Busy year comes to a close at St Patrick’s National School

Fethard St. Patrick's School 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th class team members who won the overall shield at a track and field schools competition in Clonmel

As the school year 2008-2009 draws to a close we look back on a full, busy and educationally rewarding year. We say farewell to the 6th class and wish them well as they prepare for secondary school. Two of our pupils acquitted themselves well on the County and All Ireland stage. Jodie Sheehan took part in the Primary Game in Limerick on Sunday 21st June. Jack Connolly won two All Ireland Boxing titles during the year and is now training with the youth international squad. Our 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th class teams won the overall shield for their groups at a track and field schools competition in Clonmel. 6th class boys also took part in a Spike Ball Competition in Clonmel coming second. The 5th and 6th class quiz teams won the Local Credit union Competition. They also took part in the library Quiz in Cashel where they came second. As always we took part in all hurling and football competitions and reached the final in the football.


Jodie Sheehan who took part in the Primary Game in Limerick on Sunday 21st June

Our Activity Day was on the 23rd June and we are very grateful to the Scouts who organised activities and provided a barbeque on the day. Our school tour to Trabolgan was a great success enjoyed by all.
Our team teaching was filmed by the PPDS (Primary Professional Development Service) and is now being used for teacher training around the country. We are very proud of our involvement in this.
Finally the staff of St. Patrick’s School wishes everybody a safe and enjoyable holiday.


Jack Connolly won two All Ireland Boxing titles during the year and is now training with the youth international squad

Killusty Soccer Club
Killusty Soccer Club will hold their AGM on this Friday, 3rd July, in the Tirry Centre at 9 pm sharp. All players and committee members are asked to attend. After having secured promotion to the first division of the TS&DL the club are hoping to strengthen the squad, so anyone wishing to join is more than welcome.

Hospice collection this weekend
The Fethard Support Group for South Tipperary Hospice will hold their annual church gate collection this weekend in Fethard, Killusty and Moyglass. Your continued support for this deserving cause is most appreciated.

Fethard Cycling for Leisure club
Have you got time to go cycling for pleasure and fitness? There is no better way to get your waistband down in this time of recession than take to the roads. All you need is a good bike with gears and, of course, a helmet for safety reasons if possible. We would also recommend bright clothing and a pair of gloves.
We normally travel on quiet roads with distances varying from 10 miles upwards. The roads travelled circle Fethard around Tullamaine, Coolmoyne and Moyglass etc so you are never too far from home. Cycling is never rushed and open to all ages but we do insist that young participants be accompanied by parents or adults for safety reasons.
For those interested please contact Joe Keane at 086 2050727. We meet at the Garda Station on the Square at 7pm most evenings. We also welcome walkers to come along and join in.

Fethard GAA Club Notes

Fethard GAA followers at the Mullinahone v Ballingarry senior hurling championship match last Sunday L to R: Gerry Hannon, Mickey Fitzgerald, Jim Williams and Nicky O'Shea.

Round Five of the Intermediate was played last Sunday evening in Kilsheelan when we maintained our winning ways with a draw on a scoreline, Fethard 0-14 St Marys 1-11. Our team had a number of enforced changes from recent games but those on show accounted for themselves very well with a draw against one of the top teams in the competition. We now have 7 points from 4 games.

Team and scorers for Fethard: J P McGrath, Michael Carroll, Michael Aherne, Declan Doyle, Tom O’Connell, Shane Walsh 0-2 (1f, 65m), Eoin O’Connell, Johnny Halloran 0-1, Dean Tobin 0-4 (3f), Eoin Doyle 0-1, Cian Maher, Alan O’Connor 0-1, William O’Brien, Miceál Spillane 0-1, and Aaron Donovan. Subs were: Stephen O’Donnell 0-1, Gavin Fitzgerald and Aiden Fitzgerald 0-3.

Fethard GAA stalwarts Sean Moloney and Miceál McCormack photographed at the senior hurling championship match in Fethard last weekend.


Gary Fitzgerald (Ballingarry) attempting to block down Eoin Kelly (Mullinahone) in their senior hurling championship match played in Fethard last Saturday

Our Lotto Jackpot was not won. The numbers drawn were 4, 5, 22 and 26. We had one match three winner of €150 to: Mary Newport (Congress Terrace, Fethard). The €50 Lucky Dip was won by Kay O’Riordan (Cloran, Cloneen, Clonmel). Thanks to AIB for providing the tickets

Tickets available to club members for the Munster Hurling Final in Thurles may still be available from our club secretary Mary Godfrey or our treasurer Nicky O’Shea before Thursday next at the latest.

