22-06-2022

DUNDALK’S FREE NEWSPAPER Big crowds in Blackrock for An Rás Taillteann Page 2

Bellurgan protests over safety concerns

Graduation Day at local pre-school Page 8

Page 6

Wednesday, 22nd June, 2022. Vol. 15, Issue 25 • 63 Clanbrassil Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth

A headstone at last for Paddy’s parents

Tel: 042 9320888. Fax: 042 9329676. Email: editorial@dundalkleader.com; advertising@dundalkleader.com

By Tamara O’Connell

A fundraiser for Dundalk man Paddy McDowell aka Jesus Jones has succeeded in raising enough money to buy a headstone for the grave of his parents.

The headstone was recently erected in Dowdallshill graveyard for Charles and Norah who passed away in 2000 and 2001 respectively.

Paddy - or Jesus Jones as he is affectionately called - is from Marian Park and is well known for singing on the streets of Dundalk.

“It’s good. I was surprised we raised the money so quickly. It didn’t take years. I’m very happy the headstone is up,” said the 72-year-old.

“It’s somewhere to go and think about my parents. It’s a lovely location for a graveyard. It’s very peaceful here.”

After spending some time in a recording studio last year, he is due to release a single and video to help raise more money.

Paddy McDowell, from Marian Park, thanked the people of Dundalk for helping him raise enough money to buy a headstone for the grave of his deceased parents Charles and Norah.

Continued on Page 2

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Dundalk Leader 22nd June 2022

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A headstone at last for Paddy’s folks Continued from Page 1 As well as paying for the headstone, Paddy is also hoping to raise

money for local children in need through the Jack & Jill foundation which provide in-home nursing care

and respite support for children up to the age of six, with a range of neurodevelopmental issues including brain injury, genetic diagnosis and severe cerebral palsy.

Paddy is hoping to raise €2,000 for the Jack and Jill foundation

which could help give home care for up to five children locally.

The single titled ‘That Loving Feeling’ is due to be released on Soundcloud, while the video will be available on YouTube.

In addition to the single and video being re-

leased on Friday, June 24, a range of t-shirts and hoodies are on sale on the site www.tututut.com.

A portion of the sales of any t-shirts or hoodies - 15 per cent – will be donated to the Jack & Jill Foundation.

People can also do-

nate directly to this very worthy cause by searching for ‘A headstone for Paddy’s Mom & Dad’s grave and J&J’ on gofundme.com.

Paddy is also planning to do a busking day either on the Market Square or Earl Street in aid of the charity.

Huge crowds in Blackrock for conclusion of An Rás

Store/Yard Person Required Must Have Forklift Licence

Apply to the Manager, DPL GROUP LTD RAMPARTS, DUNDALK Email: dundalk@dpl.ie

Ramparts, Dundalk Dundalk@dpl.ie 0429329595

Blackrock was thronged last Sunday afternoon as the famous An Rás Tailteann cycling race concluded in the village with Roscommon man Daire Feeley from the Cork based ‘All Human Velo Revolution’ team claiming victory. The huge event began the week with 8 International Teams, 30 National Teams, over 170 professional cyclists and a cavalcade of 44 vehicles consisting of Gardai, support crew, media and marshalls.

The 67th edition of the race saw cyclists race around Ireland with stage finishes in Horse and Jockey, Castleisland, Lisdoonvarna, Kilbeggan, before starting the final stage in Kinnegad to the finishing circuit the village of Blackrock. In total cyclists covered 756km with 8 categorised climbs as competitors battled it out for the coveted Rás yellow jersey.

By day five there were 150 cyclists remaining who sped through the packed village of Blackrock for the finishing laps of the five day Rás which has been won previously by the likes of Stephen Roche. An Rás

Louth County Council To Hold Information Event As Part Of The Proposed Carlingford To Templetown Greenway Louth County Council is to hold an information event on Thursday 23rd June 2022 at the Carlingford Heritage Centre, Church Road, Carlingford, Co Louth as part of a public consultation of the proposed Carlingford to Templetown Greenway. The drop-in event takes place from 5.00 pm to 7.30 pm.

Louth County Council is proposing to develop a greenway from the village of Carlingford to Templetown Beach with links to the heritage village of Greenore as part of the proposed Great Eastern Greenway.

As part of a public consultation and in accordance with the TII’s Code of Best Practice National and Regional Greenways, members of the public and interested parties are invited to participate in the public consultation phase. The purpose of this first public consultation is to present the Study Area and hear your feedback.

Crowds lined the streets of Blackrock on Sunday for An Rás Taillteann.

(Picture Credit: John Hennessy.)

Tailteannn as it is now known was returning after a four year absence having failed to sort out a sponsor in 2019 before being postponed due to Covid a year later. Local organisers including Pat O’Shaughnessy from Cuchulainn Cycling Club had worked tirelessly to ensure the

event was a success and they must have been delighted to see the huge crowds on show not only in Blackrock but across Mid-Louth as cyclists raced towards the finish in the village.

Kevin McCambridge won the final stage but it was Daire Feeley who took overall honours as

he finished safely in the main pack having protected his lead on the final day. Minister for Sport Jack Chambers was on hand to welcome the Roscommon man home and signal the end of what was a very successful five days for An Rás Tailteann.

Man (30s) Major Fire at Oxigen hospitalised after Environmental recycling plant Thick smoke from the Oxigen plant on Coe’s Road, stabbing incident could be seen from all over Dundalk last Tuesday evening

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Gardaí attended an incident of assault that occurred in Dundalk last Saturday evening at approximately 8pm.

A male (30s) received apparent stab injuries. He was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda to be treated for his injuries.

Gardaí subsequently arrested and detained a male (20s) under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984. He was due to appear in Drogheda District Court today 20th June 2022 in relation

after a fire broke out in the processing area of the factory.

The fire, which caused significant damage, is not believed to have been started maliciously.

Several units of the Dundalk and Louth Fire Service were called to tackle the blaze just before 6:30pm last Tuesday (14th). The crews stayed at the scene until after midnight as they battled the blaze throughout the evening.

