Bus Éireann's 120 Bus Route Opened Up To Private Bidders

By Justin Kelly

The number 120 Bus Éireann Dublin route which currently services Tullamore and Edenderry has been included on a list of routes being opened up to bids from private bus operators. Five Bus Éireann routes in total have been put up for possible privatisation, mostly Dublin-Kildare commuter services.

The National Transport Authority has advertised 28 routes in total, 23 of which are currently operated by Dublin Bus, as well as the five Bus Éireann routes, for prospective private bids.

This is part of the Government’s plan to open up 10 per cent of public bus routes to the private market, despite the unions representing transport workers threatening industrial action if this privatisation goes ahead.

Talks between the National Bus and Rail Union, SIPTU, the transport authority, and managers from both Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus are ongoing at the Labour Relations Commission. A new round of negotiations between the parties has been fixed for Monday, February 1.

Companies are being asked to express an interest in the routes before April 17 this year.

Offaly’s Rigney Calls Time On Hurling Career

Rigney in action against Kilkenny last summer

By Justin Kelly

Offaly stalwart James Rigney has announced his retirement from intercounty hurling this week. The 29-year-old Kinnitty man has said his decision is due to work commitments, commenting on the hectic training schedule that a role in the county fold entails.

Rigney was one of the most valuable cogs in the Offaly wheel over the last eight years, having made his debut for the side in a league tie against Cork in 2007. His first championship appearance came a year later in a Leinster championship game against Dublin.

Rigney was one of the most versatile players in the set-up throughout his 47 appearances for the Faithful. He operated mostly has an all-action, thoroughly committed defender, but he also ventured forward and put in a number of swashbuckling performances in midfield.

He made his final appearance in last year’s hefty defeat at the hands of eventual All-Ireland winners Kilkenny. That game was the first GAA fixture aired on Sky Sports as part of the controversial television rights deal agreed between the GAA and the British broadcaster last year.

Rigney is the third player from last year’s Offaly senior hurling panel to retire, following Rory Hannify and Kevin Rigney down the tunnel for the final time.

Gardai Seek Help In Search For Missing Offaly Man

Have you seen this man?

By Justin Kelly

Gardai from Tullamore are asking for the public's assistance to find 63-year-old Peter Guinan, who has been missing since Sunday evening. Mr Guinan was last seen on River Street, Clara, Co Offaly at about 8.40pm on Sunday last, January 25.

Mr Guinan is said to be of stocky build, measuring 1.75m (5' 9”) tall.

Peter was last seen wearing a fawn jumper, black tracksuit bottoms and blue runners. Gardai are requesting any information that may point them in the direction of his whereabouts, or indeed shed light on his movements over the weekend.

If anyone has information that will help Gardai with their search, they are asked to contact Tullamore Garda Station on 057-9327600, the Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.

Ginny's Gone Dry! Local Festival Urgently Needs New Milking Goat

Ginny in her prime at the festival last year

By Justin Kelly

Just days before the Slieve Bloom Association’s Imbolc Festival, disaster has struck for their famed milking goat – “Poor auld Ginny’s gone dry,” they claim. Ginny is a family pet to the Rigney family, and she has been the superstar milking goat at the festival over the last few years. “Sadly, Ginny has gone dry and cannot be milked for this year’s festival,” a statement on the Slieve Bloom Association’s website read.


So, they need a new goat before the festival kicks off this Sunday, February 1. The Imbolc Festival 2015 or ‘milking of the goat’ festival, begins at 2pm on Sunday in Dempsey’s Pub Car Park, Cadamstown, Co. Offaly. If you are in the Laois/Offaly area and can supply a goat for the day, please email info@slievebloomassociation.com.

Imbolc Festival marks the beginning of Spring. It is most commonly held on either January 31 or February 1 each year. It is one of the four Celtic seasonal festivals – the others being Bealtane, Lughnasadh and Samhain. The Imbolc Festival was revived by The Slieve Bloom Association in 2013 and 2014. There are many customs associated with Imbolc festival, but the custom revered in Slieve Bloom, of course, is the milking of the goat. But first, they need to find the heir to Ginny’s throne!

