FETHARD & KILLUSTY COMMUNITY LOTTO
The numbers drawn in the Fethard and Killusty Community Lotto on Tuesday 14th January were: 3, 10, 16 and 31. There was no Jackpot Winner and one 'Match 3' winner who received who received €150:
Regina Power, c/o Maura Trehy, The Green, Fethard.
The Jackpot remains at €10,000.
The three ‘Lucky Dip’ winners of €50 were:
Majella Drea, 12 Strylea, Fethard
Kieran Butler, Kilnockin, Fethard
Michael Doherty, 9 Strylea, Fethard
Next weeks Jackpot sellers prize is €785.

HUNTING NEWS

Tony Newport photographed with Master of the Scarteen Hunt, Chris Ryan, Photo supplied by Cyril Smyth

Having lost three days hunting due to frost last weekend, the Tipperary Foxhounds resumed activities with a red-letter day from their lawn meet at Coolmore on Monday. A fox found in Mortlestown crossed the Fethard – Killenaule road to St. Johnstown. Running the riverbank to Bawnbrack, he swung right handed crossing the Kilkennybeg Road where hounds were stopped.
Quickly finding again in Mr Patrick Kennedys, hounds re-crossed the Fethard-Killenaule road to the large plantation in Rathmoley where they lost him.
Hacking back to Coolbawn, hounds found in Mrs Shekans. This good fox ran through Dillons and Coolmore to Slainstown, where he retraced his path to St. Johnstown crossing the road near The Ramble Inn. Through Mr Guirys and Mr Charles Blackmores, hounds ran to Kilkennybeg Cross where they had to give this good fox best. This was a hunt of 45 minutes without a check, with a three mile point and at least five miles as hounds ran.
The Ballylusky White Heather Harriers meet next Sunday 19th January at Cappagh Cross and on Sunday 26th January at Loughcopple at 12 noon.

FIRST SECONDARY SCHOOL
The mention of Fethard’s first boy’s secondary school being established in Main Street in 1941 has brought a few enquiries as to its location. The school was located in two upstairs rooms in the old Fethard Laundry. These rooms were located in an unused part of the laundry nearest the Parish Church. The building is now occupied by the Primus –Trans European office block, part of Coolmore Stud enterprises.
Rev. Brother Albert Small was as justifiably proud of the achievement of the school’s under/16 hurling team shortly after the schools opening as he was of the academic success of many of his pupils. The team won the Croke Cup for Tipperary under/16 hurling teams beating a star studded Thurles CBS in the final at Cashel’s old GAA field beyond the Railway.
Recalling that Fethard school had less than fifty pupils, no sports half-day for training and no playing field, puts their victory in its proper perspective. To realise that sixty years have elapsed since that historic win is almost impossible to comprehend.
Where are the players of that team today? Some close to hand, others far away. Willie Molloy, Michael Tynan, Cly Mullins, three of Fethard’s best, and Michael Quirke are no longer with us. Goalie, Jim Barry, his brother Michael, captain and full back, Paddy Browne, Buddy Sayers and a diminutive Sean ‘Glamour’ Walsh, the baby of the team, were Fethard’s best players on the day. Michael Tynan, Fethard’s match winner, was an outstanding prospect had the emigrant ship caused him and Buddy Sayers to leave us as teenagers and lost to Fethard and the game.
Incidentally, Fethard’s means of transport to the games was most interesting. many of the pupils to Fethard school came by pony and trap. These were commandeered on match days. Most of the games were played in Cashel. Ryans or Corcoran’s Hotels were the stables, dressing rooms and refreshment venue for the teams. Tea, bread and butter, and jam before the game with ham and tomatoes afterwards was the usual menu. Believe you me, the walk of almost a mile from the town to the playing field and back again after the game in the football boots prevailing at the time was something else.
The day the cup was won, all pony and traps returning were ordered to stop at the Cashel Road approaching Fethard and wait for the slow trotters. Then a victory parade (sic.) was held up Main Street.
A team picture of the team was hanging on a school room wall up to recently. I wonder if it is still there. The school jerseys were green with a white band emblazoned with the Fethard Patrician Brothers crest. Our last memory of those is a cat having a litter of kittens on them in a press in the old school.

TRAFFIC CHAOS
Fethard Main Street was in somewhat of a state of chaos on Monday morning when traffic diversions had to be put into operation at either end of the street while Tipperary S.R. County Council were rectifying the subsidence problem on the road opposite Lower Chapel Lane. The Council apologised for any inconvenience caused and gave warnings of the diversions throughout the day on local radio.

