Ballinahown & District News – 27/05/2022
Ballinahown Community Development Association – Lotto Results – 21thMay 2022. Bonus Number Drawn: 1. Winner: Eugene Boland Snr, Loughill.
Parents & Toddler Group
The parent and Toddler Group Meet every Friday morning in Ballinahown Community Centre from 10.30 to 12noon during school term. It is a fun way for parents, minders and grandparents to meet and have a cuppa while the babies and toddlers play and socialise. There is a modest €3 charge per family that goes towards costs. All welcome.
Families from Esker, Ballinahown pictured with the Sam Maguire Cup following Offaly’s first All-Ireland Football title in 1971 (Photo courtesy Philip Keegan PRO Doon GAA)
Stories from the Schools Collection
We continue with our series of stories from the “School’s Collection” an initiative undertaken in the early part of the last century (late 1930’s) by the Irish Folklore Commission with the co-operation of the Department of Education and the Irish National Teachers Organisation. Our story this week tells the story of Clonmacnoise – author unknown.
Clonmacnoise
Located beside the River Shannon in the centre of Ireland stands the ruined sixth-century monastery of Clonmacnoise. Founded by Saint Ciarán, the monastery survived for over a thousand years during which time Clonmacnoise was famed as one of Ireland’s great seats of learning, until it was eventually brought to ruin and looted under the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1552. The name Clonmacnoise, along with some ruins at the site, appear to predate the monastery’s religious associations; with Cluin Mac Nós translating from Irish to English as ‘Meadow of the Sons of Nós.’ Legend has it that the lands were given to Saint Ciarán by Diarmait Mac Cerbaill – who is traditionally held to be the last pagan High King of Ireland. Whether the legend is true or false it is well documented that the Kings of Connaught continued to patronise the monastery of Clonmacnoise until the thirteenth century. In spite the destruction of Clonmacnoise the picturesque ruins of the monastery with its round tower, seven churches, and stone crosses, have continued to attract large crowds of pilgrims on many days throughout the year but, most particularly on the Feast Day of Saint Ciarán which falls on the ninth of September each year. In 1816 the Reverend Patrick Fitzgerald, who was then Vicar of the Parish Clonmacnoise, stated that on Saint Ciarán’s Day from ‘3000 to 4000 people assemble there to do penance from different parts of Ireland,’ remarking that some had travelled from as far away as Donegal.
In his book The Holy Wells of Ireland Patrick Logan remarked that by 1980 the traditional longer station at Clonmacnoise had declined in recent decades and had been replaced by a significantly shorter station. The longer station was made up of three circuits, with each circuit it was usual for a person to do the station barefoot less than a century ago. The station began at Saint Ciarán’s Well, continuing through to the cloister, on to the stone crosses, and further on to the Nun’s church. At each place prayers were offered and decades of the rosary were recited. Logan estimated that to complete the ‘long station’ would take a person over four hours.
Although devotion was the primary objective of those who visited Clonmacnoise many devotees hoped to find cures for a wide variety of long lingering ailments. In 1813, while visiting Clonmacnoise, the Reverend James Hall noticed that pilgrims in their “thousands believe that the waters of the well, at the ruins, gives the blind their sight, and makes the lame walk” While a cure for toothache could be got by visiting a tree at the religious site according to a relative of Nora Killeen, who provided the traditional belief in the Schools’ Collection in the late nineteen-thirties. If a pilgrim suffered from epilepsy they could find a cure by sitting on a stone on which, legend had it, Saint Ciarán had sat. Finally, according to Lady Jane Wilde, a woman can clasp her arms around Saint Ciarán’s Cross she “would never die in childbirth”.
As the burial site of its founder Saint Ciarán, one of the most revered of the Irish saints, it is to be expected that the graveyard of Clonmacnoise remained a popular burial site in the centuries that followed the saint’s death. However, the thirteenth century ancient Registry of Clonmacnoise, which contains transcriptions from the Life of Saint Ciarán, noted another reason for the preference of being buried at Clonmacnoise. The entry explains that Saint Ciarán was granted a favour from God that no soul buried at Clonmacnoise should be deprived of salvation. While visiting Clonmacnoise in 1813 Reverend James Hall noted that this the above guarantee of salvation was still widely to be true, and that ‘those buried near the ruins have half their sins forgiven, and that the soul only remains half the time in purgatory it otherwise would.’ Those buried at Clonmacnoise did not even need to fear purgatory according to an account collected for the Schools’ Collection by a young school girl named Bridget Feehily, who noted that it is ‘believed that all persons who were interred in the Holy Grounds belonging to it ensured to themselves a sure and immediate ascent to Heaven.
