What it Says in the Castlebar and Mayo Papers

20th September 2000

Connaught Telegraph

The Mayo News

The Western People

Objection lodged to Mayo's first multi-storey carpark runs the main story in The Connaught Telegraph this week.

An objection has been lodged against a £4m. plan to build Mayo's first multi-storey carpark. Tuam-based company, D.H. Burke and Son Limited, had secured planning permission from Castlebar Urban Council for the facility along the link road at Knockacroghery in the county town. The project, which would provide a total of 445 car parking spaces, was designed to accommodate additional traffic to a growing commercial location where a number of major developments are in the pipeline. They include the construction of a £12m. mixed development, by local firm Cavendish Lane Properties Limited, consisting of three retail outlets, an enclosed pedestrian mall incorporating café and kiosk, a leisureplex, an electronic games arcade, a five screen cinema complex, two retail warehouse units, a restaurant and 16 student apartments. The objection was lodged by Stephen Dowds Associates, acting on behalf of Ormonde Cinemas. According to Mr. Dowds, his client was opposed to the detail of the proposal, but had no objection to the principle of a multi-storey carpark for Castlebar.

Twinning proclamation to be signed in Bavaria The Connaught Telegraph this week.

The final piece in town-twinning links between Castlebar and Hochstadt en der Aisch, Germany, will be put in place at the weekend. A formal twinning proclamation uniting the two towns will be signed in the Bavarian town by Mr. Geral Brehm, Mayor of Hochstadt en der Aisch, and Mr. Pat King, acting chairman, Castlebar Urban Council, on Sunday next at 6.00 p.m. Mr. King is heading a 31-strong delegation which leaves Castlebar next Friday morning for a six-day visit to the German town. The twinning will open the way for all organisations and groups in the two towns to establish links of their own. Moves to form the partnership began four years ago when Mrs. Teresa Zaby Walsh, whose mother was a native of Linenhall Street, contacted Mr. John Condon, town clerk of Castlebar.

Tidy Towns chief 'satisfied' The Connaught Telegraph this week.

The chairman of Castlebar Tidy Towns Committee, Mr. Liam Durkan, has expressed satisfaction with the town's performance in the National Tidy Towns competition. The county town increased its points by six, bringing Castlebar's overall tally to 210 out of a maximum 300. The gains were achieved in the categories of landscaping (+1), wildlife and natural amenities (+3), and litter control (+2). The result consolidated Castlebar's position of fourth in the county and 13th of 32 towns in Category E of the national competition (towns with a population between 5001 and 10,000). The increase of six points is ahead of the average in this category and ranks the town in the top five within Category E in terms of growth in points over the last year. However, according to Mr. Durkan, much work remains to be done if Castlebar is to receive the overall winner accolade in this category as the winner, Killarney, achieved a total of 241 points. Mr. Durkan said his committee was satisfied that the adjudicators' report was a fair and accurate assessment of the town.

Castlebar search for 'giant' Christmas Tree is one of the articles in The Mayo News this week.

The search is on in Castlebar for a giant Christmas Tree to form the focal point of this year's festive illuminations of the town. Castlebar Chamber of Commerce, organisers of the annual Christmas lights project, wants to erect a landmark Christmas tree in the Mall, focal point of the town. "What we are looking for is a tree that will stand out as the centrepoint of our lighting scheme." said Regina McGarrigle, President of the Chamber. "The Mall is noted for its fine, sturdy trees, so our Christmas tree will have to be something special if it is to match what is there already". The organising committee has been given the brief to locate the tree - which must be at least 30 feet tall and then design a suitable festoon of Christmas lights and features to give it a unique appearance. The tree will be an integral part of this year's Christmas lights scheme, one of the most ambitious in recent years.

Westport Chamber wants more land zoned for housing The Mayo News.

