The Community Council

ISLANDEADY COMMUNITY COUNCIL Officers 2016:

Chairperson: ​​John Cannon

Vice Chairperson: ​Liam Keaveney

Secretary: Noreen Sadler

Assistant Secretary: ​Catriona Doyle

Treasurer: Kathleen Feeney

Assistant Treasurer: ​Philomena Browne

P.R.O.​​​Sharon Walsh

Assistant P.R.O. Cormac Moran

Administrator: Fr Chris Brennan SMA, Adm. Phone: 094-9024125 Mob: 087-1962674
Email: brennan2islands@gmail.com or islandeadyadm@gmail.com

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRPERSON OF ISLANDEADY COMMUNITY COUNCIL:

Dear Reader,

As you are aware a new Community Council was formed in April 2015. We have over 30 members with representatives from each station area and clubs. A new committee was elected at our AGM and I was honoured to be selected as your chairperson. Being a voluntary organisation in a rural Community between two large towns presents its own challenges as we strive to maintain our identify. However daunting it may appear when I look back at the good work of the previous Community Council and the many others before that I am encouraged by its continued success. On your behalf we will continue to build on these strengths.

The Structure:

We now have our order of business structured based on Community Futures action plan so our agenda usually takes the following format:

Finance

Caring Services

Heritage and the Environment

Business and Tourism

Planning and Development

Community Futures

Village Enhancement

AOB​​​​​​​​​​​​​

This structure works well as it allows each group the time to provide updates on projects and any issues that they are experiencing.

Funding & Finance:

As a voluntary non-profit making organisation our funding is very much dependant on local fund raising

Our main funding events are:

Our Annual Sale of work

Our weekly card games

Church Gate Collection

Our card games are running for the winter months in the Community Centre

Our Annual Sale of Work takes place every November

Church gate collections are usually held in the spring

We have set up a Finance subcommittee to identify other fund raising ideas and come up with proposals on options that might help to raise funds.

We also set up a 'Sale of Work' working committee to take a fresh look at how we run this event and to identify areas for improvement. I am proud to say that this approach worked well and resulted in a very successful Sale of Work in November with improved financial results. We also held a recent review of this event that has highlighted areas for improvement for our next Sale of Work in 2016.

All funding raised is used in the Maintenance and day to day running of our Community Centre.

So I want to take this opportunity to thank all the teams involved that have helped in anyway towards organising the various fundraising events because it's your time and commitment that has ensured that we continue to perform so well. Last but not least I want to thank you all for your generosity and continued support. We in the Community Council remain committed to making Islandeady a better place to live in and a Community that we are all proud of.

Our Challenges for 2016:

Re-launch our Community Futures Action Plan

Continue to enhance our roads and Villages

Continue to provide for our elderly

Secure funding for projects from local Agencies and Mayo C.C.

Support other groups and clubs advance their ideas and projects.

Celebrate our 40th anniversary as a Community Council in 2016

As we approach Christmas I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families at home and abroad a happy and enjoyable Christmas.

Season's Greetings for the New Year as we look forward to celebrating the year 2016

God Bless

John Cannon

Islandeady Community Council

Chairperson.

THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL

In April 2015 Islandeady got a new Community Council. The out going Council members were thanked for their service to the parish and the incoming members wished the best of luck in he work ahead.

VILLAGES

The villages are now represented by the following:

