St. Patrick's Day in Copenhagen

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all our readers. These photographs were sent to us by Fearghus McCormack, taken of his parents Miceál and Mary with their grandchildren Cailin, Killian and Jack, at the St Patricks Day Parade in Copenhagen.

Fethard Community Heartsaver Programme

Heart-Safe Instructor, Liam Hayes, is photographed above demonstrating the new Defibrillator purchased for Fethard Day Care Centre to members involved in the Fethard Heartsaver Programme L to R: Dr. Molly Owens (Medical Director), Dr. Carmel Condon (Medical Director), Jimmy O'Sullivan, Liam Hayes, Joe Burke and Bill Kennedy.

Fethard Community Heartsaver Programme will get underway this week when training commences at the Tirry Community Centre on Wednesday 15th March from 2pm to 6pm. Liam Hayes, Heart-Save Instructor, will facilitate the course which will include the life saving skills of CPR, relief of foreign body airway obstruction (choking) and the use of AED (Automatic External Defibrillators). This Fethard & Killusty Community Council initiative, will include the initial installation of five Defibrillators in Fethard to serve the town and the necessary training of volunteers to operate the equipment.

It is estimated that approximately sixty volunteers will need to be trained from different areas to provide an effective service. The first schedule of training taking place at the Tirry Community Centre is as follows:

Wednesday 15th March, Tirry Centre Staff, 2pm to 6pm;
Thursday 16th March, Main Street area, 7pm to 11pm;
Saturday 25th March, Barrack Street area, 9am to 1pm;
Saturday 25th March, Sports Clubs, 2pm to 6pm;
Saturday 1st April, Valley / Creamery area, 9am to 1pm;
Saturday 1st April, Woodvale Walk / Dawn Fresh, 2pm to 6pm;
Tuesday 4th April, Kerry Street / Woodvale Walk area, 7pm to 11pm;
Saturday 22nd April, The Green / Burke Street area, 9am to 1pm;
Saturday 22nd April, Rocklow Road / Schools area, 2pm to 6pm.

Each training session is limited to six volunteers and are pre-booked. For further information please contact Liam Hayes at Tel: 087 6174853.

A fundraising programme has been organised to help purchase and install the five Defibrillators. The first is a 53 mile ‘Sponsored Cycle’ from Fethard-on-Sea to Fethard, which will take place on Saturday 29th July. This event is being coordinated by Joe Burke and Bill Kennedy who are anxious to hear from willing participants. Joe can be contacted at Tel: 087 9536286 and Bill can be contacted at Tel: 086 8437400. Cyclists will travel by bus to Fethard-on-Sea and cycle the 53 miles back to Fethard at a leisurely pace.

Novena to Our Lady from 20th - 28th March
Monsignor Michael Olden will open a nine-day Novena to Our Lady in Fethard parish Church on the 20th March, commencing at 7.30pm. There will be a penitential service on the Wednesday night, the preacher will be Fr. Tom Breen from Holy Cross. Other preachers participating in the Novena include: Fr. Hayes, Fr. Egan, Fr. Walsh, Fr. Delaney, Fr. Everard and Sr. Éilís. The Novena will conclude with Augustinian Provincial, Fr. Gerry Horan OSA, on the 28th March. So why not join us for these special nine nights in the Parish Church, Fethard, starting each night at 7.30pm. Give a little time to Our Lady this Lent.

Hear guitarist Clive Barnes this Thursday at Butlers Bar
“Clive Barnes — a lapslide guitarist who can make one acoustic sound like six, balancing intensity with between-song banter that would challenge any stand-up” (Harry Guerin, RTE Television Critic), will play in Butlers Bar on this Thursday night 16th March. Admission free.

Clive Barnes has been slowly gaining a world-wide reputation as one of the finest lapslide/regular acoustic guitarists and songwriters on today’s scene. Clive has released four critically acclaimed albums, most recently ‘Goldtooth Cinnamon’, and has worked with some of today’s most respected musicians including Grammy winning songwriter Jim Lauderdale, bluegrass flat picking legend Steve Kaufman, Joe Cocker, John Spillane and New York singer/songwriter Eric Bibb. Clive has just finished recording Eric's latest album due out this year.

