Irish Walled Towns Book Launched
The Heritage Council and the Irish Walled Towns Network officially launched ‘Irish Walled Towns’ book on Wednesday 19th December at the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin. The hardback book by John Givens was officially launched by Mr John Gormley TD, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The beautifully illustrated book covers the twenty walled towns in the Irish Walled Towns Network and aims to bring the history of Ireland’s walled towns to life.

Fethard is very favourably treated in the book and the cover of the book features Fethard’s Town Wall. The book is now available locally and is highly recommended.

Fethard & Killusty Community Council
The next meeting of Fethard & Killusty Community Council will take place at 8.30pm on Tuesday night 22nd January.

Hunting News
From Kedrah on Monday 7th hounds found by Knockgraffon, this fox just ran down the large field of stubble under the moat and got to ground in the rough patch by the Suir.  Dr. McCarthy’s plantation held a brace.  After some good covert hunting hounds hunted across the Church Road to Kelly’s.  Running straight to the top of the hill they swung right-handed as if for Hymenstown.  Wheeling in a right-handed loop the fox ran back to the plantation where he was left.  Hymenstown proved blank.  Finding again near O’Connor’s they had a nice run back once again to Dr. McCarthy’s.  Hunting from the glen under O’Connor’s hounds found it difficult to hold the line out of covert.  Hitting it off near the house they ran a very fast good circle and back to covert.  Their fox ran again up by the house, looked to be running the same circle as before when he was lost near the road.

Wednesday found Earlshill covered with snow.  Hunting on foot Derry found near the old Coalmine.  Scent was very patchy.  Hounds, however, stuck well to their task and had a good forty minutes if somewhat rather slow.  The torrential rain brought this hut and the day to an early conclusion.  At Mullinahone on Thursday hounds hunted exceptionally well in Finnane Wood.  Despite their best efforts however Charlie could not be persuaded to leave covert, two short circles out over the Drangan Road to the Graveyard and back was the best that could be achieved.  Poor scent was the order of the day from Ballingarry on Saturday.  A fox from Ryans was hunted down towards the plantation on the Crohane side and lost.  Foxes proved hard to find afterwards.  Grawncole, usually a certain find, was blank.  Hounds eventually found on the hill over the road.  Running down towards the Commons hounds ran left-handed to the Ballynonty road which they crossed.  Finding it difficult to hold the line they checked where Derry called a halt in quickly failing light at 4pm.

With the White Heathers
From Coolbawn on Sunday 6th they found in the fort at Coolbawn Cross.  Hunting over the hill through Guiry’s they checked at the River bridge at St. Johnstown.  Hounds were at fault here they did carry the line across the road to Sparrow’s where they lost him.  Drawing up stream through Kilkennybeg to Bawnbrack they failed to find.  Moving to Kennedy’s at the Killenaule / Fethard road they ran back to Prout’s.  When eventually hounds could be recalled from this vast covert a move was made back to Roan.  A short run from here over the hill towards Killenaule finished the day.  The Ballyluskey White Heather Harriers meet next Sunday, January 20th, at Loughcopple at 11am.

Fethard Boy Scouts
Fethard Boy Scouts meetings will resume at 7pm on Friday 11th January in Fethard Ballroom and resume for Cubs at 6:30pm on Tuesday 15th January.  New members welcome.

Fethard Bridge Club Results
The results of Fethard Bridge Club game played on Wednesday 9 January were:

1st Gross: Nell Broderick and David O’Meara;
2nd Gross: Berney Myles and Alice Quinn;

1st Nett: Bridie Lee and Mike Burke;
2nd Nett: Kay St. John and Rita Kane. 

Anyone looking for a partner please contact Berney Myles at 32038.

Patrician Memorabilia Required
The Patrician Presentation Secondary School wishes to compile a display of objects and memorabilia relating to the era of the Patrician Brothers in Fethard 1873-1993. The organising committee would be grateful for the loan of memorabilia such as medals, photographs, documents and any related objects for a period of around two weeks in conjunction with the Bi-centenary celebrations on 30th January.

