SPARKS FLY OVER BROADBAND

Having watched the two Mitchelstown based county councillors sit next to one another and enjoy a nice Christmas meal in The Grand Hotel this week, you would never have guessed that, just a few hours earlier, they had clashed (s)words across the council table. It really does show that the true spirit of Christmas is still alive and kicking.

The issue arose following a motion, which was proposed by Cllr Aileen Pyne at the Fermoy/Mallow Area Committee. The motion proposed, ‘that a report would be prepared on the alternative plans, if any, for broadband in the Ballyhooly area, later including Conna, Ballynoe and Curraglass’.

Fianna Fail county councillor Frank O’Flynn proposed that the members write to the minister informing him that the people of rural Ireland must be looked after just as well as their city counterparts.

“We must look after the needs of those living in rural communities like Ballyhooly, the educational needs of our children are being hampered. The people of rural Ireland have the same needs as those in Dublin 4”, he said.

For the first time ever I will agree with Cllr O’Flynn”, Fine Gael’s Liam O’Doherty told the committee. “It is his government who have been holding back the education of our children for the last ten years. It is shocking, it is the first time he has made sense today”.

To which O’Flynn replied, “Cllr O’Doherty is always moaning and groaning but he never comes forward with a solution”.

At this point former schoolteacher, chairperson of the committee Cllr Pyne, called ‘cuinas’ on the class and lessons resumed.

VANDALS ATTACK HOME OF BALLYPOREEN PENSIONER

The home of a Ballyporeen pensioner has been attacked by vandals for the second time in recent weeks. Betty McCabe had her well kept home in the village pelted with eggs as she visited her sick grandchild in hospital. Now Mrs McCabe says she is afraid to stay in the house, but also afraid to leave as the previous incidents occurred while the house was unoccupied.

Mrs McCabe and her neighbour have fallen victim to such acts in recent weeks which has seen cars hit by eggs, and the lawn lights in Mrs McCabe’s front garden torn up.

"This little street was a lovely place to retire to,” Mrs McCabe told The Avondhu, “it was nice and quiet. I don’t want to leave here but if this sort of thing goes on I’ll have to think about it”.

Mrs McCabe was also critical of the response from the gardai, with the Cahir branch only informing Ciaran Donovan, the local garda on duty in the village a full day after her complaint.

“He told me he would have dealt with it sooner had I come straight to him,” she remarked.

However, Garda Donovan defended the station, pointing out how busy Cahir gardai are with recent developments, adding that he visited Mrs McCabe as soon as he was informed of the incident.

He also assured The Avondhu that he would look into the matter and urged anyone with information or concerns of their own to contact him in the Ballyporeen garda station.

MITCHELSTOWN ENHANCEMENT WINNERS HONOURED AS AROMA AWARDS PROVE A MAJOR SUCCESS

AROMA earlier this year introduced the Mitchelstown Enhancement awards scheme in association with sponsors Cork County Council and The Avondhu. The aim of the awards was to encourage local participation in the improvement of streets and estates. The initiative proved to be an outstanding success and involved the participation of sixteen groups within the town.

Representatives from all participating areas were invited to the awards ceremony in the Firgrove Hotel, Mitchelstown on Monday night last. The attendance was addressed by the AROMA chairperson, Kay Dawson, who thanked all participitants for getting involved in helping to clean up their respective areas. She stated that the high level of participation had given all in AROMA the heart to maintain their efforts to improve Mitchelstown and its surrounding areas.

Speaking to The Avondhu, Kay Dawson said, “We are over the moon with the success of the awards. It has conveyed many benefits apart from helping to tidy up areas of Mitchelstown”.

“The scheme led to the creation of residents’ groups in a number of areas and also brought people together as neighbours. It even helped non-nationals to become better integrated in their own communities”, concluding, “we’re looking forward to next year already”.

Encouraged by the success of the event this year, AROMA plans to commence the awards scheme early in 2008 in conjunction with the annual spring clean week and in preparation for the Tidy Town’s adjudication.

The prizes were presented by Aileen Pyne and Liam O’Doherty representing Cork County Council. winners Overall winner Best Area - Ashfield Manor; Most Improved Area - 1st Dun Ri, Barrack Road, 2nd Baldwin Street, 3rd Kingston College.

LOCALS APPROVE €2M GALBALLY HOUSING PLAN

A meeting, which was attended by a large number of parishioners on Tuesday night last, gave its approval to a proposal to construct a voluntary housing scheme on a site adjacent to the former curate’s house in Galbally. It emerged at the meeting that Limerick County Council also owns an additional land bank adjacent to the proposed site.

This has been pencilled in for an expansion of the current local authority scheme but some people felt that this too could, in fact, be used for sheltered housing, if the need arose. This would, of course, be contingent on the agreement of Limerick County Council.

Subject to planning, the Galbally Voluntary Housing Association currently has plans for the development of 10 houses in the South Limerick village. The ambitious €1.82m scheme is to be located on the fringe of the village and it is understood that the former priest’s house will be incorporated as a type of day care centre as part of the plan. When extras such as thermal heating, and other ancillary work is taken into account, it appears likely that the overall cost of the project will be in the region of €2m.

