Died Recently
The death has occurred on Friday 31st December of Mrs Annie 'Nancy' Sheehan, St. Patrick's Place, Fethard.
Reposing at her home, 71 St. Patrick's Place,
on Saturday, 1st January, from 5pm to 8pm.
Removal on Sunday, 2nd January, to the Augustinian Abbey, Fethard, for requiem mass at 11.30am followed by interment in Calvary Cemetery.
Christmas Shopping

Christmas Shopping at 90 - three Fethard nonagenarians photographed while doing their Christmas shopping in Fethard L to R: Josie Casey, John Lucy and Anne Lucy
Craft Classes in Fethard starting in New Year
Jewellery Making classes (for all ages) with Rachel O'Hanlon will commence at Fethard Youth Center on Saturday January 15 and 22, from 10am to 4pm. Cost is €35 which includes materials. Create wearable jewellery from recyclable materials. For more information or to make a booking contact Rachel at 086 8472069.
Lino Printing Workshop (for all ages) with Maria O'Donovan will also take place at Fethard Youth Center on Saturday January 15 and 22, from 10am to 4pm. Cost is €35 which includes materials. Learn how to create art prints using the Lino printing technique. For more information or to make a booking contact Maria at 086 0380830.
On Thursday April 7, Friday April 8 and Saturday April 9, Fethard Youth Center will host Felt Making Workshops with Emma Allott. Learn how to make and work with felt Classes will take place from 10am to 12.30pm on April 7 and 8, and from 10am to 4pm on April 9. The cost is €35 (includes materials) and is open to all age groups. For more information or to make a booking contact Emma at 086 3032397.
Clashawley's cool water

The River Clashawley in Fethard almost completely frozen during the recent spell of arctic weather
Hunting News
Severe frost, once again, played havoc with the hunting arrangements of both the Tipperary Foxhounds and the Ballylusky White Heather Harriers on St. Stephen's Day. St. Stephen's Day is, with the Opening Meet, the two big days in the hunting calendar of every pack. Both the Tipps and the White Heathers to honour the day and the occasion, fair dues to them, did turn out. Huntsman Derry Donegan and Whipper-in Sam Saniland donned the Red Coats, before a very large turnout, and presented the Tipp hounds at Ballagh. They drew on foot through Delaney's, Fryday's and Halley's and hunted reasonably well through these traditional draws.
The White Heathers travelled a good circle through Knockcura, Ballyrichard, Priestown and Glenmuicaduibhe down to the Drangan Cloneen road and back to the village. They found in three of these areas and while hounds hunted well in covert they could just not hold the line once they broke. Both packs concluded their day with refreshments, socialising and craic where all good hunting is done, and all the best matches are played, in the local pub. The Tipps in Ballagh and the White Heathers in the Archway, Drangan.
The White Heathers meet at Peppardstown Gate on Sunday next, January 2, at 11am. The Tipperary Hunt Children's Meet has been rearranged also for this Sunday, January 2, at Grove at 12 noon.
Big Bang Bang
While we did not have champion boxer Big Bang Willie Casey in Fethard over Christmas we did have a rare old bang bang on Lakefield Estate on St. Stephen's morning. Pigeons have launched a mass attack on the large acreage of Rape sown on the estate. Fethard Gun Club at the request of Messrs. O'Donnell's who have the estate leased for tillage organised a pigeon shoot for St. Stephen's Day morning.
Tom Fogarty organised a shooting party of eight guests to partake in the shoot. During a two hour period they shot just short of 150 birds. Considering the pigeon is one of the most wily birds this was a remarkable performance. Pigeons quickly wise up to the fact that decoys are not the real deal and even winter sunlight glinting on a gun barrel is enough to scare them off. Amongst the guns out were Tom Fogarty, John Hurley, John Coffey, Colm Hackett and Willie McGrath.
Seventy-five brace shot is only a drop in the ocean. Fethard Gun Club intend to launch another assault on the pigeon and if not actually shoot the lot, scare them off.
Happy Christmas or Happy New Year?
In recent years people have become ever more 'politically correct' in their seasonal greetings and from Christmas Day on, address acquaintances with 'Happy New Year'. Personally, this year I felt 'took the biscuit' when leaving Christmas vigil Mass on Christmas Eve, I overheard someone say 'Happy New Year' to a passer by.
I wonder what has influenced this new trend in modern life. Up to recent years, I can never remember being wished 'Happy New Year' until New Year's Eve and afterwards.
What happened to the 'Twelve days of Christmas'? Are we not entitled to wish our friends 'Happy Christmas' at least for a few days over the festive period, especially if we only get to meet them at that time (when most of us finish work).
Personally speaking, it never fails to slightly irritate me when you greet someone with 'Happy Christmas' and they reply with 'Happy New Year', as if correcting your silly mistake.
Nevertheless, I'm still quite happy to remember Christ at Christmas for as many days as possible and keep my greetings likewise. If we continue enforcing our 'political correctness' at the same rate, it won't be long before be hear the first 'Happy Holiday' in Fethard.
Community Lotto
The Lotto Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank ticket buyers for their support during 2010 and look forward to your continued support in 2011. A very Happy New Year to all. The lotto will resume on Wednesday, January 5, 2011.
Fethard Bridge Club
Because of the bad weather very few members were able to make the game on Wednesday, December 8, and as a result we cancelled the Change of Partner Turkey competition. Instead, we had an ordinary club night game and the results were:
1st Gross: Anna Cooke and Bernie O'Meara;
2nd Gross: Carmel Condon and Brendan Kenny;
1st Nett: Annie O'Brien and Anne Connolly;
2nd Nett: Nell Broderick and David O'Meara.
Bridge will resume for the New Year on January 5 and on January 12 the game will be sponsored. Anyone looking for a partner contact Berney Myles at 6132038.
Cloneen Sports & Social Club
Results of the Members Draw are: 1st Prize €500 - Peter Hogan; 2nd Prize €200 - Mary Noonan; 3rd, 4th and 5th all for €100 went to Michael Cuddihy, Bernie Byrne and Jerry Kiely. Victor O'Shea won the hamper and Eva Morrissey won a bottle of brandy. The club would like to wish all our members and friends a very happy Christmas and peaceful New Year.
We would also like to apologise for the non-appearance of Jules Hall Weakly but unfortunately he got snowed in down in Killarney and was unable to travel. We hope to have him back again very soon. The Shamrocks will be in concert on Saturday, January 29.
Fionn MacCumhaill Players
The Fionn Mac Cumhaill Players will commence reading for 'Sive' in January and anyone who feels they may fit any of the nine parts should make themselves known now. As is always the case with plays, certain parts suit certain people and its not always possible to cater for everyone but if the part suits and you can act then your in! Six male and three female parts – one of the females should be no more than 19 to play Sive. This production will be staged early March in Cloneen.
The Fionn Ma Cumhaill Players, who also plan to do some new ventures including a musical in the coming year, are now heading into their 14th production having being founded in 2003. Contact Anne on 086 0834208.
Emigrants Newsletter collection
The Annual Church Gate Collection in aid of the Fethard & Killusty Emigrants Newsletter will take place in the parish (after Christmas) weekending, January 2, 2011. Proceeds will go towards covering the cost of posting over 900 Newsletters free of charge to our emigrants living throughout the world.
We appeal for your support as our annual donations have dropped by 25% over the past two years and we accept this is due to the effects of the current recession. But in recession time, the number of emigrants from our parish drastically increases and with this in mind we ask you to enable us to continue our service by supporting our church gate collection or by making a donation online at: www.fethard.com/donate/
Emigrants Newsletter on Sale

