More success in National Cross Country Performances.

The National Even Age Cross Country Championships were held in Dundalk on Nov 23rd. Conor Harley & Shane Fitzpatrick both ran up an age to compete in the U12 boys 2000m.  Both boys put in a splendid performance & were in the top 10 home from Connacht.  Connacht came in 2nd place behind Munster and ahead of Leinster, Ulster & Dublin City. This means that both Conor & Shane got a National Provincial Silver medal. This is a tremendous success at National Level but for the boys to receive this out of age is even more spectacular. Well done to both of you.

James Burke ran in the U14 boys where he had a strong run, he was the 3rd runner home from Galway County. Well done James.

Brian Burke ran in the U16 boys at this event & he had a superb run coming in 37th place & he was the 4th runner home from Connacht, unfortunately they didn’t feature in the medals. Well done Brain.

These 4 athletes Ballinasloe & District Club proud, we look forward to seeing your continued success in the future.

 

National Novice and Juvenile Uneven Age Cross Country Championships.

The National Novice and Juvenile Uneven Age Cross Country Championships was held in a bitter cold day on very wet & muddy grounds in Santry on Sunday Dec 7th. Ballinasloe & District Club members put in outstanding performances. They were representing both their County & Province.

Ava McKeon who was U10 ran up an age to compete in the U11 girls 1500m. Ava put in another magnificent performance after previously winning the Connacht Championships. She had a fantastic start pushing ahead of most of the 159 runners in the race and managed to maintain around 8th/9th position for most of it. She crossed the finish line in 14th position just outside of the first 12 who received individual medals. She received a National Bronze Provincial medal as she was among the first six home from Connacht. The Connacht girls finished behind Munster & Leinster but ahead of Ulster & Dublin City. Ava was the 3rd runner home from Connacht and the 1st from Galway. This was a marvellous result for anyone at National level as the standard is incredibly strong but to do so out of age is truly remarkable. All going well she’ll be back in the same race next year both bigger & stronger.

Next up representing Ballinasloe & District Athletic Club in the U11 boys 1500m were Shane Fitzpatrick & Conor Harley. Both boys as usual ran a fantastic race. They both got off to a great start to get out ahead of the majority of the 174 runners in the race. They both kept up a strong pace throughout the race with Conor crossing the finish line in 24th position and Shane in 35th. They were both in the top 3 home from Galway and in the top 7 from Connacht. Well done to both of them this is a fantastic result at National level.

Brian Burke ran up an age to compete in the U17 boys 5000m. Brian as usual put in another incredibly strong performance staying in with the leading pack throughout most of the race. He was the 3rd home from the Connacht team.

Ballinasloe & District Athletic Club would like to congratulate all 4 of them for doing their club proud on the National stage. A special thank you to their coaches Anne Burke, Enda Jennings, Anne Fitzpatrick and Paula Harley for all their time and dedication.

Winners’ Pictures for The Singing Pubs Awards – October Fair, 2014.

Here are some pictures taken of the Singing Pubs Awards, held in The Dunlo Tavern Ballinasloe during the October Fair, 2014.

This picture shows Greg Blackwell, the competition organiser presenting the award for Best Female Artist to Michelle Flynn for the Birchgrove Pub.

The Award for Best Male Artist went to Robin Newton for An Táin.

Stephen Boyle accepted the award for Best Entertainers on behalf of the Gagan Pagans for the Pillar House.

This year’s Best Overall Pub Award was awarded to Damien Clarke of The Dunlo Tavern on Dunlo Street.

A group photograph that captures the winners and some of those involved in the event.

Caption:

Left to Right:

 Kevin Murray, Ballinasloe Fair and Festival, Johnny Johnston, (Singer), Ray Collins, Judge for Singing Pubs Competition, Brendan Gilligan, (Musician), Steven Boyle (Award winner) for Best Entertainers, Damian Clarke, Award Winner for Best Overall Pub, Melissa Flynn, Best Female Artist, Alan Colohan, (Musician), Robin Newton, Best Male Artist, Frances Leahy, Ballinasloe Musical Society, Greg Blackwell, Ballinasloe Musical Society, Kevin Cunniffe, (Seanós Dancer).

