Happy New Year to all our Readers

Fethard & Killusty Community Lotto
The Fethard & Killusty Community Lotto will resume on Wednesday, January 7, 2015. Thank you for your support in 2014 and we look forward to your continued support for 2015. We wish all our supporters a very Happy New Year.

Died Recently
The death has occurred on January 1, 2015, of John O'Connell, Strylea, Fethard. Deeply regretted by his family, neighbours and friends. May he rest in peace.

Reposing at McCarthy's Funeral Home, Main Street, Fethard, on Saturday January 3, from 5pm to 6.45pm. Funeral to arrive at the Augustinian Abbey Church, Fethard, at 7pm.

Funeral Mass on Sunday at 1pm followed by burial in the adjoining Cemetery.

Fethard GAA Club AGM
The annual general meeting of the Fethard GAA Club will take place on this coming Friday, January 2, at 8pm in the Tirry Community Centre, Barrack Street. All are welcome.

Another Fethard business closes

Members of the Ahearne family photographed on the Fethard Arms last day open on December 28. L to R: Noreen Ahearne, Nora Ahearne, Kitty Ahearne, Marie Ahearne and Mona Ahearne.

On Sunday night, December 28, another one of Fethard’s landmark businesses, The Fethard Arms, closed its doors on Main Street and finally called time after 37 years service to the community. The occasion, tinged with sadness and happy memories, was attended by a large number of customers who recalled the excitement of when the pub first opened in 1977 by local entrepreneur Joe Ahearne who returned from England to his native Fethard.

The late Joe, who died on October 22, 2013, first emigrated to England in 1942 and worked there up to 1949, before returning to Fethard. In 1952 he married his wife Nora Bates in Clerihan and later moved back to live in England. Working by day as a fitter welder, he worked as ‘Master of Ceremonies’ at night for Paddy Casey in the Inishfree Ballroom on Ealing Broadway for eight years and then entered the pub business in Peckham and North Kensington, London.


Photographed on the final night open for The Fethard Arms after 37 years are long standing customers: L to R: Des Martin, Sean Moloney, Frank Coffey and Davy Morrissey.

Purchasing Scully’s Hardware, Pub & Grocery shop in Fethard, Joe returned in 1977 to set up his new family home and business. Joe and Nora’s daughters, Marie and Noreen, followed on a year later in 1978 when the Fethard Arms was up and running. Their son Joseph remained in England as a very successful television writer and director with the BBC.

The opening of the Fethard Arms in 1977 caused great excitement locally and coincided with a hugely popular Country Club Ballroom attracting hundreds of young dancers to Fethard. Joe’s city like pub was the place to be at that time and was always packed to capacity, particularly on dance nights. Joe’s love of the GAA also flourished in Fethard and he held the position of chairman 1990 to 1992. The Fethard Arms became the new home of the Fethard GAA club where games were replayed, tactics discussed and ways to score points and pints.


David Morrissey and his daughter Jean photographed on the last day open of the Fethard Arms

Life in Fethard has changed over the past forty years but the memories still remain, and in the case of the Ahearne family, and the Fethard Arms, they are all very good. We wish Nora, Marie and Noreen the very best in their future life and thank them for their contribution to our life in Fethard.

Fethard Athletic Club
Fethard Athletic Club ended the 2014 season in style with our 5k Santa run on Sunday, December 21. We had a wonderfully festive crowd of over 150 runners, walkers and buggy pushers who donned their seasonal fancy dress and painted the streets red, white and green as they made their way around the course on a balmy Sunday afternoon.
Joey Feery took the spoils in the mens race and Clonmel athlete, Áine Roche, led home the ladies race. We raised over one thousand euro for the paediatric ward in South Tipperary General Hospital, a really worthy cause.

The club would like to thank all our local sponsors which include Daltons Pharmacy, Kennys Centra, Reflections Hair Salon, Mahers Garage, Butler's Bar, Fethard Post Office, O'Sullivans Pharmacy, Cashel Motor Parts and also a special word of thanks to Richie Cummins and the Cashel Red Cross for their assistance on the day which fortunately went off without incident.

On behalf of Fethard AC we would like to wish everyone a very happy Christmas and fit and healthy New Year, why not make it a resolution to join the club in 2015? We’d love to welcome some new faces on board.

Christmas in Fethard

Enjoying the Christmas social life in Gaule's Bar


Enjoying the Christmas social life in Butler's Bar are L to R: Gerard Gorey, Cathal Hurley and Brian Healy.


Enjoying the Christmas social life in Gaule's Bar are L to R: Niall Doocey and Joedy Sheehan

Operation Transformation
Hope everyone is having a lovely Christmas and not leaving too much work to be done when we start back. Friday, January 9, will be our first weigh-in at 8pm, and it will run over ten weeks to bring us up to St. Patrick’s Day. We ask all to pay upfront as it encourages people to keep going when they have already paid. In return we will give a 'book of vouchers' that entitles you to a free class for those taking place in the area during the ten weeks. Still awaiting confirmation for two but we have secured vouchers from Scoil Ruain Sports Centre, Bobbi Holohan (Circuits), Colm McGrath (Bootcamp) and Fab Fitness (Circuits). So if you think you’d like a certain class this is your chance to try it out for free.

The Operation Transformation cost is €20 for the ten weeks and prizes will be distributed by percentage of weight lost. Don't know how much the prizes will be until we see how many take part. Each person gets a prize of a healthier body, more awareness of what they eat and activity taken. I am also hoping to hold a 'healthy cookery demonstration' during the running of the programme. Any queries please don't hesitate to contact me Biddy O'Dwyer 087 6410352.

Carol Service at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland

Photographed at the Christmas Carol Service at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard are L to R: Peig Butler, David Butler, Rev. Barbara Fryday and John Fryday.


