15-02-2023

Mary Jane’s fight to help daughter

By Tamara O’Connell

A DUNDALK mother is desperate to get therapies for her daughter who has been diagnosed with severe non-verbal autism and an intellectual disability. Mary Jane Maguire from Laurel Brook Gardens is fighting to get speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and behavioural therapy for her daughter, Mary Kate.

“Mary Kate is 12-years-old and has been attending St Mary’s Drumcar since she was five-years-old,” said Mary Jane.

“During her first four years of school my daughter received four half hour Speech and Language Therapy sessions in a classroom with six other children and nothing more, at which point I took the HSE/ disability services Louth and Tusla to court.

“I was told that my daughter would receive all the services she needed if I gave up my rights as a parent and gave my daughter into State care as in that case my daughter’s care would be paid directly from the State.”

Continued on Page 2

Mary Jane is fighting to get a number of therapy services for her daughter Mary Kate.

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Mary Jane’s fight to help daughter

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Mary Jane said: “I refused and spent another 16 months in court and in the end the judge granted me a full care package and weekly Speech and Language Therapy, which was great.

“However, my daughter only had these needs met for about three months when all therapy stopped.”

“I’m not entitled to free legal aid and any extra money I earn outside of paying my bills and food go

towards paying for home support for my daughter.”

According to Mary Jane, her daughter’s lack of Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy has led to an increase in behavioural issues over the years.

“She can’t communicate and unfortunately sometimes she will resort to aggression to get what she wants,” she said.

“She needs behavioural therapy now and we are hoping to get her a device

which will enable her to communicate.

“The tablet will cost in excess of €2,000. I’m hoping that in time things will turn around for us.”

When asked to comment, the HSE sent the following statement.

“The HSE does not provide client specific details. However, HSE Disability services work within available resource, in conjunction with families and service providers, to develop individual support plans

on a service user basis to meet service users specific needs as far as possible. In general, plans utilise a mix of multi-disciplinary supports, structured day services, respite services and in home supports. The highest level of support is a Residential Placement, when all other supports have been exhausted,” explained the HSE.

Tusla also responded stating that they do not comment on individual cases.

“Tusla Child and Family Agency does not comment on individual cases, this is to protect the privacy of the children and families we work with.

“When a child or family enters into a relationship with a public service such as Tusla they are entitled to expect that information generated in that relationship is treated in confidence and remains private. This is critically important in the subject matters which Tusla is involved.”

Emrah thanks people of Dundalk

A DUNDALK barber

who is originally from Turkey has thanked people who donated new goods to his collection for the victims of the devastating earthquake to hit Turkey and Syria.

Emrah Yildirim, aged 33, has a family-run barbers called Yilmaz Turkish Barbers on Clanbrassil Street.

“I’m from a town called Gaziantep near the Syrian border. Thanks be to God all my family are safe,” said Emrah.

“However, there has been a big damage to my family’s house and they are all afraid. The government has them in a safe place and some

are living in a van.”

Emrah has been living in Ireland since 2006 and in Dundalk since 2008. He is married with three young children.

“I got a phone call at 4am on Monday morning on the bank holiday weekend. At first, I didn’t believe what had happened,” he said.

“My wife is also from Turkey and she got panicked. She was so afraid for her family but thankfully, they are okay.

“My brother, who also runs a Turkish barbers in Dundalk, told me that the Turkish Embassy in Dublin were looking for donations.”

Emrah added: “We

had a massive response from people living here who wanted to help. Many people donated brand new items and we are very grateful to them.

“However, some people donated old items that weren’t in good condition. Some people even donated high heels.

“We weren’t looking for those type of items. We needed warm jump-

ers and coats to help with the cold.”

He continued: “It took a lot of sorting. It was very tiring but thanks to the help of family and friends we got the van packed up and dropped the items to the Turkish Embassy.

“There were over 100 boxes in the end and a lot of bags. Thanks to everybody. Loads of Irish people have been nice.”

Mary Kate and her mam Mary Jane.

Emrah Yildirim and Tahir Sacakl. Some

St Patrick’s Day Parade returns

DUNDALK will see the return of the St Patrick’s Day parade next month after the voluntary committee received confirmation from Louth County Council of their sponsorship of the event.

Along with the council, Dundalk Credit Union and PayPal are also sponsors of the parade in Dundalk.

The March 17 parade, which will start at 1pm, has the theme of ‘Urban Green’ and will feature

many local community and business organisations showcasing the very best that Dundalk has to offer.

There will also be live music, and a family fun zone, after the parade, so

that families can spend more time in the town after the main event.

The committee, which is chaired by Cllr. Conor Keelan, had been seeking sponsorship in order to stage the event and the council stepped in with funding last week, making the parade possible.

Cllr. Keelan, who is on the Dundalk St Patrick’s Day Committee with Cllr. Maeve Yore, Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú, Shane McBride, Dagan Fleming, Anne Campbell

and Maria O’Toole, said he was delighted with the council’s response for funding.

He said: ‘Without the assistance of Louth County Council, the parade would not be possible this year. We are delighted they have come on board and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back to the town for a great, traditional parade after three years of having no event’. Cllr. Keelan said it is vital that people who

are involved in community and sporting groups, as well as businesses, ‘come together to join in the parade’.

He said: ‘I hope everyone gets behind us to put Dundalk back on the St Patrick’s Day map again. It has been difficult getting back after Covid 19 and I would like to see as many groups as possible take part in the parade, under the theme of ‘Urban Green’.

