CREGG House in Sligo was the scene of a protest this week.
Markus Feehily supports Organ Donor Awareness
In support of raising awareness about the importance of organ donation, solo artist, Markus Feehily took time out from his touring schedule to visit Sligo University Hospital, where he met staff, dialysis patients, a living donor and transplant recipients.
The event was organised by the Sligo Branch of the Irish Kidney Association to announce the annual life-saving awareness campaign which will take place from April 2-9.
At the event the former Westlife star met a familiar face, Maria Fowley, who underwent a kidney and pancreas transplant in 2011. The two have known one another since he was a child living in the same neighbourhood Calry and he attended the same school as Marie’s son Sean.
Marie said: “I have known Markus since he was a little boy. I witnessed first-hand his fledgling singing career.
“I was part of the organising committee for Scór na n”g and we knew we were in the presence of a rising star from the first time he sang as he had the voice of an angel. We are delighted that Markus has taken time out of his busy career to support us in launching Organ Donor Awareness Week.”
Speaking at the launch, Markus said, “I feel honoured to have been invited by Marie’s husband Sean to attend the event here today. When I was a child, Marie was preparing me for Scór Na n”g while all the time her diabetes was a secret part of her life.
“Her kidney failure came in the years that followed.
“It came as a big surprise to my parents and the community years later when we heard that she had received a double transplant of a kidney and pancreas a few years ago.
“I feel privileged to be here today amongst Marie and other inspirational people who have all faced uncertain futures because of organ failure and who are united in their wish to honour their organ donors.
“It’s humbling to meet so many patients in the dialysis ward here today whose kidneys have failed and they are just getting on with their treatment while hoping to be called for life saving transplants. It is wonderful to witness the dedicated nursing staff who take such good care of their patients.
“I would encourage everyone to discuss organ donation with family members and let their wishes be known. I hope people will support the Irish Kidney Association volunteers who will be selling forget-me-not flowers and other items in Sligo town and county and the rest of the country during Organ Donor Awareness Week.”
During the Awareness Week Irish Kidney Association volunteers will be distributing organ donor cards and selling forget-me-not flower emblems in towns and villages around Sligo.
Tickets are on sale (priced €15) for a fashion show in aid of the Irish Kidney Association will take place at the Clarion Hotel on Thursday, April 17 at 8pm.
Sligo choir to perform live on TV this Easter Sunday
A special choir from Sligo, combining students fron two national schools in Co. Sligo will perform in Dublin this Easter Sunday, March 27.
Saw Doctors duo to play acoustic show in Sligo
Many bands aspire to enter the public conscious with their music, but few ever achieve that lofty goal.
‘Everyone was hunched down, on their mobiles’
A Brussels-based Sligo man has described his frightening experience of being caught up in the harrowing terrorist atrocities, one of which took place just a short distance from his workplace in the Belgian capital on Tuesday morning.
Heber Rowan, who has been working in the city since February, was one of a number of Sligo people, including MEP Marian Harkin, who were not far from Maelbeek metro station, where 20 people were killed and 100 injured.
Heber told of what happened as he made his daily commute to work.
“It was a normal day, I go by Maelbeek station every day and I passed the soldiers who are in front of the headquarters where I work and normally they are very chatty, but I could see they were very serious and they were stopping people one by one.
“As I was walking down there were more sirens than normal and a lot of black Mercedes’ with blue and red lights in the front.”
“Before I knew it there were more ambulances and I started thinking ‘that can’t be the airport’, but when I got in everyone was hunched down on the ground on their mobiles trying to find out what was happening and word was starting coming from here and there that there was an attack.”
The Cartron native explained how the Paris attacks had remained fresh in the mind of the Belgian public, who recently saw a prime suspect arrested in their country.
For more of Heber’s story and the reaction of others from Sligo who were caught up in the Brussels attacks, see this week’s Sligo Weekender- in shops now.
Sligo doctor looking after refugees in Calais ‘Jungle’
A Sligo-born doctor who lives and works in the UK has been helping the most vulnerable of the Middle East’s displaced refugees, in Calais, France.
Conor Kenny, who lives and works between London and Bristol, but is originally from Ballincar, Rosses Point was recently involved in humanitarian work in the well publicised ‘Calais Jungle’ camp for migrants, through the Humming Bird project – which offers aid to those displaced by war.
