< Previous© March 2020 The Meath Coaster 30 The Stamullen Roundup By Grace Tierney S tamullen photographer Eric Ronan has ventured from stills to movies with great success recently. He won first prize at the Dublin Smartphone Film Fes- tival with his short film “Autism Fights Back” which was filmed on location in Stamullen, Gormanston, and Balbriggan. The film is a documentary about Eric and Celine’s sons Fionn, aged 13, and Cal- lum, aged 8 who are both on the autism spectrum, and about their love of karate which is mentored by Stamullen karate expert Sensei Seamus O’Dowd.. The in- spiring story of success in the face of ad- versity won against a wide field of films from eleven countries and will now go on to compete in other film festivals in Aus- tralia, Canada, and the U.S.. Everybody in the village is aware of Star of the Sea A.C. runners pounding the pave- ments, but one in particular is reaching new goals at the moment. Andrew Cosco- ran achieved an impressive sub-4-minute mile in Boston recently and is seeking qualification for European Championship and Olympic qualification this year. With new housing estates currently ap- proaching completion in the village it is good to know that progress is also being made on the new secondary school build- ing for Franciscan College Gormanston which will cater for up to 1,000 students and has a completion date of Summer 2023. The Parents’ Association would also like to thank parishioners for supporting their recent Bake Sale in the Parish Hall which raised funds for school equipment. The Meath Befriending Service is seeking volunteers to visit lonely, isolated people in their home for one hour per week. If you can give some time please contact Eva at 046-9280790 or eva@volunteer- meath.ie. After their recent AGM, the Meals on Wheels committee would like to thank the wonderful volunteer drivers who have de- livered over 2,300 meals in the past year. Hot meals are delivered in Julianstown, Shallon, Stamullen, Gormanston, and Mullaghteeling areas on Monday, Wednes- day, and Friday each week. Thanks also to the chef and staff of the Glenside Ho- tel and all who donated to keep this vital service operational. If anyone wishes to make enquiries about the service, you can contact them on 085-7222068. The cyclo-cross season is now ending and Stamullen Road Club congratulates all their cyclists who have been competing in the parks and fields over the past six months, especially under-14s Aoibhinn Sharkey and Toby Sweetman, and Helen White, senior competitor, who won the silver medal in the Ladies Masters All- Ireland CX championship. If you’ve been following the highs and lows of the Operation Transformation leaders this year and would like to get moving more yourself, check out the Monday evening walks at St. Patrick’s GAA. at 7p.m. led by Linda Dungan. Good luck to all the local children making their confirmation on the 20 th of March! Saint Patrick’s Day will be celebrated with trad music in the Seamus Ennis Cen- tre, Naul 2-4p.m. All local musicians and listeners are welcome to this free annual event. Doors open at 1.30p.m. 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 © March 2020 The Meath Coaster 31 Laytown Tidy Towns T he weather has not allowed much work to be done during February, although we did manage to finish clearing the edges of the car park and have started to do the edges of the grass verges outside of it. We are lucky enough to have been joined temporarily by two Transition Year stu- dents who live local- ly and attend Loreto in Balbriggan. Here is what they have to say..... "Our names are Sinead and Amy and we are currently in fourth year at Loreto in Balbriggan. For our community wrork for Gaisce President’s Award we are working with Laytown Tidy Towns on a week for thir- teen weeks. The group meets every Sat- urday morning at 10am and do a variety of jobs around the village. This morning we were asked to do a litterpick along the beach at the Nanny Estuary as far as the Coast Tavern, which we did. We will be involved in weeding the ornamental beds around the village and also will take part in a new project at the back of the car park. The ground there was very uneven and overgrown. It has been flattened be- tween the banks and the car park edge, thanks to Eabhan Connolly and Elite En- vironmental. " We intend to put down a variety of plants and shrubs there. We really working in the community and working towards our Gaisce award. § East Meath Hospice Association mem- bers at Citynorth Hotel to launch their Annual Pancake Fundraising Event. T his annual Fundraiser is in its 32 nd year and will take place on the 25 th of February from 10am to 12.30pm A great attendance is anticipated as usual and all are welcome to visit and any support is greatly appreciated. Speaking at the launch, Suzanne Mulvey, Director of Sales and Marketing at Cit- ynorth Hotel commented, “We are really looking forward to supporting the ladies in their fundraising efforts again this year. They work tirelessly all year to support cancer patients in the area, and we are de- lighted to be able to help them realise their fundraising goals.” Mena Ball from the East Meath Associa- tion said of the event, “This is our main fundraiser which started 32 years ago in The Old Mill ,and thanks to the support and encouragement of Management and Staff in City North for the past 12 years ,we look forward to another great morn- ing of Coffee Pancakes and chat”. All funds raised will go to provide servic- es for people with a diagnosis of Cancer,in East Meath area. § Hospice Pancake Morning© March 2020 The Meath Coaster 32 Autism Fights Back E ric Ronan came up with the idea of Autism Fights Back after attending a half day work shop in Dublin on