Students from Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré, Sligo, and Scoil Treasa, Ballintogher, Co. Sligo, were among 150 or so talented pupils from several counties who took to the stage at the annual drama and music extravaganza, Coirm Gael Linn, held in the Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo on Tuesday, March 3.

Coirm Gael Linn provides a platform for primary schools to display the talents of their pupils in a twenty minute show ‘as Gaeilge’ with a theme of their own choice that incorporates music, singing, dancing and acting.

Gaelscoileanna from Sligo performed next to schools from Leitrim and Donegal. Old themes vied with new, or sometimes, the old was embraced with modern interpretations.

Productions like ‘Madagascar’ and ‘An Draoi in Oz‘ (The Wizard of Oz), along with ‘Oilibhéar’ (Oliver Twist) from Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré and ‘Willy Wonka agus an mhonarcha seacláide’ (Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory) presented by Scoil Treasa, Ballintogher, all brought their own colour, twists and turns.

Guest reviewer, actress and musician Mairéad Ní Ghallchóir, said she was wowed by the high standard of production throughout and complimented the hard-working and enthusiastic teachers from all the participating schools.

While Coirm Gael Linn is not a competition, special merit awards or ‘gradaim’, were presented for outstanding performances by individuals or ensembles during the shows and each child who took part was also given a little memento of the occasion to take home.

Coirm Gael Linn is a popular event on the school calendar, and a total of nine one-day festivals are held at various venues throughout the country during the months of February and March, in which almost 3,500 pupils participate.

Rosses Point is home to the tradition of seafaring songs in Ireland and casts off the annual celebration with a concert in Sligo Yacht Club on Saturday, March 14.

The evening, which starts at 9.30pm, is a fundraiser for the Rosses Point Shanty Festival. The annual summer event attracts performers and visitors from throughout Europe. This year the festival runs from Friday, June 19, to Sunday, June 21, in the village.

Launching the upcoming concert were Eight Bells on board the new vessel of seafaring man Daryl Ewing. Eight Bells are an all-female troupe of shanty singers. Some of the singing “crew” are pictured on Daryl’s new boat, the Sarah Marie, at Sligo docks with friends and supporters. Eight bells is also a nautical term to signify the start or end of a watch on board ship.

Singer Ann Mannion, pictured front left with the bodhran, is one of the main organisers. She said: “We urge people to come along to the concert in the yacht club. Tickets are only €5 and it will be a great night. We need funds to organise the festival and this is a big help towards the annual costs.”

Ann and her fellow “Bells” will be performing on the night along with other local favourites such as Ian Bordley and Comhaltas na Mara. It will be an informal session with plenty of opportunity for other singers to join in.

Tickets can be bought in advance from Harry’s Bar and the village shop, both in Rosses Point, but you may also pay on the door.

The Sarah Marie, pictured for the launch, is the fourth boat in Sligo Boat Charters’ fleet. Daryl’s new craft cruises at twice the speed of the others and has double the deck space of Sea Star. Daryl says that “joined with my family experience, past success, and over 50 years of chart-plotting marks, this craft will prove the newest and finest boat in the Sligo fleet to watch”.

Sligo Sinn Fein Fein county councillor Thomas Healy has announced that he is not to seek a party nomination to stand as a candidate in the next General Election.

Students, staff and friends of an IT Sligo student found dead on Monday evening have paid tribute to him this week.

Jamie Shaw was 23 year-old first year performing arts student in the Sligo institute. On Monday at approximately 4pm he was found dead in his apartment in the Clarion village by his flatmate.

IT Sligo President Vincent Cunnane led the tributes to Jamie Shaw who he said had been “doing very well here” at IT Sligo.

“It is a very sad time for the students and the staff of the institute. Our thoughts are particularly with the Shaw family. And we would like to extend our condolences on behalf of all staff and all students. We are thinking of them at this sad time,” the President said.

The remnants of a Spanish Armada shipwreck which washed up on Streedagh Beach last week are regarded as highly significant pieces of archaeological evidence.

