It was a good news/bad news day in the fight against crime in Sligo yesterday, Wednesday, with the announcement of a new garda station for Sligo town on a morning when details emerged of the latest serious incidence of rural crime in the county.
While Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald was revealing details of a national €60 million Garda building programme, which will include a new garda regional-divisional headquarters in Sligo town, the owner of a pub and shop in Dromore West was revealing how a gang of at least four men broke into his premises in the early hours of the morning.
For more on this story, pick up a copy of this week’s Sligo Weekender newspaper. In shops now!
Sligo Garda Ray Wims just returned from the Greek island of Kos, where he and a colleague from Cork, Damien McCarthy went to help Syrian refugees. Here he writes on his experience.
HOPE: Joy for a couple of young refugees on Kos as Sligo garda Ray Wims produces some toys he brought from home.
Myself and Damien McCarthy (a garda from Cork based in Dublin) decided to travel out to Kos to help refugees as we were moved by the pictures of Aylan Kurdi, the two years-old Syrian boy, whose body was washed up on a beach after a failed attempt to reach Kos.
It was only when we arrived that we discovered that deaths like this young boy’s can be a daily occurrence. We were only in Kos six hours when volunteers discovered the body of a 7 month-old baby washed up on the beach in Kos. To date this baby has not been identified.
Every night, the people who survive the dangerous boat to Kos are humanity stripped: stripped of their homes, their jobs, their cars, their families, their educations and their hopes and dreams.
Many of the refugees told us how they paid €2,500 per person (apart from babies who go free) to smugglers to make the short journey across the Aegean Sea in dangerous dinghies under nightfall (6 to 12 miles depending on the crossing) from Asia to the EU via Kos.
Each night that Damien McCarthy and I were in Kos, we, along with a small number of volunteers from Sweden and the Netherlands, were spotting boats, pulling refugees and their children and babies out of the water, feeding, clothing and sheltering the refugees and their families.
Our “day” generally started at 1am. Up to 15 dinghies land here every night, containing between 10 to 60 people each, men, women and children, some as young as one week old.
The majority of them land in and around the beaches surrounding Kos, where a very small number of volunteers try to ensure that each boat lands safely and people arriving are met with emergency blankets, water, fruit and a change of clothes if required.
A group of six volunteers from Sweden work day and night providing clothes, food and water, medical attention, if necessary, and basic accommodation is organised for families with children. The male refugees are provided with a sleeping blanket and tent, if available, to sleep at the port or in a park at the rear of the police station which has become known as the jungle.
For the full feature by Garda Wims, pick up a copy of this week’s Sligo Weekender newspaper. In shops now.
He may have been kicked off our TV screens when he exited Strictly Come Dancing on Sunday night, but Daniel O’Donnell will be back on our telly on Monday next with a new show.
ROAD TRIP: Daniel O’Donnell and his wife Majella heading off on their road trip for the new TV series.
The much anticipated “Daniel and Majella’s B&B Road Trip” will kick-off exclusively on UTV Ireland on Monday at 8pm.
The first episode of the series sees Daniel and his wife Majella arrive at the Moy River B&B in Cloonacool, County Sligo, owned by Pat McCarrick and his wife Rita – a nurse who works with people with intellectual disabilities.
The Moy River B&B is in its infancy and as well as having a hectic schedule looking after the house, Pat and Rita specialise in making home-made bread, jam, biscuits and granola.
In the evening, Pat and Rita often host seisiúns in their 19th century restored cottage. Pat sings and plays harmonica. Both he and Rita are part of the local Strawboy group, so Daniel and Majella feel right at home during their stay.
As well as enjoying a sing-song, the group also bake soda bread over the open fire in the cottage.
The six-part travel series will show Daniel and Majella embark on a journey across Ireland, staying in B&Bs and delving into activities organised by the B&B owners.
Sligo Live and the Hawk’s Well Theatre are co-producers on an innovative new show ‘When Peace Comes Dropping Slow’ which will be performed tomorrow, Friday, October 23 at 8pm.
HISTORIC: ‘Reconciliation Suite’ is performed for Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall in The Model in May of this year by local musicians who will give another composition from Michael Rooney, ‘When Peace Comes Dropping Slow’ as part of Sligo Live.
