World premiere of 'Stella Days' at Galway Film Fleadh
Stella Days is being shown at the Galway Film Fheadh on July 9th at 7pm in the Town Hall in Galway. The Director and members of the cast will attend the screening.

Daniel Barry, parish priest of Borrisokane, Co. Tipperary, feels like the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time. Although he works hard to fulfil his duty, he has nothing in common with his parishioners and secretly fears he has lost his vocation.

When forced by his Bishop to start a big fund-raising campaign, he attempts to reconcile his passion for film with his duty to the Church through the creation of the Stella Cinema.

But he faces plenty of opposition: from the Bishop and a number of influential parishioners who see film as a source of moral corruption; from locals; and ultimately from his own crisis of conscience.

Stella Days is the story of the conflict between love and duty, hope and faith, and between the excitement of the unknown and the security of the familiar. It encapsulates the dilemma of Ireland in the mid-1950s – on the cusp of the modern but still clinging to the traditions of Church and a cultural identity forged in very different times.

Running Time 86 mins | Colour | 35 mm
Producer Jackie Larkin, Maggie Pope, Lesley McKimm
Script Antoine O’Flaharta
Cast Martin Sheen, Stephen Rea, Amy Huberman, Marcella Plunkett, Tom Hickey, Ruth McCabe
Production Newgrange Pictures
Print Source Films Distribution

Fethard hits the Australian airwaves
Australian Morning TV show 'Today', broadcast live from Fethard on Monday, June 20, gave Australian breakfast TV viewers a glimpse of life in Fethard, featuring Coolmore Stud and McCarthy’s Bar. The show's weather presenter, Emma Freedman, is a daughter of prominent Australian racehorse trainer Lee Freedman, who has visited Ireland several times and may have been influential in getting the TV crew to visit Fethard. Lee works in partnership with his brothers Anthony, Michael and Richard, he has been a prolific winner of Australia's major races in the past 20 years.

The live TV show was watched by many people in Ireland on the internet and also by lots of our Fethard diaspora in Australia and elsewhere. One such comment from Lisa Dawson reads, “My family are from Fethard, however, I am now living in Australia. I was happy to hear that our morning show on TV called 'Today' is going to be live in Fethard from McCarthys pub tonight Irish time from about 8pm till midnight, which will be tomorrow morning in Australia, it would be great to see lots of people there and don’t forget to say hello to me!”

Some of the other comments received included Sandy Downey who wrote, “I heard on the TV this morning that an Aussie Morning TV show called the Today Show is going to be in Fethard tomorrow. I will watch every minute to see if I see you all on camera.”

Katie Knott wrote, “We are watching channel 7 morning show here on the Gold Coast and surprise surprise the weather girl announced she was in Ireland and in Fethard. It was great to see you all enjoying yourselves in McCarthy's Hotel. We have taped the show. Did you understand the weather girl because we never do talk about speaking so fast. Did anyone notice she pronounced McCarthy's, ‘McCorthys’. Hope you all had a great time.”

Breda Kearney wrote, “Thanks for the information regarding Fethard on Australian TV. Looked a great night in McCarthys!”

Cemetery Masses
The coming week’s Cemetery Masses will be held in Killusty on Friday, 1st July, and in Calvary Cemetery on Wednesday, 6th July. All masses start at 7.30pm.

This is a good opportunity for us to remember and pray for our loved ones, family members and friends who have passed on to their eternal reward.

Fethard & Killusty Community Lotto
The numbers drawn on June 22, were: 2, 4, 23 and 31. We had no Jackpot winner and one ‘Match Three’ winner who received €150: Anne Healy, Strylea, Fethard.

The three following ‘Lucky Dip’ winners also won €50 each: Patrick Ryan, c/o Nellie Ryan; Ann Looby, The Valley, Fethard; and Jim Kennedy, Clonmel.

Remember you can purchase your lotto ticket online at www.fethard.com. Buy seven weekly tickets and get one free! Check on the website for lots of special offers including a chance to win a full set of jerseys for your sport’s club. Next week’s Jackpot commences at €3,350 and the Jackpot sellers prize is €335. All proceeds go towards community work in Fethard.

Fethard Ballroom Social Dancing
Fethard’s ‘Ballroom of Romance’ continues to attract visitors from all over the South East who come along to enjoy a great night’s social dancing every Sunday night from 9pm to 12pm. Fethard Ballroom committee has enjoyed 18 years of success providing the ideal venue for social dancing in the area. Patrons also enjoy a cup of tea, home-cooked refreshments served from the bar by the ladies committee and a good chat with friends. In fact, many romances began in Fethard Ballroom in the 1970s and still do today! Come along and try it for yourself any Sunday night. All are welcome.