Gardaí closed off the road while Louth County Council issued a warning to everybody to avoid the area. Residents from the area were urged to close windows and stay indoors while firefighters tried to get the blaze under control.

Visit https://www.louthcoco.ie/en/services/ transportation-and-infrastructure/greenwaycarlingford-to-templetown/ for further information and a questionnaire to provide feedback to the project team.

Closing date for submissions is the 8th August 2022.

Dated this 22nd June 2022 Eugene McManus, Administrative Officer Infrastructure, Louth County Council

Declaration Of A Road To Be A Public Road Section 11 Of The Roads Act 1993 Louth County Council hereby gives notice of its intention to declare the roads in the following housing estates to be Public Roads under Section 11 of the Roads Act 1993.

1. Goirt Na Mara, Seafield Road , Blackrock, Dundalk, Co. Louth 2. Cul Na Bal, Carlingford, Co.Louth A map of the roads to be declared public roads may be inspected at Louth County Council Offices, Town Hall, Crowe Street, Dundalk, Co.Louth between the hours of 9.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. on working days for a period of one month from Wednesday 22nd June and up to and including Wednesday 20th July, 2022.

Objections or representations may be made in writing to the undersigned, not later than 5.00 p.m. on Wednesday 20th July 2022.

Dated this Wednesday 22nd June 2022.

Gerard Mc Cormack Assistant Engineer Compliance (Planning Enforcement) Louth County Council Town Hall Crowe Street Telephone at 0429335457 Email at planningenforcement@louthcoco.ie County Hall, Millennium Centre, Dundalk, County Louth A91 KFW6 t 042 9335457 w www.louthcoco.ie e info@louthcoco.ie Community Call Number 042 9335457 View Alerts at www.mapalerter.ie/louth

Dundalk Leader 22nd June 2022

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Dundalk Leader 22nd June 2022

PayPal have questions to answer states O’Murchú PayPal must explain how jobs, which were lost in Dundalk last week, were advertised in India the day before staff in Louth were told their fate, Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú has said.

The Sinn Féin TD says he has been made aware that some of the positions, in what PayPal calls its ‘UK credit collections’ division were advertised online on Thursday, June 16, the day before more than a third of staff in the same division in Dundalk were told, by email, that they would be made redundant.

The Indian jobs, which are based in Bangalore – one of three sites operated by the American multinational in that country – are for Collection Specialists and cite that fluency in English is a required.

Another advertisement for the same site asks for applications for Collection Specialists in PPWC (PayPal Working

Ruairí Ó Murchú,TD. Credit), a financial product given to small businesses and start-ups.

It is not disclosed what the wages for these positions are in India, or how many positions are available.

Deputy Ó Murchú said the news of the job advertisements in India ‘came as another blow’ to the staff in the credit collections section, who were told on Friday afternoon on email that they were losing their jobs.

He said in the last number of weeks there had been ‘rumours in

Dundalk about these jobs going to Bangalore’.

The Dundalk TD said: ‘I understand that 33 collection specialists, as well as a further six team leaders and senior agents in that division were told they were being made redundant on Friday afternoon.

‘It was an incredibly stressful day for the staff who work in this section, along with the workers in other departments, who were also told they were being made redundant.

‘It is my understanding that the terms of the redundancy were good – six weeks on top of the statutory two weeks for each year worked – along with a number of other small concessions around private medical insurance.

‘The headline figure of eight weeks’ pay per year should not take away from the worrying news that these jobs were advertised

in India the day before the redundancies were revealed.

‘We had been aware that a small number of risk and analytics jobs were to be relocated to India when the company said on May 24 it was seeking redundancies.

‘But workers in the credit collections division have told me that they had been advised by management in Dundalk time and time again that these collection specialist jobs were ‘not going anywhere else’.

This does not seem to be the case’.

Deputy Ó Murchú said he is writing to PayPal management once more to express his concern about the Indian job advertisements.

He said he had already met with the IDA in relation to the future of PayPal in Dundalk and had ‘received assurances’ that the remaining positions were ‘strong and stable’ in the firm.

Sustainable steps by Council will lock down costs for 25 years Louth County Council is delighted to have added to their existing renewable energy installations with 2 new solar panel systems now increasing their installed capacity to 30kW. “The installation of new solar panels at the Town Hall and Civil Defence facility is a great example of how generating our own renewable energy can reduce costs and tackle carbon emissions,” said Padraig O’Hora, head of the Sustainable Energy Section at Louth County Council.

“At a time of great market uncertainty and price inflation we have effectively paid up-front for the electricity these systems will generate over their 25-year lifetime. This creates guaranteed price stability of on average 13 cents per unit when many businesses and homes are now paying 24c. While this energy crisis may be short term it heralds the rise in the risk of being dependent on fossil fuels.”

The council first installed solar panels back in 2014 at the County Museum and then again in 2017 at County Hall.

P. O’Hora, B. Gaskin and Diagon with new heat pump at County Hall.

Having monitored these projects, they have seen how well they perform, the clear benefits and how easy they are to install and maintain.

Padraig continues, “We see the solar panels consistently outperforming their predicted electricity generation. Even with our Irish weather pattern they work well and are providing clean energy that can be utilised in council buildings.”

As system costs reduce they have looked for more opportunities for renewable energy projects. These have included a recent air source heat pump for County Hall, a renewable tech-

nology that is likely to play an increasing role in heating our homes and buildings.

“The council is committed to playing our part when it comes to addressing issues related to climate change and sustainable energy”, said Ursula Conlon, Executive Planner at Louth County Council’s Sustainable Energy Section.

“Our participation in the OPW’s Optimising Power @ Work campaign has yielded significant energy reductions.

Making our buildings as energy efficient as possible is the first step to ensure, when we plug renewables in, it will have the maximum benefit.”

The council has built a team internally to focus on energy related issues and enable them to continue to make progress in this area. They are firm believers in the benefits of staff engagement programs to increase awareness of energy and environmental issues for their colleagues and the public. They have several events planned, including one to highlight renewables and provide advice to colleagues on their suitability for their own homes.

