< Previous© November 2020 The Meath Coaster 20 The Stamullen Roundup By Grace Tierney H appy Halloween to all. Despite the increased restrictions it’s good to see so many homes decorating regardless, the primary school hosting a dress up day, and even in the absence of door-to-door visits, I suspect plenty of chocolates and sweets will be consumed by young and old before this issue reaches you. Congratulations to Stamullen woman Alma Jordan, the founder of AgriKids - the child farm safety platform who won not one but two awards at the recent Louth Businesswoman of the Year Awards. Alma won the solo businesswoman cate- gory and the advocacy award for her pas- sionate work on behalf of child safety on farms. Well done! It takes a special level of commitment for a man to dye his beard pink and Seamus O’Dowd, sensei of Stamullen Martial Arts (who are running their classes online during level 5), owns that level for breast cancer awareness this year. He and his partners in pink are donating all funds raised via his Just Giving page (https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ Seamus-O-Dowd) to Aoibheann’s Pink Tie & The Irish Cancer Society. He has even promised that if he reaches €2,000 he’ll add the eyebrows for the cra- ic. He’s on €1,170 as we go to print - so let’s see if he makes it to the Full Pink. Congratulations to Gormanston farmer, journalist, and presenter of “Ear to the Ground” Darragh McCullough whose new book for kids “The Great Irish Farm Book” is out now from Gill books. It’s a fun hardback read for tractor-obsessed kids and is available in bookshops nation- wide or at the farm shop in Gormanston. You can’t buy anymore local than that! Clarke’s Fresh Fruit farm is a local legend which has been going from strength to strength in recent years. Every time I walk in the area they have more poly-tunnels filled with berries. This year they celebrate sixty years of business and they were delighted to re- cently win a bronze award at the Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards for their strawberry jam which is filled with Stamullen fruit and produced in by Fol- láin in Co. Cork. Well done to the local volunteers in the new Stamullen Revival Programme (https://www.facebook.com/Stamullen-© November 2020 The Meath Coaster 21 Revival-Programme-100432208471653/) who recently did a clean-up of Watery Lane, with residents, as it had accumu- lated a large quantity of rubbish dumped illegally there. Good luck with your mis- sion to aid local natural habitats. Star of the Sea AC’s teen running has re- turned ** for members aged 12 to 18 with training on Tuesday nights at St. Pat’s running track (adult volunteer coaches welcome too). Running is such a popular pastime in the village now and it’s great to see younger runners getting started too. With the arrival of level 5, Mass has moved online again. You can catch it on Fr. Declan Kelly’s youtube channel every Sunday. Stamullen church will be open daily for private prayer. Updates, news- letters, and donations will be available on the parish website www.sjparish.ie. If you wish to book a Mass, please contact Fr. Declan on 01-841264. Drogheda & District Support 4 older peo- ple are running a Covid 19 story competi- tion with a view to making a book of older people’s Covid-19 experiences. If you’re over 65 they’d love to have your Covid-19 Story (maximum of 500 words). Some of the entries received will be used to make a book as a record of this time. The first fifty entries will each get a free small hand held personal alarm, and the best entries will each receive a €100 voucher. Entries can be posted, emailed, or dropped into Drogheda and District Support 4 Older People at 7 The Haymarket. Call 1-800- 200-100. The competition closes on Fri- day the 30 th November 2020. There are moves afoot to found a youth club in the village. The hunt for available locations and adult volunteers (especial- ly in the 18-25 age group) is underway. There will be vetting and training. If you can help please contact Robbie Purfield - 0852275602 or Lisa Mellor - 0876355519. Important Reminder - Stamullen CA Vol- unteer Group is still available to do de- liveries for those who are restricting their movements (due to medical issues, wait- ing on test results, or because they have tested positive, etc). You can contact them on facebook, via the chemist and butch- ers, or ring 0876355519. If you’re hunting for local businesses to support for gift shopping this year here’s a few ideas; Soilse Candles - https://soilsecandle- company.ie/ - made by Kaven Lavelle, Stamullen Great Northern Larder - https://great- northernlarder.com/collections - artisan food and drink from our region delivered to your door Unglu-d - unglu-d.ie - gluten-free sauces and seasonings - Co. Louth You’ll find more at www.justbuyirish. com and there’s