Famine 1848 Walk
This year's Famine 1848 Walk takes place in Ballingarry on Saturday, 25th July at 3pm. The Walk to be led by local man, Anthony Ivors, commemorates all those who died during the Great Famine and the 1848 Rising which took place in Ballingarry in the middle of the Famine. The rebel leaders were transported to Van Diemen's Land. The Walk will begin at the National Flag Monument in the village of The Commons and proceed to Famine Warhouse 1848, an OPW national heritage site. The distance of 1 1/2 miles will be covered at an easy pace. At the end of the Walk, light refreshments will be served in the Tea Room. The historical exhibition can be viewed in the several rooms in the house and a video can be seen in the new Audio-Visual Room. The Walk takes places, rain or shine, on the last Saturday in July, the day of the Rising. All are welcome to this event.

Fethard & Killusty Community Lotto
The numbers drawn on 24th June were 17, 22, 26 and 30. We had no Jackpot winner and two ‘Match 3’ winners who received €75 each:
Esther Leahy, Ballintogher, Killenaule;
Joan O'Donohoe, Moyglass.

The three following Lucky Dip winners received €50 each:
William Fitzpatrick, Co. Kilkenny;
Eileen Guinan, Graystown, Killenaule;
Noelle Doyle, Woodvale Walk, Fethard.
Next week’s Jackpot continues at €10,000 and the Jackpot sellers prize is €1000.

Juvenile GAA Club

Enjoying the hurling match between Mullinahone and Ballingarry in Fethard are L to R: Jessie McCarthy, Kayleigh Higgins and Clodagh Bradshaw.

Our U14s are away to Ballybacon on Thursday 2nd July. Our U12s are at home to Clerihan on Saturday 4th July and our U16s are at home to Ballingarry on Monday 6th July. If there are any changes, members will be informed by our secretary or coach. Training for all age groups are as normal.

Adam Fitzgerald and Jodie Sheehan will represent Fethard Juvenile GAA Club U12s at the Tipperary Co Board hurling blitz in Dr. Morris Park on Saturday 11th July, as park of the GAA 125th anniversary celebrations.

We seem to have just a few members still left that have not paid their membership. If you are one of those please pay the €10 fee to our treasurer, Andy O'Donovan, as soon as possible. Our annual Church Gate Collection will take place on 11th & 12th July.

We are delighted to announce that both the Bro Albert Cup & Danagher Cup are now back with the club. This allows us to organise the traditional 'in-club' tournament for our U8s & U10s. Date to be decided yet.


Enjoying the match last Saturday were L to R: Eoghan Hurley and Jody Sheehan.

Our club will hold a fundraising Golf Classic on Saturday 15th August at Slievenamon Golf Club. Presentation of prizes and draw will take place at Lonergans Bar at 9pm that evening, with entertainment supplied by Tipp FM and our own Ian O'Connor. The raffle has some great prizes, including a LCD TV, a weekend away for two, and vouchers for the Tipperary Merchandise Store, to mention a few. Tickets are €5 each available from any Juvenile Club member.

There is still time to apply for the VHI GAA Cul Camp. Numbers have increased in the last couple of weeks. You can contact our secretary on the club contact number which is: 087 0643780.

Best birthday wishes to Robert Anglim, Peter Wall, David Caulard, Jessie McCormack, Thomas Morgan, Gavin Mullally, Dean Walsh, Matthew Lynch, Jack Dolan and Adam Dorney who all celebrate their birthdays in July.

Bunny Hop / Music & Movement
Classes in 'Bunny Hop / Movement & Music' will take place in the ICA Hall Fethard starting 6th July from 10am to 11am. These classes are for 0–4 year-olds. For further information please contact Nicola at 087 6742401.

Johnny Moynihan for the Backroom Session

Moonshine who play the Backroom Session in McCarthy’s on Friday 17th July. Tickets are €15 from McCarthy’s.