Speaking about working with Louth County Council Declan Rajasingam, an Energy Advisor from the Optimising Power @ Work campaign, said “Louth County Council have shown great leadership by embracing energy efficiency and in looking towards renewable energy for their future energy needs. They are taking sustainable steps towards achieving the requirements set out in the government’s Climate Action Plan 2021, to achieve a 51% reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and getting on a path to reach net-zero emissions by no later than 2050.”

Dundalk Leader 22nd June 2022

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Dundalk Leader 22nd June 2022

Protest in Bellurgan to highlight need for traffic calming measures

By Tamara O’Connell

OVER 200 people attended a recent protest in Bellurgan demanding the introduction of speedbumps near the national school.

The first protest took place on Friday, June 17 in the morning. Sinn Fein Councillor Antoin Watters has said a second protest has been organised to highlight the need for traffic calming Ruairi O’Murchú TD, FF Cllr. Andrea McKevitt and SF Cllr. Antoin Watters at the protest in Bellurgan measures. last week to highlight the need for speed calming measures.

The second protest has been organised by the Bellurgan Community on Thursday, June 23 between 8.30am and 9am.

The meeting point is Bellurgan United car park at 8.15am. The protest relates to the high speed of traffic in the community and the lack of adequate traffic calming measures.

“We expect another large turnout at the event,” said Cllr Watters. “This is an ongoing issue but it’s really coming to a head.”

He added: “We’ve had a couple of near misses. This is all following on from it. We have to try and get this through.

“It’s great to have community support. Unfortunately, some parents are afraid to walk their children to school.

“It’s a no-brainer but unfortunately, the council has hoops that you have to jump through.

This is the start of it but we will have more protests.”

Cllr Watters concluded: “We don’t want to be reactive, we want to be proactive before some- Cllr. Antoin Watters at the protest in Bellurgan. one gets badly hurt.”

Increase in number of people donating blood

By Tamara O’Connell

THE last two years have shown an increase in the number of people donating blood in Co Louth, according to the latest figures from the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS).

The figures for donations in Co Louth over the last four

years are as follows—2018: 3422; 2019: 3513; 2020: 4243; 2021: 4800.

The increase in donations in the last two years can be explained by venue availability which resulted in (1) calling donors from different sources to a different venue when IBTS could not visit their ven-

ue and (2) more frequent visits to venues for the same reason and due to only having a limited number of suitable available venues.

This means that donors from outside of Co Louth would have donated at Co Louth venues and Co Louth donors had more opportunities to donate.

Dundalk Leader 22nd June 2022

Bay Estate to take part in Street Feast Bay Estate residents are taking part in this year’s Street Feast which is returning after a two year break. Street Feast is a day of lunches and one of Ireland’s most successful community initiatives for over a decade.

The aim of Street Feast is to build neighbourhood and community networks and tackle social isolation. In 2019, over 1000 feasts took place across Ireland, with 400 occurring in Dublin alone.

Bay Estate resident Sarah Dullaghan has organised a Street Feast for her local community and she is looking forward to seeing everybody in the area meet up this Sunday in the pitch in Bay Estate.

“After two years of restrictions and lockdowns I know a lot of our older residents have not been going out as much as they used to and some haven’t returned to bingo or bowls or places they used to go pre-covid. We wanted to

n -

d -

take part in Street Feast to help people reconnect in our community and strengthen the sense of friendship and community spirit.

“We are meeting in a wide open space in our local football pitch which we have been working on all through COVID to make it

tidier and safe for the kids to play in. We will have local traditional bands playing on the day as well as Dundalk Brass Band and plenty of games to play for the kids. We would encourage everybody to bring a picnic and come out and enjoy the day,” stated Sarah.

“I think a lot of communities have realised the importance of keeping in touch with each other and looking out for each other given how restricted we all were during lockdown and it’s great to see so many communities organising things to harbour that community spirit. We are also starting a resident’s association in Bay Estate shortly as well and we look forward to putting our heads together and seeing what we can come up with to help improve our community. We have already plans to start an allotment in the football field and we have plenty more plans in the pipeline too which we can’t wait to get started,” she added.

Street Feast takes place this Sunday between 12 and 4pm and everybody in Bay Estate is welcome to go to the football pitch to enjoy and afternoon of craic and music.

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Louth Fianna Fail remember the Watters brothers on the 101st anniversary Friday 18th June 1921 saw the brutal shootings of Patrick (18) and John (23) Watters in the War of Independence and 101 years later on Saturday 18thJune 2022 Louth Fianna Fail who also commemorated the brothers on their 100 year anniversary held a small ceremony in Dundalk on Saturday last with prayers and a wreath laying.

The event which was led

by Senator Erin McGreehan who has a keen interest in our local history noted that it is “important to remember the lives that were taken during the tumultuous time that was the War of Independence and the Civil War. “It wasn’t a romantic time as some like to paint it.

It was horrific, it was painful and the legacy of the loss continues right up to this day. It is so important to remember the lives lost,

Senator Erin McGreehan Ms. Éadaoin O’Reilly and two of Erin’s children Micheàl and Conor McMorland. but also the lives that these young men didn’t get to live. They didn’t get to enjoy the Ireland they loved, grow old with their families and all the many things that we take for granted.

Personally, I find it so up-

setting as a mother to think how it must’ve been for the Watters family. I encourage everyone as they pass not only on their anniversary but everyday to think of the beautiful young lives that left this earth so brutally”.

Dundalk Leader 22nd June 2022

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Cross Border Businesses connect Irish Civil War talk in Dundalk library on Carlingford Lough Cruise

Paddy Donnelly (Louth CC) Ciara McEnteggart Michael Gaynor Paddy Malone Paddy Matthews Front Mary Matthews Helen Byrne (Tidy Towns) Anita McEneaney (Museum). the M1 CORRIDOR, which he saw as a regional and not county initiative.

This event offered the first opportunity for face-to-face dialogue for some considerable time. Our Brexit conference with Newry and our Tourism conference with Drogheda had been of necessity online for the past few years.

