< Previous© August 2018 The Meath Coaster20Hello again from all of us here at Sonairte!The beautiful sunny weather has had the Sonairte Team and Volunteers working flat out. Visitors have been pour-ing in on Sundays, and the Garden Pro-duce is flying out on Fridays. New volunteers always very welcome, contact hello@sonairte.ie You can follow our progress on www.sonairte.ie and on Facebook (Sonairte) and Instagram (Sonarite.ie). Sonairte will continue with our education-al programmes and courses. We are also continuing with our supply of fresh sea-sonal organic vegetables and fruit to local restaurants.Sonairte Veg Box SchemeBoxes contain a mix of the seasonal pro-duce currently available from Sonairte's organic garden. Just choose how much you want (€10, 15, 20, 30 etc.), contact us here, and your box will be waiting for you!We currently have delicious herbs, salad leaves, vegetables, potatoes and fruit.Please order by Wednesday @ 5 pm Email “hello@sonairte.ie” and collection will be on Friday between 1 – 5 pm. Thanks!Community Supported Agriculture.We will shortly be introducing a CSA scheme Community Supported Agricul-ture. CSAs are an amazing opportunity to get kids involved in their “food chain”Keep a look out on Facebook for our up-coming courses, camps and general infor-mation at hello@sonairte.ie or call us on 041-9827 572 (Wed-Friday).SONAIRTESaturday 18th August In Sonairte1pm – 5.00 pmTickets Available on Eventbrite€5 per Family €2 Individual’sForaging: Join Zaneta on a foraging walk around Sonairte. Learn about wild and unusual edibles and discover interest-ing new flavours. Visit Our Bee Museum: See bee keep-ing equipment and display. Talk with local beekeepers and taste raw natural honey. “Bee Aware” Workshop for children Wild Bee” Talk Pollination & Conserva-tion. Folklore Tales/Trees: Join Natasha for a guided tree walk and talk. Discover the folklore behind the trees and the magic and reverence attributed to them in cen-turies past.Bird Watching: Join us for Bird Watch-ing with the Sonairte Experts. Binoculars available.Eco ShopOpen Friday 12–5Pm. Sunday 1-5pm.Local Raw Honey AvailableGet GardeningJust in time for your Autumn planting’s. 2m raised bed complete with biodegrad-able mulch, fleece & plant labels. To plan your rotation 4 x €100 or €30 each. §© August 2018 The Meath Coaster21East Meath Hospice AssociationJanet Martin and Marie Collins and committee organised a golf day to fun-draise for East Meath Hospice Associa-tion with Gilnas in Laytown.They report hey had a fun day ending with a BBQ in Gilnas ,and raised an amazing E1,250. On July 4th ,on behalf of East Meath Hospice Association,Kate Calvey and Mena Ball,were presented with cheque for this amount.Well done ,and thank you to all who or-ganised and participated in a great day outEast Meath Hospice Association are a to-tally voluntary group ,our aim is to pro-vide services for people who have a di-agnosis of cancer,. Volunteer drivers take patients with a diagnosis of cancer,to and from Hospital appointments,door to door ,free of charge,.We also have a comfort fund to provide equipment ,as neededDriving Service 0872100036Our next Fundraiser is National Coffee Morning Sept 20th,more details in next issueThank You - Car Boot SaleThanks to all who supported the recent Car Boot Sale at Drogheda Presbyte-rian Church, in aid of the new Shannon Class Clogherhead Life Boat, it was a great success §© August 2018 The Meath Coaster22Laytown Train StationThe first railway in Ireland was from Westland Row, Dublin to Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) and opened in Dec 1834. It was six miles in length (9.6km), cost £340,200 at the time, equivalent to approx €60m today, or €6.25m per km, and was built and operated by private en-terprise. The following year Thomas Brodigan of Piltown House, proposed the much more ambitious project of the Dublin and Drogheda Railway, some 31.75 miles (51km) long. In 1836 permission was granted, however there was huge oppo-sition from a group that wanted it to run inland from Dublin to Navan. Suffice to say that with the help of none other than Daniel O’Connell, Brodigan and his sup-porters won out in the end. Mr. John Mc-Neill was appointed engineer in Feb 1840 and work commenced.The 51km of railway was completed in 1844 at a cost of €118.6m in today’s money or €2.324m per