Tentative but optimistic soundings on the prospects for the development of Ballaghaderreen have been voiced this week by local politicians and community leaders.

As the Roscommon People newspaper launches a pro-Ballaghaderreen campaign in today’s edition and also across our social media platforms, prominent community figures have outlined their views on the local library saga, plans to develop a new Greenway locally, and the general economic prospects for the town.

Ballaghaderreen Library has been closed for over two years, with public frustration growing.

Roscommon County Council carried out a technical assessment of the library which concluded that a mechanical and electrical consultant would need to be appointed to oversee required works.

The Council published a tender on June 13th seeking the services of a mechanical and electrical consultant. Monday last (June 27th) was the closing date for receipt of submissions.

Now local Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane is leading calls for these works to be fast-tracked. However, Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys told Deputy Kerrane that progress on the library works – and the timeline for completing same – are “a matter for Roscommon County Council”.

The Minister said that works are due to commence in the fourth quarter of the year but that the Council will initiate this project earlier “if at all possible”.

Striking a positive note was Fine Gael councillor Liam Callaghan who said that while the improvement works at the library will take some time to complete, he has been assured that the new-look facility will be “one of the most modern in the country”.

Cllr. Callaghan agreed that many locals are frustrated with the delay but he feels the enhanced service will benefit everybody in the long-term. He confirmed that he will continue to seek extra mobile library visits in the interim.

Meanwhile, Deputy Kerrane says the IDA has agreed to visit Ballaghaderreen to explore any possible opportunities for creating jobs in the town. This follows a meeting the TD had with the agency in May.

In other news in the area, the Roscommon chairperson of the proposed RosSligo Greenway says the project has received an extremely positive response from landowners and other key stakeholders in recent weeks.

Eoin Madden says local support for the Greenway, which has been described as a possible game-changer for the region, is crucial in order to secure Government support for a feasibility study later this year.

Meanwhile, Ballaghaderreen Town Team Chairperson, Willie Murphy says the town’s Public Realm Enhancement Project, due to be completed in 2023, will breathe new life and purpose into the town.

“There’s a major project ongoing at the moment in Ballaghaderreen and that’s the Public Realm Enhancement which is all about reimaging the town. It’s a very worthwhile project. Ballaghaderreen needs repurposing and it needs a new image both for the people living and working in the town currently and to attract new businesses, new people, and tourism”.

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Here is our first video in the series, Ballaghaderreen – Our Town, Our Future….

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The town was targeted by the Black and Tans in reprisals for the Rathra ambush of September 1st, 1920.

During the Rathra incident, a party of IRA men attempted to ambush an RIC patrol travelling from Ballaghaderreen to Frenchpark. Two RIC men, Constables Edward Murphy and Martin McCarthy, were killed along with IRA volunteer, Capt. Thomas McDonagh.

On September 2^nd, a band of Black and Tans travelled from Boyle to Ballaghaderreen and set fire to a number of prominent premises in the town, including the building (formerly Flannery’s) where Computers 4U is located now.

Computers 4U owner, Susan Smyth, was always aware of the building’s links to that fateful night.

“We put an offer in for the building in March 2020, just after the pandemic started and we finally got the keys in August 2021,” she said.

  “We were fully aware that it had been burnt by the Black and Tans 100 years before. We bought it due to its great location and we were also aware that had been rebuilt with reinforced concrete with compensation from the British government.

“It’s a beautiful building as you can see and it was built to the standards of a London Department Store at the time. It’s a really high quality building and inside it’s very comfortable; there’s no dampness or anything like that. It’s rock solid,” Susan added.

The historical significance of the building was certainly something which attracted both Susan and her brother and business partner Martin Smyth.

“It’s believed that Tullamore Due once owned the building and there was a bottle house upstairs. There is still a lift in the building which was probably used to transport bottles in the past,” Susan said.

“At other times the building was home to a number of bars too, some of which were rather notorious! A lot of people who know its history also say that there was a beautiful mural of Ballaghaderreen Train Station which ran right across the walls. Sadly, the mural was painted over some time ago which is a real shame. When we were putting new floors in we also discovered traces of a stunning mosaic floor too”.

