The General of the Augustinian Order visits Fethard

Photographed the largest gathering of Augustinians in Fethard Abbey on Wednesday evening, 29th June are L to R: Fr. John Meagher OSA, who celebrated the mass; the General of the Augustinian Order, Fr Robert Prevost; and the new Provincial, Fr. Gerry Horan OSA, Fethard.

The largest gathering ever of Augustinians took place in Fethard Abbey on Wednesday evening, 29th June when over 70 friars broke from their week-long Province Chapter being held at Limerick University and visited Fethard with the General of the Augustinian Order, Fr Robert Prevost, originally from Canada and now based at St. Monica’s Curia, Rome. Chapters are held every four years to deliberate the life and work of the Irish Augustinians here in Ireland and in their overseas missions in Nigeria, Kenya, Ecuador and friars also working in USA. Canada, Australia and England.


Fr Malachy Loghran OSA photographed with servers L to R: Jane Fitzgerald, John Paul Fitzgerald and Christine Fitzgerald.


The Augustinians are this year celebrating 700 years in Fethard. During the Chapter mass held at the Abbey Fethard on Wednesday evening the Prior General confirmed the following named men (photographed above) in office — Four Province Counsellors: Frs John Hennebry, Rector, Good Counsel College, New Ross; Richie Goode, chaplain Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda; Pat Codd, St. Augustine's Limerick; Michael Brunnock, Prior, St. Patrick's Rome. Province Secretary: Paddy O'Reilly, Prior St. Augustine's Ballyboden, Dublin (native of Cashel); Province Bursar: Michael O'Sullivan, John's Lane Priory, Dublin.


L to R: Percy O'Flynn, Margaret Coffey, Fr Crean OSA, who served for many years in Fethard, and Mary Noonan.

The new Provincial (leader) of the Augustinian in Ireland is Fr Gerry Horan. Fr Gerry is a Limerick man who spent 20 years teaching at the Order's school, St. Augustine's Dungarvan. Fr. Jerry has been the Prior of the local Fethard Abbey for the past four years and is well known in Fethard Secondary School where he acts as School chaplain.

Fr John Meagher OSA celebrated the mass and Fr Gerry Horan, the new Provincial, preached. There was a large congregation of Fethard people at the mass, which was marked by wonderful singing from the choir. A group of local ladies provided a lovely meal afterwards for all the Augustinian visitors in a marquee in the Abbey garden.


Looking after the catering tent are L to R: Joan Anglim, Kitty Delany, Berney Myles and Mary Fitzgerald.


L to R: Bela Walsh, Kay St. John, Alice Stapleton, Sarah Mullins, Breda Wilson and Ellen Meehan, home on holidays from Oklahoma.


At the largest gathering ever of Augustinians in Fethard Abbey on Wednesday evening, 29th June are L to R: Mickey Fitzgerald, Paddy Cooke, Fr John Meagher OSA and Gus Fitzgerald.


Walsh Sisters, formerly from Fethard, L to R: Rose Cuddin, Rita Walsh and Ellen Tobin.

Killusty Soccer Club
Our AGM takes place on Thursday, July 14th at 9pm in the Tirry Centre. All members are asked to attend. New members are welcome. The club is also holding a sponsored walk on Sunday, July 31st. Sponsorship cards are available from Sarah Shelley and Colm Coen.

The Well Golf Society
Our recent outing to Abbeyleix certainly lived up to all our expectations. We enjoyed a great days golf on a truly wonderful golf course. Results are as follows:

Nearest the pin: Pat Woodlock and Pat Smyth.
Ladies: 1st, Mary Kenrick; 2nd, Ann Delahunty.
Mens 18–24: 1st, Pat Smyth; 2nd, Des Delahunty.
Mens 1—17: 1st, Adrian Kenrick; 2nd: Danny Mullins; 3rd: Aidan Grant; 4th: Tony Phelan.

We cannot let this opportunity go by without mentioning the two birdies and an eagle by our captain Pat Woodlock. Handicap committee take note. We would like to thank Abbeyleix Golf Club and the clubhouse staff for their hospitality. Our next outing takes place on Saturday July 30th to Adare Manor.

