Derelict in Tullyvin?

louth | environment | news report Wednesday October 20, 2004 16:50 by Sean Crudden - Cooley Environmental and Health Group sean at cooleyehg dot com Jenkinstown, Dundalk, Co Louth. 087 9739945

October meeting of Cooley Environmental and Health Group

Some advance on the work in progress of Cooley Environmental and Health Group was reported at last night's meeting of the Group.

Archbishop Michael Desmond ("Dessie") Hynes PhD OMA, secretary of the group snapped at the meeting.

A special meeting of Cooley Environmental and Health Group (CEHG) took place in The Strand, Omeath, on Tuesday 19 October 2004 starting at 8.30 p.m.

Apologies were received from the Chairperson of CEHG, Arthur Morgan TD, who was in London.

Taking the chair for the meeting Sean Crudden said that he would e-mail Dr Dennis Pringle in NUI Maynooth to see if he had any information about the extent of the problem of vitamin B12 deficiency in Louth and elsewhere.

Mr Crudden reported that Best Western Ballymascanlon House Hotel and McKevitt’s Village Hotel had already come on board as sponsors of CEHG’s website (www.cooleyehg.com). Negotiations were in progress with other possible sponsors and the meeting felt that any business in the area or any individual who wished to do so would be welcome to become sponsors. It was felt that the establishment of a healthy and green image for the Cooley area would lead to increased tourism and other development.

The meeting heard that Fr Gerard McGinnity, Paola Catizone, Kalichi Donovan, Cathal Kearney, and Dr Tom Collins were all preparing to speak at CEHG’s winter workshop which is due to take place on the afternoon of Saturday 29 January 2005. The theme is "Organisation and Health." The meeting unanimously felt that a number of further speakers should be sourced as quickly as possible.

Eric Hynes’ memoir (presented to the winter workshop in January 2004) "How Furniture Came to Be Manufactured in Bellurgan" has been published on the CEHG website.

The acting chairperson, Sean Crudden, complimented the Secretary of CEHG, Archbishop Michael Desmond ("Dessie") Hynes PhD OMA, on his submission on behalf of the group to The Expert Group on Mental Health Policy which was set up by the Minister of Health over a year ago. The submission may be read by interested members of the public at www.mentalhealthpolicy.ie/submissions/ on the Web. "Among the other 150 or so submissions readers will find one from me," Mr Crudden said, "made on behalf of IMPERO (Irish Mental Patients Educational and Representative Organisation)." Mr Crudden continued, "This raft of submissions makes a very interesting melting pot of views."

The Group decided that some day before Christmas it might try to find out why a well-proportioned and substantial handball alley at Tullyvin, Co Cavan, had apparently fallen into disuse.

The next meeting of CEHG was fixed for Sunday 21 November 2004 at 11.30 a.m. in The Strand, Omeath.

Rosanna Crudden pictured after the meeting.

Sean Crudden