< Previous© May 2020 The Meath Coaster 30 Local Councils to Meet C llr James Byrne, a member of Louth County Council has raised the is- sue of when we might see formal meetings of the Drogheda Bor- ough Council and the Laytown-Bet- tystown Munici- pal District. It was confirmed at a Drogheda Borough Council ‘Brief- ing’ (held via Zoom) on April 21 st that plans are being finalised by Louth and Meath County Councils to hold joint meetings which will be facilitated by the Eastern and Midlands Regional Assembly (EMRA). The COVID-19 pandemic may Impact on the scheduling but Cllr Byrne says it’s fantastic news nonetheless. Closer cooperation on key areas of re- sponsibility between the two districts makes sense with South Drogheda’s con- tinued expansion into Meath. It is an issue I have pursued since I was first elected to Louth County Council last year and I look forward to the time when we (the Drogheda Councillors) sit down with our colleagues in East Meath and work together for the benefit of the greater Drogheda and Boyne estuary area. Cllr Byrne was the Fianna Fáil General Election candidate for Louth and East Meath in the recent election. § Drogheda Credit Union - Helping our Most Vulnerable W e are all aware of the pressures on Nursing Homes and other vi- tal services for our most vulnerable citi- zens during this difficult time are under. Drogheda Credit Union and our branches in Drogheda, East Meath, Dunleer and Trim have once again put our shoulder to the wheel to assist. This month, the Board of the Credit Union have approved 12 large donations to nursing homes and other vital services in our communities across Louth and Meath. The recipients include The Samaritans in the North East, Drogheda Homeless Aid and 'Mask 4 Louth' (a new group of volunteers sewing protective face masks for those who most need them in our community. Geraldine Gilsenan, Chairperson for Drogheda Credit Union has said, “Covid 19 is impacting every aspect of our lives, changing the way we live. But what is very evident is the sense of community spirit. People coming together to help in any way that they can. Drogheda Credit Union in solidarity is reaching out to as- sist our local voluntary organisations and charities who are working tirelessly on behalf of so many in our communities. They are all doing such amazing work. Together we will come out stronger and we will overcome this crisis and we in our Credit Union will do all that we can to help” Drogheda Credit Union’s branches and our website with online access to your banking needs have been open. Support for our community is a core value of the Credit Union. We are honoured to support our most vulnerable communities and our dedicated health service providers. § Meath Coaster 31 085 2057786 e: preidcrashrepairs@gmail.com Mill Road, Mornington Panel be ating Spray painting Emergency Work Only 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 Closed in Drogheda Grammar 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. ZOOM LESSONS ON LINE NOW AVAILABLE. Full constituency service remains in operation. CONTACT: 041 987 3823 imelda.munster@oireachtas.ie GO RAIBH MÍLE MAITH AGAIBH - To our front line workers - To our essential workers - To everyone following the public health guidelines and advice and playing their part YOUR EFFORTS ARE SAVING LIVES PLEASE KEEP IT UP IMELDA MUNSTER TD Fanacht sa bhaile© May 2020 The Meath Coaster 32 The View From The Kitchen Table, By Geraldine Hughes L ast month I signed off from a very dif- ferent world, but the human spirit is very resilient and it’s amazing how quick- ly the bizarre becomes normal. 7 weeks out of work now and I thought I would never adjust to the lack of routine and the sheer frustration of sitting idle, in a world where it appears there is much to be done. Not only have I adjusted but I have found numerous ways to fill my time. Some of it is more productive than others. I confess I have spent hours online looking at charts, graphs and how we compare to other countries in our Virus fight and trying to make sense of it all. We are doing worse than a lot of them and better than a lot of them depending on what you believe. I have convinced myself I finally have a handle on this only to be roundly contra- dicted by another piece of information, or disinformation as is often the case. I have disappeared down the rabbit hole of other people’s opinions on social media and started to doubt myself. Should I be leaving my shop- ping in the boot of my car for 72 hours? Even the fro- zen stuff which you can’t