The Republican Movement in South Tipperary will hold its annual George Plant Commemoration in St. Johnstown Graveyard on Easter Sunday 11 April.  The main speaker will be Mr David Dunne who is their candidate for South Tipperary County Council elections in this area.  The other republican candidates for South Tipperary will also be present.

Winners on 13 games: Willie Kennedy and Michael Browne.  Runners up on 12 games: Bridie Lee and Chris O’Brien, Michael O’Brien and Seán Callaghan, Veronica and James Muldowney, John St. John and Pat O’Dwyer.  Table prize: Gus Neville and Alice Quinn.

Winners on 11 games: Robert and Bernie Phelan.  Runners up on 10 games: Paddy Butler and Tess Maher, Nora Lee and Nora O’Donnell.  Rubber winners: Greta O’Donovan and Tom McCormack, Lory Byrne and Jimmy McCarthy

Next game takes place in Fethard Ballroom on Friday 2 April at 8.30pm sharp.

On this coming Sunday night, April 4th, we have our social dancing night at Fethard Ballroom.  Music supplied by Donal Bird and his band.  All are welcome.

The table quiz held recently in the Secondary School attracted a very large attendance competing for excellent prizes.  The Parents Association would like to thank all who attended for their support and gratefully acknowledge the generous sponsorship from Superquinn, Kenny’s Centra Supermarket, Glanbia, Slievenamon Golf Club, Galtee Meats, Sally Hayes and others.  Thanks to all who provided sandwiches for the tea-break and all who assisted on the night, especially Helen, Sarah, Siobhán and Roseanne who were kept busy with the score-keeping. A special thanks also to Fethard and District Credit Union for their very generous donation towards the Lourdes Fund. 

Each year, two 5th year students from Fethard Patrician Presentation Secondary School assist the invalids with the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes and the proceeds of the Table Quiz will help defray their travel expenses.

We are breaking the mould a bit this week with happy birthday wishes.  A young lady in The Valley celebrates an ‘all the fours’ birthday on Saturday next.  Happy birthday to Isobel Kennedy, daughter of Bill and Liz, who will be all of 4 years old on the 4/4/04.

Forty years will pass before, God willing, Isobel celebrates another ‘all the fours’ birthday on 4/4/44.  The mind boggles if the past 40 years are anything to go by, on what changes Isobel and all children of her age will witness in the ensuing 40 years.

Some time ago, the Fethard Presentation Sisters were approached by a few people who had difficulty walking from Main Street to the Parish Church, for permission to park their cars in the Convent Grounds.  This was readily given, to allow the not so fleet of foot easy access from the Convent to the rear of the Parish Church.  The Sisters generosity has, however, been taken advantage of.  The Convent grounds are private property and it's not unusual now to see between twenty and thirty cars being parked in the grounds on any Sunday morning.

A special appeal has been made to those who are able to walk the short distance from the street to the church, to please not use the Convent grounds as a car park.

We have had an enquiry from James Dean, Appleton, USA, re his ancestors from the Kylenagranagh and Ballycullen areas.  James’s grandfather, also James and son of James Denn and Catherine Hennessy, Ballycullen, emigrated to USA in 1876.  It is also likely that his brothers and sisters emigrated to USA around 1880, probably along with their father.

Perhaps our friends in the Cloneen-Mullinahone area could help on this one.  Mr Dean will be visiting Fethard in May of this year.  His postal address is: James Dean, 920 Foxmoor, Appleton, WI 54911, USA.

Apparently somewhere along the way, the spelling of the surname was changed from Denn to Sean.  Mr Dean (Denn) was actually in Mullinahone a few years ago but unfortunately his request for Deans in the area brought no response.

Lucky dip winners of €50 each were:

Next weeks Jackpot is €5,800. Jackpot sellers prize €435.

From midnight on Sunday night last, 28th March, smoking in Irish public houses and places of work is illegal, so from now on, the only smoke you'll see in our local pubs will come from the fire!

Ireland yesterday became the first country in the world to impose a nationwide ban on smoking in offices and workplaces, public transport, pubs, restaurants, and even company cars. The only exceptions are designated hotel rooms, hospices, prisons and psychiatric wards.

Almost three-quarters of people (73%) who responded to a recent BBC survey also want a ban on smoking in all public places as a way to cut tobacco-related illness.

Nothing short of a miracle was how some, who had a close call, described an incident on Main Street on Saturday night last.  Just as the very large congregation were leaving the Parish Church after the Novena ceremonies, a stolen car being pursued by the police drove up Main Street at what some observers reckon to be at least 70 mph.  Following, what was fortunately, a minor collision with a car driven by a local lady on The Square, the stolen car came to a halt.

The Gardai in the pursuing police car quickly arrested the three young male occupants, who, we understand, were from Cork.  Full marks to the young Garda who chased one of the runaway joyriders down Main Street and brought him down with a tackle outside the Post Office that would have done credit to our rugby international Brian O’Driscoll.

