Visitors to US Open
This photograph was sent to us by Robert McCormack. Robert's dad is John Joe McCormack formerly from the Green and now living in Limerick. John Joe's mother is Esther who still lives at 3 The Green. 


Robert says, "I visit this website everyday and I love it. I am living in Cincinnati Ohio now. My parents are over visiting. This picture of me and my Dad was taken at the US Open Golf in Oakmont, Pennsylvania last weekend posing with the US Open trophy."

Town of Saratoga endorses sister city tie with Fethard
Fethard & Killusty Community Council are in communication, for some time now, with a 'Fethard man’ Mike Cahill and his friend Dave Cummings (President of the Saratoga Chapter) in exploring a sister city connection with Saratoga (www.saratoga.com). As you can see from the recent letter below the project is moving positively forward thanks to the dedicated work of Mike and Dave.

“I am pleased to report that at tonight's (11th June 2007) Town Board Meeting of the Town of Saratoga, the Board voted unanimously 5-0 to invite Fethard to enter into a sister city relationship. In the resolution introduced at the meeting, Town Supervisor Tom Wood noted the many parallels between the two communities, including the importance for both of horses, history, and youth development. Tom observed that he could hardly imagine a better match in light of the many similarities between the towns.

The Town of Saratoga says a formal hello to everyone in Fethard.

At the meeting, Dave Cummings and Mike Cahill presented on the sister city partnership and what it might mean for the towns, and Dave provided to the Board a packet of letters of support and expressions of interest from a wide range of community organisations, including local civic groups like the Lions' Club, the Schuylerville Chamber of Commerce, the Saratoga National Golf Club, local breeders, the Saratoga County Farm Bureau, and the Saratoga National Historical Park, with more to come.

The resolution passed last night is going to receive the official stamp of the town; then Tom Wood will look to contact Dave and I about getting the resolution mailed to Fethard.

In addition, I will be mailing to you shortly the portfolio of letters of community support that Dave compiled and presented to the Board. The portfolio also contains the twinning parallels on which the Town resolution was based and a capacity building worksheet from Sister Cities International. The worksheet is designed to help us identify opportunities for collaboration going forward.

Wherever we are in the exchange process as August approaches, the town would be happy to be able to host Coolmore if they should happen to be here for Fasig-Tipton and the Saratoga meet.  I know the breeders and the local leaders would really enjoy saying hello and talking shop.”

Happy 80th Birthday

Happy 80th birthday to Maura Trehy, Kilnockin, who is photographed above with her grandchildren on the occasion of her 80th birthday last week.

80th Anniversary of Fethard ICA

Fethard ICA Choir winners of the Rural Choir Competition for Small Towns at the Cork Municipal School of Music in April 1964. Back: Mrs Lawless, Maggie Fox, ?, Alice Stapleton, Helen Lawless, Nellie Tobin, Bernie Whyte. Middle: Helen O’Connell, Josie Casey, Olivia Hughes, Mrs Hazelton, Goldie Newport, Mrs Madigan, Jill Maher. Front: Chrissie Byrne, ?, Colm Cleary, La Walsh and Mary Byard.

The ICA has reached a momentous milestone this year when we celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the forming of the Guild in Fethard. The Guild can claim to be one of the oldest in the country and is the oldest in the South Tipperary Federation.

Plans are in place to mark this happy event on Sunday 1st July, commencing with Holy Mass celebrated in the Augustinian Abbey at 11.30am, followed afterwards by refreshments in the ICA Hall at Rocklow Road. All former members of the Guild are cordially invited to join the celebrations and we hope to see you all on the day.

The following excerpt is taken from an interesting article, ‘A Walk around Fethard’, written some years ago by Michael O’Donnell, formerly from Kilnockin and now living in Owning, Co. Kilkenny.

“There has been a Fethard branch of the Irish Countrywomen’s Association since 1927, but in the twenties and thirties the Association was known as the Society of United Irishwomen. This society had been first formed on 15 May 1910 in Co. Wexford with a three-point programme of better farming, better business and better living. In 1935 the Society was dissolved and the ICA grew out of it. The aims of the ICA could be said to be those of education, crafts and home and they have continued to be the guideline down to this day.

Some of the early officers of the local ranch were Mrs Patten, wife of Canon Patten, rector of Fethard. Mrs Hughes and the Misses Helen and Phyllis O’Connell. Mrs. Hughes was to go on to make quite a contribution to the ICA at national level; she was national organiser of the association in 1943, and she was one of the small band of women who had the foresight to appreciate the need for a permanent headquarters for the ICA Today, An Grianán, Termonfeckin, stands as a tribute and a memorial to her and her colleagues. But the Misses O’Connell are better known for their lumra rug craft. Specimens of their work lie about An Grianán, and they were given the recognition they deserved by having their work, and themselves, appear on a calendar issued by one of our oil companies. All Mrs Patten’s contributions were at local level and the physical existence of the ICA to this day is the best testimony that can be offered to her ability.

