​CCTV

The recent series of break-ins and thefts in Strokestown has led to calls by members of the community for CCTV to be installed in the town. 

While normally a very peaceful and quiet town, Strokestown is on the main N5 Dublin to Westport road and as such is easy to enter and exit by road. The Bank of Ireland in Strokestown was robbed a number of months ago, and the culprits remain at large. While the number of such crimes is low compared to many parts of the country, Strokestown and surrounding areas have been subjected to numerous, seemingly isolated, break-ins and burglaries over the past number of years.  

The idea of installing CCTV which would cover the five access roads and the town centre has been mooted by several over the years, but to date, no progress has been made to make an application for funding for the project. There are a number of funding avenues through which communities can seek support for CCTV installations, and the recent happenings have once again put the matter on the agenda.

A significant number of business people, residents, politicians and community activists met in the Percy French Hotel in response to news from the Bank of Ireland, that their branches in Strokestown and Elphin, would not be included in the 104 branches having their cash desk services restored. The announcement angered local businesses and residents, who are concerned that the bank is in danger of being closed altogether.

The meeting was organised by local businessmen; Tom Crosby (Property developer) and Gerry Kennedy (Publican), and was chaired by local launderette owner Danny Compton.  Many of those present felt that the reduction of banking facilities last year, has adversely affected their day to day lives. Business owners raised security concerns in relation to cash in transit issues, and residents raised fears of further degradation of services. 
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The reduced services have affected virtually every business in town, in one way or another, and none for the better. 

A committee consisting of those listed above, Paula Fitzpatrick (Secretary of Strokestown Town Team), and Phelim O’Neill (Solicitor) were elected to organise a meeting with the bank and put it to them that services should be restored. It was generally accepted that the committee would fight for the restoration of full services in both the Strokestown and Elphin branches. 
 
The meeting concluded minutes before this publications print deadline and there will be a full report in next weeks edition.

​This weekend will see the 4th and final running of the Darren McGlynn Memorial Tractor Run. The wonderful event takes place on Sunday the 30th of September. The event begins at the McGlynn home in Cloonfour, midway between Tarmonbarry and Rooskey, and is open to both vintage and new tractors.

The run starts at 12 pm, and tractors will travel in convoy along a 35 km route. The run will pass through Tarmonbarry, Strokestown, Kilglass and Rooskey before returning to the McGlynn family farm. The monster prize draw takes place after the tractor run, and tea and refreshments will also be served.

"Every year, the tractor run has just gotten better and better," said committee secretary Claire McGlynn, "While it’s hard work, we get great help from the whole community. We were going to finish after last year’s event, but so many people were asking about it we decided to give it one more go for 2018. We couldn’t do it without the great team of stewards, caterers, and helpers of all sorts, including Ventura Marquee Hire who kindly provide us with a marquee every year.”

This is the fourth running of the Darren McGlynn Memorial Tractor Run. The event was conceived by Claire McGlynn and is named after her late brother Darren, who died in a traffic collision in 2014. So far the run has raised over €60,000 for various good causes, including the Mark’s Wish To Walk, Co Longford SCUBA Divers, Pieta House West, the Tarmonbarry DARA group, and the Sick Children Fund. This year the event is being run in aid of The Hub Community Cafe which is based in Strokestown Co Roscommon and the County Longford Scuba Divers / Search & Rescue.
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Claire is especially excited about the prize drawing which forms part of the events overall fundraising efforts, explaining  “We’ve had really great prizes sponsored this year, including a trip for 2 to New York, a Charlois heifer, a €500 voucher and a weekend away. Tickets are selling well, so we hope to raise a lot of the much-needed funds for our charities this year!”
“In addition to the draw, we have an auction, the star lot in which will be a restored Ferguson Diesel 20 tractor, that was generously donated by our neighbour, Chrissie Cox. We auctioned the tractor in 2015, Chrissie’s son Dermot restored it, and now Chrissie has donated it back to us for auction. The Cox family, and the staff at Cox’s Steakhouse Dromod, have been among our biggest supporters since the tractor run began, and we are very grateful to them for their generosity,” concluded Ms McGlynn.