All interested in hearing old stories and becoming versed in ancient traditions are invited to attend on the day this weekend. People can watch or take part in the ancient Imbolc Festival tradition of milking the goat on Spink Hill, and you can also churn the milk afterwards.

Mark Graham travelled to last year’s festival for The Irish Times, and after standing in “the dull bluey green glow emanating from the spruce trees” to learn about the milking festival from the Goat Milking Committee, the writer summed up the festival celebration: “Spring had sprung and the festival fields ahead promised an abundance of synthesisers and cider, but right then, a sup of goat’s milk was just perfect.” Yes, I said Goat Milking Committee!

The Slieve Bloom Association quipped a fond farewell to Ginny on their website recently: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank Ginny for her good humour and pleasant nature through the years.”

The search for the new milking queen goes on in the Slieve Bloom Mountains.

Birdman Among Trio Of Additions To Tullamore Weekend Cinema Schedule

Keaton in Birdman

By Justin Kelly

Birdman

The critically acclaimed Birdman is the headline addition to IMC Tullamore’s schedule this weekend, and Alejandro González Iñárritu’s dark comedy is arriving to the Offaly cinema on the back of nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. The film boasts a stellar cast, including Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, and Naomi Watts.

The movie centres on Keaton’s character Riggan Thomson, a washed-up Hollywood actor famous for playing the superhero Birdman years earlier, who now must battle his egotistical demons to reclaim former glory on the stage. Thomson plots a rousing return to the limelight in a Broadway play, but has to balance family troubles and his own ailing conscience in the process. Keaton has been nominated for the Best Actor award at next month’s Oscars for his role in Birdman.

The supporting cast has also been recognised during awards season, with both Stone and Norton receiving Oscar nominations in the male and female Supporting Actor categories. Emma Stone, the rising female star of Hollywood, impresses as Thomson’s drug addict daughter, while Ed Norton plays a volatile method actor drafted into his Broadway play fold by Keaton’s character.

The Guardian reviewed the movie earlier this month: “Birdman is a hard movie to embrace unconditionally – it feels too knowing, too immaculately timed a display of mastery to really breathe. Even so, there’s plenty to enjoy and more still to admire,” Jonathan Romney wrote for the English broadsheet. “Birdman has wings, for certain, even if you find the feathers sticking in your throat now and then,” he added.

Birdman screens in Tullamore on Friday at 21:10pm and will remain in that single slot for the duration of its run.

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Colin Firth heads up the cast of Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service, and the British actor is joined on screen by Hollywood legends Michael Caine and Samuel L. Jackson.

Matthew Vaughn is the same director that brought audiences Kick-Ass and Layer Cake, and he has adapted Kingsman from Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar’s comic book series called ‘The Secret Service.’ The film follows veteran Kingsman secret service spy Harry Hart (Firth) as he recruits young streetwise Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin (Taron Egerton) as a possible Kingsman.

Meanwhile, Samuel L. Jackson’s character, a villainous millionaire, plots a murderous campaign against millions of people, and the Kingsmen led by Michael Caine are tasked with stopping the wealthy madman.

The sharply-dressed and gentlemanly Hart brings the espionage genre into the line of quick-witted comedy, while the plot packs in the action element. Mark Adams for the Mirror newspaper says “Colin Firth is completely at ease as the upper-class spy; Kingsman is a dazzlingly slick piece of bold and bloody entertainment, and while hefty in terms of running time at more than two hours, it packs in espionage action.”

However, The Guardian reviewed the film as “a James Bond pastiche in its bones, teeming with quips, easily dispatched henchmen and umbrella-derived weaponry.”

Kingsman: The Secret Service opens in Tullamore on Friday night at 20:30pm, and will run at the same time every night for the duration of its run there. There are also daytime showing on Saturday and Sunday at 14:40pm and 17:30pm.

Big Hero 6

The final film arriving at Tullamore this weekend is the family fun flick Big Hero 6, directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams. Big Hero 6 is a computer-animated superhero action-comedy produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. It tells the story of a young robotics prodigy named Hiro Hamada who forms a high-tech team of superheroes to combat a masked villain.

