Dromahair Arts & Recreation Centre - Is Féidir Linn

The proposed new Dromahair Arts & Recreation Centre

There was a large turnout for the DARC meeting last night in the Blue Devon. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Gerry Ballantine, with committee members Jim Meehan, Eileen Clinton and Mary Gordon also attending. DARC is the group which is aiming to develop the current Dromahair Park facility into a multi-purpose sports and recreational complex. Set up in April 2010 this dynamic group has to date secured the purchase of land adjacent to the existing Park and obtained planning permission for re-development to include a multi-surfaced sports area, training pitch, playground, outdoor gym and a walkway/running track. It has raised in excess of €50,000 by means of a scrap metal collection, and plans to raise considerably more to complete the project.

After Gerry Ballantine opened the meeting, Tara Neimeyer, Rory Kelly, Bernie McBride, Tom Cullen and Mary Ellen Ward spoke of their reasons for supporting the Park's development. These included the needs locally for a children's playground, for facilities for GAA players to train and play, for a track where athletes could train, for somewhere safe for older members of our community to exercise, for dog-walking facilities and for a place where young people could channel their energies. This would be an amenity for all of us, young and old, GAA or soccer or tennis playing, with children or without. A facility owned by the community for the benefit of all its members.

Gerry Ballantine and Jim Meehan explained that although applications for significant grant funding have been made to various bodies, including the Sports Council and Leitrim Development Company, there will be a shortfall in the region of €250,000, which will have to be raised by the community of Dromahair. Doctor Ballantine stressed that although planning permission has been granted, it is no guarantee of delivery. He said that the project would live or die with the wishes of the people. If the community does not get involved Dr. Ballantine does not believe the facility can be delivered. He fervently believes however that Dromahair needs this facility to cater for the physical and mental health and welfare of our village now and in the future. What we do here, he said, will impact on generations to come.

With strong emphasis on the point that the proposed DARC facility is not a luxury, but a necessity, and with an awareness of the austerity affecting people's lives at present, Gerry Ballantine expressed his conviction that a community can develop with a focal point such as this. If we believe in it, people will find a way of raising funds. Accordingly it is hoped to begin fundraising with door-to-door collections commencing in the next month.

Local councillor John McTiernan spoke of his support for the project and paid tribute to the committee for their hard work in getting things this far. He said he was confident of the group's securing grant aid. This was a view echoed by Senator Michael Comiskey who also pledged his full support.

The bottom line at the meeting however was all about money. Jim Meehan makes no bones about it: this will be an expensive project, but worth it. As Gerry Ballantine asked, would you pay a week's wages to have a facility such as this on your doorstep? Various questions and suggestions came from the assembled audience: How much will each household be expected to contribute? There is no fixed amount, but realistically the average appears to be in the region of €300 - €500. This is not a tax however, and people are free to contribute as much or as little as they see fit, in complete confidence. Can payment be made on a phased basis? Jim explained that the committee would prefer to have the money "up-front" and so avoid bridging finance charges, but would be willing to accept payments in any possible manner. Has corporate sponsorship or individual sponsorship been considered? What about selling naming rights to the Park? Has the group thought of harnessing the goodwill of Dromahair natives abroad? The committee is open to any and all suggestions.

Concerns were raised about charitable status for the group, as tax relief could make corporate donations more attractive. This apparently is already in train. Margaret Sharkey also raised the issue of the timing of Leader funding, which gives somes urgency to the fundraising. A suggestion was made about setting up a website with a Paypal account for making payment directly to the DARC bank account. The formation of a special fundraising committee, separate to the existing finance committee was mooted. 

In conclusion, Gerry Ballantine said it was his belief that the funds required could not be raised through lots of small events, and had to come directly from the community. The committee has worked tirelessly for the past two years and is in danger of suffering fatigue if progress is not made quickly. Therefore it is vital that the community row in behind the DARC group. Tom Cullen said we should be far more positive. We must do it. Ger Kelly cited the recent Demons Festival, where community groups worked, as she put it, supporting each other and supporting ourselves. She exhorted us to remember: Is Féidir Linn.

So can we do it? I believe Dromahair would suffer if this facility were not provided. I believe we have to have it, for our children and for their children. Therefore we have to find the money to pay for it. Times are tough but as the good Doctor says, this is not a luxury. We have to dig deep, for an extremely worthy cause, for our community, close to home. As Tom Cullen said: we must. As Ger Kelly said: we can.