Ballinasloe wins big at Galway County Indoor Track & Field Championships.

The Galway Indoor Track & Field Championship was held in AIT on Sunday January 18th.  Ballinasloe & District Athletic Club athletes performed splendidly on the day bringing home a fantastic haul of 20 medals.

See Caption below

Results:

U10 Girls

Kayla McKeon had a marvellous sprint in the 60m coming in 1st place to bring home the Gold with a time of 10.12. She put in another great run in the 400m coming in 4th place & missing out on the Bronze medal by just .18 seconds. Aoibheann Fitzpatrick had an impressive run in the 60m coming in 4th place & missing out on the Bronze medal by just .02 seconds. She had a brilliant run in the 400m coming in 2nd place. Clodagh Kileen, Sinead Daly & Leah Clarke all had great runs both in the 60m & 400m with the girls finishing in 7th, 9th & 11th position respectively in the 400. Ashlinn Arru put in a good performance in the 60m.

U10 Boys
Niall Jennings & Fionn Ryan both put in strong performances in the 60m & 400m.

U11 Girls
Ava McKeon had 2 magnificent runs winning Gold in the 60m with a fantastic time of 9.46 & also got Gold in the 600m where she was over 8 seconds ahead of the silver medal winner. Mya Kelly & Roisin Grealy both ran very well in the 60m.

U11 Boys
Eoin Connell & Mark Kilkenny both had a good run in the 60m . Mark Kilkenny had a great run in the 600m coming in 8th place.

U12 Girls
Emma & Shauna Mitchell both ran very well in the 60m & 600m with Emma coming in 8th place in the 60m & 9th in the 600.

U12 Boys 60m
Shane Fitzpatrick won Gold in the 60m with an outstanding time of 8.98 seconds. Charlie Naughton had a brilliant run coming in 3rd place to bring home the Bronze. Conor Harley had a super sprint coming in 6th place. Joseph Tierney, Adam McGreal & Cahal Daly all had great sprints.

U12 Boys 600m
Conor Harley & Shane Fitzpatrick both put in a fantastic performance in the 600 but unfortunately there was a mix up on the day with their heat & both boys ended up running 800m instead of the correct 600m. With the mix up the boys ended up in 4th & 5th position but they will both go forward to the Connacht Championships to fight for their usual place on the podium. Adam McGreal who is new to athletics put in an impressive performance in the 600m with a great time coming in 7th position.

U14 Boys
Tom Fitzpatrick had a splendid run in the 800m coming in 5th position.

U15 Boys
Rowan Harley had 2 good runs finishing in 9th place in the 60m & 7th in the 1500m.

Relays:

U10 Girls
Kayla McKeon,ClodaghKileen, Leah Clarke, Sinead Daly &AshlinnArru got the Gold. These talented young runners have a promising future.U11 Girls
Roisin Grealy, Aoibheann Fitzpatrick, Mya Kelly & Ava McKeon all ran well coming in 4th position.U11 Boys
Mark Kilkenny, Eoin Connell, Niall Jennings & Fionn Ryann all had a good run coming in 5th positionU12 Girls
Shauna & Emma Mitchaell, Mya Kelly, Ava McKeon & Roisin Grealy did themselves proud coming in 2nd place.

U12 Boys
Conor Harley, Adam McGreal, Shane Fitzpatrick & Charlie Naughton had a magnificent run coming in 1st place & brining home the Gold.

Joseph Tierney, Cahal Daly, Mark Kilkenny & Eoin Connell all ran well coming in 7th place.

Ballinalsoe & District Athletic Club would like to congratulate all these young runners on their great performances. They all did themselves & their club proud. Best of luck to those in the U12 & over who will now go on to perform in the Indoor Connacht Championship which will be held in AIT over 2 days on Feb 28th & March 1st.