Cashel: ​​​Marian McNamara

Carrowbeg and Fairhill:​ Owen O Malley

Knockanedin and Ballinamorogue:​ Paddy Staunton

Cloggernagh:​​ Eamonn Shaughnessy

Annagh:​Michael Walsh and Tommy Francis Gibbons

Cornagushlaun and Derrycouraune North:​ John Cannon

Derrycrieve, Corha and Derrycourane East:​ James O'Malley

Cloonan and Rinaseer: ​Brendan Needham

Drimnahaha and Kilfea:​ Patrick Brosnihan

Sheeaune and Cogaula: ​Liam Keaveney

Derrycoosh: ​​​Caroline McLoughlin and Tommy Walsh

Dooleague and Drimneen:​ Cormac Moran

Derrada:​​​ Cathriona Doyle

Knockbrack:​​​James Bourke and Mary Reidy

Derrartin: ​​​Kevin Corcoran

Derrintloura and Graffybeg: Kathleen Feeney

Keelogues: ​​​Breege Joyce

Kilbree Lower:​​Marty Needham

Kilbree Upper:​​Robert Reilly and Breege Joyce

Lismolin: ​​​Breege Joyce

Rehins:​​​ Brendan Minish

Some villages are at present without

representatives.

CLUBS AND ORGANISATIONS

The Clubs in the Parish are represented by the following members in the Community Council:

Bilberries Playgroup:​Marian McNamara

Angling Club:​​​Matt Fahey

I.F.A.​​​​Gerard Fahey

Pioneers:​​​Caroline McLoughlin

Foróige:​​ ​Sharon Walsh

Caring Services:​​Philomena Browne

Heritage Group:​​Noreen Sadler

Business and Tourism:​Liam Keaveney

Facilities:​​​John Cannon

G.A.A.​​ Cormac Moran

Village Enhancement: ​Breege Joyce

Card Games:​​ John Walsh

Cemetery:​​​Paddy Staunton

T.V.R.C.N.​​​Sr. Maureen Lally

WHAT GOES ON AT A MEETING?

Meeting on the second Monday of the month, the Council members see to it that there is continuity between the work of the last Council and the present one. Each group active in the parish brings a report on its recent activities, if any and problems which may surface benefit from the advice of the Council members before being referred onwards to the relevant authorities if the need arises.

MAKING A PITCH

As the year has unfolded we have seen the work progress on the G.A.A field. The second pitch, the walkway and runway are now a reality. 2016 should see the grass growing on the pitches and the walkway and runway in use. The ten-year plan is well on course.

One of the tiny hitches encountered was the discovery of some ancient Fulachta Fiaidh (deer pits) used in the outdoor cooking of large joints of meat. Work halted as these were examined by the experts, then covered over again to allow work to continue. Fundraising for this venture is ongoing in the form of ticket selling.

HERE COMES THE N5!

The new N5 road coming through our parish has passed the "Will it? won't it?" stage by now. Archaeological surveys have been done on the proposed site of the road and some more deer pits have come to light as well as some charcoal burning sites.

A PLACE OF BEAUTY

Village Enhancement is ongoing. Various sites needing attention have been reported to the County Council and work continues. Some notable areas addressed during the year have been the area at Reid's Cross and the Aughagower Cross. Both these sites look very well now and are a vast improvement on their previous state. Then area around the Three Bridges is being attended to also; the sides of the road need building up here for safety reasons. These are some of the good news stories from around the parish but we find no consolation in the fact that two recently installed benches have been stolen from the Cemetery or that fly-tipping of rubbish goes on in isolated areas such as Corha.

WEDNESDAY IS NOT TO BE MISSED

The work of the Caring Services in our parish is one of the success stories of our time.

Wednesday is a red- letter day for many of our young at heart. The variety and quality of the service provided is second to none. Well done to all who give of their time and energy to ensure the show is kept on the road!

SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY

The work of the various organisations in our parish ensure that there is something going on at all times catering for the super-active (see Jack's Old Cottage for details), for those who prefer a more leisurely pastime (contact the Angling Club or the Gun Club or the I.F.A. etc - see the list of clubs mentioned above). Foróige caters for our teenagers and the Wednesday Club for our re-cycled teenagers. The G.A.A. looks after all who aspire to see the Sam McGuire come west after so many years of a drought. These mentioned are only some of the events on offer in Islandeady

THE SERMON ON THE AMOUNT

Many clubs are glad to have the Centre as a venue for their meetings. Many activities go on here too. Keeping the Centre in peak condition costs money and the Council have to address this on an ongoing basis. The two main sources of funding are the Monday night card games (courtesy of John Walsh, his family and friends) and the annual Sale of Work. This latter has been a success this year and will ensure that the excellent work may continue.

