Munnelly elected chairman of Mayo VEC

Mon, Feb 01, 2010

At last week’s meeting of County Mayo VEC, Fine Gael councillor Jarlath Munnelly was elected chairman. Cllr Munnelly, who comes from Killala, will hold the position for the next five years.

Retention of Ballina fishery office confirmed

Mon, Feb 01, 2010

Fine Gael Leader Enda Kenny TD has welcomed confirmation from the Department of Communication, Energy and Natural Resources that the offices of the North West and Western Regional Fisheries offices will remain open.

Forced emigration a reality in Mayo — Kenny

Mon, Feb 01, 2010

“Forced emigration is again a reality in County Mayo for an entire young generation.” This was stated by the Fine Gael Leader Enda Kenny TD when speaking at the AGM of the Kiltimagh/Craggagh branch of Fine Gael on Monday night.

Mayo students to view graphic road safety film

Mon, Feb 01, 2010

A graphic film highlighting the dangers of texting while driving, produced for the Gwent police in the UK force with film-maker Peter Watkins Hughes, has become an internet hit across the globe. Although people are aware of the laws against driving while using a mobile phone, many still are not aware of the dangers of texting while driving, an offence in Ireland since July 16 2006. The film seeks to highlight this to dramatic effect as it follows fictional schoolgirl girl Cassie Cowan, nicknamed Cow. She and her friends are involved in a horrific car crash after she loses concentration behind the wheel while texting. A four-minute taster clip of the film, generally known as COW, has been seen by millions of viewers on YouTube, and has gained global attention.

Achill sewerage scheme almost complete

Mon, Feb 01, 2010

The news that the Achill Sound Sewerage scheme is almost complete and should be open by the summer was greeted with delight at the Belmullet electoral area meeting this week. The members were told that the work was currently about 85 per cent complete, that all the pipes should be laid by March, that four of the five pumping stations were under advanced stages of construction, and the treatment plant is coming along well.

New multi-sports facility mooted for Belmullet

Mon, Feb 01, 2010

The news of a potential new outdoor multi sports facility in Belmullet was greeted warmly by the members of the Belmullet electoral area committee this week. “We have identified the potential of having a multi sports facility at the civic centre in Belmullet,” senior staff officer for Mayo County Council Padraig Brogan told the meeting. “We are looking at developing it along with the Erris No Name Club who have been very active in the area over the past number of years and have won a lot of awards for their work. The cost of the facility would be in the region of €180,000 and we are working in conjunction with them to apply for funding. We are ready to go to part eight on this, but it all depends on funding to make it possible.” Mr Brogan said the outdoor multi sports facility will also have a roof to help protect it from the elements, and it will be located on the site of the civic centre beside the play ground and tennis court that exist on the site already.

Councillor pleads for second chance for Binghamstown application

Mon, Feb 01, 2010

Fine Gael Councillor Gerry Coyle pleaded with the planning section of Mayo County Council to have a second look at a planning application before refusing it, at the Belmullet electoral area meeting this week.

Retailers must play their part in keeping Castlebar tidy - Deere

Mon, Feb 01, 2010

Fine Gael town councillor and member of the Castlebar Tidy Towns committee Ger Deere has called on businesses that provide catalogues to do so by the request of consumers. This comes as a result of an un-named business in the Castlebar Quarter shopping district leaving catalogues outside for customers to pick up, but which subsequently have been discarded outside neighbouring businesses.

Fragile state of Irish language to be addressed in range of courses

Mon, Feb 01, 2010

The Linguistic Study of the Use of Irish in the Gaeltacht, published in 2002, focused attention on the fragile state of Irish as the community language of the Gaeltacht and of the need for emergency measures to protect and strengthen it.

Man pleads guilty to sex assaults in Mayo and Leitrim

Mon, Feb 01, 2010

A man has been remanded in custody pending sentence after he admitted to anally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Mayo and in Leitrim five years ago.

Give back voting rights to Irish emigrants

Mon, Feb 01, 2010

A chara,
I would like to draw the attention of your readers to an important issue affecting many families in Ireland today, emigration, which is heartbreaking for emigrants and their families alike. To add insult to injury, Irish emigrants cannot at this time vote in any elections or referendums, a right which is taken away from them by the difficulty they find themselves in and through no fault of their own.