FETHARD NOTES

FETHARD ATHLETIC CLUB
In accordance with the Department of Agriculture guidelines, training has restarted as usual in the GAA field.
The Munster senior, novice and veteran road race championships took place in Dundrum last Sunday. The club’s sole representative was Fintan Rice who showed improvement on his last race by running a time of 22.08 for the four miles. Killusty man Bernard Feery continued his return to form by captaining the winning Tipp novice team.
Fethard hosts the county novice ‘B’ road race next Sunday 1st April. The 5k course takes in The Valley, Watergate, Burke Street, The Green, Barrack Street and Main Street. Please note that traffic restrictions will be in place. The woman’s race starts at 2pm and the mens at 2.20pm.
The club would like to convey its sympathy to the Holohan family in Killusty on the death of Bill Holohan, an athlete of note in former years, and to Marie Crean, club vice-chairperson, on the death of her mother Mary O’Meara.

THE WELL GOLF SOCIETY
We had our first outing of this year at Carrick-on-Suir golf club, we had a fantastic turnout and hopefully this will continue throughout the year. The following were the results: Cat (1): 1st Paul Kenrick, 2nd M J Croke, 3rd Sean Walsh. Cat (2): 1st Kevin Ryan, 2nd Pat Smyth, 3rd John Kelly.
Our next outing takes place in Thurles on Saturday May 12th. The society also had our first lady member Mary Kenrick play on Saturday last and was welcomed to the society by our captain Pat Woodlock. Our annual Easter draw takes place on Easter Sunday night any member who did not receive cards for this can do so by contacting David Lawton. A percentage of this years proceeds will go to the Fethard Day Care Centre. The prizes for the draw are very attractive so your support would be very much appreciated.

FETHARD GAA NOTES
GAA games resumed on last weekend after the Foot and Mouth scare. Our first competive action is on Sunday April 1 in the under 21A south semi final v Moyle Rovers in Clonmel at 2.30pm. Best of luck to all in involved as defending Co Champions.
The minor county league final is also scheduled to take place over the weekend, check sports fixtures for details. The final is a repeat of last year Fethard (champs) v J.K. Brackens. The very best of luck to the selctors and their squad.
Our Lotto jackpot is now £2500. Last week we had no winner and two ‘Match 3’, Seamus Hackett & Patsy Lawrence
We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of Bill Holohan (Killusty) and Mich Leahy (Annsgift) at this time.

FETHARD YOUTH CLUB
Fethard Youth Club resumed last Saturday night at 7.30pm in the Ballroom to an attendance of 37 members. In the interim, coaching / training for the two teams entered in the Tipperary Youth Services football tournament took place on Friday nights. The teams will go to Tipperary for this all-day inter-club event on Sunday 1st April. Can parents of team members with cars please offer their services in ferrying the teams (14 members) to Tipperary and pick them up from Tipperary at the end of the day. We need your help. The teams will be looked after on the day by the club leaders.
The final training session will take place on Friday 30th, from 6pm -7 pm in the Ballroom. The Youth Club will run as normal on Saturday night 31st March.
On Saturday 7th April, we will host an interactive ‘Euro’ night with spot prizes throughout. We also intend to host self-defence classes for our members. This is important for all teenagers in today’s society and the classes will be delivered by a professional trainer. A letter regarding the above has been given out or can be obtained from the club this Saturday 31st. Again, these classes are for ‘self-defence’ in the case of sudden attack and not fighting. We will give the dates for the classes when we have confirmed the numbers.
We will also be holding a drugs awareness night in conjunction with the Youth Services in the South Eastern Health Board. The date to be confirmed.
We have now got 45 members with more teenagers wanting to join. We will have to close our doors to these youngsters if we don’t get more leaders involved. So please, if you are over 18 and have a couple of spare hours on a Saturday night, you might consider joining us — Fethard Youth Club Needs You!

