BALLYVOLANE HOUSE MAKES TOP TEN IN HOTEL GUIDE

Ballyvolane House, Castlelyons, is the only independently owned hotel in Ireland that has made the Top 10 list for the 2009 Good Hotel Guide.

The best hotels in England and Ireland are appraised based on the quality of the food served, the idyllic location, personal touch and warmth of the place.

In a comment to The Avondhu this week Justin Green of Ballyvolane House said, “We are absolutely delighted with the outcome and with the feedback from our customers. It is the first time we’ve been in the guide. You don’t pay to be in it. It has more integrity this way if you make it.”

The historic house has won numerous awards, the latest being further recognition of the unique elegant style, yet relaxed and warm welcome every guest receives when stepping into, what could be called, the Ballyvolane experience.

Hunting trophies adorn the corridors, walls and the lawns around the house are exquisitely manicured. The food, is absolutely delicious. It is no surprise that The Irish manor house, built in 1728, is still charming everyone and setting itself apart.

Only three families have owned the Georgian house since 1728. The Coppinger family first inhabited it until the Pyne family acquired the land in the early 18th century and lived in the house until 1955, when Cyril Hall Green bought it. Cyril’s grandchild, Justin, and his family, four generations altogether, now live in the Ballyvolane House.

HEATED DEBATE AS BICKERING ENDS IN LISMORE

Cllr Jimmy O’Gorman addressed the issue of the divisiveness that he claimed currently plagues Lismore Town Council at the monthly meeting this week.

Pointing out that the situation is not beneficial for the town and its residents, Cllr O’Gorman referred to the recent elections at the June AGM meeting in which a new mayor and deputy mayor were elected and councillors were nominated for the various special sub committees.

Disagreement followed the election of the councillors to the sub committees, which saw Cllr Orla Russell, being replaced by Cllr Peter Ahearne for the Housing and Corporate Services SPC.

“We elect who we see fit. Everyone is aware that there is a pact in the council,” Cllr O’Gorman said.

“This council is very badly divided. I am not looking forward to any more meetings. I can’t take what’s going on and I can’t see how this council is going to work as it is now, unless we change,” he continued.

More disagreement followed when the attendance record of some of the councillors at SPC meetings was questioned.

As the matter became heated in the packed council room, Cllr Russell suggested that, “the only way forward for this council is to end this dispute tonight."

This seemed to have been ultimately accomplished as things settled down and the rest of the business was discussed in a polite and civilized manner.

FERMOY MAN PARALYZED AFTER RUGBY ACCIDENT NEEDS YOUR HELP

Stuart Mangan, 25, a native of Fermoy, was left paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe without a ventilator as a result of an injury received while playing a rugby match with his London club Hammersmith and Fulham.

On April 5 last during a tackle, Stuart’s third vertebrae went over his fourth and he immediately lost all movement and breathing. He was kept alive by a teammate who performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until the paramedics arrived and he was rushed to the intensive care unit at the Charing Cross Hospital, London.

For Stuart he was in a coma like state with his head in traction, until the doctors were able to analyze the extent of the damage suffered. Stuart had no brain damage, but he suffered the worst injury the sport world has ever seen.

“The level of Stuart’s injury at the top of the spinal cord eliminating all voluntary movement in the limbs and trunk including the muscles of breathing is the worst cord injury which can occur in sport,” said Dr. Fred Middleton, a leading consultant in spinal cord injury.

Six months on Stuart is extremely positive, given the monumental challenge he has to face and the grim prognosis regarding his condition. He hasn’t recovered any movement or sensation below the level of his neck and he relies on a ventilator to breathe and his carers for all his physical needs.

Stuart grew up in Fermoy, where his parents still live, and he went to St. Colman’s College. He graduated with a Law degree from UCC in Cork and has a Masters in European Business from Ecole Superieure de Commerce, Paris.

Stuart would have had a bright future in the banking world, having been offered a contract on the trading floor with BNP Paribas in London. He also enjoyed sports and travelling and spoke five foreign languages.

The devastating spinal injury that Stuart suffered means that he must receive expensive 24-hour care for the rest of his life. At the time of his greatest need, Stuart needs your help.

Any contribution, no matter how small, would make a difference to his future. For financial contributions you can send any donation via Internet banking to Stuart Mangan Trust A/C No: 17569101, Sort Code: 93-60-81, Address: AIB Bank, Pearse Square, Fermoy, Co Cork.

Cheques can also be forwarded to Stuart Mangan Trust, 23 Avoca Park, Blackrock, Co Dublin. Contact Niamh Sheeran, fundraising coordinator, at niamhsheeran@eircom.net or phone 087-2311384.

FERMOY COUNCILLORS DISASSOCIATE THEMSELVES WITH SHIPTON DECISION.