km. Laytown and Bettystown train stations opened for busi-ness on Sat 25th May 1844. Both stations initially just had platforms on each side of the track, with buildings and a footbridge added to Laytown over the next number of years. The station at Bettystown, which was no more than a halt, was closed on the 1st of Nov 1847, never to be opened again.By the start of the 1400’s Laytown had become a thriving port with a significant population all of which was wiped-out in 1479 by the Black Death. The opening of the railway station 4 cen-turies later helped in no small way to breathe new life into this small village.Laytown had always been a popular sea-side resort, cottages in the village were let from year to year to “very respectable bathers”. In 1847, as a direct result of the opening of the railway station, James Kennedy, a shopkeeper from Drogheda, built the Al-verno Hotel to accommodate the influx of visitors. In 1850 the train line was extend-© August 2018 The Meath Coaster23ed inland from Drogheda to Navan, thus increasing the number of visitors further. By now, wooden huts were built on every available piece of ground and used for holiday homes. With the advent of corru-gated iron sheets, many of these ‘holiday homes’ were clad in these sheets giving Laytown the nick-name ‘Tin-town’.By the turn of the century Laytown had: a café, salt-water baths, butchers, grocery, 2 pubs, and a Hotel. It’s popularity as a seaside resort as a result of the train sta-tion is summed-up by the following in the Drogheda Argus, June 10th 1911 “The vast Crowds which assembled to avail of the first local Sunday train were of such pro-portions that many were left behind while dozens of others determined on visiting the briny had to be content with standing room at the rear of the train.”Next month sees the 150th anniversary of Laytown Races who’s success was greatly enhanced by the opening of Laytown Train Station. Indeed the village itself owes its survival and popularity to the Train Sta-tion. Well done Thomas Brodigan.© August 2018 The Meath Coaster24Fauna and Flora ─ Native Irish Bees StampsIn July, An Post released four new stamps in tribute to some of the hard-est little workers on our earth: Bees. In Ireland, as elsewhere, bees help to polli-nate crops, forests and native plants. That makes them ecologically invaluable but also commercially significant as those crops contribute to our economy and to employment. Even as a commercial sec-tor in its own right, beekeeping, food pro-duction and products are worth €53m a year to the Irish economy, according to a recent study.Today, bees are faced with serious threats to their survival and not just from pollut-ants and pesticides but from habitat loss, hunger, pests and disease. Improving awareness can make all the difference and for this reason An Post has commissioned stamps from Oonagh Young Design HQ in Dublin on the topic of Native Irish Bees.Illustrations by botanical artist Shevaun Doherty. These feature a Bumble Bee, Heather Bee, Tawny Mining Bee & Ashy Mining Bee. All of these bees are native to Ireland: Bumble Bees, of course, can be found all around the world living in colonies of as few as 50 but always with one queen. As with all bees, they feed on nectar and will usually ignore humans and other animals.For generations, Dubliners could meet their ‘Honey’ at the GPO. That’s tak-ing a whole new twist with a new set of honeycomb – shaped stamps celebrating Ireland’s native bees and a new colony about to take up residence at Ireland’s best known landmark.New ‘honeycomb’ stamps marked by new postal. Post joins a worldwide effort to attract bees back to urban centres.When the seagulls move out, the honey bees are moving in. Four new €1 stamps designed by Dublin’s Design HQ, based on illustrations by bo-tanical artist Shevaun Doherty, pay tribute to the hardest working insects on the plan-et and in particular Ireland’s native Bum-ble Bee, Heather Bee and rarer Tawny Mining and Ashy Mining bees. They are produced in an unusual hexagonal format mirroring the cell structure of a bee hive.Also available at main post offices, Dub-lin’s GPO and online atwww.irishs-tamps.ie is a beautiful mini-sheet of the four stamps and a unique first day cover envelope. In tandem with the new stamps, a colony of honey bees is about to take up resi-dence on the roof of