Few traces of the building’s rich history now remain but it is rather poignant that it has now been given a new, modern purpose 100 years on from the burning of Ballaghaderreen, at a time when local businesses were rising from the ashes of a global pandemic.

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“We are really proud of the Community Garden. It has achieved a Green Flag in the Communities and Parks category for the past two years”

The Ballaghaderreen Community Garden has continued to develop since it was first established in 2017 thanks to a generous invitation from the late John Duffy, who offered growers a space at his SuperValu store.

Maria Fleming, a native of Gotland in Sweden, is a member of the committee and she says the garden has become a hive of activity in recent years.

“We had problems getting a site but John Duffy, who has since sadly passed away, visited our own garden at home. He offered us a piece of land next to SuperValu. It’s really good because it’s in such a central location,” she said.

Maria, who has developed an impressive garden (check out thegreenerdream.com) at the home she shares with partner and fellow Community Garden member, Paul Cole, first arrived in Ballaghaderreen in 2004, moving to Ireland on account of the good climate for growing.

  “We are really proud of the Community Garden. It has achieved a Green Flag in the Communities and Parks category for the past two years. Every time the judges visit in the summer they are very impressed with it,” she said.

The garden is tended to by a number of local community groups including ‘Ballagh Project’, members of the Pakistani and Syrian communities and those taking part in community service.

“The playschool used to have a bed here too when it was open and we also gave some classes to Transition Year students from St. Nathy’s College,” she said.

“We have a very multicultural community here and the garden is open to everyone in line with SuperValu opening hours”.

All those involved in the community garden are volunteers and Maria says it’s a labour of love for members.

“We have around six or seven people on the committee and probably up to 20 people who come in and grow too. It is all done voluntarily and it’s important that people remember it’s for the whole community of Ballaghaderreen and to respect it,” she said.

“People are always welcome to come in and we still have a number of beds outside. It’s definitely a place for everyone and we hope more and more people will use it”.

You can learn more about the Ballaghaderreen Community Garden or get involved by visiting the group’s Facebook page.

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The group was first established in 2011 by Dutch woman, Jolanda van Herk, who says a dedicated core group of members remain deeply involved.

“I am originally from The Hague in the Netherlands but I have also spent time in Utrecht and Rotterdam. My partner, Barbara, is from Amsterdam and we moved here 14 years ago in February 2008,” Jolanda explains.

“Like so many people, I always thought I couldn’t draw but when we arrived in Ireland we did a course with what was then the VEC and is now GRETB (Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board). It was Barbara who was interested first and I said I’d join her. We both loved it and it was nice to do something together too”.

Jolanda and Barbara then set up the Ballaghaderreen Community Art Group which now boasts a multinational membership.

“There have been lot of different nationalities involved over the years…Belgian, Swedish, Polish…and more Irish people have also become involved,” Jolanda says.

“A lot of people have passed through also before going on to start jobs or going on to further education”.

Like many groups, the art group was affected by the outbreak of Covid-19 with meetings moving online.

“During the lockdowns we set up a WhatsApp group to keep in touch and to keep each other busy with prompts. We also posted on Facebook and that helped to keep the interest. Now that we can meet up again we hope to hold an exhibition of our works in future”.

Jolanda says the group received great encouragement during Covid from the GRETB.

“The GRETB offered us a tutor during the lockdown and Mary Duignan was very popular with members. We now have a new tutor starting with us, the artist Andrew Dillon, and we will be doing online and general classes,” she said.

The group looks to give something back to the community and has provided an outlet for those arriving in Ballaghaderreen from war-torn countries.

“We have had a couple of Ukrainians attending the class and before the pandemic started we were in with the Syrian refugees at Abbeyfield. The classrooms were not that big and our classes were crammed with both the Syrian residents and our members. It was such a pity we couldn’t continue due to Covid,” Jolanda says.

