Scéalta 2016

Souvenir Edition

| ISSUE #2 | AUTUMN 2016 | [email protected] |

Dromahair Celebrates - spiorad agus an splanc ag an ngrúpa
Droim Dhá Thiar Abú! oibre – cuid mhaith lonaithe i nDroim
Dhá Thiar – an tionscadal seo a thosnú
Tá fáilte rómhat go dtí eagrán spei- ann. An chéad cheann dá shaghas sa
chontae! Ar ndóigh tá bródúlacht ar
sialta de Scéalta Dromahair. leith ag baint leis an nasc lenár gcultúr
tríd an bhéim atá ar leagan Gaeilge na
logainmneacha.

Photo (above), taken on Tuesday 23 June 1953, shows the 2.30 pm train from Enniskillen – the This is a very special and hopefully a The Demonstration Stretch (1.2 km)
Lough Melvin – in Dromahair. Photo (below left) taken October 1958, was taken along the line real ‘souvenir’ edition. Every so often forms the anchor for ‘The Abbey
West of Dromahair. These photographs were taken by John J.Smith, who travelled all over the UK in the journey of a community a spe- Loop/Lúb na Mainistreach’, a 5 km
and Ireland taking thousands of precious photos. The photos shown were kindly made available to cial, perhaps seminal event happens, loop, which will also be registered as
Scéalta Dromahair by the Bluebell Railway Museum Archive - JJ Smith Collection. from which new exciting opportu- a National Trail. It is, however, a great
(http://www.bluebell-railway-museum.co.uk) nities grow. The development of ‘an pity that the latter passes the shame
Photo (bottom right) shows the Long Stretch now. Síne Fada’ – the Long Stretch – a short and thorn in the side of our lovely vil-
Demonstration of multi-purpose trail lage – the fast becoming derelict Ab-
We’re on Track... on the former Sligo Leitrim & North- bey Hotel.
ern County Railway (SL&NCR) line Congratulations are due to the many
Rosemary Kerrigan is surely a cause for celebration. In who have worked tirelessly in a vol-
its day the railway was the backbone untary capacity to make it a reality.
The SLNCR existed from 1879 to of community resilience, not just for Thanks are due to those locals who
goods and the local economy, but also have part-financed it, and most es-
1957. It had great “character” and for enriching the social life of all the pecially to the landowners along the
“individuality” as is detailed in region. stretch, who are making it available to
Neil Spink’s book, “Sligo Leitrim & There are very positive indications the community on a ‘permissive ac-
Northern Counties Railway” – An that support for a full trail from Sli- cess’ basis.
Irish Railway Pictorial (Midland go to Enniskillen is gathering so that, In addition, we are equally looking
Publishing) and also in “Down what the community-based working forward to the further development
Memory Line” by Michael Hamil- group could only have dreamt a few works made possible by the recent
ton (Drumlin Publications). These years ago, now looks like becoming a receipt of significant grant aid sup-
characteristics still evoke affection reality. While the new trail may not be port from the Department of Arts,
and interest. Much of the entire line transporting physical goods, the expe- Heritage, Regional and Rural Affairs
is still extant, an example of the In- rience of other trails leads us to hope in conjunction with Leitrim County
dustrial Heritage of the region and that there could be a significant eco- Council. We look forward to working
of the Stone Mason’s skill which is nomic benefit to the region. There is with Leitrim County Council over the
seen in the culverts and buildings. growing awareness of the unique rec- next number of months.
reational opportunities for local com- More can be learned about the back-
The idea of a Long Distance Multi- munities particularly in taking advan- ground and the hopes and aspirations
Use Trail was first considered in tage of traffic-free walking and cycling of those involved in this edition. Ar
along natural, unspoilt landscapes. aghaidh leis an dea-obair.
Is cúis mhór bhródúlachta go raibh an

1996. A group of interested persons Members of SLNCR Working Group in parade mood
formed a committee, which encom-
passed a wide range of interests.
Eugene McGowan
A successful application to the Peace
& Reconciliation Fund enabled the
employment of Eugene McGowan,
who completed a survey which in-
cluded the views of the landowners
along its length. His very positive
report was widely circulated to var-
ious bodies, and though much in-
terest was expressed, funds did not
materialise. The concept was still at
an embryonic stage in Ireland!
(Continued on page 3)

Page 2 tricity. Wells Of Health And Happiness
- Preserve our vernacular placenames
Dromahair and have attractive signs before they ‘dis- Garreth Byrne
Heritage is Active appear’ with the advent of postal codes.
- Collaborate with the SLNCR working
Bríd Ní Dhonnchú group on developing the disused rail-
way as a recreational amenity, This proj-
The Dromahair Heritage Group was ect also has the potential not just to cre-
ate local employment but to rejuvenate
formed in February 2014 in collabora- the region.
tion with the Dromahair Development - Hold an exhibition of old photographs
Association. Meetings take place about of people, places and events.
once a month. Currently the group com- - Collaborate with An Ciorcal Cainte,
prises Traolach Ó Liodáin, Garreth By- the Irish-speaking group in the village
rne, Pádraic Cullen, Vincent Flannery, (a bilingual heritage brochure has been
Michael Gleeson, Gabriel Mc Fadden & printed).
Bríd Ní Dhonnchú. As interest in local - Create a website with relevant infor-
heritage grows, new people have come
forward to offer expertise and help. An Grúpa Oidhreachta in action