The Diary will be publishing the bank account details for the Dromahair Arts & Recreation Centre in the next day or two, for anyone, home or abroad, who wishes to make a donation.

Focus on Business: Blume Design House

Tucked away behind the hills which look down on Parke's Castle and Lough Gill is a pretty trout fishing lake called Doon Lough. Nestled on its idyllic shores is the home of Leitrim's very own Bloom Gold Medal winner, Leonie Cornelius. Leonie will be familiar to TV viewers as the winner of RTE's Super Garden series. Her design entitled "Cookie and Cream's Reclaimed Sanctuary" (right) was also adjudged Best in Category (Medium Garden) at Bloom 2012.

So just who is this green-fingered genius living amongst us? Well, Leonie Cornelius was born in Monchen-gladbach in Northern Germany. When she was 8 years old her parents, Wilhelm Bodewigs and Gilla Cornelius, decided to move their family to Ireland. Leonie grew up on the shores of Doon Lough and attended Sligo I.T., where she earned a higher degree in Interior Architectural Design. A move to Bray in County Wicklow followed, where Leonie worked on some small interior projects. The birth of her son Armando, now 5 years old, caused her to re-think her career plans and she returned home to Leitrim 4 years ago. She now lives and works in a cottage just along the lakeside avenue from her parents' home.

Leonie celebrates her win at Bloom 2012

It was Leonie's mother Gilla, a psychotherapist with the Sligo Rape Crisis Centre, who spotted the prospectus for the distance-learning garden design course which would be pivotal in determining her daughter's career path.  When Leonie graduated in December 2011 she applied to be interviewed for a TV gardening show in London. The producers there suggested she apply to RTE's Super Garden programme. Leonie duly applied, was interviewed and selected and the rest, as they say, is history. Work on the programme began in April of this year, with Leonie being set the task of designing a garden for the Flynn family of Tonaphubble, Sligo. Five gruelling weeks later, the garden was complete, and at an adjudication ceremony in Russborough House, Co. Wicklow, Leonie was crowned Super Garden Champion for 2012.

There was no time to rest on her laurels however, and almost before the bubbles had popped in the celebratory champagne it was off to the Phoenix Park to recreate the garden for the prestigious Bloom 2012 show. Once again Leonie's design caught the eye of the judges, and she was awarded a Gold medal and also scooped the Best in Category award.

So, what was it that made Leonie's design so attractive and popular?  Her philosophy is to have "Nature and Architecture working in perfect harmony" and draws on "natural prairie planting styles as well as clear architectural lines and symmetries" to create ethically sustainable designs which work well both inside and out. She works closely with her clients, preferring not to impose her ideas, as in the case of her award winning design for which the brief was a "party garden and family hangout space". She cites her inspirations as many and varied, but mentions the work of Piet Oudolf (oudolf.com) and Tadao Audo. She is also influenced by her father Wilhelm, who is an expert in ecologically sound building methods.

The past six months have been hectic for Leonie, who freely admits that she was thrown in at the deep end with the Super Garden project and found the experience at times terrifying, at others shattering, but ultimately rewarding. Nonetheless she has not taken a rest since Bloom ended. She continues to work as usual from her small office in Sligo, and from home in Doon Lough, juggling a busy career with the demands of motherhood. She plans to enter a garden for Bloom 2013, but as yet has no plans for Chelsea for the next year or two, preferring to do things "slowly and properly". Leonie is a perfectionist you see, and it shows.

Leonie's Blume Design House has been inundated with offers of work as a result of the exposure the Super Garden and Bloom wins have brought, and her design diary is booked solid for the next three months. Even so, she is in talks with the trustees of the Alfred Beit Foundation, having been approached to "do something" within the gardens of Russborough House. After this, she says, she will take a holiday. I suspect she will need it!

Blume Design House, The Stables, Doonlough, Fivemilebourne, Co. Leitrim.

Tel: 087-7552159     Email: info@blume.ie     Website: www.blume.ie

For anyone who cares to leave a comment about this article - Leonie Cornelius has very generously agreed to sponsor a prize of one hour of free garden design consultation for what is deemed (by the Editor) to be the best comment.

We have a Winner!

We have a winner for the best comment posted on our article "Focus on Business: Gillmor's"

This came from Tom McBride;

Be it a mat for your dirty old floor, or a fancy bell for the door.
You can surely rely on oul' John Gillmor.

