Medieval Statues Schools Event on Holy Trinity Sunday
Transition Year students of Fethard Patrician Presentation Secondary School and the Fethard Historical Society invite everyone to join them on Holy Trinity Sunday, June 3, to view the replicas of the town’s famous medieval statues that will be on display in the Church of Ireland Holy Trinity church from 2pm to 4pm. The original statues would likewise have been displayed in the church on Holy Trinity Sunday from the Middle Ages to the time of the Pattern Days and so this event may be seen as a most appropriate reprise of local tradition. It is also the ideal opportunity to celebrate the creativity of these young people as they showcase their talent in this historic setting.

The current Transition Year students are responsible for the creation of the St. John the Baptist sculpture which will be displayed with the other two replicas of the Holy Trinity and Christ at Golgotha (also made by Patrician Presentation students in previous years) that complete the trio. All three replicas are made of papier maché and are faithful copies of the originals. The students are to be congratulated for the skill with which they sculpted the figures and for their meticulous attention to detail.

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Andrew Halpin, Assistant Keeper of the National Museum, Kildare Street, Dublin, who will give a brief lecture on the statues in Holy Trinity church at 2pm sharp. Dr. Halpin specialises in Medieval Irish studies and his talk should add greatly to our understanding of the statues and their importance in a national context. The original statues are now on permanent display in the Kildare Street Museum.

Immediately afterwards, musician John Sutton will facilitate a drumming workshop in the church grounds, using medieval-style drums of the Malinka people. As John so eloquently explains in his own words, participants “will learn to play an old rhythm Balakulandyan which affirms the great blessing brought to our world by the presence of children, so much appreciated by Christ and by the people of all cultures through the ages, and will create rhythms of their own too.”

Refreshments will then be served in the church grounds and there will be ample time to view the statues as they will be on display until 4pm.

We would like to thank South Tipperary County Council Heritage Office and the Heritage Council of Ireland for additional funding towards this event. Admission is free and all are welcome so please come along and join us for what promises to be a most entertaining afternoon.

Community Lotto Jackpot at €10,000
The numbers drawn on May 23 were: 1, 11, 14 and 21. We had no Jackpot winner and two ‘Match Three’ winners who received €75 each: James Cooney, c/o Tom Purcell; and J. Slattery, c/o Tom Purcell.

The three following ‘Lucky Dip’ winners also won €50 each: Phil Tobin, Fr. Tirry Park, Fethard; Kelly Fogarty, Lisronagh, Fethard; and Brud Roche, Woodvale walk, Fethard.

The next Lotto draw will take place on May 30, and you can also purchase your lotto ticket in local shops or online at www.fethard.com. Buy seven weekly tickets online and get one free! Check on the Fethard website for lots of special offers. Next week’s Jackpot is €10,000 and the Jackpot sellers prize is €1,000. All proceeds go towards community work in Fethard.

Bunny Hop ‘Summer Special’
Bunny Hop Music and Movement for 0-4 year-olds are now entering their last four weeks before the holidays. So we invite you to come and join us for this 'Summer Special’.

Benefits of Bunny Hop for babies and children, stimulating, interactive, social and language skills, memory, co-ordination, concentration and sharing. Venues in Clonmel, Carrick and Fethard. For more information contact Nicola 087 6742401 or visit www.bunnyhop.ie

Died in Manchester
The late Michael Coady, aged 73, who died in Manchester on May 3, 2012. Late of Derryluskin, Fethard, Michael worked at horses with Captain Williams at McCarthy's Yard, played handball in Coolmoyne and was a former member of the combined Fethard/Coolmoyne hurling team.

Michael emigrated to England in his late teens and later was employed as a bus-driver in Manchester City where he settled and married his Polish wife, Elizabeth, who pre-deceased him in the early 2000s. Funeral service took place in Manchester on Thursday, May 17.

Fethard GAA Club
Our junior football team are having a nice run in the championship so far winning two games and looking good to qualify for a semi-final spot. Last weekend they had a good win over Moyle Rovers in the championship with a score of Fethard 2-10 to Moyle Rovers 1- 8. The previous week we beat Kilsheelan Kilcash in an earlier round. Training continues as usual this week and it is expected that all the panel will be present.

Well done to Paul Fitzgerald who minded the goal for Tipperary against Kerry in Thurles on Sunday last in the opening round of the Munster Senior Football Championship. Paul was on the mark per usual with a number of brilliant saves and clearances, and his long range kick outs aiding the attack. Well done Paul.

The Corpus Christi Procession will enter the Fethard GAA Park on Sunday evening next and a special Mass will be celebrated in preparation for the Eucharist Congress being celebrated in Ireland this year. This will be a wonderful occasion and a chance to say a few prayers for the former players and officers and committees that have served the parish of Fethard and Killusty for the last 125 years. Think about it — 125 years of great sporting occasions and now is your chance to do your bit. I would ask all our members to make a big effort and show what they can do on this special day. Just a reminder! It is not to late to join the Tipperary draw yet, any committee member will steer you in the right direction.