re- freeze? Should I bleach my house from top to tail every day even though none of us have been further than the driveway? On balance I think I’ll step away and revert to following the handwashing advice. But technology has been my lifeline too from daily work- outs to group chats, to unintentionally hi- larious yoga classes on Zoom where the entertainment is the accidental interrup- tions of kids, dogs, and partners. I have not used this time to further my education, write a novel, or do anything previously considered worthwhile really. I make my- self get up and run a short distance every day for head space and at the very least it means I am showered and dressed, which some days is an effort all of its own. This experience has been oddly emotion- al, particularly for me because I’m not by nature a crier, but I cried one day be- cause a man shouted at me to stay 6 feet away from him while I was running. He had to shout because I was about 15 feet away, risking life and limb by running in the middle of the road to pass him by. The unfairness of being yelled at in the street made inner 3-year-old me wanted to go back and kick him in the shins, but I went home and cried instead because he was scared and anxious but so was I and he ruined my therapeutic run. I hope we are though most of this, that the majority of us can get back to work in some capacity and that some sense of normal- ity might return, and that those in the frontline might get a little breathing space. I am also a little concerned, that when the time comes, I can still get my feet into shoes, remember how to put make-up on, and more importantly that I remem- ber how to do my job. § Oasis Childcare Centre Mornington Co. Meath Crèche Montessori Playgroup After School Telephone 9888135 + Purpose Built + Fully Insured + HSE Inspected + Fire Certified + Intercom Entry + Large Safety Tiled Playground + Large Car Park + Easy Drop Off and Collection + Small Groups + Dedicated Staff + 7:30am to 6:30pm ONE CHILD! ONE LIFE! ONE PRE-SCHOOL EXPERIENCE Limited places remain for our ECCE and PLAYSCHOOL classes Book now to ensure that your precious child gets the highest quality & happiest pre-school experience possible! East Meath’s Leading Childcare Provider since 2005 for SEPTEMBER 2020Email: bettystowndental@gmail.com Web: www.bettystowndental.ie Triton Road, Bettystown, Co. Meath (between Funtasia & Tesco) Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic the Chief Dental Officer (CD)) has restricted dental practice to emergency treatment only. In the case of a dental emergency please contact us through our usual number 041988645. To all our patients keep well and stay safe. From the dental team at Bettystown Dental 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 Clinic DUNLEER County Louth Ireland Emergency Work Only Emergency Service Only© May 2020 The Meath Coaster 34 Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh T he Staff of Scoil an Spioraid Noaimh are sending warmest wishes to our wonderful school community! We hope you and your families are keep- ing safe and healthy during these unprec- edented times during the COVID-19 pan- demic. The current school closure requires our staff to use an online platform to ensure continuity of learning for the pupils while they are out of the school environment. I am so proud as Principal of the school to say that we as a Staff are engaging in a most creative, innovative and compas- sionate way with the Pupil community and with our parents also. We have a well-established online plat- form Class Dojo and alongside this we are communicating via Microsoft Teams, Zoom conferencing and various other dig- ital tools to support both the teaching and the learning in SSN. As a school we remain open and live dur- ing this national crisis. We have adapted extremely well to Distance Learning with a very dynamic online platform. We have engaged with all of our families success- fully and the feedback is so positive. I cannot stress enough the importance of connectedness as a school community to ensure support and assistance for each member within. Nothing can replace the face to face greet and meet with our pupils on a daily ba- sis, however as a virtual school we are fa- cilitating a fully inclusive online engage- ment with the full support of the Teachers, Learning Support Teachers and the Spe- cial Needs Assistants. The most important thing to remember throughout this crisis is that first and fore- most, the health and wellbeing of the staff, the pupils and our families is paramount. Keep