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State of the Art Treatment plant opens in Enniscrone

Sligo County Council delivered the latest development of its county’s waste water treatment infrastructure with the official opening of a new state of the art treatment plant in Enniscrone recently. Local councillors and residents, Sligo County Council staff and local TDs joined Minister of State Michael Kitt TD to officially open the plant.

The new €5m plant demonstrates a commitment by Sligo County Council to the Enniscrone area which will facilitate sustainable development in the future. Director of Services Tom Kilfeather commended the project team, which consisted of water services staff of Sligo County Council, client’s representative, Nicholas O’Dwyer LTD. and the main contractors Electrical Pump Services LTD. They have worked not only on the Enniscrone plant but on six other schemes around the county – Ballisodare, Coolaney, Dromore West, Easkey, Aclare and Cloonacool, signifying a €12m investment by the council in waste water treatment and are being provided by means of Design/Build/Operate contracts.

Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council Cllr. Jude Devins stressed the importance of projects such as the Enniscrone plant as being integral to the development of infrastructure within the county. He sees this project as an example of the excellent work being carried out by the council working in cooperation with local communities. He also paid tribute to County Manager Hubert Kearns, Tom Kilfeather and water services staff for their professionalism and expertise in delivering this project.

- Cllr. Paul Conby, Mary Barrett and Joe Queenan with Cathaoirleach Cllr. Devins at official opening of Enniscrone Plant

Donal Harrison Senior Executive Engineer with Sligo’s water services section gave a brief outline of the development of waste water infrastructure in County Sligo and Enniscrone. During the past 10 years the water services section has managed the construction of 25 new treatment plants and over 180km of new pipelines. This represents a total investment of €110m but the majority of this infrastructure is buried underground and is not readily apparent to the general public.

The new facility in Enniscrone incorporates primary and secondary treatment, stormwater attenuation, sludge dewatering and very importantly, remote monitoring which requires a dial out alarm system in the event of a malfunction. It has the capacity to treat a population equivalent of 5,000 and ensures that all treated effluent discharged into Killala Bay is in full compliance with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive standards. This will support Enniscrone’s bid to reclaim their coveted Blue Flag status for its beaches.

Indeed, it is these beaches that Minister Michael Kitt mentions as one of the first things that springs to mind when Enniscrone comes up in conversation. He stressed the importance of the ‘high quality treatment for Enniscrone’s wastewater discharges’ as significant in preserving the Killala Bay/Moy Estuary Special Area of Conservation.

He outlines the governments’ commitment to new water and sewage schemes with a 19% increase in funding over the current year which will allow many towns and villages throughout Ireland to benefit from improved water services. He goes on to say that ‘against the present economic backdrop this is the clearest possible statement by the government of the priority we are giving to preserving and protecting our water resources and providing critical infrastructure..’ Minister Kitt concluded by commending the cooperation of the council staff, elected members, local residents and the contractors in delivering this project and declaring the Enniscrone plant officially open.

 
- Minister Michael Kitt officially opens plant with elected members and County Council staff

Sligo County Council Leads the Way in Environmental Solutions in Upgrading Road Surfaces

Over the last number of years the condition of the N15 at Cashelgal has deteriorated and in some locations completely failed. This was established by carrying out tests on the structural strength of the carriageway each year. It was established that remedial measures were needed and an overlay of the existing surface was required.

In July of 2008 the National Roads Authority agreed to allow Sligo County Council to carry out a trial on this stretch of road which involved a new and innovative approach to remedial works such as this. This involves recycling the materials in the existing road to form a material which provides the strengths required for a modern national primary road. The material is extracted by a special machine and mixed with bitumen to form a stabilised road base. This material is then compacted and over laid with the normal Asphalt surfacing course.

The process is a more environmentally friendly solution to the upgrading of road surfaces than the more conventional method of laying new bitumen macadam on top of the old.

• It reduces the need for vast numbers of lorries drawing material to the site and the associated carbon emissions.
• It reduces the need to quarry materials.
• It reduces the amount of bitumen (oil) required as it utilises the bitumen already present to provide strength.
• It reduces the impact on the road network in general as it reduces the numbers of Heavy Goods Vehicles on the roads.

This is the first time this process has been tried in Ireland and it has created much interest in the industry. Kevin Crawley of Sligo County Council Road Design section presented a paper to the National Roads Authority Annual Conference and was very well received.

Green Schools Seminar 2008

A seminar for schools interested in learning more about the Green Schools Programme was held in the Sligo Education Centre on Thursday 16th October.