This animated film has been a commercial success, already racking up almost $500 million at the Box Office worldwide, and it has also been nominated for the Best Animated Feature award at the 87^th Academy Awards, which take place at the end of February.

Writing for Forbes magazine, Scott Mendelson reviewed the film as follows: “Big Hero 6 is a perfect in-between entertainment/action film. It is a kid-friendly superhero adventure, something noticeably less violent and intense than the likes of Man of Steel or Guardians of the Galaxy, but no less exciting or action-packed. It is also a visually gorgeous and richly entertaining comic adventure movie.”

Big Hero 6 screens in 3D at 16:15pm on both Saturday and Sunday, while the 2D version will hit the screens at 18:45pm on Friday evening, and continues in that time slot each day for its residency at Tullamore. There are also supplementary 2D screenings on Saturday and Sunday at 13:45pm and 16:20pm.

All Areas At Risk Of Snow And Ice In Coming Days

By Justin Kelly

Met Éireann has issued two status yellow weather warnings for the whole country, with wet and wintry conditions prevailing over the coming days.

A snow and ice warning came into effect at 6am this morning with Met Éireann expecting “wintry showers to bring snow accumulations of up to 3cm at lower levels during today and Thursday.” The warning puts “all areas at risk,” although most of the snowfall is expected in the north and west of the country.

The second status yellow warning relates to high winds that have been forecast for the whole country, with gusts reaching up to 110km/h in some areas. AA Roadwatch have joined the warning, telling motorists to expect “excess surface water and possible fallen debris from the windy conditions.”

The remainder of the week is forecast to remain cold with night time temperatures dipping as low as -3 or -4 degrees, while daytime temperatures will rarely rise above 5 degrees. As the temperatures plummet over the coming days, the possibility of more snowfall is prevalent in all areas.

Following the adverse weather warning, the Road Safety Authority have been urging motorists and pedestrians to remain cautious: “The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is advising all road users to take extra care when using the roads as showers in the coming days will turn wintry in the north and west, with a risk of icy patches in all areas,” a statement on their website read.

The RSA gave the following advice:

Check local and National weather forecasts before setting out on a journey. Clear your windows and mirrors before you set out, carry a screen scraper and de-icer.  Do not use hot water on the windscreen as it can crack the glass.

·         Remove ALL snow from your vehicle before commencing your journey. Snow left on the roof will become loose and can drop onto the windscreen during braking, thereby causing sudden and severe restriction to your vision. It can also fall off during your drive and cause injury to pedestrians or a reflex action by another driver.

·         In snow and icy conditions, manoeuvre gently, slow down and leave extra distance between you and the vehicle in front. Too much steering is bad and avoid harsh braking and acceleration. Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin. Select a low gear when travelling downhill especially if through bends.

·         Remember that heavy snowfall and rain reduce visibility. Use dipped headlights and decrease speed smoothly.

·         To prevent windscreen wipers from freezing and seizing up in freezing fog, add anti-freeze screen washer to the water tank. Check that the wipers for wear and tear and replace them if they are.

·         Do not drive on the tail-lights of the vehicle in front (Target Fixing). This can give a false sense of security and you will be too close to be able to brake safely. In heavy fog, turn off your radio and let down your driver’s window a fraction, so as you can hear other traffic.

·         Watch out for "black ice." If the road looks polished or glossy it could be, black ice” one of winter's worst hazards: Black Ice is difficult to see! It is nearly transparent ice that often looks like a harmless puddle or is overlooked entirely. It can occur especially in sheltered / shaded areas on roads, under trees and adjacent to high walls.

Pedestrians and cyclists are advised as follows:

·         While walking on footpaths and in public places, or entering and exiting your vehicle, DO NOT underestimate the danger of ice.

·         Many slips and falls happen in places people regard as safe and secure, typically outside their front door, on the door step, on the path or while getting out of the car. It is very possible that a thin sheet of transparent ice or “Black Ice” is covering your pathway putting you at risk. When you approach a footpath or roadway that appears to be covered with ice, always use extreme caution.

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.