Miriam Simmons, Vice President Drogheda Chamber , emphasised the tourism potential of the region and welcomed the opportunity to engage with Newry.

Julie Gibbons spoke of the long-standing

friendship with Dundalk, our common aim in promoting Gullion Mourne Cooley. She also criticised the attacks on the Northern Ireland Protocol and stated that the overwhelming majority of her members were in favour of the Protocol.

But on the ground, where it counts, I think if we look around at the businesses attending the cruise and the incredible partnerships we have forged, we are testament to the fact that regardless of the politics, all we want to do is progress, trade with each other and raise our communities’ standard of living.”

Thomas McEvoy on behalf of Louth CC our sponsors welcomed the opportunity of supporting this initiative and the M1 Corridor. He also said that there were opportunities within the Shared Island initiative.

Guests enjoyed food from local Dundalk firm A91 Catering and featured the world-famous Carlingford Lough Oysters. Guests also sampled drinks from Warrenpoint based Mourne Mountains Brewery and Newry based Two Stacks “Dram in a Can” whiskey. Whilst Egg Coffee in Crossmaglen supplied Donuts.

It will be held in Dundalk Library on Tuesday, June 28th at 6pm” as part of the Louth County Council Decade of Centenaries Programme 2022. Everyone is welcome, with no booking required. The public may contact 042-9353190 for further information. The event is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 initiative.

Ardee historian Dr Síobhra Aiken.

??? QUIZ ???

1—How many furlongs are in a mile?

2—What are the Twelve Bens in Ireland?

3—Where on the human body would you find the The event follows the recent pubstirrup bone? lication by Dr Aiken of a book by the 4—Cathay Pacific is the Irish Academic Press. As part of her national airline of what doctrinal research she uncovered country? an archive of previously overlooked 5—‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ testimonies by pro- and anti-treaty was an advertising slogan for men and women. In their light she which car manufacturer? re-evaluates the emphasis on silence 6—Where in Dundalk would and amnesia in the perception of the you find a sculpture by Sandra Bell which is called ‘Rhythm Civil War and its aftermath. and Rhyme’?

Dr Aiken has a close connection 7—In the US hit series to County Louth and is the great- Friends, what was Monica’s granddaughter of Frank Aiken, one job? of the leading figures from the War 8—What connects Professor of Independence and Civil War in Plum, Lord Lime, Doctor County Louth.

Drip, Mrs Peacock, Colonel

Mustard, Reverend Green 9—An embarrassment is the group name given to what animals?

10—How many counties does County Cork border?

Stinker—What is an ellipsis in punctuation?

answers 1—8, 2—Mountains (In Connemara), 3—In your ear, 4—Hong Kong, 5—Audi, 6—Earl St. It’s a larger version of the sculpture presented to former President Bill Clinton when he came to Dundalk in 2002., 7—She was a chef, 8—They are all characters in Cluedo, 9—Pandas, 10—4. Kerry to the west, Limerick to the north, Tipperary to the north-east and Waterford to the east.

Stinker: The ellipsis ..., also known informally as dot dot dot, is a series of dots that indicates an intentional omission of a word, sentence, or whole section from a text without altering its original meaning.

Over 170 representatives from six cross border business groups have come together to connect on an evening cruise on Carlingford Lough. The event was a collaboration between Newry, Dundalk, Drogheda, Kilkeel, Newry and Warrenpoint, Burren and Rostrevor Chambers of Commerce and the South Armagh Business Improvement Group. The event was made possible by sponsorship from Louth County Council.

Paddy Malone PRO, welcomed all and pointed to the long cooperation with Warrenpoint Chamber on our submission to the New Island Forum which led in part to the National Development Plan2040 which identified the Drogheda Dundalk Newry axis as “the sixth city” placing us on an equal status as Cork etc., He referred to the long collaboration with Newry; our joint working with Drogheda and Louth County Council on further developing

Dundalk Library will host an event with Ardee historian Dr Síobhra Aiken in conversation with Louth County Council Historian in Residence Dr. Thomas Tormey entitled “Spiritual Wounds: Trauma, Testimony and the Irish Civil War.

Graduation Day at MiniMinds Pre-School

Lana Kemp, Brendan Arrowsmith

Caoibhfiona Bird, Leo Moynihan and Owen Garvey.

Julia Gozdz, Kyran McCabe and Katie Donnelly.

Maddison Martin, AJ McArdle and

Cianagh Kelly.

and Paul Nesbitt.

Emma Brady, David O’Connor and Rian Kelly.

Dundalk Leader 22nd June 2022

DkIT music researcher presents in Nashville Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) are delighted to report that one of their esteemed Music Researchers Christina Lynn, recently presented her work at the 38th Annual International Country Music Conference in Nashville. Christina who has just submitted her PhD dissertation for examination, was accepted to present her work on women in Irish country music at the Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, USA this June.

Christina’s presentation focused on the life, music and legacy of Philomena Begley, who recently celebrated 60 years performing. Christina’s research dissertation examined women and their lived experience in Irish country music focusing on Philomena Begley, Margo O’Donnell and Susan McCann. This thesis engaged with concepts of gender roles, identity formations, and cultural reflections in Irish coun-

DkIT music researcher Christina Lynn outside the famous Bradley Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. try music and provides mon historical and culChristina Lynn, DkIT the first comprehensive tural roots ranging from said ‘I was delighted to understanding of Irish Americana, Alt. Coun- be afforded the opporcountry music from the try, Bluegrass, Cajun, tunity to present in perfemale perspective.

Country Rock, Crosso- son at the International The International ver, and Honky Tonk Country Music ConferCountry Music Con- to the Nashville Sound, ence in Nashville this ference (ICMC) which New Traditionalist, June. I am honoured to was held in Nashville, Old Time Country, and bring my research to this Tennessee provided Western Swing. ICMC international event highmusical scholars an op- is truly international lighting not only counportunity to share their with scholars from Aus- try music research in work in all aspects of tralia, Austria, Canada, Ireland but adding value country music. ICMC the Czech Republic, to its continued research broadly defines country France, Germany, Ja- within the broader specmusic to include vari- pan, Norway, UK, and trum of country music ants which share com- Ireland. research globally.’