Admission to this year’s tractor run is €20 per tractor. All tractors are welcome on the Darren McGlynn Tractor Run, both new and vintage tractors. As is usual for these events, the normal rules of the road will apply, and all tractors taking part will need to be roadworthy and insured. Donations can be made directly to Bank Account 20917721 Sort Code 90-53-36, and more information can be found on the Facebook page for The Darren McGlynn Memorial Tractor Run.

Tractor Run
The Mid-Roscommon Vintage Club are running a Memorial Tractor/Car Run on Sunday the 7th of October 2018, in memory of the late Paschal Dockery who was a founding member of the club. All tractors and cars are welcome, both vintage and modern. Funds are being raised for the Inis Aoibhinn Residence (AKA The Lodge). Please contact any of the following organisers; John Lyons on 087 6877482, Mike Murray on 0864118914 or Bernard Kearney Jnr on 0863955130. for further information.

Roscommon Arts Centre
The Fureys are taking to the stage of the Roscommon Arts Centre, on Friday the 12th of October 2018 at 8 pm. Tickets are almost sold out so the public is urged not to delay and buy tickets now from the centre’s box office on 0906 625824 or by visiting their website on www.roscommonartscentre.ie.
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Liability claims increase
There were twelve public liability claims made against Longford County Council during July 2018, with the majority of issues involving potholes or roads. The September meeting of Longford County Council heard details of the claims which were outlined by Director of Finance, John McKeon. The number of claims during the month of July increased significantly from previous months. There were five claims made in Longford town, two in Ardagh, one in Ballymahon and one in Drumlish. One of the claims made was for flooding. Half of all the claims were made for damage allegedly caused by potholes. Mr McKeon also told the meeting of members, that some of the claims related to incidents which occurred during February, March and May of this year, and there was only one claim was made in August.

Centre Parcs recruitment
Recruitment events for the eagerly awaited Centre Parcs development outside Ballymahon in Longford are taking place next month. The project is on schedule to open in the summer of 2019. Many structures are now completed on the site including some of the holiday lodges some of which are now fully furnished. The company is set to begin the recruitment process for hundreds of jobs at the Longford Forest park next month with a two-day event on October 12th and 13th, which will be held in the Longford Rugby Club in Longford town. More information can be found at www.centerparcscareers.ie.


Community funding
Communities in Roscommon, Longford, and Leitrim have been allocated an extra quarter of a million euro under the Community Enhancement Programme. Roscommon has been granted an additional €106,000 bringing its total allocation to €239,000. Longford has been allocated €94,000 extra which brings its total to €226,000.  Leitrim saw its funding allocation increase to €183,000. The funds are intended to be used for a range of projects such as the renovation of community centres and the improvement of public amenities, parks, and public realms. The funding can also be used for CCTV system installations. 

Strokestown parkrun
The Strokestown parkrun has continued into its second week with great success. It has been confirmed that as long as there are volunteers to organise the event, it will continue indefinitely. Those who wish to participate are encouraged to register beforehand on www.parkrun.ie in order to receive their registration details, by doing so it helps organisers to record numbers who attend and it is good for participants as they can keep a record of their times when they participate at park runs in any part of the world. According to the park run's website; 63 years 264 days 21 hours 53 minutes and 35 second is the total amount of time run by park run participants to date.

Hospice cycle postponed
Due to bad weather in the run-up to and a poor forecast for the weekend of the cycle, the organisers decided to cancel the cycle which was due to take place on Sunday the 23rd of September. The event will be rescheduled for a date in October which has yet to be announced. Organisers apologized for any inconvenience caused and hope the event will continue to receive great support.

Feile Strokestown update
On Saturday the 13th of October 2018, accordion classes in Scoil Mhuire Convent of Mercy Strokestown will be provided by Daithi Gormley from 10 am to  1 pm. Described by legendary accordion player Joe Burke as a ‘master musician’, Daithí Gormley is widely regarded as one of the finest button accordion players of his generation. Steeped in the rich musical heritage of his native Sligo, his remarkably accomplished, debut album ‘Fiddling without a Bow – Irish Traditional Music on Button Accordion’ brings an expressive mix of old and new tunes played with an attention to detail conduit to past masters of Irish traditional music.

