Fethard Sports Achievement Awards
This month will see the launch of the new monthly ‘Fethard Sports Achievement Awards’ culminating in an overall yearly award selected from the twelve monthly winners at the end of the year. Brainchild of Mr Philip Butler, proprietor of Butler’s Sports Bar in Fethard, the aim is to recognise and reward sporting achievement be it at participation, coaching or administration level. Nominees must be over 18 and from Fethard parish, work in Fethard, live in Fethard (play for Fethard teams) or from Fethard but participate in sport elsewhere.

A steering committee is currently set up comprising of Philip Butler, Mary Godfrey, Anita Manton, Nadine Forde, Joe Kenny, M.J. Croke, Ciarán Treacy, Tomás Keane, Dave Maher, Brian Higgins, Richie O’Brien, Paul Kavanagh and Austin Godfrey.

The sports achievement nominee can be from any sports related event and it is anticipated that, throughout the coming year, many minority sports will by fittingly recognised in our region.
Nominees for January 2013 are now being taken and can be handed in to Philip Butler at Fethard Sports Bar, Main Street, Fethard, before 6pm on Friday, January 25, or emailed to: sportsaward@fethard.com

Ballyluskey White Heather Harriers
The committee and followers of the Ballyluskey White Heathers would like to thank Mr Jack Ronan and family and Mr Bobby Guiry and family for their kind hospitality at the last meet of 2012 in Orchardstown on Sunday, December 30, and the first meet of the New Year at Peppardstown on Sunday, January 6. Excellent hunting was enjoyed on both days.

We meet on Sunday, January 20, at Coolmoyne and on the following Sunday, January 27 at Coolbawn Cross.

Slimming classes through hypnosis
A six-week course in slimming through hypnosis will start in the Convent Community Hall on Thursday, January 17, at 7pm. Great success rate. Phone Genevieve for further details at Tel: 085 2709789

Classes resume at Convent Community Hall
Zumba classes have now resumed in the Convent Community Hall every Tuesday night at 8.30pm. So why not come along and have some fun while losing some weight at the same time. For further details contact Carla at Tel: 0879360516

Pilates classes are also starting in the Convent Community Hall on Wednesday nights at 8.30pm, and the cost is €7 per class. All are welcome just bring along a bottle of water and a mat. Contact Delores for details at Tel: 086 2870373.

Does your child love to dance?
Rebecca and her troop are back after the Christmas break with their dance revolution classes for boys and girls in the Convent Community Hall every Friday from 4pm to 5pm and from 5pm to 6pm. Dances include Hip Hop, Break Dance and lots of Street Dance. Call down to the hall to check us out!

Operation Transformation 5k Walk
Reminder that Operation Transformation 5k Walk takes place in Clonmel on this coming Saturday, January 19, starting at 11am from Clonmel Park Hotel. Registration will take place between 10am and 10.45am. All are welcome.

Irish Girl Guides
Ladybirds Brownies and Guides will resume on this Wednesday, January 16, in Fethard Ballroom at the usual time from 7pm to 8pm. We hope that everyone had a lovely Christmas and looking forward to 2013

Fethard & Killusty Community Lotto
The numbers drawn on January 9, were: 7, 9, 22 and 25. We had no jackpot winner and one ‘Match Three’ winners who received €150: Mary Danaher, Cedar Grove, Fethard.

The three following ‘Lucky Dip’ winners won €50 each: Lynn Foskin, Grove; Gwen Cooke, St. Patricks Place, Fethard; and Marco Sabitini, The Lantern, Fethard.

Remember you can purchase your lotto ticket online at fethard.com. Buy seven weekly tickets and get one free! Check on the website for lots of special offers.

Next week’s draw takes place on Wednesday, January 16 and the Jackpot is €6,700 and the Jackpot sellers prize is €670. All proceeds go towards community work in Fethard.

Fethard Macra
Fethard Macra wishes all our members a Happy New Year. The Fethard club will hold their meeting on this Wednesday night, January 16, at 9pm in Butlers Sports Bar, Main Street and all are welcome.

Best of luck to all in our club who are taking part in National Macra Cape semifinal this weekend, January 19, along with some of the other South Tipp clubs, Slievenamon, Suirvale and Clonoulty. The competition takes place in the Memorial Hall, Tullow, starting at 8pm.