Johnny Moynihan is one of the legends of Irish music. Born in Phibsboro in Dublin, he dropped out of architectural college to play music. As one of the musicians in O’Donohoe’s in the sixties, he introduced his friend Luke Kelly who was home from England on a visit, to the other musicians. The rest of the story is history.
He then introduced the bouzouki to Irish music, favouring it to the mandolin which he claimed crucified your fingers. It was taken up and popularized by Donal Lunny, Andy Irvine and Paul Brady.

Moynihan then founded Sweeney’s Men, and when that band finished up, he joined Planxty and later De Dannan. In 2007 he formed Moonshine with American fiddler Frank Hall and Swedish vocalist and five string banjo player Lena Ullman. They describe their sound as ‘old timey music’ as opposed to bluegrass, claiming that bluegrass is, ‘God fearing, and old timey has a healthy interest in sinful pursuits’.
They play the Backroom session in McCarthy’s on Friday 17th July. Tickets are €15 from McCarthy’s.

Fethard and Killusty Community Games
This year the Fethard & Killusty area will represent Co Tipperary in Boys U16 Volleyball at the HSE Community Games Munster Finals that will take place in the University of Limerick on Saturday 11th July. Unfortunately our girls were not entered on time.
The boys will play Limerick in the semifinal with the winners playing Clare in the Final. Team members are: Dylan Fitzgerald, Ronan Fitzgerald, Cathal Hurley, David Hayes, Dion Butler, Brian Healy, Garreth Lawrence, Gerry Horan, Andrew Maher, Ted Barrett and Gavin Lonergan. Manager Denis Burke. We wish them the very best of luck.

Happy days!

Mira Bonelli from Lowesgreen Fethard taken on the occasion of her graduation from Happy Days Creche last weekend.

Volleyball for all ages
Fethard Community Games are organising a volleyball tournament on grass in the GAA field by kind permission of Fethard GAA Club. We had some great teams representing Fethard over the past 30 years and we’re hoping our past and future starts will come along. You’re never too old to play . . . remember the Mau-Mau’s v Holy Terrors? We hope to have underage and overage competitions. More information to follow!

New teaching post for Paddy

Retired teacher Paddy Broderick giving his grandson Danny a few lessons in his new sport at Slievenamon Golf Club

Fethard Ladies Football
Fethard Ladies Football Club have recently played their first game in the Junior Football Championship against Thurles, in Fethard. We were supposed to play away but thanks to Thurles for travelling to Fethard on the night, and also to the Juvenile Club for the use of the field.

We enjoyed a good open game of football but conceded a few soft goals and this put us under a bit of pressure. We had a good performance on the field overall even though we lost on a scoreline of 6-2 to 4-3. Thanks to all the girls who turned up on the night. We have a lot of talent on our panel but for one reason or the other it appears to be very hard to get them all out for every game. Maybe parents will give their daughters a little more encouragement to turn out for matches and support their fellow players by making themselves available for all games.

The club would like to include Kieran Butler in the list of great adult team supporters mentioned in our last report. We would also like to thank Joe Burke, representing Sam McCauley Chemists, David Road, Clonmel, for their sponsorship of a full First Aid Kit.

This weekend we are away to Lorrha in the junior championship. We remind all that the ‘Sky Dive’ will take place on Saturday 25th July and our family weekend will take place on 16th to 18th July. We look forward to your support!

Killusty Pony Show on 4 July
The day for the 46th Killusty Pony Show at Claremore Killusty is fast approaching. Saturday 4th July is the day for which preparations are being made as for all previous Shows.  There are no new classes this year but all types and ages of ponies are catered for in the 70 classes on the schedule.  Some classes may be entered on the field but most require pre-entry.  The closing date for entries is Friday June 26 so if you are interested in entering a schedule may be obtained from Betsy O’Connor, Knockelly, Fethard (Tel: 052-6131130). As time is short she will take last entries over the ‘phone until 12 noon on Monday June 29 but after that the catalogue goes to the printer.

There are classes which can be entered on the day and they are Equitation (both on the flat and jumping) Performance Working Hunter classes, Connemara Working Hunter and Green Working Hunter.  Local Riding Pony Classes may also be entered on the day as may the Fancy Dress and the Dog Show.

Killusty Pony Show has been well supported by many generous sponsors over the years and even though these are straitened times, these generous sponsors have not deserted us. While many of the Show’s original helpers are no longer with us, others have come to take their places to maintain the standards at one of the best Shows on the island of Ireland. Entries have already been received from North, South, East and West so all that is required is for the weather to oblige and we will have a really good Show again this year.