Local
Bowling for Hope set for this Friday
An innovative fundraiser aimed at tackling childhood poverty in one of the world’s poorest regions, is to take place in Longford town this Friday.
Memorial Mass celebrated in council chamber
It was a sad and poignant afternoon last Wednesday at council headquarters in Longford town where a special Mass was held to remember the late Cllr Paddy Belton (FG) who died suddenly last month at the age of 68.
‘Decent, harworking and kind’ Paddy Belton remembered by colleagues
“Decent, hardworking and honest” - these were among the many words reiterated by councillors during their tribute to the late Cllr Paddy Belton (FG) whose sudden death last month brought an air of genuine sadness to the council chamber last Wednesday, where this month’s meeting was cancelled as a mark of respect to the popular and much loved local area representative in Kenagh.
Speculation mounts over vacancy
Speculation is mounting in south Longford this week over who will take the seat on Longford County Council, which was occupied for sixteen years by Cllr Paddy Belton (FG) - whose untimely death last month sent shockwaves throughout the community.
Ballooning gala set for Ballymahon
Tomorrow (Thursday) sees the start of a four day International Ballooning Festival in Ballymahon.
Longford author on the rise
Alan McMonagle from Longford has been receiving great acclaim for his writing, both at home and internationally. The poet, playwright and short fiction writer from College Park has received awards from the Professional Artists Retreat, the Fundacion Valparaiso, the Banff Centre for Creativity and the Arts Council of Ireland. The writer, who is a son of Seamus and Jean, also received his MA in Writing from NUI Galway in 2007.
Chamber president on Prime Time
There was a familiar face among the studio audience on RTE’s Prime Time Programme last night, in the form of Longford Chamber of Commerce President Seamus Butler.
Announcement on new bishop expected
Despite the fact that Dr Colm O’Reilly is ready to leave his position as Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, having sent his letter of resignation to Pope Benedict nearly two years ago, the Catholic Bishop’s Office has confirmed that Pope Francis has yet to finalise details in relation to the Bishop’s retirement.
Longford actor’s promising career is no Stalemate
Longford actor Jamie McClean is set to play one of the lead roles in the Backstage Theatre’s Canal Studio production of ‘Stalemate’ – a new play written and directed by the theatre’s artist-in-residence, Seamus O’Rourke. The production, is currently being rehearsed ahead of its debut at Backstage this Thursday, May 16, after which the crew will embark on a nationwide tour.
Longford man honoured by GAA in NYC
Joe Prunty, who is originally from Ballincurry in Drumlish, was the guest of honour at the New York GAA annual dinner in New York City recently – an acknowledgement of his many years of service to the sport for expats living in the Big Apple.
Longford comic reaches UK final
Longford comedian Conor Neville has reached the final of the Chortle Student Comedy Awards at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, after making it through the Dublin heat and the semi-final, which was held in Manchester last weekend.
E500,00 grant to overhaul Granard library facilities
The Government has sanctioned €500,000 for the proposed upgrade of Granard Town’s library facilities, it was announced this week.
Planning granted for new classrooms in local schools
Longford VEC has been granted planning permission to construct new classrooms and associated facilities at two of its vocational schools, with construction work due to begin over the coming months.
Static cycle raises €5,000 for Granard’s Lourdes Invalid Fund
A static cycle to raise some much needed cash for the local Lourdes Invalid Fund brought the entire community together in Granard recently.
Paper Preview: May 17 video
A look at some of the main stories in this week’s edition of the Longford Leader.
Investigation into Edgeworthstown fire
Gardai investigating a suspected arson attack in Edgeworthstown earlier this week are confident of making a significant breakthrough over the coming days.
Homeowners warned against leaving valuables on display
Gardai have warned homeowners to guard against leaving valuable household items on display after three houses inside the same estate were ransacked within hours of each other.