“Dangerous grounds for councillors to try to influence a planning matter”

Five Fermoy town councillors, John Murphy, Aileen Pyne, Tim Carey, Tadhg O’Donovan and Seamus Coleman, who attended a special town council meeting called by Mayor Tadhg O’Donovan on Thursday last disassociated themselves from the recent refusal of the Shipton development planning application.

A proposal was put forward that a letter be written to the Shipton Group in which the council members would express their disappointment at the outcome and their disassociation with the decision making process, as well as expressing their support for the project and to ask them to appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanala.

Subject to the legality of such a move, a meeting with the Shipton Group is also sought before October 20, the deadline for submitting an appeal to An Bord Pleannala. The councilors referred to the common misperception held by people in town, who associated the town councillors with a decision that was, in fact, made by the council executive.

“The amount of criticism we took was unreal. We had nothing to do with it. We supported it. We, as councillors, are doing our best to develop the town,” said an aggrieved Cllr John Murphy.

Cllr Tim Carey also expressed his shock at the refusal of the planning application and stated, “I am shocked and stunned that the development was turned down. Most objectors were the business people of this town. They are turning away business from the town.”

Responding to questions that arose about the legality of a meeting being called by the mayor while the decision was still ‘live’, Cllr Aileen Pyne made her case, “We are not discussing the planning application, but the result of the planning application, therefore it is legal,” she contended.

In reference to the matter Cllr Peter Merrigan commented, “These are very dangerous grounds for councillors to try to influence a planning decision. As for the Shipton Group, they have been in business long enough to know that not all that they apply for is going to be accepted.”

FERMOY FOOD COLLECTION THIS WEEKEND

- Big hearted strangers help street children in Bucharest -

The plight of the street children of Romania has horrified many but their lives have improved recently as a result of the kindness of strangers with big hearts.

A food collection of non-perishable items will take place in Fermoy from Thursday, October 16 to Saturday, October 18 at Riordan’s SuperValu, Fermoy.

John and Margaret Nolan set up The Street Children of Bucharest Charity back in 1999 with its sister charity in Romania called ‘A Future for Romanian Children’. As volunteers John and Margaret had seen the children on the streets of Bucharest in ’97-‘98 living rough, with no heat, no proper food or clothes, uneducated and barely surviving, they vowed there and then to do something about it.

Together with Dr. Viorica Vasiliu, who left her hospital job to look after the medical needs of these children, they decided to give the children a new identity and a future to look forward to.

“In ’99 we decided to buy a site and take resident children. It has been operating since 2001 and we now have 47 residents who are going to school or university. We also a have a daycare facility with sixty 3-7 year olds. This gives their mothers an opportunity and encourages them to get a job. The children are being taught and given food and clothes and are well looked after between six in the morning and six in the evening,” John Nolan told The Avondhu.

John and Margaret leave the comfort of their Wexford home to go to Romania, sometimes, several times a year with food and other necessary items. They have accomplished what they set out to do by giving these children a chance.

They were helped along the way by Dan Horan, owner of Horan’s Health Store, who has been one of John’s greatest supporters over the past eight years, Leahy’s Open Farm in Dungourney, Brian Geary and Co. Limerick, Colm Molloy and Company of Carlow and Bridie Dorgan of Fermoy, who is coordinating the present food collection.

So please open your hearts and purses and donate food for the street children of Bucharest on this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Riordan’s SuperValu, between 9am and 6pm.

MITCHELSTOWN FORUM MEETS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

The Mitchelstown Forum held a successful information night this week, which attracted a fine attendance according to chairman Tom Whelton.

The meeting, held in The Firgrove Hotel and described as ‘quite positive’, outlines the nomination process for the Forum and also gave members of the community an opportunity to meet new business development manager Paul Swift.

Mr Whelton added that some local clubs and organisations were omitted from recent correspondence on the upcoming elections and urged all interested to get in touch before the end of October.

All clubs, community groups or other entities with an interest in the future of Mitchelstown are eligible to nominate a representative to the Forum.

The Forum will be made up of 27 representatives from all sectors of society. Seven of those, together with an independent chairperson, will form the management or executive group.

The nomination process will fill a total of 18 positions on the Forum. The breakdown of the various sectors is as follows; Agriculture (2), Business (2), Community groups (2), Culture/Arts (1), Environment (1), Heritage (1), Schools (2), Sports/Recreation (2), and with five additional nominees at the discretion of the executive group.

The four local elected representatives, three outgoing members of the executive and one each from Ballyhoura Development and Cork County Council hold the remaining nine positions.

The process comes after an initial three year period as established when the Forum held its first meeting in December 2005 to implement the actions outlined in the Socio-Economic Strategy document completed by ERM Consultants. The deadline for receipt of nominations is 31st October, 2008.

Nominations should be sent to The Secretary, Mitchelstown Forum, 1, Thomas Street, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork. The successful nominees will be confirmed at the final quarterly meeting of the current Forum to be held on 8th December, 2008.

The new Forum will commence its term from 1st January, 2009.