Ballykeeran Duck Race

The ducks were out in force in Ballykeeran last weekend but the village bucked the trend avoiding the dismal weather for ducks. Instead, there was pleasant weather for the fourth annual Ballykeeran duck race which as usual, took place on the Breensford river. Helped by the rain that stayed away, there was a real carnival atmosphere notable, as crowds gathered to to see if their duck was a lucky winner! Organisers also incorporated a number of new activities for all the family this year, including fun competition such as golf putting, guess how many balloons in the boat as well as sack races for the youngsters. "We are very happy with how it went," Secretary of Ballykeeran Residents Association Aileen Moloney told the Westmeath Independent this week, adding that the event had gone from strength to strength each year. "It was a very successful fundraiser and all the money raised will go toward further improvements to the village," she added.A village plan was completed some years ago sponsored by the LEADER Programme and, arising from that, each year the Ballykeeran Residents Association undertake a project incorporating ideas from the plan to enhance the appearance of the area using the proceeds of the race. This year, LEADER under the umbrella of Westmeath Community Forum, again provided sponsorship and helped fund a major landscaping project on the High Road, a fabulous sight on the approach in to the village. The work was completed by local firm Fern Hill Garden Centre. Some of the €5 Race winners on Saturday included: Michael Foxe, Holly Egan, Evan Guing, Ben Foley, Rosemary Slevin, Gerry Robbin, Brendan McCormack, David Malone, V. Galvin, Ashley O'Conner, Sean Burke, Valerie Sherlock and Jamie Connor.Meanwhile, €20 Monster Race winners on the day were Blair Chatterton, Craig Ryan, Carol Jacob and Hope Chapman. The winner of the golf putting competition was Darragh Kenna and joint winners of the Guess How Many Balloons in a Boat competition were Emer Dolan and Pauline Hayden.Ballykeeran Residents Association also want to say a big thank you to all their sponsors for supporting the event again this year. The list includes Portaneena Boat Sales, Charlie Connaughton, Wineport Restaurant, Concannon's Pharmacy, Master Stone Masons, Music World, McBride Butchers, The Dog and Duck, Pat Connor Construction, Michael Lucitt, Seamus Murphy, Athlone Motor Factors, Fern Hill Garden Centre, A1 Cab Company, Chris Wynne Boat Sales, Spollen Concrete, Grogan' Bar & Restaurant, Jimmy Flanagan Construction, Coosan and District Anglers, John Deery and Sons and FTB Midland Developments.