Anniversary of the Battle of the Curlews
Tomorrow August 15th is the 427th anniversary of the Battle of the Curlew’s. English forces led by Sir Conyers Clifford came from Athlone on their way to raise the Siege of Collooney. They stopped off by the Boyle river (there was no town here at that stage), arriving early evening. Tired, weary and hungry after their hike from Athlone, the 1496 foot soldiers and 205 horse men expected an overnight stop. To their dismay, Clifford ordered the march to resume across the mountain. Meanwhile up on the Curlew’s, Brian O’Rourke and Conor McDermott’s men lay in wait. Tactically, they led the approaching army into the bog and struck. A fierce battle ensued for over two hours resulting in the deaths of 232 men including Sir Coyners Clifford. The head of Clifford was sent to Red Hugh O’Rourke who dispatched it to Collooney – proof of an Irish victory. Sir Coyners Clifford was afforded a respectful burial on Trinity Island in Lough Key. The defeated English army now back in Boyle Abbey decided not to try and force their way over the Curlews again. Instead, the beaten army made their way over the Boyle river and headed back to Athlone.
The Battle of the Curlews was fought on 15th August 1599 in the seventh year of the Nine Years War.
No place to rent and the town centre full of vacant properties
In Boyle we have a number of companies that are having trouble filling open job vacancies – not as a result of the required skilled people not being available – but because there is the lack of suitable rental accommodation in Boyle for the potential employees to live in. If you go to the train station most morning’s, you will see people getting off the 9.39am train from Carrick and further up the rail line and heading down town to their places of employment as they can not get a place to stay in Boyle (and with many companies opening at 8am – the 9.39am train has people starting work over an hour and a half too late!). And yet we have a town centre full of vacant commercial premises with no one living above them! Thankfully, with assistance from the vacant property grant scheme, a number of these properties have recently been purchased and are being renovated at present. This will be of great benefit in getting the residential aspect of our town center busy again while filling a void that currently exists for anyone wanting to work and live in Boyle.
Low crime figures may not be a good thing
CSO crime figures published this week rank Roscommon as having the lowest crime rate in the country. Is that a good or a bad thing you may ask? While a low crime rate is something every community should welcome, it suggests that residents are generally safe, businesses can operate with confidence and people can go about their daily lives without a constant fear of crime, but Garda management can take a low crime rate figure as a need for fewer Garda resources and that is what seems to be happening around Boyle and the county in general. With Boyle Garda station on reduced hours and Garda resources being pulled everywhere except remaining in the community in which they serve, sometimes crimes can go unreported as people have trouble getting in touch with their Garda Station or do not know a Garda member. And with resultant low crime statistics, the figures are often then used to determine where Garda resources should be concentrated. However, there is a danger in treating crime figures, like those published this week, as the only measure of policing needs. If resources are removed/replaced or not brought back to pre Covid levels because crime is low, the very conditions that helped maintain that low rate could eventually weaken. The fact remains that places like Boyle needs more Gardai. The reduced number of Garda members that we currently have in our town are doing a great job but under serious constraints, which must be as frustrating for the Gardai themselves as it is for the general public.
This week’s low crime figure should be celebrated—but they should also be protected. If evidence shows that an area lacks sufficient policing capacity, additional Garda resources may be a sensible investment in keeping it safe rather than a reward for waiting until crime increases.
Algal Bloom on Lough Key
Visitors to Boyle’s Lough Key during the week may have noticed the presence of Algal Bloom on the lake. This potentially toxic bloom can occur and flourish when wind and water currents are favorable and when the weather is warm. If the strains of algae reach high concentrations, then fish, insects, aquatic wildlife, livestock, pets and perhaps even people who are exposed to biotoxins, produced by phytoplankters, can become sick. In lower concentrations, skin may be irritated and you may notice a rash developing. If you’ve ingested it, typically you’d get a dry mouth, possibly nausea or vomiting, a headache or diarrhea. So for the time being, avoid contact and do not swim in the affected water (and as of last night that includes the Doon Shore) and keep animals out of the water. If you do come in contact with Algal Bloom, shower asap to remove the algal matter and wash all clothing and equipment.