Caption 

Back Row L-R – Eoin Connell, Conor Harley, Shane Fitzpatrick, Rowan Harley, Adam McGreal, Niall Jennings, Adam Coyne, Conor O’Connor, Ryan O’Connor, Ronan O’ Grady, Conor O’Grady, Fionn Ryan, Darragh Colleran, Aoibheann Fitzpatrick

Middle Row – Niamh Kelly, Rita Ward, Ciara Ward, Cahal Daly, Charlie Naughton, Tom Fitzpatrick, James Burke, Michael O’Grady, Hugh Kileen

Front Row – Leah Clarke, Mya Kelly, Ava McKeon, Caoimhe Ni Thuairisg, Emma McGreal, Roisin Grealy, Ashlinn Arru, Ciara Lohan, Clodagh Kileen, Kayla McKeon, Sinead Daly, Michael Coyne

Jobs in the Area

There are a number of jobs available in the area. The variety of jobs range from childminders to an electronics engineer. The links will bring you to all the job descriptions and how to apply for each job.

Cleaner

Electronics Engineer

Ladbrokes Customer Service Advisor

Data Scientist/Machine Learning Expert

Director of Nursing in a Nursing Home

Childminder 

Service Receptionist

Car Valeter

Mechanic

Ballinasloe Cinema Launch

Here is a short clip of some memories and yarns from the cinema as it was in the old days. Great to have it reopened again and the attendees were more than happy to recount some of their fondest memories.

Sean Keane Returns to the Town Hall Theatre

Seán Keane makes a return visit to Ballinasloe Town Hall Theatre on Friday 5th December at 8pm.

Children from Scoil an Chroí Naofa, Ballinasloe will be joining Seán on stage.

Tickets €20 and bookings can be made by calling 090-9643780 or by calling into the Town hall box office.

Seán Keane from County Galway is decribed as the `greatest musical find of the 90`s` by `The London Independent`. Traditional Irish, folk and even country and blues songs all lend themselves to his unique style and unforgettable voice. Growing up in a family of singers and musicians, Seán learned the sean-nós style of singing from his mother and his aunts. Singing was his life, even in early childhood; by the time Seán reached his teens, he had collected thirteen All-Ireland medals in Fleadh Ceoil competitions. He was by then an accomplished whistle and flute player as well and had taken up the uilleann pipes and bodhraun.

When he joined his first group, `Shegui`, he had already served a long apprenticeship; after travelling throughout Europe with the band, he left to join `Reel Union`, a group which also featured sister Dolores and accordion player Máirtín O`Connor. Later, he was part of `Arcady`, with such well known names as Johnny `Ringo` McDonagh, Sharon Shannon and Frances Black. After a short flirtation with the theatre when he played in the Druid production of the `Midnight Court` and the Abbey Theatre`s `Sheep`s Milk on the Boil`, Seán embarked on his solo career in 1993. `All Heart , No Roses` received rave reviews and was chosen as `Debut Folk Album of the Year` by Q Magazine. In the years following, success continued with Meteor Award nominations, `Best Male Folk Performer` from Irish Music Magazine (three times) ,a similar award from the London `Irish World`,as well as numerous Irish accolades. `A Portrait`, a collection of Seán`s songs, is a multi-platinum Irish seller. All of his solo albums are platinum sellers and remain in constant demand.

Six solo albums later, Seán Keane continues to delight audiences all over the world with his live performances and recorded work. He tours regularly with his band in Ireland, Austria, Germany, the US and Canada as well as appearing at major festivals world-wide.

Sean Keane is a singer and multi-instrumentalist of skill, acclaim and flair. He is rooted firmly in old Ireland with the Keane family tradition of seanos singing , but his music branches out gloriously from those roots pulling sustenance from many genres.Seans voice has untold depth, range and maturity; his skill on the flute, whistles and pipes with which he puctuates songs, make his work unforgettable

Town Hall Cinema Set To Reopen

The movies make a return to the Town Hall Theatre after a break of nearly a quarter of century. Some 87 years after the first “talkies” screened by the Toft family in what they called the Plaza Cinema. The Cinema project is in direct response to the results of the online survey carried out by BACD – as part of the Town Benchmarking Exercise underway currently, which asked people what they would enjoy most in town.

Run and managed by the Town Hall Theatre on a cost recovery basis, the proceeds from the first pilot phase will be re-invested in the ongoing refurbishment and minor works programme.