safe. Keep healthy and take good care of yourself, random acts of kindness for your neighbours, lots of fresh air, ex- ercise and good nutrition. Be sure to reach out if you require ad- ditional support, we are always there for each other. Bláithín Maguire Principal Earth Day poster Designed by Bláithín Ní Dhúinn 5th class (Mr Kavanagh’s class) Charlie drew to his favourite music Fionn keeping fit to Joe Wicks during ‘Active Home Week’. An assortment of work from Seán!! Margaret making a chocolate cake for our weight theme in Maths Sarah made a diorama to show how families lived in Dublin during the early 20 th century. Kayla created wonderful fabric Easter eggs and submitted this photo to her portfolio . Jack won an Easter egg for his wonderful creation! All done on line!! Amy designed a bridge for our STEM lesson. Sophie did an experiment to show how our respiration system works! A Selection of Work from Mrs. Doak’s Sixth Class on Class Dojo: We are very busy as an online class. We are still continuing lessons with Zoom classes, video and weblinks. We upload our written work daily for cor- rection to our portfolios and our projects to our Google Drive. We have fun too! You can see from the photos that we have baked, designed and built bridges, drawn to music, taken part in ‘Active Home Week’ and so much more! Friday tests have become a quiz on Kahoot!© May 2020 The Meath Coaster 36 Homeschool Timetable We start on that timetable, It seem so very long, We don’t get very far though, Where am I going wrong? If only I had a fine big house, With rooms and desks to spare, If only the small ones were bigger, And had already learned to share. If only no-one was working from home, If the baby could change herself, If only we had a live in cook, And a helpful, housework elf. If only our (lovely) teenagers, Didn’t stomp or shout, If ‘The Leaving ‘wasn’t postponed, And they’d stop giving out! If only my children loved schoolwork, And had great motivation, If nothing going on around, Could affect their concentration! Oh then I know, we’d get it done, Right down to the end, Every task, correct and neat, And every activity complete! But alas, I live in the real world, And so I’m happy when My child has balance in their day, A bit of school and then…… A little being creative, Some time to laze about, Plenty of being active, Both in the house and out! A smidgen of doing housework, A spell of reading books, A while spent in the kitchen, Becoming expert cooks! Mrs Carter’s 3 rd class made some beautiful and impressive art for Easter. Well done A poem for my 6 th class by Mrs Darcy I’ve just finished a Wispa and had a lovely cup of tea And I'm sitting here just thinking of what Easter means to me. This very special Sunday that comes just once a year Is celebrated widely, both far away and near. It's a time for us to think and pray for everyone we love As we remember our Lord Jesus Christ who loves us from above. My prayers today are for you all who mean so much to me, You are one, amazing group of kids, I hope you will agree. It's Easter 2020 and I know it's a bit strange No mass, no shops, no sport, no school, no playdates to arrange. The new Corona Virus has changed our world for now But it will never change our spirit, I'll tell you why and how. It will never change the fabulous Art that Pawel and Liam create, Or the way that Aimee dances, we all know that she's just great! It will never change the beautiful voices of Kilian, Niamh and Hannah Nor will it change the love of reading of our book addict Anna. It will never change the kindness of the very sweet Alesha Or the helpfulness of Robyn as she does jobs for the teacher It does not have the power, to take the love of sport from Luca on the football pitch or Layla on the court. It cannot take the skillfulness of Callum on the ball Though his mum might be relieved right now to know that he won't fall :) It cannot rob the p assion for the brilliant ball game soccer From David or from Dylan, now that would be a shocker! The virus cannot steal the love of drama from our Ben Or the obvious love of learning from Martyna or from Cian. Nicole and Alex love travel, for them it is their passion And we all now it will never rob Lili's love of K-Pop fashion! It will never, ever steal the smile of Aoife telling stories Or the passionate reading with expression from Jonah in all its glory! It cannot take the history knowledge of the one and only Jamie Or steal it from historian Jake (whose name in Ogham is A&E)! Covid can never take the love of Gaeilge from