The site, the sale of which is expected to benefit parish funds to the tune of €400,000, is centrally located and it is anticipated that the houses will be slightly bigger than those at a similar type scheme at the Old Street in Galbally.

Limerick County Council are understood to have given the project its full backing.

Applicants wishing to be considered for a house in the proposed new development are asked to contact Galbally Voluntary Housing Association secretary Mary Wallace at 062-37025.

- Broadband success -

A number of homes in the Galbally area are now connected for broadband through the microwave system as installed by WTS Broadband. The company, which uses microwave technology and takes its original ‘feed’ from the ESB Fibre Optic network in Limerick, erected two repeaters and began connecting domestic users in the area less than a month ago.

Locals who have had broadband installed are delighted with its speed and efficiency. The proprietor of WTS Broadband, John Kennedy told The Avondhu that the firm is continuing with its installation programme throughout South Limerick and West Tipperary.

Website designer and computer specialist, the locally based Jay Perry, has been employed as a consultant to the project.

- €1,000 for Hospice -

The collection taken up at the commemorative service in Lisvernane church raised over €1,000 for the hospice fund

- GAA Draw -

Galbally GAA Club is currently promoting its annual Christmas draw which will take place in O’Connell’s Bar on Sunday, January 6. There are a number of attractive prizes on offer including €500 for the outright winner. Tickets are just €5 each or a book of three for €10.

THE MONEY ROLLS IN AT JIM SMITH’S AUCTION

The 32nd annual Jim Smith charity auction took place in Spratt’s Bar, Mitchelstown on Friday night of last week. Auctioneer Maurice Walsh had a mountain of goods to get through and it was the early hours before everything was sold. And everything was sold.

The auction, which bears the name of its founder, is a long standing tradition in Mitchelstown and locals make a special point of supporting it. Proprietor of Spratt’s Bar, Michael Spratt, said he was delighted to host this unique event adding that great credit was due to Jim for having the foresight to start such a successful fundraiser for a variety of charities.

Jim made the trip from St. Patrick’s Community Hospital, Fermoy to attend the auction. He had the option of going home early, however, he was keen to stay and didn’t depart until the final bid.

Maurice Walsh turned in yet another virtuoso performance with the hammer. Showing great reserves of stamina Maurice stayed the pace and ensured the maximum price was secured for every item. He was ably assisted by Howard Spratt and Rita Clifford. Despite the tough year Mitchelstown has experienced locals were determined not to hold back when it came to backing one of their oldest and most famous sons.

Organisers wish to thank everyone who contributed to the auction in any way; your support was much appreciated.

MITCHELSTOWN – MOVIE TOWN OF THE FUTURE?

A film maker has proposed establishing a school for teaching film production in Mitchelstown. However Rick Meyers, originally from the United States, has warned that community support would be needed if any such project were to be successful.

Mr Meyers, who traced his roots back to the O’Grady family who left Cork in 1798, believes that the vacant sites left by Dairygold’s withdrawal from the town, presents an opportunity for small businesses and initiatives to start up. Having discussed the possibility with FAS, who run such facilities in Tralee and have expressed interest in the project, Mr Meyers has established a small company, Thatched Cottage Industries, and hopes to bring his experience to any such initiative in Mitchelstown.

Following a career in teaching at high school and university level in the US, Mr Meyers came to Ireland and has been involved in various stage productions in the locality, including ‘Capers ‘Fore The Castle’ against the backdrop of Glanworth Mill, ‘The Highwayman’ and ‘The Witch And The House That Was Burned’.

He has also produced his own short film ‘An Irish Poem’ which was entered in the Sienna International Film Festival in Italy, the Roshed Film Festival in Tehran, Iran and the Cologne ‘Short Cuts’ Festival in Germany.

"I want to set up a ‘thinking factory’ to get artists in the area together”, Mr Meyers said this week, “something like this could be beneficial to the community and schools could use the facility for projects”.

Mr Meyers, who was also a drugs councillor in Ohio, believes that the provision of services of this type are crucial for the youth of the area.

“The area needs facilities for young people. There’s the GAA, which is a great organisation, but there is also the need for something that challenges young peoples’ minds and helps them interpret the community around them”.

Mr Meyers warned, “I’ve seen it in my time as a drugs councillor, we can’t afford to lose our young people to drugs or suicide. These people have something to say, an outlet for that is needed”.

Mr Meyers believes that much can happen from humble beginnings, but that help is needed.

“My company hasn’t started trading yet, we’re only at the beginning. We need an auditor, contributors. We can make movies here, the old Dairygold sites would be perfectly wired for the type of electricity a project like this would need”.

Politicians will get behind the idea if there is enough public interest, Mr Meyers believes, and he is keen to highlight the benefits to tourism in the area, which he feels is an advantage, having so far gone untouched by the mass development that has turned other areas of Cork into “American style suburbs where every house looks the same”.

“Birdwatching is the largest participatory pastime in the United States, it’s a multi billion dollar industry. We have such an advantage here; why not make nature films to show what we have here”.

Rick believes that the region can produce educational films on local heroes and historical figures. “The great men and women of the rent riots showed what this region can achieve when they work together. In that tradition let’s see what we can work towards and see what riots we can start now!”

If you are interested in Mr Meyers idea and wish to get involved contact The Avondhu.