Birthday Greetings
Betty (Byrne) Higgins, Ballinahown celebrated a roundy birthday last week. I’m sure you’ll all join with us in wishing Betty a Belated Happy Birthday. Hope Brendan spoiled you Betty.
Doon/Shannonbridge Lotto Results 23rd May 2022
Jackpot: €6,400. Numbers Drawn: 11,13,22,30. No Winner
Match’s 3’s: None. As there was no Match 3’s €200 will be added to Next Week’s Lotto.
Next week’ Jackpot €6,800
Rashina National School Fundraiser
Rashina N.S. are organising a 5k Fun Run/Walk Fundraising Event on Sunday 29th May. Registration at the school at 1.00pm with the event starting at 2.00pm. Entry Fee: Adults €10, Students €5, Under 13’s free. Prizes for first Male/Female/Juvenile Please come along and support this worthy Fundraising Event. Refreshments served.
Obituaries
The death has occurred unexpectedly on Saturday 21st May of Eamonn Quinn, The Two Mile, Coosan, Athlone, Westmeath/Doon, Ballinahown and formerly of Bonavalley, Athlone, Co. Westmeath.
| Predeceased by his beloved brother Peter and sisters Francis and Nuala. Sadly missed by his loving wife Pauline (nee McCann), son Adrian, daughters Colette, Edel, Audrey and Nicola, sisters Josie (Egan) and Carmel (Rogers)(UK), grandchildren Kasey, Amy, Daíre, Finnán, Amber, Calum, Anna and Luke, great grandson Keon, sons-in-law, daughter-in-law, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives and many friends.
Eamon reposed at Flynn’s Funeral Home, The Strand on Monday evening 23rd May from 5pm until 7pm with Requim Mass on Tuesday in St. Mary’s Church at 10-30am followed by interment in Coosan Cemetery. |
First Communion
Congratulations to all the boys and girls who made their First Communion in St. Colmcille’s Church, Ballinahown on Saturday 21st May.
Quote for the week
“Life is never easy. There is work to be done and obligations to be met – obligations to truth, to justice, and to liberty.” John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States of America.
Share your News
If you live in the general area of Ballinahown, Castledaly, Clonfanlough, Doon and have any old photographs or news e.g. events, birthdays, weddings etc. you would like to have featured in the Ballinahown & District News please email us at ballinahownnews@gmail.com by 10.00pm on Sunday evening. Please include your name and telephone number so we may contact you for verification purposes.
If you haven’t access to a computer you can contact Denis on 087 6308357.
Ballinahown & District News – 20/05/22
Ballinahown Community Development Association – Lotto Results – 21thMay 2022. Bonus Number Drawn: 32. Winner: Aoibhe Kelly.
National Spring Clean Day – The Ballinahown Community Development Committee wish to thank everyone who turned up on Saturday 14th May to help with the village clean up. Great to see so many new faces taking an interest in their locality. Well done to all.
Stories from the Schools Collection
We continue with our series of stories from the “School’s Collection” an initiative undertaken in the early part of the last century (late 1930’s) by the Irish Folklore Commission with the co-operation of the Department of Education and the Irish National Teachers Organisation. Our story this week comes from Clonmacnois National School and tells the story of a girl taken by the Fairies. The author is understood to have been Mr P. Ó Maolmhuaidh N.T. and the story was told to him by Kieran Coughlan, Ballyhearth who was aged 75 at the time.
Taken by the Fairies
There were people once named Horan living on the bog-road as you go to Ferbane in Clonfanlough. One of them a girl had a very strange looking face and people used to say that she was in the fairies. Anyhow she could tell things that were going to happen and she could tell how to cure animals and where to find things that were lost.
One time a man named Kelly built a new stable for his cows, but every animal he put into it got sick and some of them died. One day the girl of the Horans came in to Kelly’s. After a while she said “Why did you build that stable there? It is right on our pass, and that is why all your cattle are sick and dying. Break out a window in the back of the stable and that will do.” Kelly broke a window out in the back of the stable, and from that day to this a cow was never sick in that stable again. A priest living in Clonfanlough called in one day to Horans and told the girl she should give up telling things to the people and stop giving out her strange cures. So she gave up all these things but lots of people will tell you that she had strange ways about her until she died.