The seminar was well attended with over 50 teachers present. The topics covered in the seminar included themes of waste and litter management, energy awareness and water conservation. A seminar on the theme of sustainable travel for schools was also held on 15th October in the Sligo Park Hotel.

Green-Schools is an international environmental education programme and award scheme that promotes and acknowledges long-term, whole-school action for the environment. To date, 75 schools in Sligo are registered in the Green Schools Programme and 44 are flying the Green Flag. Five new schools registered at the seminar bringing the percentage of schools registered to 75%.

Speaking on the event, the Environment Awareness Officer, Fiona Kelly said “The Green Schools Programme is going from strength to strength in County Sligo. Students, teachers, staff and community members have supported this environmental education campaign with such enthusiasm that schools really are at the forefront when it comes to environmental care and protection. The themes that are covered in the Green Schools Programme are among the most topical environmental subjects that are covered in todays world. It is encouraging to see that our young people are leading the way when it comes to waste management projects, climate change and water conservation measures. Sligo County Council are very happy to support schools in their Green Schools activities and look forward to working with them”.

For further information on Green Schools view: www.greenschoolsireland.org

Bridge Restoration Programme Continues in County Sligo

Belville Bridge was one of the bridges that received a ‘face lift’ by the staff in the Enniscrone Area, this year. This is a fine two span cut limestone segmental arch structure circa 1870, of unusually high quality.

Maintenance work included removal of trapped debris and sediment, localised river training, de vegetation, minor masonry repairs and pointing, all essential work. The philosophy “a stitch in time save nine”, is used as much as the maintenance budget permits to maintain the public road bridge stock which forms part of our built heritage.

 
- Before and After Restoration of Belville Bridge

Sligo Launch ‘Text Alert’ System

Sligo Borough Council formally launched a ‘Text Alert’ facility to enable people to report traffic management problems around the streets of Sligo. The text messages are relayed via the Communications Office to the Authorities’ Traffic Wardens who respond immediately to call to the scene of the alert.

The scheme which had been piloted for two months in conjunction with the Sligo Branch of the People with Disabilities Ireland (PWDI) has been opened up to the general public whereby any member of the public will be able to report traffic management problems for immediate attention.

RTE news were also present at the launch where they filmed two scenarios to highlight the difficulties caused by illegal parking for people in wheelchairs, people with visual impairments and those trying to manage children and buggies.

The scheme which had been piloted for two months in conjunction with the Sligo Branch of the People with Disabilities Ireland (PWDI) has been opened up to the general public whereby any member of the public will be able to report traffic management problems for immediate attention.

RTE news were also present at the launch where they filmed two scenarios to highlight the difficulties caused by illegal parking for people in wheelchairs, people with visual impairments and those trying to manage children and buggies.

The launch at City Hall was attended by representatives from the PWDI, the NCBI, elected officials, Mayor Cllr. Veronica Cawley and Sligo Local Authority staff. Mayor Cawley welcomed the system as an opportunity to increase people’s awareness of where they park and the effects this has on the mobility of certain members of the community.

Bob Murphy from the Sligo branch of the PWDI has been working with the local authority on the development of the ‘Text Alert’ system. He sees it as a very important step by Sligo Borough Council in cracking down on those who park illegally regardless of the obstacles they are creating for pedestrians.

In tandem with the ‘Text Alert’ system, Sligo Borough Council has commissioned a Tow Away service. Any vehicles illegally parked in Disabled Parking Spaces, Bus Areas or designated Trading areas are liable to be towed away and impounded.

The number to text any illegal parking instances to is 087 7850566 during the hours 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday.This number is linked to a computerised text only system and is not set up to receive standard calls.

 
- Mayor Cllr. Veronica Cawley with local authority staff and representatives from local disability groups at the launch of the ‘Text Alert’ system

- RTE Six One News record PWDI member Brian Crummy encounter parking difficulties in Sligo and the subsequent use of the new ‘Text Alert’ System

Councillor John Sherlock Calls ‘Time’ on 30 Year Political Career

Councillor John Sherlock has advised the Sligo Fianna Fail Executive that he will not be contesting the 2009 Local Elections.

Commenting on his decision he stated ‘I have been privileged and proud to serve as a County Councillor on behalf of my communities, the Ballymote Electoral Area, and the people of County Sligo, for the last 23 years. The role of a County Councillor requires a fair level of commitment. There comes a time when making a contribution should rest on the shoulders of another.’