To use the term ‘joyrider’ to describe these individuals is surely not correct.  The manner in which they drove that car up a crowded street was just as dangerous as if they discharged a loaded shotgun in the same area.  As we said at the outset, it is just a pure miracle that someone was not killed or seriously injured.

Looking through an old copy of The Nationalist of August 1956, we came across a wonderful tribute to Sr. Mary Joseph McCarthy, Buffana, who celebrated the Silver Jubilee of her profession on August 23rd of that year at the Ursuline Convent, New York. 

Giving details of her wonderful career as a teacher and a religious, the article stated that unfortunately Sr. Joseph had suffered a severe heart attack and was semi-retired to the community’s Mother House.  However, “Man proposes and God disposes”. 

May we offer a sincere belated birthday greeting from all her friends in Moyglass and Fethard to Sr. Joseph who celebrated her 90th birthday on Saturday last.  Not alone did Sr. Joseph not stay semi-retired, but over the years, many generations of pupils have profited from her counselling and teaching.

Incidentally, The Nationalist of 1956 that contained the tribute to Sr. Joseph, was published in their old mid-week edition.  The main edition was not in circulation in those years until Saturday.  A two or three page tabloid edition was published mid-week on Tuesday and sold for one and halfpenny, which in today’s currency would be less that 2 cent.

Please note that the under/14 and under/16 hurling training has now commenced in the new community sports field on Tuesday evenings at 6.30pm. Training for the under/12's and down has not yet commenced and members will be informed of training times and venue when decided.

A couple of reminders for our members. Firstly, our next outing is on Saturday April 17th at Rathdowney Golf Club. Tee off is at 11 o'clock. Secondly, and more importantly, our Easter Draw will take place on April 11th, cards to be returned on or before Good Friday, to Kevin Ryan, Danny Mullins, Michael Kenrick or if you wish you can leave them with Mick and Marie in The Well.

The county final of Community Games Under-14 Juvenile Quiz took place in the Park Avenue Hotel, Thurles, on Friday March 26th.  After ten very closely contested rounds of ten questions, Lorrha A and B teams landed the spoils.  Lorrha A team won with a total of 89 points and the B team were runners up on 86 points.  Clerihan A team finished in third place on 81 points with Clerihan B team and Fethard finishing in 4th place on 80 points each.  Others teams who done well were Annacarty, Ballyneale, Cahir, Gortnahoe and Moyne Templetuohy.

This years Fethard & Killusty London Reunion will take place on Saturday 26th June at St. Anthony’s Parish Centre, Garratt Road, Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 9AN, from 6.30pm ‘til late! Buffet food will be available, with music from 8pm onwards and all are welcome.

Now is the time to start booking those cheap flights (for €1 depending on the day) and while you’re at it, why not make a weekend of it in London and enjoy some shopping.
Cover charge on the night to help defray expenses is: adults £10.00, and children £7.00 and tickets available in advance or at the door. Further details from Paul Looby, Tel: 0044 (0)1276 459080 or plooby@ntlworld.com

For your information only (not a recommendation): the nearest Tube is: Edgware; the nearest hotel (directly opposite): Premier Lodge, 435 Burnt Oak Broadway. Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 5AQ. www.premierlodge.com or Tel: 0044 (0)870 9906522. Room rate is £58.00 per room per night. There are other hotels also nearby.
This year, it would be nice to see a lot more visitors from Fethard making a special effort and coming to the reunion.

On 65 minutes Alan Phelan picked up a ball outside the visitors box, strode forward and fired a great shot to the visitors net to put the home team two up. Saints kept on battling to the very end but Killusty held on for the points.

Fethard Ladies Group has now formed have called their Monday morning club, ‘Time Out’. Interested ladies are welcome to come along on any Monday morning from 10.30am to 12 noon to the Abymill Theatre. At the moment Self Awareness and Assertiveness Classes are in progress. They also have educational, but fun discussions, tea, coffee and biscuits. In May it is planned to hold some talks on Women’s Health.
Evening classes are now being set up and if anyone is interested, please contact, Veronica Crowe, Vocational Education Committee, The Mall, Clonmel. Tel: 052 21067. All ages welcome to day or evening classes.

A local nature lover was none too pleased to observe a pair of mink at Rathcoole Sand Pits recently. The flooded pits have become a well-known wild life sanctuary. A large number of water foul are in constant residence and these are annually augmented by hundreds of winter visitors. The sand pit is also one of the very few inland breeding sites of at least one species of seagull.

The mink, if they become established in the area, play havoc with the bid life, especially during the breeding season. Adult birds, eggs and chicks are all considered fair game by these deadly predators.

Local Presentation Sister and keen cyclist, Sr Betty Cagney, St. Bernard's Group Homes, is currently in training for a 600 mile Cycle trip from Dinard to Lourdes, to raise funds for the Irish Handicapped Children’s Pilgrimage Trust (IHCPT). Since the early 1980s many children have benefited from this Trust, with approximately five to ten local children travelling to Lourdes each year for a week’s pilgrimage. The cyclists will cycle six hundred miles over a period of seven days. Each cyclist has to raise a minimum of £2,000. Cyclists pay their own fare and expenses so all monies raised goes directly to IHCPT to support the local pilgrimage.