All items will be credited, if wished, and returned safely to you after the celebration. Please contact the school or Pat Looby, art teacher, if you have something you wish to be displayed.

 Noticed in Passing
The earliest signs to the much talked about ‘global warming’ were evident in Fethard over the past two weeks. A solitary early daffodil was in full bloom at Watergate at Christmas; two old orchards had apple blossoms blooming on their trees two weeks before Christmas; and a bank of primroses was in full bloom on 1st January.

Perhaps the best sign of all was one of our temporary residence dwellers was noticed outdoors on 24th December having his morning wash and shave minus his shirt.  The above, especially the nature signs, would seem to indicate seasonal weather changes.  Global warming may be on the way but with the weather we’ve had since 1st January, perhaps not just yet!

Fethard Juvenile GAA Club
Fethard Juvenile GAA Club will hold their annual general meeting on Thursday, 24th January 2008, in the Tirry Community Centre at 7.30pm.  All parents of juvenile members are invited to attend this AGM, so please come along and support your club.

Archaeology in South Tipperary
The following one-day free event will be of interest to those who would like to know more about the Fethard Town Walls Conservation Plan and archaeology in our general area.

South Tipperary County Museum in association with its current exhibition ‘Earthen Banks and Broken Walls’ will host a one-day seminar on current, recent and ongoing Archaeological projects in South Tipperary. The Seminar will be held on Saturday 19th January 2008 in the Clonmel Park Hotel, Poppyfields, Clonmel. The day commences at 10am with registration. All are welcome and admission is free.

Presentations will include the N8 Cashel - Michelstown Development, The Archaeological Inventory of South Tipperary, The Fethard Town Walls Conservation Plan, The Architectural Inventory of South Tipperary and the sources available in the Local Studies Section of the Tipperary Library.

The full day’s program is as follows: 10am, Registration & Welcome; 10.15am, Jean Farrelly - The Archaeological Inventory of South Tipperary; 10.45am, Joanne Hughes - Cashel Bypass Excavations; 11.15am, Coffee; 11.30am, Margaret Gowen - N8 Cashel-Mitchelstown Excavations; 12 noon, Richard O’Brien - Overview NRA Road Projects; 12.30pm, Question & Answer Session; 1-2pm, Lunch (at attendees own expense); 2pm, Barry O’Reilly - The Architectural Inventory of South Tipperary; 2.30pm, Mary Guinan Darmody - The Local Studies Section of Tipperary County Library; 3.00pm, Julian Munby - Fethard Town Walls Conservation Plan; 3.30pm, Coffee; 4.00pm, Question and Answer Session; 4.30pm, Close.

To register your attendance or for further information please contact: Julia Walsh, Documentation/ A Education Officer, South Tipperary County Museum, Mick Delahunty Square, Clonmel. Tel:  052 34562, Email: julia.walsh@southtippcoco.ie

Leanness Programme Presentation
Last week Mr Desmond Doyle, Co-Author, Dipl. Health and Nutrition Trainer, made a presentation on ‘The Seven Steps to Balance’ at Butler’s Bar new meeting room on Main Street. The presentation was based on Dr. Bahadori’s book ‘Leanness Programme’, now its 4th edition, which aims to help people find a way to understand and combat such things as stress eating. Or show them how to enjoy the temptations of the buffet on an all-inclusive holiday, enjoying food while helping them to loose weight. The programme actually encourages overweight people to discover and enjoy food and by doing so enhance their lifestyle. The way to successful weight loss is not over the body mass index or the weigthing scale, is not found in the purchase of expensive drugs or diets. It is found in rediscovering the ancient wisdom of balance in body, mind and spirit. Using small and simple steps. The book, now available at Newport’s Newsagency, invites you to walk that pathway to weight loss and vitality in body and soul.