how to make marketing films on your smart- phone. His idea was to do vlogs about his business as a professional wedding pho- tographer. He was also going to do a You- tube cooking piece with his daughter. Whilst doing the workshop they spoke about a film festival that is held every year in Dublin for short movies that are made just with smartphones. He came up with the idea of doing a short documentary film about his two sons Fionn who was 13 at the time and Callum who was 8. They are both on the Autism spectrum and both do Karate in Stamullen Martial Arts . Over last summer and up until December he made the film using local areas around Stamullen, Gormanston and Balbriggan. Some of the filming also happened during classes in the Karate studio. Lara and Callum currently attend Gaels- coil Bhaile Brigín and Fionn goes to Colàiste Ghlòr na Mara. We initially signed the boys up for Karate as their Oc- cupational Therapist said at the time it would be excellent for them. With an excellent teacher in the Dojo in Stamullen Sensei Sheamus O'Dowd the boys and Lara excelled in Karate. They are now entering their fourth year of Ka- rate and love it. Well Sunday mornings are a struggle to get them out of bed some- times LOL. The film is their story from when they first got their diagnosis with Autism and the struggles we all went through as fam- ily coming to terms with the news and the ongoing struggle for them to got the ser- vices they badly needed. We believe it is a story of success in the face of adversity and to prove anyone can succeed with the right help, focus and di- rection. Its a story of inclusion and it could relate to any family in our situation with a child with special needs. The Film Festival took place on January 25 th in The Teeling Distillery Centre Dub- lin 8 and there were 24 films shown on the © March 2020 The Meath Coaster 33 night. Some were as short as one minute and it shows what you can do with just an idea and a phone. There were films in from all over the world including UK, France, USA, Italy, Australia, Russia, India Bulgaria, Mexico, Belgium and Ireland. There were six films entered from Ireland and this film won the best of the Irish entries. It was Eric's first ever film to make and he is now working on an idea for his next documentary. Autism Fights Back will now be entered into other festivals in Australia, Canada and the U.S taking place this year. © March 2020 The Meath Coaster 34 Julianstown Youth Orchestra J ulianstown Youth Orchestra would like to thank Tesco Bettystown and the lo- cal people who supported us, for the very welcome donation from the Community Fund. The money will contribute to the travel costs of instruments and equipment to concerts. Speaking of concerts, the senior orches- tra are busy rehearsing for their upcoming performance in the Helix, Dublin on April 1 st , a collaboration with visiting Shakopee High School Wind Ensemble from Min- nesota and promises to be a great night's music. Tickets are just €5 and available now through the Helix box office directly. Book early to avoid disappointment. We hope to also participate in the inaugral Fingal International Festival of Voices in Balbriggan on the afternoon of Sunday 15 th March. The junior orchestra are preparing for their concert in Townley Hall in May. There might still be time for any new members interested in taking part to join the rehearsals. We have an instrument rental scheme whereby members can avail of instruments including the more unusual ones, for a nominal rental fee. We currently have French Horn, Double Bass, Clarinet, Oboe, Viola, Cello, Flute and Violin. So anyone who is grade 1/ has six months playing practice is wel- come to pop into us at rehearsals: Friday evening 6.30 -8.30 for seniors, Saturday morning 8.45 - 10.30 for juniors, in Co- laiste na hInse, Laytown. We would love some viola, trumpet, bass, oboe and vio- lin players. Come along, make some new friends and great music! We are happy to welcome some new mem- bers who have joined and are settling in nicely since our last communication, thank you to the Meath Coaster for providing us with the opportunity to recruit. § Stamullen Blood Donor Clinic Thanks T he Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) would like to thank all 100 Donors who attended the recently held clinic in the new venue of St. Patrick’s G.F.C., Stamullen. A breakdown of the to- tal figures show that 14 first time Donors and 9 former Donors attended. A special Thank You to Tania Crowe at the club for promoting the clinic locally. A total of 5,473 units alone were required in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin during 2018 and a total of 2,463 units were re- quired in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda during 2019. Finally on behalf of all the patients in hospital who benefit from your generos- ity and a heartfelt thank you to all who attended or helped with our Stamullen Clinic in any way. §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 085 2057786 e: preidcrashrepairs@gmail.com Mill Road, Mornington Panel beating Spray painting Private & Insurance work All work guaranteed 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 Spring 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. Self accompanying lessons voice and guitar now available.