This unique event encompasses a piece specially composed for W.B. Yeats 150th Centenary and a performance of ‘Reconciliation Suite’ written for Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. Tickets for this special event at the Hawk’s Well are priced at €18 (€9 for U18s) and are on sale now.
Sligo is the spiritual home of poet, W.B. Yeats, and in conjunction with Yeats 2015, the National and International celebration of the 150th anniversary of Yeats’ birth, Sligo Live 2015 has a Yeatsian theme running through the programme.
The centrepiece of this is a concert ‘When Peace Comes Dropping Slow’. Sligo Live has commissioned a new piece of music from renowned composer, Michael Rooney, reflecting on W.B. Yeats’ work and particularly its relevance to 1916.
It will be premiered by a spirited group of 20 of the region’s top young classical and traditional musicians, led by Sligo Academy of Music director, Niamh Crowley and fellow Sligo resident, Rooney.
The Principals and the orchestra will also give the first public live performance of the three delightfully poignant pieces “Reconciliation Suite” which Michael wrote and played for Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall during their historic visit to Sligo in support of the peace process.
This unique event will also feature the orchestra performing some of Michael’s compositions from Battle of the Books and The De Cuellar Suite and to begin the evening Michael and his partner in Draiocht, wife June McCormack, will treat the audience to the exquisite intermingling of harp and flute which first brought them to worldwide attention.
Tickets are available from www.sligolive.ie and www.Ticketmaster.ie, all Ticketmaster outlets and Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo (071-9161518).
Mullaghmore is to feature on a new series on UTV Ireland called Lesser Spotted Journeys.
ISLAND RUINS: UTV Ireland’s Lesser Spotted Journeys presenter Joe Mahon (right) with Mullaghmore historian Joe McGowan exploring the ruins of the 6th century monastery of St. Molaise on Innismurray island.
Described as a travel and “chat show of the hedgerows”, UTV says that it will visit “some of Ireland’s lesser known sites and destinations”, and will give an in-depth insight into each area visited, including interviews with local historians, craftspeople and more.
The Mullaghmore programme will air next Tuesday, October 27, at 8pm.
During the visit, presenter Joe Mahon “discovers the magic and mystery that this region holds, learning that fairies once held sway in this part of Ireland”. Local historian Joe McGowan shares some of Mullaghmore’s age-old stories and customs about fairies which have been passed down from generation to generation.
Joe Mahon also spends some time at the harbour with local historian, John McKeon, who sheds light on the harbour’s connection to Treasure Island, and how it almost became a commercial trading port in the 19th century.
The team then venture to Inishmurray Island to explore the ruins of the 6th century monastery of St Molaise. While on the island they take a whistle-stop tour of the many fascinating carved stones the island has to offer, and local artist Martin Byrne reveals an array of artistic rubbings he has taken of the intricately-carved stones.
Joe Mahon also makes his first attempt at paddle boarding, receiving a stand-up paddle boarding lesson from the Irish champion Emmet O’Doherty.
The October bank holiday weekend at 5th on Teeling will witness a host of local, national and international acts take to the stage.
BRASS: Renegade Brass Band perform on Sunday night.
The music mix will be varied with fans of soul, funk, reggae rock n’ roll and pop will have their appetites satisfied and the ever popular Silent Disco makes a return for two nights.
Friday night, Oct 23, fans of The Commitments movie are in for a treat as The Rabbittes make their Sligo debut. The Rabbittes are a soul band fronted by Robert Arkins from the Commitments movie. You may remember Robert as Jimmy Rabbitte who played the lead role in the movie.
On the Commitments soundtracks, Robert sang the well known songs “Treat Her Right”, “Slip Away”, “Bring It On Home” and “I Thank You”.
Robert and fellow cast members won best soundtrack at the Brit awards in 1992 and were nominated at the Grammys the same year. Robert had the pleasure of performing and receiving the honours.
Drawing from Commitments soundtracks, The Rabbittes bring their very own sound to the movie’s hit songs “Mustang Sally”, “Try a Little Tenderness” and “Dark End of the Street”, to name but a few.
The Academic make their Sligo debut on Saturday Oct 24 in Room 2. The guys who brought you the hit of the summer, “Different” are noted for their live performances so it will be a night to remember. Their current single, “Northern Boy” is causing quite a stir in Ireland and the UK.
