Pages Past: 'End of an era at tobacco factory'
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The Ritz in Ballymore, one of the entertainment options for those looking for a good night out in the 1980s.Image 2 of 5
lashbacks to the days when you could buy turf - and to the times when it was legal to specify in ads whether you wanted male or female staff. These ads appeared in the issue of September 4 1976.Image 3 of 5
The Imperial Tobacco factory in Mullingar.Image 4 of 5
Enjoying the opening at the Market House Art Gallery in Mullingar in September 2009 of a retrospective exhibition featuring works by the late Mullingar artists Peter McCabe and May Raleigh were, from left, Miriam O'Donnell, Charlie Kelly and Jimmy O'Donnell.Image 5 of 5
Jimmy and Eileen Castle, from Cummerstown, Collinstown, on left, and on right, Michael and Phil Leavy from Delvin, pictured at the retrospective art exhibition featuring works by the late Mullingar artists Peter McCabe and May Raleigh in September 2009. May Raleigh was a first cousin of both Eileen and Phil, and was also Phil's godmother.Westmeath Examiner September 3 2016
End of an era at tobacco factory
The location of the Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) centre in Mullingar, the former Imperial Tobacco factory was in the throes of closing down. The edition of September 3 2016 revealed that redundancy terms had just been agreed for the 85 employees who were set to lose their jobs.
"The employees, who are all members of SIPTU, had been in discussions with the management since the shock closure news was revealed six weeks ago," stated the item.
SIPTU official Mick Browne said that efforts to save at least some of the jobs had proven unsuccessful, and while there would be some residual work at the plant for a limited number of workers once the main workforce had gone, it would only be for the short term. The first lay-offs were due to take place in early October.
Westmeath Examiner September 2 2006
Success in business
The annual Westmeath County Enterprise awards were due to take place on September 7 at a ceremony at the Mullingar Park Hotel. Nine businesses from across the county were in the running for the overall award, and there were also categories for the best woman in business and the best new business.
The nominees were Athlone Optical Ltd, a wholesale supplier of prescription eyewear; Performance Fire Systems Ltd, Mullingar, a supplier of fire retardant products; Corcoran Window Furnishings Ltd, Multyfarnham, which specialised in soft furnishings and flyscreen products for windows; Ledwith Shopfitting Solutions, Athlone; Mufta Drawings and Services Ltd, Mullingar; Thomas McCormack Engineering, Moate, which manufactured metal fabricated products; Midlands Therapy and Training Centre, Mullingar, a complementary health clinic and education facility; Mindsi Graphic Design, Mullingar; and Shanette Sheds Ltd, Kilbeggan.
Westmeath Examiner September 7 1996
National Community Games finals at Mosney
"Westmeath’s participation in the 29th National Community Games finals, sponsored by the Irish League of Credit Unions, was marked by some superb gymnastic performances and some quality artistic work by our competitors," stated a report on the county’s performance during the annual outing to Mosney.
"However," it continued, "it was in swimming competitions that the Westmeath boys and girls had most reward, winning three certificates and four medals."
Almost 60 children had travelled from Westmeath for the first weekend of the national finals. They were: Beechpark/Coosan – Philip McGuire, Natasha Quinn, Eva Henshaw, Valerie Casey, Dermot McManus, Anvelena Treyglia, Patrick Ryan, Deirdre Sweeney, Noeleen Breen, Fiona McManus, Deirdre Hardiman, Damien Cullen, Neil Cullen, Georgia Gallagher, Rosemary Ryan, Eoin Keaveney, Anne-Marie McCourt, Niamh Donoghue.
Ballymahon Road – Cliodhna MacConmhara, Patricia Johnston, Richard Ryan, Eanna MacConmhara, Wayne Reid and David Lowry; Retreat – David O’Farrell, Aoife Barnicle and Emily Campbell; Tubberclair/Glasson – Michael Byrne, Peter Evans, Mark Kenny, Sarah Flanagan, Mary Kenny, Irene Nooney, Colm Kenny and Sean Kenny.