Childcare crisis must be tackled states Elaine SOME childcare providers may see three-day closures in September and October if the crisis facing the industry is not addressed, according to Federation of Early Childhood Providers Chairperson Elaine Dunne.

Ms Dunne made her comments after An Taoiseach Micheal Martin said a move could be made before Christmas to bring down the cost of childcare.

“The Government wants us to freeze fees for full daycare services if we sign up to core funding,” she said.

“They want us to freeze fees through contracts of terms and conditions we have yet to see. They wanted us to reverse to the September fee rate in 2021 when inflation was 2.2 per cent.

“The problem is they want us to do it but the inflation rate is 7.8 per cent.

All of our costs have gone up.”

Ms Dunne added: “We

Elaine Dunne. haven’t seen this level of inflation in 32 years. No other business would agree to freeze their fees in this manner.

“The Government needs to go back to the drawing board and tell us how to address the inflation rate of 7.8 per cent.

“Two hundred and sixty providers have said they are planning to close their doors

next year. Does he want a lot more to go with it?”

The Federation of Early Childhood Providers is planning to protest on Wednesday, 22 June at 11.30am outside Dail Eireann.

The Federation will also be speaking in the Dail on Wednesday from 3pm to 4pm addressing the issues of concern for the industry.

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Dundalk Leader 22nd June 2022

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Family Notices in memoriam

AGNEW (Ann) 15th Anniversary In loving memory of Ann Agnew, whose 15th Anniversary occurs on 29th June.

A smile for all, a heart of gold, One of the best this world could hold, Never selfish, always kind, These are the memories you left behind.

—Always remembered and never forgotten by your loving husband Tony and daughters Sharon, Madeline, Joanne, Ciara and Denise. XX. Anniversary Mass, Sunday 26th June, at 11.30am in The Redeemer Church. Also Anniversary Mass for the late John and May Agnew.

in memoriam

CONLON Jason (J.R.) 16th Anniversary In loving memory of Jason (J.R.) Conlon, whose 16th Anniversary occurs on the 25th June, R.I.P., late of Dublin and Dundalk.

Those we hold most dear, Never truly leave us, They live on in the kindness they showed, The comfort they shared, And the love they brought into our lives.

In the shelter of your Sacred Heart, Sweet Jesus may he rest.

—Always remembered and loved by your loving mother and father, brother and sisters, aunts, uncles and entire family circle.

Family Notices Contact Lorna

Ph: 042 9320888

novena 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). Z.McS. 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). R.P. 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.K.

Local students secure employment after completing a PLC Course at Ó Fiaich Ó Fiaich Institute have highlighted a number of their students who have landed their dream jobs after completing a PLC course in the college.

O’Fiach Institute is a leading Further Education College located in Dundalk. It has more than 50 courses on offer. Completing a PLC Course can lead students directly into the world of work. The Further Education College provide courses which give a QQI Level 5 or Level 6 certificate, which qualifies learners to begin in their career of choice.

Regina Buckley studied Beauty Therapy and is now employed in SNS Nails in Dundalk. The Beauty Therapy course is a very popular choice with the majority of graduates securing employment upon completion. Niamh Cunningham studied Pre-Garda & Security Studies and is now employed in the

Niamh Cunningham PreGarda and Security Studies, DAA.

Paradis Kassongo, Healthcare Assistant, Ann’s Home Care Ireland.

Search Unit by the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA). This course is suited to those who are interested in joining An Garda or working in the security industry. Paradis Kassongo studied the Healthcare Assistant Course and is now employed by Ann’s Home Care Ireland.

The Healthcare Assistant Course provides

students with the opportunity to continue their education and study Nursing or go straight to employment as a healthcare assistant. Alain Teto studied Medical, Dental & Legal Secretary Studies and has now secured employment as a Medical Receptionist in Beechlawn Nursing Home, Dublin.

This course is suited to

people who would like to become a secretary.

Students will study terminology needed for a medical, dental or legal office to prepare them for the world of work.

These students, like many of their classmates, have worked hard all year and have now achieved their goal of gaining employment in an area they have a great interest and passion for.

All of these courses begin in September and finish in May. Ó Fiaich Institute also has a large number of Pre-University Courses which provide students with up to 390 CAO points. With this, learners can apply to universities and I.T’s of their choice in Ireland and abroad. For more information on courses in Ó Fiaich Institute visit www.ofi.ie. Applications for September 2022 are now open. You can apply online at www.ofi.ie.

PROPERTY/RENTALS

special services

special services

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.

ADVERTISE YOUR HOUSE Premises for rent or sale to 55,000 readers a week from €5. Telephone Dundalk Leader 042 93 -20888.

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.

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. 086 818 4827.

Carpentry & Joinery—Maintenance 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 086109-7358.

Coaching with Esther—Life and Executive Coach Tel 086 8972007 www. coachingwithesther.com.

Qualified Carpenter available for Floors, Doors, Frames, Architraves, Skirtings, Stud Walls, Roofing & All Building Repairs. No Job too big or too small. Call Mark 086 089 5508.

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE—Repairs, building, plumbing, painting, roof repairs, tiling, bathroom refurbishments, concreting, gardening, power washing, PVC facia and soffits, Over 20 yrs experience. References available. Tel 085-762-3758.

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 - Wed 9.30 - 5.30pm, Thur & Fri 9.30 6pm & 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.

All-in-one!—Home and property maintenance and improvements. Painting, decorating, general household maintenance, exterior cleaning, power washing, gutters, dust free sanding, No job to big or small, quality but affordable service.contact Ian 0874158238.

GRASS CUTTING services, Dundalk and surrounding areas. Contact Michael 087 1477 067.

Tree/Hedge cutting services in Dundalk and surrounding areas. General garden and maintenance and debris removal. Insured. Contact 07724 341212.

Gardening—Lawns cut, hedges cut, trees trimmed and topped. Telephone Tom 087 2296441.

Plastering Service available, free quotations. Contact David 085 7829910 or Gavin 086 3799285.