We all owe our thanks to Council members who braved barking dogs around the villages or chilly shop - door venues as they sold tickets or collected goods. Nobody likes to have to do this work, but it continues to be done by the few so that all may have the benefit. If you, too, helped out in any way, here's to you!

Let it be said that our meetings are not all doom and gloom by any means and there are many occasions lightened by a funny remark.

Noreen Sadler

Secretary, Islandeady Community Council

We hope to continue serving you in 2016 and we wish you all a peaceful and holy Christmas and a bright and prosperous New Year.

VILLAGE ENHANCEMENT GROUP

The Village enhancement group have been actively involved in many projects in the Community over the past year. The group are quite happy with the progress to date at Reid's Cross and are presently planning further enhancement of the area with some hedging to provide a pleasant back-drop, planned seating for the central flat area and other ideas to cater for people using this amenity. The group intend to further enhance the area near Aughagower Cross along the main Westport -Castlebar road, to compliment the work already carried out there.

At present work is being carried out at the Three Bridges where new fencing is being erected to link the three bridges and plans to cut the trees to improve vision from all the approaching roads are in progress. The group appreciate the co-operation of the landowners in this area in facilitating this work. Some enhancement work has been carried out at Islandeady Road junction, at Faheys, at the Arch with plans for other projects in the pipeline.

The VEG would like to acknowledge the help of the numerous people involved in enhancement work, Ann Sweeney ( area engineer) Patrica Jennings RSS supervisor, Martin Graven, Martin Cannon, their colleagues who helped out and all Council employees.

The group welcome all suggestions/ideas to help improve the community we live in and for the generations to come.

Group Members: Breege Carney, Eoin O'Malley, Gerard Fahey, James O'Malley, John Cannon, Tommy Walshe, Liam Keaveney, Marty Needham, Kathleen Feeney (RSS Representative) and Breege Joyce ( Chairperson)

The group would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and a safe and successful New Year.

WEDNESDAY SOCIAL GET-TOGETHER

The Wednesday Social Get-Together is now in its Third year of operation and it is going from strength to strength. An average of twenty-twenty five participants take part every week, our group of volunteers which is great to see is growing as well. Our two new TÚS workers (Frank and Andy), put up a lovely meal weekly and engage in some of the activities The main activities include cards, bingo, art, music and dancing, talks from visiting professionals and a number of outings.

This year we went on an outing to knock, we had Mass in the old Church, tea and a singsong in St. Johns Centre, visited the newly furnished Basilica and had dinner in The Mc William Park Hotel on the way home.

We also went on a trip to Belmullet, where we played music on the Musical Bridge on the way there, had Dinner in Irish wheelchair centre, then visited Saint Deirbhile's holy well, we had tea and scones on the way back in The Broadhaven Bay Hotel.

We also visited Horkans garden centre where they had arranged a talk on winter gardening for us, then we enjoyed a lovely meal in the Bay Leaf.

Our Art Group will be holding their second Art Exhibition in the Community Centre before Christmas and there works will hang in the Community Centre for all to see.

Further activities will be planned for the coming year.

Activities are not limited to the imagination of the volunteers. participants have their say on an ongoing basis.

A review process for volunteers was held earlier in the year, the group were able to review the project and plan and set the perimeters for the following year.

The aim for the project, is:

To provide opportunities for the over 50's of our community

To interact socially

To share a meal and

To engage in a variety of social activities

We have made a commitment to review our work and our aim on an annual basis.

New ideas and new people joining us are always welcome.

Finally the participants, workers and volunteers, would like to wish all who read this Annual, at home and abroad, a Blessed and Peaceful Christmas and hope that 2016 will be filled with Joy and Happiness.