Fethard ICA can also lay claim to the honour of being the first to organise summer schools which are, nowadays, so much a feature of ICA activities. This whole scheme was put together, and ably organised by Mrs Hughes in 1929. In the summer of that year twenty women went up Slievenamon to a house belonging to the Misses O’Connell’s mother. Local farmers recall hiring out their pony and carts to the women, half daft as they saw them, to ferry the equipment up the mountain. For many of those women it was their first experience of camping and living on a mountainside, but some of them on that expedition have said that no other summer school, organised by the ICA, came even half way to equalling that wonderful working holiday. At the first school the women were taught how to make straw baskets, straw mats and they practised singing and dancing.

Fethard ICA contributed in many ways to the well being of the town; indeed, in so many ways that it would be impossible to recall them all, but one will serve as an example for all the rest. In the days before we saw the civilised selling of cattle in cattle marts, all stock had to be driven on to the streets of the nearby town and sold directly by the owner. With the hope of selling one’s stock, with the hope of getting even a reasonable price, the cattle had often to be on the streets at six o’clock in the morning. A farmer and his young sons had to leave their beds at four or five o’clock, round up their stock and drive them on foot along the road for three or four miles to the fair. And then the waiting, standing on a street in bitter cold weather herding cattle, until a buyer came along and a satisfactory sale agreed upon. It is to the eternal credit of the Fethard ICA women that they saw the needs of all those hungry, cold men. Back in the 1940s a wagon began to appear outside the Town Hall on fair mornings. It was a large covered van on four iron wheels with one side open like a shop counter through which the local ICA women dispensed tea, coffee and excellent fresh sandwiches. Those women were like angels of mercy to many a cold and hungry man.”

Anyone for Africa? — now is your chance of a lifetime

Tracy Piggott (Playing for Life Director) and Mary Kennedy (RTE) visiting the 'Orphan Village' where they were introduced to orphan children suffering from aids.

Last October five local men had the trip of a lifetime and travelled to Malawi with the Irish charity Playing for Life. Playing for Life is a charity founded by RTE sports personality Tracy Piggott with the aim of providing Vocational Education and Training for underprivileged people across the globe and to deliver sports programmes as a means of creating awareness of the dangers of HIV AIDS amongst young people.

This year Playing for Life will finish the Malawian project in October and also will develop projects in Kenya and Tanzania during the year. If you would like to be part of any of the teams visiting these projects Playing for Life needs builders, nurses, accountants/bankers and IT trainers. Participants will be asked to raise €5,500 sponsorship and be prepared to travel to one of the African countries for two weeks. You can contact Playing for Life for further information at 045881607, 045881609 (Fax) or visit the website. www.playingforlife.ie

Seamus Hayes, Kilconnell, Fethard, can also be contacted at Tel: 086 2307330 or seamushayes@iol.ie


Discussing the 'Playing for Life' building plans of Sakata Vocational Training School with site foreman, Aerial, are L to R: Sean Kelly (Kerry), John Connolly (Galway), Joe Glynn (Galway), Seamus Hayes (Fethard) and Aerial (site foreman).

CLICK HERE to see more photographs from Playing for LIfe trip to Malawi in 2006. Click Here to View Video

Country Market’s 60th Birthday
Fethard Country Market’s special 60th Birthday Celebration will take place on Friday 22nd June. At 10am we will cut our birthday cake and we will also announce the winners of the children’s art competition.  All are welcome.

Community Alert Public meeting
Fethard & Killusty Community Council have organised a public meeting to form a Community Alert Programme in Fethard. This meeting will take place on Thursday night, 28th June, at 8.30pm in the Tirry Community Centre and will be attended by Margaret Quinn, Co-ordinator Community Alert Programme, South Eastern Region. The programme addresses the issues of community care, community safety and community crime prevention and is organised by voluntary groups in association with Muintir na Tíre and An Garda Siochana.

It is important that as many people as possible will come along and help get this Community Alert Programme up and running in our town. Please tell your friends to also come along and help us create and maintain a caring community in Fethard that will allay fear and reduce the feelings of isolation experienced by many people in our parish today.