Dog walking and dog sitting services in Dundalk and surrounding areas. Check out Walkies with Chloe on Facebook or call Chloe 089 4000439.

Carpet and Upholstery cleaning.

Home and Office contract cleaning. Over 10 years’ experience. RTM Cleaning Services contact Robbie 087 3817618.

Gabriel Garden Services— Hedges trimmed, power washing, trees & shrubs planted, garden clearance, decorative stone & bark. Complete garden maintenance. Tel Gabriel 087 0951030 Fully vaccinated.

Local Power Washing—No job too big or too small. Patios, Driveways, walls, also grass cutting, gutter cleaning and carpet cleaning Contact James 087 4464960 for free quotation.

SAFE TREES and Garden services, Tree fall service, hedge trimming & stump removal, fully insured, for free quotations Tel 085 7420023 www.safetreesandgardening.com.

articles for sale Attention Landlords—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.

3 Piece Leather Suite for sale, wine in colour, good condition, €400 o.n.o. Contact 089 2485506.

SELL IT THROUGH A CLASSIFIED— Only €5 for one week up to 20 words. 042 93 20888. The Dundalk Leader.

SPECIAL SERVICES CHIMNEY & STOVE CLEANING— Tel Paul McArdle 042 933 2491 / 087 666 0094 Email tribalky@yahoo.com <mailto:tribalky@yahoo.com>.

CHIMNEY CLEANER—The Clean sweep, clean & tidy, no dust. Brush & Vac. Also gutter cleaning. Contact Cathal 087-2259799.

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 087-387-8995 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 085-8407707.

classes and courses

DRUM LESSONS INCLUDING BODHRAN—For adults & children aged 8years upwards. One to one lessons.

Phone 087 414 4228.

Guitar lessons available for Adults & Children. One to one with Covid precautions, beginners welcome. Phone Gerry on 087 6941075.

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’s first dance lessons and private lessons also available. Contact 086 357 3271 for further information.

ADVERTISE in our classifieds to over 60,000 readers from only €5 per week up to 20 words

Dundalk Leader 042 932 0888

Dundalk Leader 22nd June 2022

BBQ's & Cooking Demo

Builders Supplies

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Cleaning Services

Specialists in Window Cleaning, Gutter Cleaning, Power Washing, Carpets & Sofas Contact us on 087 2404424 or from NI 075 02275871 We are fully insured and all windows are cleaned with purified water!

Conservatories/Windows/Sunrooms

Blinds CCTV/Alarms

Delivery Address

Flooring

Buy IT THROUGH A

CLASSIFIED

Dundalk Leader 22nd June 2022

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Forklifts

Metals

Tree Surgery

Tree Surgeons Fully Insured Hedge Cutting & Garden Clearance Stump Grinding & Mulching

Gardening

We also sell & deliver Wood Chip & Fire Logs in ton bags - deliveries arranged

Tel Adrian 085 765 8830 Plumbing

Kitchens & Bedrooms

FERGAL MARRY KITCHENS

Power Washing

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Residential & Commercial Power Washing Service

Kitchens Bedroom Units Sliderobes & Feature walls TV Units fergalmarrykitchens@gmail.com / 087 276 5866

Buy IT THROUGH A

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sell IT

THROUGH A

CLASSIFIED

Wardrobes /Kitchens

Warhammer movement growing in Dundalk Dundalk Leader 22nd June 2022

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Dundalk, Co. Louth

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Warhammer is a hugely popular tabletop wargame created by a business called ‘Games Workshop’ in 1983. In the game players are in command of armies and engage in battles using miniature models of warriors and fighting vehicles. The playing area is a tabletop model of a battlefield, comprising models of buildings, hills, trees and other terrain features. Each player takes turns to move their model warriors around the battlefield and fighting their opponents warriors. These fights are resolved using dice and simple arithmetic.

Martin Crawley from Dundalk is a keen fan of the game and below he tells us about the local scene and how the game is increasing in popularity.

“The wonderful world’s of Dungeons & Dragons, Warcraft and Warhammer were once shunned by mainstream society.

Deemed “too dangerous” or “unholy” to see popularity and so they gained a following in the shadows,” explains Martin.

“However this has changed in recent years thanks to platforms like Netflix’s Stranger Things as well as Influential actors like Henry Cavill (Superman) & Joe Manganiello (True Blood) confessing their love of all things geek.

“With Cavill regularly updating his social media to show which Warhammer miniature he’s currently painting and Manganiello proudly declaring his love of roleplay (the Dungeons & Dragons type) it seems the perfect time to dive into this unexplored world which exists right here at heart of the Dundalk community itself.

“Dundalk has had a large tabletop gaming scene for a number of years but as there is

Martin Crawley. currently no fixed club for fans of the games to play regularly, they’re forced to travel further afield to the likes of Drogheda and even Belfast to get they’re dice rolling fix. One retailer however seems dedicated to changing that. Eirehobbies, a store twinned with Airsoft Eire based in the Brewery Business Park, Ardee Road caters for all things D&D, Warhammer, Star Wars & more!

“They host dedicated painting evenings where people interested in the hobbies can learn to paint their plastic miniatures as well as separate gaming evenings for when you want to use your newly raised armies and put them to the test against an opponent’s

forces. These games (or battles as they’re called) can range from small skirmishes that take place in a town/village to apocalyptic wars that decide the fate of entire world’s.

“To play the game itself you roll dice to determine if what you’re trying to achieve is actually successful. With rolls of 1 typically being failures and 6’s being a success.

During the game you move each squad from your army, shoot with their guns or ranged weapons and then charge into melee combat to clean up whatever’s left. Each player takes a turn doing this so that games don’t end in a few minutes.

“Players usually talk through their actions and explain to their opponents what they’re doing so no nasty surprises happen during the game. But on the off chance you do play someone who doesn’t do this they’re usually referred to as ‘that guy’ so don’t let that put you off the fun. It’s a very rewarding hobby experience and I myself spend hours each week making sure my troops are ready for the battlefield and as my better half knows only too well; an army’s never fully completed.