Illegal dumping continues in Boyle
We got plenty of photographs submitted to us last weekend of the illegal dumping at the bottle/recycle bank behind St. Joseph’s Hall. As opposed to publicising the rubbish and the resultant comments, instead we notified the litter warden. The variance of items that were dumped should easily assist the warden in identifying the culprit, especially considering some of the items were for sale online in the town recently!!
Another litter problem that is becoming all to common is the disposal of rubbish (and dog poo bags!) in the Re-Turn bins that the Tidy Towns group have located around Boyle. Volunteers have to wade through the rubbish to get the few cans and plastic bottles for recycling. In fact, it is getting quite dangerous now for those who are emptying the bins such is the variance of items being dumped. So please, only put returnable cans and plastic bottles in the orange bins and use waste bins for other rubbish or better still, bring it home with you.
News snippets from around Boyle
Úna Bhán Tourism is hosting a guided Walking Tour of Boyle with Aoife Gately this Saturday. It’s an easy, 1-hour walk around town. The Tour commences at Boyle Craft Shop at 12 noon and costs €5 (Includes map). Secure a place by advance booking here…….Please support Patrice Scanlon’s head shave in memory of her sister Sinead for North West Hospice this evening Friday 14th August in Dodd’s Crescent Bar at 8pm……….Tibohine Flying Club rescheduled ‘Fly-In’ takes place this Saturday and Sunday from 11am-6pm each day. €5 entry with all proceeds to Childhood Cancer Ireland…….Killaraght Social Night in Fitzpatrick’s Pub, Grangemore on Saturday 15th at 9.30pm. Music with Roland Anderson and all welcome……..The annual Terry Fox Run in Boyle will take place this year on Sunday October 4th……….Plenty of events taking place in and around Boyle for Heritage Week (15th-23rd August). See more on homepage of Boyletoday.com………All are welcome to celebrate Lough Key Junior parkrun’s 3rd birthday on Sunday 16th………Lots of delays and disruption this week on the Dublin – Sligo rail line due to the all to common “signaling” and “technical” issues. There was also reduced capacity on some services with older commuter trains being utilised on what is classed as an intercity route…….DVD Swap in Boyle Library (old Courthouse Building) on Saturday 15th between 11am – 1pm. Have a look through old DVD stock or bring some of your own to swap. Or just come for a cuppa and a chat about films in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere……….Best wishes for a healthy and happy retirement to Canon Gerry Hanly who retires today after serving as Parish Priest of St. Joseph’s Parish for the last 28 years……….Another landmark Boyle property has come on the market with the ‘For Sale’ sign having been erected on the former ‘Logan Knott’ premises on Main Street…….Nearly two years on from an RTC that damage the structure at the pumping station on Bridge Street, it is well past time that authorities removed the unsightly red barriers from around the installation at the Bridge……….Well done to local man William Little who recently cycled the length of Ireland in 28.5 hours! William left Mizen Head at 5.30am on Monday and arrived in Malin Head at 10am Tuesday morning – some 600k later after 24 hours in the saddle (4.5 hours rest time).
And finally…..!
Mary is passing by her neighbour Mickey’s hay shed door one day when, through a gap in the door, he sees Micky doing a slow and sensual striptease in front of his old Massey Ferguson Tractor.
Buttocks clenched, he performs a slow pirouette, and gently slides off first the right strap of his overalls, followed by the left.
He then hunches his shoulders forward and in a classic striptease move, lets his overalls fall down to his hips, revealing a torn and frayed plaid shirt.
Then, grabbing both sides of his shirt, he rips it apart to reveal his stained vest underneath.
With a final flourish, he tears the vets from his body, and hurls his hat onto a pile of hay.
Having seen enough, Mary rushes in and says, “What the hell are you playing at?”
“Crikey Mary, you frightened the life our of me,” says an obviously embarrassed Mickey.
“Myself and the missus were havin a bit of trouble lately in the bedroom department, so I went to a therapist who suggested I do something sexy to a tractor.”