The Ballaghaderreen Community Art Group continues to meet from 10.30 am to 1 pm every Monday at Ozanam and are always on the look-out for new members. If you are interested in getting in touch with your artistic side then check out the group’s work on their Facebook page.

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Ballaghaderreen Writers’ Group has been providing a creative outlet for members for a number of years now and continues to meet online each week.

Member and group facilitator, Fiona Drury, says members were impacted by the closure of Ballaghaderreen Library following the outbreak of Covid-19.

“We used to meet at the library every second week and that was lovely, but when Covid-19 broke out we moved online,” she says.

“Now we WhatsApp and have video calls, taking turns to facilitate each session. Facilitators provide writing prompts and it’s quite different to meeting face-to-face. When meeting in person the prompts could be anything – such as musical pieces – but online our options are a bit more limited”.

Writers are provided with the prompts and then given 20 minutes each to compose a piece of writing. Each member then reads out what they’ve written to the rest of the group.

“We also give ‘homework’ or writing prompts to be done at home. We don’t take it too seriously and you don’t need a degree or anything to take part. It’s open for everyone and it’s great craic,” Fiona added.

The group has a core of six or seven members with other writers joining up from time to time.

“Our members are from all over and some find the online classes very convenient,” Fiona says. “It’s a bit of fun and a great way for people to work on their writing.

“I love writing myself…it’s just a pity I didn’t know that when I was in school! Members find it very therapeutic and new members are always very welcome”.

The Ballaghaderreen Writers’ Group meets every second Wednesday via WhatsApp and those interested in joining are invited to check out the group’s Facebook page.

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The town has suffered from a continued fallout from Ireland’s most recent recession and a number of businesses have also been forced to close following the Covid-19 pandemic. But Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane believes the tide can turn.

“I met with the IDA in relation to job creation and opportunities in Ballaghaderreen in May. The town has suffered massively in the last ten years; many of the jobs lost in the 2008 recession were never replaced. Today, sadly, Businesses continue to close,” she said.

“I have asked the IDA to visit Ballaghaderreen and to look at any possible opportunities for jobs in the town. It is well located, well populated and has vacant premises’ both in and just outside the town. They agreed to come to the town and I hope that something can come out of this”.

Deputy Kerrane said the An Bealach Regeneration Project and the RosSligo Greenway would also create a number of new opportunities for the town.

“I hope the An Bealach Project can be progressed quickly as it too will present opportunities as well as a remote working space for those who have jobs elsewhere but can work remotely from Ballaghaderreen – keeping them in the town.

“The RosSligo Greenway, which I am a committee member of, also has the potential to be a game-changer for Ballaghaderreen,” she said.

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Cllr. Callaghan said while the improvement works at the library would take some time, he has been left assured that the new-look facility will be “one of the most modern in the country”.

“In relation to Ballaghderreen Library, which closed during Covid, funding was approved for upgrade works for fittings, furniture and disability access measures,” he said.

“While this application was in progress an extra opportunity for funding arose which Roscommon County Council were successful in applying for under the ‘My Open Library’ programme. This concept will provide automated self-service access to the library from 8 am to 10 pm 365 days a year.

“The new-look library, when complete, will cater for all age groups and people in the community as well as (providing) a specialised space for teenagers”.

Cllr. Callaghan agreed that many locals are frustrated with the delay but he feels the enhanced service will benefit everybody in the long-term and confirmed he would continue to seek extra mobile library visits in the interim.

The Fine Gael councillor also sought an update on an application for CCTV to be installed in the town.

Cllr. Callaghan raised the issue at a recent meeting of the Joint Policing Committee. Addressing the meeting, Superintendent Tom Colsh acknowledged that there were outstanding issues with the application but assured the councillor that the service, when installed, would be of a very high standard and would benefit local businesses and residents.

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“The Town Team is a very active organisation in the town” he said, explaining how it’s involved in “reimaging” the town with the input of other local organisations, such as sports clubs.

“We work for the town’s development and for the good of the town in general,” Willie said.

