Longford community family fun weekend was a resounding success

You really have to hand it to the people of the small north Longford community and surrounding environs of Lisryan as resilience is their middle name.
The Irish Summer, that saw some serious rain fall the weekend of July 28 - 30, did not stop any one of them in their tracks.

The weekend was so well supported, it was a resounding success and one that can be built on yearly from now on. We might need a bigger supply of the Infant of Prague statues, but we will worry about that nearer the time.

Even Fr Pierre Perry couldn’t perform miracles while celebrating mass to a congregation of over 60 people who quite happily sat on straw bales together in the deluge of rain. It was great to see locals reconnect with each other over a cuppa and cake in the hospitality tent afterwards. It showed the great sense of pride in a community between young and old. It turned out to be a very heart-warming, albeit wet event which was appreciated by all who attended.

Saturday morning kicked off with the 5km run which was very well supported and thankfully the rain held off for most of it. The very first Lisryan Community Perpetual Cup was taken home by Fiona Gettings who came in first overall, Patrick Pursak who came in second picked up a cash prize and trophy also.

There was some great talent in the junior ranks which ultimately saw an additional prize being given out in the under 12 category, such was the effort put in by the young man. Senan Neilon took home the under 18 prize, while Eddie Beades took home the under 12 prize and his twin brother Ollie taking home the additional prize.

The fun continued throughout the day in-between and during rain showers, there was a great obstacle course set up by our committee and a soccer tournament was run with the assistance of Niall Fagan to whom we are very grateful. All children, both young and young at heart, had a great afternoons’ fun.
The market stalls got great attention, selling their wares from locally sourced honey to home-made crafts from Dublin.

The Buffalo Hut food truck kept everyone happy with delicious burgers, pulled pork and other culinary delights, the hospitality tent catered for the teas/coffees and the sweet cake lovers.
A huge thank you to Faustina Rogers who once again went over and beyond for the community in all the fantastic produce she baked for us. Another committee member who stayed very silent about her baking skills and amazed us all with her home-made delights was Claire Anderson.

Sunday mornings rain could not deter the amount of kids who turned out in their plenty to take part Lisryan’s first ever Kiddie’s Tractor Run. Tthere was roller skates, go-karts, tricycles, bicycles, tractors and even a motorised tractor brought out by the very eager children. What a morning it was, it was such fun for them all. Granard Gardaí played their part in giving them the ‘blue light’ and siren start and escort from Líos na Gaoithe up to the Community Park. They all had a ball and received a medal for their efforts and some treats as well.

A huge thank you to Garda Sabrina Scally and Sergeant James Rowan, Granard Garda Station who gave their full support and assistance throughout the weekend, not to mention them trying their hand/legs at the egg and spoon races held during the day. The old fashion races including the 3-legged and sack races also provided major entertainment for all.

The day started to wrap up with Mairead Farrell and a group of her musicians who played some great tunes, and finally the day ended with a performance by Flood Family (Eamon, Helen, Aaron, Liam, Joey and Daniel), who gave us great entertainment and even the rain could not stop the jivers getting out and dancing.

The Hot Pokers played the weekend out in style in the Crossroads Inn on Sunday night and the raffle took place then too. What a night that turned out to be, it was so well supported from far and wide.
We would like to pay special thanks to all the sponsors, the event could not have been the success it was without their support. There are way too many to mention but each and every-one of them was very much appreciated. We are so grateful for all your continued support.
The local residents were very tolerant of any traffic disruption due to road closures and for that we are also very grateful.

A weekend like this does not happen without the commitment and drive of a community and committee to see things through.
A huge debt of gratitude has to be extended to the Lisryan Tidy Village/Development Committee for organising this event. It is untold the amount of preparation that has to be done to have everything come together seamlessly and safely in the end. It can sometimes feel like a thankless job being involved in a voluntary committee, but it is so worth it when an event like this is enjoyed and celebrated by young and old from the community and surrounding areas.

A big thank you to local photographer Lissette Carcamo who braved the elements all weekend taking some great photos of the days.

Photos can be purchased from Lissette if you wish to have the memory framed. Her contact number is 083 0655412. Thanks also to Shelley Corcoran who came out in the elements on Sunday and included some great photos in the Longford Leader.
The next event on Lisryan’s Community Schedule is the Croagh Patrick Sponsored climb in aid of Lisryan Tidy Village and Community Development and the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland – Longford Branch. This is taking place on Saturday, September 16.

If you wish to volunteer to partake in this worthwhile challenge you can register on our Facebook page and follow the link or by contacting 087 1441646 or 085 8138319.

Transport to and from Croagh Patrick will be arranged. A WhatsApp group of all climbers is currently set up and you will be kept updated via this regarding collection time etc and the day’s itinerary.