Westport Chamber of Commerce is calling for more extensive zoning of land for residential development than that proposed in the draft development plan of Westport Urban District Council. The Chamber has formulated its own development plan for the next seven years and while many of the plan's aims and objectives are similar to those of the Council, the plan seeks residential zoning in several parts of the urban area and on the town's periphery. Stressing that there was no question of the Chamber being in confrontation with the Urban Council, President Dr. Oliver Whyte said "Much of what we want to see happening in Westport complements the aims of the Council in the draft development plan. We are concerned, however, about what we see as inadequate zoning for residential development and we believe more land needs to be earmarked for this purpose." He added that the Chamber would be seeking a meeting with the Council to discuss their plan in the context of what is best for Westport.

Breaffy House Hotel sold to Lynch Hotels Group The Mayo News this week.

Breaffy House Hotel, situated three miles from Castlebar, was officially sold to the Lynch Hotels Group last week. The exclusive 59-bed property complete with 80 acres was sold after extensive negotiations for an undisclosed sum by directors, Pat Moran, Solicitor, and Eamon Courell, outgoing Managing Director of Breaffy House Hotel. Confirming the sale, Mr. Moran and Mr. Courell expressed their appreciation and sincere thanks to all members of the management and staff for their dedicated commitment to the hotel over the sixteen year period of their ownership which, they said, played an important part in the development of the hotel and the high reputation it achieved. "Further thanks are due to the customers who have supported the hotel throughout the years. The support of regular customers and friends, together with the high level of service and efficiency of all trade suppliers to the hotel, was much appreciated."

New co-op to be known as Connacht Gold The Western People this week.

The shareholders of North Connacht Farmers Co-operative Society Ltd. (NCF) and Kiltoghert Co-operative Agricultural and Dairy Society Ltd., on Monday, confirmed their vote of September 4th to merge. The first vote on September 4th required a seventy five per cent majority while Monday's vote required a simple majority. The way is now clear to form a new co-operative society, to be known as Connacht Gold Co-operative Society Ltd, with 18,500 shareholders and a turnover of almost £200 million. Connacht Gold Co-op will serve the province of Connacht and parts of south Donegal and east Longford. Its main manufacturing sites will be in Ballaghaderreen, Achonry and liquid milk plants in Ballina, and in Sligo. Total direct employment will be 550.

Report on gas pipeline 'agreement' dismissed The Western People this Tuesday.

A "Speculative" article in the Irish Times on Saturday last suggesting that a deal had been struck between Enterprise Oil and An Bord Gais for a public/private partnership to construct the Pullathomas/Galway pipeline has been dismissed by Ms. Rosemary Steen, Commercial Manager with Enterprise Oil. Ms Steen said on Monday that the Enterprise Oil position with regard to the company plans remained the same as pointed out by Mr. Brian O'Cathain at a meeting of Mayo County Council last week. At the meeting Mr. O'Cathain said that Enterprise Oil was in discussion with An Bord Gais with regard to their proposal to extend the national ring main to Galway and were also in talks about the construction of the gas pipeline to connect with the national grid in Galway. "That position remains the same," said Ms. Steen. "A formal announcement of the outcome of those talks is still some way off."

Yahoo - Castlebar's web site is world-wide hit The Western People this week.

Castlebar's Internet slot has scored a major success with the web site (www.castlebar.ie) being featured in Yahoo's Irish Picks for September (http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/picks/ieindex.html). Yahoo's endorsement of the web site reads as follows: "Castlebar in County Mayo is one of Ireland's chosen few when it comes to information technology, with part of its information infrastructure sponsored by the telco Eircom. And thanks to a lot of elbow grease, the town now has a cracking site, boasting information on parenting classes, a dedicated "roots" genealogy message board, and rather fab photos of the town, past and present. We loved the " Sohipithurts" teenzine: it's not fancy, but it boasts reviews, news and interviews by teens themselves, and like the rest of the site emits a genuine spirit of community involvement in this Web venture." "Yahoo is the number one search engine in the world, being featured on Yahoo will generate a lot more hits for www.castlebar.ie and it is something that we are thrilled about. But it is the quality of the endorsement itself that has surprised and delighted everyone involved. We have been recognised by a world leader as one of Ireland's chosen few when it comes to information technology. This is a huge achievement for all those who have contributed and continue to contribute to the development of www.castlebar.ie," said Richard Wynne, Chairperson of the Information Age Town Committee.

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