Deirdre Verney

Stories by Deirdre Verney

Below are recent stories by Deirdre Verney

• Published: 3 Mar 2010 17:30

  Surprises galore promised for St Patrick's Day festivities this year in Athlone

  Organisers of the St Patrick's Day Parade in Athlone are promising lots of surprises for the public on March 17 next, with a record number of floats and entries taking part in this year's celebration, one that they say will see the town explode in to life with colour, dance and music.

• Published: 24 Feb 2010 17:30

  Athlone celebrates 50 years of wheelchair association

  "I don't know what I'd do without it. Only for the centre I'd be lost and I'm sure I speak for all the members when I say that," the words of local woman Mary Gaynor this week, as she summed up her feelings towards the work of the Athlone branch of the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) during celebrations of the organisation's 50th anniversary in Ireland.

• Published: 27 Jan 2010 17:15

  Ballymahon Library revamp project to kick off in February

  Work is due to get underway on the €1.5 million refurbishment of Ballymahon Library in the former courthouse building in the town during the first week of February.

• Last updated: 27 Jan 2010 16:31

  Facial rejuvenation therapy - the perfect antidote to the January skin blues

  The recent cold snap has a lot to answer for! Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it in relation to my skin.

• Published: 20 Jan 2010 17:30

  No January car boom in Westmeath with just 76 registered

  Just 76 cars with the 2010 registration are motoring around the roads of Westmeath despite the introduction of a new Government scrappage scheme in last December's budget.

• Published: 13 Jan 2010 17:30

  Athlone headquarters safe as local company changes hands for €26.5m

  Athlone is to remain the headquarters of Wolseley Ireland and there is no change at the company in the light of the recent sale of the operation to a group of private investors for €26.5 million.

• Last updated: 13 Jan 2010 17:30

  Indoor running track planned for AIT

  Athlone IT's growing reputation for top-class sporting facilities could be boosted further in the years ahead with news of ambitious plans to develop a brand new training and teaching building with a state-of-the-art indoor running track, the Westmeath Independent can reveal this week.

• Last updated: 13 Jan 2010 17:30

  Indoor running track planned for AIT

  Athlone IT's growing reputation for top-class sporting facilities could be boosted further in the years ahead with news of ambitious plans to develop a brand new training and teaching building with a state-of-the-art indoor running track, the Westmeath Independent can reveal this week.

• Last updated: 13 Jan 2010 17:30

  Dramatic fall in Westmeath's place in country's wealth league table

  Westmeath is rapidly becoming one of the country's poorer counties, dramatic new figures have revealed.

• Last updated: 13 Jan 2010 17:30

  Flooding hits new €1.5m Hodson Bay watersports centre

  A €1.5 million boat training and watersports centre which was only opened last June in Hodson Bay was hit by the recent floods, it has emerged.

• Last updated: 13 Jan 2010 17:30

  Late Late Show night in lands Mount Temple woman new car

  A quiet night in watching TV certainly paid off for one lucky Mount Temple resident who won a brand new car valued at €18,000 and a cool €7,000 cash last Friday on The Late Late Show.

• Last updated: 13 Jan 2010 17:30

  Broadband complaints continue in Monksland

  Eircom has come in for criticism again this week in the Monksland area after it admitted that some customers still cannot access broadband, despite the fact the new exchange in the area was enabled prior to Christmas.

• Last updated: 13 Jan 2010 17:16

  Housing project approved for ex-Carmelite site in Moate

  The Joint CEO of Sophia Housing Association Eamonn Martin has declared himself hopeful of progressing a new residential project for the vulnerable over the next few months on part of the former Carmelite College in Moate, a development which recently received the planning green light from Westmeath County Council.

• Published: 26 Nov 2009 17:30

  Clonown couple count the cost of devastating flooding

  Early Friday morning Teresa and Mick Lyons woke up to find water coming up to the skirting board level at their home at Cornabull, Clonown. By Tuesday, that had risen to two and half feet of water in their home as the couple now count the cost of the devastating flooding over the last few days.