Robert Mellotte Cinema Co-Ordinator, Mary O’Connell Chairperson of the Town Hall Theatre and Sean Fletcher of Fletchers Expert Store

The cinema will operate for 3 screenings each weekend (when there is no live show on stage) at designated times of Friday 9.15pm, Saturday Children’s Matinee at 4pm and Saturday night show at 8.30pm. It is also planned to do special holiday time screenings.

Admission prices will be adults €7, Concessions €5, Family Ticket (2 adults, 2 children) €18 and Children €3. Birthday parties and group discounts for numbers of 10 or more can be organised in advance. Opening on the weekend of the 21^st of November – the cinema will be available to schools and other groups during mid-week times by prior appointment.

Movie choices will be made by the audience through social media polls and audience sampling. Friday nights flick will be from the back collection, the Saturday night time screening will be a recently released movie and the kids Matinee will be a blend of both.

The Cinema will run for the last 2 weekends in November, a Christmas special weekend on Dec 19th/20^th, during the Christmas Holidays 29^th/30^th and January 2^nd/3^rd. Full details of screenings will be on the Facebook page and published in Ballinasloe Life.

Fletcher Electrical are providers of the Technical Equipment which includes a full Stage Height screen and state of the art quality projector. The Fair and Festival Committee have graciously provided their sound system on a lease basis for the pilot season which will run to the early summer.

Town Hall Chair Mary O’ Connell said “We are overwhelmed with the positive response of the community to date and hope that after all the research and engagement – people will now come out and support – what is a very significant investment for our Board in the upgrading of the facilities for our wonderful venue” .

The opening weekend will feature the runaway winner of the online poll – “The Shawshank Redemption” starring Morgan Freeman, on the Friday Gala opening night. The movie tells the story of a banker named Andy Dufresne who is convicted of a double murder in 1946 even though he proclaims his innocence.

The Lion King is first in the Saturday Matinee slot. The 1994 American animated musical adventure film produced by Walt Disney follows Simba, a young lion club who has ran away after being tricked into thinking he caused his father’s death.

The Saturday night sees Angelina Jolie starring in Maleficent. Disney’s iconic villain Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty”, a vengeful fairy, is driven to curse an infant princess only to discover that the child may be the one person who can restore peace to their troubled land.

The Cinema will be able to feature advertising through Ballinasloe Life from the New Year and Advertising Manager Lyn Donnelly will be offering attractive deals to LIFE Subscribers and Advertisers for Big Screen access.

Further Details and advance credit card or laser booking call 090 9643780.

Ealain Art Group Launched their Christmas Cards for 2014

The Ealain Art Group recently launched their Christmas cards for 2014 made from original paintings by members of the Group.   The packs of cards, comprising six designs, are currently available from the East Galway & Midlands Cancer Support Centre at Brackernagh (tel : 090 9642088) or from Salmon’s Department Store in Ballinasloe at a cost of €5.

Proceeds from the cards will go towards the work of the Centre in supporting cancer sufferers and their families.

On behalf of the Group, voluntary tutor, Jackie Eastwood said:  “We are delighted and very proud of our achievement this year in producing the cards.  We are very grateful to local printing firm KPW for their help and also Salmon’s for providing a valuable outlet in the town.”

The cards will also be on sale at the forthcoming Craft Fair and Coffee Day in the Support Centre, Brackernagh on Saturday, 15^th November from 11am to 5pm.

Photo:  Back   –  Siobhan Loughrey, Brenda Clogher, Frances Hurley Front  –  Jackie Eastwood, Cathy Keogh, Teresa Reynolds

GELS Community Remembrance Walk

On Sunday November 2nd 2014 Galway East Life Support (GELS) will be hosting a community commemorative walk In memory of all those that we have lost.

We are going to honour the lives of all those we have lost over the years by having a memorial walk around Ballinasloe, where we can all meet up, go for a nice short walk, approx. 25 minutes, and talk in memory of our loved ones.  This is an open invitation event for the community and we will encourage everybody to join us…. Young and old, individuals, couples and families

The day will consist of registration taking place in Gullanes Hotel from 1pm onwards. At 2pm we will have a candle lighting ceremony and at 2:20pm the walk will commence. This will be a short walk around Ballinasloe and will take about 25 minutes to complete. The walk will finish at Gullanes Hotel where we will have our closing ceremony followed by light refreshments (Tea and Coffee).