Two large fragments of wood, measured at 13 feet and 16 feet respectively, were exposed following recent storms and are understood to have come from the rib of one of the boats.

The three wrecks have been buried under this body of water since 1588 and the beach has been considered one of the most important maritime archaeological sites in the world since their rediscovery in 1985.

This is the second discovery of its kind after part of a 20 foot rudder was washed ashore last year in the same area.

Wooden material is not the only evidence to have turned up on the beach last week, with a more unique item appearing on the beach days later as Donal Gilroy of the Grange Armada Association revealed.

“There were low tides again and we had visitors here at the weekend who were experts in their field and identified that a lot of ballast from the boat, which is the stone used to stabilise the ship, is natural Iberian granite and should not be found anywhere north of Southern France and they did not get here without interference from man.”

The security of the three wrecks have however become a cause for concern and the GADA are calling for more to be done to preserve the site.

“A team will be coming in a number of weeks to perform an underwater assessment when weather conditions become appropriate. That is not just related to last week’s findings, this concerns the priority of the site,” Mr Gilroy said.

“There is nothing that can really be done right now. The only way they can be protected is for them to be brought ashore and preserved and unfortunately the resources are not available nationally to do this right now.”

“We are hoping they will priortise this site before any more damage is done but there seems to be an attitude that because it has survived storms since the late 16th century it should be able to withstand more.”

The underwater survey will determine how the wrecks can be protected and anything found that is deemed to be facing immediate danger will be salvaged.

“The survey will determine what has to be done to protect the wrecks. They have to go down and find what exactly is there,” Donal Gilroy explained. “If they go down and find something they consider being in immediate danger of damage, they will do everything to protect it but the plan is not to disturb the site, but the chronicle what kind of movement has taken place since the last major survey took place in 1988

Several members of UCD and DCU caving clubs had to be rescued from high ground above the Gleniff Horseshoe in north Sligo on Saturday night last.

The groups were exploring the area around ‘Diarmuid and Grainne’s Cave’, a large cave high up on the cliffs above Gleniff. While descending the mountain, two of the group slipped and fell a considerable distance.

Conditions at the time were poor with packed snow lying on the upper slopes and a considerable wind chill in effect.

Four other individuals, who had ascended to a narrow ledge close to the cliff face, became ‘crag-fast’ and were unable to return back down the mountain.

A 999 call was placed and Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team was tasked by the Gardaí. The Team were on scene at 4:30pm. Due to ground and weather conditions, both the Donegal and North West Mountain Rescue Teams were requested to assist by the Sligo Leitrim Team.

There were a number of Mountain Rescue teams attending a national AGM in Co. Fermanagh over the weekend.

Following an initial assessment of the individuals who had fallen, a decision was made to task the Coastguard helicopter, Rescue 118, from nearby Strandhill to airlift one of them to Sligo Regional Hospital. The rest of their party was then escorted safely off the mountain by Rescue Team members.

Rescuers then made the difficult ascent to the remaining four people amidst snow showers and approaching darkness. Rescue 118 returned to the scene and, although it was unable to perform an airlift of the students, it illuminated the scene by search light for a period of time.

The four cavers were then carefully belayed, lowered and led safely off the mountain. All casualties were safely off the hill by 10:30pm.

Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team Leader, Conal Sexton, said that this difficult technical rescue was an example of great co-operation between the three neighbouring volunteer rescue teams plus the Irish Coast Guard and the Gardaí.

The Bishop of Elphin, Kevin Doran has voiced his opposition to same-sex marriage.

“I personally feel that changing the meaning of marriage would not just affect people who get married, but also the people around them,” he said.

For the full story, see today’s Sligo Weekender newspaper. In stores now.

Retired garda sergeant (Elizabeth) Josephine Dwyer who passed away last week had a place in one of the milestones of policing in Ireland.
Born on February 23, 1936 in Ross, Emlagh, Riverstown, she was one of the first female gardai.

For the full story pick up today’s Sligo Weekender newspaper.