Birthday Greetings
Betty (Byrne) Higgins, Ballinahown celebrates a roundy birthday this week. I’m sure you’ll all join with us in wishing Betty a Big Happy Birthday. Hope Brendan spoils you.
Happy Birthday to twins Seamus and Ollie Egan (Rohanstown & Doon) who celebrated their birthday last week. They kept it that quiet we nearly missed mentioning their big day.
The Clonfinlough Stone
The carved stone at Clonfinlough is located on the southern slope of the western end of Esker Hill, about 4 km (2½ miles) east of Clonmacnoise, south of Mongan Bog and on the east bank of the River Shannon.
The carvings on the stone are believed to date back to the Bronze Age (2500–500 BC settlement excavated nearby consisted of a large palisaded enclosure containing circular houses. However, recent studies have noted the similarity between the carvings and some found in Galicia, Spain. Clonmacnoise was connected into the medieval pilgrimage Camino de Santiago. This stone may have therefore been a stopping point for traveling pilgrims, and so suggests that the carvings, or some of them, could be by Christian pilgrims in the 13th–14th century. The stone is a glacial erratic of Carboniferous Limestone and lies flat on the ground, measures 3 metres (9.8 ft) by 2.45 metres (8.0 ft) by 0.75 metres (2.5 ft) and weighs about 14 tonnes. Marks incised in it include crosses, cup-marks, the “split-year sign” (a circle divided in two), the letters DOD, and three impressions of feet.
Obituaries
The death has occurred of Kathleen Kenny (née Daly), St. Cynoc’s Tce., Ferbane and previously Clonfanlough, Ballinahown, Co. Offaly.
Kathleen died on May 8th 2022, peacefully after a short illness, surrounded by her loving family at U.C.H.G. She was predeceased by her parents Oliver and Kate Daly and sister Marcella.
Kathleen will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by her loving husband Kieran and family, Rosario, Ciara, Ciarán, Shane and Ronan, grandchildren Michaela and Abbie, sisters Moira, Angela, Olive and Christina, brothers Joe, James, Oliver and John, son-in-law Ronan,
daughter-in-law Kelly, Rosario’s partner Declan, Ronan’s partner Gunita, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts Angela and Tess, uncles Mick and Joe, nephews, nieces, extended family and friends.
Kathleen reposed at her daughter Ciara’s home in Bloomhill, Ballinahown on Tuesday (May 10th) with removal on Wednesday morning (May 11th) to the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Ferbane for Requiem Mass at 11am. Interment took place afterwards in High Street Cemetery. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.
Doon/Shannonbridge Lotto Results 16th May 2022
Jackpot: €6,200. No Outright Winner. Numbers Drawn: 10, 21, 24, 25. Two Match 3 Winners Marion McManus, Anthony McLoughlin. Next Draw 23rd May with Jackpot €6,400.
Rashina National School Fundraiser
Rashina N.S. are organising a 5k Fun Run/Walk Fundraising Event on Sunday 29th May. Registration at the school at 1.00pm with the event starting at 2.00pm. Entry Fee: Adults €10, Students €5, Under 13’s free. Prizes for first Male/Female/Juvenile Please come along and support this worthy Fundraising Event. Refreshments served.
Thought for the week
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” — Dolly Parton, American country singer.
Share your News
If you live in the general area of Ballinahown, Castledaly, Clonfanlough, Doon and have any old photographs or news e.g. events, birthdays, weddings etc. you would like to have featured in the Ballinahown & District News please email us at ballinahownnews@gmail.com by 10.00pm on Sunday evening. Please include your name and telephone number so we may contact you for verification purposes.
If you haven’t access to a computer you can contact Denis on 0876308357.
Ballinahown & District News – 13/05/22
Astro Turf Project Completion
Ballinahown and District News is delighted to report the new Astro Turf and Target Wall, was handed over to St. Colmcilles Sports Park Committee by the contractor Premier Pitches on Friday last 6th May. Planning for the project commenced in 2019 with construction starting in September 2021. Costing a total of €520,000 the project is located adjacent to the Sports Park and to the rear of the National School. The new facility will be a welcome addition to the sporting facilities already provided by local clubs. The all-weather surface on the facility will allow individuals and sports clubs of all disciplines to continue their training over the winter months when grass pitches may be impacted by poor weather conditions.