Best of luck also to club member Holly, who is producer of the play called, ‘How I Met your Ma’. Volleyball continues every Thursday night at 8.30pm in Clerihan hall, all are welcome.

South Tipp Macra had a fantastic social at Galileo Restaurant with a fantastic night out afterwards, a huge thank you to all who came along.

Slievenamon Macra are holding a Friendly Poker Tournament on Friday, January 18, in Jimmy Wall’s Bar, Carrick Beg, Carrick on Suir. For details contact John on 086 1040082 or Ber on 086 8469377. All are welcome.

For more information on upcoming events or if you're interested in joining South Tipp Macra you can find us on Facebook or contact Úna 087-4165826 or Laurann 0857337432.

Fethard Scouts hike the Galtees
Fethard Scouts and their leaders hiked on the Galtee Mountains last Saturday. Having reached Galtybeg and heading for Galtymore, we were all set for the last leg of our hike, but heavy fog and the wisdom of our leaders prevented us from venturing to the summit. We returned via the waterfall under Galtymore and then on under Knockduff following the Attychraan River we turned under Seefin and back to our transport. A great six-hour hike experience, and we all live to hike again. Well done to all our Scouts.

Excellent Piano Exam Results
Congratulations to all of the young piano students who sat their piano exams in Fethard in December 2012 taught by teachers Stuart and Maura Clooney. Excellent results were obtained by all who received their results just before Christmas.

The Leinster School of Music Piano Examinations are held every year here in Fethard. The more experienced students sitting the higher grades were duly awarded the high marks they deserved, for all the hard work practicing during the year. Also this year there were a lot of beginners who sat their first piano exam which can be a daunting experience and First Class Honours were achieved by all which proved the potential of this group of young local musicians.

Stuarts teaching qualifications began with The Leinster School of Music, Griffith College Dublin completing a Proficiency in Piano Teaching in 1998. The Leinster School of Music hold their Excellence Awards each summer in Griffith College Dublin where students selected by the appointed examiners compete in the annual competition. Extra congratulations go to Katie Whyte from Coleman, who sat her piano exam in December, who has been nominated by the examiner to perform at the regional finals in Dublin in July.

Stuart and Maura both teach piano at home in Fethard and Stuart also teaches piano at Rockwell College. Stuart would like to thank the local Fethard community for their support in 2012 with special thanks to the National Schools in the area and John Shortall Pianos for their help. Stuart and Maura Clooney can be contacted in Fethard at 052 6132567.

Hunting News
Tipperary Foxhounds had a run worth recording from Poulmucka on Monday, January 7. Finding in Donegal they ran to Donal Casey's and from there to Nugent's. From here, crossing the road, they ran towards Lavally. Over the Poulmucka-Clerihan road to Purcell's, they ran right-handed to Prendergast's and right-handed again to Luke Halley's. They then cut the corner back to Halley's and on to Prendergast's where they were stopped close to Clerihan Village as they were running into country which was to be hunted shortly. This was a brilliant run of fifty minutes with just one brief check, over good country and over five miles as hounds ran. Home was blown at 2.30pm as all up at the finish had just about enough. Here's to more of the same during the rest of the season.

Fethard & District Rugby Club
Fethard minis travelled to Clanwilliam on a crisp Sunday morning last and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Our Under 7s had a great game and enthusiasm from this team has gone through the roof with Oisín Ryan proving a great force throughout with scores. Gavin Neville and Charlie Walsh are a great pair working well together to add to the points. Padraig Duggan and Andrew Connorton helped the teammates with the scoring. Not forgetting Ben Smyth ably assisting this team with his ball recycling.

Fethard Under 8s had a great turn out and met a well coached side in Clanwilliam who proved a strong team on the day. It was fantastic to split them in to two teams to play against good numbers from Clanwilliam. Luke Dolan with Adam O'Connell put in consistent tackles through out the game. Mark Neville and David McCormack showed great rucking skills for their team mates. Strong tackling from Jack Quinlan, Robbie Noonan and William Cleere proved invaluable for their team. Mark Smyth assisted Louis Ryan in turning over ball time and again. Luke Ryan with Michael Blake never stopped tackling alongside Tomas Ryan. Pairic Heffernan was seen to good effect with his ball handling.

