Happy Easter to everyone in Kilteevan and to all our families, friends and relatives who are elsewhere.

Kilteevan Community Development Group wishes you hope, new beginnings and happiness this Easter.

At a meeting last Monday night in Kilteevan Community Centre, fifteen year old Laura Croghan presented a cheque for €200 to Kilteevan Community Development Group Ltd. towards the running costs of the Community Centre.

Laura also presented a cheque for €200 to another charity very close to her heart,

The Ronald Mc Donald Foundation. The Foundation supports families whose children are seriously ill.  

The presentations were the proceeds of a raffle and donations at the Ceol, Craic agus Caint event which Laura organised on 16^th March 2014 .

Well done Laura and thank you.

After a hugely successful series of Social Dancing classes,now that the Summer is approaching Kilteevan Community Development Group has decided to take a break from dancing activities. Classes will, we hope, resume in the Autumn .We will keep you informed.

Our sincere thanks to Michael Spellman for his support in organising our two successful Social Dance nights in Kilteevan.

In the meantime, if your heart needs a dancing lift watch the video below Paddy and Nico on Britain’s Got Talent 2014 Auditions.

Remember....“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young”. 

Henry Ford

Kilteevan Community Development Group would like to thank everyone who supported our Social Dance on 28^th March. The evening was most successful and enjoyed by all in attendance. Given Kilteevan’s growing dance community another dance is being planned for early Autumn.

The Roscommon branch of Pieta House is organising a nine day walk around County Roscommon.

Starting next Sunday at Padraig Pearse's GAA club Frankie Flynn will walk approx 35km per stage.

We would ask as many as possible to join him on Monday morning ,March 31^st  at  9.30am at Jack Fallon’s Hill and walk to Dr. Hyde Park as he passes through our locality. 

Your support in this worthy cause would be greatly appreciated.

 The St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Kilteevan on March 16^th were a great success.  After months of planning it was good to finally see the finished product. Prior to the commencement of the event it was lovely to see the local children arriving, each with their own interpretation of St Patrick’s Day fancy dress.

 The day started at 3pm with a variety of songs from a small ballad group consisting of Emma Healy, Enya Reilly and myself.  Next to showcase their skills were the Sean Nós duo of Éabha Dolan and Róisín Coyle who really got the crowd going with their dancing skills. Finally to close the first section of the entertainment was Enya Reilly accompanied on keyboard by Rebecca Mooney, singing a medley of tunes.

The Grúpa Ceoil played out the rest of the afternoon with a variety of Jigs, Reels and Hornpipes. This group consisted of: Roberta Jeffreys, Aoife Garvey, Della McGuinness, Ciara Garvey, Aoife Feeley and Roddy McGuinness. The day was really a showcase of the wealth of talent from young people in our local area.

The imaginative art work from the children in Kilteevan Primary school was on display for all to see on the day. The colourful exhibition was a credit to the students and staff of the local school.

Cúchulainn

  I undertook this project as part of my Dermot Earley Youth Leadership Initiative. The initiative is organised by the National University of Ireland, Galway, Foróige and the GAA and aims at enabling young people to achieve their full potential. In order to meet the requirements of the course, I had to participate in 20 hours of community work. Until now I would never have thought I would be able to organise such an event such as we had in Kilteevan on March 16^th.

The skills I have learned with the Initiative are second to none and I will take them with me throughout the rest of my life. What I saw shine through this event is the community spirit and the willingness of the people of my community to help out and support. This is one of the great advantages of living in such a small and tight-knit village.

I sincerely want to thank everyone who helped out in any way, especially the local community who turned up on the day to support me.  Laura Croghan, 18 March 2014

Grúpa Ceoil 

Councillor Orla Leyden with Laura Croghan, Event Organiser, "Ceol Craic agus Caint"

Photos of Student Art work posted with the kind permission of Kilteevan National School.

Happy St Patrick's weekend to everyone in Kilteevan and to all our family, relatives and friends.  Very special greetings to everyone overseas with Kilteevan roots and connections.

We wish fifteen year old Laura Croghan the best of luck with her event Ceol, Craic agus Caint in the Community Centre on Sunday March 16^th at 3pm.

Don’t forget to support St Joseph’s on Sunday 16^th March in their match against St Ronan's. Venue: Ballyfarnon at 1pm.

Best of luck to Roscommon Senior Footballers also in their match against Offaly Venue: Hyde Park at 2pm.

We will leave you on this special weekend with a traditional Irish blessing

May the roads rise to meet you,
May the wind be at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rain fall soft upon your fields,
And, until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

For those of you who are following us all over the world we want you to know that spring is in the air in Kilteevan! Today Friday, 7 March 2014 ,was a beautiful, sunny and calm afternoon.

Flood waters are beginning to recede, buds and new growth are bursting out all over and the melodic bird song would lift any heart. There are lots of Lesser Celandines in the hedgerows now. Our remarkable native shrub Gorse, Furze or Whin (whichever you prefer to call it) is in bloom on our bog landscape today.

It was a strange winter here in Ireland. According to Met Eireann ( Irish  Meteorological  Service) the winter of 2013/ 2014 was the wettest on record.

The south and west of the country were particularly badly affected. Newport, Co. Mayo had only 10 days without rain in the three months of winter.

Valentia Observatory in Co Kerry recorded 33½ inches of rain in December, January and February. This is the highest figure recorded since records began in 1866.

On the bright side because of the south-westerly winds, it was also an extremely mild winter in Ireland.

We look forward to the possibility of a good summer!!!!!

"Beidh an lá dúl chun shíneadh",  (Antaine Ó Raifteirí 1784-1835). The days will be lengthening.

By popular demand, Social Dancing Classes will continue every Thursday night, through March and April at 9.00 p.m in Kilteevan Community Centre. Admission €7 .All Welcome