‘The environment has been to the forefront of

minds, and this is an opportunity to celebrate and put sustainability and environmental awareness at the forefront of people’s minds.

‘There is a lot of work to do, but we hope with the support of the town, that we will be able to stage a wonderful parade this year’. Anyone wishing to take part in the parade, or to help out in any way, should email: stpatsdundalk@gmail.com as soon as possible.

John raises €1300 for Dogs for the Disabled

JOHN Morgan from the Point Road, Dundalk succeeded in raising €1,300 for the Dogs for the Disabled.

The Cork-based charity founded in 2007 aims to improve the lives of children and adults living with physical disabilities in Ireland.

The charity delivers 28 fully trained assistance dogs / therapy dogs each year to people who are profoundly disabled.

Four years ago, John, who uses a wheelchair, received Jamie, a beautiful golden retriever to be his assistance dog.

“Jamie had undergone two years of intensive training before he came to me. It costs €20,000 and two years of training for the dogs to complete the training programme,” said John.

“There are currently three dogs in Dundalk who have completed the programme. One has recently retired and the owner of that dog has a pup in training.

“The dogs are trained to assist so in the morning Jamie will help me to get my stockings, and braces and my shoes and anything I need.”

John added: “He can

get anything I need off the ground for example my keys or wallet. Jamie is sixyears-old and he will retire when he is ten.

“But like my friend, I will keep him when he retires. I wouldn’t give Jamie away for love nor money.”

John wanted to give something back to Dogs for the Disabled so he recently organised a raffle of two hampers for the charity.

He succeeded in raising €1,300 and is pictured with one of the prize winners, Vincent Jackson, in Boyd’s Stores, Clanbrassil Street, Dundalk.

prize winner Vincent Jackson (left), John Morgan and Jamie .

Fitzpatrick urges government to consider the mortgage interest relief scheme

INDEPENDENT TD Peter Fitzpatrick has accused the government of failing to help homeowners at a time when people are struggling to keep their houses warm and put food on the table. He cited the continuing rising interest rates and urged the government to ease mortgage pressure on homeowners by introducing a mortgage interest relief scheme.

“In November, addressing the issues of home ownership and emigration among young people, the Taoiseach, then Tánaiste, Deputy Varadkar, pledged to make home ownership affordable again, advising “what we can have is stronger Government interventions to help close the viability gap”. Last week, the European Central Bank raised its base rate of interest, taking it to a rate of 3%, and pledges to raise rates by the same magnitude in March to squash raging inflation. That would see the deposit rate going to 3% and the main borrowing rate rising to 3.5%,” explained Fitzpatrick.

“After six years of interest rates sitting at zero, the biggest immediate impact will be on the monthly payments of approximately 200,000 families with a variable rate tracker mortgage. Those with €200,000 tracker mortgages on a rate of 2.5%, which will now rise to 3%, can expect their monthly payments to increase by around €50 at a time. This is at a time when people are struggling to keep their houses warm and put food on the table. For those with existing fixed-rate mortgages that are about to end and who want to remortgage, any new fixed-rate deal will be more expensive than the one they are about to

leave. On top of this, mortgage borrowers whose loans were sold to vulture funds are now facing interest rates that are significantly higher than those charged by retail banks, resulting in significant financial pressure for them.

“Economists are saying that 3% will not be the peak. It is a likely that interest rates will need to be kept higher for longer as loosening prematurely could risk a sharp resurgence in inflation once activity rebounds. However, if it raises rates too aggressively, it could tip the eurozone into recession.

“The failure of the Government to help existing homeowners at a time when they are subject to a cost-of-living crisis highlights that it is pursuing policies that are making home ownership increasingly

unaffordable for families. The original purpose of the mortgage interest supplement scheme was to provide shortterm support to eligible people who, due to temporary unemployment or loss of earnings, were unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house that was their sole place of residence. While I accept that the mortgage interest supplement should be a short-term measure, the problem is that there is no shortterm measure in place. People need a short-term supplement to ease the mortgage pressure they are under, rather than just loading more debt on them.

“The Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael McGrath, and the Taoiseach said last week that there are no plans to introduce mortgage interest relief despite a continual rise in interest rates. In December the Taoiseach, then Tánaiste, said, “It is not something we will rule out for the future but there are no current plans to do so. It would involve reopening the budget and all the consequences that would derive from that.” As we know, thousands of people are under enormous stress with their mortgages. Why do we kick the can down the road? Why wait to act when we know this is inevitable

“People in my constituency covering Louth and east Meath are struggling. Every week in my clinic I direct families struggling to pay their mortgages to MABS. While this is a fantastic service, the primary objective of all measures across the housing sector should be to increase the supply of accommodation and keep people in their current homes, whether they are rented or owned. Are

we going to close our eyes and pretend that families are not struggling? The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage should engage with the Minister for Finance on the implementation of a temporary measure.

“This needs to be considered in the overall budgetary and policy context, whether it be through the Personal Insolvency Act to give some help and support to people in mortgage arrears or by making amendments to the Finance Bill to bring about some alleviation for people who are in mortgage distress through the reinstatement of the mortgage interest supplement scheme. We need to act now. We need to make home ownership affordable again through stronger Government interventions to help close the viability gap. We need to offer hard-pressed families real support.