We'll be in touch with Tom today about his prize!

SONS.ie Cultural Festival

The Save Our National Schools campaign is holding a cultural festival event in Dublin on 4th July in support of the Educational Bill Amendment. More information is available at www.sons.ie, where there is a petition to sign, or at www.facebook.com/sonsc. 

Carrie's Cat comes home

A copy of Carrie McDaid's prize-winning poem was yesterday presented to Dromahair Library, where it will hang in pride of place.  Carrie (10) won the inaugural Hawk's Well Theatre's children's poetry competition, entitled "The Cat and the Moon", earlier this month and was presented with her prize by Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts on June 13th in a ceremony at Drumcliffe.

Carrie with her winning poem

 

Carrie with Georgina Oates, our new librarian

Carrie with younger sister Ella

Green Flag No.3 for Drumlease N.S.

Drumlease National School yesterday held its third Green Flag raising ceremony, having qualified under the Green Schools international environmental education programme in the area of Water Conservation. The previous two flags were awarded for Litter & Waste Management and Energy Conservation. The ceremony was attended by the entire student body, by parents and by Father John McTiernan as head of the Board of Management, Councillors John McTiernan and Mary Bohan, and Lisa McDaniel of An Taisce. Lisa was effusive in her praise for the efforts of the pupils and the Green Schools Committee, which have resulted in a reduction of 86% in the school's metered water consumption. The flag was raised by Sophie Davis and Lisa McGourty, respectively the oldest and youngest pupils attending Drumlease, after a water-themed fancy dress parade in the school yard. The ceremony was followed by a science demonstration in the school's GP room.

Weed and Feed

By now, your containers and hanging baskets should be coming along nicely.  To keep them looking their best you need to make sure they are kept watered and fed.  Hanging baskets need extra help.  A lot is expected from them, suspended in a basket, battered by wind and rain and fried by the sun.  Even if it has been raining, make sure you water baskets and containers thoroughly, the rain does not always get down past the foliage.  They need extra nutrients in the form of liquid feeds to keep them in tip top condition, but what cost do your liquid feeds come at?  By using vast amounts of fossil fuels and using something called the Haber-Bosch process, liquid nitrogen is produced.  This is not really very sustainable and is it worth using something so wasteful of precious resources on flowers?  There is a solution; you can easily make your own liquid feed from a special plant and garden weeds.

There is a plant that you can grow in the garden that will provide you with liquid feed for life.  It is called comfrey.  It loves damp, rich soil; you often find it growing near rivers and streams.  A note of caution though, do not be tempted to plant wild comfrey or other types of Russian Comfrey, it will quickly seed around and become very invasive.  There is a cultivar of Russian Comfrey called Bocking 14; it’s very well behaved as it doesn’t make seed.  The only way to propagate it is by dividing and replanting pieces of root.  This would be the only form I would advise to plant.  You can check on the internet for stockists.  If you decide to plant some, prepare a site and dig in plenty of organic matter as it this will help it to establish well and produce lots of leaves.  This is quite a permanent planting, if you need to move it you should be aware that any pieces left in the ground can re-grow, but it is an attractive plant.  An established clump can be cut up to five times a year.

Comfrey in flower

To make a liquid feed manufacturing plant you will need a bucket with a good sized hole drilled into it, or you could use a large flower pot.  Stand the pot on top of some bricks and pop a container underneath that is large enough to catch the black liquid that is going to drip out.  You are going to need something to press the leaves down and I use a bucket or pot filled with rocks and stones that will fit inside the large pot.  You are now ready to start making your own liquid feed.

Simple comfrey manufacturing plant

It is best to use young leaves: once plants start flowering, all the energy is lost from the leaves. Stuff harvested leaves into your bucket, chopping them up a bit will speed the process, put the weight on top and wait.  As the leaves start to wilt and compress down, you can add more to the bucket.  I like to add other sorts of plant material that I feel are of benefit.  Young stinging nettles are good; they contain silica which is ideal for plant strength.  Dock leaves, chickweed and the tops of horsetail can all be used, so even if you have no comfrey you can utilise any weeds, particularly young ones.  Every now and again, I scrape out the broken down plant material and start again.  The resultant goo can be added to your compost heap if you have one.  You can bottle your liquid feed until you need to use it and then dilute it 1 part feed to 20 parts water. So there you have it, a useful way to deal with weeds and a by product that doesn’t cost the earth.