“There are between 100-140 people in the Dundalk area who are interested in the hobby. From collecting, playing and even just reading the hundreds of novels published about the background. They’re all part of an online discord server which has different sections depending on what game you’re interested in so there’s always someone to bounce ideas off and something to talk about.

“If you want to know more about these exciting fantasy & sci-fi world’s or are interested in joining the discord server contact Eirehobbies and they can point you in the right direction,” concluded Martin.

Culture Night Call Out 2022 Louth County Council is pleased to announce that Culture Night will take place on Friday 23rd September 2022 from 4p.m until late. Louth County Council Arts Service now welcomes applications from those eligible to avail of funding from our Culture Night Event Fund for 2022.

The fund is open to applications from notfor-profit organizations, local community groups, arts, heritage & cultural groups, venues and societies. Applications can be made by individuals but must be in partnership with a venue, community, arts, cultural or heritage group. Assistance cannot be given in relation to commercial activities.

Events should respond to the national theme of

this years Culture Night, ‘Come Together Again’.

See https://culturenight. ie/ for full details.

The maximum award that will be given to any one application will be €1,500. A budget breakdown must be submitted with any proposal seeking support of over €500.

This year we are particularly interested in projects that reflect the cultural richness of Louth and the diversity within our communities. Initiatives that specifically target the 18-35 demographic and target the night time economy will also be looked on favourably.

We are committed to projects that consider equality, inclusion, accessibility and diversity and that seek to include all voices of culture. We

also encourage you to consider how you can target and engage with new / different audiences while planning your event.

Eligible & Ineligible Costs: The grant can cover costs related to the running of the event such as guest speaker fees, guest artist fees, arts materials, event photographer and tech support hire. Payment of the grant will be for the specific activities outlined in the application/proposal.

The grant cannot cover staffing costs on the night of the event, ongoing revenue costs, any capital costs, equipment purchase costs, charity fund raising events, cost of repaying existing debts, refreshments, publicity costs, travel or accommodation expenses.

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Please note that applying for this funding does not guarantee that your event will be funded.

Events must take place in County Louth on Culture Night, Sept 23rd and must be free of charge.

Events must take place after 4p.m.

Conditions of Funding: Successful applicants will be required to: 1—Ensure they have appropriate insurance cover for the event.

2—Ensure that, where appropriate, child protection policies are in place.

3—Ensure that all events comply with Health and Safety and legislative requirements.

4—Ensure that events are compliant with the most up-to-date government guidelines on Covid 19.

5—Ensure that Louth County Council and the Arts Council of Ireland are acknowledged in any and all publicity relating to the event. Relevant logos will be supplied to the successful grant awardees.

6—The grant will only be paid AFTER the event and all expenditure has been processed. Vouched expenses and a short report on the event including audience numbers etc should be submitted by October 7th 2022 at the latest to ensure payment.

Applications should be in the form of a short 2 page proposal outlining event details and target audience and they should be submitted to arts@ louthcoco.ie by 4p.m on Friday 8th July 2022.

Enquiries can also be sent to arts@louthcoco.ie.

Dundalk Leader 22nd June 2022

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Louth County Council greets successful Pride of Place Groups The Cox’s Demesne Youth & Community Project and the Blackrock Coastal Community were honoured by a presentation on 20th June at the County Council offices to mark their recent success in the Pride of Place Ceremony which took place in May 2022.

The Cox’s Demesne Youth & Community Project won the overall prize in the Community Wellbeing Initiative category and the Blackrock Community also made a podium finish, where they came runner up in the Island and Coastal Communities category. They were competing against eighty four projects, which were put forward by 34 Local authorities across the island of Ireland.

It is a significant accomplishment, being recogJoan Martin, CE of Louth County Council and Cllr. Pio Smith, Cathao- nised in such a prestigious all Island competition irleach with Blackrock Representatives John Horan, Mary Rowley, Louisa and both groups have showcased that community Cuthbert and Mandy Fee. spirit is alive and well and we wish them continued success in all their future endeavours.

Joan Martin, CE of Louth County Council and Cllr. Pio Smith, Cathaoirleach with representatives from The House who were Pride of Place winners. Included are (L-R) Paul Owens, Donna Conroy, Norma Cooney, John Moloney and Clodagh O’Mahony.

Na Piarsaigh / Blackrock CLG blitz Na Piarsaigh / Blackrock CLG held their first underage camogie blitz of the season, on Saturday 11th at their home pitch on the Blackrock Road.

The blitz was for the younger under 8 and under 10 age groups and was well attended with St Kevins, Cooley and Inniskeen travelling with their young Camogs.

Thankfully the weather was kind and the showers held off to allow the teams to show their high standard of Camogie skills.

The teams from Na Piarsaigh / Blackrock CLG swapped their normal jerseys and wore their 100k in 30 Days pink t shirts, as part of the club’s support for the fundraising initiative to Breast cancer.

For those interested in finding more information about the club, check out their Facebook page or come along to any of the juvenile training evenings, Football on Monday’s and Hurling/ Camogie on Wednesdays, both at 6.30pm. Pic Credits: Paula Kavanagh.

Dundalk Leader 22nd June 2022

More disruption as Irish Water Summer driving checklist begin essential maintenance Irish Water is working in partnership with Louth County Council have begun carrying out essential water mains flushing to safeguard the water supply for homes and businesses in Dundalk. The works were scheduled to begin last Thursday 16th June and will continue until Wednesday 13th July in Blackrock, Haggardstown, and surrounding areas.

To facilitate the safe delivery of the Water Network Maintenance Programme, customers in the a number of areas may experience some temporary water disruptions including low water pressure and/or water discoloration for short periods during the works. Works will be carried out in phases with Phase 1 scheduled from Thursday 16 to Friday 24 June, impacting customers on the Dublin Road

(Xerox to Felda), Old Golf Links Road, Rock Road, Sandy Lane, Main Street, The Crescent, Sandymount, The Square, Birches Lane, Blackrock Road and Bothar Maol.

