< Previous© Octo ber 2020 The Meath Coaster 30 Maebh and Rose White at Stamullen First Communions in September Up the Hill for Jack and Jil T he Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation is urging the people of Meath to go “Up the Hill for Jack and Jill” for a social- ly-distanced challenge in October. The fundraiser is part of an SOS appeal under- way to fill a €200,000 funding gap due to COVID-19 flattening so many of Jack & Jill’s fundraising events this year. Partici- pants are asked to gather a small group of family, friends or work colleagues, pick a suitable local hill, and choose a date in October that suits. Registration is just €16 which supports one hour of home nursing care. For more information, visit www. jackandjill.ie § Beach Parking Ban Extended T he controversial parking ban on Meath beaches has been extended for six months. The ban was first introduced in order to limit access to the beaches dur- ing the March Covid-19 lockdown. It's subsequent extension has inadvert- ently led to parking chaos and dangerous driving conditions on both the Golf Links and Coast Roads particularly during good weather. Temporary parking facilities in schools did not prevent the problems. The parking ban will be reviewed again in March 2021 when it's hoped that Meath County Council will be able to provide a number of alternative parking solu- tions before the summer season. Very limited parking is currently available on Bettystown beach for those with impaired mobility or special needs. § More Housing Planned for Colpe - Grange Rath S hannon Homes has submitted a new application for 357 Residential units at Colpe East and West under applica- tion number SH308116 to Meath County Council. Marketing details for the scheme are avail- able at http://colpwestshd.ie/. Many local residents fear further traffic problems and safety issues particularly as there are now four schools in that area alone, Gaelscoil an Bhradáin Feasa, Drogheda Grammar School, Drogheda Educate Together Sec- ondary School and Le Cheile Educate To- gether National School. Most roads in the area have remained vir- tually unchanged for decades despite the many hundredfold increase in traffic. §Our Lady’s College Drogheda invites Primary School Girls of 6th Class and their Parents to visit our website www.ourladys.ie Application Form is available to download or complete online under “Admissions” from the 1st of October The following will also be available ● Prospectus ● Video Tour of the School ● For further information contact the Secretary’s Office Tel: 041 98312786 email: office@ourladys.ie Only 6th Class Girls enrolling for 2021 first year Application deadline is Thursday 22 nd of October “Our Lady’s has a long tradition of excellence” “We are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive environment that is centered on teaching and learning” © Octo ber 2020 The Meath Coaster 32 Sonairte We Are Open!! Friday, Saturday & Sundays From 10am Till 5pm T he cafe and cafe courtyard will re- main closed for another few weeks due to social distance requirements but there are snacks and ice cream for pic- nics in the garden available in the Eco Shop along with Sonairte certified organic 100% plastic free packaged veg for sale in the Eco Shop and via the delivery scheme, a range of Fair Trade and environmentally friendly products and amazing value- as well as sustainable fashion - in our every- thing 2 euro 2 nd hand shop. We would love to see you and really appreciate the sup- port of our community. Online Store Our always popular Vegetable Boxes are back for delivery only. Each box con- tains a selection of local seasonal produce grown in the Sonairte organic garden. At the moment we've got lots of lovely fresh leafy veg great for salads or cooking. For the safety of our staff and customers we are currently operating a delivery only service due to covid-19 restrictions. Please note: we can only deliver to Julianstown, Bettystown, Laytown, Mornington, Donacarney and Drogheda town. When you order a veg box or raised bed you can also add items from our eco- shop online catalogue to their order for delivery. To do this, select the 'add items from eco-shop Walk And Talk We were delighted to be joined by local historian Brendan Matthews for a walk around Sonairte. It was amazingly for all who came. learning about all the history of the area and Sonairte. We now hope to have Brendan come the first Sunday of every month. see our social media pages. Funding Sonairte - the National Ecology Centre are delighted to announce the launch of an exciting new project that will benefit our local wild species and habitats. Funded by the EU LEADER programme “The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas” and supported by the Meath Local Action Group, Sonairte have com- missioned a Local Biodiversity Action Plan for this part of East Meath, encom- passing the area between the River Nanny © October 2020 The Meath Coaster 33 TAXI & MINI-BUS SERVICE SERVICING LAYTOWN, BETTYSTOWN, DONACARNEY, MORNINGTON, GRANGE RATH & DROGHEDA WHEELCHAIR AND LUXURY CORPORATE VEHICLES ALSO AVAILABLE ON REQUEST TRAIN AND BUS STATIONS • DUBLIN AIRPORT (24 HOURS) HOSPITALS & ALL APPOINTMENTS All Drivers and Vehicles are Covid-19 Compliant 041 98 444 98 041 98 111 98 086 838 4444 www.eastcoastcabs.ie Virtual Coffee Mornings East Meath Hospice Association E ast Meath Hospice are still operating on a reduced basis. We reluctantly took the decision last month not to have Bewleys Coffee Mornings this year We remain committed to providing ser- vices to people who are having treatment for cancer, through our Volunteer Driving Service,and Comfort fund. We appreciate the support of Whytes Stamullen, the Limekiln, Julianstown, and Reddans Bettystown, over past years, and look forward to a better 2021 Coffee Mornings are sponsored every year by Bewleys,and are a very important fun- draiser nationally Contact us on 0872100036 or on east- meathhospice@gmail.com, and on Face- book. § and River Boyne, and bordered to the west by the M50 motorway. We will be looking at how our natural and built ar- eas may be managed in order to maximise their value for wildlife and biodiversity. We have commenced consultation on this project and we would love to hear from residents, landowners, business owners and anyone who cares about our local landscapes and biodiversity. A link to an online survey is available here: https:// surveyhero.com/c/607b274d and will be available on our website www.sonairte.ie and posted on our Facebook page, Twit- ter and Instagram. Social media channels. Paper questionnaire surveys will also be available at Sonairte Eco Shop and local Community Centres. The deadline for completion is the 19 th of October 2020. We look forward to hearing from you soon!Cllr SHARON Fresh Thinking, Straight Talking, Hard Working Sharon