He told the Sligo Weekender this week. “The way I got involved with the Humming Bird project was through friends I went to university with who set up this project. It was something I thought was fantastic and wanted to support.”
See this week’s Sligo Weekender newspaper for more. In shops now!
Proposal to erect statue in memory of Sligo surfer Paul
A campaign group has been established to erect a statue in Strandhill in honour of the late Paul Rennick.
Paul, who died in tragic circumstances in Melbourne. Australia, in August 2011, was well known in the seaside village as a surfer and watersports enthusiast and for his fundraising efforts, which included a charity paddle from Strandhill to Rosses Point.
Now a Sligo sculptor has created a virtual design for a massive statue of Paul, holding a surf board, which could sit on the currently empty plinth on the seafront at Strandhill. A sculpture which stood on the plinth has been taken away by Sligo County Council for repairs.
Sculptor Philip Brett has come up with the design on behalf of the Paul Rennick Memorial Sculpture Group. “As a local artist and a close friend of Paul, I felt that it was within my ability to capture and express the sentiment with the sensitivity necessary for such an emotional and cathartic project.
“The Surfer Project proposes to create a life-size figurative bronze sculpture of a local surf lifesaver and charity worker. The site of the proposed Art-work is significant for its context within the community; in Strandhill on the beach promenade where Paul worked and spent most of his time with the community.”
The design team consists of two artists – Philip, who came up with the 3D rendering of the statue and metalsmith Mirjam Schiller who would oversee the creation of the sculpture at Cast Foundry Cast Ltd. in Dublin.
The group are now beginning a fundraising drive to commission the piece which they hoped would be matched with public funding from a number of different sources, including mental health organisations.
For more on the statue, search “The Surfer, Paul Rennick” on Facebook.
Following Paul’s death, the positive mental health through activities charity Rennafix Group was set up in his honour in 2012. It organises regular activities designed to promote positive mental health.
IT Sligo surfing team catch a winning wave
The prowess and skill of IT Sligo’s students on the waves was rewarded last weekend when the Institute’s surfing team won the 2016 National Intervarsities Surfing Championships at Strandhill.
The IT surfers beat off stiff competition to secure the overall team title for the second time in the Institute’s history. The event – streamed live online – saw 148 competitors from 18 third level institutions take to the water.
“Conditions were very challenging for the surfers,” said Jack-Tim Murphy-Malone, one of the event organisers and President of the IT Surfing Club. “Our surf club had been working towards this event since the start of the academic year.
“The standard was very high, particularly in the men’s open event – but the atmosphere in the water amongst the competitors was very friendly – and showing the event live online helped capture the imagination of the wider surfing community.”
As well as winning the team prize, two IT Sligo students claimed individual titles. Gavin McCrea from Rossnowlagh, a Fine Art student, took gold in the men’s Longboard while Strandhill’s Aidan Kelly, who’s studying Pharmaceutical Science (online) won the Bodyboard event.
The full team were Ken Gunning, Daniel Simpson, Ronan Oertzen, Julliete Guichard, Marie Olsson, Killian Weir, Patrick Weis, Gavin McCrea, Jack-Tim Murphy, Kerry Larkin, Nicole Martin, Ann-Marie Smith, Michaela Gaffney, Nis Kaden and Alex McCloy.
Parade won’t survive without donations
Preparations for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade are under way, but the importance of donations from the public are being stressed ahead of next week’s celebrations.
Parade-goers are encouraged to support the parade by making a small donation to a bucket collection on the day, as Chairperson of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee, Deirde Healy-McGowan, explained.
“Without people putting money in that bucket collection on the day, the parade would not be able to survive. That bucket collection done on the day is to keep the parade going for the following year. All people have to give to the collection is €1 per person and that would save the parade year on year.”
The parade is considered hugely important and that a place such as Sligo must be in a position to hold one.
“We did a bucket collection last week for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and there were two elderly ladies giving us money and I was explaining to them that we nearly lost the parade last year due to lack of funding and they were astounded,”Deirdre said.
“It would really drain the heart out of the people of Sligo when you look at other places like China, India and Dubai holding a parade and if the people didn’t have a parade to celebrate they probably wouldn’t even bother getting out of their beds if it wasn’t for the parade.”
Meanwhile, preparations for the upcoming parade are entering their final stages with the big day coming in just one week.