I got married in 1983, when I was 21 and my wife was 20. We bought a house for £21,000. As we could not get a bank loan, we went to the council and got a simple £14,000 loan. We went to the credit union for the balance that we needed.

It was very simple. Why are we complicating things in this day and age? I repeat that the Taoiseach, who was the Tánaiste at the time, promised Government intervention. I keep saying it to the Minister that he is kicking the can down the road. People are very much struggling. It is now that people need help. I am pleading with the Minister to speak with the Ministers for Housing and Local Government and Heritage, and for Finance, about working together to put a temporary measure in place,” stated Fitzpatrick.

History of Aiken Barracks Lecture

Capt. padriaig agnew, Michael Gaynor, old Dundalk Society, Sergeant riccardo Lucchesi at the old Dundalk Society Lecture on the history of aiken barracks Dundalk in the County Museum. This was the latest in a series of planned lectures by the old Dundalk Society which will be continued to be delivered throughout 2023.

peter Fitzpatrick, TD.

Family Addiction Support Network to hold Service of Commemoration

ON Friday, 24th February, the Family Support Network will hold its Service of Commemoration and Hope, entitled ‘Honouring Lives

Lost to Addiction – Let their Light Shine on’, in remembrance of loved ones lost to alcohol and other drugs.

The Family Support Network (FASN) is an autonomous self-help organisation that provides support to families and respects the experiences of families affected by substance misuse in a welcoming nonjudgemental atmosphere across Louth, Meath, Cavan & Monaghan.

The ceremony will take place in the Redemptorist Hall, St Joseph’s Monastery, St Alphonsus Road, Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland, A91 F3FC on the 24th of February 2023 at 7pm with guest speaker Frances Black, attending from the Rise Foundation.

Senator Frances Black is the founder and CEO of The RISE Foundation. The Rise Foundation also supports families impacted by a loved one’s addictive behavior through awareness, education, and therapy, and to combat the associated shame and stigma.

This spiritual, multi denominational service will be held in remembrance and to celebrate the lives of our lost loved ones and to remember that they were first and foremost a person, who was loved and who loved others. And to publicly support and offer hope to families

Council issues reminder to dog owners as lambing season approaches

Louth County Council have today issued a warning to dog owners to be aware of their responsibilities and the potential risk of harm to sheep during the lambing season.

The warning came after the local authority revealed it investigated 14 incidents of sheep worrying in the last year.

living with the devastation that substance misuse causes.

The date also marks FASN’s ‘Stop the Stigma’ Campaign highlighting the negative consequences of the damage addiction stigma causes on the health and well-being of people with substance use disorder but also the effect stigma can have on the bereavement process of loved ones who loses someone to addiction.

FASN want to stress to all family members who have lost loved ones that they are not alone in their grief.

Gwen McKenna, FASN Family Support Specialist states “The loss of a loved one through addiction is a complicated bereavement. Every family’s loss is individual however their experiences can be so similar – the death though sometimes anticipated and feared – will often come as a huge shock. The death is often a traumatic one and the person is lost before their time which has a devastating effect on those left behind.

Our service will provide families and loved ones a space to grieve for their loved ones in a spirit of dignity and hope, an opportunity commonly stolen from families affected by substance misuse as a result of stigma.”

The commemoration ceremony is also to offer hope to families of those still involved in addiction or recovery as Gwen stressed that the work of FASN will continue to advocate for better services for families and that their loved ones need personcentered, accessible, and early intervention.

FASN will continue to fight for family support to be accessible for anyone who needs it across the North East.

Gwen went on to say that everyone is welcome to attend the ceremony in remembrance of our loved ones who left us too soon.

“We invite anyone who wants to remember their loved ones to come along to the ceremony. We will come together to mourn and remember, but we also celebrate

their lives and we look ahead to the future,” she said. “It is so important for us to come together to remember those we’ve lost and remember that their lives mattered. This in turn will help us to further commit to working together as a community to help the next person in active addiction so we don’t lose them.”

“Grief is the last act of love that we have to give those that we loved. Where there is deep grief, there was great love. Our ceremony will give family members the opportunity to come together to acknowledge and support each other in our grief and acknowledge the love we have for those we have lost. ” she added.

Where: Redemptorist Hall, St Joseph’s Monastery, St Alphonsus Road, Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland, A91 F3FC at 7pm.

When: 24th Feb, 2023 at 7 pm

Note: Free Parking is available. The event is followed by refreshments and a chance to chat.

Dog owners have legal responsibilities under the Control of Dogs Act 1986, as amended, which provides for the protection of livestock from worrying by dogs, and where dogs are found to worry livestock this can result in the owner committing and being found guilty of an offense which can includes fines and/or prison.

When outside the home dog owners must legally ensure that their dogs are under ‘effectual’ control at all times.

When visiting commonage or farm areas, all dog owners should observe and respect local signage around entry and leads, and it is recommended that dogs are left at home if accessing land where livestock are present or close by during the lambing season.

Louth County Council are asking dog owners, and anyone walking or exercising dogs, to be aware that the presence of dogs, even with playful intent, can cause great anxiety within a flock of sheep.

During the winter months this can prevent ewes from coming into season. In lambing season it is the main cause of stillbirths and mis-

Dog owners must have control of their dogs at all times.

carriages, which can occur a number of days after contact with dogs.

Owners are asked to be vigilant, and to ensure they know where dogs under their care are at all times , as attacks often occur at night.

