More gold for the inspirational John McDermott
The inspirational octogenarian Boyle native athlete John McDermott is at it again! John is currently in Poland where he is participating in the European Masters Athletics Championship. John won his first race – the 400m M80 by 6 seconds but was unfortunately disqualified on a technicality. He said he moved in from the outside lane a meter too soon. He further added “Sure I know I won it and I have enough medals”. John then went on to win the 800m M80 final and took silver in the 200m M80 final. His final race yesterday evening was the mixed 4 x 200m relay where the team unfortunately did not make the winners podium as one of the team fell about 50m from the finish line.
An exciting line up of acts to perfom in Boyle this summer
A number of acts were announced yesterday for this year’s Boyle Arts Festival that takes place from July 16th-25th. Performers include Mary Coughlan, Jason Byrne, These Charming Men, No Crows, Onoir and The Swinging Cats. Ticket booking is available here.
When you add in the acts named so far for Night and Day Festival – The Boomtown Rats, The Saw Doctors, Imelda May, Hothouse Flowers, Jenny Greene, Cardinals, Paddy Casey and many more – then Boyle is most certainly the place to be if you are a music lover this summer. And for those of us who are lucky enough to call Boyle our home, isn’t it great that we have all of the above performing on our doorstep with no need to travel or look for accommodation!
Memories of Easter past in Boyle
Two Boyle memories from the past that come to mind around Easter time are hot cross buns from Doherty’s Bakery and the Circuit of Ireland Car Rally. Doherty’s Bakery was located roughly where Pure Flowers and the entrance to O’Dowd Solicitors now stands. On Good Friday in the seventies and early eighties, it was common to see a queue of people waiting on the bridge on Good Friday morning for the buns to arrive from Carrick (and in the process check if there was any pub open!). That was long before supermarkets stocked the buns, in fact the only supermarkets at that time were Fred Perry’s and Gerry Dodd’s on Main Street and hot cross buns did not feature on their shelves. On Good Friday night, when nothing seemed to happen, a trip to Arigna to see the Circuit of Ireland Rally was usually on the cards. One year the Rally had a night visit to Rockingham which provided a great local attraction closer to home. Now that pubs are open and Good Friday is seen as the same as any other day, these memories of Easters past are fading away very quickly.
A Street Feast opportunity for Boyle
Street Feast returns this May to help neighbours across the country connect and perhaps a few events could be held in Boyle? With more people looking for real moments of community, President Catherine Connolly, Patron of Street Feast, is encouraging households everywhere to get involved. Neighbourhoods across the country are being invited to pull up a chair, share some food and say hello as Street Feast, Ireland’s national weekend of community lunches and gatherings, returns on Saturday and Sunday, May 23rd and 24th 2026. Now in its 16th year, the national weekend has grown into something simple but powerful; a chance for neighbours to come together in a way that makes everyday life feel a little warmer and more connected. Anyone who registers at StreetFeast.ie will get a free party pack delivered to their door, stocked with bunting, posters, invitations and a DIY guide. There’s also the option to collect a pack from one of 20 participating Tesco stores.
Afternoon Tea on Monday in Tawnytaskin
An event of note in Boyle this weekend, is the annual Easter Afternoon Tea Party in Tawnytaskin Community Centre. This year’s tea party will take place on Easter Monday April 6th from 12pm to 5.30pm. All are welcome and there will be a raffle on the afternoon. Entry is €10 per person with loads of homemade baking on offer.
Local connections to restaurant award winners
Kilronan Castle was a winner of the ‘Best Hotel and Guesthouse Restaurant’ award at the Connaught Region Irish Restaurant Awards which were held in Knockranny House in Westport on Tuesday night last. Liam and Justin Gavin won the ‘Leitrim Local Food Hero’ award while their Honestly Farm Kitchen in Carrick was the Leitrim winner of ‘Best Sustainable Practice’ and their restaurant in Strandhill won ‘Best Casual Dining’ in Sligo. Buffalo Boy, a restaurant in Carrick with Boyle connections, won the Leitrim ‘Best Customer Service’ Award.