X-Factor Semi-finalists
After an exciting second round of X-Factor 2011 in Lonergan’s Bar on Friday, June 24, we now know the last eight contestants left in the competition. Contestants on the night gave their all and again the votes from judges and the public were very close. The acts that were successful were, Joseph Thompson, Dolores O’Donnell, Margaret Dorney and Patsy McCormack. They now join Mary Boland, ‘Jedward’ (Martin Shelly and Tony McGarry), Deirdre Dorney and Holly Williamson in the semifinal taking place on Saturday, July 2. The final takes place on Saturday, July 9.

A big ‘thank you’ to all who took part, from the contestants to the judges, John Shortall, Joe Kenny, Sarah Purcell and Francis Lonergan, also to the friends and supporters of all the acts.
All money raised throughout the competition goes directly to ReHab, Clonmel. Why not come along and give the semi-finalists your support this Saturday. It’s a great night’s entertainment and supports a worthy cause.

There are six acts up for grabs in the final and with eight acts left, it’s going to be a tense and thrilling semi-final. Finally, thanks to our sponsors, Bulmers, Gleesons, Heineken, Diageo and Tipp FM. Best of luck to all the remaining acts.

Fethard and Killusty Community Games
Congratulations to Ben Coen, son of Shay and Anne, Killusty, who won a gold medal in the U10 100m at the Community Games county athletics finals on Sunday last. Ben gave an outstanding performance winning his heat, semi-final and final in an impressive fashion. He will now represent Tipperary at the HSE Community Games National Finals in Athlone on the weekend of August, 19 to 21.

Our only other competitor, Zoe Stokes, Ballybough, also gave a very good account of herself in the U12 600m event. Zoe was second to the eventual winner, Alannah Deering, from Nenagh in the semifinal.
Manpower to assist with running the games in the area is thin on the ground at the moment; therefore we were unable to hold our usual qualifiers. The parents of the children concerned were the only people who contacted us the day before the closing date for entry for the county finals. However, we do intend to run an open sports day perhaps in early August. Offers of assistance would be appreciated.

Boxing night for Community Sportsfield
On Saturday, July 9, there will be a Boxing Night Fundraiser in aid of Fethard Community Sportsfield. Up to ten matches will take place on the night. The boxers are not professional: they are from all walks of life in our locality - publicans, students, vets, shopkeepers, and even an elected representative from the world of politics!

They are giving an enormous amount of their time to train properly for this event, which will hopefully raise funds needed to continue developments at Fethard's Community Sportsfield. Please come along and show your support. A fun-filled night is in store!

Yellowhammer in Lisronagh
Our local nature enthusiast, Kevin Collins, sent us this photograph of a Yellowhammer that he spotted recently in the Lisronagh area. The Yellowhammer, strongly tied to cereal cultivation, is a declining resident mainly in the east and south of Ireland. Adult summer males are a stunning yellow colour on the head and underparts, appearing unlike any other Irish breeding bird species.

This farmland bird is declining in Ireland and is on the red list of the Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland.

Hospice Collection
The Fethard Support Group for South Tipperary Hospice will hold their annual church gate collection in Fethard, Killusty and Moyglass this weekend July, 1 and 2. Your continued support for this deserving cause is most appreciated.

Parish Survey
Thanks to all parishioners who have taken part in the recent Parish Survey. The organisers will be calling to collect the completed forms this week. Alternatively completed forms can be dropped in to the sacristy at Holy Trinity Parish Church.

Eucharistic Adoration
The diocesan adoration committee are very happy with the response they received from their appeal for volunteers at Sunday Mass. Friday has been assigned as the day for adoration in Fethard and will commence on Friday, July 1st. Volunteer’s are asked to remember their roster and to come along at their appointed hours. This adoration is in preparation for the Eucharistic Congress which will be held in Ireland in June 2012 and suggested by the Apostolate of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration - an international association of lay adorers of the Blessed Sacrament accepting the challenge to live the good news of Jesus Christ, and striving to be a people of prayer, vision and mission, embracing God's call.

Badgers Sports and Social Club
We had a mostly successful transition from the normal soccer season to our three-month summer break. Even though the weather was not so good it did not effect any of our events to any great extent. The following month will continue in somewhat the same fashion and again we ask anyone interested in participating in any of the events, members or non-members, to contact the person responsible for that event.

Wednesday, July 6, is Boot Camp; this is an hour-long vigorous exercise work out, good for any level of fitness and none. Starting at 7pm sharp if interested and for more information contact Colm on 086 3502360.

Wednesday, July 13, is Cycling; meeting outside the ballroom in Fethard at 7.30pm sharp for another challenging tour of the highways and byways. For further information contact Andy on 087 9882344.

Wednesday, July 20, is Racquetball; there was great interest last month and great fun was had by all. To be held again at the courts in the Fethard Sports Centre. If interested and for further details contact Neil on 086 1029773.