St. Rita’s Camogie Club
St. Rita’s Camogie Club’s table quiz, due to take place on the 16th March, has been deferred to Friday 7th April in The Well Bar at 8:30pm. Table of four will cost €20. A raffle will also be held on the night. We are looking forward to your support.

Golf Classic in aid of Secondary School
A Golf Classic in aid of Science Laboratory refurbishment at Patrician Presentation Secondary School Fethard will take place at Slievenamon Golf Club on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th May 2006. The 3 Ball Scramble will cost €150 per team to enter, which includes a meal. First prize is Green Fees for the K Club. The presentation of prizes will take place at Slievenamon Golf Club on Saturday 6th May at 9pm.

For further information contact the Secondary School, Fethard, Tel: (052) 31572; Denis Burke Tel: (052) 31852; Dick Prendergast Tel: (052) 31387. For timesheet information contact Tel: (052) 32213.

Secondary School Parents' Association Table Quiz

Members of Fethard Patrician Presentation Parents' Association photographed at their Table Quiz in aid of Lourdes Invalid Fund. Back L to R: Joan Hayes, Ann Fleming, Mary Prout, Mary Healy. Front L to R: Rita Kenny, Valerie Rice (Chairperson) and Marian Gilpin (Deputy Principal).


Taking part in the Patrician Presentation Parents' Association Table Quiz in aid of Lourdes Invalid Fund were L to R: Mikie Fitzgerald, Kelly Coady, Melissa Wallace and Leslie Looby.


Taking part in the Patrician Presentation Parents' Association Table Quiz in aid of Lourdes Invalid Fund were L to R: Nuala Ahearne, Sophie Ahearne, Stacey Kavanagh and Michelle Kavanagh.


Taking part in the Patrician Presentation Parents' Association Table Quiz in aid of Lourdes Invalid Fund were L to R: Adrian Lawrence, Declan Doyle, Alan O'Connor and Dean Tobin.

Badger’s Over 30s Soccer
Due to the recent spell of very wet weather we have been playing most of our games indoors at Monroe Sports Complex. Thankfully so far the numbers have been working out just right for four and five-a-side games. If twenty-six people arrived on the same night there could be problems so please remember to phone ahead on the Wednesday evening. Our AGM will be held at 8pm sharp on Friday 24th March in Burke's Bridge Bar. All members are encouraged to come along on this night as we have a great deal to discuss, new members also welcome. If there is any issue a member wishes to have placed on the agenda please forward to the secretary before Thursday 23rd March. Apart from the Christmas party this is one of the few times in the year we come together in a totally relaxed non-competitive atmosphere, so hopefully most will be able to stick around for a while after the business is done to have a pint (alcoholic or not) and discuss the finer points.

Fethard GAA Club News
On Sunday last we went down by the narrowest of margins to Cahir in the Senior County Football League game played in Cahir. The final score was, Fethard 1-5, Cahir 1-6. This was the first game for new manager Tom Anglim. The team was: Glen O’Meara, Connie Flynn, Jamie McCormack, Paul Hackett, Willie Morrissey, Stephen O’Donnell, Ian Kenrick, Eoin Doyle 0-1, Michael Dillon 0-1, Conor McCarthy 0-1f, Karl Maher, Brendan Brett 0-1, John Noonan 1-0, Brian Burke, and Kenneth O’Donnell 0-1.

Our Final game in the League is due to take place on w/e 26th March against Ardfinnan, in Ardfinnan. Our county senior football players were again on the losing end in Thurles to table toppers on a scoreline, Louth 1-11, Tipp 0-9. 

In the South Under 21 B Football, on Saturday 18th March at 4.30pm in Ned Hall, we play Carrick Davins with the winners out on Friday 24th March against Mullinahone, also in Ned Hall Park. The best of luck to all involved.

There was no winner of our Lotto Jackpot of €5,300, tickets sponsored by Dawn Fresh Foods.  The numbers drawn were 3, 14, 19 and 25. We had five lucky Dips of €30 each to Esther Breen (Barrack St), Patricia Breen (The Green), Davy Maher (Barrack St), James Wade (Thomastown, Golden), and Gemma Gould (Claremore). The €50 Lucky Dip going to Nellie Ryan (St. Patrick’s Place).