LADIES FOOTBALL
The County Secretary and Chairman of County Tipperary Ladies Football will visit Fethard in the near future with a view to starting up a club. Further details next week.

TEAGASC PROGRAMME
Teagasc plan to extend their Opportunities Programme to the general Fethard area in the coming weeks. This new Advisory Programme is aimed at farming families, full-time or part-time, who want to get an overall view of the best mix of farm enterprises, other enterprises and off-farm work that will achieve the best possible family income and also achieve a good quality of life for all concerned.
This is a free ‘once-off’ service open to farmers in the middle range of farm enterprise size, of under 40,000 gallon quota, 100 sucklers or 600 ewes.
The programme consists of two main stages. Firstly, participants attend three group sessions (2 hours each) were 10 or more farming families come together with a number of Teagasc personnel for a general overview of the current economic / quality of life and farming situation in Ireland at present.
Secondly there is ‘One to One’ contact and visits between the farm family and Teagasc personnel so as to come up with the best ‘way forward action plan’ for each family.
For further information please contact Frank Burke or Terry Cunningham (Opportunities Programme Coordinator) at Teagasc Clonmel 052-21300.

TRAGIC DEATH
The tragic death of 92-year-old Bridie Skehan recently in London has aroused much local speculation. The late Bridie Skehan was described as a native of Fethard, Co. Tipperary. Local enquiries have failed to find Ms Skehan’s former Fethard address or if she has any surviving relatives now living in Fethard. She was brutally murdered in her home just two months after giving a BBC T.V. interview in which she highlighted the dangerous situations under which elderly residents on London City reside.

FETHARD BRIDGE CLUB
Bridge results for Wednesday 8th January.
1st Gross: Kay St. John and Rita Kane
2nd Gross: Margaret Hackett and Betty Walsh
1st Nett: Bernie O’Meara and Anna Cooke
2nd Nett: Suzanne Opray and Noreen Evans
Anyone looking for a partner please contact Annie O’Brien at Tel: 31862.

FETHARD GAA DINNER DANCE
The Fethard GAA Club’s annual dinner dance takes place on Saturday 1st March in Cahir House Hotel. Tickets are now available from Noel Byrne, Gus Fitzgerald, Martha Sheehan, John Hurley, Mary Godfrey or Nicky O’Shea. Please book early.

KILLENAULE.NET
Our neighbouring town Killenaule is now online and we are delighted to welcome another community based site to the world wide web. The site can be viewed at www.killenaule.net

PEN FRIENDS WANTED

Hi, my name is John Moloney and I am a poor lonesome cowboy homesick from Fethard and living in Paris. I am looking for pen friends from Fethard. You can write me at jmoloney@haysdx.fr
Attached above is a recent picture of me.

CHRISTMAS HAT PARTY

Photographed at the Christmas Hat Party held at the Bridge Bar Fethard in aid of the CRC Santa Bear Appeal are L to R: Davy and Alice Tobin, Jane O'Dwyer and T.J. Tobin.

The total amount collected between the Hat Party and the Christmas Carol Singing was €764 which was presented to the Central Remedial Clinic on Monday 6th January. The CRC have expressed their thanks and appreciation to all who helped and supported this years event and also for our annual ongoing support for their Santa Bear Appeal.
The Central Remedial Clinic is a national centre for the care, treatment and development of children and adults with physical and multiple disabilities - over 4,000 children and adults attend the CRC free of charge each year. Although largely funded by the State, the CRC has a significant shortfall of £1.5 million annually which must be made up through voluntary donations and fundraising. Your support is vital, without it the Central Remedial Clinic would not be able to deliver such high standards of service.

HUNTING NEWS
The death has occurred of Mr Andrew ‘Sonny’ Goldsboro, Ballingarry, a life long follower and committee member of Ballylusky White Heather harriers. Huntsman of the pack, Donnie Slattery, blew the plaintive ‘Going Home’ call on the hunting horn at Sonny’s interment as a last farewell from his hunting contemporaries. Last Sunday’s meet was cancelled as a mark of respect.
The Ballylusky White Heathers harriers meet next Sunday, January 12th at Ballylusky, on Sunday 19th at Cappagh Cross, and on Sunday January 26th at Loughcopple.

