Buzz about town again
Cllr Brendan Fay (Ind)
With the beautiful summer evenings finally here after the long Covid restrictions, the town of Belturbet and the surrounding areas are a buzz of activity. I would like to acknowledge every single person, business and group who, through their own personal and financial suffering due to Covid, kept the positive side out and an eye on the big picture.
To all of those businesses forced to close on and off or even fully for the past 15 months, it is fantastic to see the doors open again and business resume. The hospitality industry is just finding its feet again for the summer rush and all of the employers and employees deserve huge praise for their mammoth efforts to deliver top-quality service to us outdoors - no easy task in an Irish summer!
The summer sun is shining down on all the beautiful natural local amenities we are so lucky to have near: ; River Erne, Turbet Island, Drumlane Abbey, Castlesaunderson, Killeshandra Camino Walk, Killykeen, Lough Oughter, and the Stairway to Heaven to name but a few. These amenities are being kept clean and managed by both local volunteers and Cavan County Council staff - well done to everyone.
New green areas have been created of late. For example, in Belturbet, residents groups are out happily weeding and tidying and having the craic and there is a glow of pride in our local area. The most exciting thing to happen in years in Belturbet is the laying of the first railway tracks in 60 years, thanks to the vision, dedication and pure meitheal of the members of Belturbet Heritage Railway Group. What a team! Their work will create a spectacular tourist and historical attraction for years to come.
Symbolically, green flags fly over our three national schools and one secondary school who do Trojan work in and for our community in Belturbet. Our educational facilities and campuses need to be nurtured, respected and regularly upgraded to meet the needs of our community’s young people, in which I am fully invested in my role. Two people who deserve endless praise and gratitude are Maureen Gaffney, principal of St Mary’s Boys’ NS and Beryl Trenier, principal of Fairgreen NS. These two women in neighbouring schools are retiring this month having used their vocation to teaching to benefit not only the children they taught throughout many years, but also the entire community. I wish to congratulate them both on their retirements and thank them sincerely for the legacies they leave behind them. As chairperson of St Bricin’s Vocational School, I wish to applaud deputy principal Stephen Smith for the sheer level of enthusiasm and innovation he brought to the school in the past year while he was acting principal, alongside acting deputy principal Anne Marie Fay. I also give a big welcome to the new principal David McCague and know he is full of inspiration for the future of our young people in the area.
I wish everyone a thoroughly enjoyable summer season.