a push on by Drogheda retailers to get online too - search for your favourite shop and help them get through this year. ** Please note that changes to public health Covid 19 restrictions on indoor meeting may affect these events. Check with organisers if you have concerns. Got Stamullen news? Send it to Grace (087- 9074145) or grace@meathcoaster.com © November 2020 The Meath Coaster 22 Bunscoil Buachaillí Réalt na Mara Mid Term Mayhem in Donacarney Boys School G hosts and ghouls, witches and wiz- ards descended on Donacarney Boys School recently. It was all in the spirit of fun and celebration of course. The mid term break had arrived and pupils and staff alike had reason to welcome it. cleaning team Claire Keenan, Pat Black and Brian Mullen the school is gleaming. Even shared toys get their daily dunk in sterilising solution It has been a busy few weeks. And even busier before the school children returned of course with all the new measures be- ing implemented to keep the school in top notch order. Classrooms have been reconfigured to maximize social distancing. Thanks to our enhanced cleaning protocols and brilliant Mr Lynch’s Third Class in our Outdoor Classroom Mr Lynch’s Third Class Handwashing protocols are followed by everyone and sanitizing stations are locat- ed all around the school. We’re especially grateful that we already have a very mod- ern school building with optimal heating and ventilation systems in place, high © November 2020 The Meath Coaster 23 ceilings and plenty of outdoor play space including a garden and also an outdoor classroom. This has made keeping the new hygiene and social distancing protocols a whole lot easier. The new Junior Infants (pictured above) are delighted with their new school and were really delighted to join in all of the fun of dressing up before the mid term break. Ms Rice is photographed below with some of her merry band of Junior Infants They joined an assortment of ghouls, monsters, cartoon characters and even an Irish Mammy with her wooden spoon! Story Time in Gliondar Mara Ms Rice with Junior Infants Some of the characters from Ms Callan’s Junior Infants Class Continued over....© November 2020 The Meath Coaster 24 It’s been a very busy few weeks but Donacarney Boys School. Our school community have been fantastic for sup- porting us in staying open safely. We’ve learnt a lot about the rules and protocols which keep us safe and are glad to be back together again. We’re also planning ahead is looking for- ward to September 2021 already! We’re open for enrolments in some of our sen- ior classes next year and of course for our Junior Infants of Sept 2021. All enquiries to our school office on office@donacar- neyschool.ie § Ms McWeeney’s class lining up Angela- masked, but definitely not dangerous! Not to be outdone of course, one of our SNAs just came as herself on the day, as a good witch, of course!© November 2020 The Meath Coaster 25 Where would we be without the Irish Mammy! A colourful trio from Ms Smith’s Class A colourful trio from Ms Smith’s Class You should see this guy move!© November 2020 The Meath Coaster 26 News From Julianstown & District Community Association By Niamh Bn. Uí Loinsigh Coronavirus Crisis that we are current- ly living with in Ireland! H ope can be a powerful force, espe- cially in difficult times. Today, the world is facing the coronavirus crisis, a pandemic that has changed life for mil- lions of people. In times like these, hope can be a powerful source of reassurance. Many who are locked at home, others who are working to help and prevent the virus, also need the reassurance and the hope that “we shall overcome this”. Julianstown & District Community Association wish all our residents well during the lockdown and if we all pull together can beat this! Stay safe and be well. Halloween and Santa in The Lime Kiln As you are aware, we had to regrettably cancel Halloween this year! This was one of our major fund raisers and helped fund many of the projects in the village. Now we have no choice but to cancel San- ta in The Lime Kiln and hope that all the parents understand our reasoning behind this decision, and that the children will not be disappointed. Julianstown Tidy Towns Julianstown Tidy Towns have been busy cutting hedges, weeding and planting in the Village Garden. We planted 2 sacks of Daffodils over the past few Saturdays - see photos - and thanks to Darragh Mc- Cullough of Elmgrove Farm for donating them to us. Masses St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Julianstown For the next 6 weeks there will be no pub- lic masses. 25 people can attend a funeral and 25 people can attend a wedding. Cur- rently there will be no baptismal services and Sunday Mass can be viewed on You- Tube – Download the App and type in Fr Declan Kelly Julianstown in the search box or via the Parish Website www.sipar- ish.ie . St. Mary’s Church of Ireland, Julianstown There is daily Morning Prayer via the Par- ish Facebook page at 10.30 and on a Tues- day evening, Compline at 8pm.