We are very fortunate in Dromahair to In Ireland until recent decades it was Drumsna (Droim ar Snámh) in South
have numerous historical buildings in Leitrim is reputed to have a number of
our village and environs and also beau- common for villagers to fetch water from sulphur streams, not all of them liked
tiful physical assets such as the river wells, public spouts and parish pumps. by local people on account of the ‘rot-
Bonet. We are particularly aware of our I knew an old villager in Leitrim who ten egg’ flavour and smell. One well in
cultural traditions e.g., music and the walked with his bucket to a well beside MacManus Cross, between Jamestown
Irish language and are very keen to pre- a river path twice a day, a journey that and Carrick-on-Shannon, is still visited
serve a link with the past without forget- lasted twenty minutes. He drank this by individuals seeking bottles of water to
ting our ‘living’ culture and creativity. water for health and boiled the kettle for cure worms in children and horses.
tea. The piped water supplied by the lo- DERRYBRISK SPA WELL, NEAR DRO-
Catherine Ahearne Bates and Anna Conlan cal authority he only used for baths and MAHAIR
dishwashing. Such was his belief in the About 3 km from Dromahair near the
Our raison d’être is to conserve, pre- Traolach Ó Liodáin unveils the Milestone health-giving properties of spring water Long Stretch is a little-known locali-
serve and showcase our heritage for the ‘An Chraobh Liath’. filtered by subterranean limestone. He ty on the side of a wooded hill known
benefit of the community and visitors to lived to the ripe age of 85, incidentally. as Derrybrisk (Doire Bhriosc suggests
the area and also for the benefit of future mation on all aspects of heritage as this No doubt all the walking did him some woodland with oak trees). From the
generations. should appeal to the Dromahair diaspo- good too. Clubhouse you can drive (or walk along
Suggested Potential Projects: ra as well as a wider global audience. SOME IRISH HEALTH WATERS the Demonstration Stretch) along the
- Survey of local iconic buildings - With the opening of the new Abbey In the 18th and 19th centuries several Killenummery (Cill an Iomaire) road
- Research on the Hydro scheme built Loop / Lúb na Mainistreach, explore the places around Ireland were major attrac- past the Hamilton family home. They
in the 1930s by Paul Jeiter. This was a possibility of our own Heritage Centre tions by rich and poor seeking comfort used to maintain a barrier where the old
unique project used to supply both the in Dromahair with a repository of old and cure from the health-giving waters. railway line crossed the road. Then take
village and the Abbey Hotel with elec- photographs and maps etc. These were not all known as ‘holy wells’ a loop road to the right until you reach
- O’ Rourke’s Table – information on a – the water contained sulphur and oth- a stone bridge over a small stream. Near
sign about this beautiful, historic place. er trace elements that according to folk this bridge is a well that had a reputation
tradition had medicinal value for curing for its medicinal properties. People from
If you are interested, tá fáilte romhat! aches and pains and stomach disorders. the area - used to wend their way on foot
The local economies thrived as hotels, in times gone by on sunny Sunday after-
Rossa Ó Snodaigh reviews the Abbey Loop Brochure with Garreth Byrne shops, taverns and local transport ca- noons to visit Derrybrisk spa well.
tered seasonally to thousands of visi- Older inhabitants of Dromahair, Kille-
tors coming from England and closer nummery and Ballintogher remember
to home. Places with sulphur wells that afternoons until the 1960s when peo-
attracted many tourists included Mallow ple from the adjoining townlands and
, Swanlinbar and Ballyspellan in Co. visitors from Sligo town congregated at
Kilkenny. Only Lisdoonvarna remains Derrybrisk spa, as it was known, and
to remind us of a tourist boom from for- socialised. People played cards, and ro-
mer days. mance blossomed as young men and
LEITRIM SULPHUR WATER women met for pleasant chatter. Dro-
Several localities which never became mahair resident Seán Johnston recalls
nationally known have water springs walking along the SLNCR railway line in
and wells that have been sought out by his youth to reach Derrybrisk. The arriv-
health conoisseurs. Leitrim has sulphur al of motorised transport and mass me-
and chalybeate (iron-rich) water sourc- dia such as radio and television seem to
es. Around Sliabh and Iarainn (the iron have brought these social afternoons to a
mountain) old ordinance maps indicate halt. The spot is difficult to access today.
the presence of twenty spa wells, but Access to modern medicine has shifted
hardly anybody visits the spots nowa- attention away from folkloric medicinal
days. In the Mohill district the neglected waters like Derrybrisk, but we should re-
remains of a spa well rest obscurely on a member other times when they brought
private farm. health and happiness to many people.

Kilkenny Kat Makes Her Mark “It is hard to be battling Page 3

Siobhán talks to Seán Ó Conláin to get pitches”. We’re on Track....

