Ballinahown & District News – 22/04/22
Progressive 25 Card Game
Continues each 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.
Ballinahown Development Association Lotto – Bonus Number on main Lotto draw on Saturday 16th April 2022. Winning Bonus Number: 2. Winner: Eoin Longworth.
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 written by Aine Gilligan, Gallen who attended the Convent School, Ferbane, Co. Offaly in the late 1930’s. The information was given to her by two locals, Mrs Hannah Glanagher and Mr. Michael Doorley, both residents of Gallen. The story is presented as written at the time.
Gailín
Gallen is the name of my native district. It got its name from a man whose name was Mac Gillen; he came from Scotland and was a Monk in Gallen Monastery. Of course we learned that “Gallen” means belonging to the foreigner, because the ancient monastery was founded by Canoc a Saxon Monk. Gallen is in the parish of Ferbane but was formerly in Banagher Parish and is in the Barony of Garrycastle.
There are twenty families and about 133 people in Gallen. The most common name is Kelly. There are three old pensioners in the district their names and addressed are Joseph Brazil, Gallen, Febane. Kieran and Patrick Caroll, Gallen, Ferbane.
The Grand Canal flows through Gallen. On the banks of the Canal there is a store, which was formerly the Packet Station for emigrants going to America.
Nowadays the houses are mostly slated. There are not many in ruins. The land is mostly hilly and sandy. There is a big wood, which is a mile and a half in length on the hill of Gallen. The Brosna River runs on the borders of Gallen. In the district there is no lake, but there is a stream called the “Tunnel Drain”, which runs between Gallen and Falsk, into the Brosna.
Brian Boru’s chair is near the wood of Glynn. It is supposed Brian Boru rested there, on his way to the battle of Clontarf. In former times there was a road there, it was called the Rocky Road to Dublin.
Years ago there was a monastery in Killagally. About 400 students were taught there. The Monastery was destroyed by Ireton’s soldiers, and a good many of the students and Friars were killed – some escaped to the woods, one Friar ran to give the alarm to the other Monastery in Killourney, the soldiers overtook him at Ballyshiel and cut off his head, his body walked headless for 100 yards. The soldiers saw the miracle and got afraid, they turned back and the Friars in Killourney escaped. A well sprung up where the Friar’s head fell.
There is supposed to be a tunnel leading from the White Hill Gallen to the Castle of Cool. One day a priest was seen to enter the tunnel, a man saw him, and tied a cloth on a bush where the priest entered, and went to tell the soldiers. When they came back there was a rag on every bush on the hill, and the soldiers could not find the place where he entered.
It is told there is a crock of gold hidden in a wall around the Priory. It was hidden by one of the Armstrongs.
Doon/Shannonbridge Lotto Results 18th April 2022
Jackpot: €5,400. Numbers Drawn: 6-18-23-30. No Outright Winner. 4 Match3 Winners (€50 each). Next Draw: Monday 25th April Jackpot €5,600.
Tickets available from any committee member or play online: https://play.clubforce.com/play_newa.asp?ll_id=2280#Anchor
The committee thank you for your ongoing support.
Thought for the week
“Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” – Joshua J. Marine
More APRIL gardening tips
Now is the time to reinvigorate existing garden plants by pruning and feeding to help stir new growth and encourage early flowering. Below are the top things to do this April in your outdoor space.
- Growing fresh kitchen herbs directly from your windowsill is very easy. Simply plant six or seven of your favourite culinary herb plants in a 60cm window box using multi-purpose compost, water well after planting and place the herb container in a bright sunny location on a windowsill, or directly onto your patio or balcony.
- Strawberries are easy to grow and will produce ripe red strawberries by mid-summer. Grow your strawberries in pots on your patio, in window boxes on your windowsills, in hanging baskets on your garage wall or directly into your flower borders or vegetable beds.
- Plant a tree. Flowering and foliage trees are easy to grow and can be a living symbol of a special bond, friendship or to mark a special occasion or person.
- Plant up your containers with a selection of summer flowering patio plants to add colour. This includes Trailing Petunias, White Bacopa, blue lobelias, trailing fuchsia and geraniums.
- Sweet peas produce an abundance of long stemmed scented blooms in mixed colours from June to early autumn. Planting them will provide you with scented blooms all summer long.