Wednesday, July 27, has yet to be confirmed but depending on the interest it will be either snooker in the Abymill or an introduction to cricket at the Clonmel Cricket Club. Watch this space for further details. Cave canem.

Ladies Football County Champions
Last Saturday in New Inn, Fethard U12 girls won the County U12 C title when they defeated Boherlahan on a scoreline of Fethard 3-06, Boherlahan 2-05. This was a fantastic performance by the girls who in 2010 lost the final to Boherlahan so they had an extra incentive to make up for last year’s disappointment and this they did in style.
From start to finish the girls fought for every ball and goals from Kate Davey and Rebecca Kenny sent Fethard on their way to victory. This was a terrific team performance and there was great scenes of jubilation when the final whistle sounded and captain Kate Davey accepted the trophy on behalf of the team.

Arriving back to Fethard later that evening they were greeted with the traditional beeping parade around the town. The club would like to thank coach Michael Hayes for all his hard work and dedication with this group. We would also like to thank coach Michael Ryan, Bernadette O’Meara and Maureen McCarthy for their time and effort with this team. We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to John and Roseanne Carroll of Lonergan’s Bar who gave us a very generous donation towards the food for the girls and for providing the after match party. We would also like to thank the parents who contributed to the after party as well and for your co-operation not just last Saturday night but all through the year.

So another chapter in the history of Fethard Ladies Football club is written and let’s hope we write many more but for now we salute Fethard U12 girls County Champions 2011.

Fethard U14 girls had a great result last Thursday night when they beat Galtee Rovers on the score line of 2-06 to 1-05. This result puts us in contention for a semifinal spot and we wish the girls the best of luck in the remainder of the championship.

Fethard GAA Club News
First round of the county senior football will take place on Tuesday, July 5, against Killenaule in Cloneen at 7.30pm, and the Junior A first round against St. Patrick’s takes place on Wednesday in Ballingarry at 8pm. U21 and minor hurling training on Thursday at 7pm.

Our U16 panel won their county football semifinal on Saturday, June 25, against Sean Treacy's / Emly on a scoreline Fethard 5-13, Sean Treacy's /Emly 0-08. This was a fantastic result when we consider our panel is at the bare minimum with very little room for injuries. Sadly Niall Doocey unknowingly broke his wrist on the day, playing the fixture out till the end. Niall will be a great loss to us in the county final, but we are sure our lads will score a few for him and bring back the county title for the second year running. We wish Niall a speedy recovery.

We ask your support by coming along to the final to support these lads, some of who will be moving onto the minor panel next season. The full details of the final will be on our website as soon as we have the information.

We are short of U14 players for the next couple of weeks due to holidays. We may need to re-arrange fixtures, as well as ask for eligible U12s to join our panel

This week we are delighted to welcome Chelsea Kenny to our Premier 12 team. We still need more members for the 11 a-side panel with substitutes, so we appeal to all Fethard parents to consider joining their children with our hurling panel for the season. Training is every Wednesday evening at 6.15pm for one hour. There will be female assistant available each week to supervise the girls.

There is no U10 training on Wednesday, June 29, as we are away to Killenaule in both a football and hurling challenge for 6.30pm in Killenaule. We are also in Ballylooby for 10.45am on Saturday, June 2, for the ‘Games and Development Hurling Blitz’. If you have any problems or queries, you can contact Shay Coen or Mick O'Mahoney.
U8 hurling training is on Wednesday at 6.15pm for one hour. Also training on Saturday at 11am. U6 training on Saturday at 11am.
Munster Final tickets are available but in very short supply. You will need to order tickets sooner rather than later. Cost of tickets: covered €35, uncovered €30 and terrace €20.

Lotto numbers drawn were: 13, 14, 19 and 28. No Jackpot winner or match three. The five €30 lucky dips were: Dolores Cleary, Market Hill; Mary Newport, Congress Terrace; Brian Walsh, Baptistgrange; Stephanie Fitzgerald, Monroe; and Lyndsey McGrath, c/o Merry's, Clonmel. Our €50 lucky dip winner was, Denis O'Meara, Patricks Place. Our next draw takes place in the Fethard Arms on Tuesday, June 28. Tickets are €2 each. The Jackpot is €4,200.

Our website is www.fethard.tipperary.gaa.ie. Please note that Fethard GAA Club do not use FaceBook anymore. Parents who do not wish for their children's photographs to be published must inform the club secretary or juvenile secretary. We are currently looking for photographs of past chairpersons of both the senior and juvenile club, as well as past information in preparation of our 125 year anniversary next year.

Our Juvenile club are fundraising on Friday, June 8 and 9, bag-packing in Dunnes Stores, Oakville Shopping Centre. Please come along and support us. We are also looking for parents to help on Saturday 9th with the bag-packing. Anyone who can help contact Ann Fleming on 086 8963925 or Andy O'Donovan on 087 9882344.