NOT SO HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
This year 2003 marks the 50th anniversary of the introduction into Ireland of the awful rabbit disease myxomatosis, a highly infectious disease caused by a virus, leading to swelling of the mucous membranes and the formation of tumors similar to myxomas. For ten years at least the catching of rabbits by snare, trap, ferreting or whatever was widely followed by many young and not so young men in rural Ireland. A never-ending demand for rabbits in England saw many leave employment and go rabbit catching full-time. Indeed, Jimmy Sheehan from Killusty wrote a song on the subject, the opening lines were, “Three and nine for a rabbit, fifteen bob for four, no wonder the bunnies are being killed by the score.” Fifteen bob or shillings was a week’s wages for a man at that time.
Then came the Myxomatosis! Within a couple of years the rabbit population was almost wiped out, at least ninety percent of the total rabbit population were exterminated. They were regarded at that time as an agricultural plague. However, nature will not be mastered or tamed and within five or six years the few remaining bunnies built up immunity to the virus and slowly but surely made a comeback and are now almost as plentiful as ever. The demand, however, never did and Carr of Mallow in the seventies was the last rabbit exporter to visit the area buying rabbits. In better times, two local exporters of rabbits were Johnny Dempsey of Kilsheelan and Donald Aird, The Green, Fethard, who both travelled far and wide buying rabbits. Travelling musician, singer songwriter, ‘Pecker’ Dunne, wrote a monologue on myxomatosis that he performed regularly at his gigs, it was entitled ‘The Little Rabbit’ and detailed the horrific death that the virus caused.
Yes the myxomatosis is gone, the rabbits are back, and the agricultural problems their eradication was going to solve still remain. This week alone, the farming community felt obliged to stage a tractor parade protest to Leinster House to highlight their plight. The badgers are next on the list for extermination. Spreading Bovine T.B. is their problem. No doubt when they are gone, the problem will still be there and the loss added on to the billions already spent on the scheme. Yes indeed, nature will never be mastered or tamed!

FETHARD RUGBY CLUB
The Fethard rugby teams and supporters travelled to Waterpark last Sunday where the under-8s played very well in their match. It was a quick paced match in which it was apparent that the key to their success was their teamwork. In the 1st half we were leading 2-1 with an early try from Eoin Walsh and the later one from James Holohan. In the second half with stronger opponents, Waterpark scored, but that was to be their last with Gregory Henry and Philip Maher scoring two tries and some good runs from Colin Meagher. The final score was a 4-2 victory. The team was: Gavin Delaney, Eoin Walsh, James Holohan, Keith Bergin, Jack Devaney, Luke Keating, Colin Meagher, Philip Maher, Steven Tierney and Gregory Henry. In the second match they all played well and won 2-0 with tries coming from Philip Maher, Gregory Henry and Stephen Tierney.
The u-10 team was: Robert Maher, Matt O’Sullivan, Conor Kavanagh, Jack O’Connell, Joseph O’Brien, David Bergin, Kevin Hayes, Daniel Hickey, Paul Tierney and Andrew Kelly. At half time Fethard were winning 5-2. In the second half Waterpark came back much stronger and with a minute to go it was 6-5 to Waterpark but just before the whistle was blown Daniel Hickey scored a try to leave the score tied at 6 all. Matt O’Sullivan, Joseph O’Brien and especially Kevin Hayes all played very well.
The u-12s had a tough match. The team was Dave Gorey, Sam Manton, James Kelly, Shane Kavanagh, Paul Mackey, Colm Blackmore, Joe Kelly, Mike O’Hagan and J. P. McGrath. It was an enjoyable skilful match to observe with all the players playing well. Paul Mackey played very well. There was a lack of team work which can only be improved by regular training sessions. Training continues as usual on Saturday at 11am and there will be a blitz held in Cashel on Sunday.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL
The next meeting of Fethard & Killusty Community Council will take place on Tuesday 21st January at 8.30pm in the Tirry Community Centre.

BONNY BABY
Justin Nelson, in his ‘Down Memory Lane’ series of photographs each week in The Nationalist, has asked for identification of the mother and baby photographs taken at a baby show some forty years ago in Powerstown Park Clonmel. One of the photographs in last week’s edition is of Mrs Kitty Ahearne, Main Street, and her son Frank. Mrs Ahearn remembers the occasion well and she says her prize was a plentiful supply of Cow & Gate baby food. The prize certainly did not do Frank any harm as he is some baby now standing about 6 feet 2 inches and weighing around 14 and half stone.

WEDDING
The wedding took place at Killusty Church on St. Stephen’s day of Sarah, daughter of Mr Louis and Mrs Mary Coen, Killusty, to Mr Tony Shelly, Killenaule.