Photographed at the Christmas Carol Service at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard are L to R: Ann Barry and Fr. Martin Crean OSA

Fethard GAA Sports Lotto
The next draw will take place in Fethard GAA Park on Friday, January 9, 2015, at 7pm. The Jackpot is €7,700 and all are welcome. Thank you for your continued support and a Happy New Year to all.

Greetings from Eldoret, Kenya
Greetings to all at the foot of Slievenamon and I hope you had a great Christmas. The Fethard & Killusty Emigrants Newsletter was spot on this year as it arrived this very day, Christmas Eve, and I have read some of the articles already. It always amazes me that there is so much to write year after year – fair play to all concerned.

I regret that I didn't get to Fethard this year but will prioritise it next time. I am now getting on with my various projects, like preparing to open another primary school here in Eldoret next Month and also opening a maternity unit at our Health Clinic in Kabongo. There are a few other irons in the fire as well so never a dull moment.

I wish you all a very blessed Christmas and best regards to all my Fethard friends. Nollaig shona fe shean is fe mhaise dhiobh go leir.
– Bro. Paul D. Brennan, Eldoret, Kenya.

With the White Heathers
Ballylusky White Heather Harriers met at Clonacody House on Sunday, December 21, well replenished with beautiful festive fare, courtesy of Ms Helen Carrigan.

Hounds moved off to first draw in Jossestown. Both Toby Purcell’s and Pat Cleary’s drew blank. The fort in Tom Grant’s held a brace and getting away on one, hounds ran two good circles through Cleary’s and Delahunty’s on Market Hill, back to Cleary’s and to ground.

Moving across the Jossestown road to Cooney’s bog they found again, hunting to Tom Horan’s and Moclair’s where they again marked to ground. Crossing the Donoughmore road, they found in Ryan’s, Ballyhomuck, and a very good run followed on this fox. Running to Hennessy’s they crossed the Fethard – Cahir road at Walsh’s where they had a good forty minutes covert hunting in the large plantation.
The St. Stephen’s Day meet took place Drangan and in Orchardstown on Sunday, December 28. The first meet of 2015 will take place in Peppardstown on Sunday, January 4.

We wish a very Happy New Year to all our followers, landowners and members, who work so hard voluntary each week to keep the show on the road and provide such good sport each Sunday afternoon.

Died Recently
The death has occurred on Monday, December 29, 2014, of Aidan Ward, Letterfrack, Connemara, and formerly Kerry Street. Fethard.

Aidan, predeceased by his father Philip and sadly missed by his loving mother Mary, his sisters Niamh and Lisa, his niece and nephew, brothers-in-law, uncles, aunts, cousins, relatives and large circle of friends. May he rest in peace.

Reposing at McCarthy's Funeral Home, Fethard, on Thursday, January 1, from 5pm to 6.30pm with removal to the Holy Trinity Parish Church, Fethard at 6.45pm. Funeral Mass on Friday at 12 noon followed by burial in Calvary Cemetery, Fethard.


Pictured after one of Aidan's gig at the Abymill Theatre L to R: Niamh Ward, Lisa Ward, Tom Porman, Aidan Ward and Roger Mehta.



Fethard GAA Club AGM
The annual general meeting of th e Fethard GAA Club will take place on this coming Friday, January 2, at 8pm in the Tirry Community Centre, Barrack Street. All are welcome.

Planning for the twentieth Tipperariana Book Fair
The festive season is now over the organisers of the annual Tipperariana Book Fair are back to work organising the very successful event that is held on the second Sunday in February every year. Sunday, February 8, 2015, will be the twentieth holding of the Book Fair in Fethard Ballroom and the second Sunday in February is marked in booklover’s calendars from all over the county.

Donated Books
The annual Tipperariana Book Fair was the brainchild of the Fethard Historical Society as a means of generating an income to keep the society going throughout the year and to support projects that further an interest in heritage of the area. People have been very good at donating books over the past twenty years and these are sold at the fair to generate the much needed cash. So the committee will gladly accept books of all types and will also arrange collection if needed. Contact by email at: bookfair@fethard.com or by Tel: 086 3905373.

Book of the Year 2014
Some years after the first book fair in 1996 a ‘Tipperariana Book of the Year’ award was introduced and has since became a very successful part of the Fethard event. Every year over thirty high quality ‘Tipperary’ books are published and most deal with local history. Last year’s winner was, ‘The Black and Tans in North Tipperary’ by Séan Hogan from Nenagh. Interestingly and on merit alone, Fethard native Willie Hayes has taken the honours twice, firstly as editor of, ‘Moyne-Templetuohy- A life of its own’ (2002), and for his book ‘Holycross, The awakening of the Abbey’ (2011).

Sunday, February 8, 2015, is the date and should anyone wish to get involved in any way in Tipperariana Book Fair events then please contact any member of the historical society. All help or support is appreciated.

Pilgrimage to Medjugorje 2015

A seven-day Pilgrimage to Medjugorje is being planned for August 12 to 19, 2015. The total cost is €669 per person sharing, which includes flights, accommodation, breakfast and evening meal. For those interested please contact David Woodlock at Tel: 087 2522028 or (052) 6131077. Deposit of €200 required when booking.

Special discounts for early payments: €100 discount if paid in full by February 2, 2015; and €50 discount if deposit paid by February 2, 2015. Single Rooms cost an additional €22 extra per night. The trip is organised by Joe Walsh Tours.

Fethard News
Items for inclusion on the weekly Fethard News page on The Nationalist can be emailed before noon on Mondays to news@fethard.com or delivered by hand to Joe Kenny, Rocklow Road, Fethard.

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