Picture from the Past

Group photographed at the old Fethard Tennis Court in Burke Street Back L to R: Tossie Stapleton, Paddy Tierney, Johnny O'Flynn, Fr. Lambe, Dermot Rice, Louis O'Donnell. Front L to R: ;Ann O'Sullivan, Bridget Fahey, Noreen Ward, Rita Tierney, Marie Rice, Alice Mulcahy and Marie McCarthy.

Annual Cemetery Mass at Calvary
The annual open air Mass will be celebrated at Calvary Cemetery on Wednesday 27th June at 7.30pm. All are invited to attend.

Fethard & Killusty Community Lotto Results
The numbers drawn on Wednesday 13th June were: 9, 18, 24 and 32. There was no Jackpot winners and one Match 3 winners of €150:
Liam O’Sullivan, Perryville, Fethard.

The €50 Luck Dip winners were:
Mary Ward, Woodvale Walk, Fethard;
Olive Looby, c/o D. Stokes, Fethard;
Eileen Tobin, St. Patricks Place, Fethard.

Next week’s Jackpot continues at €10,000 and the Jackpot sellers prize is €1000.

Abymill Theatre looks ahead to 2008


The annual general meeting of the Abymill Theatre (The Mill Ltd.) was held on Thursday evening, 14th June. One of the items discussed at the meeting was the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Abymill opening, which will take place in 2008. On 26th May 1988, the opening Mass took place in a packed Abbey Church and at 8pm the ribbon was officially cut in the Abymill by Catherine O’Shea, the then Mayor of Fethard. The guest of honour, Mrs Pauline Coffey, delivered a very moving speech, and to thunderous applause the Abymill was officially opened to the public.

The Abymill board of directors elected for the coming year is: Joe Kenny (chairperson), Marian Gilpin (secretary), Agnes T. Evans (treasurer), Austie O’Flynn (administrator), Carmel Rice, Michael McCarthy, Eileen Maher, Vincent Murphy, Jimmy O’Shea, Bernard Walsh and Mary McCormack.

Round the Walls Race
Fethard Athletic Club will host their annual ‘Round the Walls’ four-mile road race on this Thursday 21st June at 8pm. Athletes taking part are asked to assemble outside the ICA Hall. For further information contact Miceál McCormack, Kerry Street, Fethard. Tel: 052 31534. 

Frank Purcell Memorial Golf Classic
The annual Frank Purcell Memorial Golf Classic will take place at Slievenamon Golf Club on Friday 13th and Saturday 14th July. Team entry cost €200 which includes meal. T-boxes can be had for €100. Proceeds are in aid of Trust Charity run by Alice Leahy. Following the presentation of prizes on Saturday night there will be a barbecue at McCarthy’s Hotel garden by the Town Wall with music supplied by the exciting ‘Two Time Polka’ band from Cork. Tickets are €20.  Further information from  Chris Coen, John Leahy, Vincent Woodlock, Vincent Murphy and Brendan Kenny. Chris Coen (087 6868991); John Leahy (087 2853613); Vincent Woodlock (086 2650766); Vinny Murphy (086 8119625) or Brendan Kenny (087 2828647).

Fethard GAA Notes
In the senior football county championship game on Sunday last our team came from behind twice to snatch a draw and earn a replay against Commercials at a future date. The final scoreline was Fethard 0-14 (0-12), Clonmel Commercials 1-11 (1-9). The team was: Paul Fitzgerald, Chris Sheehan, Michael Ahearne, Ian Kenrick, Benny Hahessy, Damien Byrne, Glen Burke, Aiden Fitzgerald 0-3, Jamie McCormack 0-1, John P Looby 0-2, Stephen O’Donnell, Eoin Doyle 0-1, Conor McCarthy 0-3(2f), Brian Coen 0-3(1f), Kenneth O’Donnell 0-1, Subs all in Extra Time Shane Aylward for Kenneth O’Donnell, Michael Carroll for Conor McCarthy. Full Report on Sports Page

Intermediate hurling continues this weekend with a game against Fr Sheehys. The Minor Hurling B Championship starts with a game against Skeheenarinka check sports page for details,

The lotto jackpot of €5,400 was not won. The numbers drawn were 7, 12, 15 and 17. There was no match three winner and the following won €30 each: €30 to Denis O’Meara (St Patrick’s Place), Dawn Cuddihy (Woodvale Walk), Helen Smyth (41 Fairfields Clonmel), Robert O’Riordan (Cloran Cloneen), Ronald McHill (13 Glenconnor Clonmel). The €50 lucky dip was won by Abigail Doyle (The Green). Thanks to Clonmel Oil for supplying the tickets.