Garret Shine, Louth County Veterinarian, explained that in 2022 Louth County Council were called out to and investigated 14 incidences of sheep worrying.

He warned that the penalties “can be very significant for both the owner and the dog, and compensation due to the farmer can be high.”

“Nobody wants to see any animal unnecessarily hurt or killed, be they a farm animal or family pet. During the lambing season in particular the message to dog owners

is to keep your dogs under control and keep them in at night if you live near or on farmland. The family pet can become a completely different animal when in a pack resulting in devastating consequences for all.”

He added that all dogs which are apprehended will be scanned for microchip and will be impounded.

Please report wandering dogs and suspicious sights to the Louth County Council Dog Warden section at 042-9324345 or by email on vets@louthcoco.ie

Finally, make sure that your dog(s) are registered and microchipped and that a current licence is in place for each of them – this is now a legal requirement for ALL dogs.

Frances black.

Dundalk Women’s Shed enjoy exploring their skillset

MEMBERS of Dun-

dalk Women’s Shed are enjoying learning new skills and perfecting old ones in the company of new friends when they meet weekly on Mondays in Dundalk Gaol.

At the end of January, they were joined by pupils from Kilcurry School who helped them with the ancient skill of weaving St Brigid’s Day crosses. Some were already experienced and

make them every year while others were trying it out for the first time. At the end of the session, the floor was strewn with rushes but it was worth the clear up as people enjoyed

the experience so much and with their crosses to take home members felt ready to engage with the week of festivities around the Saint’s Day which now marks a new a national Bank Holiday week end.

On Monday 20th February at 10h00 in Dundalk Gaol the Women’s Shed will welcome speaker, Annamaria Fee, experienced holistic therapist, who will explain the benefits to our bodies of a wide range of therapies including massage, aromatherapy,

reflexology and reiki. Annamaria is also a spiritual guide accredited by An Croi Wisdom Institute. At this time when we are bombarded by stories of world sadness and burdened by rising household costs, it is worth exploring different ways to relieve stress and anxiety which are so bad for our overall health. So come along and be informed and even inspired to explore new therapies.

On Monday 27th March we will be joined by experienced dance

for well being tutor, Della Hickey who will introduce us to the benefits of dance and movement for our bodies and minds. As we require a large space to enjoy this activity, please note the Dundalk Women’s Shed will move for this session to the function room in the Imperial Hotel in the Town Centre. And of course we always make time for tea and chat in the second half of the session when members have time to meet new people to share views and stories

and make connection with others.

So why not come along and join up for a morning and see if it’s for you. We have around 60 people who turn up each week because they are enjoying it so much. We meet every Monday at 10h00 in Dundalk Gaol. (except Monday 27th February which is at the Imperial Hotel). The Dundalk Women’s Shed is open to all women over 18 living in the Dundalk area. Email womenssheddundalk@ gmail.com.

Mapping your path to

“BEING in business can be challenging, but you’re never on your own. Local Enterprise Office Louth has a wide range of funding and support options available to help businesses to start-up and scale. And at Local Enterprise Week this year, we are showcasing all of those supports and encouraging local businesses to come and apply” so says Geraldine Johnston.

On Monday, 6th March, Geraldine will host “Roadmap for Funding and Supports for your Business”. This free event takes place from 12.002.30pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dundalk and is the first event of Local Enterprise Week 2023.

“I’m thrilled to host this event on behalf of Local Enterprise Office Louth. I’m excited to present 4 amazing local companies who’ve worked handin-hand with their Local Enterprise Office to

really drive their business forward. We’ll be talking to Caoimhe Carroll of Ogam Aromatherapy. We’ll discover how LEO supports helped her grow to now supply over 300 pharmacies nationwide and expand into international markets.

While Sarah McKenna of Bridge Street Studios will talk about how LEO support helped her scale her ceramics business and drive sus-

success

will also showcase the supports around management development, mentoring, financial capability, e-commerce, sustainability, and exporting that have been instrumental in growing these businesses,” Geraldine continues.

tainability.”

“We will meet Conor Grimes of Spoonful Botanicals, whose product of herbs, spices and fermented fruit is adored by people of all ages. Conor and his team needed support to scale their production facilities to meet extraordinary market demand and take advantage of export opportunities. And we’ll feature Graham O’Rourke of Aphix

Software, talking about their extraordinary expansion across 4 continents with their market leading B2B e-commerce software, and the supports that helped them get there.”

“This event is about real-life stories and examples of where funding streams like feasibility grants, priming grants, and business expansion grants have helped businesses. But

??? QuIZ ???

1—Mozarella cheese is made from the milk of which animal?

2—The most westerly point of mainland Ireland is located in which county?

3—In 1929, the Saint Valentines Day Massacre took place in which American city?

4—What is a renal calculus better known as?

5—In June 2012 after going out to lunch with his family which British politician left his eight-year old daughter in the pub?

6—Which secondary school in Dundalk was named after a former Archbishop of Armagh who died in May of 1990?

7—Who played Fr Noel Furlong in the comedy series Father Ted?

8—What six letter word names the mafias code of silence about criminal activity and a refusal to give evidence to the police?

9—What do boxers Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick have in common?

“The supports are there for you and your business. We want you to know what’s available for you and we want you to come and talk to your Local Enterprise Office. We also want to invite accountants, solicitors, mentors, and anybody who provides advice to people in business to attend. It will help you to understand the range of options available and to sign post those to clients.”