When Siobhán O’Sullivan arrived With Gerry training the men’s team it males were taken care of but female (Continued from page 1)
was time she came ‘out of the shadows’ healthcare was definitely not promot-
in Dromahair more than a decade ago, with increasing involvement at club and ed.’ Siobhán recalls also that meeting In 2012 the success of the Great
neither she, nor those who came to the county Board levels ultimately leading a nurse in a single GP practice was new Western Greenway encouraged a
surgery – a rented house in Drumlease – to vice-chair and currently chairperson. to old people. So she effectively had a re-examination of the Trail Propos-
could have imagined the journey before In her eyes voluntarism is struggling ‘blank canvas’, and everything she did al. A Working Group composed
them, and the hugely positive impact she – ‘dead on its feet, with a few overbur- was unexpected. In the intervening of original and new members was
and her family would have. dened people, often held back by silly years nursing has evolved significantly, formed and has taken the project
Born and raised in a farming commu- stuff, some with egos difficult to manage, as have the range of services provided. forward.
nity in Kilkenny, her life’s journey has easy to get overstretched and burnt out - Now their objective is to provide ’full, In 2013 the SLNCR became a mem-
taken her many places before settling in there are just not enough people! Ladies quality family care’. The nursing staff ber of the Leitrim Recreational Fo-
Leitrim. Her early life was not unlike one is secondary to men’s football. It gets less have a key role in providing an essen- rum, which has greatly assisted the
here, with her (stay-at-home) mother coverage, less finance and must rely on a tial and trusting support to the GP. partnership of the local authorities
keen on education, three female in-laws, smaller number of people. It is hard to Specialist asthma and diabetic control and the WG to progress the SLNCR
and a grand-aunt nurse in England, all be battling to get pitches’. programmes have been developed, but Trail. A successful application to
sowing the seeds of a confidence and And yet Siobhán is adamant that the La- perhaps the greatest changes have tak- the Smarter Travel Initiative was
independence, which are striking still dies Game has hugely evolved – in phys- en place in the domain of family health due in part to the WG members
today. ical skill levels and heightened mental services such as female health care, fer- who met the landowners and ob-
She always wanted to do nursing, for as tenacity. It is a fantastic sport, just as riv- tility and children’s health. In addition tained their agreement for a further
she says herself – ‘it suited my nosy per- eting as the lads! ‘we have resuscitated, de-fibrillated, feasibility study. The success of this
sonality’ – and so did voluntary work On the professional side she moved dealt with chain saw and shot-gun in- study led to an application in 2016
in a Waterford hospital and with St.Vin- from general nursing to the more com- juries, heart attacks, strokes, stopped to the European Union’s Interreg
cent de Paul. She was thus well-posi- plicated, multifaceted, and diverse prac- severe bleeding....’ Programmefor the 1st stage from
tioned after a year in Science to do well tice nursing, and at the same time has Each nurse has a specialist interest and Manorhamilton to Enniskillen. Un-
in hospital interviews and to start her because of the continuous evolution, fortunately the application was not
journey in nursing. At 18 she travelled “I love Dromahair...I would a programme of continuous develop- successful (October 2016).
from Kilkenny to Sligo, a journey she ment and training for staff is needed - The Long Stretch Development
recalls to this day: ‘It might have been have to be dragged kicking ‘in six months you are out of date’! The SLNCR WG had decided in
easier travelling from London!’ In Sligo, and screaming from it.” Siobhán is also proud of the centre’s in- 2013 to progress a Demonstration
she profoundly missed Gaelic, which in novation in supporting the training of Section and the Dromahaire sec-
Kilkenny meant camogie, hurling and played a key role in shaping the estab- student nurses from St Angela’s, not to tion, known as the Long Stretch (1.2
handball. Thus she spent a year looking lishment of a modern Primary Care mention medical students. km) was chosen. It passes through
unsuccessfully for camogie. Centre in Dromahair. On arrival here, Looking to the future, Siobhán sees a particularly beautiful environ-
In her third year as student nurse she the surgery had only a very small num- many challenges. She would particular- ment along the Edergole River.
met Gerry Ballantine; he played ‘bog ber of patients. Locals felt they should ly like to see the implementation of for- Since then, the WG has used vari-
ball’ and she recognised instantly the ‘let the new doctor settle in’, and it took mal continuous medical education for ous platforms and events to publi-
‘GAA family’, at his matches. She was some time before the practice found its practice nurses. However overall, she is cise the project and to raise funds.
adopted into Shamrock Gaels as one feet, and a full seven years to create the hugely optimistic that the foundations This also included generous do-
of their own. This sense of family and Primary Care Centre. laid in Dromahair can evolve to tackle nations from members of the local
adoption she herself now applies to any- Dr Jordan had been GP for 38 years and the increasingly important role of Pri- community/businesses, and vol-
one who comes to Dromahair. before him Gerry Ballantine’s grandpar- mary Care. untary contributions to materials
ents’ GP for a further 40 years – so there Would our Kilkenny Kat go back? and work.
had been three quarters of a century ‘I love Dromahair... I would have to be So far the following has been
without a practice nurse, or any special- dragged kicking and screaming from it’. achieved:
ist female healthcare. Local women had Go n-éirí go geal leat! - Permissive Access generously giv-
to leave their GP and typically went to en by the landowners of the section
a female doctor for a special need. ‘Fe- - Approval by the National Parks
and Wildlife Service. IT Sligo was a
Her personal and professional journey Young Áine McGoldrick is the star as Siobhán (Chairperson Leitrim Ladies) presents the Senior League key player in the required screening
with Gerry and her young family was Trophy 2016 to her husband Gerry Ballantine (Manager of Dromahair Ladies) and some of the happy team process of the Lough Gill SAC
not just geographical, but also contained - Planning Permission from Leitrim
a rich professional contribution to County Council
healthcare and the community. Her in- - Following a tendering process the
volvement with Ladies Football in Dro- first phase of works has been com-
mahair and Leitrim typifies this. Having pleted using local businesses. This
responded to a request from the Ladies will allow us to open the stretch.
Club to help with Féile Dromahair in This work willallow for the realisa-
2007, she enthusiastically took on an ac- tion of the Abbey Loop Walk/Lúb
tive role with ‘the likes of Eileen Clinton na Mainistreach, which is in itself a
and Mags Hoade …dynamic, intelligent, beautiful amenity.
clever, professional ladies’. We are confident the Long Stretch
will demonstrate to all that the
completion of a multi-user trail
from Sligo to Enniskillen is a realis-
able goal in the short-term.