Elphin Community Centre 
The AGM of Elphin Community & Sports Centre will take place on Thursday the 4th October at 8.30 pm in the centre. Due to work and family commitments, a number of the committee members are stepping down. They have worked hard over the years to ensure the smooth running of the centre and it is hoped that new people will take on with the roles being vacated. The centre is an invaluable asset in the community of Elphin and the committee are appealing for people to join them and help out in any small way that they can. More volunteers are needed to ensure the  continued running of the very successful bingo session on a Monday night. Many hands make little work, and anyone interested in joining is being asked to attend on the night and get involved. The responsibilities of the committee are not over onerous, and they meet up once a month and members of the community are encouraged to not be afraid of getting involved.

Cemetery Committee
The Strokestown Cemetery Committee are currently recording and mapping all grave plots in the local cemetery.  No proper records were kept over the years since the cemetery opened in 1928. There are many unmarked graves and plots. If you own or can identify any of these graves or plots please contact the committee secretary, Eileen Flanagan at (086) 8227226 as soon as possible.

Rathcroghan
The 24th - 25th November 2018 will see the Rathcroghan Visitor Centre in Tulsk present their annual Queen Medh Winter Conference. The conference promotes a unique blend of history, folklore and wellness in an area where people have both  thrived and survived over thousands of years. The two-day event takes place in the surrounds of the ancient royal complex of Cruachan. The event is a forum for interested communities and individuals to access, discuss and engage with the unique environment that nature and our predecessors have left us with.

Carrick Purple Flag
Carrick on Shannon has retained its Purple Flag standard for its evening and night time economy. The Purple Flag standard awarded to towns, similar to the Blue Flag for beaches, aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of town and city centres between the hours of 6 pm and 5 am. Towns awarded Purple Flags are recognised for providing a vibrant mix of entertainment while promoting the safety and well-being of visitors and local residents. Carrick on Shannon was the smallest town in Ireland to achieve this prestigious standard in 2015, and each year the town has to ensure it maintains or improves on the standard achieved. Carrick on Shannon’s Purple Flag Steering Group is comprised of local business, local authority staff, elected members, Tidy Towns and Gardaí. The initiative is funded by the Carrick on Shannon Chamber of Commerce and Leitrim County Council and is coordinated by the Economic Development Unit of Leitrim County Council. A survey which was carried out as part of the renewal process showed that approximately 82% of people think that the daytime offering in Carrick on Shannon is good or very good, while 80% think the night time offer is good or very good. People were also asked to rate different aspects of the town. 70% of respondents felt that the street cleanliness, selection of bars, cafes and restaurants were very good or excellent while the work of the Tidy Towns was acknowledged with the towns floral displays and bug hotel making a great impression on those taking the survey. 70% rated safety in the town as very good/excellent, which is a 3% increase on the initial year's score, which was granted in 2015. The Purple Flag award is a very important tool to attract tourists to the North West town and acts to reassure people considering a visit to Carrick on Shannon. A valuable asset for the businesses of the town, those responsible for winning and retaining the accolade must be commended.

Groarke concedes defeat
Roscommon man John Groarke has conceded defeat in his battle to secure a presidential nomination.The Tulsk farmer spoke to various councils around the country to try to receive their backing, but failed to do so.With that avenue closed, the only remaining way to get his name on the ballot paper is by securing the support of 20 Oireachtas members. But as nominations closed on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Groarke accepted he won’t feature on the ballot paper.

​Hospice cycle postponed
Due to bad weather in the run-up to and a poor forecast for the weekend of the cycle, the organisers decided to cancel the cycle which was due to take place on Sunday the 23rd of September. The event will be rescheduled for a date in October which has yet to be announced. Organisers apologized for any inconvenience caused and hope the event will continue to receive great support.

Feile Strokestown update
On Saturday the 13th of October 2018, accordion classes in Scoil Mhuire Convent of Mercy Strokestown will be provided by Daithi Gormley from 10 am to  1 pm. Described by legendary accordion player Joe Burke as a ‘master musician’, Daithí Gormley is widely regarded as one of the finest button accordion players of his generation. Steeped in the rich musical heritage of his native Sligo, his remarkably accomplished, debut album ‘Fiddling without a Bow – Irish Traditional Music on Button Accordion’ brings an expressive mix of old and new tunes played with an attention to detail conduit to past masters of Irish traditional music.