“Preparations are in full swing at the moment. We have a lot of applications in already. Last year we had an outstanding number of participants so this year we hope for more again. We have a couple of surprises in line too, every year we try to something a little bit different in the parade to make it exciting and this year will be no different.”
The theme for this year’s parade is 1916 Commemorations. Applications must be made online at stpatricksdaysligo.com.
Following the parade, Sligo Inter-cultural Forum will be holding a celebration in Gilooly Hall.
The event is open to all. For more information contact Kebba at 086-1918758 or Cathy on 083-8405494.
An evening for Fred Finn
A very successful commemorative evening was held in South Sligo on February 27 to honour the great fiddle player Fred Finn who was from Kiltycreen in Killavil.
Apart from his unique ability as a fiddle player he was known as a character with an exceptional wit and is clearly still missed by all those who knew him even though it is 30 years since his death on January 26, 1986.
The commemorative evening was attended by Fred’s sisters Bea and Tilly and many of his extended family members who travelled long distances to be in attendance.
The evening commenced with a special mass celebrated by Fr. James McDonagh in the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Killavil.
This was followed by refreshments in the Coleman Irish Music Centre in Gurteen where afterwards a presentation was given by Philip Duffy on the life and music of his friend and mentor.
The evening was rounded off with a massive lively session of music in the Róisín Dubh, Gurteen hosted by Jacky McGowan. In attendance were many of the musicians who knew and played with Fred during his life.
The evening was particularly successful in that it introduced a new generation of musicians and music lovers alike to the distinctive, unique, traditional style of fiddle playing from South Sligo.
Countdown for dog owners to microchip
Dog owners and breeders in the Republic of Ireland have until March 31 to comply with new laws which make it compulsory to have all dogs microchipped and registered with a Government-approved database such as www.fido.ie.
As part of the new legislation dog owners must also have a certificate from the database provider to prove that the dog is properly microchipped and registered. Dog owners must also keep their contact details up to date and register any change of contact details or change of ownership on the database.
National Microchipping Month has been moved to March this year to help raise awareness amongst dog owners and breeders about the new legislation.
If you haven’t microchipped your dog, now is the time to speak to your vet.
Dog owners across the country can avail of free microchipping at over 200 participating veterinary practices as part of a Nationwide Microchipping Month, supported by FIDO and Dogs Trust and available on a ‘first come first served’ basis.
A sterile microchip is the size of a grain of rice. It is inserted painlessly under the skin between the dog’s shoulder blades and takes seconds to complete, meaning a dog can be in and out of a veterinary practice within a few minutes. The microchip is designed to last the lifetime of the dog.
For a nationwide list of participating vets see www.dogstrust.ie/whats-happening/events/.
You can find out more at www.ncm.ie and on Facebook at National Chipping Month.
Owners of dogs already chipped are invited to check that their details are correctly registered on an approved database free of charge at www.chipcheck.ie.
It is now illegal to buy or take ownership of a pup that is not microchipped and registered on an approved database such as www.fido.ie and that does not have a Certificate from the database to prove this.
Under legislation it is now compulsory for all puppies to be microchipped and registered with a Government approved database such as www.fido.ie before the age of 12 weeks – or before they are moved from their birth home.
You must inform a Government approved database when you buy, sell, take ownership or transfer ownership of a dog.
The compulsory microchipping of dogs and new certification of the microchipping process with an authorized database such as fido.ie will have big animal welfare benefits and is good for dog owners too.
If you love your dog you will want to do everything possible to protect it from getting lost. When a dog is lost, microchipping can help its owner to be found quickly as possible, which reduces the stress and trauma for the dog as well as for the owner and their family.
Every year thousands of dogs are put to sleep in Irish pounds. Many of these were healthy, well-adjusted pets. Where compulsory microchipping of dogs has been introduced in other countries there has been a drastic reduction in the number of animals destroyed in pounds because their owners can not be identified.
Mandatory registration and certification will help families to identify whether they are sourcing a pup from a reputable breeder.
The new laws will also help to regulate transportation of pups and dogs between countries, which is good for animal welfare and also for health in terms of disease control.
Music session to honour Kevin
ON the first anniversary of well-loved Sligoman Kevin O’Brien, there will be a night of music held in the Village Inn in Cartron on March 19.