SOLVE THIS ONE!
The problems we are asked to solve through this column are certainly many and varied. This one is to settle a wager. Who was captain of the Killenaule senior hurling team, winners of the South Tipperary S.H. Championship in 1963. Our guess is Killenaule and Tipperary hurler Tom Ryan. Perhaps if the great man himself reads this he might get in touch.

FETHARD YOUTH CLUB
Fethard Youth Club held their annual Table Quiz in Joe Ahearns Pub and would like to thank those who made it such a roaring success, most sincerely. A huge thank you to Miceál McCormack who was our quizmaster for the night. Even Anne Robinson would have been impressed, but perhaps, by no means as lenient. A big thank you to Tom McCormack for giving us a run for our money in the questions he put together for us on the night. We would also like to thank those parents who actually turned up to support this worthy cause. Thanks must also go to Joe Ahearn for allowing us, yet again to use his premises

TIPPERARIANA BOOK FAIR
Fethard Historical Society will hold their annual Tipperariana Book Fair in Fethard Ballroom on Sunday 9th February from 2pm to 6pm. The society are also interested in receiving any unwanted books that you may have, please contact any of the committee who will arrange to have them collected and sold at the Historical Society’s second-hand book stall (proceeds to Historical Society). If you wish to have your own stall, please contact Terry Cunningham, Grangebeg, Fethard, Tel: 052 23402, to book a stall.

FRANKIE RAFFERTY
The death has occurred in London over the Christmas period of Frankie Rafferty. The late Frankie Rafferty came as a very young teenager as an apprentice jockey to Major Vigors in the 40s. A most popular local personality, having ridden a few winners he emigrated to England and drifted out of racing. He never lost his love for Fethard and visited periodically on his holidays to renew old acquaintances. His wish, through his friend Nellie Shine-Heffernan, was to be buried in Fethard. His wish will be carried out in the near future. Sympathy is extended to his wife and family.

TOM O’HALLORAN
Sincere sympathy is extended to the O’Halloran family. Kylenagranagh, Cloneen, on the death of Tom O’Halloran recently in Listowel. A Department of Agriculture official, the late Tom O’Halloran was a past-pupil of Fethard Patrician Brothers Secondary School. He was actually one of the original 37 pupils in the first secondary school for boys in Fethard, founded on 1st September 1941 at the request of Most Rev. Dr. Harty, Archbishop of Cashel and Rev. Canon Ryan P.P. The first teachers included Bro. Albert (principal), Bro Mark Lee and Bro Colman Burke, who replaced Bro Liguori Commins after a short period. Tom on his visits home regularly called to meet some of his old school mates by whom he will be greatly missed.

ST VINCENT DE PAUL
Fethard St. Vincent de Paul conference wish to thank all who subscribed to their Christmas Collection. The amount collected was a new record of €2,259.68 and we look on this staggering amount as your approval and endorsement of our work. Anybody in need of our help is asked to please contact any conference member.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Fethard celebrated the New Year in great style and this year we visited Lonergan's Bar to take some photographs.

FETHARD GAA CLUB
On Sunday 29th December, we held our Annual General Meeting in the Abymill Theatre, Fethard. Our president Fr Tom Breen P.P. opened the meeting with prayers for our Gaels who departed this life in 2002, with particular mention of Cly Mullins and Mick Quinlan. The Secretary presented a comprehensive twenty-one page report on the years events with special mention of the unique record of winning three county under 21 A football titles in a row, also our intermediate hurling and senior football south titles, and our under 21 A football achievement of four south titles in a row.
The officers for 2003 are as follows: Chairman, Mick Aherne; Secretary / Pro / Insurance, Noel Byrne; Treasurer, Nicky O’Shea; Joint Vice Chairman, John Hurley and Dick Fitzgerald; Assistant Sec, Caroline Sheehan (Sec Juvenile Club); Assistant Treasurer, Mary Godfrey; Field Development Officer, Denis O’Meara; Youth Officer, Denis Burke; Coaching Officer, Tommy Sheehan; Oifig Na Gaeilge, Ailish O Siochain; Scór Officer, Martha Sheehan; County Board Delegate, Gus Fitzgerald; Joint South Board Delegates, Noel Byrne and Mick Aherne; County Football Board Delegate, Tommy Gahan. The following, along with the officers, make up the committee: Austy Godfrey, Jim Williams, M.C. Maher, Jimmy O’Shea, P. J. Aherne and Pat O’Donnell. The chairman of the Juvenile Club is also a member of the committee.
Our annual dinner dance will take place on Saturday 1st March. Tickets can be booked from any officer of the club and please book early to avoid disappointment. The presentation of four cups, team medals plus other presentations will take place on the night.