Well what a fantastic few days we have had weather wise, the village buzzing, weddings, Birthday parties, and wonderful to see the new play ground in full swing, makes one feel good, I am sure everybody feels the same, anyway we are not here to discuss on how the way we feel.

Roundstone Marina:

Planning permission has now been granted to start work on the Marina; the next stage is now a waiting game for a decision from the Department of the Marine for the funding, so we will just have to keep our fingers crossed for their decision.

Folding Landscapes:

On Saturday in conjunction with NUIG and folding Landscapes we had the showing of the film ONCE Directed by John Carney, this movie is already the toast of this years Sundance Film Festival, having won the 2007 Audience award. It was a low budget musical film with his frames band mate Glen Hansard and musical collaborator Marketa Irglova, it tells the story of boy meets girl through music, its highs and its lows. John was telling us that it took 17 days to make in the streets of Dublin, It ran for about one hour and a half, believe me it was well worth seeing and what’s more we had a full house in the lower community.

The next event in the community Hall will be on Friday 27^th April with Professor Simmie on Bio – Fuels hopefully a partial solution to the Carbon Emissions problem.

Adolescent Support Group:

Thanks to Marie Feeney and her team a day out was organized for the youth clubs, i.e. Cashel - Recess, Cleggan Claddaduff, Ballyconneely, Renvyle, Roundstone, and the Clifden Réidoirí for a day in the Killary Centre yesterday with four activities, Gauge Walking, High Ropes, Kiacking, and Lazar quest. Their were seventy five kids of all ages, with their various leaders, trust me it was very entertaining and a lot of fun. Its events like this that a much closer contact is made with these young people, particular for me to get to know the new and up coming youth members from Roundstone.

Some photos of the events will go up on the website in a day or two.

Roundstone Pony show:

The first meeting with Paddy the Yank and the Pony show committee was held a few days ago in preparation for the second year pony show for the Sunday of the 8^th July 2007, there is a lot of work to do and fundraising to assure the standard and smooth running of this years Show. I am hoping that this year there will be more than two Donkeys and the plastic one to show off, we have to give Bridget Lees two lads a run for their money, so there you are people more donkeys please for a bit of fun., so watch this space as the planning unfolds.

Roundstone Youth Club:

This trip was no doubt the easiest, no mood swings, complaints, but just plain good fun. They have all grown up so much, but still interesting to be with.

My grateful thanks to Geraldine Coyne who has been with me as the other youth leader for the last five years “the mother figure”.

The new members coming up through the club are a little too young yet for us to take the responsibility of bringing them abroad, therefore for next year; we hope to bring some adults over to Noyelles – Sur –Lens to experience what their kids have experienced and what a twinning represents in the year 2008.

So that other Connemara Kids could have a chance to go to France, the Mayor of the Adjoining village (Loisan sur Lens) with a population of 5’000 is coming to Roundstone in September to see if we can find another Village to Twin with, in Connemara, we thought as a start Cashel / Recess, or Ballyconneely

Fas Lads.

Congratulations to the FAS lads on a superb clean up of the grounds surrounding the prodescent church,as the grounds are part of our heritage, its good to see it in good order.

Beach Clean up:

Its time again to gather some helpers to clean up the Beaches before the May Bank Holiday, particular Trá Gara, its in a dreadful state, so that will be for the Sunday of the 29^th April, 2pm naturally weather permitting, yet again we will need a car and Trailer, to pick up the bags that are already in the gate ways ready for collection. So please Roundstone we do need lots of Volunteers.

We were a small group this year for our annual trip to our twinned village of Noyelles sous Lens in France with the members of the Roundstone youth club, with David McDonagh, Lisa Coyne and her sister Tara, Martin Paul O’Donnell, and Cathal Mullen with Geraldine Coyne as the other youth leader.We had two days in Paris, visiting Euro Disney, a trip with the Bateau Mouche on the seine on a site seeing tour.The troops spent a good deal of time with the youth of Noyelles - Sous -Lens, interacting in their own club building, bowling and a superb football match

.

As usual were given our own self catering house, this worked very well, it allows their privacy when needed, the sharing of house keeping etc, this was some times a bit of a struggle to put this into action, however it was done in good spirit.

There were a lot more activities to keep the gang active (god bless their energy), added with a lot of laughs.

On the last day the Mayor Hérve Janiszewski and his Council members gave an official reception in the Maire (Council Building) with various speeches. The Mayor presented a silver plate inscribed to celebrate the 5^th year of the Twinning with Roundstone to each member of the Group to thank them for the time and expense to make the twinning work

What was important to note at this stage, that these young people with me are the last of their generation as they have now reached their 18^th Birthday?

Lisa Coyne and David McDonagh

Summed up their thoughts at the reception.

“It’s coming up to the fifth anniversary of the Twinning of Roundstone and Noyelles-Sous-Lens.

As we are the last of our age group. We have enjoyed many experience’s and our thanks to the Mayor and his colleagues who have always made us welcome, this also applies to the youth of Noyelles who have always had the crac with us and have always supported us, we would like to return the favour one day in Roundstone.

Even though we may not be back again for a few years, we hope the link and friendship will be kept between our two villages.

We are told that their will be in the future other opportunities for other young people of Connemara to experience what we have experienced over the last few years.”

So on behalf of all the Roundstone Youth club members, through the year’s we would most sincerely like to thank you all.

While they read, I translated; I was amazed what they said, as I can say, it was their own words.

Conclusion:

This trip was no doubt the easiest, no mood swings, complaints, but just plain good fun. They have all grown up so much, but still interesting to be with.

I shall miss them, because as they move on out of my life they will be entering into the world, but the one consolation is, that they will always be my friends.

They will always be remembered with all their quirky ways; we wish them well for the future.

My grateful thanks to Geraldine Coyne who has been with me as the other youth leader for the last five years “the mother figure”.

The new members coming up through the club are a little too young yet for us to take the responsibility of bringing them abroad, therefore for next year; we hope to bring some adults over to experience what their kids have experienced and what a twinning represents in the year 2008