Ray does it again!
Congratulations from his Fethard fans, to Ray Clarke (Worldwide Cycles), on winning the Tommy Sheehan Memorial Classic at Carrick-on-Suir on Sunday last, 7th May. Ray is a son of Sean Clarke, former Fethard footballer and Coolmoyne hurler. Earlier this month, 2nd May, Ray Clarke won the overall Tour of Ulster after a final 60-mile stage from Cookstown to Newry. Ray, a former bronze medallist at the Track World Championship finished the stage in 6th place to claim the title for the first time.

May Procession
This year’s May Procession was favoured by very favourable weather and attracted a large turnout. At the conclusion in the Abbey Church, Rev. Fr. Breen P.P. complimented the parishioners for turning out in such large numbers to preserve this long established tradition in Fethard.

From Tuscany to Mullinahone
On Tuesday 25th April in the Abymill, local artist Pat Looby using her photographic slides, guided the Fethard Historical Society on a fantastic journey from the Tarot Garden of Nikki de St. Phalle in Tuscany to the fantasy world created by Tommy Boland in his cottage and garden in Mullinahone. Nikki de St. Phalle is a French artist who had a team of assistants to help her construct the enormous sculptures based on the symbols of the Tarot cards.  The structures are made of reinforced concrete covered with brightly coloured especially moulded ceramic tile pieces.

Next, Pat showed slides of Maison Picassiette in Chartres outside Paris. Picassiette was a tram driver who gathered broken plates, bottles and ornaments and mosaiced them onto every surface of his house and garden. The bed post, the range, everything was covered. He was called Picassiette because of his habit of collecting broken plates and in homage to Picasso.

Tommy Boland was caretaker of the protestant church on the outskirts of Mullinahone. He lived in the thatched cottage across the road. Strange constructions could be seen sticking out of the thatch. There was a large wind vane helicopter whirling from the chimney pot. The garden was full of more fantastic constructions. Inside the house, all surfaces were covered. Tommy was very welcoming to interested visitors and interpreted his collection in terms of his own life story.  Joe Kenny took photographs of him, one of which featured on the cover of Ireland's Own some years ago.

The work of people like Tommy Boland is in the folk art tradition known as outsider art. Pat asked the audience to watch out for this type of art work when travelling around the country. She emphasized the importance of keeping a photographic record.  Maison Picassiette was made a French national monument in the early 1980's and is now a museum. Tommy Boland's cottage, which had that potential, is now a ruin.

Finally, Pat showed slides of her own work which were of sculptures made from found objects and influenced by work such as she had depicted in the slide show. The last slide of ears of corn was from her exhibition in the Temple Bar Gallery and showed the attention to minute and detail which shows the new direction and focus in Pat's work.

Fethard & Killusty Community Lotto
The numbers drawn in the Fethard & Killusty Community Lotto on Wednesday 3rd May were: 7, 20, 21 and 26. There was no Jackpot winner and one ‘Match 3’ winner of €150, Arthur Daly, 34 St. Patricks Place, Fethard.

The three €50 Lucky Dip winners were: 
Kitty O’Donnell, Slievenamon Close, Fethard;
Peter McManus, Burke Street, Fethard;
Nellie O’Donovan, Fr. Tirry Park, Fethard.
Next weeks Jackpot is €4,200 and the Jackpot sellers prize is €420.

Cycle trip from Dinard to Lourdes 
Local Presentation Sister and keen cyclist, Sr Betty Cagney, St. Bernard's Group Homes, together with Stephanie Keating, Bridget Fitzpatrick and Bobby Power from Carrick-on-Suir, completed their fundraising campaign for the Irish Handicapped Children’s Pilgrimage Trust (IHCPT) with a cycle trip from Dinard to Lourdes raising over €20,000 in the process.

Since the early 1980s many children have benefited from this Trust, with approximately five to ten local children travelling to Lourdes each year for a week’s pilgrimage. The cyclists covered six hundred miles over a period of seven days and paid their own fare and expenses so that all money raised goes directly to IHCPT to support the local pilgrimage.

Booking Fee Query
You walk into a room with a pencil in your hand to send off for some concert tickets. Seeing the telephone, you change your mind and decide to purchase the tickets on the phone. You have one more cup of coffee before you go to the kitchen below to use the phone there. As you have made the call 3 minutes after the tickets went on sale, you expect to get a prime seat. It turns out that they’re already gone, but you can have the seat by the toilet door for the bargain price of €70. In shock, you drop the phone on your toe and cut it open. Hearing the scream, your mother asks if you are okay. “It’s alright ma”, you reply, “I’m only bleeding”.

