< Previous© August 2019 The Meath Coaster 10 Pet-Bliss Cat Work B ruce AKA Brucie was rescued from the vets at the very last moments be- fore he was to be put to sleep. Bruce was a street cat from Dundalk and was very sick, so he had a difficult time finding a permanent home that could provide him with the care he desperately needs. Before he came to us, he was already tak- en from the streets and rehomed once but returned to the vets for unknown reasons. Bruce is an older cat and had deep lacera- tions around his neck and various wounds around his body, which reflected what a sad past life he had experienced. When the staff here at Pet – Bliss in Drogheda saw his appeal on Facebook we each knew there was no option but to go and help him. Luckily none of this seemed to phase Bruce! After a course of antibiotics and steroids he is now the happiest kitty there could be. He lives here in Pet – Bliss with us. Just imagine being a cat – in a pet store! Unlimited toys, attention and most importantly for Bruce …. food! He spends most of his time sleeping on various office chairs, playing with his fa- vourite catnip toys and getting cuddles off all the staff. That being said – he does pull his weight around the shop. Bruce’s main role is “Head Cat Toy and Treat Inspec- tor” and he excels at it. Brucie the street cat is now absolutely adored by everyone at Pet – Bliss. He wel- comes visitors all day (apart from during his nap time, which is very important to him apparently). So next time you're shopping at Drogheda Retail Park on the Donore Road (near Harvey Norman, TK Maxx etc), come in to Pet-Bliss and say hello to our new best friend and if you need any advice on cat accessories or food, Bruce and his keepers here at Pet – Bliss are the ones to ask! §© August 2019 The Meath Coaster 12 Whitefield Manor Family Fun T he residents of the Whitefield Man- nor estate in Bettystown had its first very successful family fun day on Satur- day July 6 th . On the day we had bouncy castles bbq's a marquee and lots of fun and games for the kids and adults. The kids took part in the egg and spoon race and we also had a sack race with medals and trophies for the kids. The fun didn't end there as we had lots of music and dancing throughout the day and the food was plentiful for everyone who attended. None of this would of been possible if it wasnt for the kind donations of local busi- nesses. Pats Centre in Bettystown Pats supermarket in laytown Callahan's butcher's in Bettystown The Village Hotel in Bettystown © August 2019 The Meath Coaster 13 The Dublin Meat Company in Drogheda Advanced Cleaning Bettystown. These guys supplied us with burgers sau- sages hotdogs and tons of sweets and drinks for the kids. As was planned we said any money's left over would be donated to the amazing East Meath Cardiac First Response team who do an great job supplying East Meath with life saving defibrillator's. We raised €115 for them and a spe- cial thanks to Advanced cleaning in Bettystown who matched it bring a total of €230 to our charity. We already can't wait for next year to do it all over again. § But also not forgetting the amazing sup- port we got from the Whitefield Manor community who played a massive part in making the day successful. © August 2019 The Meath Coaster 14 Calling all dog lovers! I was on the beach this morning when a stranger ran over the dunes and gave me a big hug. I was shocked and not ter- ribly happy! Ok, so it didn’t happen quite like this. It was a dog that came running over the dunes right into my two dogs, who weren’t very happy about it either. I quickly called them to me and changed di- rection. And the dogs owner? Completely oblivious and totally preoccupied on a phone call. The dog wasn’t aggressive, just boisterous but I can understand why some people have a problem with dogs being off lead. And that’s the problem - for every hundred dogs that are well be- haved with perfect recalls, it’s the one dog that doesn’t behave that is spoiling things for everyone else! There is a growing anti-dog sentiment in Ireland. It is up to all dog lovers to reverse that trend by taking responsibility for our dogs and to respect the rights of other peo- ple to enjoy their own walk without being bothered by our dogs. I moved to Mornington a year ago primar- ily because of the beach. I have walked my dogs on the beach almost every day since, mainly because I love it but also be- cause there is nowhere else I know of to walk my dogs off lead. So here are some of my recommendations for off-lead walking, particularly on the beach. 