The Under 9s have progressed very well this year but were narrowly defeated by a more physical Clanwilliam side. Ben Ruttle had a massive game breaking through to score a few tries ably assisted by the fine handling skills, with marvellous offloading from Michael Scully, James McCormack and Conor Neville. Great support with strong tackles and fabulous rucking, was shown by Daniel Boland, Charlie Cummins and James Ryan. Michael Long, Jack Cleare and Michael O'Meara were fine ball carriers throughout. Keep up the improvement boys.

U10s had a great win against a Clanwilliam side that never gave up. Fethard showed great skill in ball retention and rucking. This game had everything, rucking, tackling, passing and support play. Keep up the good work.

Our U11s, missing three-fifths of their forwards, fielded a lighter than normal team and a makeshift pack. Playing three ten-minute sessions Clanwilliam tore into Fethard with their usual mix of skill and gusto. Fethard once more didn't seem interested in the first half and were 1 score down at the first break. The second period saw the determination and attitude required to win games come to the surface as time and again Sam Quigley broke with the ball; Fethard’s rucking improved, Eoin Walsh and Angus MacDonald were great ball winners, Iain Harrington moved the ball out to the sides, Lucy Murphy's quick hands kept the ball alive and Mathew Gleeson added a few runs to his cover tackles. The intensity mounted and Eoin Walsh emerged from the press to score, 1-1. A few minutes later Angus battled his way through the Clan defence; tackled, he set it up, Iain gathered and passed and Eoin again was there for his second try. 2-1 to Fethard at the break.

The third ‘half’ stretched the limits of timekeeping and U11 rugby as this Fethard team played out of their skins and way beyond their years. Mathew Burke, always dangerous, made a fantastic driving run and another, later, linking beautifully with Angus. Jack Hassett, time and again was just there, just when needed to do the right thing and stop the opposition or speed up Fethard's own attack. Fethard's temporary pack more than held their own and were steered to great things by Mark McCormack their scrum-half. Richard Robinson's scintillating running is becoming a mainstay of this team which sometimes overshadows his prowess in defence. The last period of this game was spent in the Clan half of the pitch. Fethard threw attack after attack and Clan defended strongly, Sam's mauls, Jack's rucks, Mathew's drives broke like waves upon the Clan line. A quick break down the line saw a score for Clan, 2-2. A ruck on their 5 metre line, a quick gather and drive and Angus was over for Fethard! 3-2. Normal time had gone, ‘Play on!’ was the cry; both teams desperate to take something from the game and in the madness of it all Clan scored again-3-3. Honours even, great play Fethard.

Fethard U13s played at home on Sunday against Nenagh Ormond and started the better of the two sides pressuring Nenagh from the beginning. A good movement by the backs released Patrick Scully to score in the corner and Peter Wall kicked the conversion. Fethard kept up the pressure and Conor Vaughan scored the second try picking the ball for the base of the ruck and driving over the line. Nenagh regrouped and came back into the game with some great forward movement but Fethard defended well and turned over the ball and cleared their lines. Towards the end of the first half Barry McGrath picked the ball from the base of the scrum he took the tackle and released the ball to Dara Lynch who scored in the corner.
In the second half Nenagh came out fighting and with some good forward play scored a try. Fethard scored again through some great individual play by Danny Gleeson charging down a kick and catching the ball to score in the corner. A big thanks to Nenagh for a good match. Well done Fethard winning 27-5.

Fethard U15s secured a good win against Clonmel on Sunday morning last and despite some icy conditions was a great open game of rugby. Clonmel were first to score with a fine try in the corner which was converted by a fine kick, but the attitude of this young Fethard team came to the fore and the pack led by Michael Gaynor, Gearóid Fahy, Tim Daly and Griffin Ivors secured enough possession for Joey Noonan and Killian O'Dwyer to cross for fine tries which Gary Kavanagh converted.

The second half was a very even contest with both sides scoring a try each. A maul by the Fethard forwards saw the impressive Bill Phelan crossing for a try. This left the score 19-14. Clonmel made a great break up the wing and were almost in for a try but the speedy Mark Heffernan got back in time to make a great tackle which left Fethard securing a great win.

Fethard News
Items for inclusion on the weekly Fethard News page on The Nationalist can be emailed before noon on Mondays to news@fethard.com or delivered by hand to Joe Kenny, Rocklow Road, Fethard.