Bandon’s winter plants go on summer hols

Bandon Tidy Towns volunteers have now removed all the tulips and polyanthas from the beds and will put in the summer plants next week.  Meanwhile the tulips have been stored away and the polyanthas have been planted in a shady place for their summer holidays.  Nothing like re-use, recycle.  We thank Cork City Council for letting us have more of their ‘throw outs’ which have now all been planted up and are being fed and watered diligently so that they will look great for next year.

The departure of the Bandon Polyanthas

Bandon Town Hall gets painted

The outside of the town hall in Bandon now reflects the great work done to the inside of the building.  How happy are we all now as it has looked shabby for such a long time.  All we need is the removal of the ugly boarding at the top of the stairs.

Bandon Town Hall's New Image

This blog was posted by Catherine FitzMaurice of Kilbrogan House Guest Accommodation

Bandon’s Allin Garden gets a face lift

Bandon Tidy towns volunteers have been hard at work painting street furniture.  We gave the five benches in front of the Allin Institute a makeover so lets hope that the townspeople approve of the bright cheery red and black seats.

Bandon Cigarette Butt clean up

Bandon is now in week 2 of a Cork region Anti Litter competition.  The week 1 results were a disaster – cigarette butts everywhere – Bandon, pretty much bottom of the league – a disgrace!

2 of us took to the streets tonight (saturday!) in a major effort to rid the streets of cigarette butts.  We spent 2 hours pounding the pavements and picked up mountains of the dreaded butts.  The bookies, the Sanctuary and the pubs (notably The Plunkett Inn) were the worst offenders.  Sorry guys, you have to be named and shamed.  We need help.  We need more butt bins installed by businesses in town.  The businesses are happy when their tills go ching, ching but don’t care what their places look like outside.  If every business helped by cleaning up outside their premises, we would be much better off.  Please don’t leave it to the few who care.

Our prize was an abandoned Lidl trolley behind O’Donovan’s off licence loaded with a euro coin.  So much for all the talk about recession.  Some don’t seem to worry about leaving a euro behind.  Isn’t amazing that even the kids don’t think to bring the trollies back to claim the euro.  Before you abandon your trolley, just think about who gets to bring it back to the store – Bandon Tidy Towns Volunteers.  Save us yet another job and please, take your trollies back to where you got them.

Bandon Jewellery maker

If you are in Bandon, check out BeJewel on Market Quay.  Nathalie Heneault makes wonderful jewellery out of silver and has a showroom full of interesting bits and pieces. Her prices are very reasonable.

Next time you go to buy a piece of jewellery, you might choose to have something made rather than to buy something off the shelf.  Nathalie can match the colour beads in a silver chain to your outfit.  She can custom design a piece of jewellery for a First Communion or Confirmation.  While I was there, she was making a beautiful pendant in the shape of a flower with a girl’s name on the inside.  It was for a First Communion.  Just think, there would be nobody else in the world with the same piece of jewellery.  Her email address is bejewel@eircom.net and her telephone is 023 88 52333

Aga saga!

Does anbody know a reliable Aga repair man who can fix an AGA in Bandon, County Cork?  Our oil fired aga is about 10 years old and up to now has worked like a dream.  We have always serviced it ourselves.

All started to go wrong in February when the AGA went out for no apparent reason and a service and clean didn’t do the job.  Aga recommend a chap in Limerick who seems to have every AGA in the country to deal with so might show up in West Cork in the next century.

We had to resort to Murrays Cleaning and Maintenance.  Well, euro 365 later after several visits from him, new wicks and a new adapter,  we have an aga that is turned as far down to zero as it can go without being turned out and it is raging hot, burning everything.  This maintenace chap even managed to remove the oil gauge from my oil tank so not only am I left with an aga that doesn’t work properly but I have no oil gauge and have to get a ladder and put a stick into the tank to know how much oil is left.  I refuse to call him again as he will insist on further payments for zero result!  Rip off Ireland is alive and well despite the downturn..

So if there is anybody out there who can fix an oil burning aga at a reasonable price or can tell us how to fix it ourselves, please get in touch with us at Kilbrogan House.  We are reasonably au fait with how this cooker works given that we have been servicing it without a problem for the past 10 years.

Bandon Music Festival – Mick Flannery

Mick Flannery will perform at the Bandon Music Festival on Sunday, 31st May, 2009.  He hails from Blarney so not too far from here.  He writes all his own songs and plans piano and guitar.  The band is comprised of the following people:

Mick Flannery – lead vocals, piano, guitar
Karen O’Doherty – violin, vocals
Yvonne Daly – vocals
Hugh Dillon – electric guitar
Brian Hassett – bass
Christian Best – drums

Mick flannery

This blog was posted by Catherine FitzMaurice of Kilbrogan House Guest Accommodation

Innishannon Steam Rally

Each year the Innishannon Steam and Vintage Rally raises substantial funds for the Irish Cancer Society, a really worthy cause (in 2008 euro 125,000 was raised).  The rally is now in its 12th successful year and takes place over the bank holiday weekend on Sunday, 31st May, 2009 and Monday, 1st June.  If you are anywhere nearby, be sure to visit as it is a great day out.

Steam Engine

One of the steam engines which will feature in the rally is kept close to Kilbrogan House.  Its owners had it out on the streets last weekend and its in tip top working order so well done to the Lordans!!

This post is by Catherine FitzMaurice of Kilbrogan House Guest Accommodation

The Bandon Heron

The Heron is nearly always to be seen from the footbridge across the river in Bandon Town Centre.  Here is a photo from a few days ago.

The Bandon Heron fishing

This blog was posted by Catherine FitzMaurice of Kilbrogan House Guest Accommodation

A salmon from near the Bandon Weir

Check out the photo of this salmon which was caught yesterday (13th May, 2009)  near the footbridge across the river in Bandon.  The opening of the fishing season on the Bandon River was delayed but is now up and running.

A hefty Bandon salmon

This post was made by Catherine FitzMaurice of Kilbrogan House Guest Accommodation