The Annual Fethard & Killusty Emigrants’ Newsletter is now on sale in local shops at €12 each. This year’s issue is the largest yet with over 250 pages of articles and photographs including features of ‘Stella Days’ and Killusty National School Centenary Celebrations. We expect this year’s issue to sell out fast so we advise early purchase to avoid disappointment.
The annual Church Gate Collection in aid of the Annual Newsletter will take place in the parish weekending January 2. Your support is much appreciated.
Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Geraldine McCarthy (Supervisor), Jimmy Connolly (Chairman) and Margaret O'Donnell

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party is Fr. Tom Breen P.P. with twins Joan (left) and Eileen Gleeson.

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Des Martin and Pakie McGrath

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Angela Taylor, Joan O'Donohoe and Bernadette Blake

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Mary Fitzgerald and Johanna Corbett

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Kitty O'Donnell, Maura Meagher and Mary Fanning

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Peg O'Reilly, Mayra Trehy and Pauline Morrissey

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Mary Harrington, Margaret Keane and Nora Butler

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Leisha Fogarty, Fr. McSweeney and Joan Heffernan

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Fr. McSweeney and Margaret Grant

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Eileen Ryan and Margaret Thompson

Ritchie Nolan photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party

Molly Cleary photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Eileen Purtill and Mary Maher

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Ellen Croke and Kitty O'Sullivan

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Margaret Lawlor, Fr. Anthony McSweeney, Kathy Aylward and Margaret Croke

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Mary Horan, Rose McCarthy and Maggie Sayers

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Nellie O'Sullivan, Josephine Boland and Chrissy Nash

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Esther McCormack and Annie Ryan

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Breda Nolan, Esther Leahy and Breda O'Dwyer

Photographed at Fethard & District Day Care Centre Christmas Party are L to R: Statia Hooley, Mary Murphy and Eileen Butler
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