You return to bed, glad that you have made your purchase. On the way, you slip on a cd and fall asleep to the sound of the artist you are now going to see . . . “The times they are a changing!” A few days later, the ticket arrives. It cost €70 including booking fee. The following day, the visa bill arrives. Cost of ticket is €75.95. Incensed, you call the ticket vendor. Eventually a human voice replies. He can’t explain the charge. He has to get someone to call you back. “It ain’t me babe!” says the man who calls back, “It’s the policy of the company to charge extra for phone bookings.”

So that’s it. You pay to sit by the toilet door to see the artist, you pay a booking fee, and then you pay a second booking fee for using the phone. Isn’t modern technology great. Of course, I won’t name the artist in question, a man once known for protesting against the system. Instead I’ll hold my own little protest. I won’t go to the gig. “I ain’t goin’ to work on Maggie’s farm no more!” (N. Gawe)

Final Farewell as Pat leaves the Kennels 
Members, followers and supporters of Tipperary Foxhounds turned out in force at the Kennels, Tullamaine, on Saturday 29th April to bid a final farewell to huntsman Pat O’Brien on his last day in office.  Pat who retired after 40 years service finished his long term with the Tipps officially on Sunday 30th April — the final day of the hunting year.  Champagne corks popped, toasts were drunk, old memories and friends recalled as an era came to an end.

“Farewell to the hounds, kennels, lodges and yards,
I leave them behind me with sorrow.
The memories and good friends I’ve made through the years,
I take with me as I leave tomorrow.”

May we take this opportunity to bid a hearty ‘Cead Mile Failte’ to the new huntsman Derry Donegan and his whipper-in Mark Casserly and wish them the very best of luck and good hunting.

Married Recently
The wedding took place at Mogorban Church on 29th April of Olivia daughter of Mr Charles and Mrs Diana Hazel, Mobarnane, to Mr Oliver Blaque, Carrick-on-Suir.

Train Bus Cancelled
Patrons please note that the 8am ‘Thurles Train Bus’ ex Fethard has been cancelled.  The train bus ex Thurles arriving in Fethard at 8.10pm also now no longer operates. The bus from Thurles Station arriving in Fethard at 1.10 pm with the bus to Thurles Station ex Fethard 3.45 pm are running as usual.

Fethard GAA Club News
Our Intermediate Hurling County League game took place in Fethard on Tuesday 2nd May with a hard fought victory, by the narrowest of margins, on a scoreline, Fethard 3-7, Golden 2-9, with Pat Shelley in charge.  We would like to wish Kevin Moloney (Golden) a speedy recovery after having a serious leg injury just after the start of the game, which resulted in the ambulance getting to the field in twenty minutes to remove him to Cashel Hospital. Back to the match, on the night the first half was evenly matched with both teams scoring 1-4. Fethard’s scores were from Tomás Keane 1-1, Ciaran Treacy 0-2 (1f), and 0-1 from Jamie McCormack. The second half was only 10 minutes gone when, in the space of two minutes, Fethard had good goals from Jamie McCormack and Michael Dillon, to bring our Tally to 3-5 with a point also shared in this period from Shane Stapleton (Golden) and Tomas Keane to put us in the driving seat with Golden at 1-5. In the next 10 minutes we both had a brace of points from David Ivors and Paddy Ivors (Golden) to Fethard’s Ciarán Treacy (f) and Aiden Fitzgerald to leave the score, Fethard 3-7, Golden 1-7.

Entering the last five minutes we seem to take our leg off the pedal with Golden scoring 1-2 from James Hayes 1-1, and James Tierney 0-1, to no reply from Fethard to leave the final score, Fethard 3-7, Golden 2-9. The next round will be played on Tuesday 9th May away to Cahir.

In the Senior Football County Championship we now know that our opponents in the 2nd Round is Grangemockler.

The Minor B footballers have a busy couple of weeks having won last week, Fethard 4-13, St Patricks 0-6. The team was: Glen O’Meara, Pat Holohan, Liam Ryan, Adrian Lawrence, David Prout, Niall Hayes, Alan O’Connor, Thomas Gilpin, Richard Gorey, Stephen O’Meara, Declan Doyle 2-5, Peter Gough, David Conway, Christopher Sheehan 0-1, Edmond Sheehan 0-4 (1f). Subs used were: Dean Tobin 2-1, Aaron O’Donovan, Cathal Gorey, James Williams and James Kelly. The team are out this Friday night 12th May in Ned Hall Park against Kilsheelan, and again on Wednesday 17th May against Ballingarry in Cloneen. Both games have a 7.30pm start. Our Under 16 Football team may have a possible two games in the same period.

