Opportunity for owners of properties adjacent to the Town Wall
Over the coming week, owners of properties adjacent to Fethard Town Wall, will have the opportunity to be included in the current remedial work, funded by the Heritage Council. Fethard has won substantial funds for the repair of the Town Wall and these funds need to be spent in 2008 and that, in view of the economic downturn, it is by no means certain that further funding will be available in 2009. To proceed with the work, property owners will receive a letter of consent, which will need to be signed and returned as soon as possible.

Fethard Plans Administration Committee can reassure owners that they will incur no personal liability for this work and that the Council will undertake to indemnify the owners for any damage caused to their property and will also be responsible for physically clearing each site of debris before and after the works are undertaken. As this may be the only opportunity for property owners to receive free maintenance work on the town wall section adjacent to their property it is highly recommended that they return the letter of consent if they wish to be considered for remedial work during 2008.

A schedule of works based on the Town Wall Conservation and Management Plan is currently been drawn up and the order in which works are addressed will depend on a number of factors, including: instability/urgency, ownership, access. There will be areas that can be started quickly. There will be easier areas that can be kept back for completion to the end of the schedule while more pressing areas are addressed first.

Council supports Fethard projects to the tune of €140,000
Local councillors were delighted to bring tidings of good news on Monday 7th July when the allocation of funds from this year’s Recreation and Community Facilities and Amenities Scheme were announced. Fethard is to receive a total of €140,000 from South Tipperary County Council.

Dedicated Youth Facilities was designated as first priority for funding this year and under this heading, the Community Council’s Convent Hall Youth Project will receive €100,000. This funding is most welcome and will complement the great community support for this project over the past three years. Work on the project is well underway and is due to be completed by September this year.
Under the Heritage Section, fourth on the priority list of funding, Fethard Plans Administration Committee have received €40,000 which will go to complement the various conservation works in Fethard including the Town Wall.

Fethard & Killusty Community Council are delighted with this support from the South Tipperary County Council and would like to thank sincerely all the local councillors for their representations and efforts in securing the funding for the community of Fethard.
Cllrs Siobhán Ambrose, John Fahey and Jimmy O’Brien individually contacted and congratulated members of the Community Council on receiving the funding allocation from the 2008 Recreational and Amenity Grant Scheme, administered by South Tipperary County Council.

Dallaglio visits Fethard

Photographed outside McCarthy's in Fethard are L to R: Lawrence Dallaglio, Vincent Murphy and Tony Copsey.

One of the ‘High Kings’ of the rugby field paid a visit to Fethard last week. The former Wasps and English captain and World Cup winner, Lawrence Dallaglio, a guest of Bulmers (Magners) paid a visit to Coolmore Stud, followed by a visit to Ballydoyle and then to McCarthy’s for a few drinks and a meal with the entourage before heading to Clonmel RFC to take a look at the tag rugby competition. He politely declined the invitation to don the jersey of McCarthy’s Fethard Gravediggers Team, though he wished them well in the competition.

It was widely agreed by all that met him that he was a thorough gentleman off of the field ( even by those who had roared for his head on a plate while playing against Munster). He even had a grin for the man who told him that Denis Leamy, who was in Fethard on Tuesday, was in the vicinity with the Heineken Cup and might just pop into McCarthy’s with it. “That’s ok”, he replied. “The engraving on the bottom reads, Wasp’s, Munster, Wasp’s, Munster,” … and before he could say another word, a Munster fan added “Munster!”


Lawrence Dallaglio studies the picture of the Irish Triple Crown winners visit to Fethard in 1985 on the wall in McCarthy's.

Travelling with him was another well-capped former International player, Tony Copsey of Wales, who is the current CEO of London Wasps.

Famine 1848 Walk in Ballingarry
The Australian Ambassador to Ireland will lead this year's Famine 1848 Walk in Ballingarry. The Walk takes place on Saturday, 26 July at 3pm. It covers a distance of a mile and a half from the National Flag Monument in The Commons to the Famine Warhouse where light refreshments will be served in the Tea Room. The Walk commemorates all those who died during the Famine and the 1848 Rising which took place in Ballingarry in the middle of the Famine. All are welcome. Ballingarry Warhouse

A Bleak Evening in the Rain

Members of Fethard Historical Society braving the weather on their outing to the medieval parish of Buolick READ MORE

The second of the series of 'Summer Safaris' arranged by the Fethard Historical Society saw the group don raincoats and waterproof boots and head up into the northern fringes of the county to the abandoned monastic village at Buolick.

Buolick lies in a margin of land between the hills of Slievardargh and the great bog. Although the settlement is today just a series of evocative ruins lying amidst ancient field patterns, the care and attention of the local community is evident in the high quality of the millennium car park and the tidy graveyard.

The roofless bulk of the church at Buolick shows that this was once an impressive place of worship for a substantial community. Before the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1540 under Henry VIII – one time 'Defender of the (Catholic) Faith' - the parish was administered by the Hospital of St John the Baptist of Dublin. The western tower of the church appears to have been residential and the chancel bears a round-headed piscina similar to the piscinas in Fethard and at Baptist Grange (by Lisronagh).


Photos by Pat Looby

These Hospitaller canons are the same group of infirmarians who were once rectors of Fethard and this connection was the reason why so many of the Fethard Historical Society found themselves soaking and wind-blown in the fading Midsummer light of Tuesday 24th June. The Order was Augustinians, and their patron saint was St John the Baptist. It was particularly fitting, therefore to be reminded that the 24th of June was the Feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist.
Unusually, amongst saints, St John the Baptist has two annual feast days, the second commemorates his beheading. This 'Feast of the Decollation of St John the Baptist' falls on 29th August and the Fethard Historical Society are hoping to hold a third and final Summer Safari to visit more relics of this interesting group of crusading monks on the day of the second feast of their patron, which this year falls on a Friday.