If you have any questions or tips and advice you can contact me on cottagegardenerdromahair@gmail.com

DARC Newsletter

Check out the first issue of the DARC newsletter, which should be in your letterboxes soon.

And don't forget the public information meeting on Friday at 9.30pm, Blue Devon function room.

Rain? What rain?

Rain definitely did not stop play on Saturday in Dromahair. Our village showed just what community spirit is all about as we laughed, sang, played, paraded and danced in the streets. Check out the slideshow on the right. More pictures will be added as they come in. If you have any to add, email dromahairdiary@gmail.com

A rare specimen at the plant stall

DARC Meeting

There will be a public information meeting regarding progress to date of Dromahair's Art and Recreation Centre and details of plans in the Blue Devon Function Room on Friday 29th of June 2012 at 9.30 pm sharp. 

 

 

Dromahair likes the Devon

We have a result in our poll on the Blue Devon.

We asked you: What do you think of the Blue Devon's new colour scheme?

We received 29 votes: 24 Likes and 5 Don't Likes

So it's official - Dromahair likes the Blue Devon!

Now that Ireland's Euro 2012 odyssey is over we hope that Marti will keep the flag flying for Laura Reynolds, Colin Griffin, Katie Taylor and all Ireland's Olympic hopefuls.

Good Luck Diarmuid and James

As the village gears up for a day of festival fun and frolics, spare a thought for Diarmuid Giblin and James Clinton who are competing this morning in the Athletics Ireland Juvenile National U10 60 metres final this morning, having qualified in style at the Connacht Championships in Galway a fortnight ago. Talented athletes who took Silver in the U9 final last year, the boys travelled to Cork last night as their race is scheduled for 10.30 am today. Good luck boys!

The Duck has Landed!

The Dromahair Duck arrived in the village this evening carrying the Olympic Flame to kick off this year's Demons Festival in style. Various intrepid cyclists and foot-soldiers met at the Depot at 5.30pm and made their way up to Lough Nahoo to witness the spectacle of the Duck punting his way across the lake. Several attempts were made to capture our elusive feathered friend but he made his escape, this time on a bicycle, and was last seen heading towards the Woodview Inn bearing his precious cargo. No doubt he will surface again before the weekend is out.......

Vacancy at Dromahair National Monuments Depot

Spotted today on the OPW website:

VACANCY FOR A PART-TIME STOREKEEPER CLERK GRADE 1
AT DROMAHAIR NATIONAL MONUMENTS DEPOT, CO. LEITRIM

Full details here.

Focus on Business: Gillmor's

After the painters had finished in my house some years ago, I was faced with the problem of those annoying little specks of paint on the window glass. I knew just the thing to remove them - a bohemian blade. What's that? A bohemian blade is a one-sided razor blade which is as useful as a small saucepan. It's the sort of thing which every general grocery shop would have stocked 50 years ago, but not so easy to find now. Anyway, I popped down to Gillmor's and asked John if he had such a thing. "I think I have some around somewhere" came the answer, and indeed he had. You see, Gillmor's is that sort of shop. It stocks all the things you expect it to stock, and quite a number of things you probably didn't expect at all.  

The Gillmor family has been in Dromahair since the 1700s. Thought to have originated in Scotland, they came to Ireland before emigrating to America and finally returning to settle in Dromahair. Originally farmers, they have been in the general grocery trade here in the village for more than two centuries. The business began with John Gillmor's great-great-grandfather on the corner of Market street, not in the familiar Main Street location we all know today, which was started by Stuart J. Gillmor, grandfather of John. 

Leitrim Observer 6th Sept 1913

Over the years the Gillmors have dealt in a wide variety of stock, from groceries, drapery, homewares, animal feedstuffs, fuel and hardware to White Star and Cunard Line tickets. Many of those U.S. immigrants arriving at Ellis Island in the earlier part of the last century had purchased their tickets at S.J. Gillmor, Dromahair. There was also the bakery, which was run by Stuart Gillmor until the 1920s. Deliveries were originally horse-drawn, then motorised in the petrol age, although as this clipping (left) from the Leitrim Observer shows, the horse could at times prove more reliable. 