Community and Voluntary Forum AGM
The Co Longford Community and Voluntary Forum’s Annual General Meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 21 at 8pm in the EDI Centre, Mastertech Business Park, Athlone Road, Longford. This year’s keynote speakers will be a Crime Prevention Officer and a Drugs Officer from An Garda Siochana.
Free hearing clinic
A mobile hearing clinic operated by Hidden Hearing will visit Edgeworthstown this Saturday, May 18. The state-of-the-art clinic will be staffed by highly-trained experts and will offer hearing screenings free of charge, and features testing equipment which can pinpoint exactly what frequencies a person is missing.
Meeting adjourned as mark of respect to Cllr Belton
The monthly meeting of Longford County Council members is to be adjourned today (Wednesday) as a mark of respect to the late Cllr Paddy Belton (FG) who died suddenly last month.
Town Council’s €66k judgement against Reynolds
Longord Town Council has registered a judgement of over e60,000 against the brother of former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, newly released figures show.
Ballymahon man dies in road traffic accident
The local community in Ballymahon was in shock at the weekend as news spread that a man who lived in the area had died in a road accident early last Saturday morning.
Young virtuoso set for St John’s concert
Peter Regan from Lanesboro will be at the centre of a special evening of classical piano music at St John’s Church in Longford Town on Friday next, May 24. The special event will also feature a performance from the internationally-acclaimed pianist John O’Conor, while violinist Phoebe White will also provide accompaniment on the night.
Taoiseach’s praise for Job Shadow initiative
A north Longford woman received praise from An Taoiseach Enda Kenny for her work with people who have disabilities in the county. Aughnacliffe’s Teresa Mallon who is chairperson of the Irish Association of Supported Employment (IASE) was in Dáil Eireann to meet with Mr Kenny recently when the organisation to which she is affiliated to, helped to organise a national day of awareness – Job Shadow Day - aimed at promoting employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Inquiry continues into fire
Gardai have made progress in the investigation into a fire which broke out in Edgeworthstown earlier this week.
Armed man raids local bookmakers
Two men and a woman arrested over an armed robbery at a bookmakers in Edgeworthstown over the weekend, have been released without charge.
Kilgefin parish priest named Bishop of Kerry
Fr Raymond Browne of Kilgefin parish in Co Roscommon, which takes in Ballyleague, Ballagh and Curraghroe, has been appointed the new Bishop of Kerry by His Holiness, Pope Francis.
Meeting hears of ongoing illegal dumping problem
“We have a very dirty county and I would encourage people to report those who are caught dumping”, Cllr Tom Victory (FF) fumed during a recent monthly meeting of Longford County Council.
Old swimming pool to be demolished
It was announced at a recent meeting of Longford Town Council that the old swimming pool located in the Market Square is to be demolished at a cost of €60,000 to the local authority.
Supporters club chairman recalls Fergie’s Longford visit
As news broke this week that Sir Alex Ferguson intends to step down as manager of Manchester United later this month after 26 years in charge of the world’s most famous football team, Padraig Carberry of the Longford branch of the Manchester United Supporters Club recalled the Scotsman’s visit to the local area in 2001.
Mayor says Town Council won’t turn out the lights
Longford Town Mayor, Peggy Nolan has reacted to rumours that the local authority could be prepared to switch off street lighting in certain areas of the town. A proposal was recently put before the Town Council which recommended the move as a cost-cutting measure.
Gardai investigate malicious Edgeworthstown fire
GARDAI are following a definite line of inquiry following a malicious fire that broke out at the rear of a residential area in Edgeworthstown last night.
Cathedral remains on target for 2014
There was a large turnout in the parochial centre in St Mel’s College for the signing of contract documents signalling the commencement of work on St Mel’s Cathedral. The Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois Colm O’Reilly said that the efforts to date had now come to fruition: “Much time has been invested since then [the fire] in order to ensure that our planning and preparation process befits this enormous structural project.”