Fethard Bridge Club
On Wednesday 8th March we had a change of partner and played the second round of the Player of the Year and the results were:

1st Gross: Bernie O’Meara and Breda Walsh;
2nd Gross: Nell Broderick and Fr. John Meagher;
1st Nett: Carol Kenny and Mike Burke;
2nd Nett: Anna Cooke and Ellen Rochford.

On Wednesday next, 29th March, we play the final round of the Player of the Year competition.  Anyone looking for a partner contact Annie O’Brien Tel: (052) 31862.

Fethard Ladies Football
Registration of all players under age of 12, 14 & 16 will take place in the GAA Dressing Room on Saturday, 18th March at 2pm. Registration fee is €27 per player. Players are requested to please record their full name, address, date of birth on a sheet of paper and hand in with fee. A permit has been granted for our ‘Duck Race’ on Easter Sunday and cards are now available. Ducks will cost €5 per line.

Trainers for Junior team are Kenneth O’Donnell (manager), assisted by Jason Nevin and Nicky Murphy. Training will take place on Tuesday nights in the GAA Field at 8pm. Trainers for underage groups are being sought at present.

Community Games
Closing date for entries in the art and Modelling competition is this Thursday, 16th March. All schools will be visited and entries collected. Children from the area and going to School elsewhere are requested to please hand in their entries to Community Games Office, Grove Road, Tel: 052 31906, on or before this Thursday. All entries must be accompanied by fee of €2. County finals of Art & Model Making will take place in Fethard Ballroom on Saturday, 1st April, commencing at 1pm. County finals of Cross Country will take place in Thurles Crokes Field on Friday, 31st March at 7pm.

Under/14 Juvenile Quiz will take place in Presentation Secondary School, Thurles, on Friday, 7th April at 7.30pm. Quiz team consists of a panel of six and can be either boys, girls or mixed. Competitors must be under the age specified in all events on  31st July.

Winter Memories
Tommy Healy, Plymouth, contacted us about last week’s article, "What Cold?" Tommy, formerly from The Green, went on to say, “The article brought back memories from the 1950s. Spraying water from the 'Judy' at the end of Barrack Street to create a good slide the next morning was a common pastime. The result was a skating rink worthy of the Winter Olympics. It froze so hard that you could rely on there being a half-inch thick layer of ice next morning. I remember breaking the ice on that swampy ground inside the field by the bridge where the river from Saucestown meets the Clashawley and it was at least an inch thick. Chilblains were a common complaint then, I have not seen anybody suffer from this nasty condition for over thirty years. The temperature dropped to below freezing from mid-October and frost was common until well into March. Heating at school was rudimentary, a turf fire at one end of the classroom in the primary school and we all shivered. Central heating was to be found at the secondary school from an ancient solid fuel boiler, which occasionally warmed the radiators in the classrooms. We seemed to get by without it so I am all the more grateful for the warmth in which I am typing this email now. Outside the temperature is 3 degrees C today, there is a sharp east wind blowing despite the fact that I live on the coast. Modern winters! we do not know how well off we are.”

Died Recently
We record the death of Nellie Meaney, formerly of St. Johnstown, Fethard, who died peacefully at St. Patrick’s Hospital, Cashel, on Saturday 11th March. Nellie was the very popular proprietor of The Ramble Inn at St. Johnstown up to her retirement from business some years ago.

Reposing at her daughter’s home at Mount Taylor, Killenaule, from 5pm on Monday 13th March. Removal at 7.30pm to St. Mary’s Church, Killenaule. Requiem Mass at 11.30pm on Tuesday 14th March followed by interment at Peppardstown Cemetery.

Community Lotto Jackpot won again!

Congratulations to Dr. Paddy Stokes (centre), The Square, Fethard, who won the Fethard & Killiusty Community Lotto Jackpot of €5,300 on Wednesday 8th March. This is the second time the Jackpot was won in the past three weeks. The numbers drawn in Fethard Day Care Centre were, 10, 18, 24 and 29. The seller of the winning ticket was Diana Stokes (left), who received €530. Also included is Joan O'Donohoe, Fethard & Killusty Community Office.

The three €50 Lucky Dip winners were:

Paul O'Meara, The Green, Fethard;
Marianne Butler, The Valley, Fethard;
Waltie Moloney, 35 St. Patricks Place, Fethard.

Next week's Jackpot commences at €3,000 and the Jackpot seller's prize at €300.