The advent of the motor car affected the Gillmor family in more ways than one. John tells the tale of his grandfather, Stuart, who decided to take the wheel for the first time while returning from a funeral in Riverstown with his son Alfie (John's father). Alfie became concerned that the vehicle was too close to the edge of the bog road, and mentioned this to his father who promptly swung the wheel and tipped the car off the road and over into the bog. Later he explained that he thought cars were steered like boats, by turning the wheel in the opposite direction to the preferred one. The car was pulled out of the bog by other travellers returning from the funeral, but was badly damaged., and had to be taken to Sligo the following day for repairs. Before these could take place though, the damage was spotted by RIC officers who decided Stuart Gillmor (who was not carrying the correct permit for his vehicle) must have been involved in an ambush, and threw the unfortunate man in jail! There he languished for almost a week, until a family friend arranged his release.

Stuart J. Gillmor and family

Not all of the Gillmor family has been involved in the retail trade. John's uncles, Donald and Hubert, both became veterinary surgeons in Scotland. Donald was based in Glasgow, after a spell serving in the armed forces in Mesopotamia. Hubert settled in Ayr and was at one time chief veterinary officer for the famous Harringay Arena, original home of the Horse of the Year Show. John's brother Des is a retired Professor of Geography from Trinity College Dublin. In the younger generation, Kelvin Gillmor is an award-winning photographer based in Galway.

John & Joyce Gillmor under their new sign

Gillmor's has survived in Dromahair for more than 200 years, through the War of Independence and the Civil War, and through two World Wars. Vernon still has the ration books which were issued to local people during WW2 or the "Emergency" as it was called in this country. It has survived the depression of the 1930s and the economic highs and lows of two centuries. The current recession has seen an unprecedented collapse of the construction trade, which of course has had an effect on "Gillmor's Yard", the heavy hardware side of the business. Increased competition from the bigger grocery chains, or multiples, is another factor which has made trading conditions difficult for independent retailers like Gillmor's. Make no mistake though, Gillmor's will survive this recession as it has all others.

Vernon, John, Joyce & Kelvin Gillmor

What keeps Gillmor's going, and what makes it different, is a family tradition spanning six generations. Vernon now manages the business begun by his great-great-great-grandfather, and is not, the ladies of Dromahair will be delighted to hear, thinking of emigrating, contrary to rumour. These days the trade consists mostly of groceries, fuel, homewares and light hardware/DIY supplies. There is a staff of 8, covering the shop and the yard. There is also a delivery service, for both fuel and groceries. If there's something you need and can't find, ask! Vernon or John will be happy to order in anything that is not immediately available. And bohemian blades? I asked John yesterday: he thinks he has some around somewhere.

Gillmor's, Main Street, Dromahair.  071-9164118

For anyone who cares to leave a comment about this article - John & Vernon Gillmor have very generously agreed to sponsor a prize for what is deemed (by the Editor) to be the best comment.

Dromahair Demons Festival

The Demons Festival kicks off today with the Family Cycle out to Lough Nahoo to watch the Dromahair Duck arriving in Co. Leitrim with the Olympic Flame. Meeting at the Depot Green at 5.30pm.

Next up is the Wildflower Walk with Steffen Jorgensen at 6.30pm. Meeting at the Information Stall.

Live music and entertainment from 9.00pm in The Blue Devon, The Woodview Inn and The Clubhouse.

You can find a full listing of Festival events here.

It's also time for everybody to start praying for tomorrow's weather!

Help Wanted!

The Demons Festival Committee is urgently seeking volunteers to help out with stewarding on Saturday.
If you can spare an hour call Simon on 085-7116895.

Blotto Results 16th June 2012

Dromahair Girls in Final

Naomh Padraig Dromahair Under-14 Girls are playing in the Shield Final this evening in Drumkeerin. The match, against Allen Gaels, will kick off at 6.30pm. Why not head over and support the team?

Food for the Soul

Happiness is found in some very humble places.  I feel a sense of enormous happiness walking through my wild flower meadow full of Ragged Robin, wild forget me not, pink, red and white clover and all the grasses that add a different texture and move gently in the wind, changing the mood of the meadow.  Not only are these flowers good for our spiritual wellbeing, they are essential for other species too. 