Our senior football team travelled up to play Annacarty in the Tipperary league. On the night we were short a few and after a great game we were defeated by the home side, 3-16 to 0-10.

Corpus Christi Procession this Sunday
The parish of Fethard & Killusty will hold a special preparatory celebration on Sunday, June 3, of the forthcoming Eucharist Congress in Dublin, June 10-17 next.

The Corpus Christi Procession will depart from the Parish Church at 6.45pm via Main Street, The Square, and St. Patrick's Place to the GAA sportsfield for open air Mass and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

By your participation, please help make this occasion a worthy parish celebration of 'Our Union with Christ and One Another', which is the theme of this 50th International Eucharist Congress.

Fethard and Killusty Community Games
Fethard U10 GAA team played Ballingarry in the Community Games South semi-final against last week and, getting off to a great start, were in complete control in the first half. Shane Neville opened the scoring with 1 point followed by 2 points from Ryan Walsh and a goal and a point from Miceál Quinlan bringing the half time score to 1-4 to 0-0. However, Ballingarry were hungry for success and luck was on their side in the second half. Even though the Fethard team played their hearts out they could do everything but score again with victory eventually going to Ballingarry, who subsequently defeated Ardfinnan in the South Final and will now play in the County Final in Semple Stadium on Bank Holiday Monday, June 4. We wish them the best of luck.

The County Athletics Final will take place in Templemore on Sunday, June 24. Assembly takes place at 11.30am. Programme of events may now be downloaded from the website www.tipperarycommunitygames.com.

Well done to Zoë Stokes, Ballybough, winner of a gold medal and to Caroline Stokes and Cathal Ryan, Killusty who both won bronze medals at the County Finals of the Community Games swimming.

Dolly O’Connell
The death has occurred on Saturday, May 26, of Mrs Dolly O'Connell, Main Street, Fethard. Dolly and her late husband Tommy, will be particularly remembered for their shop on lower Main Street, their enchanting ‘Christmas Club’ and seasonal display of toys which was the highlight of Christmas for generations of children from this locality. Our sincere sympathy to their daughters, Mary, Cinta and son Philip. Interment took place in Calvary Cemetery.

Died in England
The death has occurred in England of Mr Liam Quinn, late of Barretts Grange Farm, Fethard. Liam was Munster boxing champ and a trainer for Moyglass Boxing Club in his youth.

Guided Tours of Fethard every Friday
There will now be a guided tour of Medieval Fethard every Friday, at 2.30pm, during the months of June, July and August, beginning this Friday, June 1.

This is further good news for the development of a tourism business in the town of Fethard. These guided tours are being run by the ‘Backs to the Wall Tours’ duo of Terry Cunningham and Colm McGrath, who piloted the idea last summer during the Pop Up Café experiment in the Youth Centre.

There has been a definite increase in the number of visitors to the town over the past few years and now the neighbouring tourist offices and hotel’s staff can direct people to Fethard on a Friday afternoon in the knowledge that they can join in on a guided ramble around the ‘old town’. These tours will proceed every Friday regardless of the number turning up - be that one person or twenty people - and the charge is €5 per person, with children going free.

Meet in Youth Centre
All tours will begin from the new youth centre beside Madam’s Bridge, at 2.30pm, where excellent parking and toilet facilities are available. The tours proceed down The Valley, taking in the Town Wall, old Holy Trinity Church, the Sheela na Gig at Watergate, along the riverbank to the Augustinian Abbey, back via Burke Street, the Town Hall, North Gate and home via Chapel Lane to the Youth Centre. The tour takes about one and a half hours and all four bridges over the Clashawley are crossed during the medieval ramble.

It’s the stories that make the tours interesting, from the Jolly love story to the oldest timber roof in Ireland, to Henry Kellett’s desk in the White House, to John Butler – ‘married’ Catholic Bishop, to the Barton wine saga and many more such true life stories of Fethard people who entered Irish, European and World history.

Bank Holiday Monday Tour at 11.30am.
The ‘Bank Holiday Monday’ guided tours will continue on Monday next, June 4, at 11.30pm, also from the Youth Centre. These should particularly suit Fethard natives and friends who are home for the weekend and who want to get in a bit of local knowledge before the return to Dublin or other place of work.

All relevant information can be got on www.backstothewalltours.com especially by checking out ‘Latest News’ on that website. The promoters can also be phoned directly, Colm on 086 3502360 and Terry on 086 3905373.