MICHAEL MORRISSEY JOCKEY
The recent death in England of jockey Michael Morrissey, formerly Grove Fethard, brings to a close a memorable long racing career, interrupted by the 1939-1945 war.
Michael Morris left Fethard as a young teenager to serve his apprenticeship on the Curragh. He rode and trained winners in Ireland and England, riding over 100 winners on the flat and over jumps. He featured in ‘Ripley’s Believe it or Not!” programme following a most unusual incident at Southwell in 1953. His chase mount ‘Knother’, at the Southwell meeting, in falling threw Michael into the air, he landed on the back of another faller ‘Royal Student’, and rode on to finish the race.
Michael is one of three jockey brothers, the other Morrissey jockeys, Paddy and Jimmy, pre-deceased Michael.
A former regular visitor to his native Fethard and of a most pleasing and jovial personality, he will be sadly missed by his wide circle of friends in British National Hunt racing circles. His funeral took place in St. Patrick’s Church, Swindon, England.

RECENT DEATHS
The recent deaths of Bill Holohan, Slievenamon House, Boolagh, Killusty, and Mick Leahy, Derryluskin, remind us that both were very well known figures in the livestock and bloodstock circles of Tipperary and Munster with particular nostalgic links with the ‘Fair Days’ of Munster in the pre-cattle mart era. Fairs usually started in the very early hours and both travelled very long journeys to commence business, sometimes as early as 4am. Mick Leahy who acted as livestock agent for local estates regularly drove his pony and cart to Dungarvan, a distance of some 40 miles.
Bill Holohan, in addition to his cattle dealing enterprise, was also a very well known breeder and exhibitor of sports horses. He competed at local shows and gymkhanas in former years and instilled in his children and grandchildren a great love of horses and equestrian sports, an interest they continue on very successfully to the present time.
An outstanding athlete in his youth, he was a well known successful competitor at the many South Tipperary and surrounding area’s sports meetings of sixty years ago. They say that no one remembers who was second last in a race, but perhaps Bill Holohan’s finest achievement was taking second place in the 100 yards at the very highly rated Garda Sports in Clonmel. The Garda Sports Day of that time attracted Ireland’s leading athletes. Having come successfully through the heats, Bill, who would not have available anything near the training facilities or club backing of his fellow competitors, was barely edged out in the final. When asked what went wrong, he modestly replied as was his wont “I just wasn’t good enough on the day”.
Both Mick Leahy and Bill Holohan were former playing members of Fethard GAA Club and their coffins were draped in the club colours. Sincere sympathy is extended to both the Holohan and Leahy families.

SCHOOL STRIKE
Students of Patrician Presentation Secondary School left their classes on Friday afternoon in conjunction with fellow students throughout Munster in protest at the inaction of the powers that be in the current ASTI secondary school teachers strike. They proceeded to Main Street, but on being advised by local Garda that they would have to confine their protest to the school area, they reformed in the vicinity of the school, did not re-enter class and remained outside until normal school finishing time. During their protest the Fethard students were at all times orderly and well behaved.

FETHARD WIT AND WISDOM
Overheard recently on Main Street, we will change the name of our local sage.
Bill, “I was in the pub last night and I heard two men having a discussion, one asked the other a question to which the reply was, you would want to be a theologian to answer that.” “What’s a theologian Bill?” To which came the immediate reply “A man who plays the mouth-organ upside down.”
So now you know!

COMMUNITY LOTTO
The numbers drawn on Tuesday 20th March were 2, 4, 27 and 32. No Jackpot winner and two 'Match 3' winners, Sean Brett, Rocklow Road, Fethard, and Mary Fitzgerald, Crampscastle, Fethard, who each received £50. Next week's Jackpot is £6,800.
NEW TIME
We had the unusual incidents of people forgetting to put their clocks forward on Saturday night, sometimes with amusing results. One local lady resided some distance from Fethard on arrival for 8.30am mass at 9.30am and finding the church and street deserted was fully convinced that she had not arrived at the incorrect time but on the wrong day and it was still only Saturday. Just goes to show, you can’t win them all!
One advantage to those on the move between 6.30 and 7am is the chance to hear the ‘dawn chorus’ at its best. On Sunday morning our feathered friends were filling the area with a symphony of sound, probably the greatest free show on earth. The birds are at their brilliant best in the months of April and May as they greet each new day. After this week as the mornings get brighter, the birds who go by native clocks will start and finish earlier. It is only the real early risers or late retirers will have the chance to tune in.

DIED RECENTLY
We record the death of Christy Fleming, Rhode, Co. Offaly, and formerly from Coolmore, Fethard.
We record the death of Mrs Johanna Stapleton, Burke Street who died on Tuesday 20th March, in St. Joseph's Hospital Clonmel. Burial took place in Calvary Cemetery.