Community Games Munster Finals
Fethard & Killusty Community Games Committee would like to wish all our competitors the best of luck in the forthcoming Munster finals, which will be held in Cork this Saturday, July 9th. We have five competitors in the Judo Championships Boys Under-35kg, Padraig O’Shea, The Valley; Open, Cathal Gorey, Moanbeg; Girls Under-30kg, Emma Walsh, St Patricks Place; Under-35kg, Natalie Cahill, Woodvale Walk; Under-50kg, Samantha Feery, Killusty.

We also have two volleyball teams travelling.
Boys Under-15: Thomas O’Connell, Eoin O’Connell, Adrian Lawrence, Jonathan Fleming, Ciaran Ryan, Jerome Ahearne, Glen Maher, Kevin Hayes, Joseph Sheehan, Darren Prout, James Kelly and Michael Costello.
Girls Under-16: Sinead Coffey, Ida Carroll, Carrie Sweeney, Gráinne Horan, Mary Anne Keane, Chloe Gough, Debbie Lawrence, Lisa Anglim, Sarah Hayes, Sarah Conway
Niamh Fanning and Leslie Looby. Manager of both teams is Denis Burke, Redcity, who will be assisted by Stephanie Fitzgerald, Monroe.

Transport, Times & Venues — Judo competitors are arranging their own transport to Ballincollig where the competition commences in the Gym Hall at 10.30am. A Bus will collect the Volleyball teams at the Post Office at 9am sharp. Volleyball championships commence in ‘Christ The King’ Turners Cross, at 12noon. Check in 11.30am. Bus Fare is €8 return and must be paid up front. Please assemble at the post office at 8.50am.

Monroe Walk to Rocklow
The lovely walkway from Monroe to Rocklow has now been cleared again thanks to the annual voluntary efforts of Johnny Burke, Redcity, and Jimmy O’Shea, Burke Street. This year they were delighted to have an extra helping hand in Joe Keane, St. Patrick’s Place, for some of the clearing work.

If you like walking, why not try the Monroe walk to Rocklow. Just turn right before you come to the Fethard Folk Museum on the Cashel Road, and you will find a delightful walk taking you up by ‘Breen’s Bridge’ and out at Rocklow, where you can return to Fethard by the Rocklow Road, or if you prefer, carry on for another mile by the laneway to Rathcoole Cemetery and exit two miles from Fethard on the Cashel Road.

Matt Millett Memorial site
Michael Millett, son of the late Matt Millett, sent us the following information about a new memorial website dedicated to his late father.
"This Memorial Website was created in the memory of my dear father, Matthew Richard Millett who was born on Mount Slievenamon, County Tipperary, Ireland on August 19th, 1924 and passed away in Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland, on June 22, 2005 at the age of 80.  He is survived by his wife Mary (Maura), his son and daughter (Michael and Carmel), his son-in-law (Mark) and his three grandchildren (Eve, Luke and Benjamin). We will remember him forever. This site is on the internet as a tribute to Matt. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend. Please share your memories of Matt - stories, pictures, light a memorial candle for him and/or offer your condolences to his immediate family."

Fethard GAA News
In Senior Football South Championship on Sunday last our boys came off age with a masterful display of fast free-flowing football in Clonmel and won on a scoreline, Fethard 1-14, Ardfinnan 0-7. This display augers well for the future but it is early days and we look forward to more of the same in the months ahead when competitions get down to the knockout stages.  The team on Sunday was: Paul Fitzgerald, Damien Byrne, Michael Aherne, Michael Carroll, Willie Morrissey, Glen Burke, Ian Kenrick, Aiden Fitzgerald 1-0, Cian Maher, Carl Maher 0-1, Michael Dillon 0-4, John P Looby, Conor McCarthy 0-4F, Brian Coen 0-5 (3F), Kenneth O’Donnell. Subs used were: Alan Phelan for Kenneth O’Donnell, Shane Aylward, Darren O’Meara, James Smyth, Jamie McCormack and Jason Nevin. We are now into the last six in the South.

