Table Quiz for Irish Wheelchair Association
On Friday Next, 27th November, the Tipperary Branch of the Irish Wheelchair Association will hold a table quiz at Gaule’s Pub in Burke Street. The quiz starts at 9.30pm and a table of four will cost €20.
Local organiser, John Ryan, formerly from Woodvale Walk, does tremendous work for the Wheelchair Association in the county and received national recognition on RTE’s ‘Afternoon Show’ when he was nominated for a ‘Random Act of Kindness’ award for all of the hard work he puts in as a volunteer with the Tipperary Branch of the Wheelchair Association. He was nominated by Rosaleen O'Leary a member of JR's gang, a youth group set up by John with its main function being socialising.
JR’s gang is a section of the branch that caters for young adult members has been in existence for the last six years.  The group’s activities include travelling to concerts, sports events, nights out and short-break holidays, the highlight being their annual holiday to Killarney in October. The setting up of the group has made a big difference to the members as it has given them a fantastic social life and opportunities they never thought possible. Your support is requested for this great service to our community.

Parents Association Table Quiz
The Parents Association Table Quiz on Monday, 16th November was a great success and well done to those involved in the event. A special presentation was made to Mr Denis Burke in recognition of his many years of dedicated service to the school.
The officers for this year of our very active Parents Association are: Valerie Rice (chairperson); Rita Kenny (vice-chairperson); Joan Hayes (secretary); Mary Healy (treasurer); and Marie Maher (staff representative). A CAO Information Seminar for parents was held in the school on Monday, 23rd November.

Open Evening at Patrician Presentation Secondary School
The School’s Open Evening will take place on Monday, 30th November from 7pm to 8pm. All 5th and 6th class pupils from the area are welcome to attend with their parents.

Died Recently
The death has occurred, on Monday 23rd November, of Mr Denis (Dinny) Ryan of St Johnstown, Fethard, Tipperary. Internment took place in Moyglass.

Fr. Meagher OSA visit Transition Year class
On Tuesday, 10th November Fr. John Meagher OSA, from the Augustinian Friary, visited the school on the invitation of the Transition Year pupils. The visit formed part of the Life Skills Programme. He gave a very interesting account of his childhood in Limerick City and his memories of those days.
He also spoke about his vocation to the priesthood, his school days in the Augustinian School in Dungarvan, his training for the priesthood and his many ministries both in Rome and in Ireland.
The pupils really enjoyed the visit and the school wishes to thank Fr. Meagher for his co-operation with the project.

School Volleyball News
The last few weeks have seen outings for both senior panels. The senior girls, in their first year at A division following last year’s successes at senior and cadette level, faced Lismore, Naas and Carlow in the first round.  Despite giving a good account of themselves, both Fethard and Lismore failed to qualify as last year’s Senior A Champions, Carlow and Naas (All Ireland Cadette Champions 2009) go through to the next round.
Senior boys travelled on Tuesday 10th November to Loughrea for two matches in Senior A division. As there are only seven boys teams in the country at this level, one win from the two matches was enough to qualify for All-Ireland quarter-finals. In the first match, they were beaten by St. Raphaels Loughrea (last years All-Ireland and Senior Cup winners) but were easy winners over Lisdoonvarna in the second match. They now face Woodford in the quarter-final on Monday 23rd November, to be held in Loughrea. On that day the winners will also have to play Drumshanbo, as top qualifiers from their group, in the national semifinal.
Cadette boys and girls played teams from Scoil Naofa, Dungarvan, on Thursday 12th November, in a challenge match held in the school, achieving successes in both. The cadette boys will again face Dungarvan’s A team as well as Lismore A in round one, to be played by 16th December. Cadette girls, with a much tougher draw, face Claremorris A and St. Brigids Loughrea A in round one, which is expected to be played in Loughrea on 9th December.
Best of luck to all involved and compliments to all panels on their continued participation and dedication in training.

Community Games Volleyball 2009
To all members of junior volleyball teams from the parish of Fethard, we announce that Mr Denis Burke and Mr Justin McGree will draw up panels in early January for the oncoming Community Games this summer.