John reflected on the start of his involvement in local politics.  ‘To be honest, I had no real ambition to seek elected office, but people I worked with and those serving on local community organisations, and trusted friends, encouraged me to put my name forward. That persuaded me to seek the party’s nomination for the Ballymote Electoral Area in 1985, which I secured and duly took my seat on the Council.

In my time as a County Councillor I have had the honour of representing Sligo at home and abroad, most noticeably in my time as Chairman of Sligo County Council in 1995/96. At a local level, I would like to think that I represented the people at County Council level, and I believe that I can be proud of my track record and have worked hard for my constituents at all times.’

However, under the proposed new electoral boundaries, my home town of Ballisodare is now divided into two separate electoral districts for the 2009 elections. The majority of the Ballisodare electorate is now, for the first occasion in modern times, in the Dromore West electoral area.

This essentially means that I would not be fully able to represent my home town and towns such as Collooney and allother areas in the constituency. However for my remaining time as a County Councillor I fully intend to continue my duties for my constituents to the best of my abilities and to work as hard as I have always done.’ Councillor Sherlock has seen a number of changes since he was elected to the Council. ‘Particularly since I was elected in 2004, there have been major improvements of the road network and Water Services Infrastructure. Our towns and villages have benefited from the provision of water and sewage plants and group schemes. This substantial investment by Sligo County Council has greatly enhanced our communities and has delivered a better quality of life for our people.

Another change Councillor Sherlock has seen over the years is in the work carried out by the local communities. ‘I have had the privilege of soldiering with many dedicated volunteers over the years, and I will continue to work closely with them to progress and develop our areas in the years ahead. When I started in politics, Sligo County Council would approach alocal community with a development proposal. Now, the likelihood is that the initiative will be taken by local people themselves, and the bond between the Council and the local communities has strengthened over the last number of years.

Councillor Sherlock concluded ‘Ultimately the decision to retire from local politics is a personal one. In terms of organisation, running in the local elections in 2009 would mean setting up a new political base, and having discussed the matter with my family, I decided not to put my name forward.

‘I would like to thank all of the people who have supported me over the years and those who canvassed for me in all the elections I participated in. I am extremely appreciative of this support. In particular, I would like to thank my family who have always supported and encouraged me, through good times and bad, and for that I am extremely grateful.

- Cllr. John Sherlock (front row left) with fellow Ballymote Area Councillors Martin Baker and Gerry Mullaney behind and Cllr. Gerry Murray and Pat McGrath in the front row

Sligo Volunteers clock up over 300 hours for Give it a Swirl Day

Give it a Swirl Day, the second national day of volunteering took place on Friday 26th September this year. Schools, community groups, youth groups, workplaces and individuals from all over the country took part in exciting events and four of these projects took place Sligo!

The aim of National Volunteer Day is to give people an opportunity to “Dip their toes in” to voluntary projects happening locally. Often people do not know how to get involved or if the opportunity is the correct one for them. Hopefully, given an opportunity to try it out they can decide whether it is something they wish to continue to pursue.

The range of projects that happened in County Sligo involved people from Age 7-70 years proving that age is no barrier to volunteering! Ciara Herity, Manager of Sligo Volunteer Centre said “There were 60+ people involved as hands on volunteers on the day. The inspiring thing is that the majority of these people were new to volunteering. We hope that they enjoyed the experience and will continue to volunteer into the future”.

One of the groups that benefited from the involvement of volunteers, was Collooney Tidy Towns. Over 20 volunteers came out to give the town a makeover on Give it a Swirl Day. Valerie Mc Donnell, Chair of the committee was pleased to have the opportunity to hold an event that raised awareness, she said “everyone really enjoyed it and they are even talking about having it again next year.”

Pupils from 1st, 2nd and 3rd class in St. Patrick’s N.S., Maugherow were the youngest volunteers to participate in a Sligo based Give it a Swirl event. The children took part in a project run by ‘Marine Dimensions’ an organisation which researches the movement of sharks, skates and rays around the Irish coast by monitoring egg cases found on beaches. The children had an informative day and located an egg case called a ‘mermaids purse’ on their local beach. They plan to log their find onto the Marine Dimensions website. Hopefully the children can continue to contribute to this research when they find items of interest around the coast.

Give it a Swirl Day reached the other end of the age spectrum through the Positive Aging Week ‘Information Event’ held in the Clarion Hotel. Sligo Volunteer Centre recruited 11 holistic therapists to provide taster treatments for older people at this event. Independent therapists and therapists from the Wellness Centre in Sligo participated providing holistic treatments from reflexology and massage to colour therapy to older people from around the county. Feedback from therapists and recipients was excellent! Sligo Volunteer Centre was on hand at the event to give information to older people who wanted to volunteer and to older people who were already running community groups and needed additional volunteers to provide support their activities.