the landmark build-ing as An Post champions the cause of the hard pressed creator of hive and honey. An Post’s Head of Procurement and Fingal North Dublin Beekeepers Associa-tion, Paula Butler explains how An Post has been preparing a section of the GPO roof to become home to a colony of honey bees: “We had drones delivering parcels last week and we’ll have more drones helping worker bees make the best of honey this week! An Post is joining a world-wide movement to reintroduce bees to urban spaces. We have prepared a nice private area of the GPO roof and our hardwork-ing guests will arrive shortly – we had to wait for some ‘teenage’ seagull chicks to leave their nest so that our honey bees’ hive could be installed. 086/1733396086/3673406Mullenandsons1@gmail.comwww.Mullenandsons.ieAlan Mullen & Sons Builders LtdFifth Generation Irish BuildersFor All Your Building NeedsNew Builds - Extensions - Renovations At-tic Conversions Fully Insured and RegisteredStreet TreatThe best coffee and crepes this summer on Bettystown beach!! Follow us: instagram: streettreat.ie Hire us for your celebration!! Have a Birthday or Aniversary in your garden, relax and enjoy our catering service!!! Call us for any queries 083/839-8654Price Promise GUARANTEEtel. 087 091 7990 info@bestpol.iewww.bestpol.ie-10% local discount with this leafletAll types of blinds manufactured at our premises to your own specification.“We expect they’ll take their pollen from within a 2km radius so the O’Connell Street lime trees, the grounds of Trinity College, Dublin Castle and the Garden of Remembrance are all within their flight path. It will be interesting to compare the honey to that from other parts of the City. “Bee-keeping is a fascinating hobby; in-credibly interesting, totally relaxing and with the added bonus of a great end-prod-uct,” Paula concluded.Internationally bees face an uncertain fu-ture as they battle for survival in the face of pollutants, pesticides, habitat loss and climate change. In Ireland, bees are of vital importance to Ireland’s biodiver-sity and economy. An Post’s new stamps will drive awareness of the native species which contribute some €53m to the Irish economy each year. © August 2018 The Meath Coaster26Nutrition for New MothersAugust 1-7th is World Breast-feeding week so this month’s focus is new mothers. Below are some factors to consider during the first few weeks/months of mother-hood:WaterSince breast-milk is 90% water, breast-feeding mothers need to drink more fluids(preferably water) to stay hydrated. Dehydration can result in constipation, fa-tigue and impaired concentration – not a good combination when recovering from delivery coupled with sleepless nights!Calcium is transferred through breast-milk from mother to baby - don't worry, any loss of bone mass is usually regained after weaning. Food sources of calcium include tofu, sar-dines, sesame seeds, spinach, yoghurt and other dairy products. Vitamin D aids the absorption of calcium, so try combine foods containing these nu-trients. Vitamin D food sources include fortified milk and oily fish such as salmon, sardines and tuna. Oily fish has the added benefit of including omega 3 fats which benefit heart and brain health.Iron levels may be low after delivery due to blood loss or if the interval between pregnancies is less than two years. If you think you may be low in iron (symptoms including fatigue, weakness, pale skin, dizziness and brittle nails) speak to your GP and get your levels checked. Food sources include oysters, pumpkin seeds, lean beef and tofu. If iron levels are clinically low supplementation may be necessary. Exercise has many advantages for postpartum mothers as with anyone else. It promotes heal-ing, strengthens and tones ab-dominal muscles, boosts energy, promotes better sleep, relieves stress and may help prevent postnatal depression. Before em-barking on any exercise regime, speak to your GP or public health nurse. When first exercising after childbirth, try simple postpartum exercises - Kegel ex-ercises can reduce the risk of stress incon-tinence as they strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Don’t feel you have to spend hours in the gym - even 10 minutes of gen-tle exercise at home will benefit your body. If you attend a class/gym, ensure it is suit-able for post-partum. Stop exercising if you feel