© March 2020 The Meath Coaster 36 Loreto Balbriggan T his year we are delighted to have 10 costumes representing Loreto Balbriggan in the Junk Kouture Eastern Regional Heats in The Helix, Dublin. This will take place in March and will be an opportunity for the students to show- case their work. These costumes are the culmination of many hours of creative en- ergy where an initial idea is taken through a process of experimentation, develop- ment and problem solving before it takes on its final form. A number of the short- listed costumes are pictured here. Ski USA 5 th year students travelled to New Hamp- shire on the school’s annual ski trip. The trip was a great success and all came home exhausted but were well able to tackle the slopes and proved themselves to be com- petent skiiers. The Fifth year ‘Gamechangers’ group who developed a human rights Board Game travelled to the Trócaire Headoffices in Maynooth where they were presented with their Certificates for their win in the International Educational Gaming Com- petition that took place in Denmark be- fore Christmas. The girls presented their © March 2020 The Meath Coaster 37 original board game on Human Rights to the Trócaire staff and were praised for their ability to present a complex under- standing of Rights, Empathy, Justice and Global links in an enjoyable fun game that is accessible to all ages. TY students were acknowledged by May- nooth University for their academic excel- lence in Business Studies. Pictured above is Rachel Byrne who accepted the award on the school’s behalf. TY students have completed the first week of the three-week work experience programme. Students have secured work placements in a wide area of disciplines from An Garda Síochána, Media Produc- tion Companies Law Firms, Hospitals to Primary Schools. The programme offers the girls an oppor- tunity to experience working in their pre- ferred field and seeing first-hand the day to day activities involved in their potential career choice. This month Loreto Balbriggan hosted the Senior Inter Loreto Mace debates. Teams from seven Loreto schools participated §© March 2020 The Meath Coaster 38 Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh, W e hope that all our children, parents & guardians and staff had a restful mid-term break and we are all now ener- gised for the busy school weeks ahead. The Parents Association held a PJ Day Fundraiser on February 14 th . We are de- lighted to report that almost €700 was raised – a big thank you to parents & guardians for their generosity and to the PA for organising. Some of these funds will go toward Confirmation preparations. Peace Proms 2020 What an amazing experience the 5 th and 6 th class choir members had on Saturday 1 st Feb. They performed along with thou- sands of other primary school singers at the 25 th annual Peace Proms concert with the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland in the RDS. The children really enjoyed the night and have come away with positive and lasting memories of such a special occasion. Songs included Disney and Queen Medleys, Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits, Make your own kind of Music by Cass Elliot and a highlight from the night, A Million Dreams from the Greatest Showman. There were also lots of other performances by the orchestra, as well as solo singers and Irish dancers perform- ing Riverdance. A wonderful treat for the children in our choir, who got to witness it all from the stage. We hope the experience of singing these songs with a full symphony orchestra will inspire the children to continue to partici- pate in other musical ventures and pro- jects. The choir team of Mrs Culhane, Mr Kavanagh and Mrs Carter are very proud of how our members sang, danced, par- ticipated and represented our school with such respect and excellent behaviour. We look forward to participating in this spe- cial event again. Cyber Safety Talk Barbara Kelly, Garda Community Liaison and her colleague delivered very engaging and important talks to our 5 th and 6 th class children on the importance of and ways to stay safe on-line. Further Cyber Safety Talks are being arranged for 3 rd and 4ths in March. As part of Internet Safety Week - the Par- ents Association organised a joint talk for © March 2020 The Meath Coaster 39 parents of Scoil Oilibheir Naofa and Scoil an Spioriad Naoimh by SafeIreland on 11 th February in SON. Confirmation Preparation: Our children, the choir and staff have been working hard on preparations for their up- coming Confirmation, which takes place on Wednesday, March 4 th . There will be 2 ceremonies, one at 11am and one at 3pm in the Church of the Sacred Heart. Our school will be closed for the day. Please be aware that the school’s official photographer will be set up to take photo- graphs in the school following Confirma- tion. Approaches by photographers out- side of the church or school grounds are not with permission of the school. We are very much looking forward to hosting our children and their parents in the school following their Confirmation ceremonies. We wish all the children and their families a wonderful and memorable day as they receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Upcoming School Holidays: • St Patrick’s Day, 17 th March – school is closed. • Easter Holiday – school closes early on Friday, 3 rd April at 12.10pm until Monday 20 th April at 9.15am. Bottle Initiative On the 11 th of February, Ms Doak’s 6 th class, the Green Schools’ Committee and the winners of the ‘Ban the Bottle’ logo competition gathered for a group picture to celebrate the arrival of our personalized water bottles! These were purchased with the help of a generous contribution from Bettystown Tidy Towns and a grant from Meath County Council. The children also contributed 2 euros towards their cost and could choose from a variety of colours - red, blue, green or black. The initiative to ban single use plastic bot- tles in SSN to help with reducing litter and waste as well as supporting efforts to stop climate change, has been enthusiastically embraced by our students and staff who care deeply about the future of our planet. Next >