A particular attraction in the facility that is already receiving rave reviews is the mural painted on the Target Wall by local artist Shane Turner. The mural depicts drawings of sportsmen and women from different sporting disciplines in action and also includes the colours used by local clubs. The wall carries St Colmcille’s Sports Park Motto – “Ni Neart go Cur le Cheile” which translates to “Strength in Numbers”. The entrance to the facility was enhanced in recent weeks with the laying of tarmacadam and the lining out of the car park opposite the dressing rooms.
A spokesperson for the organising committee which oversaw the planning, fundraising and construction of the facility said “We want to thank the generosity of local people and the business community which enabled this state of the art facility to be constructed. It will serve future generations well and hopefully contribute in no small way to the viability of our local sporting clubs”.
The official opening of the new facility will take during the summer.
Ballinahown Community Development Association
New Website – A new website has been launched by Ballinahown Community Development Association and can be accessed on the World Wide Web at http://ballinahownvillage.com All information relating to the village can be viewed on the website including local news which will be posted every Friday. Please share the website address with friends and family and those living abroad to help them keep in touch with what is happening in Ballinahown.
Lotto Results – 7th May 2022. Bonus Number Drawn: 45. Winner: Tony Farrell, Clonaderig,
National Spring Clean Day – The committee wish to thank everyone who turned up on Saturday 7th May to help with the village clean up. Great to see so many new faces taking an interest in their locality. Well done to all.
Tidy Towns Prizemoney Ballinahown Community Development were presented with a cheque for €5,000 last week having won the overall Tidy Towns Prize for Westmeath. Well done to the committee who continue to enhance the beauty of the village.
National Bike Week May 14th – 22nd Ballinahown Development Committee will host bike expert Gerry Quigley on Saturday 14th May in the Community Hall from 3.00pm – 4.00pm. Gerry will talk all things bicycle and will hopefully impart a few tips on DIY minor repairs. Bring your bike along if you’re are struggling to fix a problem with your bike and hopefully he will be able to help you out.
Stories from the Schools Collection
We continue with our series of stories from the “School’s Collection” an initiative undertaken in the early part of the last century (late 1930’s) by the Irish Folklore Commission with the co-operation of the Department of Education and the Irish National Teachers Organisation. Our story this week is about O’Rourke’s Tower in Clonmacnoise as recorded in the late 1930’s by Mr. Molloy, who was a teacher in Clonmacnoise National School.
O’ Rourke’s tower is supposed to have been built by the Goban Saor. It is about 80 foot in height, but was much higher. The top was knocked off by a lightning strike in 1135. There are eight windows on this tower round the top. This tower was used as a watch tower, and a man was always up there looking out on every side for the enemy. When an enemy was coming he could then see them when they were far off and so the monks and all their treasures would be safe there. The door going into O Rourke’s tower is high up from the ground so that when the ladder was pulled up the door could be shut and then the enemy could not kill the monks.
There is a dinge near the top of this tower said to be put there by Cromwell when he was in this part of the country. He had his big guns in the hills nearby. It is said he was aiming for Athlone but he struck the tower instead which was a few yards away. O Rourke’s tower is called after Teirnan O Rourke of Breffeny who came to Clonmacnois to do penance.
Obituaries
| Joseph (Joe) Kennedy, Elm Park, Syngefield, Birr, formerly of Bloomhill, Ballinahown, passed away, peacefully at his residence, on Sunday, 1st May. Predeceased by his wife Sally. Deeply regretted by his son Michael, daughter Claire, daughter-in-law Sylvia, son-in-law Declan, grandchildren Joseph, Alex, Ross, Declan, Darragh, and Bobby, also his niece and nephews.
Joe’s remains reposed in Loughnane’s Funeral Home, Birr on Wednesday 4th May, with removal to St. Brendan’s Church, Birr at 6.30pm. His Funeral Mass took place on Thursday at 11.00am followed by interment in Clonoghill Cemetery. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam. |
Castledaly GAA Lotto Result – 8th May 2022
Jackpot €4,600. Numbers Drawn: 07, 09, 11, 13. No Jackpot Winner. Seven Match 3’s: Joe Nugent, Michael Foxe, Pat Gavin, Vinnie Cox, Sean McCormack. Promoters Prize: Paula Finan. Next Draw 22nd May with Jackpot of €4,800
Thought for the week
“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.” — Oprah Winfrey, Born 29th January, 1954 is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist.
Doon/Shannonbridge GAA Lotto 9th May 2022
Jackpot €6,000. Numbers Drawn: 03, 10, 11, 23. No jackpot Winner. Match 3 Winners: Kieran Higgins, Mary Maguire, Rose O’Meara, Fiona Gannon, Mark Devery. Next Draw: Monday 16th May with a Jackpot of €6,200.