Birthday Greeting
Belated Happy Birthday to Gerry Rohan, Ballinahown who celebrated a big birthday last week. The word on the ground is that he is now taking up golf on a fulltime basis. Professional golfers are warned they may soon be challenged for the prizemoney at the big games.
Happy Birthday also to Alan Farrell, Clonaderig who celebrates his birthday on the 20th April. Have a good one Alan.
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 – 15/04/22
Astro Turf Project Nears Completion
Ballinahown and District News is reliably informed the largest project ever undertaken by the local community in Ballinahown, is edging towards completion. Costing just over €500,000 the Astro Turf and Target Wall located adjacent to the Sports Park and to the rear of the National School is due to have some final pieces of work completed over the next two weeks with an expected opening date of the last week in April. The contractor is due to complete the “snag list” this week. This piece of work is then followed by the painting of the Target Wall mural over the Easter holiday period by local artist Shane Turner. The organising committee are confident the mural will be the subject of much discussion and admiration by all who visit the new facility when opened. The entrance to the facility was enhanced last week with the laying of tarmacadam and the lining out of the sports park car park. We look forward to the opening of the new facility which will be a great addition to the sporting facilities already provided by local sporting clubs in the area. The new facility, it is envisaged, will serve the communities of Ballinahown, Castledaly, Clonfanlough and Doon for many years to come.
Ballinahown Development Association Lotto – Bonus Number on main Lotto draw on Saturday 16th April 2022. Winning Bonus Number: 15. Winner: Jerry O’Connor, Cooldorough.
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. The story this week is about a man that was executed on the top of Knockineagh Hill. The story is recorded by a lady named Kathleen Martin from the locality. The story is presented as recorded at the time.
Béaloideas (Folklore)
There are many towns and districts in Ireland which are simply seething in Tradition and Folklore. Athlone, however is one of the towns which is comparatively rich in Folklore. It is a very historic town and it figured much in Irish History. There is no one who has not heard of The Siege of the Bridge of Athlone and the hero’s resistance offered by the inhabitants of the Town. The districts’ surrounding it are even richer in tradition. The districts of Clonbonny and Fardrum abound in Raths and forts which are even yet supposed to be the haunts of fairies.
Less than a quarter of a mile from our house is a hill called Knockeneagh on which a man was hanged.
About seventy years ago the bailiffs seized a large number of cattle. They were driving them down the Ballinahown road when they were suddenly attacked by a crowd of local men, well-armed, who recaptured the cattle. One man named Mike Flynn was however recognised. He was arrested immediately. The Yeomen asked all the owners of surrounding fields to allow them to hang this man on a tree in their fields. But they all refused. At last a family whose house still stands there, offered them their field. The field had a tree on top of Knockineagh hill. Here they hanged Flynn, who could see in the distance his home and his mother watching his death. The tree immediately withered and it never grew a leaf since.
Birthday Greetings
Belated birthday greetings to Tommy Parker who celebrated his birthday last week and did his best to keep it a secret from us here at Ballinahown News. Best wishes also to Tanya Rohan who celebrated her birthday during the week. Hope you all had a wonderful celebration.
Easter Cermonies – Leamonaghan Parish (Ballinahown, Boher, Pullough)
Holy Thursday 14th April – Mass of the Last Supper: Pullough Church 6.00pm, Boher Church 7.00pm, Ballinahown Church 8.30pm.
Good Friday 15th April – The Passion of the Lord: Boher Church 1.30pm, Ballinahown Church 3.00pm, Pullough Church 8.00pm.
Holy Saturday 16th April – The Easter Vigil Mass
Ballinahown Church 7.00pm
Easter Sunday 17th April, Mass of the Resurrection
Pullough Church 10.00am, Boher Church 10.30am, Ballinahown Church 11.30.
Please Note there will be no weekday masses the week after Easter
Castledaly GAA Lotto Draw 10th April 2022 – Jackpot €4,200.
Numbers Drawn: 2, 11, 22, 28. No Jackpot Winner. Three Match 3 Winners. Next Draw 24th April with a Jackpot of €4,400. Tickets available from Heavin’s Hardware, Athlone or on website www.castledalygaa.ie
Thought for the week
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” –Nelson Mandela
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 0876308357.
Ballinahown & District News – 08/04/22
Ballinahown Development Association Lotto – Bonus Number on main Lotto draw on Saturday 2nd April 2022. Winning Bonus Number: 11. Winner: Mary Daly
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. The story this week tells us about a school that existed in Bloomhill prior to the old school ruins that can be seen opposite the home of Liam and Mary Hunt. The author is unknown and we can only assume the school referred to in the story existed in the 1800’s. The story is presented as recorded at the time.
