What does Sligo Master Michael Coleman have in common with 60s psychedelic rockers The Doors, indie masters Radiohead, comedy king Steve Martin or Sesame Street?

Well the answer is recordings from all of these artists feature in the latest induction into the US Library of Congress National Recording Registry.

The Library of Congress each year selects 25 recordings that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” and at least 10 years old. They then find the best existing versions of each selected record and preserve them for future generations.

And, in 2015 the Library chose, among others, a recording of two tunes – “The Boys of the Lough” and “The Humours of Ennistymon” – made by Michael Coleman.

The songs were released as a single by Michael in 1922, eight years after he first arrived in New York. In their description of Coleman, the Library of Congress said:
“Despite Coleman’s rural traditional style, the fiddler achieved unprecedented commercial success and had a long-lasting impact on both sides of the Atlantic.
“Today, he remains a vital figure in Irish music. His brisk, highly ornamented playing set standards and brought traditional Irish music a level of respect it had never had before, even in Ireland.

“This 1922 coupling of two older tunes that he made distinctively his own was not his first commercial disc but proved to be his breakthrough.”

Joining Coleman in the class of 2015 is the self-title debut album from The Doors, Radiohead’s ground-breaking 1997 album “OK Computer”, Steve Martin’s Grammy Award-winning album “A Wild and Crazy Guy” as well as hit singles “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” by the Righteous Brothers, “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King and “Sixteen Tons” by Tennessee Ernie Ford. Oh, and the album “Sesame Street: All-Time Platinum Favourites”.

Coinciding with the launch of Organ Donor Awareness Week (March 28-April 4) by the Sligo branch of the Irish Kidney Association, the first sod of land was turned for a symbolic Garden of Reflection located at Doorly Park.

The land has been donated by Sligo County Council to the Irish Kidney Association’s Sligo branch which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year.

Read more about the Garden and Organ Donor Awareness Week in the Sligo Weekender newspaper. In stores now.

A gunman who held up the same Sligo shop twice in a week is still at large.

The Centra Shop in Maugheraboy was subject to a robbery by a man at gunpoint, the second incident in the space of a week.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident, McCormack’s garage in Castlebaldwin was broken into for a second time in a month.

For more on these stories, pick up a copy of today’s Sligo Weekender newspaper. In stores now.

On Monday gardaí raided two houses in the St Joseph’s Terrace area of Sligo at approximately 5pm in a large-scale operation.

The houses were raided in what gardaí have described as “ongoing investigations in to criminal activity in the Sligo area”.

Gardaí recovered a number of items of property which had been reported as stolen and took them away as evidence from the houses in question.
Thus far, no arrests have been made in relation to the investigation.

Gardaí in Sligo have appealed to anyone who may have information in relations to their investigations to come forward and contact them at Sligo Garda Station on 071-9157000.

THE Bishop of Elphin has spoken of his regret over comments he made on radio last week in relation to same-sex marriage.

Last week, the newly appointed Bishop likened homosexuality to having down’s syndrome or having spina bifida.

He said “It would be wrong to suggest that everything that happens, happens because God intends it. If that were the case, we’d be talking about a very different kind of God.

“It is [misleading] in the sense that what people are campaigning for is not marriage because by definition same-sex relationships includes some elements such as love, care, affection, and long-term commitment but it doesn’t include procreation and produce one of the essential dimensions of marriage.”

In his first public appearance following last week’s remarks, Dr Doran was eager to express his regret over what he had said.

He told the congregation during Mass at the Cathedral in Sligo of his regret.
“One of the things I suppose that happens in that situation is you don’t always choose your words or images as carefully as you would in a statement. I’m conscious that whatever the situation, some people were hurt by either what I said or what they thought I had said and I very much regret that,” he commented.
The Bishop’s remarks were described by Archbishop Dr Diarmud Martin, head of the Irish Catholic Church as “an unfortunate phrase”.

Dr Martin has called on members of the clergy in Ireland to not use insensitive language in speaking on the same-sex marriage debate.
In a homily he gave at Mass at the weekend, he called for a new vision for God.
“Too often we have looked on God as a relentless judge. When we think in that way, our faith becomes harsh and we become harsh within ourselves and in our interaction with others and we betray the real truth about God, that he is love.”

Last week, the Archbishop refused to comment on whether Bishop Kevin Doran still had his confidence in the wake of his remarks.

TD for Sligo-Leitrim, Tony Mcloughlin presented the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny with a bespoke VOYA White Gift Box.

The gift presented to the Taosieach was specially desinged by the Sligo Outlet for none other tha Michelle Obama, the current First Lady, as a special gift from the seashores of Sligo.

On St Patrick’s Day Tuesday), the Taoiseach made his traditional visit to the White House.

For the second year Sligo’s own VOYA products, a seaweed based luxury spa brand have been given to the First Lady.

This year the First Lady’s VOYA gift contains a luxury selection of the brands award-winning body range with its newly designed packaging.

Founder of VOYA, Mark Walton said: “it is an honour and a privilege to be once again Ireland’s gift of choice for the First Lady. Last year we gifted a selection of our facial products so we are looking forward to Michelle Obama receiving some of our beautiful, newly designed body range.”