1. If your dog doesn’t have a reliable re- call around distractions, leave him/her on a lead. 2. Don’t let your dog chase people, horses or seabirds etc. 3. Carry high value treats (e.g. hot dogs) and a toy to reward your dog for a good recall. 4. Don’t let your dog approach other peo- ple or dogs. Strangers on the beach don’t run over to each other to say hel- lo, dogs don’t need to either! 5. Keep your phone in your pocket and pay attention to what your dog is doing! 6. Pick up and dispose of waste in a bin. Meath County Council and the Irish gov- ernment both have very important consul- tation documents open for submissions this summer. Submission deadlines are 30 th August for Meath Co. Co. ( https:// consult.meath.ie or environment@ meathcoco.ie ) and 6 th September for the Irish government ( dogsconsultation@ drcd.gov.ie ). I have set up a Facebook group “Meath Dog Lovers” where you will find all the information you need to make a submis- sion, or you can email me at: meath- doglovers@gmail.com and I can send you the information. It is absolutely es- sential that every dog owner makes a sub- mission to ensure our dogs can continue to be walked off lead without dog owners becoming criminals! © August 2019 The Meath Coaster 15 For the non-dog lovers out there – it is our quality of life that is currently under threat but please beware that it may be your quality of life next time. We can all share the beach with a bit of respect on all sides. Sarah Liddy § Photos of Ross (11 years) and Hunter (6 years) at Benhead by Hugh Sowray© August 2019 The Meath Coaster 16 Beach Management T he Beach Management Plan for the coast of County Meath is the hot topic of the summer! Meath County Council are proposing 6 material changes to the Foreshore Bylaws, which include a complete ban on walking dogs off leash, a full ban on horse drawn carts/sulkies, and restricting the area of beach that horses can have access to. These proposed amendments are out on public consultation until 5pm on August 30 th . You can make your opinions know to Meath County Council and your local public representatives. For more informa- tion, please visit https://consult.meath.ie/ This is YOUR beach and you can have YOUR say on how it is run! Boyne Greenway Plans for the long-awaited Boyne Green- way are advancing and will be out on pub- lic consultation in August. The Greenway will link Mornington to Drogheda, and will provide a scenic route for pedestri- ans and cyclists to enjoy the natural flora, Council Update By Cllr. Annie Hoey fauna and wildlife along the Boyne estu- ary. Following the public consultation and presentation to Meath County Council- lors at the Council meeting in September, a planning application for the Greenway will be lodged with An Bord Pleanála. Whitecross School The Department of Education has con- firmed that the new Whitecross school is on target for opening in the third quarter of 2020. Bus shelters Meath County Council has confirmed that construction work on new bus shel- ters in the Laytown/Bettystown area will be completed by early October. The loca- tions of the new bus shelters will be at the bus stops outside Inse Bay, Laytown, at Tesco in Bettystown, and on both sides of the Eastham Road, near Eastham Village. Just in time for winter! New footpath at Donacarney Meath County Council are proposing a new path between Whitefield Manor in Bettystown and Donacarney. This new footpath will require a Part 8 planning permission and all residents can submit observations under this process.© August 2019 The Meath Coaster 17 Beach safety In the warm summer weather, it is impor- tant to be beach savvy and take sensible precautions. Mind yourself and children on the beach, and be aware of moving vehicles. Be careful in the water- there are Lion’s mane jellyfish at Bettystown, Laytown and Mornington beach- es. And they sting! Most importantly, take note of the flags flying on the beach before enter- ing the water. Do NOT swim when a red flag is flying! Keep Meath Clean When you're out enjoying the good weather this summer, make sure to take your rubbish home. And if someone calls to your door & offers to take your waste, check they have a valid waste collection permit at www.nwcpo.ie. If you see illegal dumping, please report it by emailing environment@meathcoco. ie or call 046 909 7000. Remember – Your Waste – Your Respon- sibility County Development Plan Meath County Council are currently pre- paring the County Development Plan. This plan is a strategic policy document which will set out a vision for the proper planning and sustainable development of County Meath. This plan will be a plan for the people of Meath. When the County Development