Page 4 Our Placenames are a
Treasure
Why Greenways are
good for us… CSeán Ó Súileabháin
enturies of English rule severely damaged our
Mairéad Ní Uiginn Pádraic Cullen speaks at the Abbey Milestone unveiling language leaving us with just pockets of Gaeltacht ar-
“Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I have eas where Irish is the spoken language. Ach tá roinnt
hope for the human race” Living Heritage Gaeilgeoirí le fáil i ngach cearn den tír. The only things
CJo Lewis that survived the onslaught of English are our place-
A ~ H.G. Wells. names. Ninety percent of placenames throughout the
s a lover of cycling and bicycles from a very young hoosing to renovate a property rather than pulling thirty-two counties are Irish in origin.
age I know so well the feeling of flying through the it down and starting again is a big decision and is one Unfortunately, when the Ordnance Survey was being
countryside with the wind in my hair, enjoying the that a homeowner may change their minds about sev- carried out in the 1830s a decision was made to angli-
feelings of freedom and happiness, cares just seem to eral times during the process. cise the names to a single word in all cases. It seems
fall away with exhilaration increasing at each stroke of English speakers couldn’t be expected to cope with a
the pedal. I often feel like shouting ‘wheeeeeeee’ as I Initially it’s all about preserving what’s there in the be- placename that had two or three words. And so, Cill an
whizz along, sometimes I do! lief that an old building is better than starting from Iomaire became Killinummery, Droim Dhá Thiar be-
scratch. Then comes the big reveal when, as work came Dromahair, Droim Caorthainn became Drum-
Greenways encourage us to get out and about, walk- starts, problems and issues with the original building keerin etc. Of course the original Irish name meant
ing, running, cycling, or on horseback, to move, while become apparent! Then the discussion starts all over something, whereas the anglicised names that we were
we bond with nature, admire beautiful trees, notice again – to preserve or to tear down. left with mean nothing.
the changing seasons, hear the running river, spot One of the joys to behold in Ireland is our signage sys-
birds and butterflies, meet our community, bring our This was the case for a number of the homeowners on tem which gives us the real name of the place as well
dogs walking. the Inspirational Homes website and in the end their as the meaningless anglicised version. Of course we
reasoning and stories about the preservation and ren- should all be using the original Irish version of our pla-
Without realising it our mood improves, endorphins ovation of an old building are very similar. A desire cenames and there is nothing to stop us from doing so.
release in our brains and the world becomes a better to keep the history of the building was paramount – Let’s start.
place when we’re communing with it and the people there is a feeling that by keeping the bricks and mor- If you want to know the proper spelling of your town-
in our neighbourhood, their children, grannies, aun- tar – or stones and rubble in a lot of cases – you are land or village, just go to logainm.ie. Is féidir leat an
ties and the odd randomers who happen along and preserving the history of the building, of the families t-ainm leis an litriú ceart a aimsiú ansin agus bain-
are lucky enough to find our gem of a greenway. who had lived there previously, of the children born igí úsáid as, chomh maith le do ainm agus sloinne i
in those very rooms and of the stories crested within nGaeilge.
My friend in Melbourne has become part of a dog those very walls.
walking community, has made friends with people he USE THEM OR LOSE THEM
would never have even met if it wasn’t for the Yarra Here are some local names which are worthy of saving:
river walk and his dog ‘Boo Boo’, who incidentally has
made lots of friends too ‘woof, woof ’! This is the case for the railway cottage on the green- Carraig an Chrocaire (The Hangman’s Rock)
way. Previously owned by the railway gate keeper it Gréach na Fearna (Alder)
My sister in law, Susan commented to me over the is now being lovingly restored by its present owners. Gort na Corcóige (The field of the hive)
weekend in a conversation about her 7 year old They have chosen to preserve and renovate. In the Cill an Iomaire (The Church of the worker)
daughter not being able to cycle yet, that she thinks clearing away of the plaster and render they have re- Srath na Crannchaí (The river meadow of the
there may be a whole generation of children who will vealed how the cottage was originally built and then wooded place)
not learn to cycle and may never enjoy the pleasure extended at some stage. They discovered a steel girder
of cycling that we do because of the traffic on roads in the wall, which was in fact a piece of rail from the This is particularly the case if you difficulties spelling
and how busy and dangerous they have become for railway which truly embeds the history of the lives of the so-called ‘English’ e.g., Carrickacroghery, Gre-
cyclists. This is where Greenways shine, there will be the people who have lived there in the very fabric of aghnafarna, Gortnacorkoge, Sranacrannaghy, Killan-
a generation of Dromahair children cycling safely and the building. anima.
with wild abandon thanks to the rail trail. As the Greenway is developing, people will be re-
membering the trains, the service and the old way of The advent of Eircode gives easy access and even more
“One of the most important days of my life, was when life, and the Railway cottage at the end of this initial detailed information (even if you don’t want to use an
stretch adds beautifully to the preservation of local Eircode!). If you wish to know your own or anyone
I learned to ride a bicycle.” ~ Michael Palin history and of personal stories. else’s townland and address in its Irish form, just go to
The InspirationalHomes project documents and https://finder.eircode.ie/#/map
Having cycled and walked on Greenways in France, makes accessible the diverse ways of building tucked On the map, click on the building in question using the
Mayo, Italy and Australia I’m hooked. Being on trails away in our landscape including many renovations. target, and when you have got the Eircode, just press
where there is no car traffic, no vehicle noise or fumes We hope to facilitate the sharing of experiences, the ‘Gaeilge’ button to get the full address ‘as Gaeilge’
is so pleasurable, it enhances our humanity and one- knowledge and skills amongst builders, homeowners, (as well as the Eircode of course).
ness with nature, we arrive back home having been architects, self-builders and anyone with an interest in
somehow changed from the journey, maybe it’s a feel- making sustainable the future of building in Ireland. Both logainm.ie and eircode are great tools if used to
ing of just being more linked. This is done through the website www.inspiration- develop and preserve our wonderful heritage, and the
alhomes.ie and the occasional Green-Door festivals. local Heritage Group will also do its best to help you,
Mairéad Ní Uiginn & Rob Doyle The next one is scheduled for September 2017 – sub- if needed.
scribe to our newsletter via our website to be kept up
to date: So how about us all showing the way in taking back
ownership of our placenames’ heritage again!
Droim Dhá Thiar Abú!