dear Tarek Or the interest in engineering from Conor or from Arek. It will not take the boxing skills of our unique Dan the man, Or Merlin's calm and smiling face in the middle of our clan. It will never, ever steal the love of anime from our Hayleigh Or her favourite word "uafásach" which she uses in class daily:) So on an individual basis you all are most amazing And Covid is just delusional if it thinks that will be changing! You're strong, you're smart, you're beautiful, each and every one And I know this is a challenging time, for all not just for some. But you will win and come out of this soon, (well hopefully not much longer) Because I've seen you working as a team and that even makes you stronger. So for now my fabulous 6 th class of the year 2020 Eat your chocolate and Easter eggs, I hope that you got plenty! We'll get through this, and I cannot wait to see you all again Happy Easter from Ms. D'Arcy your teacher and your friend.© May 2020 The Meath Coaster 38 Please mention The Meath Coaster when replying to advertisements Anam Cara Therapy Here for you. www.onlinetherapist.ie Mary “Em” Ryan Counsellor/Holistic Psychotherapist Shamanic Sound Healer anamcaratherapy@pm.me 083.859.9551 Offering online counselling Sound Baths Sound Baths Live from your Couch by Em Ryan – Anam Cara Therapy and Spirit Soul Sounds H ave you ever tried meditating and gave up? Quieting the mind so the body can restore itself takes some prac- tice. Would you like to know an easier way? And you don’t need to know how to swim. Do you like music? If yes, then sound healing meditation may be for you. Somewhat related to music therapy, sound bathing has proven benefits for the mind and body. You are immersed in sound not water. Just as sleep can be a deeply restorative time, where the cells of your body repair themselves, so the meditative state can be. When we shift our brain- wave frequency from the active, waking beta state to the relaxed alpha state or the super chill theta state, the body heals. During these uncertain times, our minds could use a reprieve from anxious thoughts, so a metaphorical dip in a cyber sound bath can help. Allowing the sounds to wash over you and through you, via a quality headset or simple ear buds, can replenish your mind, body and soul. Just 20-40 minutes could be time enough to change your frequency and vibration. A great way to test this is to notice if your pets settle in near you while you are in sound meditation. Specifically, the low and high tones of Tibetan metal and crystal singing bowls, tuning forks, chimes, drums and gongs can transport you on a meditative heal- ing journey. So if you feel like leaving the house but are restricted, consider a cyber sound bath. Coupled with your self-healing intention, you can relax, renew, release, rebalance, and restore yourself to optimal wellbeing. Em Ryan offers Cyber Sound Baths every few weeks online. Her upcoming Sound Bath will be broadcast on YouTube Live on Friday, 15 May at 8 pm from her Sound Therapy Channel: Spirit Soul Sounds. Click here www.youtube.com/channel/ UCBW0vKMYeyCRIQ8k-70ORJw and subscribe or simply show up for the heal- ing sounds on the 15 th . Get cosy on your couch and enjoy. Fu- ture Sound Bath Meditations at Sonairte’s Yoga Room, Donacarney and Balscadden Community Centres will resume when group gatherings are deemed safe. § We are working on a week to week basis with our clinics so please see www.giveblood.ie For the next available clinics Become a blood donor 1850 – 73 11 37 or 041 – 685 9994BG PAINTING & DECORATING InterIor & exterIor 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE REFERENCES AVAILABLE FREE CONSULTATIONS & ESTIMATES WALLPAPER ALSO AVAILABLE Contact Brian 086 7308449 Moloney Boiler Maintenance Barry Moloney - Heating Engineer • Oil Boilers Services and Repairs • Aga Cookers • Central Heating Power Flush • Installation of Central Heating Filters • All Aspects of Heating & Plumbing - Commercial / Residential Free Quotations, All Work Guaranteed Mobile: 087 3337488 barry@moloneyboilermaintenance.ie Please mention The Meath Coaster when replying to advertisements Elite Gas Heating 089 4472863 elitegasheating@gmail.com www.elitegasheating.ie • gas boilers replaced • gas boilers serviced • cylinders replaced & full installation • gas hob installed Noel Savage Electrical Services 20 Years Experience • Security Lighting Fuseboard Upgrades • Rewires, Extra Sockets • Lights, Fully Insured and Registered No Job Too Small Bettystown, Co. 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