Plan goes out for public consultation, it is important that Meath County Council hears from all walks of life in order to ensure the plan is meaning- ful and representative of what the people of County Meath want. Keep an eye out on Meath County Council social media and your local Councillors social media for updates on the plan and when it will be out for public consultation. New Development at Colpe A major new development launched at Colpe will include two roads, a business park and 350 new homes. There will be a new road running parallel to the Mill Road behind Gaelscoil an Bhradáin Feasa, with a second new road running to McBride railway station. There is a planning appli- cation in for the 350 homes, with a deci- sion expected before Christmas. This is a major development for the eastern corner of Drogheda in County Meath. Contact Information If you would like to contact me, please phone 087 6776636 or the email address is: annie.hoey@members.meathcoco.ie. §© August 2019 The Meath Coaster 18 Bettystown Tidy Towns, BTT O ur thanks to Meath County Council for installing a waste bin and dog waste bag dispenser on the Golf Links road at the entrance to Fairways Park es- tate. There are two other waste bins lo- cated along the Golf Links road, one near Harry’s and the oth- er near Anthony’s barbers. There is no excuse for not clean- ing up after your dog and disposing of the waste in a responsi- ble manner. There is good news for bus commuters in Bettystown and Laytown with the an- nouncement that bus shelters will be in- stalled at some local bus stops. We have been advised that the bus stops may be in place by October 2019. The shelters will be located at Inse Bay, north and south bound, Eastham Village, north and south bound and Tesco southbound. Enhancement works in the village con- tinue with local businesses painting their premises. Our thanks to Chan’s, Bistro BT and Seaview Takeaway, all of whom recently painted their premises which en- hances the village. Judging in the Tidy Towns and Pride of Place competitions is now completed and we look forward to the feedback and sug- gestions from the adjudicators. The BTT Committee met recently and we have some of our own ideas to further enhance the village and approach roads. If you have any suggestions please message us on our Facebook page. Road Frontage & Vacant Sites Issue. We have received some comments from local residents regarding the road front- age of some dwellings and the footpaths in front of vacant sites around the area, especially the sites on the Golf Links road that are not being maintained by the prop- erty owners. The lack of maintenance along the foot- paths is creating a health and safety issue as the growth of grass and thistles is forc- ing pedestrians and children on bicycles onto the grass verge, and in some cases, onto the road. The lack of maintenance is a bigger issue for wheelchair users, some residing at the © August 2019 The Meath Coaster 19 local nursing home and also for parents pushing prams, who are being forced out onto the road. If you own one of these properties we would ask that you be considerate of foot- path users and cut back the overgrowth to clear the public path. Alternatively, if you live adjacent to one of these properties, you might consider cutting back the over- growth. Unfortunately we don’t have the resources or equipment to carry out this work. If every homeowner maintained the front of their property we wouldn’t have this issue. We must emphasise that it is only a few properties that are not maintained, as the vast majority of properties are very well maintained as noted by last year’s Tidy Towns judges. 041 98 444 98 041 98 111 98 086 838 4444 www.eastcoastcabs.com EAST COAST CABS SERVICING MEATH COAST & DROGHEDA REGIONS CABS - 4, 6 & 8 SEATERS NEW RANGE OF MINI-VANS COACHES - 16, 24, 36 & 54 SEATERS AVAILABLE The BTT volunteers have achieved a sig- nificant amount in the last year but we require more volunteers to maintain what we have created and to create more, many hands make light work. Perhaps you are retired and have an hour to spare some morning or you are a keen gardener and would like to assist in maintaining the planters, deadheading and weeding. If you want exercise and fresh air then volunteer- ing with BTT is the answer. In one hour of volunteering with BTT you can take 5,000 steps, half of your recommended daily ex- ercise! You can meet us any day, Monday to Fri- day at 10.00 a.m. in the village, but you can always do your volunteering at a time that suits you. Some volunteers prefer to do a bit of weeding and deadheading in the evening. §Next >