Gaining support slots with The Pixies, Noel Gallagher and Kodaline shows how highly this band are regarded in the music world. Forming in their early teens, and still in their teens, the future looks bright for this indie outfit from Mullingar.
On the same night, Room 1 hosts popular party/covers act Upbeat Generation. A 5 piece soul/funk/disco band who draw influences from The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder and Jamiroquai.
Finishing off the weekend on Sunday is The Renegade Brass Band who combine eight horns with two percussionists, scratch DJ and MC. Renegade Brass Band mix jazz, funk and hip-hop with a raw brass sound and high-energy live show.
RBB have already established a big live reputation as a headline act, and have played packed-out shows at venues around the UK and Europe.
In the last year, they have supported acts including Grandmaster Flash, Public Enemy, Xavier Rudd, The Apples, Quantic, Craig Charles, Rodney P & Skitz, Ms. Dynamite and more.
The band released their debut album, ‘RBB: Rhymes, Beats & Brass’ in August 2014, which sees them further develop their hard-edged brass sound – combining raw brass funk with the vocals of V3xation and scratch DJ Zxodiac – as well as a series of remixes later in the year.
Sunday night in Room 1 promises to be a ‘reggaelution’ with The Radix.
The Radix are an explosive, energetic reggae-rock trio fronted by dreadlocked guitar virtuoso Rion Zion whose unique sound is a cross-fertilization of Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley.
The band was formed in 2014 when Rion joined forces with drummer Keith Horan and bassist Joe Choi, with the mission of bringing up-beat skanking rock to the Irish live music scene. Since then the band have steadily built up a following in their home county of Clare and are continuing to spread their unique reggae-rock fusion sound all over Ireland.
On Saturday and Sunday, Room 3 will host a Silent Disco each night. For those who have not experienced one before, check youtube. It’s you, your friends, a set of headphones, two DJs and a whole lot of fun, dancing and sing-along.
It will be free in to the front bar each night before 11pm. €10 to Room 2 on Saturday and Sunday for the Academic and Renegade Brass Band and just €5 each night after 11pm until 1am. See www.5thonteeling.com for details or 5th on Teeling on Facebook/Twitter.
The Hawk’s Well Theatre will welcome Sligo actor Bob Kelly as Theatre Artist in Residence from November 2015.
WORKSHOP: Sligo actor Bob Kelly will lead the acting workshops at the Hawk’s Well next month.
Bob will be working on a number of exciting theatre projects during the year. As part of his residency he will also be delivering a number of acting courses at the theatre.
His acting courses throughout 2014/2015 were a great success with great feedback received from all participants. Bob will be delivering another six week ‘Acting for Adults’ course from Monday, November 2 through to December 7.
This six-week course offers a place to explore, create and be challenged – all while having fun. Suitable for adults of all ages and for people with little or no acting experience. Early booking is advised. The course costs €75 and can be booked at the Hawk’s Well box office on 071 9161518 or www.hawkswell.com.
As part of the theatre’s ‘Theatre Craft’ programme, Bob will also host an afternoon workshop called ‘Going Solo’ on Saturday, November 7 from 2 to 5pm at the theatre.
This workshop is in connection with the upcoming visit of Brian Burrough’s one-man show Beowulf: The Blockbuster at the Hawk’s Well on Thursday, November 26 at 8pm.
Bob will lead a fun and inventive one-day theatre workshop exploring solo performance that goes beyond traditional storytelling.
Drawing on Lecoq’s Langue des Gestes technique, the afternoon will be playful, challenging, intriguing – and great craic. No experience necessary – no stories necessary, just book your place at the Hawk’s Well Box Office on 071 916 1518. The afternoon workshop costs €10.
Originally a member of Sligo Youth Theatre, Bob Kelly went on to study theatre at the prestigious Ecole de Jacques Lecoq in Paris, graduating in 2010.
Since then he has performed in the Louvre, The Abbey, and at the Royal Ballet School; he is a regular collaborator with Blue Raincoat Theatre Company, and in 2012 was nominated for an Irish Times Theatre Award for his work with them on The Poor Mouth.
He has performed on the Hawk’s Well stage on many occasions – most recently in the title role of “The Playboy of the Western World” with the Blue Raincoat Theatre Company. This summer he also starred in the musical “Once” at the Olympia Theatre.
