Lenten season of deprivation feels only too familiar
Fri, Feb 24, 2012
As this week marked the beginning of Lent and the pre-Easter season of doing without, many were wondering what more could they do without; what is there left to give up?
Read more ...The business of love kicks off Mayo’s 2012 tourist season
Fri, Feb 17, 2012
The aspirations of the good burghurs of Westport to convert the annual tourism season to a year-long affair, are being fulfilled ahead of time this year after celebrations for Valentine’s Day flooded Mayo’s tourist haven with its first major influx of visitors for 2012.
Read more ...‘Magda’ story forces us to ask some difficult questions
Fri, Feb 03, 2012
Whether or not the controversial report this week about the Polish woman 'Magda' living the high life courtesy of the generous Irish social welfare system was entirely accurate or not matters little; what matters a lot however is that, just as with the 'mad and greedy' economy-crashing Irish people that our Taoiseach so readily informed the World Economic Forum about last week, much of the report contents were actually true.
Read more ...St Vincent de Paul responds to Sacred Heart Hospital report
Fri, Feb 03, 2012
Dear Editor,
We wish to refer to your coverage of a report on the Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).
People power and personal responsibility needed to resolve our woes
Fri, Jan 20, 2012
Not before time we are finally starting to think outside the box. This week a bunch of business people have come together and committed to generate work for people, by pledging jobs online. The initiative, entitled Hireland, is not designed to provide an alternative state employment agency for all and sundry, but rather is directly targeting Ireland’s skilled unemployed with a view to returning them to quality jobs.
Read more ...High praise for care at Sacred Heart Home
Fri, Jan 20, 2012
Dear Editor,
I wish to reply to critical reports on the Sacred Heart Home in Castlebar.
Good news stories not only welcome but essential for survival of human spirit
Fri, Jan 13, 2012
What a boost Allergan gave the county when it announced on Monday morning the creation of 200 jobs, 250 construction jobs, and an investment of $350 million in the Westport company.
Read more ...New Year is an opportunity to get back to the land
Fri, Jan 06, 2012
A new year begins and with it comes a series of mixed messages that serve to confuse rather than fortify resolve. Appeals by charities abroad for funding against famine and war reveal that while austerity may now be hitting home, these current dark times fail to compare against emergency situations where basic human needs such as food and shelter are not being met.
Read more ...Drivers asked to heed pedestrian crossings
Fri, Jan 06, 2012
Dear Editor,
Could I please draw attention to some driving practices taking place at the pedestrian crossing outside St Patrick’s Boys National School in Castlebar, that may pose a danger.
Farewell 2011, happy Christmas - and cheers to a great New Year 2012
Fri, Dec 23, 2011
As we bid farewell this week to 2011 and welcome in the New Year of 2012, no doubt many of us wonder – as we always do around this time – where on earth did the last year go?
Read more ...Féile na Tuaithe - Turlough Park
Fri, Dec 23, 2011
It is a huge disappointment to me, and to all staff in the Museum of Country Life at Turlough Park, that Féile na Tuaithe will not be taking place in 2012. When I informed staff here last week that féile would not be going ahead, the sense of shock and disappointment was palpable. As we have been informing our sponsors and principal stakeholders, their response has also been one of shock and concern. The general sense is that this is going to be a very big loss not just to the local community around Turlough and Castlebar but to the wider community in the west of Ireland and beyond.
Read more ...Budget week and EU warnings make life outside of Ireland worth considering for many
Fri, Dec 09, 2011
Things are heating up - not necessarily in terms of the upcoming festive season - or indeed in regard to outside temperatures, but just in a general sense. After the historic events of the week - the lacklustre Taoiseach State-of-the-nation address on Sunday followed by the half-and-half ‘slash and burn’ budget over Monday and Tuesday, a new force is building. It is not a positive force. The momentous proceedings of the past week put paid to any chance of positive people-power being harnessed. If anything, the spirit is sapped.
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