Daniel Cronin In Conversation with… Alan Cusack

This week I had Mougie Maher in the studio, Shane Curley couldn't make it, both are Sleeping Out For Simon next Friday. I was at LARC's Culture Night on Friday and took some recordings, it was a brilliant night. Entertaining us that night was Padraig Connaughton and Tom Murphy with the Grey Lake Quartet. 

The Seven Springs Daycentre has been closed since March of 2020 with the onslaught of Covid. The Daycentre was a place where people from the surrounding areas could come together chat, listen to music, get their hair done, get checked medically, see a chiropodist etc. But in talking with users, the abiding positive of the Daycentre was getting out from home and getting to socialize with other people. Following a protest attended by past users, their friends, family members and local representatives Geraldine Donohue and Declan Kelly the Daycentre was opened one day a week for a reduced number of users. There is huge disappointment that the service has not opened fully. Today I talk to Ciaran Cannon TD, Sean Canney TD and Geraldine Donohue county councilor to see where we are.

This week I go out to Loughrea Skateboarding Park and chat with Jake McNally and Jordan Muldoon on the reopening of the park after two years. Also I have Paddy Sweeney and Geraldine McNally from the Rugby Club, they’re installing lights and hope to be ready in a month or two, they got some funding but to get over the line they are giving people the opportunity to get their ‘Names in Lights’.

This week I had Alan Cusack in the studio, all the way back from Australia. Alan grew up on the Athenry Road before heading to Manchester for Uni and then about the world for his career.

Thelma Sweeney dropped into the studio this week. Thelma grew up on Westbridge, her father was Dermot Sweeney, travel agent and her mother 'Sis' was the local midwife who assisted over 3000 local home births. Growing up in a Travel Agency it was no surprise that Thelma decided to travel, at first to England, then Europe before finally Australia where she met and married Chris.  Thelma talks of School and University days, hitch-hiking about Europe, teaching in the Aran Islands, taking the slow boat to Australia and starting her teaching career in Australia. Thelma comes home as often as she can, usually once a year but with Covid restrictions, this is her first visit in a number of years.  Thank you Chris and Thelma for coming in. 

With a heavy heart we have an update on the Daycentre, this was to be opened, at long last, but just recently, Cllr Geraldine Donoghue has had some correspondence stating that it will not be opening anytime soon and for just 1 day a week! This is terrible news for all the service users and carers in the community, Cllr Donoghue and users are now planning direct action in the hope of highlighting this ridiculous situation.  Also I had Thomas Ryan on, Maw is involved with Mr. Motivator himself Gary Kilcar, in setting up Jumpers for Goalposts in Loughrea, a wonderful initiative and if any of Gary's past endeavours are to go by, this will be a success as well. I can't wait to get down myself. 

In the studio this week was Steve Dolan, head of GRD, telling us of the fight to better utilize the RSS and Tus projects. Because of the existing narrow parameters of both schemes, rural communities are being disadvantaged hugely, Steve and his cohorts have instigated a campaign to highlight these. These schemes are both beneficial to the communities and participants, a win-win situation for all. The government must take action. Then we have Kerrie Gardiner, who is instrumental in the running of Bord Bia’s Bloom in the Phoenix Park. Kerrie brings us through her duties and responsibilities and the festival’s attractions. This is Bloom’s first year back and it’s incredibly busy, I can’t wait to get to this. Also we have Michael Fahy’s upcoming Book launch in the Loughrea Hotel and Spa this Friday 10th of June at 7.30pm, all are welcome. Michael has written a book on his uncle Frank Fahy Revolutionary and Public Servant. Finally we give a shout to the Predator Triathlon Club, who are launching their race, Loughrea Triathlon, to be held at the end of the summer.

In the studio this Sunday was Ian Marmion, Ian, well-known son of Peggy and Lexi, will tell us of his career, taking him all over the world. His passion for horse racing, his wonderful success at Cheltenham. We’d been trying to make this happen for a long time so it was great that Ian could make it.

Great to meet up with my cuz Cora Ryan this morning. Cora just arrived back from Australia with her new baby, Laoise. Little Laoise had her very first birthday this week.  Cora recalls growing up on Main Street, all the families about the place, Fahy's, Magee's, Wade's, Dervan's. Rollerskating on the Main St! Drifting off to sleep with the music from Keary's and all the other Main St pubs filling the night air. Right in the middle of it. The popular haunts about the town, The Temperance Hall, the Lake, Cinema, the arcade at the back of the Casket, the tennis club. Summers that ran for ever.  Leaving for Australia in 2007 and making a life on the other side of world. Welcome home Cora. 

This week I chatted with one of our newest people in town, Uliana from Ukraine. Uliana tells us about her home, about the invasion and her flight to Ireland. A young woman full of life and energy and positivity. Her home is the city of Zaporizhzhya straddling the Dnieper river. A city full of industry, she tells how the country continues to try and work and function while under attack. Also I look back on the Patrick’s Day Parade in Loughrea last Thursday which was an incredible success and Loughrea Community Radio were delighted to be part of it.