Fethard Athletic Club
On this Wednesday night Fethard Athletic Club will hold the 12th running of the ‘Walls of Fethard’ four-mile road race plus a two-mile fun event for fun runners around the streets of our historic town. This event is probably one of the only road races in the country that runs through the streets of a town and is a great event to witness, and if you’re lucky you might even join us for a cup of tea afterwards in the ICA Hall.

The two-mile fun run is a new venture for fun runners with a draw for prizes at the finish. All are welcome to come along and try their hand at road running - nothing ventured, nothing gained.

From 7pm onward we will have musical entertainment on the street free for your pleasure. We may have a surprise guest on the night if the grapevine is right but we will have to await and see. Any help to steward the event would be appreciated and you would be made more than welcome. So we hope to see you all on this Wednesday evening at 7.30pm for a great free night’s entertainment.

On last Friday evening at Poulmucka we had Paraic McCormack, James Denn and Michael Moclair taking part in their event. Well done lads. On June 6, we will have a one mile ‘Olympic Torch’ run and our fellow athletes from neighbouring club, Ballynonty will join us. We hope to have at least one former Olympian with us on the occasion. More about that later.

Patrician Presentation Jottings

Retirement
It is with sadness that we bid farewell to Mrs Anne O’Donnell who will retire on Friday next after 40 years of service in our school. Mrs O’Donnell has contributed greatly to the English, Business, History and Resource departments in the school and we wish her many years of happiness in her retirement.

Transition Year Evening
The Transition Years, their parents and Staff Members will attend a Mass of Thanksgiving in the school on Monday, May 28. Its been a very busy year for the group with their participation in many competitions, especially the Junk Kouture Competition, and their most enjoyable trip to France with their teachers Ms Whelan and Ms Maher. We congratulate them on their many successes and especially on their full participation in all aspects of the T.Y. Programme from the First Aid Course to the ECDL to Mini-Company to an Introductory Course to Philosophy. Well done to Michelle Walsh, Karen Hayes, Danielle Sheehan, Tara Horan, Svetlana Novikova and Aobh O’Shea who this week will complete their third and final module of the ECDL. Their completion of the course in such a short period of time is a credit to the pupils themselves and to their teacher Mr McGree.

State Exams
We wish much success to our Leaving and Junior Cert Exams, which will begin on Wednesday, June 6. We advise them to plan well their time in the days leading up to the exams and to remember that every great journey begins with a small step. We are only expected to do our best in life.

Sports Day Results
The weather held up very well this year for our annual Sports’ Day, on May15, ably organised by Ms O’Connor with the help of the Transition Years and many of the staff members. Thanks to all who helped in any way on the day. A new event this year was a Tug- of -War, organised by Mr Cummins who himself is on a Tug-of-War team in North Tipperary.

The results are as follows: Athletics: Sprints: 1st Year Boys: Ross McCormack. 1st/2nd Year Girls: Kate Davey. 2nd Year Boys: Dominik Adamczak. 3rd Year Boys: Thomas Channon. 3rd Year Girls: Kate Quigley.

Sack Race: 1st Year Boys: Danny O’Regan. 1st/2nd Year Girls: Emily Whyte. 2nd Year Boys: Dean Dorney. 3rd/4th Year Boys: John Paul Fitzgerald. 3rd/4th Year Girls: Kate Quigley.

Middle Distance: 1st Year Boys: Danny O’Regan. 1st/2nd Year Girls: Ciara Hayes. 2nd Year Boys: Dylan O’Regan. 3rd/4th Year Boys: Thomas Channon. 3rd /4th Year Girls: Kate Quigley.

Relays: 1st Year Ronan’s: Danny O’Regan, Ross McCormack, Emily Whyte and Molly O’Meara.

2nd Year Maire: Jessie McCarthy, Thomas Condon , Mikey Earl and DylanO’Regan.

3rd Year/TY: Patrick McCarthy, Niall Doocey and Kieran Whyte.

Volleyball Winners: Danny O’Regan, J.J. Freeman, Ross McCormack, Nathan Costin, Dominik Adamczak, Thomas O’Reilly, Katie Whyte and Mikey Earl.

Soccer Winners: 5th Year and friends (3-1 on penalties). Dion Butler, Ronan Fitzgerald, Cathal Hurley, Michael McCarthy, Brian Healy, Adam O’Donnell, John Paul Fitzgerald, Adam Fitzgerald, Eoin Hurley and Keith Cronin.

Summer Holidays
As these are the final jottings of the 2011-2012 school year, we thank the Fethard community, our active Parents’ Association, the Presentation Sisters, Holy Trinity Primary School, the Day Care Centre, Fethard Community Playgroup, Fr. Tom Breen, Fr. Anthony McSweeney, Fr. Gerry Horan OSA and Mr Joe Kenny for their support and encouragement with all our school activities during the year. We wish you all and the whole school community a happy and safe Summer 2012.