Taking place on Monday, 6th March at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dundalk, it is free of charge and includes lunch and opportunities for networking. To book, visit localenterprise.ie/louth.

10—Which is the only insect that produces food eaten by humans?

The Stinker—Which African country has a one word name that contains all five vowels?

annamarie Fee.

Geraldine Johnston, host of “Roadmap to Funding and Supports” .

Peninsula, 3—Chicago, 4—Kidney stone, 5—David Cameron, 6—O’Fiach College, 7—Graham Norton, 8—Omerta, 9—They all beat Muhammad Ali during his professional boxing career, 10—Bee. Stinker: Mozambique

Liverpool Legends coming to town

A HOST of Liverpool Legends will arrive in Dundalk on April 15th to take on the Louth Legends in a charity football match in Oriel Park which will help raise money for two important local services.

The teams will play for the Calvin Cup named in honour of Calvin Gray who lost his fight for life in September 2022 following a tragic accident in the town centre. Calvin was a massive Liverpool fan and the organisers have decided to honour his memory by naming the cup after him.

One of the organisers of the event, Gerry O’Connor, says he hopes that Dundalk will come out and support the event and help raise funds for both the Autism unit in Realt na Mara and the Maria Goretti Foundation which is a respite centre in Lordship.

“Our goal is to raise as much money as possible for two fantastic local Louth services that are both linked with autism. My son has autism and I know how difficult it can be to get the required supports needed for a child with ASD. Thankfully I am in a position to be able to afford to pay for some of these services but I know that meeting these complex needs can put families under a lot of stress, emotionally and financially.

“By raising money for these services we hope it will enable

them to further the success of many projects and programmes for children on the autism spectrum. As well as the match between Liverpool Legends and Louth Legends we are also offering a meet and greet with the players on the morning of the match in Oriel Park. You will get a chance to meet the legends of Liverpool and get a picture with them with tickets costing €20 for an adult and €10 for kids.

The final part of our fundraiser will be a Legends dinner which is taking place in the Carrickdale Hotel after the match. Dinner with the Legends is an evening of entertainment which will include having dinner with the legends as well as auctions of various memorabilia and raffles. Tickets for the dinner will cost €75 per person.

Eamonn O’Hagan who is

also helping to organise the event says that he is delighted with some of the names who have agreed to come to Dundalk for the charity game.

“We’ve been working hard on getting Liverpool legends to come over and we are delighted to confirm that John Aldridge, Steve McMahon, Jermaine Pennant Mark Wright and Alan Kennedy have all agreed to take part. We are working on getting another legend over the line and hopefully we will be able to announce that shortly,” explained Eamonn.

“On the Louth Legends side we have the likes of Brian Gartland, Gabriel Sava, Steve Williams, John Whyte, David Crawley, Shane Grimes, Nathan Murphy, David Ward, Fabio O’Brien, Sean Thornton and Killian Brennan togging out and the team will be managed by myself, Tom McNulty and

Darius Kierans. It promises to be a great afternoon up in Oriel and we are hoping that the people will come out and support two very important local services, “stated Eamonn.

Tickets for the match, which takes place on April 15th in Oriel Park can be bought on Eventbrite (Search for Liverpool Legends v Louth Legends on their website).

Tickets for the meet and greet which takes place before the match on April 15th between 12 and 1:30 can be purchased from Gino’s Diner on Clanbrassil St. (Adult €20, Child €10)

For dinner tickets in the Carrickdale please contact 0872323641. Tickets cost €75 per person. All proceeds raised will go towards the Maria Goretti Foundation and the Realt na Mara Early Intervention Unit and Autism Centre.

alan Kennedy with the European Cup.

Family Notices

novena to the sacred heart

Dear Heart of Jesus, in the past i asked you for many favours this time, i ask for this special favour (mention it). take it, dear Heart of Jesus and place it within your own broken heart, where your Father sees it. then in his merciful eyes, it will become your favour, not mine. amen. say this prayer for 3 days. Promise publication and favours will be granted.

(never known to fail) f.d. novena to the sacred heart

Dear Heart of Jesus, in the past i asked you for many favours this time, i ask for this special favour (mention it). take it, dear Heart of Jesus and place it within your own broken heart, where your Father sees it. then in his merciful eyes, it will become your favour, not mine. amen. say this prayer for 3 days. Promise publication and favours will be granted.

(never known to fail). d g novena to the sacred heart

Dear Heart of Jesus, in the past i asked you for many favours this time, i ask for this special favour (mention it). take it, dear Heart of Jesus and place it within your own broken heart, where your Father sees it. then in his merciful eyes, it will become your favour, not mine. amen. say this prayer for 3 days. Promise publication and favours will be granted.

(never known to fail) n.McB.

novena to the sacred heart

Dear Heart of Jesus, in the past i asked you for many favours this time, i ask for this special favour (mention it). take it, dear Heart of Jesus and place it within your own broken heart, where your Father sees it. then in his merciful eyes, it will become your favour, not mine. amen. say this prayer for 3 days. Promise publication and favours will be granted.

(never known to fail) d.h.

novena to the sacred heart

Dear Heart of Jesus, in the past i asked you for many favours this time, i ask for this special favour (mention it). take it, dear Heart of Jesus and place it within your own broken heart, where your Father sees it. then in his merciful eyes, it will become your favour, not mine. amen. say this prayer for 3 days. Promise publication and favours will be granted.

