< Previous© December 2019 The Meath Coaster 20 The Stamullen Roundup By Grace Tierney A s Christmas approaches, Stamullen is a very busy village. Check out the festive diary below. It’s great to see so many groups having fun, celebrating, and in many cases raising funds for worthy causes. 4 th of December - The annual parish fund- raising Bingo Night in the City North Ho- tel. There will be a raffle on the night and they’d appreciate festive donations for it - cakes, puddings, bottles, sweets, gifts etc. You can drop them into the sacristy or the parish office. 6 th of December - Christmas Poker in Whyte’s, tickets €25 each. 8 th of December - Santa and his friends will arrive in the village to turn on the Christmas lights and bring some festive cheer to all the local children. 8 th of December - The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre is holding its annual Christmas Handmade Crafts & Artisan Food Fair from 10.30-16.30 in Naul. They always provide a great selection of gifts and plen- ty of quality entertainment on the stage too. 15 th of December - The City North Hotel at Gormanston is holding its annual Christ- mas Fair from 12.00-18.00 with mulled wine and mince pies. A chance to browse local food and craft stalls and enjoy carol singing too. Santa and his elves will be there and visits are available for the little ones (€10 ticket for this part of the day). 16 th of December - annual carol singing at Franciscan College Gormanston in the chapel at 6p.m. The school would love to welcome members of the local communi- ty as well as students, parents, and friends to listen to their excellent choir and get into the Christmas spirit. 21 st of December - the Monster Christmas Draw takes place in Whyte’s of Stamullen. 29 th of December - the Whyte’s Trip to the Races. €70 for breakfast, bus, admission and race card, buffet and music on your return. Fast horses not guaranteed. Hope for Homeless (H4H) - Stamullen’s local charity that helps the homeless on Monday nights at the GPO in Dublin - are running their annual Christmas appeal. They’re looking for toiletries and basics for the hygiene supplies they give out each week. The full list of what they need is available on their facebook page (htt- ps://www.facebook.com/Hopeforhome- lessDublin/) and they’d love local groups, workplaces, families to get involved. Alternative you could donate to their ac- count in Browne’s butchers in Balbriggan (19 Bridge Street) helping them to pro- vide meals all year round. Local photographers - Stamullen parish is planning a local calendar for 2021 as a fundraiser and is encouraging you to get snapping now for their photography contest in Autumn 2020. Landscapes and places of interest in the parish are the sub- ject and should include the date and time they were taken. So if you get a new cam- era, or camera phone, for Christmas, get out there and capture Stamullen’s beauty. Congrats to last year’s Gormanston Col- lege transition year students who recently presented a cheque for €1,006.28 to the © December 2019 The Meath Coaster 21 Irish Cancer Society - their charity for the year. The same year also raised €1070.00 for Cycle Against Suicide - great work. Plans are already afoot for this year’s fun- draising, all led and run by the students themselves. The Blood Donation Clinic on the 5 th of November in St. Patrick’s GAA Club was a great success. 106 donors came along, including 23 first time donors. This is hugely appreciated by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service. Well done to all who made the time to attend. About 70,000 patients are transfused with blood each year in Irish Hospitals. To do this we must collect approximately 3,000 dona- tions of blood each and every week from voluntary donors. A total of 5,473 units alone were required in Beaumont Hos- pital, Dublin during 2018 and a total of 2,403 units were required in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda during 2018. Congrats to Charlotte O’Leary and Austin Mooney who recently joined the Commu- nity Alert committee. If you’d like to step back from the pre- Christmas craziness, you could try the new Tuesday morning (10a.m.) and even- ing meditation classes at the Zen Den in the Grange, Stamullen. €15 per class for meditation, crystal work, and reiki. Con- tact Natasha Kinsella on facebook for more info (https://www.facebook.com/ natasha.kinsella.94). Important note - the Parish Secretary’s email address has changed. It is now sec- retary@sjparish.ie Got Stamullen news? Send it to Grace (087- 9074145) or grace@meathcoaster.com © December 2019 The Meath Coaster 22 Council Update By Cllr. Annie Hoey County Development Plan M eath County Council are currently preparing the Meath County Devel- opment Plan 2020-2026. We as Council- lors have been making our own submis- sions and having robust debates. But now it is your turn! Over the Christmas period, the County Development Plan will be out for public consultation over a ten week period.. It is important that Meath County Council hears from all walks of life in order to ensure the plan is meaningful and repre- sentative of what the people of County Meath want. This plan will be a plan for the people of Meath. During this public consultation period, submissions can be made via the online consultation portal https://consult.meath. ie/ OR hard copy by post. If you have any ideas for the Meath Coun- ty Development Plan that you wish to discuss before making a