Clearing of foliage at Gaelic Chieftain to commence in September
Back in March we highlighted the situation that has developed at the Gaelic Chieftain, where scrub and hedging has started to block the view of the sculpture. We are happy to report that Councillor Leah Cull has taken up the matter and recently received an assurance from Roscommon Co Co that work will commence on tidying up and cutting back foliage at the location once the nesting season is over in September. This is great news as the Gaelic Chieftain has become an iconic feature on the N4. Many motorists from Sligo say once they pass the ‘Horseman’ as they come from Dublin that they feel they are “at home”!
Local connection to this weekend’s Bloom
If you are heading to “Bloom” in the Phoenix Park this weekend, make sure to call in to see local designer Tom Bradford’s display – The Plant Collectors Balcony’. Yesterday (Thursday) was announced as a “Silver Gilt” winner for his display, which is great news. Tom moved with his family from London to Boyle four years ago. A horticulturist and landscape architect with Ardcarne Garden Centre, he works on projects in the public and private sector. At Bloom, Tom is displaying The Plant Collector’s Garden, a balcony garden that showcases a space where people and wildlife co-exist happily within a peaceful, biodiverse ecosystem. Read more here.
An emotional weekend as Boyle business closes it’s doors
This Sunday night is sure to be an emotional one for all associated with Daly’s Off Licence and Bar on Bridge Street, as Ger and her daughters close the door for the last time under their ownership. Established in 1950 by the late Paddy Daly and his wife Monica, three generations of the Daly family have pulled pints and served customers in the landmark property for nearly eight decades. Funerals, christenings, card games, retirement and Christmas parties, 21st’s — every milestone in town life has passed through Daly’s doors at some point. The business is currently for sale and with all the exciting plans that are in the pipeline for Boyle and Lough Key Forest Park, it provides a brilliant opportunity for any purchaser to acquire a thriving town centre property together with a substantial rear warehouse and yard enjoying independent access.
So many people have so many good memories from times spent in Daly’s that it’s closure- for the time being anyway – will be felt sorely by all those who have frequented the premises and no doubt there will be many memories shared and stories told this weekend! We wish all in Daly’s health and happiness in the future and thank you for providing friendship and such a great service to the town and it’s people for the last 76 years. (Sale details are available here).
Night and Day time has finally arrived
This weekend is the big one in Boyle’s Lough Key Forest Park as another year or more of planning see’s the 2026 Night and Day Festival finally arrive. The festival is being held earlier this year as work will hopefully commence mid summer in the Park on it’s multi million euro upgrade. Full details of everything you need to know about the festival with links to stage times, shuttle buses etc can be found on the main page of Boyletoday.com. There really is a great line up of acts and events that are sure to bring a huge crowd to the Park. While all the events are obviously in the Forest Park, many festival goers will arrive into Boyle on the train and those who drive here have to get diesel and provisions so there should be a spin off for the town. The publicity the event is also giving to Boyle is immense and copper fastens the fact that the address of the festival is “Lough Key Forest Park, Boyle, Co. Roscommon”. Let’s hope the weather plays it’s part and that everyone has an enjoyable and safe time at the event.
Minister’s comments on dereliction clarified
Speaking in Dail Eireann recently, Boyle native Minister Frank Feighan detailed the amount of dereliction and vacancy that is blighting town centres nationwide, but for some strange reason, local radio in this area reported that Minister Feighan said “it’s ‘galling’ to see how a lot of properties in Boyle town centre have fallen into disrepair” . On the radio stations website, the story ran with the heading “Concern at disrepair in Boyle Town Centre”.
Minister Feighan confirmed to us that his comments related to dereliction nationwide and not specifically to Boyle. What the Minister actually said in the Dail was “I grew up over a shop in Boyle, Co. Roscommon and there was 100 people in that street. That was the same in every town and village around the country and it is galling to see that a lot of those are gone into disrepair from a planning point of view and because people did not want to live over shops, but I think the new grant for living over shops will be of major benefit in helping town and village centres to come back into play”.
Boyle artist on the awards trail
Congratulations once again to Boyle native artist Sian Costello on picking up two awards at this years RHA Annual Exhibition. https://rhagallery.ie/events/exhibitions/196th-rha-annual-exhibition-in-association-with-mccann-fitzgerald/ . Her painting “Summers Day” won the K&M Evans painting prize 2026. She is also one of five exhibiting artists to be shortlisted by the Hennessy Craig / Homan Potterton Jury, joining five artists to be selected from the 2027 exhibition. The Hennessy Craig Award, valued at €20,000 and the Homan Potterton Prize of €20,000 will be awarded in 2028. These awards are open to painters under the age of thirty-five, exhibiting through the open submission section, who have studied at a recognised art college on the island of Ireland.
Also exhibiting at the RHA Exhibition is St. Patrick Street resident Conan Cosgrove. Conan’s ‘Devil’s Bit’ is an abstract painting inspired by the shifting forms and atmospheric moods of the Sligo mountains. Conan studied painting at N.C.A.D. and fine art printmaking at the Académie des Arts in Brussels, Belgium. His practice is grounded in a refined sensitivity to colour and composition, resulting in paintings and printed works that explore the dynamic relationships between geometric form, spatial tension, and surface.