“There’s a major project ongoing at the moment in Ballaghaderreen and that’s the Public Realm Enhancement which is all about reimaging the town. It’s a very worthwhile project…Ballaghaderreen needs repurposing and it needs a new image both for the people living and working in the town currently and to attract new businesses, new people, and tourism. It’s a whole facelift and this is planned as part of Roscommon County Council’s plan for the town, which is great.

“This is a significant investment and the plan is for this to be taking place next spring and it’s due to completed next year. It’s going to really enhance the town’s image and create a new face and a purpose for the town”.

  Existing clubs and organisations play a big part in life in Ballaghaderreen and Willie believes they are vital for the town’s development.

“Having clubs and organisations like the various sporting clubs in a town like Ballaghaderreen is essential and the Town Team has a representative from all of those organisations on it to bring a new perspective to it from the various sporting organisations and for the town development to include those organisations,” he said.

“Organisations like the GAA club, the soccer club, the tennis club, schools, and businesses. It’s a great forum for people to engage and be part of the whole development process”.

Despite suffering from a number of economic setbacks in recent years, the people of Ballaghaderreen continue to put their best foot forward. This was never more obvious as when the town was announced as ‘Community Group of the Year’ at the 43^rd Rehab People of the Year Awards in 2018.

The town was also acknowledged for the welcome it extended to refugees fleeing the war in Syria.

“People will know that a couple of years ago Ballaghaderreen won the ‘Community of the Year’ award because of how it manages the diverse communities in the town, particularly the EROC Centre and the welcoming of the Syrian community,” Willie explains.

“Ballaghaderreen is a very welcoming town; it welcomes all nationalities and they integrate well. You can see that in the various clubs…and that enhances the reputation of the town in terms of openness and inclusivity”.

Looking to the future, Willie believes a change of tack is needed to return the town to its former glory.

“Ballaghaderreen used to be a very important town at one stage and it needs to go back to that. It was a big business town and there was always a lot going on. It’s come through its own challenges in the last number of years but there is a new plan to develop the town, bring in new business and new opportunities,” he said.

“There’s also a focus now on working from home…and we’ve high-speed broadband and we’re close to an airport (Ireland West). The town needs new businesses, a new identity and maybe a new big employer and we need to put the infrastructure in place to attract businesses, people, tourism and anything that is going to assist in the further development of Ballaghaderreen,” he concluded.

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Owner and Ballinagare native, Liz Cummins, who celebrates two years in business this month, had previously worked in the fitness industry for ten years.

“I opened Enhanced Motion on July 17^th, 2020 in Ballaghaderreen. I am a neuromuscular therapist and so I work with people who are in acute or chronic musculoskeletal pain and those suffering with chronic injuries, such as back, shoulder, neck or knee pain, and injuries or conditions that limit range of motion,” she said.

“I also have Conor McGreivy working with me. He is an athletic therapist and so works mainly with sports injuries. He was recently appointed Head Academy Athletic Therapist at Sligo Rovers Football Club”.

There is a wide selection of services available at Enhanced Motion, including: dry needling, sports cupping, and athletic rehab. Clients can also avail of a number of sports packages involving massages and recovery boots too.

Liz says business has been good since the lifting of Covid restrictions with plans for further expansion in the near future.

“I was working privately from home when this building became available in 2020. We thought it would be fine for a few weeks…little did we know we’d still be here two years later!

“Enhanced Motion has definitely gone from strength to strength since then. When I started it was just me and now we have three people working here. We are open for appointments from Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 8 pm and we are kept going throughout the day,” she said.

“A lot of people are now coming to us directly and we also have great links to the local sports clubs and GPs. We have people coming from Swinford, Castlebar and Sligo, not just Ballaghaderreen. Being centrally situated on Main Street in Ballaghaderreen (opposite GRG), makes life easier for everyone.

“We are delighted to be celebrating two years in business this July and we are looking forward to expanding further in the next two with the introduction of small group rehab classes and workshops!

“The support of the local community and businesses in Ballaghaderreen has been amazing since I came into the town and I feel very grateful for all the support, it’s very much appreciated,” Liz concluded.

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