To book your place on any of these workshops, call the Hawk’s Well Theatre on 071-9161518.
Talented young dancers from Sligo, Leitrim and the surrounding counties will once more don fancy dress and perform at the Sean Nós ar an tSionann’s Halloween Dance.
FANCY DRESS: Last year’s Sean nos ar an tSionann Halloween party.
It takes place in the Bush Hotel, Carrick on Shannon on Tuesday next, October 27 with doors opening at 6.30pm. Admission is €7 per person or €20 per family.
Now in its sixth year, the show has become one of the most highly anticipated Halloween parties in the West. Last year’s event saw dancers travel from every county in Connacht and further afield to dance the night away.
And they did it for a worthy cause too, raising funds for Vesnova Children’s Mental Asylum where Sean Nós aran tSionann teacher and founder, Edwina Guckian will once again work (in February 2016) with Adi Roche’s Chernobyl Children’s International.
To date, thanks to the generous supporters, Sean Nós ar an tSionann have raised €7,000 for Vesnova, which provided much needed nappies, food, clothes and medication for the children. We hope to raise just as much this year for Edwina to bring with her.
For this year’s dance, members of The Swallow’s Tail and All-Ireland winning Moylurg Ceili Band will be providing the music.
There will also be face painting, brush dancing, barrel dancing, best dressed children and adults competitions, refreshments, spot prizes, set dancing and special guest performances by All Ireland champions.
A US investment firm has acquired Sligo Retail Park as part of a multi-million property deal.
DEAL: The Carraroe Retail Park has been acquired as part of a property deal for a sum understood to be in the region of €172 million.
The investment group, known as David Kempner, is understood to have secured the property portfolio for a sum believed to be in the region of €172 million.
The ‘National Porfolio’, as it is called by sellers Savills and JLL, has Sligo Retail Park, Letterkenny Retail Park, Tullamore Retail Park, Deerpark Shopping Centre in Letterkenny and Nutgrove Retail Park in Rathfarnham, Dublin.
The original valuation of the portfolio was €162 million and it is believed that David Kempner investment firm outbid Oaktree Capital management to secure the portfolio.
Sligo’s Retail Park is seen as a solid part of the portfolio with €2.05 million being raised in rent from current tenants each year.
As well as that, Homebase, which Savills describe as the ‘anchor’ of the project at Sligo Retail Park. is currently tied into a nine and half year agreement as a tenant at the Carraroe facility.
Along with Homebase, Sligo Retail Park currently has Currys, PC World, Harry Corry (www.harrycorry.com ), Smyths Toys, Homestore and More, Halfords, McDonalds, Costa and KFC with six lots remaining of the 15 warehouse units that are in the location.
The location of the retail park on the N4 Sligo to Dublin road and the easy access to Sligo City Centre was also given as a selling point for Sligo Retail Park.
A group of special guest speakers will be taking to the stage in Sligo this Saturday in an event to help people to realise their goals in life.
SPEAKER: Chariots of Fire director David Puttnam will be among the speakers at the Clarion Hotel.
Get Up and Go is an annual event held by a locally based publication of the same name, known for their “Irish Get Up & Go Diary” series.
Among the speakers will be renowned director David Puttnam. Team member Eileen Forrestal explains how she came to be inspired by the 74-year-old’s passion about education and bringing out the best in people’s abilities.
“David Puttnam is the first name on the list [to speak]. He directed ‘Chariots of Fire’ and ‘The Killing Fields’. He is very passionate about education. He is now teaching people around the world to do what they enjoy by making films, the ones he made were amazing and they were showing what was happening in the world.”
Another speaker is veteran broadcaster Teena Gates, whose health was in serious danger just a few years ago due to weight problems, but she has since gone on to conquer some of the world’s biggest mountains.
“Two weeks ago she was on Kilimanjaro, three months ago she was on Elbrus in Russia and she now takes walking tours and she did the Liffey swim just last week,” said Eileen. “She is conscious all the time of the balance between exercise and diet and it isn’t interfering with her life, she is really positive and a lovely woman.”