In Minor B Hurling we played Carrick Davins in Monroe last Friday evening resulting in our annihilation, finishing on a scoreline, Davins 7-20 to Fethard 0-1.  We currently just seemed to be out of our league in this competition.  The team was: James Kelly, Connie O’Flynn, Niall Hayes, Declan Doyle, Christopher Sheehan, Liam Ryan, Stephen O’Meara, John Leahy, Peter Gough, Alan O’Connor 0-1F, Glen O’Meara, David Prout, Dean Tobin, James Smyth and Adrian Lawrence. Subs used were: J P McGrath for James Kelly, Edmond Sheehan for Stephen O’Meara.  Our next outing is on this Friday 8th July against Kilsheelan.
 
In the Junior B Hurling, Round 2, played last Wednesday 29th June in Cloneen, we finished on a scoreline, Fethard 2-9, Killenaule 3-10.  The team was: Paddy Cooney, Kevin Coffey, Diarmuid Burke,  Darragh Corbett, Niall Hayes, Carl Gahan, Mike Kelly, John Noonan, Peter Gough, MJ Croke, Gabriel Horan, John Fitzgerald, John Hanrahan 2-0, Gavin Aherne, Glen O’Meara.  Subs were: Liam Ryan for Gavin Aherne, David Prout for MJ Croke, and Stephen O’Meara.  Our next game is against Carrick Davins.

Our Lotto Jackpot of  €1,800 was not won.  The numbers drawn in McCarthy’s Hotel were 2, 11, 16 and 22.  We had two match threes with €75 each to Joe Ahearne (Main St),  and Bill Bradshaw (24 St Patrick’s Place).  The €50 Lucky Dip was won by Rena Sheehan (264 Elm Park Clonmel).

Juvenile GAA
Under-6s had no training last week. Training will continue this Saturday from 3 to 4pm in the GAA field and all are welcome. Under-8s and 10s travelled to Ballingarry last Saturday and had a great day with the under-10s winning by a couple of points and the under-8s playing out a draw. There were some great displays by both sets of players but one player stood out on the day - this was Dean Dorney who covered every inch of the Ballingarry pitch.

Under 12s played Ballybacon last Thursday night and won well against a very young team. We have now played four games, winning three, losing one and with four games left we will have to keep up our current form to qualify for the semi-finals. Fixtures: St Patricks (away) Wednesday 13th, Davins (home) Saturday 16th, Mullinahone (home) Saturday 23rd, Kilsheelan (home) Saturday 30th July.

Training continues as normal – it is essential that all players attend.
The Under-14 Championship is now started and we play Swans away tonight (Thursday 7th). We defeated Moyle Rovers last Saturday in a challenge match. We hope this form will continue right through the championship. Fixtures: Davins (home) Monday 11th, Ballylooby away Thursday 14th. Players are urged to attend training at the usual time.

The Under-16 Championship will commence in two weeks time. The team defeated Gortnahoe in a challenge match played recently. Fixtures: St Patrick’s at home and Clonmel Og away. Training continues as normal.

Other news — Players are requested to provide the club secretary with a mobile contact number, this is to facilitate a group text service for each team to simplify contact with each member. Any member who requires a club jersey are asked to please contact the club secretary without delay. Also please return your summer camp forms immediately. The crossbars in the community field have now been lowered to GAA levels for anyone who wishes to use the field on Tuesday nights. This is juvenile GAA night.

Fundraising Auction
Drangan Community Centre will hold a Fundraising Auction and Family Fun Day in Drangan Community Centre on Sunday 17th July at 2pm.

Caoine Cill Cais

Tom Cooney is photographed here with his Fethard school friends from back in 1956. L to R: John Whyte, Peter O'Flynn and Tom Cooney. There was a total of four in the Leaving Cert class that year, the other being the late Don Byard who took this photograph.

Tom Cooney, New York, contacted us during the week with this story. Tom went on to say, “As is my usual habit on Saturday mornings from 8-9am in NY, I switched on to WFUV radio to listen to Mile Failte, an Irish language show with English translation / narrative, run by Professor Seamus Blake.