(never known to fail). c t

novena to the sacred heart

Dear Heart of Jesus, in the past i asked you for many favours this time, i ask for this special favour (mention it). take it, dear Heart of Jesus and place it within your own broken heart, where your Father sees it. then in his merciful eyes, it will become your favour, not mine. amen. say this prayer for 3 days. Promise publication and favours will be granted.

(never known to fail) n.M.

prayer to st therese st therese, the little flower, please pick a rose from the heavenly garden and send it to me with a message of love. ask god to grant me the favor i ask and tell Him i will love Him each day more and more. s.K. prayer to st geMMa

o Holy gemma, i am near you, help me to pray. you know what i and those near me need; look after my urgent needs and my spiritual and material wants. you take care of them! i confide in you and entrust all to your loving care. offer up to Jesus that tender and constant care that you bore Him here on earth. oh holy gemma, you who physically suffered all the pains of the Passion of Jesus, i beseech of you the grace to meditate on and live the Passion of Jesus, and the sufferings of Holy mary. Pray that i will be able to walk in the path of humility, simplicity, love and sacrifice, fulfilling at all times and in all ways, the holy will of god. let me live united with Jesus, the Blessed Virgin mary, and you, for all eternity. amen. s.K.

St Vincent’s bringing the ‘Razzle Dazzle’ to An Táin

By Erin Myers

IN ‘roaring twenties’ Chicago, Roxie Hart murders a faithless lover and convinces her husband, Amos, to take the blame… until he discovers that he’s been duped and turns on Roxie.

Convicted and sentenced to death row, Roxie and another ‘merry murderess,’ Velma Kelly, compete for the spotlight and the headlines, ultimately joining forces in search of the ‘American dream,’ fame, fortune and acquittal.

The talented students of Transition year 2023 at St Vincent’s Secondary School Dundalk are taking to the stage of An Táin Arts Centre under direction of their teachers Victoria O’Hagan, Dervilia Hargadon, Leanne O’Doherty, and Kathy McKeown. It is an amateur production presented by arrangement with concord the-

atricals and was based on the book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. Music and lyrics by Fred Ebb and John Kander, and the script adaptation by David Thompson. The show runs on Thursday, March 23rd and Friday March 24th at An Táin Arts Centre, with curtain up at 7:00pm.

PR o PERT y/RE n TALS SPEC i AL SERV i CES

ATTEnTion—For B.e.R. ceRtiFicAtion of properties being offered for sale or rent, contact Robert mulholland, BeR assessor. 087 609 1906 www.louthber.ie.

DouBLE BEDRooMS to let in wellequipped, large home in dundalk, may suit professionals. Private parking tel 089 2430287.

ADVERTiSE youR HouSE Premises for rent or sale to 55,000 readers a week from €5. telephone dundalk Leader 042 93 -20888.

ATTEnTion L AnDLoRDS—We supply furniture & Beds for any rental properties you have. Beds from €180, Bedroom Furniture Sets from €249 call us today www.bedstore.ie, coes Rd, dundalk tel 042 932 0927.

CD LoGS kiln dried Ash/oak & Birch, Weekly deliveries to dundalk & surrounding areas. newry co. down mob 00 44 77 6040 3254 or 048 30269632 www.cdlogs.com.

FoR SALE—2 Fireside chairs. contact 042 9352962.

SELL iT THRouGH A CLASSiFiED only €5 for one week up to 20 words. 042 93 20888. the dundalk Leader.

CHiMnEy & SToVE CLEAninG tel Paul mcArdle 042 933 2491 / 087 666 0094.

CHiMnEy CLEAnER the clean sweep, clean & tidy, no dust. Brush & Vac. Also gutter cleaning. contact - cathal 087-225-9799. ADVERTiSE youR SERViCE to over 60,000 readers for only €5 per week up to 20 words Phone dundalk Leader 042 932 0888. wE CAn DiSTRiBuTE your leaflets from €75 + vat per thousand Phone dundalk Leader 042 932 0888.

winDow CLEAninG—Gutter & facia cleaning carried out by professional, fully trained and insured staff. Affordable rates. domestic & commercial. call our office for a free quotation. everkleen 042 935 2717 or 086 829 3585. www.everkleenservices.ie <http://www.everkleenservices.ie>.

HouSE & APARTMEnT CLEAninG Service. Specializing in Re-Let & Spring cleaning, carpet & upholstery cleaning. Fully insured. For a free quotation contact everkleen 042 9352717 / 087 6873188, www.everkleenservices.ie <http://www.everkleenservices. ie>.

TiLER AVAiLABLE experienced local tiler to carry out all types of tile work - marble, granite, porcelain. indoors and out. call 087387-8995 for free quote.

SC TiLinG—Professional tiler, Specialises in full bathroom refits. top class Work Guaranteed call Shane—086 107 5080.

GRiMLEy’S DuBLin ST. DunDALK televisions, tV aerials, satellite, Freeview & Saorview, new installations, sales, service & repairs. Free estimates 042 935 4343.

DunDALK GARDEn SERViCES tree topping, felling, hedge trimming, grass cutting & strimming. Rubbish Removals/Garage clearance, House & Garden refuse. Permit holder. contact Ben 085-840-7707.

Chicago to an Táin.

