by Niamh Bn. Uí Loinsigh & Jackie O’Shea
SPRING – NOW WE DON’T want to get too excited about it, lest it disappears, but Spring arrived in Ireland on lst February. At long last after a long dreary winter of Covid-19 we will have long bright days and warmth to look forward to. Julianstown & District Community Association would like to take this opportunity to offer our best wishes to all who are hospitalized or ill at this time. We wish you a speedy return to health.
On the Gaelic calendar, spring or Earrach, spring starts on St Brigid’s Day on February 1st , celebrating the end of winter.
Snowdrops
February, of course, is peak snowdrop season in Ireland, so if you fancy the idea of seeing these heritage Irish snowdrops in the flesh, then why not pay a visit to Julianstown Woods in the centre of the village and take a photo of them and maybe you could send the photo to Julianstown Tidy Towns Facebook Page for all to see. The National Tidy Towns is going to give €1,000 to our village and we are going to put most of it towards buying wildflower seeds and the necessary equipment to help plant them. You may remember all last summer we had some fabulous displays of wildflowers going up the hill in the village, at the woods and in Ballygarth Manor. They are so beautiful, give us so much pleasure and are vital for our bees, butterflies, and insects. Thank you Jim O’connor!
In springtime, Ireland’s landscape moves out of the winter shadows and becomes a technicolour canvas crowded with yellow daffodils, green fields and budding trees. Spring is around the corner, and time to sow seeds and think about our gardens and green spaces (especially in these dark COVID days). New wildflower beds and a brighter horizon.
If anyone has any old pictures of Julianstown, antidotes, stories, interesting notes we would like to compile them, help to be part of this project.
Would you believe our stunning Clock Tower was unveiled last February by Michael Ring, T.D. for Community and Rural Affaires? Together with the lights on the bridge they make a wonderful addition to our village. Recently the clock stopped due to a Power Outage, but Sean O’Neill came to the rescue and got it working again. Many thanks Sean.
Traffic – Once again we must address this subject which is of most importance to all our residents and travellers alike. We have been in touch with the Council on this matter and while progress is slow it looks like it could be late 2021 or even 2022 before work begins. Meanwhile our committee has been in touch with Fergus O’Dowd TD, and Imelda Munster TD, to intervene on our behalf and have also asked them to see if raised platforms can be put in place at the Pedestrian Crossings in the interim (like those at Donacarney and Laytown schools. The reason we are asking for this is that due to Covid-19 traffic has somewhat decreased, however, now we must deal with traffic that is speeding through the village, especially the HGVs. We have also asked them to look at the ‘footpaths or lack of them’ at the bridge and cottages. When they eventually carry out the traffic calming measures, we have also requested that they coordinate all the lighting in the village so that it is the same as that on the bridge and much more in keeping with the character of Julianstown Village.
Whitecross National School is accepting enrolments in all classes from Junior Infants to Fifth class. For further information please email whitecrossns@gmail.com or phone 041 9829229.
Community Call Helpline – 1800 808 809 (Freephone) 9am to 5 pm seven days a week. People over 70 and those who are vulnerable, can seek assistance if they need help accessing food, medicines, or essential supplies.
Mass Online St. Mary’s Catholic Church – All public Masses have been suspended until further notice. Fr. Declan celebrates mass online every Sunday at 10.am.
Mass Online St. Mary’s Church of Ireland – We continue with Sunday Services on line and in addition, there is a Compline on a Tuesday evening at 8 pm and morning prayer on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings at 10.30 am. Please stay safe in these difficult times. Revd. Katharine Poulton.
A Concerned citizen wrote to us regarding the parking for our Senior Citizens at Laytown/Bettystown Beach
“It’s great to see the new traffic calming the crossings and humps in Bettystown and Mornington, but they don’t solve the problem of parking, for beach walkers, swimmers, and general beach activities, we know of a few elderly people who used to drive down on a nice afternoon and just sit and relax. The current parking facilities do not meet the needs, plus they are always full, and at high tide flooded and what happens when the new library is in situ?? Please MCC reconsider some parking on the left-hand side to allow locals to enjoy the beautiful beach, summer is fast approaching and fear an accident will happen because the cars parking along the road. Reconsider revenue for pay barriers properly installed”.
Comments welcome from Laytown/Bettystown Beach Management Committee and our Councillors!
LMETB Courses
Louth Meath Education and Training Board have invited Applications from community groups and voluntary organisations for support regarding the delivery of educational programmes under LMETB’s Community Education Programme for the Spring Term 2021. If any of their courses are of interest to you, please get in contact with the Secretary on 087 2729154. There are 69 courses to choose from on the LMETB’s Spring offering under the headings Arts and Crafts, Sewing, Computers, Horticulture and DIY, Cookery, Health, Wellbeing and others. Check out their website for the list of courses on offer, and if interested in courses other than the ones mentioned above, please get in contact. A significant number of the courses can be delivered on-line, so they can be completed at home. We need names of interested people as soon as possible please.
Litter, Litter Everywhere. By Black Narcissus
There’s litter, litter, litter, people throw it everywhere
it clogs up all the city streets and every thoroughfare,
there’s burger bags and nub ends and the dregs of fish and chips
that pigeons eat for breakfast and it goes straight to their hips,
there’s newspapers from yesterday now floating down the streets
and balances from ATM’s and discarded receipts,
there’s needles from the junkies that are dangerous for kids
and empty tins of everything that haven’t got their lids,
there’s bottles from the drinkers full of drunken, singing bees
I’ve even seen containers full of smelly, mouldy cheese.
Why can’t they take it with them or just place it in a bin,
it should be in the bible …… Dropping litter is a sin !
In response to requests by community groups and individuals around the county Meath County Council have created the Green Kilometre Scheme.
The scheme invites individuals/groups to choose approximately a kilometre (or longer) stretch of road/loop in their area. The group or individual would then commit to maintaining the chosen stretch over the course of the year.
The council can supply some native trees, litter pickers, bags and gloves to all those participating and if you wish we can arrange for an adviser (when restrictions allow) to visit to give advice in relation to planting, care of heritage features etc.
For more information and to download a participation form see https://bit.ly/2Ygc3Og.
The message from the Government of Ireland and Public Health Advisors is ‘Stay at Home’. Due to the current restrictions.