Fethard GAA Club Notes
In Intermediate Hurling on Saturday last 5th July, we played Moyle Rovers in Kilsheelan on a very wet evening and came out on the wrong side by a point on a scoreline, Fethard 1-8, Moyle Rovers 2-6. Fethard team was: Paul Fitzgerald, Michael Ryan 0-1, Stephen O’Donnell, Cian Maher, James Kelly, Mickey Ahearne, Michael Spillane, Michael Dillon, Brian Coen 0-3, Declan Doyle, Michael Carroll, Aidan Lonergan, Eoin O’Connell 1-1, Thomas Keane 0-2, Benny Hassey 0-1. This leaves us with 8 points from 5 games with two remaining games against Carrick Davins and St Marys.

The club has no fixture this weekend. Our Junior A footballers are out on Tuesday next 15th July in Ned Hall Park against Cahir.
This week is Munster final week and we wish Chris Sheehan and J P McGrath the very best of luck in Ennis on Saturday in the minor replay against Kerry and to Eoin O’Connell on Sunday in Limerick in the Minor Hurling final against Cork.

Our Lotto Jackpot €10,000 was not won. The numbers drawn were 6, 7, 15 and 17. We had one match three winner of €150: Rita Doyle, Woodvale Walk, Fethard. The €50 Lucky Dip was won by Garreth Byrne, Claremore, Fethard. We would like to thank AIB for providing tickets.

Fethard & Killusty Community Council
The next meeting of Fethard & Killusty Community Council will take place on Tuesday 15th July at 8.30pm in the Tirry Community Centre.

Disability services in South Tipperary being short-changed
Local T.D. Tom Hayes today called on the government to give disability services in South Tipperary the money that they need to stay afloat.

“I am very worried about the funding that organisations who look after those with disabilities have received this year. Some services in my constituency have told me that they needed additional money this year to cover the increased cost of fuel and food. When they asked for this funding for the government, they only got 20% of what is required. There are many organisations in South Tipperary providing key services like education, training, residential care, and day care to people with disabilities. These organisations are now being short-changed by the government as an easy way to save money while the going is tough,” Deputy Hayes said.

“In recent weeks, the country as a whole has seen many instances of funding for disability being cut. The capital required by disability services has not been given out for 2008 at all. Normal day-to-day running costs as being held back, as my constituents have highlighted. We even have examples of people who need simple daily help (like washing and driving in the morning) which means that they can live an independent life and hold down a job having their services cut - as was raised in the Dáil this week,” Tom Hayes said.

“We have worked very hard in this country to improve the services for those with disabilities, and there is a long way to go. We cannot allow the government to make quiet and unsettling cuts in funding for the most vulnerable in our society. I will be raising this matter in the Dáil and asking the Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, to ensure that the essential funding is released as soon as possible,” Deputy Hayes commented.

Visit to the Dail

Members of Fethard Fianna Fail Cumann photographed on recent trip to Dail L to R: Austin Godfrey, Jimmy Connolly, Maureen Whyte, John Whyte, Noel Harrington, Joe Horan, Cllr. Siobhan Ambrose, Minister Martin Mansergh, Frances Harrington, Mary Godfrey, Shane Harrington, Sean Moloney, Marian Harrington, Cllr. Susan Meagher and Benny Tynan.

Fethard Macra Card Night
Fethard Macra is looking forward to hosting the only ‘Know Your Neighbour’ event taking place in South Tipp this year. ‘KYN’ is a nationwide Macra event sponsored by the ESB. The goal is that in this frantic, hectic, busy world of ours that we take a little time out to get to know our neighbour. To that end we are pleased to announce that in support of ‘Fethard Acorn Childcare Committee’ we are hosting a ‘Variety Card Night’ in McCarthy’s Hotel, Fethard on Friday, 11th July at 9pm. Prize games of ‘Progressive 25’ and ‘Poker’ will be played and also games of ‘in-between’ and ‘21’ to mention a few. Top prizes on the night will be up to €100 with spot prizes galore. So come along, get to know your neighbours, support two great ventures and have a fun night out whether observing or participating.

We also actively encourage any of our neighbours or anybody interested in joining our Macra Club from surrounding parishes such as Killenaule, Drangan and Cloneen to come along on the night. We welcome our four new members to the club and encourage and welcome any more new, potential members. For further info contact Michael 087-9019443 or Una 087-6882683.

Hospice Collection
The local support group of South Tipperary Hospice would like to express their sincere appreciation to all who supported their annual church gate collection last weekend in Fethard, Killusty and Moyglass. The total amount collected amounted to €1874.

Died in England
The death has occurred in England of Alice Hanrahan, Chiswick, London, formerly Alice Phelan, Castleblake, Rosegreen. Interment took place in Calvary Cemetery.

Tony Sheehan Memorial Foundation
The Tony Sheehan Memorial Foundation was set up following the sad death of Tony in 2006. The object of the Foundation was decided to provide a fitting memorial to Tony by offering some financial support to individuals or families where serious illness has caused severe financial difficulties. Application forms for assistance can be had from Denis Burke, Secretary, Tony Sheehan Memorial Foundation, Red City, Fethard.