• Published: 19 Nov 2009 13:45

  New school plans for ACC approved by town council

  A long-awaited new school for Athlone Community College has moved one step closer, after ambitious proposals for a new building to cater for 1,000 pupils jumped the first planning hurdle gaining outline permission from Athlone Town Council.

• Published: 11 Nov 2009 18:00

  Second swine flu clinic

  A second HSE clinic has been set up in Athlone to cope with the demand for the swine flu vaccination in the town.

• Published: 11 Nov 2009 17:30

  Packie Bonner launches new Aire Family Addiction Support Group

  Ireland's legendary soccer goalie Packie Bonner was in Athlone last week to officially launch the new Aire Family Addiction Support Group, set up to help offer help, support and information to those affected by alcohol or drug addiction in the town.

• Published: 11 Nov 2009 17:30

  Former county manager launches her first art exhibition

  What started out as a hobby over five years ago while she was Westmeath County Manager has become a daily labour of love for Ann McGuinness, who launched her first art exhibition in Ballinahown last week, alongside her friends, established local artists Geraldine Kretsch and Josephine Hanley.

• Published: 4 Nov 2009 16:30

  Luscious lashes the key to glamour this season

  The dusty dictionary tells me that a treat is anything that gives you particular pleasure or enjoyment. So how about one that takes less than 20 minutes and costs less than €20?

• Published: 28 Oct 2009 17:30

  Marist students awarded science medals for sandbag project

  A science project exploring what materials work best in sandbags for blocking flood waters landed three Marist College students with Intel Excellence in Science medals recently.

• Published: 28 Oct 2009 16:30

  Effortless, sophisticated style from Dice

  Designed with the successful business woman in mind the Dice collection has a very modern take on fashion and appeals to style conscious women who are not overly trend driven.

• Published: 21 Oct 2009 17:25

  Miraculous escape as car stops just feet from door

  A Brawny resident has called on the local authority to install full speed ramps in the housing estate after a car crashed right through a fence and into her front garden, stopping feet from her front door.

• Published: 21 Oct 2009 17:20

  Hallowe'en festival confirmed for Athlone

  The first ever Hallowe'en Festival will take place in Athlone this October 31, after organisers confirmed that funding has been provided for the community celebrations.

• Published: 21 Oct 2009 17:20

  Locals insist Clonmacnois application is dead

  The current bid to attain World Heritage site status for Clonmacnois is "finished", a local action group has reiterated again this week and the process needs to go right back to square one.

• Published: 21 Oct 2009 17:20

  Three-month wait for driving test in Athlone

  Waiting times to sit the driving test in Athlone have climbed to three months, despite repeated Government attempts to the cut the queues, the latest Road Safety Authority figures has indicated.

• Published: 21 Oct 2009 17:15

  Festival frenzy set to benefit Athlone in 2010

  Athlone is set to cash in on a tourism bonanza in 2010 with at least seven major events and festivals expected to bring thousands of visitors ito the town over the twelve-month period, it emerged recently.

• Published: 21 Oct 2009 17:00

  Exciting programme for upcoming South Roscommon Singers Festival

  A bumper programme of events has been unveiled for the annual South Roscommon Singers Festival taking place this year over the Bank Holiday weekend in the picturesque setting of the village of Knockcroghery.

• Published: 21 Oct 2009 17:00

  New Moate Library sees membership almost double

  Membership of Moate Library has risen by a staggering 94% since the new premises opened last December, the latest Athlone Area Committee meeting heard.

• Published: 14 Oct 2009 17:30

  Late Jackson's Rosemount album set to storm charts

  Grouse Lodge in Rosemount is set to be thrust in to the global spotlight with the launch in the coming months of a new album of songs by Michael Jackson recorded at the South Westmeath studio three years ago.

• Published: 14 Oct 2009 17:25

  Medical card scheme generates over €4.9m for local doctors

  Some 22 local doctors earned in excess of €4.94 million from the Medical Card Scheme last year, it's emerged in figures obtained by the Westmeath Independent from the HSE, with one GP receiving over €408,000 alone in fees over the period.