This year, Sr Betty will be joined by locals, photographed above at the launch in St. Kieran's College, Kilkenny. L to R: Stephanie Keating, Sr. Betty Cagney, Bridget Fitzpatrick, Bobby Power and Sean Kelly from Carrick-on-Suir, and local Garda John Lonergan. These will join a larger group of 80 cyclists who will travel together, leaving Shannon for Dinard in the North of France on Saturday 3rd April and cycle from there to Lourdes arriving, with a bit of luck along the way, on Good Friday.

Sr Betty and her companions are actively fundraising at present and would be grateful for any financial support small or large. The IHCPT is a registered charity and therefore any company making a donation is entitled to tax relief.

Tipperary Foxhounds will hold their annual Point-to-Point at Cappamurra, Dundrum, on this coming Sunday 28th March. They also promote their annual Hunter Trials at Kedrah, Cahir, on Monday 12th April.

The Ballylusky White Heather Harriers express their sincere thanks to all who supported their annual draw, with a special thanks to the ticket sellers. The prizewinners were: 1st Prize, Rory O’Gorman, Killamery; 2nd Prize, Kevin Pollard, Ballingarry; 3rd Prize, Stephen O’Brien, Rosegreen.

World class Irish artist Eleanor Shanley, currently on tour with Frankie Lane and Paul Kelly, will play the Abymill Theatre in Fethard on Friday 2nd April at 8.15pm. The concert, in aid of the Fethard & Killusty Community Council's Christmas lighting fund, will commence with a cheese and wine reception at 8pm. Tickets are €25 each and can be booked at McCarthy's Hotel Tel: 052 31149 or 086 8119625.

Eleanor Shanley grew up surrounded by music. Her mother's family were all fireside singers. Upon leaving school she worked in the personnel department in FAS and studied drama at night time. Eleanor continued to sing at informal sessions and it was at one of these in Dublin pub " The Merchant " that she was discovered by famed Galway traditional band De Dannan. They asked her to go to Galway to discuss her joining the band as they had a tour of Finland lined up in two weeks time. She was to stay five years with the well travelled trad ambassadors.

She toured the world with De Dannan and recorded two critically acclaimed albums "Jacket of Batteries" and the groundbreaking " Half Set In Harlem". After five years on the road with De Dannan, Eleanor quit in December 1992 deciding that it was time to pursue a solo career.

Eleanor then began singing and performing with future Eurovision winner Charlie McGettigan and Brendan Emmet. It was Charlie who introduced her to manager Mattie Fox, who secured a solo deal for her with Warners in Ireland and Grapevine in the UK.

Eleanor then began work on putting together her first solo album. She spent month sifting through tapes before finally deciding to record her first album, "Eleanor Shanley", which featured hits such as "Road To Glory" and "In The Ghetto".

After the release of her first solo album Eleanor began touring extensively in Ireland, UK and Europe, where she supported Christy Moore as well as doing solo shows. She released her second album " Desert Heart " in April 1997. "I grew up with traditional music and it's still my main love, although I've probably broken away from it slightly with some of these songs ", she says.

In the year 2000 Eleanor got together with Ronnie Drew and they completed a 16 date sell out tour in Ireland, which proved to be an outstanding success. Eleanor and Ronnie then recorded an album together" A Couple More Years".

Eleanor has just finished recording her new album ?Eleanor Shanley & Friends?. The album has many guest singers, including, you guessed it, Ronnie Drew and Eddie Reader. In Fethard, Eleanor will be accompanied by Frankie Lane and Paul Kelly with whom she has just finished a very successful tour in Austria and Denmark.

Frankie Lane (right) is one of Ireland's best-known performers and traditional musicians of international renown, Frankie was the original front man of the legendary Fleadh Cowboys. The “Fleadhs” gathered a huge fan base at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin and went on to support legendary performers such as Bob Dylan, U2, The Pogues, Emmylou Harris and B.B. King. In January 2004 Frankie was nominated for a prestigious Meteor Music Award. These awards are the Irish Music Industries highest accolade and one which Frankie is fully deserving of, given his tireless and sometimes revolutionary work in the music scene in Ireland.



Paul Kelly (above) has been at the heart of the music scene in Ireland since the early eighties. He first came to prominence as the fiddler with The Sackville String Band, a five piece bluegrass outfit who brought American Traditional music to a wider audience in Ireland. Throughout that decade he concentrated on American Music, playing with various bands such as Mick Hanly's 'Rusty Old Halo' and the Fleadh Cowboys as well as appearing on many albums as a session musician. He returned to his roots in the early nineties as a member of The Sharon Shannon Band, playing fiddle and mandolin and touring the U.S., Europe and the U.K.

"Eleanor Shanley is, without overstating the case, one of the greatest vocalists this country has ever produced." (Michael Gallagher - Roscommon Champion)

"That she has a highly distinctive voice is an incontrovertible truth; it is both how it is used and also the material on which it focuses, that tickles the tastebuds." (Hotpress)