Flowers growing in my garden this month

I manage my plot without chemicals by using nature to my advantage. I plant a range of flowers, mainly perennial plants, to encourage flying insects and bees.  A friend had an allotment.  All around her were what looked to me, lifeless, unhappy plots with regimented rows of vegetables.   I had just split a lot of my cottage garden plants and we set to work making a nectar bar round her allotment, the idea being it would look like an oasis in a desert to the passing flying insect.  Within a few weeks, the flowers had come out and her plot was buzzing and alive with bees, hoverflies, ladybirds and other parasitic wasps.  People came over to see the spectacle, it was truly amazing.

So what can all these insects do for us?  Hoverflies feed on nectar and will lay their eggs near nectar sources, their young will then feed first on aphids. Ladybirds eat all aphids as do their offspring which look a bit like  multi-legged armadillos. The tiny parasitic wasps lay their eggs directly in the bodies of aphids which parasitises them, turning them into a golden or bronze coloured ball from which the new wasp bursts forth.  The bees pollinate almost everything, without them there would not be much happening.

Bumble bees are such an important part of our ecosystem.  They are pollinators of fruit trees and other plants.  They can fly in colder weather conditions than other bees and without them the world would be a very different place.  Can you imagine having to hand pollinate all the plants in the vegetable patch, the orchard and flower garden?  It would take forever.  We take all our garden friends for granted and the role they play in our lives. 

The bumble bee can sometimes be starved of food by honey bees who feed on simple flowers. Complex flowers such as lavender and snapdragon type flowers offer exclusive dining to bumble bees as they are the only ones able to get their long tongues down to the nectar.

Lastly, flowers are indeed food for the soul.  They cheer up bleak spaces and fill baskets and pots with colour for your eyes to feast on.  So go out and plant flowers.  Plant them between your vegetables for a natural solution to black, green and whitefly. You men, flowers are not just for women, you can enjoy them too. Plant them in your front garden for others to see too, pass on the good feeling to your neighbours and strangers.

Don't forget you can email me on cottagegardenerdromahair@gmail.com with any comments or questions

Drumlease awarded Active School Flag

Congratulations to the staff and pupils of Drumlease National School which was today awarded the Active School Flag for excellence in the promotion of physical education. Well done to all involved.

Follow-up to Filan's Follies

Comments received from Patrick O'Rourke in response to the recent Diary post entitled "What now for Filan's Follies?";

Now..Shane Filan. As you may know my own blog turned into a focal point for the issues of Shafin's developments and how they affected people and their environments. I did have to retract my offer to throw him in the Bonet though lol. However, and somewhat ironically I have a certain understanding of his position. His job is that of a high earning popstar. Shafin was from what I can make out driven by his family rather than him. He put money in and guaranteed liabilities during the CT days. That has left him in the position now of having to go for bankruptcy. From the figures released..whether fact or fiction it's pretty unlikely he'll ever be able to cover the debts even with a solo career. I know he was trying to do a deal with the banks to protect his future earnings but that appears not to have worked from what I can glean.

As someone who has major issues with what Shafin has already done let alone what was planned to desecrate the village. Concreting over the bulk of medieval Dromahair of the O'Rourkes (under Stonebridge) was for us unforgivable. However I now know he was personally completely unaware of that fact. And as for killing off the local shops, again he found that hard to believe as his people and their work of fiction known as a financial impact statement had told him otherwise. That report could have been penned by JK Rowling.

I think that our rage..or just angst should be directed at the planning process and it's agents..and with Shane's family who run Shafin that treated the views of people affected by the developments with some disdain. Shane just does what he does for a living..sings and travels. I don't think he'll be putting any more cents into property development though. The planning policies of the country being based on a developers right to develop rather than real planning for a community's needs are the real problem here. If it hadn't been Shafin it would have been someone else. Of course the elephant in the room was how Shafin got planning permission where others failed...and the fear of planning agencies and others going up against such financial might has never been investigated.

Planning authorities have really been let off the hook for the development carnage littering the country. With proper planning in place the banks wouldn't have had the market for their reckless loan products...and Ireland wouldn't have 350,000 empty houses. Where did they think that the million people needed to fill them were going to come from?

As for Shane, I wish him the best with his solo career. It's highly unlikely that any of the proceeds will end up messing up any more of Dromahair I'd say. It's a tough business the music industry and there's nothing to say his career will not bomb. Westlife aren't songwriters so won't have publishing rights to keep earning for them. All they get is concert gate proceeds and recording royalties (and they are compromised by torrents). The shelf life doesn't look great.

