Athlone thread

TimHorton wrote: »

More like Insurance Payouts than gov supports.

Far as I know they get both. The recent court judgement even means that the insurance pays on top of the statutory reimbursement.

In short, they've made more money during Covid than they would have prior to.

Note the wall of silence from their Social Media regarding reopening plans. They are cleaning up.

AdrianG08 wrote: »

Is that pop up covid testing centre in the sports Centre still open?

No , It was only open for less than a week ,

TheEnforcer83 wrote: »

Haha is that not what people pay insurance premiums for?

Yes , What's your point ?

TomOnBoard wrote: »

That's "Sr Bernard Quay" to you, Sir!

:rolleyes:

Met her on the Camino years ago. Is she still alive?

TheEnforcer83 wrote: »

July??

They have a restaurant onsite.

White lighting wrote: »

Nope she passed away last year while driving in town.

How she made it down the hill without hitting anybody is a miracle. Guided all the way down there by Gods hand

rn wrote: »

Sr Bernard was a legend. May she RIP. It was a horrible accident and it was a minor miracle that she did not hit anyone else.
https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/2020/10/05/deep-sadness-greets-news-of-tragic-passing-of-sr-bernard/

Her very status as a legend is partly where I'm thinking that associating her name with 'The Docks' might not be the most appropriate one. Back in the 19th Century, Athlone as a garrison town had a ripe red-light industry and the areas near the Barracks and the Docks (particularly after the Shannon works of the 1840s onwards,) would have been quite the 'party' spot!

In her paper "“Abandoned Women and Bad Characters”: prostitution in nineteenth-century Ireland", Maria Luddy wrote:

"Towns which housed garrisons also accommodated women who worked as prostitutes. A parochial survey of Athlone published in the early nineteenth century noted the immorality which existed there and the Protestant rector commented that prostitutes:

'infest the streets, as well as the hedges and ditches about the town, not
only to the destruction of the moral [ity], of the present as well as the
rising generation, but even in violation of common decency; to such a
pitch is depravity risen, that vice does not hide its deeds in darkness, but
boldly stalks abroad in open day.'"

rn wrote: »

I guess things have changed quiet a bit since though. The docks have been redeemed in that 160 years.

There's probably a bigger problem in principle in naming public infrastructure and through fares after religious people in this day and age, not withstanding the huge respect for St. Bernard locally.

WoW! Has she been canonised already?

rn wrote: »

Sr Bernard was a legend. May she RIP. It was a horrible accident and it was a minor miracle that she did not hit anyone else.
https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/2020/10/05/deep-sadness-greets-news-of-tragic-passing-of-sr-bernard/

What hill was it? RIP

martin1 wrote: »

Already there are far too many roads and streets named after people.

It shows a woeful lack of imagination.

We have McDonagh, Ceannt, Connolly, Pearse, Elliot, Sean Costello, John Broderick etc etc etc

Its all so predictable and results in totally forgettable street names.

Lets at least have some originality but this is dreary old Athlone so very little chance of that

Yeah, I'd go along with that...

TuttiFrutti St.,
Mexican Gangbang Way,
Hangover Alley,
Shuddntadundat Square,
Poxy River Park...

Prominent_Dawg wrote: »

Does anyone have any recommendations for the best person to get driving lessons from in athlone

Mike Carroll outside Ballinasloe has good reports as far as I hear. He collects clients in Athlone as part of the arrangement.

Prominent_Dawg wrote: »

Does anyone have any recommendations for the best person to get driving lessons from in athlone

Fergal McCormack got me, my wife and my sister through on the first time of asking. He bases himself beside the test centre in Athlone on the Dublin Road

https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2021/0525/1223754-tus-midlands-midwest/

The auld Technical University status seems nice etc but why partner with Limerick when Galway is down the road. Even Castlebar is almost closer.

Saint_Mel wrote: »

GMIT have gone in with Sligo and Letterkenny for the Connacht-Ulster Alliance

Yes , That's the obvious reason when you look at a map.

rn wrote: »

Maynooth have one of the best computer science departments in the country in terms of teaching. Their graduates, on average, are very good in my experience so would have been a serious addition to the software efforts in the AIT.

But Limerick institute of technology is still a fine match.

Maynooth are also a University in their own right so wouldn't have had any need to merge with an existing IT for a TU status

I'd say us and Limerick got shafted as the "odd couple".

"Shannon" is a bit of a stretch for linking the 2 places.

Still beggars can't be choosers. It does look daft that we now boast "6 campuses" but 5 of them are L.I.T family and again, none are anywhere near Athlone (Moylish park main campus, Clare St, Ennis, Clonmel, Thurles)

Anyone remember the hovercraft that was out at Hodson Bay doing trips around the Lough? Would have been early/mid 90's timeframe.

TomOnBoard wrote: »

Yep! I remember it well!!

It was a nightmare around Lower Lough Ree, with huge impact on sound levels on the lake. I fish a lot and that time was awful for anyone valuing peace and quiet out in a beautiful spot!

I don't how it ended up! But I was very surprised at the time at the man who was involved, as he had been heavily involved in Lough Ree diving, an activity to which a buzzing hovercraft would have been anathema!

I remember it too, noisy beast, a friend almost got knocked over by it while windsurfing on lake, it was not very maneuverable.

veryangryman wrote: »

Maybe it's lockdown blurring my vision but shoot, there seems to be alot more people and traffic on the roads in and out of town these days. Anyone else noticing

Fully agree! I'm also noticing ppl giving other ppl much less 'social distance'.