The Volunteer Centre requested support from local businesses to participate in Give it a Swirl Day by selling Pink Ribbons in aid of the Irish Cancer Society; Sligo County Council, Sligo Borough Council, HSE West and FAS all participated by taking merchandise in and raising funds as well as awareness about breast cancer. Money raised will be forwarded to this very worthy cause.

The diversity of the projects that took place in Sligo shows that there is something for everyone. Sligo Volunteer Centre offers opportunities for people to volunteer all year around – whether you enjoy getting your hands dirty, meeting people or assisting in an office. The Volunteer Centre also assists not for profit groups to find volunteers to get involved in their activities. To find out more about the Centre and their activities contact the centre on 071-911 1042 or check out their website on www.volunteersligo.ie.

- MEP Marian Harkin lends her support to ’Give it a Swirl Day’ with Volunteer Centre staff

Special Olympics Sligo Celebrate 30 Years

This year sees Special Olympics Ireland celebrate 30 years in existence. To mark this there has been a series of events throughout the country during 2008. On November 20th the Leas-Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council Cllr. Deirdre Healy McGowan hosted a reception for the Sligo Clubs of Special Olympics Ireland.

The evening kicked of with a brief torch run along Riverside to County Hall. The torch was carried by Special Olympics volunteer Garda Theresa McCabe and she was accompanied by local and student Gardai and local athletes. The torch was presented to the Leas-Cathaoirleach who said she was honoured to receive it on behalf of Sligo County Council.

- Torch bearer Garda Theresa McCabe and Chief Superintendent Ciaran Kenny present torch to Leas-Cathaoirleach Cllr. Deirdre Healy McGowan

The idea of the torch run was conceived in 1981 by Richard LaMunyon, then Chief of Police in Wichita, Kansas, as a way to involve local law enforcement officers in Special Olympics and to generate awareness of the movement. Today, the Law Enforcement Torch Run Programmes have expanded to over 32 countries with more than 100,000 officers involved. The “Flame of Hope”, is now synonymous with Special Olympics.

In her address Cllr. Healy McGowan expressed her delight at seeing so many athletes and volunteers from around Sligo attend this reception. This reflects the growth of the organization nationally. In 1978 Special Olympics Ireland began with 200 athletes and 100 volunteers and in 2008 it has grown to accommodate 11,000 athletes and 18,000 volunteers making it one of the largest community and voluntary organizations in Ireland.

The Leas-Cathaoirleach talked of her personal involvement in the Special Olympics and the tremendous work carried out by the volunteers in Sligo and she wanted to take this opportunity to acknowledge this. Also, the participation of the athletes is equally important as ‘they inspire us to want to be better and remind us the true essence of sports is indeed sportsmanship and participation.’

- Special Olympic Athletes and Garda Volunteers participate in torch run to County Hall, Riverside

- Cloonamahon

- Cregg House

- Gallagher House

- Sligo Fairways Golf Club

- Sligo Shuttle Stars

- Splashing Penguins

New Jetty Opens in Sligo Harbour

The Sligo Harbour office officially opened new works at Timber Jetty, Ballast Quay on Wednesday 19th November. The launch was attended by the Cathaoirleach Cllr. Jude Devins, Mayor Cllr. Veronica Cawley and elected officials, local fishermen, County Council and Harbour staff.

Under the 1996 Harbour Act, the government proposed the transfer of control of a number of regional ports and harbours to local authorities, Sligo Port was one such harbour where a transfer to Sligo County Council has taken place by Ministerial Order. A grant of €1.85m was obtained from the Department of Transport - Marine Section to carry out essential works.

Senior executive engineer Gary Salter gave a brief description of works carried out to date. These were split into 3 phases – the design and construction of replacement commercial berthage at Barytes Jetty, new access and safety facilities at Timber Jetty and substantial improvements to the training wall which helps maintain the shipping channel to the port. The first phase of the project was repairs and strengthening to the 1.5km training wall to a cost of €640,000.

- Improved and Heightened 1.5km portion of training wall

A further €630,000 was spent to provide a much needed replacement berthage at Barytes Jetty which will be essential for the commercial future of the port. The third phase of the works involved modification of the council’s jetty at Lynn’s Place, known as Timber Jetty. The main aim of these works was to provide a leisure facility with safety and access for all. Vessels can now tie alongside the pontoons at any tide level and people can access the quay  top via the articulating ramp.