pain. Breastfeeding before ex-ercise may reduce the discomfort of en-gorged breasts.Sleep is often a distant memory to new parents and deprivation can result in diffi-culty concentrating, loss/gain in appetite, mood swings and a weakened immune system. Nap while the baby naps - 20/30 minutes can make a big difference. Take advantage of offers from family/friends to take the baby for an hour to allow you catch up on lost sleep. Above all be kind to yourself. Enjoy get-ting to know your new baby and the happy chaos that they bring.Anna Ryan, Dip. NT, DC, mNTOIwww.nicanutrition.ienicanutrition@gmail.com §Call us on 041 9886545 for an appointment.Email: bettystowndental@gmail.comWeb: www.bettystowndental.ieTriton Road, Bettystown, Co. Meath (between Funtasia & Tesco)Extended PRSI Scheme Dental exam and clean only €15 for qualified patients. To check eligibility contact us on 0419886545Private, PRSI and Medical Card Patients WelcomeDr Matthew Crinion B.D.S. (NUI) Corns, Callouses, Verrucae, Ingrown Toenails, nail surgery and other treatmentsState of the art Gaitscan analysis pressure plate used in the assessment of foot, back and leg pain.Orthotics prescribed to stabilise foot function and rehabilitationOpening hours 9.00-6.00Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday: Saturday 10.00-1.00Niamh Tully, BSc (Hons) Pod. MCh.S. S.R.ChMain Street, Laytown, Tel: 041 9888492Chiropodist / Podiatrist(State registered)The Foot ClinicNEW YOGA STUDIO OPENING 3RD SEPTEMBER. Classes suitable for Beginners to Mixed Level. Vinyasa, Hatha and Power Yoga Classes Monday - Saturday6 class Card: €50 (Card expires after 8 weeks)Drop In: €10 Monthly Unlimited: €80Please get in touch for more information: The Yoga Room at SonairteDeborah: 0868606282Michelle:0862670706Namaste, Deborah and Michelle The Yoga Room @ SonairteThe Ninch,Laytown© August 2018 The Meath Coaster28St. Mary's Baton TwirlersStamullen Club come in top 3 at Eu-rope Twirling Championships. After months of training St. Mary's Baton Twirlers competed along-side clubs from Dublin City and County, Cork, Slovenia and Catalonia at the 2018 European Championships which took place in Gormanston at the beginning of July and placed 3rd in overall points cat-egory. The club have athletes from Bals-cadden, Drogheda, Balbriggan, Skerries, Stamullen, Bellewstown, Julianstown and Mornington were overjoyed with their re-sults. 30 athletes entered 21 events and took medals and trophies in 9 of them. Podium places:1st place - Junior Group. 1st place - Juvenile group Hairspray 2nd place - Juvenile group Be our Guest.3rd place - Juvenile Team.© August 2018 The Meath Coaster293rd place - Junior Team.3rd place - Aoife & Hannah - juvenile pair.4th place - Ava & Rebecca - juvenile pair.5th place - India & Caoimhe - juvenile pair.6th place - Molly & Abby - Juvenile pair. All other results:8th place - Keeva Howard- Junior freestyle.8th place - Aoife Whearty Juvenile free-style. 14th place Amy Prosser - Junior freestyle. 15th place Jessica Faulkner Junior freestyle.16th place Rebecca Purcell - Junior freestyle.17th place Jessica Delaney - Junior freestyle.11th place - Ava Buckley - Juvenile Freestyle. 12th place Hannah Farrell- Juvenile freestyle.7th place Rebecca & Jessica - Junior pair.8th place Amy & Erin- Junior pair. 9th place - Jessica & Lauryn - Junior pair. 7th place Katie & Keeva - Senior pair.Celebrations continued on the Sunday evening in Whytes Stamullen with the 6 coaches and 27 of the 30 strong squad at a party with their brothers, sisters and fam-ily.July is turning into a good news month for the Club when they were contacted by Deputy Mayor of Fingal Grainne Magu-ire and were invited to a reception in the Bracken Court Hotel with Grainne and other local Councillors Anthony Murphy and Malachy Quinn to accept trophy for the Best Marching Group in uniform at the 2018 St Patrick's Day Parade in Balbriggan. And just last week 16 of our younger members have been filmed by RTĖ for their Kidspeak 2018 programme which will be aired on RTE Junior over the au-tumn/winter. They girls really enjoyed their afternoon of filming and can't wait to see themselves on TV. The club are on well deserved rest now until 29th August at 6pm in St. Pat GAA sport hall at 6pm. New members welcome. Enquires to Facebook messenger StMarys Baton Twirlers. Or text 086-3270635. §Next >