OPW statement on Abbey Lights and Abbey House
Following contact from a number of viewers, Boyletoday.com got in touch with the Office of Public Works last week to enquire why the lights at Boyle Abbey have been out of order for nearly a year now and also to enquire what plans the state body have for the adjacent Abbey House. Our query seems to have got the lights working again with a reply arriving back from the OPW after a few days as follows: “The Office of Public Works (OPW) confirms that an issue with the floodlighting at Boyle Abbey has been resolved and the lights are now operating on a timer. A full inspection of the system is scheduled, with replacements to be made where required. Abbey House, adjacent to Boyle Abbey, was acquired to protect the monument’s wider setting and to support visitor facilities and enhance the visitor experience at Boyle Abbey. The OPW is considering what works will be required and these will be subject to planning consents and availability of funding”.
Still time to devise a ‘Boyle Emergency Response Plan’
A little over a year has now passed since Storm Eoghan hit Ireland. Despite all the talk at the time, it would seem we have not really progressed at all with local plans to prepare for a similar weather event. Here in Boyle there was much discussion at the time of establishing a “Boyle Community Emergency Response Plan” that could be put in place for when we get another serious storm or indeed heavy snow or as one person put it “when climate change leads to the Boyle river flooding our homes”. The suggestion was to have a regularly updated plan drawn up, with a list of first responders, qualified chain saw operators, residents who would assist in an emergency, where generators and sandbags are available, a regularly updated list of the elderly and most vulnerable in our community that would need to be checked on, where emergency food can be sought and the location of a community hub where displaced people could spend the night in Boyle following a major weather event.
Now, 12 months on, the idea is still that – an idea- and nothing has progressed. In light of the rains of the past few weeks in the south and east coast, maybe we should revisit the suggestion of a Boyle Community Emergency Response Plan for when it’s our turn to once again feel the effects of climate change?
Local media outlets awarded major funding
A number of local media outlets including Shannonside FM, Roscommon Herald, Leitrim Observer and many others have been awarded substantial funding by Coimisiun na Mean. The €15 million in funding for media organisations across Ireland, has been allocated “to support high-quality journalism and news and current affairs content, and to support digital upskilling and the significant modernisation of equipment and technology, to allow the sector to adapt and grow in an increasingly digital world. The funding will be delivered via five separate schemes”. You can read more and see the amounts allocated here.
Valentines Family Concert in King House
King House will host a special St. Valentine Family Concert on Sunday February 8th at 4pm. This promises to be a warm and joyful musical event dedicated to celebrating love through timeless music, in an intimate, family-friendly setting. Performers include Adrian Mantu (cello), Andreea Banciu (viola), Clara Mantu (cello), Sophia Mantu (viola) with guest artists Mădălina Pașol (piano) and Ava Pașol (cello). The programme features a selection of classical and modern repertoire inspired by the many forms of love. Adults €10, children and students €5 via [email protected] or 0871444739.
Boyle has not lost it’s Post Office – it has just moved to a new location!
What a shame there was so much misinformation circulating online last week (not on Boyletoday) in relation to the closure last Friday of the Post Office on Shop Street in Boyle. Some people wrongly assumed the Post Office was closing permanently and used the opportunity to once again ‘Bash Boyle’. Of course the Post Office is not closed. It reopened on Tuesday in a new, modern, bright and airy facility in the Supervalu Centre off Elphin Street.
Instead of living in the past, and comparing Boyle to years ago, let’s look forward to a new beginning for the former Post Office building on Shop Street and warmly welcome the fact that we still have a Post Office in our town albeit in a new location.
Boomtown Rats to blast the Park this summer
For those of a certain era, having the Boomtown Rats play at the Night and Day Festival in Boyle this summer must seem like a dream. Originally formed in Dublin in 1975, the band had a series of Irish and UK hits including “Like Clockwork”, “Rat Trap”, “I Don’t Like Mondays” and “Banana Republic”. They broke up in 1986, but reformed in 2013. No stranger to Boyle, front man Bod Geldof filmed a segment on W.B. Yeats on Lough Key and Castle Island back in 2016 for the RTE/BBC documentary, “A Fanatic Heart: Geldof on Yeats”. Indeed his last father Bob Senior was also a regular visitor to Boyle, staying in the town regularly in the 1970/80’s when on business in the area. Night and Day Festival is really growing year on year with some brilliant acts lined up for this June Bank Holiday weekend. Read more here.
News snippets from around Boyle
Roscommon Mobile Library will visit King House (Rear Carpark) on Monday 9th and Tuesday 10th February……..“I had to go for counselling” – A new play by Gerry Farrell will take to the stage in Crossna Community Centre on Saturday February 7th at 8pm. Tickets available at the door priced €15……….Enrolment for Confirmation, First Penance and First Holy Communion will take place at the 11.30a.m. Mass in St. Joseph’s Church on Sunday February 8th. Candidates for Confirmation and their parents are asked to sit on the right hand side of the middle aisle. Children for First Holy Communion and their parents are asked to sit on the left hand side of the middle aisle…………Congratulations and well done to Lenny Chen from Boyle on being selected as one of just six students to take part in Dublin International Piano Competition’s 2026 Young Pianists Programme. Lenny is studying with Shirin Goudarzi-Tobin at TU Dublin Conservatoire…………..An exciting trip lies ahead on April 19th for Boyle Camogie’s U-12’s who have been chosen for “Caman to Croker” and will play in Croke Park on the day……..Enrolment afternoon for Junior Infants September 2026 will take place on Friday February 13th in Corrigeenroe National School from 1pm-3pm………Shame on those who are putting their domestic rubbish and dog poo bags in the re- turn bin at the Marina. This bin should only be used for bottles and cans with the re-turn logo. If you go to the effort of putting your dog poo in a bag, please bring it home with you……….Best of luck to Abbey College U16 girls who play St Paul’s Oughterard and Dominican College, Fortwilliam today Friday February 6th in the school gym. The schedule is as follows. 11am – Abbey College Boyle v St Paul’s: 12:45 – Dominican College v Loser of game 1: 14:30 – Winner of game 1 V Dominican College………Any viewers living in Sydney – why not head to Sydney Opera House this Saturday 7th and greet Arigna’s Fergal Guihen as he completes his 23,000km epic Rossie to Aussie cycle.
And finally…..!
While on a tour of Jerusalem Donald Trump suffers a heart attack and dies.
The undertaker tells the American diplomats accompanying him: “You can have him shipped home for $50,000, or you can bury him here, in the Holy Land, for just $100.”
The American diplomats go into a corner to discuss it for a few minutes.
They return and tell him they want Donald Trump shipped home.
The undertaker is puzzled and asks, “Why would you spend $50,000 to ship him home, when it would be wonderful to be buried here and you would spend only $100?”
The American diplomats reply, “A long ago a man died here, was buried here, and three days later he rose from the dead. We can’t take that chance”.