Entering A Natural Rosemary Kerrigan and Julien Carlier (right of picture) discuss envi- Page 5
Paradise ronmental issues with local experts
Further information on the Institute of Technology’s
Julien Carlier In the case of the Stretch development, the project un- research on the SLNCR Greenway project can be ob-
derwent a process of Appropriate Assessment, prior to tained on IT Sligo’s website in the Research and Inno-
Close your eyes whilst you have someone read obtaining planning permission from Leitrim County vation section.
Council. With the guidance from the National Parks
the following to you: and Wildlife Service, Inland Fisheries Ireland and IT Michael Hamilton - ‘Fear Uasal’
“A mix of lush woodlands, wild grassy banks and lazi- Sligo, likely and foreseeable impacts to the SAC habi-
ly-grazed pastures delineated by patchworks of woodland tats and species were identified and mitigated through It’s hard to believe that it is over five years since Michael
corridors, overgrown ditches and slow rivers sliding un- informed Greenway design and construction methods.
seen beneath the tree cover…” This ensures the integrity of the SAC remains unnaf- Hamilton passed away (June 2011). A native of Derry-
This is what you will experience when you explore the fected in the short and long term by the project and of- brisk, Dromahaire he lived most of his life in Sligo. He
SLNCR Dromahair Demonstration Stretch. Guarding fers the opportunity to visit and safeguard this unique was intensely proud of his involvement with the SLNCR
the bank of the Edergole River, it sits on the lowland piece of historical and green infrastructure. having joined the company as a fifteen year old. We are so
footprint of the once abandoned railway. This exciting, grateful to him now for the story he left us of his experi-
community- led project is typical of what is common- ences, many of them quite humorous, in his book Down
ly known as a “Greenway”; achieved by up-cycling the Memory Line. Michael was possessed of a very pleasant ,
slag and limestone rail ballast into a new, multi- use, friendly personality with an eye for detail. He often spoke
non- motorised infrastructure within a safe and traffic- of his time at national school where his favourite subject
free environment. was Irish. Fear gnaoiúil, Fear uasal.