Retirement
Congratulations to Margaret Farrell (nee Daly) from Cartrons who retires on 16th May having served 43 years as a Public Servant. Margaret who hails from Ballinahown commenced employment in 1979 with the Department of Agriculture, then went to the Department of Social Welfare and lastly the Legal Aid Board. We wish Margaret every good wish and many years of happiness in her retirement.
Belmont Anglers Club
Our good friends at Belmont Angling Club have asked to mention they are organising an Open Match fishing competition on Sunday 15th May on the Grand Canal, Shannon Harbour. Registration and Draw at 12.30pm. Entry fee €10 per person with fishing from 2.00 – 6.00pm. For more information see Belmont Anglers on Facebook or contact Noel on 087 9383553.
Share your News
If you have a story or news or indeed some old photographs you would like to share with our readers please contact us at ballinahownnews@gmail.com or call Denis on 0876308357.
Ballinahown & District News – 06/05/22
Ballinahown Community Development Association
Lotto Results – 30th April 2022. Bonus Number Drawn: 12. Winner: Sinead Middleton, Loughill
National Spring Clean Day – Unfortunately due to bad weather the Spring Clean Day scheduled to take place on Saturday 30th April has had to be moved to next Saturday 7th May. Starting time remains the same i.e. 10.00am. All volunteers who had already committed to helping out with the clean-up are asked to please attend this Saturday 7th May. Refreshments will be served on the day. Looking forward to seeing you all this Saturday.
Stories from the Schools Collection
We continue with our series of stories from the “School’s Collection” an initiative undertaken in the early part of the last century (late 1930’s) by the Irish Folklore Commission with the co-operation of the Department of Education and the Irish National Teachers Organisation. Our story this week is about St. Finian’s Tower in Clonmacnoise as recorded in the late 1930’s by Kathleen Pillion having been told the story by Mr. Molloy, Clonmacnoise.
St. Finian’s Tower
St Finian’s tower is sometimes called McCarthy’s tower. There is a church joined on to this tower called Finian’s church. Some say that the tower was built first and that the church was added on afterwards, but others say that the church was built first. The church and tower are called after Feenian Mc Carthy and they were built in the 12th century. The church was used as a mortary chapel. This tower is not so high as O Rourkes tower and the roof which goes up into a point is still on it. There used to be a stairs and rooms inside but they are all gone now.
Gardening Tips for May – Vegetables to sow this month.
Continue to sow under glass the more tender vegetables such as French beans, tomatoes, sweet corn, squashes, Cucumber and courgettes. These will need to be grown on under glass until frost-free conditions are available in the veg plot, which means late May/early June, depending on where you are in the country and the garden aspect. Delay planting out any of these veg until frost has passed.
If the weather conditions are right and the soil warmed up, you can sow outside the hardier veg such as carrots, broad beans, kale and purple sprouting broccoli. Carrots need protection against carrot fly and this needs to be a physical barrier such as euro mesh. Carrot fly can severely damage the crop, and although it is a nuisance to erect mesh around the carrots, it is the only safe way. Specialist varieties of Carrots such as Flyaway are less vulnerable to damage, but not guaranteed. Any tomato plants which are filling their pots and looking at bit top heavy will need to be potted on before being planted in final position/container. Even at this early stage tomatoes will be producing side shoots and it is important to remove these regularly.
MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service)
MABS is the money advice and budgeting service provided by the state, for more than 25 years, that guides people with problem debt. Money advisers are available by phone, email and live chat across the whole MABS network. MABS is a free, confidential and independent service. You can contact MABS by calling 076 107 2400.
Progressive 25 Card Game
Continues every Thursday night commencing at 9.00pm sharp in Ballinahown Community Centre. If you fancy your chances winning the jackpot then get yourself down to this very popular card venue.
Thought for the week
The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary – Vidal Sassoon (17 January 1928 – 9 May 2012). Sassoon was a British hairstylist, businessman, and philanthropist.
Doon/Shannonbridge GAA Lotto Results 2nd May 2022
Lotto Jackpot €5,800. Numbers Drawn: 1, 9, 13, 19. No Winner.
One Match 3 Winner: J.J. Colgan.
Next Draw 9th May with a Jackpot of €6,000. The committee thank you for your continuing support.
Share your News
If you have a story or news or indeed some old photographs you would like to share with our readers please contact us at ballinahownnews@gmail.com or call Denis on 0876308357.