© November 2020 The Meath Coaster 27 This Sunday, the service will be for All Saints and we will have an opportunity to remember loved ones who have died, dur- ing the service. You may like to have a candle nearby when you are watching so that you can light it. 9 Garden Tips for November • Clear up fallen leaves - especially from lawns, ponds and beds • Raise containers onto pot feet to pre- vent waterlogging • Plant tulip bulbs for a spring display next year • Prune roses to prevent wind-rock • Plant out winter bedding • Cover brassicas with netting if pi- geons are a problem • Insulate outdoor containers from frost - bubblewrap works well • Stop winter moth damage to fruit trees using grease bands around the trunks • Put out bird food to encourage winter birds into the garden § Castlehill Equestrian Centre Anyone needs horse mature to fertilise their land or allotment it is free to take away. Pm them on Facebook, if interested Whitecross National School The School Build is coming along very nicely. Here are photos of the school as it is now and what it will look like on com- pletion. It has a very big footprint but will be quite an addition to the village. Entrance to Garden Bug Hotel in the Woods© November 2020 The Meath Coaster 28 ductive school garden and an interesting engaging outdoor space. Thank you to Noel who planted and cared for sunflow- ers so that these majestic flowers would be here for the children on their return. My husband Mark developed the ‘maze’ as the children call it, cutting pathways through the long grass. This area has proved to be extremely popular with the children, thank you Mark! A big thank you to members of the PA who undertook a big clean-up of the garden in August in preparation for the return to school, much appreciated. Thank you. Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa I am now into my sixth year as Principal of this thriving school and am so happy to be communicating with you all from my office with the sounds of chil- dren’s laughter and learning emanating from the classrooms. There is no replace- ment for the joy in watching the pupils progress in real time. Since we returned to school, we have put great efforts into set- tling our pupils and have been delighted to watch them re-familiarise themselves/ become familiar with the school routines with ease. Maria White School Garden Whilst our Autumn harvest is certainly not as bountiful as previous years it is still fantastic for the children to see the fruit and vegetables (pumpkins, squash, cour- gette, beetroot, leeks, apples, raspberries) growing in the school garden. This year I got the chance to work in the garden as a result of the school closure and enjoyed it immensely. It helped me have hope for the future. As I planted seeds, I reminded myself that the children and school com- munity would return to a beautiful pro- Fundraising- During the school closure I was delighted to receive news we had been put forward as a recipient for the Tesco token fundrais- er for local charities and that we would receive a cheque for €333.33. Thank you © November 2020 The Meath Coaster 29 to Carmel Deegan for putting our school forward. We will put this with the monies towards the yoga classes. A big thank you to the local businesses who contributed to our Halloween celebrations. Pat's Cen- tra Bettystown, Aldi Laytown, Tesco Bettystown, Blacks Julianstown. Thank you also to the parents who donat- ed Halloween decorations. A big thank you to the Nigro family and PA volunteers for decorating the garden. § Coláiste na hInse Comfort Words Initiative R ang Cunningham were practicing their letter writing with their Eng- lish múinteoir this week. They decided to take part in the Comfort Words Initiative in Ireland. This campaign is encouraging children to support older people during this difficult time by writing to them. With almost 30,000 people across the country in nursing home care, children can fulfil an important role in promoting positivity amongst residents and maintaining con- tacts in the weeks ahead by connecting with them. Well done Rang Cunningham! Wellness Wednesday Coláiste na hInse’s first Wellness Wednes- day of the year saw the visit of Storm in a Teacup to the school. Dáltaí and múinte- oirí alike enjoyed this special treat! Teambuilding in Idirbliain All 116 Idirbliain dáltaí availed of the good weather and visited the beach for some team-building activities with their caomhnóirí. Activities on the day included the poc fada, golf and the keenly contested sandcastle competition § Rang Cunningham Participate in Comfort Words Initiative Forest wild flowers in JulianstownNext >