There is a Registration fee of €5 with all proceeds going to, the charitable bereavement group, The Bethany Group. The Bethany Group deal with bereavement across the parish, offering comfort and support in a number of ways such as one to one meeting, group session and home visits.

So come along and bring your family, friends and neighbours to walk and talk, and In November, WE Remember those that we miss.

We would strongly advise people who wish to attend to be wary of the weather conditions and ensure that they dress accordingly

If you have any questions/queries please contact:

GELS: 085 123 7878 or

Email: eastgalwaylife@gmail.com

Senator & Minister Encourages Irish Festivals & Cultural Events to Seek EU Label.

Irish Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys and Senator Michael Mullins welcomes Irish Festivals and Events to apply for a New European Festival Label. “This is a unique pilot project to promote the wonderful arts and cultural events that we have in abundance, to a wider European audience through the support of the Commission and I hope we can get as many to apply, I warmly congratulate A.O.I.F.E. on being a National Hub for the project.”

At the launch in Dublin this week local Senator Michael Mullins stated how important it was that the Ballinasloe based Network is recognised as an important partner in delivering European projects for the Irish Cultural and Festivals Scene.  “AOIFE since it set up it/s secretariat in town in 2003 has done a huge amount of work in supporting the good work of countless of communities who produce festivals and events. It is great to see them getting some recognition from the highest level in Europe.”

The new EFFE Festival Label is a quality label offering international recognition for the work of festivals and providing better access to their information for their peers and public. The festival label and award are a form of branding that encourages more people to know about and take part in festivals.

A.O.I.F.E The Association of Irish Festivals and Events is promoting the application process to it’s huge sector membership and the events calendar North and South in a bid to get as many Irish Festivals and Events included as part of the €1.4 million promotional campaign – in Experts across Europe will assess applications to determine if festivals meet the three criteria – artistic commitment, involvement in their local communities and a European and global outlook. In addition to the label, an international jury will give awards to the most trend-setting festivals. The International Festival Jury will be composed of high-level and diverse jurors representing key stakeholders in the festival industry.

Jury members will be announced in December 2014. All festivals from the 28 EU Member States are eligible to apply for the label and invited to explain how they fulfil the aforementioned criteria. The label recipients and award winners benefit from increased visibility, new networking opportunities, further involvement of festivals in the artistic community, and recognition for their outstanding values. The Festival Guide, both in book and online formats, featuring festival details, articles, and facts and figures will be launched at the Festival Gala in autumn 2015.

EFFE believes it is an important advantage for Europe’s festivals to be recognised by their peers and the European Union for their outstanding artistic quality and community involvement. The platform invites artists, directors, managers and audiences worldwide to discover Europe’s very best, most creative festivals in a festival journey through Europe’s diversity.

“For members there is no fee but for a modest outlay – much less than any advertising space they would pay for around cities or in publications, Festivals and arts Events can be included in an interactive multi-platform guide to festivals across Europe, increasing their reach to global audiences and other festivals alike,” stated Colm Croffy Executive Director of AOIFE .

Festivals and events can apply direct online http://www.effe.eu/ or they can contact http://www.aoifeonline.com – 00 353 909643779 for further details.

The activities foreseen in the work programme of the EFFE platform include, amongst others

• European Festival Label: granted to as many festivals as possible based on a number of criteria elaborated by the EFFE platform.

(inclusive)

• European Festival Award: given to a selected number of festivals who match a number of criteria set by the EFFA platform.

• Biennial European Festival Award Gala: presents Award winners, Label recipients announced, launch of European Festival Guide.

• European Festival Guide: publication in online/offline formats to promote labelled/awarded festivals.

• Media Campaign: a comprehensive, international communication plan that covers all project phases.

• Outreach Programme: promotes and reflects on award winning practices and includes a research project deepening, monitoring and evaluating the process and impact of EFFE.

• Local Contact Points (LCPs) all over Europe and an International Festivals Jury of eminent arts/culture/business/political leaders will be established to steer the selection process of festivals. The extensive network of EFA will ensure its reach to the national level and multiply the results.