Millstreet.ie

Dia is Mhuire díobh go léir a chairde, and welcome to my report.

The Holiday Season is in full swing and not a trace of a plane in the sky. You can’t help wondering what is happening instead of the criss-cross lines up in the blue carrying thousands of people from one crowded airport to the other right across the world. Where did it all go and what have we got instead?  You’d think the world would grind to a halt if the likes happened but it hasn’t.  No it hasn’t because T.G. people refuse to be downed. In spite of all the knocks they find the grit to keep going the strong helping the weak  and everybody learning from the next.  Every day we read of people making determined efforts to get back up again, carry the day and survive.  That is why it is so important that we support home industry, shop at home, bring your support to those who will stand us in good stead for the future. It is truly amazing what a town like Millstreet has to offer.  Last week alone I got my Laptop serviced and my car smartened up without ever leaving the area and at very reasonable rates. There is a host of other services in the  area, all depending on our support. It’s great to see so many places being done up and painted and so many businesses getting back to work. Everything  forward-looking and no sign of giving up.  Long may the trend  continue.

What can we say about the response to Sean Radley’s Go-Fund-Me plea for the Museum. Needless to say like everybody else,I’m overjoyed but sad at the same time. Sad because it took so long for the museum complex at the Carnegie Hall to get it’s true recognition. Our museum and website are the heart and soul of what we are.  It’s our link with the entire world. It deserves a lot more space to allow it to reach it’s full potential and sadly when the Carnegie Hall  was being refurbished some years ago what used to be a two roomed facility  for the museum etc.was reduced to one, forcing massive amounts of its artifacts to be boxed and put into storage at Sean Radley’s  own expense. Since then he has literally worked miracles  in  limited space  to make today’s wonderful service a reality and talk of good coming out of bad. It took the worldwide Corona Virus plague to wake us up to this great need  on our own doorstep. One of Sean’s dreams was to put a book on every shelf and he did when he gave Picture Millstreet to us and to the world, I know he has big ambitions for our museum and website, we help him to achieve it. Shame on us if we don’t.  Sean’s work is so very important. When we see the value that is placed in images of the past  such as of late with the Centenary of the Fight for Freedom 1900/1920s. The way old photos were tracked down and treasured  his store of pictures must run into hundreds of thousands and all are kept in pristine condition and dated and named for generations to come to enjoy and by which family records can be traced. But his pictures are only one aspect of what he has in store for the future. Long may our dear Sean continue to do what Sean loves best. To enhance his community ,in so many ways. Thank God for HIM.                       And Thank You Sean.

[read more …] “Eily’s Report – 4th August”

Dia is Mhuire díobh go léir a chairde, and welcome to my report.

August Bank Holiday, the very mention of the word gives us  a great feeling, fills you with excitement and the promise of annual holidays and a much needed break from the norm. Yes, that is what it used to be like, but alas not this time and it only took one small bug to put an end to it, change the world forever. For a long time now the media has wasted no time or energy in telling us about terrible things that threaten our very existence. Super powers stockpiling bigger and more powerful weapons of war and mass distruction, most of which never comes to fruition. T.G.  But there wasn’t a word about a little bug that was hatching away in China which put us all hiding behind masks for our own protection and that of those around us.        The whole world  is at bursting point and the annual holiday season only makes it worse. People can’t be blamed for casting their minds on the might-have –been.  Holidays both at home and abroad booked for months, having to be cancelled. To Holiday at home at short notice requiring careful planning , with many new aspects to be considered.  With very little hotel or B&B accommodation to be had they may be lucky enough to get a vacancy at a campsite, but even then the customary trip to the cafe or diner  could also be a no no. Already I’m hearing of towns in scenic places that are full of people and no pub or restaurant open. People with little children are to be pitied. Adults may curse their luck and settle for an alternative, but try telling the little ones that we’re not  going to France after all, or indeed to the seaside, because we’d have no place to stay. For years planning a holiday anywhere in the world  was done by pressing a few buttons and your every need was met. But it’s not like this year. This time people will have to do it all themselves, take the knocks and try again. To make it good for the August Bank Holiday this year is going to take some new thinking, more effort,  but I’ll bet that when it’s over, we will  hear  some wonderful stories from people who thought outside the box and had a wonderful time, in spite of Covid 19.

[read more …] “Eily’s Report – 28th July”