To conclude I can only re-iterate that it's the planning policies and process that need to be fixed. Without that we're all at the mercy of the next rich developer(s) as to whether Dromahair stays the same place that earned it the title of Prettiest Village in Ireland. Pop Star, syndicate, opportunist or just a local..it makes no difference at the end of the day if the result is the same.

Once again...well done on the blog. It's great diverse reading. Well overdue.
Cheers
Patrick J.O'Rourke

When will everything be OK again?

"This country is ruined."

Someone said that to me at a barbecue recently. After we'd finished eating the finest steak, but not before we'd finished drinking good wine and beer, of which there was plenty on offer.

"Ruined."

We were enjoying the early summer sunshine outside a beautiful, spacious house which had been built during the so-called Celtic Tiger years. The speaker, our host, who had recently returned from a holiday in the Canaries, owned two further houses, which were rented out. The driveway was full of cars, none of which was more than 10 years old. Our happy healthy children played contentedly in the garden while the adults chatted.

"This country is ruined."

Well, I beg to differ. I refuse to see this country as ruined, destroyed, on its knees, whatever mournful description you choose. I can't and won't agree. Why? Because I refuse to look at life that way. I refuse to be weighted down by stress and fear. Times are undoubtedly tougher than they were 5 or 10 years ago, but I refuse to accept that we are ruined. Because this is the only chance I will get at living this life, and I will not do it in a cloud of doom and gloom. Perhaps I cannot control the economic situation, but I can control my reaction to it. I can refuse to moan and whinge about how awful it all is. I can insist on being optimistic, safe in the knowledge that things will improve. They always do.

 But when? When will everything be OK again?

The short answer is: I don't know. I don't know when things are going to improve noticeably.  Nobody knows the answer to that question. I know that there are people who are worried and frightened, who need to see a light at the end of the tunnel. But I also know that worrying won't make anything better. In fact it makes things much, much worse: it eats up our happiness and wastes our time. We will not get these days back again: the time will be gone forever. Things will never feel better if we are miserable. We have to make the best of what we have now, instead of bemoaning what we don't have. We have to pick ourselves up, smile, and get on with things. 

Now I'm not suggesting that we all walk around like grinning idiots (although I'm told that every village should have at least one) but it is scientifically proven that smiling is good for you and makes you feel and look better. It also makes you a nicer person to meet, so you can help to make others happier too. The difference between a good day and a bad day can be your own attitude.

So go for a walk, hug your children, sing, eat a doughnut, pray, phone a friend, whatever it is that makes you feel good. Do it. With a smile.

And remember that, like my barbecue friend, some people can't see the silver lining because they are expecting gold.

David Downes does a Double

Congratulations to Dromahair's David Downes who completed a "double" Ironman event over last weekend. That is a 4.8 mile swim, 232 mile cycle and a 52.4 mile run! So, a huge achievement. Having the mental ability to overcome the fatigue and discomfort in the process is a skill in itself, not to mention the physical ability! Well done David on a fantastic accomplishment. Happy recovery!

David Downes and Declan Conlon will also be taking part in an Ironman event in Germany in three weeks time.

Congratulations must also go to Imelda McDaid, who topped off a busy week for the high-achieving McDaid family by completing the Mullaghmore Sprint Triathlon yesterday. Well done Imelda!

The Dromahair Diaspora

Census records show that County Leitrim has experienced almost continuous population decline since Famine times, the trend being reversed only in very recent years. Thousands upon thousands of Leitrim natives have been scattered to the four corners of the globe. No doubt a good many of these came from Dromahair.

So what became of them? Where did they settle? Did they prosper? Did they return to Dromahair, permanently or just for a visit? There is so much we could ask these ex-pat Dromahairians, if only we knew where to find them.

Now, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, we can easily communicate with people all over the world. So, if you are a Dromahair ex-pat, we'd love to hear from you. If you left in 2011 or 1981 or 1951, please get in touch: tell us your story. If you're back in Dromahair, with tales to tell of life on foreign shores, share them here. If you are the son or daughter of a Dromahair emigrant, or a grandson or grand-daughter, drop us a line: let us know how the family fared. If you think you might have Dromahair roots and need a little assistance with your genealogical digging send us your details and we'll do our best to help.

Contact the Dromahair Diary at dromahairdiary@gmail.com

Can you see your house?

Here are some amazing aerial photographs of Dromahair, kindly supplied by Trevor McDaid. There are plenty more to come, in an occasional series.