Elphin Community Centre 
The AGM of Elphin Community & Sports Centre will take place on Thursday the 4th October at 8.30 pm in the centre. Due to work and family commitments, a number of the committee members are stepping down. They have worked hard over the years to ensure the smooth running of the centre and it is hoped that new people will take on with the roles being vacated. The centre is an invaluable asset in the community of Elphin and the committee are appealing for people to join them and help out in any small way that they can. More volunteers are needed to ensure the  continued running of the very successful bingo session on a Monday night. Many hands make little work, and anyone interested in joining is being asked to attend on the night and get involved. The responsibilities of the committee are not over onerous, and they meet up once a month and members of the community are encouraged to not be afraid of getting involved.

Cemetery Committee
The Strokestown Cemetery Committee are currently recording and mapping all grave plots in the local cemetery.  No proper records were kept over the years since the cemetery opened in 1928. There are many unmarked graves and plots. If you own or can identify any of these graves or plots please contact the committee secretary, Eileen Flanagan at (086) 8227226 as soon as possible.

Rathcroghan
The 24th - 25th November 2018 will see the Rathcroghan Visitor Centre in Tulsk present their annual Queen Medh Winter Conference. The conference promotes a unique blend of history, folklore and wellness in an area where people have both  thrived and survived over thousands of years. The two-day event takes place in the surrounds of the ancient royal complex of Cruachan. The event is a forum for interested communities and individuals to access, discuss and engage with the unique environment that nature and our predecessors have left us with.

Carrick Purple Flag
Carrick on Shannon has retained its Purple Flag standard for its evening and night time economy. The Purple Flag standard awarded to towns, similar to the Blue Flag for beaches, aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of town and city centres between the hours of 6 pm and 5 am. Towns awarded Purple Flags are recognised for providing a vibrant mix of entertainment while promoting the safety and well-being of visitors and local residents. Carrick on Shannon was the smallest town in Ireland to achieve this prestigious standard in 2015, and each year the town has to ensure it maintains or improves on the standard achieved. Carrick on Shannon’s Purple Flag Steering Group is comprised of local business, local authority staff, elected members, Tidy Towns and Gardaí. The initiative is funded by the Carrick on Shannon Chamber of Commerce and Leitrim County Council and is coordinated by the Economic Development Unit of Leitrim County Council. A survey which was carried out as part of the renewal process showed that approximately 82% of people think that the daytime offering in Carrick on Shannon is good or very good, while 80% think the night time offer is good or very good. People were also asked to rate different aspects of the town. 70% of respondents felt that the street cleanliness, selection of bars, cafes and restaurants were very good or excellent while the work of the Tidy Towns was acknowledged with the towns floral displays and bug hotel making a great impression on those taking the survey. 70% rated safety in the town as very good/excellent, which is a 3% increase on the initial year's score, which was granted in 2015. The Purple Flag award is a very important tool to attract tourists to the North West town and acts to reassure people considering a visit to Carrick on Shannon. A valuable asset for the businesses of the town, those responsible for winning and retaining the accolade must be commended.

Groarke concedes defeat
Roscommon man John Groarke has conceded defeat in his battle to secure a presidential nomination.The Tulsk farmer spoke to various councils around the country to try to receive their backing, but failed to do so.With that avenue closed, the only remaining way to get his name on the ballot paper is by securing the support of 20 Oireachtas members. But as nominations closed on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Groarke accepted he won’t feature on the ballot paper.

​The motion was debated in the Dáil on the evening of  Tuesday, September 18th. The motion coincided with a protest which was being held outside Leinster House to highlight the issue of rural post office closures. Deputy Murphy and a number of his party colleagues attended the protest.
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 Last week Michael Martin told Shannonside FM that post office closures would not be put forward as a “redline issue” during budget negotiations.  We contacted Deputy Murphy on Monday the 17th of September, asking him if post office closures were a redline issue for him but he refused to answer stating “I will not be making a comment to your publication at this stage”. However, following the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party  meeting that evening, Deputy Murphy went on Shannonside FM to say “I think it is a very important issue for rural Ireland... we have seen it right around us in the counties in the Shannonside region... 

people are concerned… 

my argument all along has been about vulnerable people, older people, people with disabilities, who just may not be able to get any further than a local post office, that is of major concern to me and to the members of the party, so we thought it was only right that we would support this motion, and we will have a motion of our own coming up in the coming weeks as well.”

