TELEGRAPH DIGEST 22 May 1996

Connaught Telegraph


EURO MASS AT BALLINTUBBER

A EUROVISION Mass will be broadcast from Ballintubber Abbey on Sunday (10 am). It will be shown on RTE as well as in Belgium, Switzerland and Holland.

The Mass has been composed by Fr. Liam Lawton and produced by Fr. Dermod McCarthy while the choir for the ceremony has been drawn from all over Mayo.

The fifty strong choir -- "Cor Tochar Phardaig" under the direction of Sr. Mairin McDonagh have been practising for the event for the past six weeks. The Abbey celebrates its 780th anniversary this year. The celebrant will by Fr Frank Fahey.

CLARE ISLAND FERRY LAUNCH

THE new 18-metre passenger ferry for Clare island was formally launched in Arklow at the weekend by the minister for State for Western Development, Mr. Donal Ceary.

The £500,000 vessel, "Pirate Queen" which is licensed to carry 96 passengers, will operate between Westport and Clare Island and will be skippered by Mr. Chris O'Grady.

BIRDCAGE AT LINENHALL

PAUL Soye's 'Birdcage' for which he has just received the Esso new Irish play award is currently on a one week run at the Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar nightly at 8.30 pm.The play opened last night (Tuesday) and concludes on Saturday.

The play is set against the backdrop of the realities of life in an inner city corporation flat complex - drug pushing and addiction, financial hardship and evictions, joy-riding and petty crime.

The play is directed by Ursula Friess and features John Rooney, Ann Toal, Donal Turpin, Eoghan Carr, John Ryan, Peter Casby and Sean Murphy. As seating is limited booking is advisable at + + 353 (0) 94-23733.

Dubliner Paul Soye is now living in Westport and works in Castlebar.

SWIMMING POOL CONTRACT

THE Department of the Environment has given formal approval for contract documents for the upgrading of the Castlebar swimming Pool, the Minister for Tourism and Trade, Enda Kenny has been informed by Mayo County Council.

The development, costing £1.3 million, will include the erection of a leisure facility at the complex.

The council is presently preparing the documents and they should be submitted to the Department by the end of June.

ACHILL LIFEBOAT ARRIVAL DATE

THE new 44-foot all weather RNLI lifeboat will arrive at Kildavnet on Achill Island on July 6 at 3 pm.

The £270,000 craft will sail from Poole in England with a local crew on board who are undergoing training at the moment.

PONTOON BRIDGE HOTEL EXPANDS

EU Commissioner Padraig Flynn will officially open the "Connaught Rooms" banqueting facilities at Pontoon Bridge Hotel on Friday evening.

The development has been undertaken by the Geary family who have developed the hotel over the years.

Connaught Telegraph - News - May 1996

Connaught Telegraph - Sports - May 1996