural 5k road race and well done to the organisers who have been working hard behind the scenes to make the event a reality……..Deputy Frank Feighan shared a nice post on social media during the week of himself and Deputy Joe Neville participating in an Oireachtas Gaelic Football and Hurling event in Trinity College. Deputy Neville’s mother is the former Rita Dwyer from Tivanagh and Deputy Neville speaks frequently of spending his summer holidays and weekends in Boyle……….A new initiative launch recently will bring volunteer befrienders and other community-based supports to women living in long-term residential care including those in the Plunkett Home in Boyle. Volunteers will need to commit for a minimum of two hours per week. There are no age restrictions for volunteers. All that’s required is an intermediate level of English and a genuine interest in spending time with older people. Find out more here……Roscommon County Council has decided to close the L1026 Knockarush Road, Boyle in order to carry out necessary improvement works from Thursday 17th July to Friday 18th July 8am-5pm…….Shame on the person(s) who drew graffiti on one of the art sculptures in the Pleasure Grounds and well done to the local person who cleaned it on Wednesday evening…….Covid-19 outbreak currently in a medical ward in Sligo Hospital with visiting restricted……… Ballinameen GAA are holding a draw for 2 All Ireland Football Final tickets. The draw takes place on Friday July 25th. You can purchase tickets online here………It would be great if all Boyle business owners and their staff used the various car parks around town during Arts Week and left on street parking to our visitors. Also, please be considerate of the increase in the number of visiting pedestrians and parents with buggies, so do not park on the footpaths!!
And finally….!
A man was sitting with his wife watching TV.
The phone rings, he picks it up. “Hello……No, this is not Met Eireann!” he says.
The man slams the phone down.
About half an hour later, the phone rings again.
He picks it up. “No, I told you before, this is NOT Met Eireann”.
His wife turns to him and asks: “Who was that, dear?”
“Oh” says the husband, “Some fella who must have got the wrong number. He keeps asking ‘Is the coast clear”.