‘Darkness into Light’ walk for suicide awarness
The Darkness into Light walk which is supported nationwide by Electric Ireland is taking place on the May 11 next at 4am in Belvedere House, Mullingar. The event aims to create awareness around suicide and to remember those who have died by suicide in Ireland.
Practice makes perfect
A Lanesboro teenager is currently making waves in the world of classical music. Peter Regan from Rockwood already has a number of high profile performances under his belt in Ireland and across Europe.
Plans for Connolly Barracks as site falls into disrepair
The announcement last week by Longford Town Council that it is to restore a number of cottages on the site of Connolly Barracks was met with mixed reaction from members of the town authority.
Aughnacliffe man played key role in Thatcher protests
Aughnacliffe native Jim Curran was a key figure in the protests surrounding the recent death of Margaret Thatcher.
Editorial: Saving the local post office
This weekend’s Irish Postmasters’ Union Annual Conference once again shone a light on the dire challenges faced by management and staff at hundreds of post offices in Ireland today. The IPU is claiming that the new tender from the Department of Social Protection to be released next week will effectively force people into having their social welfare payments paid directly into bank accounts. The IPU says that this will cut post offices out of the equation, threatening the network’s survival.
Town Hall funding sought
During a recent meeting of Longford Co Council, local area representative for the Granard area, Cllr PJ Reilly (FF) put forward a notice of motion in respect of the Granard Library and Town Hall building.
Ballymahon library was not prioritised over Granard says local councillor
A Longford County Councillor has moved to quash rumours that local authority officials gave priority to the refurbishment of Ballymahon Library instead of its opposite number in Granard town, writes Liam Cosgrove.
Cavan garda defends whistleblowing actions
The Cavan based Garda who resigned after disclosing details of penalty point retractions that prompted an official inquiry into its handling has this week launched a robust defence of his actions.
Lanesboro man on Countdown
Alan Flanagan from Lanesboro appeared as a contestant on the popular UK television game show ‘Countdown’, which was broadcast on Channel 4 last week.
Local author’s Eurovision book
Johnny Fallon, a political analyst and author from Newtowncashel, has co-written ‘The Eurovision 2013 Handbook’ – an eBook containing analysis on each entry in this year’s competition, including detailed assessments of voting patterns.
Lucky Duck!
Hannabal Hayes, a 12-year-old drake belonging to Radio DJ M.C. Hardcastle has made a miraculous recovery after an accident that threatened his life.
Kenny to unveil MacEoin statue
Taoiseach Enda Kenny will be the star guest next month as preparations get underway to mark the fortieth anniversary of the death of General Sean MacEoin.
All set for Longford Fleadh Cheoil 2013 heading
The 2013 Fleadh Cheoil, Contae Longfoirt looks set to get underway in Ballinalee this coming weekend. The Fleadh will be hosted by the Longford branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCE), a group dedicated to promoting Irish music and culture.
In full voice
Preparations are currently underway for Longford County Choir’s eagerly anticipated first concert of 2013. The upcoming performance will take place in St Mel’s Cathedral Centre, Longford on Sunday, May 26 at 7pm sharp and is sure to appeal to a wide ranging audience. A varied repertoire is planned for the evening, with the main work being ‘The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace’ by Karl Jenkins.
Town council has 12 projects in pipeline
Longford Town Council announced last week that it is to restore a number of cottages on the site of Connolly Barracks. The town authority also indicated its intention to engage in a further 11 infrastructural projects before town council’s are abolished in mid 2014.Included in the plan of action is an additional car park at St Mel’s Cathedral and the redevelopment of the junction at the site. Out of €1.4m set aside for the projects, €183,000 has also been allocated for the purchase of additional land at the Mall Complex in the heart of Longford town, while €158,000 will be spent upgrading the footpaths along the town’s main thoroughfare.
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Weather for Longford, Ireland
Thursday 23 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 5 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 4 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North