King House opens today for the summer season
It is great to see King House open from today for the summer season. The facility is open Tuesday – Sunday for April/May and September/October and seven days per week for June/July/August. A tour of King House is a walk through generations of history. Visitors of all ages relish stories of the medieval Ireland, the King family and the Connaught Rangers. Expert Tour Guides provide an informative and animated introduction before you set off on a self-guided tour exploring King House. They are delighted to tell you all about the history and cultural exhibitions on display. King House welcomes group bookings and school tours all year around. Tours can be tailored to the needs of your group and your learning objectives. More info and bookings here.
Roscommon Injury Unit is an alternative to A&E over Easter
HSE services in the west and north-west have urged the public to consider all available care options over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, as demand for services is expected to increase. In particular they are asking people to be aware of the Roscommon Injury Unit as an alternative to attending an A&E. Roscommon Injury Unit is open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, including bank holidays. It treats non-life-threatening injuries such as broken bones, dislocations, sprains, wounds, scalds and minor burns. The unit provides services such as X-rays, plaster casts, and wound care. No appointment is required and patients can attend directly. More information is available here.
The out of hours GP service for this area is Nowdoc in Carrick-on-Shannon and that is open from 6pm Friday to 8am Tuesday 7th with more information available here.
News snippets from around Boyle
The raised pedestrian crossing at the primary school on the Carrick Road is badly in need of repair work or indeed replacing. Cars are now moving off center to avoid the potholes on the crossing with an accident waiting to happen…………Friends of Assylinn Cemetery Church Gate Collection at St. Joseph’s Church on Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. All funds help with upkeep and future projects of the Cemeteries………Traditional music sessiun in Cleen Hall on Sunday April 5th from 4pm-6pm. All are welcome…………Easter Sunday Coffee Morning in Killaraght Community Centre this Easter Sunday. Come along for a welcoming morning of tea, coffee and delicious Easter baking treats from10:15am – 12:30pm…….A new pastime among many young people in Boyle is fishing. It’s great to see, but it is also important that safety and the dangers of the river are highlighted by parents and guardians to the young people. Recently some were observed fishing from the small ledge on the river side of the railings as one goes to The Lawn. This is dangerous and a wrong footing could easily result in the young person being swept away by the fast flowing river………Well done to Boyle lady Caoimhe Cregg (Technological University Dublin) who was presented with a 2026 AIG HEC All-Star award recently following her colleges success in the O’Connor Cup……..A date for the diary – Boyle Community Games area art competition will take place in the Carrick Road campus of Abbey Primary School on Saturday May 16th………Easter Ceremonies in St. Joseph’s Church continue with Good Friday Celebration of the Lords Passion at 3p.m. Stations of the Cross in the Church also on Good Friday at 7.30p.m. Easter Vigil Mass Saturday at 9.30p.m. Easter Sunday Masses 9.30a.m. and 11.30 a.m. In the Church of Ireland, Easter Sunday Service will take place at 10a.m. All welcome………Roscommon County Council is closing the L1026 Knockarush-Croghan Road from Tuesday 7th-Thursday 9th April from 8am-5pm for road improvement works……..Safe travels to all from Boyel and County Roscommon who are making the trip to New York for next weekend’s Connacht SFC quarter final. There is an informative supplement in this week’s Roscommon People for those heading stateside which you can read here.
And finally…..!
A man and his wife are awakened at 3 o’clock in the morning by a loud pounding on the door.
The man gets up and goes to the door, where a drunken stranger, standing in the pouring rain, is asking for a push.
“Not a chance!” says the husband. “It’s three o’clock in the morning!”
He slams the door and returns to bed.
“Who was that?” asked his wife.
“Just some drunk guy asking for a push” he answers.
“Did you offer to help him?” she asks.
“No, I did not! It’s three in the morning and it’s pouring out!”
“Well, you have a short memory.” says his wife. “Can’t you remember about three months ago when we broke down and those two guys helped us? I think you should help him and you should be ashamed of yourself!”
The man does as he is told, gets dressed, and goes out into the pounding rain.
He calls out into the dark, “Hello, are you still there?”
“Yes.” comes back the answer.
“Do you still need a push?” calls out the husband.
“Yes, please!” comes the reply from the dark.
“Where are you?” asks the husband.
“Over here, on the swing.”