Gainstown – Robert Collander, Vincent Doherty, Tracey O’Loughlin, Aileen Stephens, Marie Duffy, Caroline Duffy, Eileen Wyse and Brian Buckley. Milltown/Emper – James Walsh; Multyfarnham – Enda Carter; Rosemount – Anne-Marie King; The Downs – Karl Ferguson, James Quinn, Gemma Corcoran, Jane Loughran and Margaret Monaghan.
Killucan/Raharney – Denise Dolan; Mount Temple/Baylin: Peter Rigney, Teresa Heavin; Coole/Whitehall – Vincent Bateman and Sandra Mulvey; Auburn/Town Centre – Conor, Gráinne and Deirdre Hughes; St Colman’s – Andrew Hegarty, Ronan Sharkey, David Bell Mark O’Callaghan, David Sharkey and Sean FitzSimons; St Brigid’s/CWR – Laura Fitzpatrick; Castledaly – Grace Doyle and Collinstown/Fore – Roseanna Merriman.
Westmeath Examiner September 6 1986
Bord na Móna workers ‘devastated’ after cuts
Bord na Móna workers had been left "devastated" by the previous week’s announcement that the company intended to shed half their workforce.
The Westmeath Examiner reported, however, that Westmeath County Council were extending their "full backing" to the up to 500 Bord na Móna workers in Westmeath who intended fighting to retain their jobs.
The report went on to explain that all of the board’s operations in Westmeath were to feel the weight of the axe as 217 permanent jobs out of 411 were to go at Derrygreenagh; in Coolnagun, 46 employees stood to lose their posts leaving just 19 employed there, while in Ballivor, 44 out of a total of 104 employees were to go.
The council issued a call for Bord na Móna to enter into "meaningful negotiations with the government and the unions with a view to rectifying their current financial situation", the report stated.
Westmeath Examiner September 4 1976
Moate get better of St Malachy’s
By a margin of just one point, the Moate senior footballers defeated St Malachy’s of Castletown Geoghegan in Ballymore in the semi-finals of the championship.
"But only just," continued the author, explaining that had they had been put to the pin of their collar by the determined St Malachy’s lads.
The report stated that the Moate side had never panicked, "and it was the experience they have gained over the years in senior ranks and at Leinster Club Championship level that won the day for them".
Moate: Donal Mackey, Frederick Hewitt, John Noel Gavin, Eugene Doyle, Eamonn Heavin, Sean Heavin, Danny Claffey, Mick Fox, Aidan O’Halloran (0-4), Pat Fox (0-2) Larry Gillivan (0-1), Francis Sheeran (0-2), Eamonn Coughlan (0/1), John Doyle and Martin Coyne.
St Malachy’s: Liam Fox, Dec Garvin, Ger Linnane, Noel Geraghty, Sean Mangan, Sean Casey, Walter Carroll, Tommy Lowry, Willie Lowry (0-6), Finbarr Clarke; Pat L’Estrange (0-2), Johnny Longworth, Michael Lowry, Dessie Costello (0-10) and Seamus Whelan. .
Westmeath Examiner September 3 1966
Gardaí on patrol discover cinema burglary
Two Mullingar gardaí who had become suspicious on finding a door at the Hibernian Cinema, Castle Street, open at 1.30am while on night patrol, discovered two young men in the throes of trying to commit a burglary on the premises.
The two men, one from Meath, the other from Cavan, were arrested and gardaí subsequently charged them with breaking and entering the Hibernian Cinema, and of causing £12 worth of malicious damage to a door at the cinema, and also with having entered a factory at St Finian’s Terrace, Mullingar, the property of Sales Print and Display (Ireland) Ltd, and damaging a lock at the factory to the extent of 28/-.
Both defendants pleaded guilty and District Justice O’Callaghan praised Garda F Meally and Garda T Kavanagh, and said he wished to highly commend the two gardaí for their alertness.
"The shopkeepers of Mullingar would have suffered much more damage were it not for their work," he said. "The gardaí are to be highly complimented for their quickness in detecting and bringing the culprits to justice."