The numbers drawn the previous week were 10, 20, 26 and 30. The following won €30 each: Marie Ahearne (Main St), Margaret Fitzgerald (Monroe), Cora McGarry (Barrack St), Nathan Thompson (Woodvale Walk) and Ann Marie Butler (Main St). The €50 lucky dip was won by Sharon O’Meara (8 Cedar Grove).

Fethard Coursing Club
The Annual General Meeting of Fethard & District Open Coursing will take place on Monday 2nd July at 8.30pm in the Tirry Community Centre. All members and intending members are asked to attend this meeting.

Fethard Ladies Football
Fethard Ladies Football Club will hold their annual church gate collection this coming weekend 23rd and 24th June. We are now catering for a large number of underage players in the community so your support for this collection would be greatly appreciated. The club intends to hold a blitz within the next six weeks. Tipperary Ladies Football Club will hold their second annual golf classic on Friday 13th July in Cahir Golf Club. All clubs in the country are expected to enter as many teams as possible. A team of four will cost €200, which includes green fees and meal.

Anybody interested in entering teams from Fethard and surrounding areas please contact Joe Keane at 086 2050727 as soon as possible. Valuable prizes for the first ten teams plus many spot prizes.

‘Confidential Art Sale’ a great success

Nelllie Shortall photographed at the opening of the Confidential Art Sale at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard

Last Sunday, 17th June, Fethard held its first ‘Confidential Art Sale’ fundraising event in aid of the refurbishment of Fethard Holy Trinity Church of Ireland. The event attracted a large attendance and was blessed with sunshine. Nellie Shortall formally opened the doors at 3pm and customers quickly viewed the art works by many well-known artists and amateurs alike that were donated and sold at the one price of €25 each. The ‘anonymous’ works were signed on the back so buyers had to trust their judgement and purchase their pieces without knowing who the artist was.  Everyone was very happy with their pieces and some were pleasantly surprised to find they had purchased a valuable painting for €25.


Photographed at the Confidential Art Sale at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard were L to R: Chrissie Cummins, Monica Moriarty, Mary Cummins, Ann Tillyer and Fiona Cummins.

A marquee was erected on the grounds where cream teas were served by the committee where people relaxed in the warm sunshine. The day concluded with the auction of a framed print by Peter Curling. Mr Christopher Horsman was in control of bidding and finally agreed to sell to the highest offer of €500 from Brian Palmer. A wonderful day and a novel fundraising idea.


Photographed at the Confidential Art Sale at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard were L to R: Jenny Butler, Judy Butler, Ernest Bates and Anne Baily.


Photographed at the Confidential Art Sale at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard were L to R: Kathleen Goulde, Joan Moloney, Joan Anglim and Kathleen Kenny.


Photographed at the Confidential Art Sale at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard were L to R: Leo Swift, Shirley Swift, Sandra Craik-White and Petranelle Clifton Brown.


Researching the Fethard connection with the Burges family in Holy Trinity Church of Ireland were L to R: John Woods, Rosemary Burges Woods and Richard Pittman, an old friend of the family.


Photographed at the Confidential Art Sale at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard were L to R: Suzanne Oprey and Judy Butler.


Photographed at the Confidential Art Sale at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard were L to R: Nellie O'Donovan and Biddy Duggan.


Photographed at the Confidential Art Sale at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard were L to R: Diana Watson, Eva Goodbody, Tim Goodbody and Harry Ponsonby


Photographed at the Confidential Art Sale at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard were L to R: Ann Lalor and Rita Walsh


Photographed at the Confidential Art Sale at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard were L to R: Philly Kenny and Joan Anglim


Photographed at the Confidential Art Sale at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard were L to R: Marianne Shortall, Nellie Shortall, who opened the event, John Shortall and Anne Heverin


Christopher Horsman auctioning the hunt print by Peter Curling which sold for €500


Photographed at the Confidential Art Sale at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard were L to R: Kathleen Kenny, Ann Healy, Concepta Healy, Catherine Healy, Philly Kenny and Margaret Lawlor.


Photographed at the Confidential Art Sale at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard were L to R: Tony Newport and Margaret Newport


Photographed at the Confidential Art Sale at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard were L to R: Kate Horan, Maura Fitzpatrick, Chrissie Gahan and Mairead Fitzpatrick.


Photographed at the Confidential Art Sale at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard were L to R: Holly Moore, Caroline Stokes, Matilda Magner, Tadhg Magner and Zoë Stokes.


Photographed at the Confidential Art Sale at Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Fethard were L to R: Ann Heverin, Nellie Shortall and Rita Kenny