Looking back at August 2022

A man who was holidaying in north Leitrim died on August Bank Holiday Monday after falling in the Devil’s Chimney area of Glencar.
The man, aged in his late 60s and from Galway, was walking alone and is understood to have become disorientated and strayed from the path.
Henry Doherty from Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue told the Leitrim Observer the alarm was raised at 7pm and 10 volunteers assembled in dreadful wet conditions and found the man in a nearby stream, which had turned into a swollen river due to the heavy rain at the time.
The volunteers say the walker strayed 500m from the path and fell around 20m. It is understood he sustained a head injury from his fall.
Mr Doherty said a complex haul system was put in place to get the man out of the river, which was dangerous due to a large fall on each side. After much difficulty, the man was brought to a nearby field for medical assessment by paramedics. Sadly, “he could not be revived” and was pronounced dead sometime after.
A real sense of shock and sadness descended on the town of Carrick-on-Shannon on Sunday morning, August 14, after a fire ripped through the iconic riverside public house, Gings.
Owner of the pub, Brendan Whelan, told the Leitrim Observer he was in a state of shock but was thankful that no one was hurt.
According to Roscommon Chief Fire Officer, John Keane, fire tenders from Carrick-on-Shannon and Drumshanbo responded following initial reports of the fire at 6.42am and the blaze was extinguished by 9.30am.
He said the ground floor area was extensively damaged in the fire and the first floor/attic space of the property also sustained substantial smoke damage.

Kiltubrid twin sisters Avril and Tara Gilmartin both won bronze medals in the Aldi National Community Games Finals in August. Avril, wearing the white shorts, took third in the U10 Art competition while Tara, in the green shorts, won bronze in the U10 Handwriting competition. The sisters are pictured after they received their medals in Carlow

Leitrim Rose Saoirse Gibbons shone on stage at the Rose of Tralee Dome on Monday night, August 22.
Saoirse appeared in the second part of the show, gliding on stage wearing a stunning emerald green ball gown described by her as the “dress of her dreams.” The stunning formal dress was designed and created by Margaret Coyne Couture in Dowra.Saoirse conversed with presenter Dáithí Ó Sé for a few minutes as gaeilge, before going on to say her favourite part of the whole rose experience was her homecoming to Leitrim.
In the week prior to her appearance on stage, Saoirse had been showing off Leitrim on the Rose Tour of Ireland.
The roses visited Drumshanbo, stayed a night in Lough Rynn Castle Hotel, and also visited Margaret of New Orleans House in Carrigallen and took a pleasure cruise aboard Moon River Carrick-on-Shannon.
A new report in August from the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) showed a stark decline in the number of pubs doing business throughout the country since 2005. 
Leitrim has lost 37 pubs which equates to a 26.4% decline in public houses since 2005.