February 2016 Issue 2 - Volume 17
CARRICK’S ORLA REWARDED FOR LIFE-SAVING GRADUATION CELEBRATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS 16 PAGE WEDDING GUIDE ACTION
24 HR RECOVERY SERVICE Specialist in Truck & Coach Recovery “From a Moped to an artic we’ll recover it”
James Foy Auto Service • Servicing all makes & models • Excellent selection of Tyres • Puncture Repair • NCT Preperation • Wheel Balancing & Alignment
Vote! It’s your chance to make a difference T
Strictly in Crossmolina
Dromore West, Sligo Tel: 096-47052. Mob: 087-2541243 www.recoverysligo.com
JAMES MCGRATH GAS & OIL SERVICES LTD
• Solar Panels supplied and installed • Domestic and Industrial Service • Gas and Oil Burner Upgrades • Supplier & Installer of Gas/Oil Boilers • Heating Control Upgrades • Covering Mayo and Sligo
James (Snr) Tel: 086-816-9023 James (Jnr) Tel: 086-1591390 Tel: 098-35266 westportgas@eircom.net If we can’t fix it, we don’t charge!
Crossmolina GAA Club in association with Kevin Connolly VW presents Strictly Come Dancing from Hotel Ballina. L-R: Sarah O'Malley, Sinead Kearns, Lorraine Irwin, Donna-Marie Lynott & Aoife O'Malley. Picture John O'Grady Photography. More photos from this event will be featured in the March edition of Mayo Now Magazine.
HE 26th February is General Election day, when the electorate gets an opportunity to have its say, to give its verdict on those who have guided our country over the past five years, and, hopefully, select a government to steer a path to 2020 and beyond. From a democratic perspective election day is a great leveller . . . when we exercise a fundamental constitutional right. Full credit to the election candidates, too! it takes a degree of courage to place their names on the ballot paper in the first place. We have an outgoing government who, on the face of it, have done a reasonable job in turning the economy around after the worst recession in recent history . . . and if there’s any credence to “it’s the economy stupid” as a winning political mantra the Fine Gael/Labour “arrangement” should be coasting to victory. However, the unfortunate fact is that many people in Ireland still don’t feel the economic recovery, which is most pronounced in Dublin, and in certain areas of the capital, at that. Unemployment and emigration remain sad realities in rural Ireland. A drive through some provincial towns will reveal lots of boarded up shop fronts and a dearth of activity. The way the government have implemented the bail-out programme has alienated large sections of the electorate. Consequently, the situation has given birth to a number of smaller parties and a plethora of independents, with various views on the best way forward. The coalition contends that “stability” is what’s needed and they are best equipped to continue the recovery; they also say there is no credible alternative. Continued on Page 2
WESTERN WINDOWS & GLASS
Aluminimum, PVC-U Windows, Doors & Conservatories
Add Extra Room to your home! Now is the perfect time to purchase a stove or have a fireplace installed.
Drumshanbo • Co Leitrim www.loughallenhotel.com
• Stylish fireplaces and stoves to compliment any room • Professional Installation Service • Award Winning showroom with choice and value • Beams, Flue systems, replacement door seals, replacement glass, grates & accessories all under one roof
or email info@loughallenhotel.com
Station Road, Carrick-on-Shannon Tel: 071-9620153 OPEN: Mon - Sat: 9am - 6pm View our catalogue online at www.odowdscarrick.com
To Book Call 071-9640100
A cost-effective way to add an extra room to your house. Doors can be positioned on any of the three sides of the conservatory for maximum choice and flexibiliy. Lead-free A1 rated windows
Suitable for most bungalow s
Abbey Business Park, Ardnaree, Ballina, Co. Mayo Tel: 096-25514 / 096-75521 / 086-8171442
FREE EVERY MONTH THROUGHOUT SLIGO, MAYO, ROSCOMMON, DONEGAL & LEITRIM