Greenways are Corridors Nuair a dúnadh an bóthar iarainn idir Inis Ceithleann
Greenways have the potential to deliver positive recre- agus Sligeach i 1957 ba bhuille mór é ní hamháin dona
ational, health and economic benefits, and are general- bailte ina raibh na stáisiúin traenach lonnaithe ach dona
ly promoted as excellent sustainable tourism projects. bailte beaga maguaird chomh maith. Cuirim i gcás Dro-
However, they also offer an opportunity to preserve a im Chaorthainn. Ba nós leis na siopadóirí sa tsráidbhaile
network of cultural and natural heritage from the in- seo caiple agus cairt a chur go Droim Átha Thiar chun
creasing changes of land use. These corridors and net- earraí éagsúla a bhailiú. Ar ndóigh bhí an stáisún fíor
works can serve an important role at a landscape level, thábhachtach ó thaobh na siopaí beaga tuaithe a bhí
maintaining ecological connectivity between diverse an-choitianta tráth.
and fragmented habitats at a local and, to a certain ex-
tent, international level. The Mighty Power of Community
The area surrounding the Demonstration Stretch has
indeed many natural connectivity features; examples of & Collaboration
grassy verges, hedgerows, treelines, earth banks, ditch-
es, rivers etc. are all linear features providing habitat ,Padraic White Chairman Leitrim Recreation Strategy Forum
and dispersal routes for a magnitude of flora and fau-
na. Such corridors are critical for maintaining species al bids for funding. These include an unsuccessful bid
genetic diversity and re-establishing within areas once for EU cross- border funding for the section between
extinct or suffering reduced populations. Ecological Manorhamilton and Enniskillen , some 40 kilometres
corridors can also help moderate the impact of frag- in length, a bid to Fáilte Ireland for the section from
mentation of natural habitats caused by human ‘grey Manorhamilton to Sligo (ongoing), and a successful
infrastructure’. bid for the Dromahair Demonstration Stretch to com-
Within this context, the ecological corridor potential plete the work of the local group.
of the proposed SLNCR Greenway is being researched
by the Centre for Environmental Research, Innovation All ages engage in a workshop about SLNCR memories The Leitrim Recreation Forum , which I chair , is fully
and Sustainability (CERIS) at IT Sligo. The project is supportive of the Sligo- Enniskillen Greenway and of “
supervised by Dr. James Moran, principal investigator The “Demonstration Stretch“ of 1.2 kilometre on demonstration stretches “ along the way including the
in applied ecology and lecturer in ecology and environ- Dromahair initiative . The Forum has representatives,
mental science. An output of the project will be recom- the track of the former Sligo Leitrim and Northern from Leitrim County Council, Leitrim Development
mendations for the development of the proposed Gre- Counties Railway ( SLNCR) is so called as it’s intend- company , tourist operators and community represen-
enway to ensure the complementary integration within ed to show how the old rail track between Sligo and tatives including Dromahair and works on the basis of
its natural surroundings, and serve as best practice for Enniskillen can be transformed into a modern Green- collaboration.
other similar projects. way for use by walkers, joggers and cyclists But in its The Dromahair greenway is also a “ demonstration “
Special Areas of Conservation – European Importance own right , the new Greenway linked to the existing in another sense. It demonstrates the power of com-
The Dromahair Demonstration Stretch serves as an looped walk will be a great amenity to be enjoyed by munity initiative when it is well organised , draws in
example as to what the SLNCR Greenway and indeed the people of Dromahair - and envious visitors like my- different skills from its area and is ready to overcome
other similar projects can achieve. Nestled within the self . obstacles and difficulties . The Dromahair group went
Lough Gill Special Area of Conservation (SAC), visi- out and did their own fundraising to make the project
tors can rest assured the area surrounding the Stretch The full length of the former SLNCR rail line is some happen . Their participation in the Leitrim Recreation
is at an advantage by being protected from insensitive 72 kilometres and its conversion to a Greenway would Forum resulted in their ambitions being well under-
and potentially damaging development or activities. bring huge social and economic benefits to all four stood and supported by all the members . In particu-
SAC’s are sites considered to be of European impor- counties : Sligo , Leitrim, Cavan and Fermanagh . The lar , the goodwill of Leitrim County Council staff to
tance, usually due to the presence of rare and/or en- Greenway between Westport and Achill has shown for the initiative was shown in the technical support and
dangered species or their associated habitats. SAC’s all to see the boost to local business from the visitors advice they provided and which was invaluable to the
form a part of a collective network of sites throughout who come to the area primarily to walk or cycle on it . success of the project .
Europe known as ‘Natura 2000’. For me personally, it has been a real pleasure in collab-
The good news is that all four local authorities along orating with the passionate representatives from Dro-
the SLNCR line are working together to achieve the mahair : Rosemary Kerrigan, Seán Ó Conláin, Rob
ambition of a Sligo-Enniskillen Greenway and are col- Doyle and Julien Carlier.
laborating with the communities along the line . Above all , the Dromahair Demonstration Stretch
Led by Leitrim Local Authority, they have done im- shows the mighty power of Community and Collabo-
pressive preparatory planning and have put in sever- ration when combined!