Tickets are currently on sale via the An Táin box office and are priced at twelve euros each. The box office is open in person from Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00am to 4:00pm and can also be reached by phone on 042-9332332. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.antain.ie

RooF LEAKS MASTER—We repair all types of roof/tile, slate, bangor blues. Repair torch on roofs, scrape & clean, chimneys & chimney pots, chimney bird guards, gutter facia & soffits. All work guaranteed, 25 years experience. tel. 086 8184827.

C ARPEnTRy & joinERy—aintenance and repairs, roofing, 1st & 2nd fix carpentry, sash window repairs. no job too big or small. contact Seandon carpentry 087 298 5110. MoBiLE HoME TRAnSPoRT transported throughout 32 counties. contact eugene 086-607-1702.

CARPET & oVEn CLEAninG carpet, upholstery & specialist oven cleaning available. call mVi cleaning dundalk on 042 94 21300 or visit www.mvicleaning.ie.

RooFinG REPAiRS & SToVES—Stoves supplied and fitted, fully insured, Hetas certified. contact Paul englishby 087 6301914 or 041 98 94633 and mark on 087 1302040 for roofing enquiries.

GARDEn & HouSE MAinTEnAnCE Strimming grass, hedge cutting, weeding, also garden clearance, concreting, patios, painting, power washing, gutter cleaning, window cleaning, fencing. Have all the equipment. contact Brian 086-109-7358.

PRoPERT y MAinTEnAnCE—Repairs, building, plumbing, painting, roof repairs, tiling, bathroom refurbishments, concreting, plastering, gardening, power washing, PVc facia and soffits, over 20 yrs experience. References available. tel michael on 085762-3758.

FiFi’S ALTERATionS Longwalk S.c. (formerly A-Alterations) tel 083 011 8728. Zips, hems, clothes taken in or let out, also dry cleaning Service. open mon - Fri 9.305.30pm & Sat 10-2pm.

wATCH REPAiRS mechanical/Quartz (battery) and Vintage. in our own workshop. most brands: cartier, Longines, omega, Revue, Raymond Weil, Seiko, citizen & more, also Jewellery repairs. Goldstar Jewellers, demesne Shopping centre dundalk tel. 042 93 39478.

PowER wASHinG—Get ready for Spring/ Summer. Power washing of driveways/paving/walls. competitive rates. call Will on 085 8604048.

BuiLDER & HoME MAinTAinEnCE

Building, Woodwork, Painting, Plumbing, tiling, kitchen Refurbishments, Paving & Fencing. no job to big or too small. tel. 087 295 2529.

PoDiATRy/CHiRoPoDy treatment in the comfort of your own home. ms. dara mccoy, Bsc. Podiatry 0871924794.

LoCAL PowER wASHinG no job too big or too small. Patios, driveways, walls, also grass cutting & gutter cleaning. contact James 089 9705466 for free quotation.

PAinTER AVAiLABLE keen rates, no job too small! call 086 3848079.

PLASTERinG SERViCE AVAiLABLE Free quotations. contact david 085 7829910 or Gavin 086 3799285.

FoRTunE TELLER—Available for appointment, private or group bookings. tel. Alison 042 933 5102 or 087-67-51229.

BuiLDinG SERViCES extensions, Renovations, Sunrooms, conservatories and All General maintenance. P.V.c. Fascia, Soffit and Guttering products supplied and fitted. Bathroom Refurbishment, Painting, decorating, Wall & Floor tiling. All types of Roof Repairs & maintenance. For free estimates tel 087 260 2501.

GREEnFiELDS MuSiC TouRS invite you to join for our 1 nights stays to see the cream of irish Folk and Ballads. Price includes accommodation, bus and ticket. contact Anthony on 085 1204994.

L ADy wiTH GiFT of Healing for Skin conditions, eczema, Psoriasis, chest problems, Asthma. 3 consecutive visits needed. For appointment please phone 087 7188450.

MEDjuGoR jE PiLGRAMAGE one week. Leaving on the 6/9/23. darko House. Fully bonded operator so you have peace of mind. contact Phyliss 0872028492.

GET FiT the fun way and learn to dance, the Waltz, Quickstep, Foxtrot and Jive, now taking place in the Lisdoo, dundalk tuesday’s from 8pm—10pm, no partner required. newly Wed first dance lessons and private lessons also available. contact 086 357 3271 for further information.

LinE DAnCinG beginner classes continue in dowdallshill GAA hall every tuesday night at 7pm. classes also in the Boys club Seatown Wednesday mornings, at 10am. All welcome. contact 087 2618773.

French Grinds available for Junior and Leaving cert, All levels. individual and small group options. tel 086 8723340.

DRuM LESSonS inCLuDinG BoDHRAn

For adults & children aged 8 years upwards. one to one lessons. Phone 087 414 4228.

GARDEnER wAnTED once a month. cut grass, trim and shape tress and bushes, tidy and maintain flower beds, occasionally some digging of flower beds required. must have own transport and have their own garden equipment and take grass cuttings and branches away with them. town centre, dundalk Phone 085 1003426.

C ARPET AnD uPHoLSTERy cleaning. Home and office contract cleaning. over 10 years’ experience. Rtm cleaning Services contact Robbie 087 3817618.

RETiRED RELiABLE local man available for Painting & decorating, internal and external,30 years’ experience, also grass cutting, strimming. General Garden maintenance and Garage clearance, contract Gardening considered. keen prices. tel 086 845 9472.

