Fund and games in Lecarrow!
Another year has passed and Billy Kelly, one of the driving forces behind the remarkable Lecarrow Benevolent Fund project, calls into our offices to highlight the 2017 event.
Billy says plans for the 2017 Lecarrow Benevolent Fund Draw & Auction are progressing nicely. The event, always an enjoyable social evening as well as a phenomenal fundraiser for local causes, takes place on Sunday, 4th of June. The venue is Kelly’s in Lecarrow.
As always, a raffle will take place for some super prizes (details of same in next week’s issue) and there will also be a big auction. There will be music, refreshments and fun for the entire community. It will be an enjoyable evening and will also raise monies which in turn will be distributed to groups and worthy causes in the parish and surrounding areas.
Since starting out in 2001, the Lecarrow Benevolent Fund has raised an amazing €179,200 which is a huge tribute to Billy and his committee colleagues, and to the people of the area who are so supportive of the initiative.
Billy explains the ethos behind the Fund: “There are times in everyone’s life when money is needed, whether it is when loved ones become ill, a person loses their job or maybe when a child becomes ill and a parent may have to take time off work and organise care for siblings while still having to worry about mortgage, utility bills, etc.”
Numerous community groups and charities in Lecarrow and surrounding areas have benefited from the fund. People who are in difficulty have received timely support, such as when €2,500 was presented to a lady who lost her home in a devastating fire. Fuel vouchers have been provided to help people facing long journeys to Dublin or Galway for cancer treatment. The Fund has also purchased medical equipment at Roscommon County Hospital.
Billy Kelly thanked the 14-strong committee for their tireless work and also the public for their great support of this annual event.
Before he left the Roscommon People office Billy assured me he would be back before we next go to press with details of this year’s exciting raffle/auction items.
So we’ll have more in our next issue on the 2017 Lecarrow Benevolent Fund Draw & Auction – in the meantime, keep the 4th of June free in your diary!
No, Minister… ‘Rural Life’ group defiant
The Roscommon-based group which is campaigning against any further reduction in drink-driving limits, is still endeavouring to secure a meeting with Transport Minister Shane Ross.
The ‘Rural Life Residents Association’ was set up in Roscommon in March of this year. The group says that any further reduction in drink-driving limits will further isolate elderly people in rural Ireland and make them more vulnerable to attacks from “city thugs.”
Stressing that members in no way condone or excuse drunken driving, the Association says Minister Ross’s plans threaten rural Ireland and will lead to the closure of pubs, restaurants and other businesses.
The Association is seeking a meeting with Minister Ross and recently wrote to him to convey their concerns.
The Private Secretary to the Minister wrote back to Donal Keigher of the Rural Life Residents Association, stating that Minister Ross is not proposing a reduction in the blood alcohol level, “rather is proposing a change to the penalty.”
The Minister’s office pledged to keep contacts open with the Rural Life Residents Association.
Mr. Keigher has reiterated to the Roscommon People that there is widespread concern about Minister Ross’s plans and strong support for the newly-formed association’s stance.
Prayer for exams
Dear God,
As I approach the exam that is ahead of me, gift me with the skills that I need in order to do my best. I bring before you my nervousness and my fears, along with my hopes and my dreams and invite you to be with me.
I pray that I experience the calmness that the Holy Spirit brings and whatever the outcome, I will truly believe in the unique person that I am. Amen.
A chance to promote Roscommon on RTÉ’s ‘Ireland by bike’
RTE reporter Cian McCormack has been in touch with the Roscommon People newsroom to tell us about his new ‘Ireland by bike series’, during which he will visit Co. Roscommon. Broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1’s flagship news programme Morning Ireland, the ‘Ireland by bike’ series will hear the stories of ‘real people’ at the start of the summer as reporter Cian travels on his bike for ten days in June, stopping in towns, villages and communities from the northwest to the southwest.
Cian hopes to visit Mayo, Sligo, Fermanagh, Leitrim, Roscommon, Galway, Clare and Kerry during the third series of the popular programme.
“I really want to bring listeners to places they don’t usually hear from and to get a sense of how communities and people are ‘unlocking the potential of rural Ireland.’
“One of the main themes of the series is to look at the Government’s ‘Action Plan for Rural Development’ which aims to ‘unlock the potential of rural Ireland’. But what I really want to focus on are the stories of people on the ground,” Cian added.
“During the series I will talk to local people and communities in towns and villages to see how they are unlocking their rural potential with private enterprise, community projects, tourism and festivals.
“I’m hoping people and communities will contact me before I start cycling so that I can organise to meet them. Maybe they are running an interesting local festival or have something positive to tell us. The best way to contact me before I start cycling is on the special email for the series: irelandbybike@rte.ie,” said Cian.
Cian will be making daily reports on his cycle on Morning Ireland from Wednesday, 14th June to Friday, 23rd June. Listeners can interact with the ‘Ireland by bike’ series directly by emailing: irelandbybike@rte.ie or on twitter: @cian_mccormack or @morningireland.
Annual IzzyB’s Away with the Fairies Day
The annual IzzyB’s Away with the Fairies event at Strokestown Park House promises to be bigger and better than ever as thousands are once again expected to flock to the magical County Roscommon venue on 11th of June.
The Fairy Day event, initiated by the family and friends of childhood cancer survivor, Isobel (IzzyB) Cullinan from Strokestown, is now in its fourth year.
Funds raised from this year’s Fairy Day will go towards helping local children just like Isobel who are undergoing cancer treatments in a number of Shared Care Hospitals in the locality.
More in next week’s People – in the meantime, for more information on event visit www.facebook.com/izzybsawaywiththefairiesfunday