Old Schools in Bloomhill
There was a school in Bloomhill before this one was built. The name of the school teachers were Mr Fleming and Mrs. Sheridan. They used teach no Irish only sums and writing. The Fleming school was situated on the old path between Bloomhill and Clonascra. Nothing now remains but the four walls.
The teacher was paid each week by the pupils who attended. He received two pence- half-penny from each house weekly. They had no books to write on. At that time they had to write on slates with long pieces of lid like the lid of a pencil and it used to write whiter. There were other children who used be taught in the fields where no one would see them. They had no blackboards or white chalk. They would not be allowed to teach in school at that time.
There was another school long ago in this village. It was situated in a field owned at present by Mr Pat Gaffey, about two hundred yards from our school house. No trace now remains. Here an old hedge school teacher named Mr Sheridan taught and he had a wife who was very cross. Almost every month they used pack up their belongings and say they were leaving and sometimes go as far as where the school now is. The children would all cry loudly after them. They would then return.
They remained until the present school was almost built. The only means of accommodation they had was a table and a few planks placed on rocks and most of the children had to sit on the floor. They lived in the house where Pat Gaffey now lives. The only means of support they had was a few shillings the children gave them.
That old Mr Sheridan was a very good poet may be seen from the following verses which he wrote on one occasion thanking a priest who visited his school and gave presents to the children:-
Rev. Sir, though not refined,
Rest assured I’m well inclined
To thank you for your visitation
To my humble habitation.
Your sacred gifts and grand donation
Have caused great joy and exultation
So much so in versification
Proclaim to you my gratification
If ever its your lot to cross the ocean
May the ship you sail on
Be free from a commotion.
Gardening tips for April
If there were poor weather conditions in March then April is the month to catch-up. The key things to look out for in the garden this month are weeds. The key to controlling weeds is to dedicate yourself to weeding “little and often” and the best way to beat a weed is to hoe it before it becomes a weed. In other words, run your hoe over your entire veggie patch once a week, regardless of whether there are any weeds or not. Hoeing will disrupt the weeds before they get a chance to become weeds. Check potatoes sown early on a regular basis and earth-up as required. Water your tunnel/greenhouse – things can get pretty warm on a nice sunny April day and seedlings will dry out quickly.
Sow Indoors: lettuce, tomato, pepper, chilli-pepper, cucumber, celery, celeriac, basil, leeks, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, parsley, courgette, marrow, globe artichoke, beans, sweet corn and pumpkin.
Sow Outdoors: broad bean, onion sets, pea, beetroot, cabbage, spinach, Brussels sprouts, parsnip, spring onion, leek, carrot, radish, broccoli, turnip. Plant out cabbage plants when they are 15/20 cm tall into well prepared soil that has been manured.
Harvest
Stored fruit and vegetables are likely to be a distant memory at this stage and new crops are only starting to trickle in which makes April a tricky proposition. The middle of this month might see the first asparagus and the first early spring cabbage. The other two star performers this month are purple sprouting broccoli and rhubarb.
Birthday Greetings
Belated birthday greetings to Eugene Boland, Loughill, Ballinahown who celebrated his 85th birthday on Friday last 1st April. Eugene was joined by family and a large circle of friends for a birthday party in Martins of Doon on Friday night, where according to reports, a great night was had by all. Happy Birthday also to Tommy Parker and Tanya Rohan who celebrated their birthdays this week. Hopefully everyone had a blast.
Doon/Shannonbridge GAA Lotto Results 4th April 2022
Jackpot: €5,000. Numbers Drawn: 12,13,21,31, No Winner. Match 3: Collette Boland
Next Draw: Monday 11th April 2022. Jackpot €5,200.
Doon & Shannonbridge GAA Clubs thank you for your continued support.
Wise Words
This week’s wise words from Alice Walker, an American writer and feminist who was born in the U.S. in 1944. She is especially known for novels, poems, and short stories that offer great insight into African American culture and often focus on women and the civil rights movement. For the novel The Color Purple (1982), she became the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The following words are attributed to her: “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”
Local News
If you have a story or news you would like to share with our readers please contact us at ballinahownnews@gmail.com or call 0876308357.