OPINION (AN COLÚN): Community spirit and courage at Banagher gatherings

ON Friday evening I attended the launch of the new book “That Beats Banagher” in Banagher College, an event which drew a very impressive turnout of people, clearly showing how popular the two authors of the book, James Scully and Kieran Keenaghan, are. James and Kieran love Banagher and they love West Offaly. This love flows over into so much of what they do. They have a pride and a fascination for their local place which is very healthy and positive, and this pride is wrapped up with a deep interest in the local history and culture of West Offaly.
I've known James and Kieran for years. They are both very social and enjoy good humour and joke telling, but beneath that jocular exterior are serious intellects who like to get down to the nitty gritty of in-depth historical facts. This dichotomy between their interior and exterior lives is exemplified in their new book. On the surface of things, the book is beautifully produced. It's lovely to look at (goodness, it even smells good!). It's filled with lots of great pictures, some of which are suffused with a sense of the humorous and the satirical. However, once the reader gets down to the task of spending hours reading the book (as I did on the night of the launch, into the wee hours) then you realise that quite a lot of the text is indeed jocular but a good portion is also focussed on an extensive, deep dive into the ins and outs of corrupt 18th Century Irish politics. In other words, James and Kieran are both excellent local historians who want to uncover as many details about the history of West Offaly as they possibly can.
That Beats Banagher is a great book and I strongly recommend it. It's on sale in several outlets throughout the region, including SuperValu in Banagher and Birr.
Friday evening's book launch encompassed two things in life which I love, namely Community and Books, two of the most precious things that we have as a species. True Community is the opposite of the self-obsessed mercantile world which we live in; it's the opposite of selfishness and greed; it fosters positivity and growth and applauding each other's efforts.
Books bring us insight and perspective. They show us that countless others are struggling as well in this sometimes frightening and intimidating thing called Life. Books lift the lid on the human story, displaying what's underneath the facade and showing us the struggles and difficulties which are going on beneath the surface.
The following afternoon I attended another excellent Community event, a 3.5 kilometre swim in the Shannon. 62 participants turned out for the start of the swim in Shannon Harbour. I chatted to some of them and told them how courageous they were. Many were wearing wet suits because the water would be cold, in spite of it being the summer. I was told that the risk of suffering from the cold increased the longer you spent in the water and the swim could take from an hour to two hours.
Open water swimming has been growing in popularity in Ireland over the last few years. More and more people are now exploring our beaches, lakes, and rivers around the country. Open water swimming improves circulation, increases metabolism, and takes our minds off our worries and problems for a little while.
Saturday's swimmers were glad that an earlier, strong wind had died down, because swimming in the Shannon with a strong wind is very demanding. They all had tow floats tied to their waists which provide visibility and can be used as a buoyancy aid. Many of them were regular swimmers in the Banagher outdoor pool, some of whom were hardy souls swimming all year round.
The benefits of cold water on our state of mind are well documented. It's been proven that those who take cold showers or engage in open water swimming, feel an improvement in their mood and a reduction in their anxiety. When we swim in cold water our bodies release endorphins, often described as "feel-good" hormones. Open water swimmers can also experience increased levels of dopamine, which is associated with pleasure and motivation.
The new, €800,000 Banagher outdoor pool will be installed in August. There's a huge amount of good will locally towards the project. An excellent fundraising committee has come up with lots of great fundraising ideas and the generosity from locals has been massive. As well as Saturday's swim there's been an auction, and a climb of Carrauntoohil. Sponsor a Nameplate is another fundraiser. Schools and community organisations have been very supportive. A majority of the €800,000 in funding comes from the EU Just Transition Fund (being administered by Fáilte Ireland). €160,000 in match funding has to be found by the local community. They have raised €100,000 so far.