We would like to take this opportunity in thanking all those who participated in our County Board Draw pushing our numbers to over 350.

Our Lotto Jackpot €2,200 was not won. Tickets were sponsored by AIB Main Street. The numbers drawn were 13, 16, 19 and 25.
We had one Match Three winner of €150,
Veronica Barry, XL Shop, Main Street.
The €50 Lucky Dip winner was
Nellie Ryan, St Patricks Place.

Fethard Juvenile GAA Club
Our under-16 football team played their South semifinal against Ballingarry in Mullinahone last Sunday and after a great start, in which we scored 2 goals and 1 point in the first 5 minutes, we seemed to be on our way. But, credit must go to our opponents who clawed their way back into the game, and at half time, we led by 5 points. On the restart we again seemed to dominate and increased our lead to 6 points but we then lost our way and faded as the game wore on, When Ballingarry levelled the game with 8 minutes to go it looked as if we were going out. But the boys had not given up and held out to the end to finish level on the score of 2-05 to 2-05.

The replay will have been played as this goes to print, so best of luck to both teams for that final spot next weekend.

Our under-14 football team played Commercials last week and were unlucky to be beaten by 4 points. This young team have great potential and will no doubt reap many rewards in future years so keep up the good work.

Our under-12s continue to train and will have games coming up soon. Our under-6, 8, and 10s held their second get-together last week and will continue next Saturday. More new children are welcome and after a couple of training sessions we will have a series of games for the boys. With the football championship coming near its end, our attention will turn to hurling, and with our under-12s and under-14s just back, our under-16s should begin very soon.

This years ‘Summer Camp’ promises to be a great one with spaces limited. We would urge parents to secure their place now by contacting our secretary. We will also issue forms to the local schools.

Finally, our club would like to thank all those people who purchased tickets in this years county board draw. With the Juvenile Club benefiting greatly from your purchases we would welcome more parents of juveniles to join as there are some fabulous prizes to be won.

Fethard Bridge Club
The results of Fethard Bridge Club game played on Wednesday 3rd May are:
1st Gross: Berney Myles and Alice Quinn;
2nd Gross: Kay St. John and Rita Kane;

1st Nett: Carmel Condon and Brendan Kenny;
2nd Nett: Betty Walsh and Tony Hanrahan. 
Anyone looking for a partner please contact: Annie O’Brien at Tel: (052) 31862.

Certificates for Fethard’s Heartsafe Trainees
A special evening was organised by the Fethard & Killusty Community Council to congratulate the sixty people that have been trained so far in the use of the defibrillator (AED) and life support. Kate O’Flaherty from the Resuscitation Unit of South Tipperary General Hospital very kindly attended the meeting and presented the participants with their certificates.

She told the meeting of a successful use of the AED at the Clonmel coursing event which saved the persons life and a similar recent situation in Callan Golf Course and congratulated the volunteers on completion of their course and their commitment to the community.

Liam Hayes, Course Instructor, was congratulated on his trojan work having trained these sixty people donating his own valuable time and skills. Training has begun every Wednesday evening for the fundraising cycle from ‘Fethard to Fethard’ on the weekend of 29th/30th July 2006, and we are now asking Fethard businesses to nominate a cyclist. Sponsor cards from Edwina Newport, Liam Hayes or Jimmy O’Sullivan.

Fethard Rugby Club
We finished our season on Saturday 29th April with a festival of rugby and a delicious Summer Barbeque in glorious sunshine. We had a visiting team from Cardiff called St Josephs who played our under-14s and under-16s. The under-16 game was a great match with St Josephs gaining a narrow win by 22 points to 20. The large crowd were treated to a fine open game and the result was in the balance right up to the final whistle.

The under-14 game was also very enjoyable but the bigger St Josephs proved too strong for Fethard. The Fethard lads never gave up and were unlucky not to score before the final whistle. Our under 8, 10, and 12s also played games and displayed their skills. It’s amazing to see the improvement from the beginning to the end of the season.

Our ladies committee provided delicious food for nearly 400 people. It was great to see people from Ballingarry, Killenaule, Fethard, Moyglass, Mullinahone, Cloneen Drangan and Rosegreen parishes all working together. Our thanks to everyone who helped and made this day the success it was. A spokesman for St Josephs was very loud in his praise for the hospitality they received and presented our club with some gifts. The day was also livened up by our D.J on the day, Jack Kenny, and our thanks to him for adding greatly to the atmosphere.

So that’s it for this season and we look forward to early September. The club wishes the Munster team well and we hope that the Heineken Cup will visit Fethard during the Summer.