Mayor Cawley commended the project teams for providing the new facility as she sees these improvements as being ‘critical to the commercial development of the harbour.’

She also gave special thanks to the former chairman of the Sligo Harbour Commissioners, Seamus Monaghan for his work and commitment in developing the harbour over the years.

- The new Barytes Jetty quay top was built on top of condemned jetty, but is supported on a grid of new precast concrete piles

The Cathaoirleach, Cllr Devins spoke of the importance of Sligo Harbour in the context of the social and cultural history of the town and although global trade is less dependent on shipping the harbour is strategically placed in that it’s the only working harbour between Galway and Derry that can accommodate ships with a length of 100 metres or more.

Cllr. Devins commended the harbour staff and project engineer Gary Salter for their work in the delivery of these works. He also expressed his gratitude to Seamus Monaghan ‘whose inspirational drive, ambition, acumen and perseverance kept Sligo Harbour alive when it was in danger of surviving solely as a foot-note of local history.’

The Mayor and Cathaoirleach made a presentation to Seamus thanking him for his dedication in maintaining and developing the harbour. The Timber Jetty is now officially open and any queries can be dealt with by Sligo Harbour Office on 071 9111238.

- The completed facility at Timber Jetty, Ballast Quay

- Official launch of new jetty with Cathaoirleach Cllr. Devins and Mayor Cawley, consultants and staff of Sligo County Council

PEACE III PROGRAMME 2007 – 2013 Update

Sligo County Development Board and the Sligo Peace and Reconciliation Partnership Committee have had their application for €1.9million under the Peace III Programme Priority 1, Theme 1.1 approved.

Bridie Sweeney has been appointed Programme Development Officer to the Peace III Programme and commenced work at the end of September.

Currently work is underway to finalise budgets, develop a small grants programme and prioritise actions in the approved plan. Information sessions for interested parties will be organised in the coming weeks.

At present focus groups are being undertaken with Protestant communities with the aim of extending membership of the Sligo Peace and Reconciliation Partnership Committee to ensure that all related groupings are represented. The next such meeting with take place on Monday 3rd November at 8pm, Catacombs, The Mall, Sligo.

The PEACE III Programme - Overarching Aim - To reinforce progress towards a peaceful and stable society and to promote reconciliation

Priority One – Reconciling CommunitiesTheme 1.1 – Building Positive Relations at the local level

Theme 1.1 is focused on issues arising from and relating to Sectarianism (religious and political) and Racism. Building positive relationships is described as - Relationship building or renewal following violent conflict addressing issues of trust, prejudice, intolerance in this process, resulting in accepting commonalities and differences, and embracing and engaging with those who are different to us. (Hamber and Kelly, 2004)

     

Mayor’s Receptions

Mayor Cllr Veronica Cawley recently hosted receptions for the 1983 Sligo Rovers Cup winning side, the Irish Association of Barbershop Singers and the Catalyst Club.

The Catalyst Club is a Sligo based over 50s non-denominational group and Mayor Cawley wanted to formally acknowledge their work in the community. This ranges from organising activities such as computer classes and creative writing classes to walking clubs and trips to the gym. The Mayor highlights the Catalyst as one of the many volunteer groups working in Sligo trying to enrich their community.

- Mayor Cawley with members of the Catalyst Club recently honoured at City Hall

The Mayor also recently hosted a reception for the Irish Association of Barbershop Singers. They were in Sligo to attend the 20th Annual Irish International Barbershop Convention. Cllr. Cawley was delighted to welcome another significant musical event to Sligo City; the renowned International Choral Festival also being hosted in Sligo. She welcomed singers from all over Ireland and Europe and indeed Sligo’s own ‘4 Bars Later’ have developed a large and loyal following in the region.

- Members of the local ‘4 Bars Later’ at the reception for the Irish Association of Barbershop Singers with Mayor Cllr. Veronica Cawley

On Sunday 16th November Mayor Cawley hosted a joint reception with the Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council Cllr. Jude Devins in City Hall for the 1983 Sligo Cup Winning Side. As the Mayor pointed out this reception was unique as ‘it is the first time that myself and the Cathaoirleach have come together to host a joint reception, and it is fitting we do so to host a glorious chapter in Sligo Rovers history.’ On celebrating the 25th anniversary of their famous win the mayor has seen a similar spirit and pride displayed by that cup winning side in the current Rovers team and their supporters as they have overcome some difficult obstacles this season. But this evening was to celebrate the achievements of the ‘83 side and the management and coaching staff and Mayor Cawley was delighted to have the opportunity to honour them.