16-03-2002

Camera call to curb litter louts

Wheelie bins were being given back to the waste Collection Company because of the expense involved, Cllr Paddy Bracken told Mountmellick Town Council monthly meeting last week. He added, "it's a problem that the council will have to address".

Cllr Helen Hanson: "There's dumping on every road. The Co Council will just have to invest in CCTV cameras and have them mobile and put them on various roads. That is going to be the only deterrent. It (dumping) is always done after dark."

Cllr Michael Gormley: "We would need them (cameras) on the main street also."

Chairman Marc Connolly: "it might not be a bad idea to investigate the possibility of having CCTV for litter and vandalism."

Earlier, Town Clerk Roisín Walsh had said legal proceedings were pending in relation to litter on the Bay Road.

Mountmellick Drama festival launch enjoys huge support

The Mountmellick Drama Festival was launched in the Mountmellick Credit Union last week before a large attendance, which included representatives from the Mountmellick Town Commission and patrons of the festival.

Scheduled to take place this year in the CYMS Hall form March 18 - 25, the Festival promises to provide a lively week of entertainment and will no doubt make up for the disappointment of the festival being cancelled last year due to the Foot and Mouth disease scare.

Eight nights of theatre will be performed by top class drama groups from all over Ireland who will be hoping to gain important points needed to reach the All-Ireland Drama Finals.

The Drama groups are presenting plays by well known Irish playwrights such as John B Keane and Bernard Farrell. 'Sive' is being presented by the Castlewood Players Drama group from Clare on March 18 and a second John B Keane play, 'Many young Men of 20' will be presented by the Newmarket Drama group from Cork on March 23. Bernard Farrell's play 'Last Apache Reunion' will be presented by Carlow little Theatre group on March 25.

Other plays include 'Twelve angry Men' presented by the Classic revival Group from Dublin on March 19. 'The Thaw' presented by Bunclody Kilmshall Drama Group on March 20, 'Angels in America' presented by Silken Thomas Players from Kildare on March 21, 'The Lonesome West' presented by Nenagh Players from Tipperary on March 22 and 'In Memory of Water' presented by Estuary Players from Dublin on March 24.

Mountmellick mezzo steals show at Royal Albert hall

Mezzo soprano Imelda Drumm, a native of Mountmellick, is in her final week of singing the title role of Bizet's Carmen in the Raymond Gubbay production at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
The Show has received widespread critical acclaim for its production and fine cast under the stage direction of David Freeman, Imelda uses her well tuned acting and singing talent to great effect in her rendition of a proud, unbowed Carmen, a role she previously played with the Welsh national Opera in Cardiff.

To enable two shows to be performed on some days, the lead roles are double-cast. Imelda came to the rescue n the show's second night when Claire Bradshaw became unwell after the first scene of her opening night. Despite the lack of warm up, Imelda carried the remainder of the show with aplomb.

Imelda first studied voice with Anne Marie O'Sullivan and Dr Veronica Dunne in Ireland before completing her singing studies at the national Opera Studio in London in 1997, where she was supported by the Glyndebourne Opera. A strong relationship was formed with Glyndebourne, with whom she won the Richard Lewis/jean Shanks and Esso Touring Awards. Imelda has also forged a strong bond with the Welsh National Opera. She has performed the roles of Kate Pinkerton's Hansel and Gretel which was the winner of the Oliver Award and a Channel 4 television presentation on Christmas day 1999. Imelda has played a number of other roles, too numerous to list, with the Welsh National Opera and other Opera companies.

Alan Blyth of Opera Magazine wrote of one of Imelda's performances: "The young Irish mezzo, Imelda Drumm, proved a delight. Her mezzo speaks easily from top to bottom and was here employed with ease and agility. A consummate singer."

Throughout the run of Carmen, Imelda has revelled in her portrayal of the factory working gypsy girl who is imprisoned following a scrap with a fellow worker, but makes good her escape after bribing the prison guard Don Jose with a promise of love. When she instead sets her eye on the glamorous toreador, Escamillo, Don Jose pursues her to Seville. In typical Spanish fashion, this is a story where passion, power, superstition and murder are interwoven with smuggling, bullfighting and festivity. Under the same production team, the show will also be staged in Birmingham in March.

Carmen is Imelda's first operatic role since last year, following the birth of her first child, Laura. She now lives in bray with her husband Ciaran Nable, who sings with the Three Irish Tenors. Later this year, Imelda is to play the role of Fox in the Cunning Little Vixen for Welsh National Opera.

Mountmellick Anglers look forward to new fishing season

At the AGM held recently in the Town Hall, Chairman Ger Lynch reflected on last season, which unfortunately was dominated by the lack of fishing due to the Foot and Mouth outbreak in the U.K. Mountmellick was the first Association to put in place a voluntary ban on fishing in it's waters, two weeks before the Government ban came into effect.

It wasn't all bad news, the association had a lot to cheer about when one of it's members D.J. Byrne represented the association and Country in the World Trout Fly fishing competition held in Sweden last August. He fished quite well in Sweden and found it a marvellous experience overall. The chairman acknowledged all who sponsored and helped D.J. on his way.

Dave Touhy, the Association Fly tying expert, showed just how expert he was when he won two gold, one silver and one bronze in the All Ireland Flying tying competition held in Durrow last April.

Lake fishing was permitted I June and the Association held a very successful one-day competition on Lough Owl, which was won by Tommy Quigley, followed by a social evening in Moloney's Bar.

Then late in the season in October the TAFI Youth Interprovincial competition, held in Ballinakill Lough in Galway, Christopher Cox qualified for the Irish Youths team to fish in the World Youth championships to be held in Connemarra in August this year.

The Association undertook a major development in association Fisheries Board when a footbridge spanning the Triogue where it enters the Barrow at Clonterry was put in place. The association would like to thank John Flynn and Tom Sullivan of the fishing board for their help in this work. The association enjoys a very healthy relationship with the Fisheries Board and between them, they have an extensive development plan drawn up.

Finally the Association ended the season with an awards night held in the Mellick Inn to acknowledge the achievements of D.J. Byrne, Dave Touhy and Christopher Cox, Simon O'Meara was honoured as clubman of the year for his tireless work as secretary of the Barrow Catchments Association and we wish well. We also thank the committee who represented the Association throughout the year at meetings with various fisheries bodies.

The Association is looking forward to a good season this year as water quality is very good at the moment. The major worry of pollution never goes away as it takes only one accident to destroy years of good work. The Association are very lucky in that they have two excellent water keepers in Tommy Quigley and Simon O' Meara who are ever vigilant in their efforts to keep pollution at bay. Their major concerns at the moment would be the rapid development of Portlaoise and the strain it puts on the sewerage treatment plants as there has been a number of kills on the river Triogue in recent times with one of these directly related to the sewerage plant.

The Association encourage all those whose responsibility it is to ensure good water quality to do so, because put simply if the water isn't good enough for fish life, it's not good enough for people.

To find out more about the Mountmellick Angling Club click here.