St. Vincent De Paul news
Application Forms for anybody requiring our help for Christmas are available at the back of the two churches in Fethard. Please return to any member of the Conference before 30th November.
We still have some small amount of funds to help students at 3rd level colleges. Application Forms can be had by ringing Vincent at 6131698 or Dinny at 6131852.
Our Annual Church Gate Collection this year is on Saturday 5th December and Sunday 6th December. We know that in an economic recession money is much tighter than before. However, we do know that this Parish has always been generous to the St. Vincent De Paul. We only ask to give what you can manage and we are very grateful for this.

Fairtrade and Sharing Fair Sale
Nano Nagle National School will hold a Fairtrade and Sharing Fair Sale at the school on Tuesday 1st December at 7pm. This event was a great success last year and the items on sale will include Xmas gifts, Fairtrade teas, coffees, chocolates, juices, sweets and Fairtrade hampers.  All are welcome.

Erin’s Own first visit to Fethard
Ballad group, Erin’s Own, from North Tipperary will make their first visit to Fethard on Saturday night next, 28th November, when they play in Lonergans. The band, recently back from a tour of the USA, consist of Brian Corrigan (guitar and vocals), Willie Dunne (mandolin), Gerard Hogan (bass) and David Lawlor (vocals, whistle and bodhrán). The band play traditional music and sing classic Irish ballad songs and have released their first CD called ‘Galtee Mountain Boy’.

Fethard GAA Club
Mass for all deceased members of Fethard GAA Club will take place on this Friday, 27th November at 7pm in Holy Trinity Parish Church Fethard. All are welcome to come along.
The Club would like to thank all who supported the Friends of Tipperary Football Draw that took place last week
The Annual General Meeting of Fethard GAA Club takes place on Saturday 5th December in the Abymill at 7pm.

Mullinahone Youth Club visit Fethard
Fethard Youth Centre would like to thank the members and leaders of Mullinahone Youth Club for visiting Fethard Youth Centre on Friday night last. Over twenty members and five adult leaders visited the Fethard members and took part in the activities available. Our compliments to all fifty plus youths who were in the centre that night for their excellent behaviour and respect for the premises. Mullinahone members really enjoyed the night and promised to come back in January when they hope to challenge the Fethard club in some of the various games in the centre. So start practising lads!
The youth centre is open on Friday and Saturday nights from 8pm to 10pm.

Fethard Ladies Football Club
Fethard ladies football club would like to congratulate Katie Butler and Jessie McCarthy on their recent selection on the Tipperary under-12’s girls county team who played in an inter-county blitz in Co. Clare recently. Jessie was centre back and Katie was centre field. Both played very well in all three matches and were eventually beaten by Galway in the final. Well done girls.
Our club end-of-year table quiz and get together will take place in Butlers bar on the 11th December at 9pm sharp. Table of four will cost €10 per person. There will also be a raffle on the night with numerous spot prizes.
A medal presentation night for our victorious under-12 county winning team will take place in the coming weeks. Details to follow next week

The Rosary at our local Cemeteries
The Rosary will be prayed in the following cemeteries in the coming week.
Sunday 29th November: Killusty (after Mass), Kiltinan at 3pm and Kilmaclugh at 3.30pm. Please encourage the members of your family to come along and pray for all our families laid to rest in many of our country areas.

West End music comes to Cloneen
The members and cast of Slievenamon Musical Society are in the final stages of preparation for their 2009 Production ‘West End Musical Moments’. This must-see show consists of extracts from shows such as ‘Billy Elliot’, ‘Sister Act The Musical’ and the sixties themed ‘Dreamboats and Petticoats’ as well as a medley of classic musical theatre treats. The show will run from Thursday 3rd December to Sunday 6th December in Cloneen Hall, nightly at 8.15pm, and tickets, priced at €13 (adults) and €10 (children), are now on sale. Tickets can be booked by ringing 086 3161882, from 11am to 2pm, and 087 328 3074, from 6 to 9pm. An enjoyable nights entertainment is guaranteed, just what is needed as a welcome distraction from the recession!