I was a little late (about 8.15) but I jolted fully awake as I heard him reading out the English translation of ‘Kilcash’ (which he does for many Irish songs) followed by the Wolfe Tones singing the Gaelic version. The non-Munster Irish coupled with the Dublin accent made it a bit difficult to understand but the memories came flooding back and there was a mighty nostalgic tug at the heartstrings. He then followed up with a song by Frank Patterson about a "battle" of Sliabh Na Mban (not the "Alone" one) in Gaelic, which I had not heard before.

The theme of his show was the poverty and deprivation suffered by the Irish people and their struggles, mostly futile, against their oppression over many centuries. His shows, including songs, always have a theme and are very informative and a link to the past particularly for those of us many miles and years away from our place of origin.

Perhaps the old saying, "Ah nostalgia, it's not what it used to be", is apt, but it reminded me that when I visit the area I always stop at Kilcash and come away a bit disappointed that it is has not been developed as a stop on a general tour of the area. But maybe it's just only of interest to those of us who, as I said, are many miles and years away from our roots in the general area.
Thanks again for the wonderful Fethard News. A friend over here, originally from Tipp Town, is particularly taken by the many "stories" such as the farewell to Bucky Ryan in Cheltenham, and the many other characters that appear.”

Date for Fancy Dress Parade
As part of the Abbey 700 Commemorations, a Fancy Dress Parade for children will form part of the Celebrations for St. Augustine, which take place weekending 28th August. Members of Banna Cluain Meala will lead the parade from Main Street to the Abbey. We will have full details later, but children are asked to put their ‘thinking hats’ on and write the date in their diaries.

Pre-holiday quiz winners
The St. Patrick’s Boys’ School Parents Association ‘Primary Pupils Pre-Holiday Quiz’ winners were, Stephen Maguire, Gerry Horan, Gavin Lonergan and Charlie Manton. Sixteen teams competed very enthusiastically. The Parents Association of St. Patrick's Boys School wish to thank those businesses and families who generously contributed raffle prizes. Many thanks to our teachers Mrs P. Treacy and Miss A. Ryan, and also to Linda Quigley, Maureen Prendergast and Paddy Broderick for their extra help on the night.

The Parents Association congratulate the boys Under 11 team on their victory in Semple stadium on 9th June. We thank coach Willie Ryan and Mrs Eileen Fitzgerald for the training and encouragement, which bought this team to the Roinn C final against Upperchurch. Eoin Kelly presented the boys with their medals at the school on Wednesday 22nd June. We wish all the pupils a very happy and safe summer holiday.

Fethard connections in Kenya

Fethard Connections with Kenya, L to R: Self Help's Seamus Hayes photographed with two Patrician Brothers based in Kenya, Br Paul Brennan and Br. Colm O'Connell.

On a recent trip to Kenya with Irish and Munster rugby player Mick Galway, Self Help's Seamus Hayes met with two Patrician Brothers based in Kenya, Br Paul Brennan and Br Colm O’Connell. Both have strong links with Fethard, having spent many happy years teaching with the Patrician Brothers on Rocklow Road. They are now teaching near Eldoret in a remote part of Kenya called Kabongo, they also operate a small dispensary to assist with the provision of health facilities for the local population.

Colm O’Connell is a world-renowned athletics coach and has travelled the world lecturing on his training methods. He has coached several Kenyan Olympic Gold medal winners. Colm is related to the O’Riordan family who run a light engineering business in Fethard.
Paul and Colm would welcome any support for their work and if you wish to contact them you can do so via Br. Camillus Regan, Provincial Superior, Patrician Brothers, Delaney House, Castledermot Road, Tullow, Co. Carlow, or contact Seamus Hayes Tel: 086 2307330

Fethard Open Sports Day

Photographed at the Fethard Athletic Club Open Sports in Fethard Community Sportsfield last Wednesday are L to R: Ron Magnier, Redcity (silver), Mark Heffernan, Ballyvaden (gold) and Kieran Slattery, Killenaule (bronze).