TOLAN If I can be of any assistance to you or your family, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with me. Tel: 086 366 9852 Email: sharon.tolan@members.meathcoco.ie Representing Drogheda & East Meatht Talking, Hard Working aron to you esitate e. Meath© Octo ber 2020 The Meath Coaster 36 Loreto Balbriggan: An Education for Life. A s a very different September comes around again Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan prepares itself for a busy year ahead in a very changed envi- ronment. The commitment to excellence, the dedication of the staff and the won- derful sense of community remain very much alive and well. This was reflected in our pride in the class of 2020. The results were outstanding, no less than eight students were awarded over 600 points and a further 25% of the students got over 500 points with 50% at over 400. Congratulations must be ex- tended here to Emily O Sullivan and Ruby Pereira on their outstanding achievement in getting the full 625, the highest points possible. The achievements of the class of 2020 open the doors of all the major universities to our students. Last Novem- ber, there were scholarships given for most of the major universities to the class of 2019 and we have no doubt that it will be the same for the class of 2020 although as with everything else the ceremonies will most likely be a virtual affair. This year’s graduates were a credit to the school in doing so well despite the consid- erable challenges posed by remote learn- ing since march as well as the cancellation of the exams and the calculated grading process. They are a wonderful cohort of young women living up to the motto of the Loreto Foundress that ‘women in time to come will do much.’ In Loreto Balbriggan we not only encourage and strive for academic excellence, we also develop leadership capacity and aspire to provide a holistic education where every Emily O Sullivan with Miss Mc Donough on receipt of 625 points and top markd in the HPAT© October 2020 The Meath Coaster 37 aspect of the student’s person is devel- oped and nurtured. We are confident that the leaving cert class of 2020 will meet these expectations and make a difference in the world, they have proven themselves already in these challenging times. The school is persistently looking forward in its efforts to improve and develop itself to ensure that its students receive the very best care and a positive and quality edu- cational experience. We will redouble our efforts during the pandemic when students need to be encouraged to stay positive, A Virtual Information Video for students starting in First Year in September 2021 is posted on the school website. Check the website at www.loretobalbriggan.ie for all details. Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan Loreto Secondary School, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin Phone/ 01 841 1594 /email office@loretobalbriggan.ie Continued over.... strong, and focused. More than ever they need the support and foundation provided by a strong and well-structured school community. Students flourish under the excellent structures and systems in place in Loreto. The dynamic staff who drive the school, work tirelessly for the better- ment of the girls. The pastoral care sys- tem is second to none. There are three deputy principals with two-year groups assigned to each, this is reinforced by the © Octo ber 2020 The Meath Coaster 38 tremendous work of the year heads and form tutors. The structures ensure that no student will slip through the gaps when it comes to support and care. All the while staff have worked collaboratively at up- skilling and researching how they can best optimise the students’ learning experi- ences during lockdown and now in a very restricted classroom environment. In normal times the school offers a range of extra and co-curricular experiences that are second to none. despite the fact that restrictions have put a pause on many of the interesting and challenging activities available to all. including Young Scien- tists, Maths Olympiad, Public speaking, Gael Linn Irish debating, Business Mar- ket days, Trials in the Criminal Court of Justice, Junk Kouture, not to mention the multitude of sporting opportunities avail- able from Hockey to Gaelic football, Ten- nis, Soccer, Basketball, Badminton, Ath- letics and Cricket. Waiting in the wings for things to return to normal a team of dedicated teachers are prepared to give of their time and energy beyond the class- room to ensure a broader educational ex- perience for the students. Of course this is all curtailed at the moment but will re- sume as restrictions are lifted and it can be done with the health and safety of all at the forefront.© October 2020 The Meath Coaster 39 Looking at some of last year’s successes gives an idea of what can be achieved, even despite lockdown. In May two of Our present 6 th Year students Cleo Gal- len and Zainab Shahid who were due to represent Ireland as finalists in Anaheim California at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair 2020 were presented with medals at a virtual ceremo- ny. Jessica Chen reached the National Fi- nal of the Student Enterprise Programme and received her award at a virtual cer- emony as did Robyn agley who won the Zainab Shahid and Mizna Shahid won the senior category “Eco-Innovation” award in the UNESCO Young Environmentalists competition. In the BTYS competition last January, as were seven other projects entered by the school. Ruby Markey was through to the final of the Junk Kouture competition. Unfortunately, the final did not go ahead. The overall winner at the event management module in the Future Leaders competition in Croke Park was Robyn Buckley This big school, with a big heart, embrac- es all disciplines but more importantly, it embraces all its students with a spirit of care, support, and encouragement. There is an expanding Special Education Needs department and counseling and chap- laincy services that serve to underpin the comprehensive pastoral structures in place. Emphasis is placed on these sup- ports, recognising that the considerable pressures of modern living can have a sig- nificant impact on mental wellbeing. None of the above could happen with- out the passionate and dedicated work of an enthusiastic and committed staff, the wonderful student body, and the constant support of parents. It is no wonder Loreto Balbriggan opens its doors with pride and passion as it faces into this particularly challenging year. Excellence, enthusi- asm, and dedication typify all we do and this year these characteristics will be what gets us through. An information video for incoming first-years is available for viewing on the school website www.lo- retobalbriggan.ie as are the details of the dates for applications and registration. § The Head Girls for 2020.Next >