Carol Singing for Homeless
A large group of children and adults took part in the carol singing in Fethard on Tuesday 20th December. The group started at 7.45pm from the Parish Church following the Youth Christmas Liturgy. The children were treated to a special treat while singing 'Let it Snow' at Lonergan's Bar when they were showered with snow in the pub’s 'Winter Wonderland'. Later all were treated to sweets in the Abymill Theatre after singing for the attendance at the weekly bingo. Over €700 was raised for the homeless.

Fethard Bridge Club
We played for Christmas Prizes on 12th December and the prizes were presented at our party in McCarthy's Restaurant on 19th December. The winners were:

1st Gross: Anna Cooke and Bernie O'Meara;
1st Nett: Berney Myles and Alice Quinn;

2nd Gross: Frances Burke and Breda Walsh;
2nd Nett: Noreen Evans and Tony Hanrahan;

3rd Gross: Gemma Burke and Kathleen Kenny;
3rd Nett: Nell Broderick and David O'Meara;

4th Gross: Kay St. John and Rita Kane;
4th Nett: Kay Walsh and Rose Lonergan;

5th Gross: Annie O'Brien and Marie Delaney;
5th Nett: Nora Lawrence and Madeleine O'Donnell;

6th Gross: Suzanne Opray and Ellen Rochford;
6th Nett: Mgt. Mary McCormack and Philly Kenny.

Gross Turkey Prize Winners: Kay St. John and Rita Kane.
Nett Turkey Prize Winners: Berney Myles and Alice Quinn.

Change of Partner Turkey Prize Winners: Gross, Kay St. John and David Abell; Nett, Nell Broderick and Rose Lonergan.

Bridge resumes on Wednesday, 2nd January. Anyone looking for a partner contact Berney Myles at Tel: (052) 32038.

Goal Mile on Christmas Day
The Fethard Goal Mile 2007 took place at noon on Christmas Day. A very large group from Fethard and the surrounding areas gathered at outside the Town Hall to take part which was officially started by Tipperary Hurling All-Star, Declan Fanning. The local organisers include, Colm McGrath, Catherine Kearney, Waltie Moloney and Miceál McCormack.

The first GOAL mile, which was the brainchild of former GOAL chairperson and international athlete, Noel Carroll, took place in the Phoenix Park, Dublin in 1982. It is now an integral part of Christmas Day in over 55 venues throughout Ireland for people to help those less fortunate than themselves.

GOAL is an international humanitarian agency dedicated to the alleviation of the suffering of the poorest of the poor. It was founded by its Chief Executive, John O’Shea in 1977. GOAL works towards ensuring that the most vulnerable in our world and those affected by humanitarian crises have access to the fundamental needs and rights of life, i.e. food, water, shelter, medical attention and primary education. It is non-denominational, non-governmental and non-political.

Fethard ICA Guild
Wishing all our members a very happy New Year. May the coming year be kind to all. As the Senior Citizens meeting takes place on next Tuesday 8th January, there will be no ICA meeting this month. We will resume our monthly meetings in February.

Fethard GAA Club AGM
The Annual General Meeting of the club takes place in the Abymill Theatre at 2pm on Sunday 6th January 2008.

Unislim Classes
Unislim classes will commence in the Tirry Centre on Monday 7th January at 7.30pm. Individual plans are set to whether you want to loose stones or pounds. All are welcome.

Fethard Childcare Committee
The next meeting of Fethard Childcare Committee will take place on Wednesday 9th January at 8pm in the Tirry Community Centre. This meeting is open to the public so if you would like to become involved or feel that you have something to contribute you will be very welcome on the night.

Fethard & Killusty Community Lotto

The next draw will take place on 9th January when the Jackpot continues at €10,000 and the Jackpot sellers prize is €1000.  The Community office will re-open on 2nd January and the Day Care Centre will re-open on 7th January.

Group Fitness Classes
For those of you who may want to get out of the house for an hour on these long January nights and work off a bit of the holiday excess, there are group fitness classes starting on Monday 7th January in Fethard Ballroom from 9.15pm to 10.15pm with interval training on Wednesdays from 8pm to 9pm. The NCEF Level 1 instructor is Bobbi Holohan, who can be contacted for more information and to book your place at telephone: 087-2130414.

Mixed classes and all levels catered for. Over 18s only.

Hunting News
The childrens’ meet of the Tipperary Foxhounds at Grove on Christmas Eve could not have been more successful if it had been scripted. Almost 100 mounted juveniles of all ages, some on lead ponies long enough to pull Cinderella’s coach in a Christmas panto, turned out on a beautiful day. Grove Avenue was lined with horseboxes and trailers right out to the roadway and halfway up Knockbordan hill. There seemed to be as many people on foot as was at the point-to-point.

The hunting and hound work was also out of the top drawer. Finding in Knockbordan they ran by the sewage treatment plant across the river to Crean’s bridge. Turning here the fox re-crossed the river and ran through the Abbey Rocks almost to Fethard Co-op. Doing a u-turn here, hounds raced back to Knockbordan. From here Charlie scaled the bounding wall, crossed the road, where they were stopped as their fox ran to Grove Wood which was not being hunted on the day.

The long grove from the Muileannbawn across Grove back avenue to the old Kennels proved blank as did the Kilmaclugh and the Deerpark. Finding again in the small covert near Carrick Cross, hounds simply flew back across the main avenue to Knockbordan hunting through here to the lodge and back to Knockbordan. Giving their pilot no respite here they hunted strongly, proving, if proof was needed, that,

“The fairest music is to hear the hounds,
rend the air with a glorious cry.
Awake the lusty echo,
and compound their perfect language in a mingled voice.”

Out at the far end of Knockbordan they hunted back to where they found. Through here they ran down to the bounding wall at Kiltinan. Clearing this they ran to Kiltinan Castle and doing a u-turn here they ran back to Grove where they checked. The fox had probably crossed the Kilsheelan road here as a couple and half feathered across the road where they opened briefly at Drumdeel. Derry, however, decided to call it a day here at 3.15pm as the young riders remaining and their ponies had more than enough.

Thus ended a great day for the juvenile riders for Tipperary Foxhounds and for the future of hunting.

The Tipperary Foxhounds also had a great run from their meet at Ballydine on Thursday. Finding in Slatefield they ran from here to Mr Joe Ryan’s and on to Clonmochane. Turning here they hunted back to Slatefield and on to Bawnmore. Hunting around Bawnmore for thirty minutes they finally marked this very good fox to ground after a top class run of one hour and forty-five minutes.

As a mark of respect to the Lalor family, the childrens’ meet at Kilcooley on Saturday was cancelled as was the Ballylusky White Heather Harriers’ meet at Loughcopple on Sunday.

The Ballylusky White Heather Harriers meet at Coolbawn at 11am on Sunday 6th January.