submission, feel free to contact me on 0876776636 or an- nie.hoey@votelabour.ie and I would be thrilled to assist you in any way I can. Keep Meath Clean While we may all be tucked away indoors over the Christmas period, it is a time when rubbish and refuse builds up. In 2017 Repak Recycling found that the pop- ulation of Ireland generated 83,000 tonnes of packaging waste over the Christmas period alone! So make sure you play your part in keeping Meath clean. If someone calls to your door & offers to take your waste, check they have a valid waste col- lection permit at nwcpo.ie. If you see illegal dumping, please report it by emailing environment@meathcoco. ie or call 046 909 7000. Remember Your Waste – Your Responsibility Pride of Place Awards Well done to all the nominees and winners at the recent Laytown/Bettystown Pride of Place Awards. I want to commend the fantastic work and achievements of all the voluntary groups. This demonstrates the real pride the people of Laytown-Bet- tystown Municipal District have in their locality. Aren’t we lucky to live in such a place? Irish Second Level Students’ Union I was thrilled to address the Irish Second Level Students’ Union Regional Council over in the Council Chamber in Navan. I was blown away by the level of debate and engagement throughout the day and I look forward to meeting our future leaders again! Continued over....© December 2019 The Meath Coaster 23 041 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 Happy Christmas and Thank You to All Our Customers© December 2019 The Meath Coaster 24 Recycle Bikes Old bikes give new lives to families in Africa. An unused bike in your garage could be life changing for a student in The Gambia. Donations of bikes can be left at the Navan Recycling Centre, Mullaghboy Industrial Estate, Athboy Road, Navan. Navan Recycling Centre is open Monday to Saturday 8.30am – 4.45pm. Sports Capital Grants I want to congratulate all the local groups who have received funding in the recent Sports Capital Grants allocation. Educate Together Great news for Drogheda Educate To- gether Secondary School! After the disap- pointment of being allocated only 48 first year places for 2020/2021, the Depart- ment of Education has confirmed that 72 places will now be made available in first year in 2020/2021. Well done to school leadership, staff and local families for their work and engagement on this. I will be working with Sena- tor Ged Nash and the DETSS community to ensure that all young local people who want an education at DETSS gets one. Next step is to get the school built ASAP! Emergency Number If there is adverse weather or conditions over the Christmas period, you can contact Meath county Emergency Telephone Con- tact Outside Office Hours: 1890 445 335. For Fire emergencies please ring 112 or 999. Beannachtaí an tSéasúir Last Christmas I would never have ever dreamed I would be elected as you local County Councillor. I have lots to learn still and I am finding my feet. But I want to pause and reflect on the kindness and gen- erosity shown towards me and my family over the past few months. We are all so grateful to each and every one of you. I would encourage everyone to think of those around us who may be in need or alone this festive season. There are many opportunities to give to those in need or to simply reach out and offer warmth and kindness. From the very bottom of my heart I want to wish each of you a peaceful Christmas period. Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh. §Donal Smith Local Coal Merchant Quality Coal at the Right Price Wide Range of smokeless Fuels Available Special Offers New Stove Fuel SuperTherm 40kg €23 2 bags of Logs (kiln-dried) 2 bags of Starter Sticks (kiln-dried) 2 bags of Coal €50 (CoD) Kiln-dried logs €5, Starter Sticks €3.50 Briquettes available www.dcsandgravelfuel.ie DC SAND & GRAVEL Church Road, Mornington Tel: 087 942 7957 085 2057786 e: preidcrashrepairs@gmail.com Mill Road, Mornington Panel beating Spray painting Private & Insurance work All work guaranteed 086/1733396 086/1733397 Mullenandsons1@gmail.com www.Mullenandsons.ie Alan Mullen & Sons Builders Ltd Fifth Generation Irish Builders For All Your Building Needs New Builds - Extensions - Renovations Attic Conversions Fully Insured and Registered Happy Christmas from Mullen & Sons© December 2019 The Meath Coaster 26 U nveiling of Julianstown Clock Tower & Street Lights – Tuesday the 13 th No- vember was a cold night in Julianstown, but Niamh Uí Loinsigh, Chairperson of Julianstown & District Community Association, together with committee members, and local residents welcomed Minister Michael Ring, TD for Rural & Community Development to cut the rib- bon on the beautiful Victorian Clock and Lights funded under the Town and Vil- lage Renewal Scheme. Also on hand to mark this wonderful occasion were Fer- gus O’Dowd, T.D. , Declan Breathnach, TD, Senator Gerald Nash , John Higgins, CEO of East Meath CE Scheme and the Dean Katharine Poulton. A special word of thanks must go to Leo & Aisling Mona- han for doing all the legwork and paper- work for this project and it does add a bit of grandeur to our little village. The J.D.C.A. has once again had a remark- able year, with the Tidy Towns Group achieving their first Green Flag for the Vil- lage Garden and winning both Municipal and County awards from Meath Co. Co. Pride of Place for their nature and wildlife project. The children of Ballygarth Man- or also won Best Youth