Extra Christmas prizes for Fethard & Killusty Community Lotto
Extra draws for Christmas turkeys and hams will take place on 2nd, 9th and 16th December. We will have draws for three turkeys and three hams each week. We then take a two-week break so there will be no lotto draw on 23rd and 30th December. The next Lotto draw after Christmas and the New Year will take place on Wednesday 6th January 2010. The Lotto Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people at home and away who support the lotto each week. It is greatly appreciated and we hope you will continue to do so in 2010.
The numbers drawn on 18th November were 2, 3, 12 and 13.  We had no Jackpot winner and no ‘Match 3’ winner. Three tickets were drawn and the following won €50:
Kitty O'Donnell, Slievenamon Close, Fethard;
Margaret Power, c/o Nellie Ryan;
Tony Morgan, Slievenamon Close, Fethard.
The three following Lucky Dip winners received €50 each:
Bernie Myles, c/o The Abbey, Fethard;
Teresa Roche, Woodvale Walk, Fethard;
Danny Croke, c/o K. O'Donnell.
Next week’s Jackpot continues at €10,000 and the Jackpot sellers prize is €1000.
You can now also play our lotto online from your own computer by visiting www.fethard.com/

Hunting News
A fox which took a bit of shifting from The Lagoons, Poulmucka on Monday, provided a short run towards Lavally where he went to ground.  From Donegal hounds hunted well in covert.  The fox on leaving covert ran quite a wide left-handed circle around the covert which he passed by on the bottom end.  Turning left here he looked like covering the same area when turning right at the top end he ran straight to Graigue.  An adjoining fodder-beet garden proved blank with hounds finding again at Breen’s.  From here they ran by the Old Castle to the glen at Ms Claire Ryan’s where he went to ground.  Hounds quickly sought a fox on top on the way to draw the Sceart from Ballinure on Wednesday.  Finding again at Burke’s they ran down to Hassett’s.  They finished the day’s hunting very well in Buffana wood. 
They moved off in a downpour accompanied by very heavy rain from Drangan on Thursday to the large plantation at O’Brien’s, Rathkenny.  Hounds hunted well in this vast covert for almost an hour with more than one fox on the move.  None of them could be forced however to leave their stronghold and were left.  Hounds also proved difficult to collect as they must have found it difficult to hear the horn or the huntsman’s voice in the gale force wind whistling through the trees.  Eventually home was blown at 2.30pm with everyone soaked through and through.  To see Derry out on horseback, though not hunting hounds, was perhaps the only positive thing about Ballingarry on Saturday.  Foxes proved very scarce, taking quite a while to find.  Their first fox ran a couple of fields into a no-go area and hounds were stopped.  The same applied to another fox from the Gorse on the hill over the Commons sportsfield.

With the White Heathers
The White Heathers enjoyed another very good day from Coolbawn cross on Sunday.  They quickly chopped a fox found in Coolagh graveyard.  Moving on to the fort on Skehan’s farm they had a nice run on one of a brace from here.  Running back to Prendergast’s they ran down to St. Johnstown bridge where they crossed the road.  Hunting well around Guiry’s their fox ran back to the fort at Coolbawn cross where he got to ground.  Hounds were then laid on to a fox which was viewed on foot while they were marking to ground.  Holding the line off straight away they ran towards Blackmore’s, doing a u-turn short of here Charlie ran back almost to Coolbawn cross again where he crossed the road.  Hunting on they pushed him through Grangebarry, by Ms Liz Grant’s they crossed the Coolbawn cross – Moyglass road.  Running down through the airport the fox turned left-handed once again and crossed the Fethard – Killenaule road to Dillon’s where they lost him.  Hounds were vanned from here to the entrance to Blackmore’s.  Finding quickly here once again they crossed the road to the laurels in Mortlestown.  Hunting strongly now they pushed their fox out at the bottom.  Running again towards Ms Liz Grant’s, Charlie wheeled left-handed and ran straight to the New Line which he crossed at Sue Perry’s.  Hounds were running towards Knockinglass when they checked and were stopped bringing an excellent day’s hunting to a close.  Ballyluskey White Heather Harriers meet on Sunday next, 29th November, at the Rectory House, Fethard.