Page 6 What’s Been
Happening
New Life in the Old Creamery in the GAA

Bríd Ní Donnchú Fergus Meehan

O Claire and Jonathon McMorrow Unusually, although it’s
n a fine day, when passing the old creamery at already early September
Cleen, outside Dromahair, the sound of music and and the evenings are starting
dancing feet can be heard through the open door of to close in, there is still a lot HARMAC Mechanicals presentation to the GAA Club
the newly-designed dance studio of the McMorrow
School of Dance. Sligo-born Jonathon and Manches- of Championship Football to be played by St. Patricks The sub-committee are focusing on 5 key areas includ-
ter native Claire, had decided to build a house near GAA and most particularly by our underage teams. ing;
the McMorrow home place outside Ballintogher in Our under 12’s and 16’s are the last teams out, both
2012. Due to planning challenges, they ended up in playing their first rounds in the middle part of this (1) Coaching & Games Development,
the old creamery in Dromahair. It seems that Sligo’s month; additionally, while writing this article our (2) Club Structures & Administration,
loss is Leitrim’s gain! minors are awaiting pairings for the Championship (3) Finance & Fundraising,
Claire’s mother and aunts were originally Ushers from Semi Finals – which I hope in advance, has gone well. (4) Facilities & Development, and
Gort, Co. Galway, and ran a well-known Irish dance As always, we’ve had quite an eventful year already, (5) Communications/PR & Culture.
school in Manchester. Jonathon is a son of Christy with our 26 strong coaches (from u6 to senior) and all
and Myra (Kelly) and the musical genes are in good our playing members, bravely battling the conditions It is hoped that this work will culminate in the publi-
health on through the next generation. Claire em- in what has been a very wet year. In terms of silver- cation of a ‘Club Development Plan’ in 2017; however,
phasises the importance of dancing, not only for good ware; our U21’s win over Melvin Gaels in the 13 a-side there is a lot of work to be done in the meantime, in-
posture and discipline but is convinced of the positive Championship has so far, been the highlight, howev- cluding most importantly getting the perspective of our
health benefits throughout life. It also gives children a er, our under 6’s and under 8’s exhibition game with 200 odd members and the wider community. Opinions
very good sense of rhythm and an ear for music at a St. Molaise Gaels at half time in the ‘Sligo v Leitrim’ are encouraged from all persons, as we try to make our
very early age. Championship game will live long in many of our club even more inclusive within the community. In
Their school is aligned with Coimisiún le Rinnce youngest members’ minds. this regard, we would urge as much feedback as possi-
Gaelacha and is world standard. They offer graded ex- FUNDRAISING CHALLENGE ble, to specifically developed questionnaires, which in
ams so pupils and parents can feel a sense of achieve- Fundraising is always the difficult part of running the coming weeks will be filtered into the community
ment as they they move up the grades. This is not any community group, particularly where develop- through our members, the local schools and the local
compulsory but approximately 90% of pupils express ment fore-planning is concerned. In this regard and businesses.
a wish to do these exams. Prices are family-friendly in a joined up effort to assist DARC in raising funds
and they operate a system of pay-as-you-go. Pupils for a new training field, our fundraising partnership Users of ‘Facebook’ will be aware that the club launched
with additional needs are also welcome. At present with the Ladies club and in particular, the ‘Operation its version of the O’Neill’s club shop in August 2016;
they have between 80 – 100 pupils of all ages. As well Transformation’ event held earlier in the year has been all the gear currently available to the club is avail-
as being teachers, Claire and Jonathon are also very a major success. As we seek to close off our funding able for online purchase at https://www.oneills.com/
respected as adjudicators in the what is now a global commitment to DARC, while also improving the shopbyteam/gaa/ireland/st-patricks-dromahair.html.
Irish dancing world. main playing field surface, we do hope to undertake While on the subject of gear, the club once again greatly
With the development of the new Greenway and Ab- further similar events in the near future. appreciate HARMAC Mechanicals kind sponsorship of
bey Loop/Lúb na Mainistreach, Claire and Jonathon a new set of jerseys for the senior team.
see the potential for cultural tourism and maybe some
day would like to open a museum dedicated to Irish THE FUTURE The club would also ask the community to keep an eye
dancing for locals and passing tourists alike. The club is also very much aware of the wider aspects in local media (and on ‘Facebook’) in relation to an up-
of ‘Forward Planning’, including the setting of clear coming memorial event, for deceased members, which
Dancing in the Old Creamery tangible ‘targets’ and ‘objectives’. A sub-committee set it is hoped will take place in mid/late October.
up in the summer of 2016, have taken on the task of Finally, before I close, the GAA would like to congrat-
establishing where our club is currently at, where we ulate the ‘SLNCR Working Group’ on the impeding
want to be in 5 years time and more importantly, how opening of the ‘Dromahair Demonstration Stretch’
we plan to get there. which will further serve to promote physical activity
and social inclusion within the community.

Dromahair Girls are Holding back the tears...SHOUT Page 7
Champions
Sinéad and John Cavanagh
Josephine McTiernan

We would like to take this opportunity to congrat- In 2013, I decided to cycle from Dromahair to my Since 2014, the Cycle has been in aid of SHOUT (Sli-
go Hospital Oncology Unit Trust) and so far we have
ulate some of our underage girls who had some All home in Limerick in memory of my late mother Del- collected €24,628 - with this year’s amount yet to be
Ireland success this year. Representing the Dromahair ma Cavanagh who passed away in 2012. Five others included.
Ladies Club with Leitrim Under 14 girls were Clodagh accompanied me including three of my children. As The support we get from family, friends and locally is
McGee, Rachel McPartlin and Laura Fowley who went a result of widespread interest locally this cycle grew amazing and this is evident on our return to Droma-
on to win The All Ireland C Final (see photo above). from strength to strength and has been run every year hair every year by the numbers of people who turn up
We had five girls who were part of the Manorhamilton since from Limerick to Leitrim. to welcome us home. For me it is a very emotional time
Area community Games namely Clodagh McGee, Roi- The Delma Cavanagh Charity Cycle took place on the as it is for all concerned and it is hard to hold back the
sin Kelly, Amy Fowley, Kelly Gallagher and Emma Mc- 12th and 13th of August 2016 with 43 cycling the 270 tears. Plans are already in place for the 2017 Cycle.
Morrow and they went on to win the Under 14 Nation- km route from Limerick City to Dromahair Co Leitrim. John Cavanagh and Sinéad McKeon.
al Community Games Gaelic Final. This is the second
All Ireland Medal for these five girls having previously
won U12 All Ireland Community Games final in 2014.