Project with their wildflower bed and the many Sunflowers planted around the village. We are forev- er grateful to our Volunteers, Committee Members and Kevin, Victor (East Meath CE Scheme) and Toby (Tús). Our Committee are also keeping a watch- ful eye on the ever increasing traffic go- ing through the village and are busy lob- bying for a by-pass with the assistance of our TD’s, Senator and Councillors’. You may be aware that Niamh Bn. Uí Loinsigh and Brendan Logue recently addressed the Oireachtas Joint Committee on trans- port in Leinster House on this matter. This will be a difficult and long drawn out process, but if we all band together and put pressure on the Department of Trans- port we will get there! The latest update is that Meath Trans- port is preparing a submission to An Bord Pleanála for the Traffic Man- News From Julianstown & District Community Association By Niamh Bn. Uí Loinsigh© December 2019 The Meath Coaster 27 agement measures in January 2020 and then there is a period for the public to make submissions. Children don’t for- get that Santa & Mrs. Claus will be calling to The Lime Kiln on Mon- day the 9 th December, 2019 at 6.30 p.m. I hear Santa will have a little gift for all the boys and girls. Keep an eye out for Santa flying overhead as he will be parking his reindeer in Farmer Stephen’s Barn where they will be munching on yummy carrots. The wonderful Mornington Gospel Choir will get us in the Christmas Mood with Carols and we do hope that you will join in the singing. Meanwhile the Lime Kiln Chef Robert is busy baking his delicious mince pies which will be washed down with mulled wine. There will also be a raf- fle with 2 super hampers. Admission is by Donation and all funds raised will be ploughed back into the village. A new en- trance is being planned for the Drogheda side of the garden and the new planters will be made from re-cycled plastic. “Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Duit.” Wishing all our Residents and Friends a very happy Christmas and a wonderful 2020 Call us on 041 9886545 for an appointment. Email: bettystowndental@gmail.com Web: www.bettystowndental.ie Triton 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 0419886545 Private, PRSI and Medical Card Patients Welcome Dr Matthew Crinion B.D.S. (NUI) Corns, Callouses, Verrucae, Ingrown Toenails, nail surgery and other treatments State of the art Gaitscan analysis pressure plate used in the assessment of foot, back and leg pain. Orthotics prescribed to stabilise foot function and rehabilitation Opening hours 9.00-6.00 Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday: Saturday 10.00-1.00 Niamh Tully , BSc (Hons) Pod. MCh.S. S.R.Ch Main Street, Laytown, Tel: 041 9888492 Chiropodist / Podiatrist (State registered) The Foot ClinicLoreto Balbriggan T his month past pupils feature strongly in Loreto Balbriggan news. Pictured below is Ciara Daly from Bettystown, who this year won a scholarship to the National College of Ireland, thanks to her time playing football in Loreto and with her local club St Colmcilles. Also pictured are Alice Morgan and Frances Mulholland who received en- trance scholarships from UCD for excel- lence in their fields and Alice Coady who received the same in Maynooth. Back in the school there was great exite- ment in the TLT when the sign language choir won best Choir at the finals of School Stars and the school’s dance crew Unite won most creative act. East Meath students were well represent- ed in the debating team who qualified for the next round of the Leinster Schools Ciara, now in her final year studying busi- ness at NCI won the scholarship for es- tablishing the college’s first ladies Gaelic football team. She now coaches the ladies Gaelic team at NCI, balancing her time between the college team and Colmcilles. Debating Team© December 2019 The Meath Coaster 29 Debating Competition in UCD during November. . Pictured with their teammates are Eabha Mc Loughlin and Niamh Ward O Brien, both from Laytown. There were lots of activities around the school for science week. Fifth year Chem- istry students attended Careers in Chem- istry talks hosted by the Royal Society of Chemistry and Trinity college. Our science captains presented a selection of demonstration experi- ments around the theme of climate change to some 1 st year classes. Two teams of 6 th year students took part in the ISTA Senior Science Quiz in Trinity College in late November. All 1 st year students were given the opportunity to experience the Big Bear Planetarium on Friday November 22 nd in which students observed the won- ders and opportunities of space travel without having to leave the school hall. All Transition Year students also had the opportunity to partake in a day long Fo- rensics workshop. We wish all our students the best of luck in their Christmas exams and ongoing CBAs. § Forensics workshop Lessons Based In Drogheda Grammar School, Mornington Road, Drogheda. Toccata House Music School, Drogheda. Junior and Leaving Certificate Music and Musicianship Associated Board and Riam Theory. Join our School Choir for free Now Open For Autumn Term Lessons in piano, keyboard, guitar - electric, acoustic, bass and classical, ukulele, piano accordion, flute, clarinet, saxophone, recorder, tin whistle, violin, cello, viola, drums, Voice coaching - classical and musical theatre, For Information call Olive 087 2603079, Facebook or email toccatahouse@ gmail.com Established Since 1990.Next >