Councillor issues statement on two hour parking proposal
There was some concern during the week at comments made by Councillor Sean Moylan in relation to parking in Boyle. Cllr Moylan raised the issue recently at a meeting of the local authority and made the suggestion that perhaps two hour parking in certain areas of the town would help alleviate the problem. His comments were then misrepresented elsewhere online (not Boyletoday.com) inferring that the Councillor was looking to introduce paid parking in the town. In statement issue to Boyletoday.com, Councillor Moylan has clarified his comments:
“After many representations from businesses and residents on both Main St and Elphin St., I brought
forward a motion to our last council meeting to try and help their plight. Their problem is that many many cars are parked on both streets all day, while the owners of these same cars are gone out of Boyle in other cars, the bus or on the train, and bringing no economic benefit to the town.
Many business people are struggling to stay afloat and need the limited spaces we have.
This is having a detrimental effect on business, and leaving householders not able to park near their houses. These family owned business are the lifeblood of the town, and we also like to encourage people to live in town and if they cant get parking near their houses, this is unsustainable.
So my motion was simply to supply a few spaces on both streets that would be marked ‘2 hour parking ‘ thus giving people time to stop in town, go for lunch, go for medical appointments, go shopping etc, This has worked well before beside Bolands dentist, and works in many towns.
Roscommon as a county does not have any “paid” parking. This motion has nothing to do with paid
parking and paid parking was never mentioned.
As councillors we pride ourselves in our free parking in the county, and that is not going to change, we are trying to find a solution for small business and householders. This could be one solution but any other possible solutions would be considered, should people come up with something.
I have also contacted Irish Rail to suspend parking charges in Boyle Train Station , which would also
help”.
Boyle’d Pot comment: Perhaps if more business owners and their employees parked in the free town car parks during work hours, then there would be a lot more space on the streets for shoppers etc and there would be no need for two hour parking. In addition, if parking tickets were issued for indiscriminate parking and parking illegally on footpaths and double yellow lines, then certain motorists might also decide to park more responsibly and use the car parks.
News snippets from around Boyle
Long delays last Sunday on train services on the Dublin Sligo line following a ‘failed train’ between Clonsilla and Leixlip. Some services were over an hour and a half late into Boyle. Same again Tuesday night and again on Wednesday afternoon when the train broke down at Edgeworthstown and finally made it to Dublin, albeit it at reduced speed, nearly an hour late………What is it with certain media outlets who create a news story on when a warm spell of weather will finish – just after it’s started! Enjoy the present moment!!……..‘Boots and Boogie’ is what lies ahead in Kingsland this weekend and for the following number of weekend’s when the Saddlers Inn reopens for 5 weekends and 9 nights of dancing and entertainment commencing tonight with Eamon McCann and his Band. Full details on Sean Saddlers Flanagan Facebook page……..There was annoyance among some hire boat owners last weekend at the Marina in Lough Key Forest Park been “chocked full of private boats” with the suggestion being made on a boat owners forum that perhaps the private boats were moored by their owners a week in advance of the Night and Day Festival………Due to major roadworks which has affected Local Link 571 service, Arigna, Mount Allen, and Keadue will only be served from today Friday May 29th. Cleen and Knockvicar will not be served. Normal service will resume from Saturday 30th May………Walkers out enjoying the summer sun in Forest Park on Monday evening last got a shock when they were overtaken by a car driving on the path way between the Fairy Bridge and Drummans Island. It was reported tha the car subsequently went off the road on Drummans Island……….Roscommon Library Services has advised that the required works at the new temporary Library at Boyle Courthouse are now complete and preparations are underway to transfer books, furniture and equipment from King House to the Courthouse. To assist with the transfer of these items and with the fit out of the space, mobile library services in Boyle are suspended. An opening date for the temporary library will be made available soon………..Registration is now open for Boyle Celtic’s Summer Camps. The Camps take place from Wednesday, July 15th- Friday, July 17th and Wednesday August 5th- Friday, August 7th. You can register here. In addition, Sligo Rovers’ Regional Summer Camp is coming to Boyle Celtic F.C. from Monday, August 10th to Friday, August 14th. Registration is open on the Boyle Celtic Clubforce App……..The need for additional evening food venues in Boyle, especially Thursday – Sunday night is becoming more evident week by week as the tourist season picks up.
And finally……..!
Old Man: “Doc, we’d like you to watch us… you know… and let us know if we’re doing it right.”
The doctor was puzzled but agreed.
When they finished, the doctor was impressed.
“Everything looks perfectly fine—in fact, very impressive for people your age!”
He charged them a €50 consultation fee.
This went on for months. The couple would routinely book an appointment, do their thing, pay the doctor, and leave.
Finally, unable to hold back his curiosity, the doctor asked, “Exactly what kind of sexual dysfunction are you two concerned about that you want me to advise on?”
The old man smiled widely and replied: “Oh, we don’t have any issues, Doc.
She’s married, so we can’t go to her house.
I’m married, so we can’t go to mine.
A three-star hotel costs €120, a five-star is €320…….but here it’s only €50, and I get €25 back from VHI!”