Dromahair also had four girls namely Ellen Fitzpatrick,
Hannah and Joelene Clancy and Bridget O’Reilly who
got to the Under 12 All Ireland National Finals and fin-
ished in fourth place. This is a great achievement for
both the Under 14 and Under 12 girls and we are all
very proud of you.

Dromahair Ladies would like to congratulate all in- Photo taken outside Stanford’s before the event, and in Limerick just before the start.
volved in the development of Dromahair Greenway
and Abbey Loop. This is an amazing project and will
be of huge benefit to the Dromahair and wider com-
munity.

D 20 Years of Blotto!romahair Development Association / Tidy Town They are available in The Depot office and any small
are working in the community for the benefit of all the donation would be gratefully accepted.
community. Group workers’ projects this year have in-
cluded - capping the raised bed at Drumlease; repair- Also we have The Original re-usable cup – Keep Cup
ing the raised tree bed at Dervogilla bridge; planting for sale in The Depot office. All proceeds go to Dro-
up flowers and shrubs at the Pound house and in var- mahair Tidy Towns and only cost €5. So you can have
ious locations around the village; power washing; and your coffee/tea on the go while reducing waste in our
painting walls and fences around the village. locality.

Litter picks are done weekly together with weeding We ran a gardening course in our tunnel beside The
and maintaining flower beds. Grass cutting is constant Depot. A lot of our plants and flowers around the vil-
around the village. This year we had members of the lage have been propagated in our tunnel and we are
Youth Club on litter picks. We are always looking for very proud of this. We are hoping to run a further
volunteers in various areas around the village if you feel course in the autumn time and if you are interested
you can give some time we’d love to hear from you. please contact us in The Depot.

In 2015 we won the Floral Pride award, of which we DDA celebrated twenty years of The Blotto draw this
are very proud. The “Best Kept Estate” competition was year with a special Anniversary Draw. Envelopes for
judged on the 4th of August 2016 – the winner will be Blotto draw are available in any of the businesses in
announced in the near future with a prize for the win- Dromahair.
ning estate. We facilitate a wide range of classes and meetings every
We have purchased “no junk mail stickers” for letter week and various office services are provided for the
boxes, with a view to reducing waste in our locality. community.

Page 8

Mairéad looks back Adventure Gently with Canadian Canoes

Mairéad McMorrow Adrienne Diamond

After a tough defeat in the championship semi-final it seemed hard to see the After moving to the Dromahair

advantages of playing senior ladies football. All the hours put in during the year all area, 7 years ago Adrienne and
come down to 60 minutes in the end. After a painful loss to Kiltubrid our champi- Graham wanted to share their
onship aspirations for 2016 came to an end. It is however important that we can step enjoyment of the landscape and
back from it and concentrate on all that we do get from the 100 or more sessions their passion for Canadian canoe-
we put in throughout the year. With the obvious benefits of keeping fit and healthy ing,  so they created their business
we also learn a lot about loyalty, commitment and most of all friendship. We win Adventure Gently, Guided Canoe
together and unfortunately on occasion we lose together also. Tours.

We have a great club and are very lucky to do so, especially as we look at how the Using safe, stable Canadian Ca-
majority of clubs in Leitrim are forced to amalgamate with other clubs in order to noes, their trips give both tourists
have girls’ football while we are fielding two successful adult league teams for the last and local people a fresh perspective on the beauty of Leitrim and its stunning waters.
number of years. Our underage structure is excellent with teams competing in every
age group; we even have All–Ireland winners among them. The strength of our club In their spare time they have a small farm, polytunnel, Graham enjoys local music
comes down to the hard work of the people behind the scenes, the people who often sessions and Adrienne works as an artist.
don’t get to go out and enjoy the spoils on the pitch but work tirelessly behind the
scenes to ensure that our players are afforded every opportunity to participate at the Greenway Demonstration Stretch Phase 1 Launch
highest level.
Saturday Oct 29th 2016

Mairéad, Anna, Edel, Erin and Mary hold onto the 2016 League Cup

While 2016 may not have been our year in championship, we do feel privileged to
have been part of a group which has experienced both the highs and lows that foot-
ball offers. Winning senior championships in 2011 and 2014 are definitely the high-
lights so far. With a league game left to play and the possibility of a league final to
play for we knew we still had a chance for silverware in 2016. We got together as a
group and discussed the disappointment of the championship defeat but from there
put it behind us to focus on our final goal for the year. A great one point win in the
league final against Kiltubrid, gave us a reason to celebrate and reinforced our desire
to go out and do it all again in 2017.
“Ní neart go cur le chéile”

Tá buíochas ag dul do gach éinne a chabhraigh chun an eagrán seo a
chur le chéile. To all who contributed to ‘Scéalta’ in any way – with no
monetary payment – many thanks.