Patrician Bi-centenary celebrates Fethard’s educational heritage

On Wednesday, 30th January, the Patrician Presentation Secondary School will host a ceremony to celebrate the Bi-centenary of the Patrician Brothers 1808- 2008.

The Patrician Order was founded on 2nd February, 1808 by Daniel Delaney in Tullow, Co. Carlow. Then, in 1873, three Patrician Brothers: Br. Augustine Holton, Br. Vincent Riordan and Br. Arsenious Fitzpatrick established a monastery in Fethard on the site of the old Presentation laundry. Thus for one hundred and twenty years the Patrician Brothers together with the Presentation Sisters provided education for the people of Fethard and made an enormous contribution to the cultural formation of the town.

The people of Fethard and the surrounding areas are cordially invited to join in the Patrician celebrations on Wednesday, 30th January. The celebrations will begin with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Patrician plot in the grounds of the Holy Trinity Parish Church followed by a concelebrated Mass at 11am in the adjoining church. Afterwards at 12.30pm you are welcome to partake of light refreshments in the Secondary School.

Open Night at Patrician Presentation Secondary School
Patrician Presentation Secondary School will hold an open night for prospective incoming pupils and their parents on Monday night 28th January at 8pm. All enquiries to the school office Tel: (052) 31572.

Bro Paul’s update from Eldoret
Hi to all our Friends around the world once again . . . and I trust you are all real well. As for ourselves, we are teetering on the brink still and there is a possibility that anarchy will prevail again next week if the Politicians don't see reason and sit down to talk genuinely.  On Tuesday the President, whose election is seriously in dispute by the losers, will open Parliament and I suspect there may be some scenes there. The opposition will probably succeed in getting their nominee elected to the House Speaker Chair and quite a bit will depend on that subsequently.

There is a lot of political posturing but practically all from a hard line position.  From what I can see, nobody sees the way out of the morass into which we were plunged on the last day of the year. As of now, there is relative calm prevailing around the country but it is an uneasy calm. Very tense.

The opposition have threatened mass action next week on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, if the impasse is not broken amicably. The Police Commissioner has declared any mass rallies to be illegal. And every sane person is appealing to them to cancel these marches etc. One doesn't have to be a political analyst to see that this scenario is a recipe for another bout of mayhem and all it entails.   Fortunately, Kofi Annan will be here on Tuesday to try his hand at sorting out the mess but he may be too late!

Apart from all that, all the Brothers here, including myself, are safe and well and trying to cope with the aftermath of the wave of destruction of life and limb. We are hoping to open schools on Monday and our main concern is that we may have quite a few absentees . . . children who have been taken away for their safety.  That will apply to both our schools in Eldoret, Bishop Delany School and our Primary School here in Kabongo. In some cases, even teachers may not return to their duties.

In the meantime we are distributing relief food to up to 300 people at Kabongo and wondering if we will be able to restart our feeding program for the children from next Monday. These are some of the things that are pressurizing us here . . . just the uncertainty of it all, really.

In Eldoret Town, there are still hundreds massed at the Cathedral grounds and the local showgrounds are pretty well packed with makeshift tents, teeming with hungry children and parents who are desperate. I visited the Cathedral today and it is remarkable how resilient the refugees are in spite of what has happened to their lives.  Meanwhile, there are many in our local hospitals recovering from broken limbs and burns.

But, it has been my own constant position that we must put our trust in the future of Kenya and carry on as best we can. After the dust has settled, there will be a long period of reconciliation needed and we have already embarked on that path. We will continue to expand here at Kabongo and that is why we are greatly heartened by the material ands moral support we have been getting, not just now, but over the past five years since we began our 'mission' to these poor people.

Otherwise, may you all continue to enjoy the New Year and may all of 2008 be a good one for you wherever you happen to be. Sincerely, Paul (D. Brennan) Bro.