Among the other speakers are Dublin-born entrepreneur Miriam Byrne, motivational speaker Padraic O’Maille, businessman Jim Breen (who appeared on RTE’s “Secret Millionaire”), cyclist Breifni Earley and Teejay Dowes, who spoke at last year’s event and returns this year to focus on children and teenagers.
Local Yeats scholar Damien Brennan has also been confirmed as a speaker at the event while MC on the night will be Claire Ronan.
‘Get Up and Go – For Your Dreams’ takes place on Saturday, October 17 at the Clarion Hotel, Sligo.
Tickets are €85 (single ticket), €75 (bring a friend), €60 (group of five or more), €55 (teachers/trainers/tutors) and €45 (student/unemployed/OAP – deal ends tomorrow (Friday). The event runs from 10am to 6pm.
Following a strong summer season, hotels and guesthouses in Sligo have reported an upturn in business during the first nine months of 2015.
ILLUMINATING: Report shows upturn for Sligo hotels.
That’s according to the latest quarterly barometer from the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF).
With overseas visitors to Ireland up 12% year to date, local hoteliers are reporting an increase in business from key markets such as Britain, North America, and continental Europe.
The industry survey shows that 90% of Irish hoteliers are now optimistic about the trading conditions for their business over the next 12 months. 64% of hotels and guesthouses have increased staffing levels over the last year while 55% plan to take on further staff during the next 12 months.
Brian Pierson, Chair of the Sligo Branch of the IHF, says that confidence among hoteliers is steadily improving as the recovery in tourism strengthens.
“Irish tourism has performed strongly since the start of the year and throughout the summer season, with overseas visitors now on track to reach over 7.8 million by year end – a level not seen since 2007.
The improved outlook for future trading conditions is providing a significant boost to tourism businesses in Sligo, including hotels and guesthouses,” says Mr Pierson.
He said that Sligo’s tourism and hospitality sector continues to act as a strong engine for economic growth and job creation.
He pointed out that Sligo’s tourism and hospitality sector supports 4,400 jobs and contributes some €85m to the local economy annually.
“The 9% VAT rate, in particular, is of enormous importance to tourism businesses – helping to level the playing field when competing with international destinations for visitors. With revenues being continually reinvested within the sector, the initiative continues to enable the industry to create additional employment – both nationally and locally in Sligo.
This is good news for the local economy as the majority of hotels and guesthouses plan to increase staffing levels further over the next twelve months,” he said.
A Sligo town woman last week marked an amazing golfing milestone.
CONGRATULATIONS: Lady Captain of Co. Sligo Golf Club Carmel Hatt congratulating Pat Kilfeather on the 60th anniversary of her Lady Captaincy in 1955.
Pat Kilfeather celebrated the 60th anniversary of being Lady Captain of County Sligo Golf Club, in 1955.
It is a very rare achievement for anyone to celebrate such an anniversary, but then Pat has achieved many milestones during her golfing career spanning many decades, including hitting a hole-in-one when she was 87 on her home course at Rosses Point.
The 92 year-old started playing golf at the age of 12 and has been playing continuously for 80 years. She even played a few holes of golf on the morning of the presentation.
During her golfing career her lowest handicap was 15 in her early years. She played on many club teams, including the Connacht Shield winning team in 1963 and the successful Lena Black team in 1998, 35 years later.
Pat was President of the Ladies Golf Club in 1994 and 1995, which coincided with the Centenary of the club. During her presidential year she met Arthur Jackson whose father donated the Jackson Cup in 1904.
She has been recognised by the club for her longstanding service by being made an honorary life member.
Her mother Gerty O’Hara was also a very keen golfer, having been Lady Captain in 1930 and 1936. She was a very successful golfer, playing off 8 at one stage. She won the Jackson Cup in 1929, 1943 and 1944 and was defeated in the final in 1945 by Sheila Kirby. The Jackson Cup was the most prestigious competition in the golfing calendar. Pat was even beaten by her mother in a Jackson Cup final.
Pat is the mother of 6 children, 5 boys and a girl, and is very proud of all her extended family.
Pat’s son Bryan was also Captain in County Sligo Golf Club in 2012 and she is delighted that her daughter Patricia has also had a hole-in-one in Strandhill GC recently.
Pat also enjoys playing bridge and is a keen poker player. She is full of joie de vivre as her wide circle of friend will attest to.