 Deputy Murphy’s party colleague, Robert Troy TD, told The Strokestown Democrat that he will not be making a red line issue of post office closures, despite being a postmaster in his native Westmeath.  Troy explained that some communities had not supported their local post office, saying “Many people have opted to have welfare payments processed by EFT as opposed to collecting them in the post office.” However, Deputy Troy did explain that he felt where an operator was willing to take on a post office service in an area when one was due to close, that they should be facilitated by government. When asked would he take down the government if this was not the case he said “Would I pull down the government on a single issue? No, that is no way to govern.” This publication finds it curious that an opposition TD actually considers his decisions to equate to governance?

 Sligo-Leitrim TD, Mark McSharry failed to acknowledge our request for comment but is on the record in August as having said "The Government are expecting Fianna Fail to facilitate the passage of a budget in October. If this is to happen we need to see a full reversal of Fine Gael's latest plan to shut down rural Ireland.” The comments were made during the fall out from the announcement of post office closures. The Fianna Fail TD has stated that the re-opening of post offices should be a condition of his party supporting October's budget.

 Following his Shannonside FM announcement and with the balance of power on a knife edge, Deputy Murphy now finds himself in a strong position.  This could well be the Deputy’s defining moment.  Deputy Murphy has now taken the lead on this issue within Fianna Fáil and the fate of rural post offices rests in his hands. While Deputy Murphy is not alone on this issue, he will require real resolve and conviction to follow through with his commitments to the people of rural Ireland.

 All it would take to force the hand of government on a matter of this nature would be for two Fianna Fail TD’s to threaten to vote against the upcoming budget and mean it. Undoubtedly, the government cannot afford to lose the support of any Fianna Fail TD’s, as it only holds its majority voting position if all Fianna Fail TD’s abstain. It would appear that despite Michael Martin’s stated position, that Deputy Murphy is preparing to finally put it up to the hierarchy within Fianna Fail, to ensure that the post office issue is placed firmly on the agenda during the budget negotiations, but we must wait and see. The time for sabre rattling and empty gestures has long since passed and Deputy Murphy may single handedly be able to steer Fianna Fáil in a direction which may prevent it becoming completely irrelevant in the Irish body politic.  

By taking a strong position now, Eugene Murphy would fast become a household name in rural Ireland, and the prospect of a run for the European elections, in June 2019, may well be on the cards. 

An Bord Pleanála has refused planning permission for a takeaway in Strokestown, despite Roscommon County Council giving the go-ahead for the new fast-food outlet.
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Imran Hussain was originally granted permission to change the use of a vacant two-storey building in Church Street to a takeaway restaurant. The property was previously in use as a butcher shop. Although the local authority granted permission, an appeal was lodged against their decision to An Bord Pleanála. The appellant argued the town was saturated with such outlets, with five takeaways and three restaurants, and claimed the new business would impact on existing ones. The planning inspector in An Bord Pleanala said that while there were a number of takeaways in Strokestown, there wasn’t such saturation as to warrant a refusal of permission on those grounds alone. They did, however, recommend turning the application down due to the impact late-night noise from the takeaway might have on homes in the area. The inspector noted that the main pubs, cafes, and takeaways in Strokestown are located primarily in Elphin Street and Bridge Street, which are zoned core town centre, while the site which was the subject of the appeal is located on Church Street which is zoned peripheral town centre.

Last week saw the people of Strokestown reminded that they are not insulated from the darker elements of modern society. A spate of break-ins and burglaries in the town put everyone in the North East Roscommon town on the high alert. 
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There are reports that on the same evening that a business was broken into on Bridge Street, with a jar of coins, amounting to about €50, being stolen, and that two other residential premises were broken into on the north side of the town.  It is understood that both premises were unoccupied at the time of the break-ins. Gardaí have been seeking information from the public about a car that may have been involved in the incidences. Members of the public are being urged to come forward who might have seen a dark-coloured Audi which they believe may have been involved in the crimes. It is understood that the partial registration of the suspect vehicle is 05-LK. Gardaí believe the car may also be connected with other incidents of criminality in the region. The series of crimes has left the vulnerable, in the tight-knit Roscommon community, shaken. In a town, that not too long ago, saw residents leave doors open overnight, elderly and vulnerable people lock their doors twenty-four-seven. They live in fear, afraid to open their front doors to visitors. The recent series of break-ins also saw voyeuristic behaviour by suspicious individuals in the area with multiple reports of strangers peering into peoples houses.