Photographed at the Fethard Athletic Club Open Sports in Fethard Community Sportsfield last Wednesday are L to R: Emma Hatton, Ardsallalgh (silver), and Laura Stockboro, Knockbret (bronze).


Photographed at the Fethard Athletic Club Open Sports in Fethard Community Sportsfield last Wednesday are L to R: Eoin McCormack, Killenaule (silver medal under-8); Jack Gleeson, Fethard (gold medal under-8); James Burns, Mohobber, Mullinahone (gold medal under-10).


Photographed at the Fethard Athletic Club Open Sports in Fethard Community Sportsfield last Wednesday are L to R: Pre-school girls in the 40m event, Caroline Meehan, St Johnstown (gold), Zoe Stokes, Fethard (silver), and Ailis Trayer, Moyglass (bronze).

Affordable Housing
Cllr Michael O’Brien has asked us to mention the following information on Affordable Housing. If you are interested in purchasing your own house, you can make a considerable saving by purchasing the property under a Part V Scheme for affordable housing. You may be eligible if you are: in need of accommodation and if the repayments on a mortgage would exceed 35% of your net annual income.

It is envisaged that houses and apartments may be made available for affordable housing purposes in the Fethard area, among other designated areas in South Tipperary. South Tipperary County Council now wishes to assess the need for affordable housing at the designated locations and to prioritise the successful affordable applicants. Interested applicants are invited to forward completed application forms for assessment as affordable applicants.
Application forms and further information are available on request from South Tipperary County Council, Housing Section, County Hall, Clonmel. Phone: (052) 34683 or downloaded from their website at www.southtippcoco.ie

As there will be a limited number of housing units available under the scheme, a fully completed application form together with income details and a mortgage approval letter should be submitted by 11th July, 2005.

Tom Keane, Barrack Street

Former Munster footballer, Tom Keane, Barrack Street, Fethard, happy to read of Cork's victory in the Munster Hurling Final. Tom's late wife, Mary, was from Cork and an avid supporter of Cork hurling team all her life.

Patrick Cody
People regularly turn up in Fethard trying to trace their ancestors. Some get lucky and locate the old family home, graveyard plot or even get to meet distant relatives. Others leave no wiser than the day their search began. Patrick Cody is on the missing list.

His connection with Fethard was a brief one that he knew nothing about. He was dead before he got here. His story was related by his granddaughter who came in search of his final place of rest. He was born in the 19th Century and as a young man he travelled to Australia to search for gold. He had some luck and returned to Tipperary where he had enough money to place a deposit on a farm near Thurles. He then got married and raised a large family. The elder sons emigrated to St Louis in America and joined the Fire Department. He ran the farm with his wife, looking after the younger siblings.

On 11th April 1903, he travelled to Waterford to meet the bank official who held the deeds to his farm. Times were hard and he was in danger of losing the farm after missing some repayments. The bank turned him away. He died on the return journey and was taken from the train in Fethard. A loaded revolver was found in his pocket. The story made the local and National papers at the time. A post mortem was carried out in Clonmel . . . and then he disappeared from the record books.

The bank seized the farm, so his wife and remaining siblings sailed across the Atlantic to join the family in St Louis. His ancestors presume that his wife wouldn’t have had enough money left to pay for a headstone, so they believe he may lie somewhere in an unmarked grave. They know that his family had a plot in Callan, Co Kilkenny, where he might be buried, but they were told when they looked for the record books, that records weren’t started until 1904. The only other reference that hinted at his possible whereabouts were a few words scribbled in a family bible saying, ‘Windgap, Co Tipperary’ (which we know is in Co Kilkenny). No other record has been found to help locate the man. Patrick Cody’s ancestors would like to erect a headstone to him. If anybody knows of any record that may help trace him contact news@fethard.com.
(N Gawe)

Fethard News
Club secretaries are reminded to send their items for publication on this page to news@fethard.com before Monday morning. If you don’t have email facilities, please leave typed copy (if possible) to Edwina at Newport’s Newsagency, Main Street, Fethard, for collection.