Neil Delamere Brings New Comedy Tour Home To Offaly This Weekend

By Justin Kelly

Edenderry funny man Neil Delamere will bring his brand new touring show ‘The Fresh Prince of Delamere’ to the Tullamore Court Hotel on Friday night, January 30 at 8pm. Delamere makes the short stopover in Offaly for one night before continuing his tour, which runs into April, throughout the entire country.

Many dates on the tour are already sold out, but there are still tickets available for the former St. Mary’s Edenderry student’s Tullamore gig this weekend. Tickets are priced at just €20, and the Tullamore Court Hotel are also offering special rates for the night, starting at just €85 per person sharing for a ticket to the show and pre-show dinner, along with a one night’s bed and breakfast stay.

Delamere’s stand-up is famous for its quick wit and razor sharp audience banter, as well as Neil’s uncanny ability to spin a well-observed yarn with effortless comedic energy. The Offaly man was once described as “a master” by The Scotsman after one of his many appearances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He has also made stand-up appearances at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival.

Delamere has been a regular on our TV screens over the past ten years with numerous appearances on shows like The Panel, Republic Of Telly, BBC’s The Blame Game, and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow.

The Fresh Prince Of Delamere is set to offer another stellar performance from the comic powerhouse, who is fast becoming one of the stalwarts of comedy in both Ireland and the UK.

Don’t miss him performing in his home county!

To book tickets for his show on Friday night in Tullamore, visit www.tullamorecourthotel.ie, or to view information about all of Neil’s tour dates, visit www.neildelamere.com.

14.8% Drop In Numbers Signing On Live Register In Offaly

By Justin Kelly

Central Statistics Office figures for December 2014 have revealed a 14.8% decline in the number of people on the live register in Co. Offaly. The number of unemployed people has declined in all eight regions of the country, and the news has been welcomed by Fine Gael TD for Laois/Offaly, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy.

“Another drop in the Live Register in December emphasises that the economy is in recovery and that more people are entering the jobs market. I am particularly encouraged that the Live Register here in Offaly has dropped by such a significant percentage,” Corcoran Kennedy said.

Rural Ireland has been particularly affected by the economic downturn, and while technology companies like Facebook and Google have opened offices in the urban centres, counties like Offaly have been lacking investment. Corcoran Kennedy, who is the chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs and Enterprise, has spoken of the government's commitment to rural communities: “This year there will be an increased focus on job creation outside of the main urban centres as the Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton prepares the launch of a pilot programme in the shape of the Regional Enterprise Strategy. This strategy, which I welcome, will specifically address local economies in rural areas, an issue I have consistently raised with Minister Bruton in the Dail,” the deputy stated.

It was recently announced by the IDA that 37% of foreign investments in 2014 were made outside the main urban centres, and Corcoran Kennedy wants to ensure counties like Offaly “compete with the likes of Dublin and Cork” in terms of foreign direct investment going forward. “The IDA figures are encouraging, and the government will commit to continuing this trend in the future,” she added.

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy has also welcomed the other investments that were made in Offaly throughout 2014: “€6,971,007 went towards capital spend for schools in the county and 18 Garda cars came on stream in the Laois/Offaly division,” she revealed. While recognising these positives in the county, Corcoran Kennedy also acknowledged the difficulties that have been encountered by the people of Co. Offaly: “There is no doubt that 2014 was a challenging year for the people of Offaly. We have been coming out of the most difficult recession in the history of the State and recovery does not happen overnight. Major progress has been made however, and the same can be expected for 2015.”

Nationally, the latest CSO Live Register figures show that the unemployment rate has dropped to 10.6% from a high of 15.1% in 2012, and Corcoran Kennedy says “we expect that this figure will finally drop below 10% in 2015.”

Two Offaly GAA Clubs Set For Merger

By Justin Kelly

Two small GAA clubs in Co. Offaly look set to merge in the coming days. Killeigh GAA and neighbouring Killurin are owing the decision to dwindling player numbers in the parish.

Former Offaly county board chairman Pat Teehan chaired a meeting with both clubs on Tuesday night, where the option was discussed. The matter is expected to top the agenda at the Killeigh GAA AGM, which has been set for Friday night.

Killurin's numbers in healthier shape in 2007

This will be the second merger in Killeigh’s history after previously joining forces with Raheen in the 1980s and 90s. It will be the second merger in Co. Offaly in just two years after Ballyskenagh and Killavilla formed one club in March 2013. Dwindling numbers has been a problem in the GAA in the last number of years as the downturn in the economy in 2008 led to mass emigration. The midlands was particularly affected as job losses were more severely felt in rural communities. Young people left for the bigger urban centres, as well as moving further afield to countries like Australia.

Statistics from the Central Statistics Office reveal that 480,000 people have emigrated from Ireland since 2009. Almost 85 per cent of these people were aged 15-44 at the time they left Ireland. This age range encompasses all GAA players from minor level upwards, and player numbers have been affected accordingly. While this level of emigration was absorbed for the most part by larger clubs in Dublin and the bigger towns and cities of the country, communities like Killeigh and Killurin have been decimated. The decision to amalgamate both teams can only be finalised if 75 per cent of both club’s membership vote in favour of the motion.

The Killeigh AGM will be held tomorrow night.