LouTH CounT y CounCiL i, John mcBride, intend to apply for full planning permission for infill development @ crois croinn, Saltown, dundalk, co. Louth. the development will consist of the construction of three apartment blocks in a mix of residential units. Block 1 consists of a three storey apartment building with a ground floor 5 Bed shared accommodation apartment, 6no. 1 Bed units, 2no. 2 Bed units and 2no. 3 Bed units. Block 2 consists of a three storey apartment building with 9no. 1 Bed units and 6no. 2 Bed units, Block 3 consists of a three and a half storey apartment building with 6no. 1 Bed units, 8no. 2 Bed units and 5no. 3 Bed units. Full permission to including access road, car parking with provision for electric charge points, cycle storage and plant room bin storage outbuilding and all associated site development and drainage works. this planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of Louth county council from 9.30am to 4.30pm monday to Friday. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Authority in writing within a period of 5 weeks from the date of receipt by the Authority of the application and on payment of the prescribed fee of €20.00.

St Vincent’s Transition Year Students will bring

Na Piarsaigh/Blackrock CLG 40th Anniversary Dinner Dance

n a pI ar S a IGH 1993 Lou TH Jun I or FooT ba LL C H a M p I on S back row (l to r): Ciaran Tobin, Joey Drumgoole, Damien Shields, pete Drumgoole, Gerry Stewart, patrick Hearty, barry McGill, Marc Wynne; front: paul Smyth, peter begley, Eugene burns, pierce Craven, andrew McCourt (mascot), Kenny Sullivan, Davy boland and paul Sharkey.

NA PIARSAIGH were founded on 27th November 1982 as a Gaelic football club for the rapidly growing Holy Family Parish area. Fr. Vincent Duffy was the driving force behind the formation of the club and the club grounds situated on the Blackrock Road, are officially named Pairc an tAthair Ui Dubhaigh in honour of Fr. Vincy. The clubs first game was a challenge match against Stabannon Parnells played on the 30th January 1983. The purchase of land and a house “Cox’s” on the Blackrock Road which is now the club grounds was approved at an EGM of the club held in Bay Estate School on May 6th 1984.

The club first major champi-

onship success arrived in 1993, with an against the odds Junior Championship victory over Glyde Rangers on a score line of 2-6 to 0-10, at Haggardstown, with this winning team to be honoured at the 40th Anniversary Dinner Dance on 18th February in the Fairways Hotel. The club progressed from strength to strength over the years and added another Junior Championship in 2002 following a 0-13 to 1-8 victory over town rivals Dowdallshill. Barry Magill acted as captain for the team and he was joined by Gerry Stewart, Kenny Sullivan, Paul Smith and Eugene Burns as surviving members of the 1993 Junior Championship win. As two clubs with common

histories, Na Piarsaigh CPG and Blackrock Camogie and Hurling Club, both of whom were setup and established from scratch to provide access to kids in their area to play the games, and to do it with their friends, while representing their community; formed an alliance in recent years, culminating in the 2 clubs merging to form Na Piarsaigh-Blackrock CLG in January 2022.

The 40th Anniversary Dinner Dance will be the first formal social event for the club since the club merger and will be a great opportunity for club members long-standing and new to celebrate the club’s history and look forward to future successes both on and off the field.

Living Well Programme letters

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Recently the pages of your newspaper have contained a lot of unkind and not very constructive verbiage directed at our national health service. None of it ever pointing out the obvious cause of the crisis.

We, the public are the cause. We eat too much, drink alcohol to excess, don’t take enough exercise, smoke too much and live in overheated airless houses. It would be interesting to know what percentage of patients presently are occupying hospital beds, with self-inflicted illness as a result of what I mentioned above.

Surely it is somewhat disingenuous to place the blame on the Government and the HSE when we are the main cause of the problem. It is past time we started to accept responsibility for our own health and well-being. Because if we don’t, the time is fast approaching when there won’t be enough healthy people to look after the unhealthy ones.

Kind regards, pat McKenna, Feede, Mountpleasant, Dundalk.

ARE you or is someone you know living with a long-term health condition? If so, then you may be interested to find out more about the HSE funded Living Well Programme.

Living Well is a free, online 6–week group self-management programme for adults with long-term health conditions. A long-term health condition is one, which can be treated and managed but usually not cured. Examples include asthma, COPD, diabetes, stroke, multiple sclerosis, heart conditions, arthritis, Crohn’s Disease and many more.

The Living Well programme supports people to develop the skills and confidence to live well with their health condition. It may also be a support for those living with longCOVID.

Self-management is what a person with a long-term health condition does every day. They manage their life with their health condition(s).

This may include making choices to improve health such as becoming more active, eating more healthily and stopping smoking. It may also include tasks such as taking medication(s) monitoring

symptoms communicating with your healthcare professionals and coping with the emotional aspects of the condition.

Living Well runs online for six weeks. There is one workshop each week lasting 2.5 hours.

Two trained leaders run the workshops. At least one of the leaders lives with a long-term health condition

Each programme has a maximum of 12 participants.

People taking part in the workshops may or may not have the same health condition(s)

The workshops are delivered in a relaxed and friendly way.

Living Well is for adults aged 18 years and over. It is suitable for those living with one or more long-term health conditions caring for someone with a long-term health condition

How to find out more information

If you would like more information on the Living Well programme in your area, Contact Aine 041 6850676/087 1140371 or Joanne 087 4308735 / 041 6860710 or www.hse.ie/livingwell