Double blow to region's tourist profile
Plans to develop tourism as a key growth industry in the Athlone region were dealt two significant blows this week.
Firstly, news emerged that Fáilte Ireland is to close its tourist office at Clonmacnois.
It has to be acknowledged that, in the internet area, growing numbers of tourists are no longer dependent on traditional tourist offices for information.
However, recent plans by Fáilte Ireland to grow Athlone into one of the biggest short-break destinations in the country can not be best served by the closure of the tourist office at the region's biggest draw.
In all, a total of 133,015 of people visited Clonmacnois in 2010. In the first six months of this year, almost 53,000 tourists visited Clonmacnois and if the figures hold up for the rest of the season, it appears as if the 2010 target could be bettered.
Fáilte Ireland itself has acknowledged that Clonmacnois is one of the tourism jewels of the Lakelands region.
The agency has been working to ensure, through an ongoing Lough Ree and Environs Development Plan, that more people who visit the site travel to places like Athlone afterwards in a bid to keep them in the area longer than heretofore.
Tourist buses and cars are now encouraged, through new signposts, to travel to Clonmacnois via Ballinahown, whilst new information points in the foyer of the Clonmacnois visitor centre also emphasise the proximity of Athlone, its many amenities, accommodation and service options to tourists.
That fine work, though, is undermined by the decision to close the tourist information service at Clonmacnois.
Meanwhile in another setback, it's been confirmed that the post of Westmeath Tourism Officer will no longer be retained. Westmeath County Council, which is the primary source of funding for the post, has opted not to renew its funding due to financial cutbacks.
The loss of the post, most recently filled by Rhona Rodgers, is another setback for tourism in the region.
An Athlone voice tells of Kenyan hunger
"They are ordinary people like you or me who are dying": the words of Athlone-born priest Fr John Roche when he spoke to the Westmeath Independent this week about the situation in Kenya as part of the famine in East Africa.
Monsignor Roche has earned the right to comment, having been forced to flee Malawi under a death threat for his work on human rights in 1992.
Then an acting bishop, Monsignor Roche issued a pastoral letter dealing with human rights and justice.
As a result, he was expelled under threat of death from the central African country with just 24 hours to leave after working there for two decades.
So when he talks of how in Kenya, children are dying daily and the need for food, medical facilities and water is growing, then we should listen.
Athlone GAA club will host a fundraiser in their clubhouse to aid Monsignor Roche's work in Kenya on September 23 next. Donations can also left into St Mary's Presbytery.
Mixed sporting weekend
Last week, we wrote of how Ballinahown native Mark Rohan was aiming to repeat his World Championship gold medal triumph of 2010 when he competed at the World Paracycling Championships in Denmark.
Not only did he regain his handcycling road race crown, he also went one step further, adding a second world title in the handcycling time trial event.
On the GAA fields, Garrycastle and St Brigid's both reached their respective county senior football finals, but Athlone Town slumped to their heaviest home league defeat in their 50 years' membership of the League of Ireland.