Phase 2 is scheduled for Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 June impacting customers on the Dublin Road (Felda to Chapel Road) and Chapel Road. Phase 3 is scheduled from Wednesday 29 June to Friday July 1 impacting customers on the Dublin Road (Chapel Road to Greengates), and Marlbog Road while Phase 4 is scheduled from Monday 4 July to Wednesday 6 July on Seafield Road.

Phase 5 will be scheduled from Thursday 7 July to Tuesday 12 July on Clermont Road, Cocklehill, Coast Road and Main Street while Phase 6 of the works are scheduled for

Wednesday 13 July on the Dublin Road (Greengates to Commons Road).

Crews will make every effort to minimise the disruption to impacted customers and will work to complete these works as quickly and as safely as possible.

Vulnerable customers who have registered with Irish Water receive direct communications from us for planned and unplanned outages lasting more than four hours.

The Irish Water customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on Twitter @IWCare with any queries. For updates, please visit the Water Supply Updates section of the Irish Water website. Irish Water and Louth County Council regret any inconvenience caused.

Guide sale price of €33.5m for Marshes Shopping Centre

The Marshes Shopping Centre in Dundalk is up for sale with a guide price of €33.5m according to a recent report in the Irish Times. The popular shopping centre is currently owned by American real estate firm Kennedy Wilson who bought the centre for €44.5m in 2014. The Marshes Shopping Centre has been trading since 2005 and is anchored by a 71,600sq ft Penney’s and a 116,500sq ft Dunnes Stores. It has previously been reported that the shopping centre receives approximately €3.5m in overall annual income, most of which comes in the form of rent from tenants. There is almost 100% occupancy rate in the shopping centre including big name retailers such as Boots, River Island, Eason’s H&M, JD Sports, Diesel and Sketchers. It also boasts a surface level car park which caters for approximately 1500 vehicles.

Conor is new Cathaoirleach for Louth County Council Louth County Council elected a new Cathaoirleach and Leas Cathaoirleach during Monday’s meeting which took place in County Hall. Outgoing Cathaoirleach Cllr. Pio Smith received thanks and good wishes from his fellow councillors and Chief Executive Joan Martin.

Following the nomination process FF Cllr Conor Keelan was put forward by Cllr Liam Reilly while Cllr Antoin Watters was put forward by Cllr. Kevin Meenan. Following a vote, it was Cllr Keelan who got the nod as he was elected Cathaoirleach for the upcoming year. The Dowdallshill man has previously been chair of Dundalk Town Council and follows in the footsteps of his father Seamus who was chairman of the local authority on a number of occasions.

For the role of Leas Cathaoirleach, Cllr Sean Kelly nominated his Fianna Fail colleague Andrea McKevitt while Sinn Fein’s Pearse McGeough nominated his colleague Cllr. Joanna Byrne. After a

Above: Outgoing Cathaoirleach Cllr. Pio Smith hands over the chains of office to his successor Cllr. Conor Keelan.

Left: FF Cllr. Andrea McKevitt will take up the role of Leas Cathaoirleach.

With the school holidays almost upon us, many families are getting ready for their holidays which may include driving to a location in Ireland or perhaps even travelling abroad. Before heading off however, it is important to remember that any road trip starts long before you actually hit the road. To ensure that your car is ready and prepared for the journey ahead and that you avoid any breakdowns or accidents it is advisable to complete a driving checklist before you set off on your holiday.

TYRES—Your tyres keep you on the straight and narrow so it pays to look after them. Now is the time to check the tread depth on all four of them – while the legal minimum is 1.6mm, we recommend no less than 3mm for safe driving.

Don’t forget to check the tyres for signs of wear and tear too, and consult a tyre specialist if you have any concerns.

Finally, top them up with air.

You can do this at many petrol stations or invest in a portable tyre inflator to carry with you – check your manual or search online to find out the right tyre pressure for your car’s make and model.

Oh, and make sure you have a spare if there’s space for one in your vehicle.

OIL—If you want to keep your car running smoothly, you need to do a regular check of the quantity and condition of the oil in your

Hill Street, Dublin Rd., Dundalk.

engine – monthly and before any long journey.

Make sure you have enough oil – and that it’s in good nick – by using the dipstick in your engine.

Park on level ground and make sure the engine has been off for a few minutes to let it cool and settle. Locate and remove the dipstick, wipe clean with a cloth and replace it fully. Then pull it out and check the oil level against the markings on the stick.

These vary from engine to engine but you should be able to see two marks – high and low. If the oil level is between the two marks then you have no problem. If it’s below the lower mark then add some oil – make sure to check which type is right for your car. Be sure not to overfill the engine as this can get very messy.

COOLANT—The principles above also apply for engine coolant – it keeps things cool in summer and acts as antifreeze in winter so it’s very important to keep track of how much you have.

SCREEN WASH & WIPERS— Top up your screen wash reservoir before any long journey, and keep some in the boot in case you ever run out. Here’s a tip – decant some into a small bottle so you can leave the big jug at home.

Take a close look at your windscreen wipers too – if they are causing streaks or smears as they wipe, or if you can see any damage to the rubber, then it’s time to

042 9331515/086 2559201

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replace them.

SATNAV—When is the last time you updated your satnav?

You should really do it every three to six months, as road layouts can change and new developments and roads are being built or altered all the time. It’s also important to do so before a big trip. If you have the manual handy, it will take you through the process of updating your maps. If not, head to the manufacturer’s website for instructions and downloads. You may need to register first, so have your device’s serial number handy.

You’ll also need a USB connector for your device – if you’ve lost yours you should be able to find a replacement on the manufacturer’s website or by searching online.

Don’t worry though if you can’t get it updated – you can plan your route before you leave (or have your passenger look it up for you en route) on our AA Routeplanner WASH & VALET—We all like to think we keep our car spick and span but let’s be honest – it doesn’t always work like that. Why not take the opportunity to treat your motor to a thorough clean – inside and out?

Take it to a high quality valeting service for a professional job that will leave the interior and boot spotless and fragrant. Finish the job with a hand wash and wax – many firms will do both for a single fee.

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Dundalk Leader 22nd June 2022