Pups Ready for Patrol Duty! Grandfather Offering to Donate Puppies to Elderly People Who Are Feeling Vulnerable
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2013 €2.10 (£1.80 OVERSEAS) COMMUNITY GAMES HERALD IS MAIN SEE SPORT AWARD FOR HERALD SPONSOR FOR ROSE 16 SEE PAGE Pups ready for patrol duty! Grandfather offering to donate puppies to elderly people who are feeling vulnerable BY CIARA MCCAUGHLEY dogs as they have great scent in and criminal activity. This, on top invest in a household dog, has their nose, are extremely alert but of the closure of Garda stations, praised the generous spirit of Mr A BALLYFARNON grandfather is are not vicious. They will alert means that people no longer feel Healy. offering to donate puppies to eld- homeowners to anyone approach- as safe as they once did in their "PJ is a great man for deciding erly people who are feeling vul- ing the house," explained PJ. homes, times have changed dras- to do this. He could easily make nerable in their homes. Although the dogs could easily tically. The criminals are sophisti- money from selling the puppies, PJ Healy has six Lab-Pointer be sold for €600 each, PJ said that cated and have great ways of net- but has decided to give to those puppies (a cross between a point- he was not interested in accepting working and finding out all the living in fear the chance to sleep a er and labrador), which he is will- money for them, adding that as a information about people. Unfor- little better at night." ing to donate free of charge to pensioner he could understand tunately, a lot of the time, they get To contact PJ Healy in relation worthy homes, especially where why people were feeling anxious their information from people to the puppies, phone 071 people are feeling vulnerable. in their homes. PJ is married to locally, which is a worrying devel- 9647014. "Unfortunately, there are so Josephine and the couple have six opment. many elderly people who are children. However, he said the Ire- Hopefully, having a dog like this Darragh Healy, Ballyfarnon, being terrorised in rural Ireland. land of today was vastly different around the house, will put people pictured with some of the They are afraid in their homes and to when he was rearing his own a little more at ease," he added. pups, which his father worrying about being the victim of family. Cllr Eugene Murphy, who sug- is willing to donate to crime. These dogs are five months "When you turn on the news, gested that in the wake of a good home. old and will make excellent guard there is so much talk of break-ins increased crime, people should Pic. Mary Regan Herald wins award THE ROSCOMMON Her- ald has picked up another major award for its Commu- nity Games coverage in Close to breaking point 2012. At an awards banquet in the Tullamore Court Hotel on Saturday night last Wind farm at Skrine, Roscommon ently and for a period of at the Herald won the presti- least six months. gious overall award for the causing noise problems for local families It has since emerged that second year in succession. It no specific noise limits were is the third time in four BY MARESA FAGAN those living close by. attached to the grant of plan- years that the paper has This week one of the fam- ning permission for the tur- been presented with a Com- ROSCOMMON COUNTY ilies affected by the wind tur- bines, which was granted by munity Games main award. Council has received com- bines, Michael and Dorothy An Bord Pleanala in 2005. Sports Editor Ian Cooney plaints from local residents Keane, told the Herald that The council has indicated accepted the award on the in the Skrine area of they were close to breaking that this was "unusual" in Herald's behalf from Minis- Roscommon about noise point and felt that they had correspondence with one of ter of State for Sport and pollution from a small wind no option but to make a the families concerned and Tourism, Michael Ring, TD. farm in the area, the Herald complaint to the council. that the absence of specific (see full story in sports section) can reveal. "We just want someone to noise limits made it difficult The Herald has learned listen to our concerns, to see to enforce compliance. that Roscommon County what we have to live with day While the council accept- Council has received com- in day out. We are at the end ed this difficulty, it said that plaints regarding noise pol- of our tether and cannot wind energy company, lution from residents living take much more. We cannot Gaelectric, had provided evi- ����� in close proximity to two sleep at night and are strug- dence last December to wind turbine structures, gling to cope on a daily basis show that noise levels were which were commissioned because of this constant pul- within generally accepted in August 2011. sating noise that gets inside limits. The households have your head," Michael Keane Gaelectric also confirmed ���� ��� ���� �� complained that the noise told the Herald. this week that it had com- from the turbines, which The other family, who missioned noise surveys last ������� ���� have an overall height of wished to remain anony- year, which found that the ������ ������� around 100 metres, has mous at this stage, also con- Skrine wind farm was oper- turned their lives upside firmed that it had made ating within noise thresholds down and made their lives complaints to the council agreed with the county unbearable. The constant over noise coming from the council last year. pulsating noise has led to turbines. The family indicat- sleep deprivation and is ed that it wanted noise levels (see full story Michael and Dorothy Keane who claim their lives have been destroyed by wind impacting on the health of to be monitored independ- pages 12 & 13) turbines. Pic. Gerard O'Loughlin 12 NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2013 ROSCOMMON HERALD Noise invades the Keane home day and night and has crushed the occupants’ hopes and Dream of rural idyll shattered by noise of wind turbines Couple tell of 'living hell' in the shadow of whir and almost purr with our fingertips," he added. turbines at their Skrine home every passing gust of wind. Dorothy said that they But for Michael and felt "trapped" and that Dorothy their shiny clean there was nowhere in their lengths as lining their bed- exterior masks a more own home that they could room windows with duvets menacing threat - one of escape from the noise. "I in a bid to dampen the noise pollution that has can't get the noise out of incessant, pulsating noise stolen months and months my head. It's horrendous, that keeps them awake at of sleep and dashed their absolutely horrible," she night. dreams of a quiet life in the said. The sight of duvet-lined countryside. "This is a real abuse now. windows is indeed a stark For us to even have to leave one. It encapsulates the our home to go to Galway BY MARESA FAGAN desperation experienced it's the was traumatic because we [email protected] by Michael and Dorothy don't want to go any- Keane, who are now at noise where," she added. breaking point. that's inside the The nearest of two wind DUVETS, NOT curtains, The couple, who moved turbines is less than 750 line the windows. On one to the Skrine area of mid- house; it's rhythmic, metres away from their window alone a king size Roscommon almost a incessant, tonal, and home and despite heavy duvet, along with several decade ago, are at a loss. “ duty insulation in the house Michael and Dorothy Keane who claim that their lives have been made a living single duvets and fleeces, Devastated, bereft, dis- unrelenting” walls and attic, the whir of hell due to noise from wind turbines located near their home. fall where curtains would traught, are just some of -Michael Keane the turbines seeps through Pic. Gerard O'Loughlin. normally drape. This is the the words Michael and and penetrates their every bedroom where one couple Dorothy use to describe the waking and sleeping escape it. It's a feeling that of date. ing our home," Michael seeks refuge from what impact of nearby wind tur- Out of pure exaspera- moment. you're not in control," "We are living in a toxic said. they describe as a "living bines on their life. The tion, the couple who are in Dorothy explained. site. The landscape has "We can live with the hell" in the shadow of a noise invades their home their 60's, were forced to there is "There is this horrible become an industrial site as outdoor noise, looking at small wind farm in the day and night and has flee their home briefly in sensation and horrible a result of this develop- them, and the shadow flick- rural heartland of County crushed their hopes and recent weeks as they this noise that I just cannot ment," Dorothy said. er but it's the noise that is Roscommon. dreams of living out their sought refuge from the horrible sensation escape. It's in my head and "We feel that we don't penetrating our home that Desperate times require lives in the rural idyll that noise and a decent night's in my chest, it's just drastic. matter, that the people we cannot live with," he desperate measures. And County Roscommon offers. sleep. and horrible noise There's no escape from it," who live close to wind tur- added.