Congratulations John and Joanne

Married recently in St. Patrick's, Rome, were Joanne Trehy, daughter of Sheila and the late Willie Trehy, Poulmucka, and John Ryan, son of Nellie and the late Pat Ryan, St. Patrick's Place, Fethard. The happy couple later met His Holiness Pope Francis and received a papal blessing.

Easter Party at Convent Community Centre
The Parent/Minder toddler group are having their Easter Party on Thursday, April 2, in the Convent Community Hall from 11am to 1pm. They will have a bouncy castle and lots of treats for the boys and girls. The party is open to all toddlers regardless if you attend the weekly group or not. Mams/Dads with new babies are also very welcome to come along. €3 for one child, €2 each for two or more. If you have older children at home you can bring them along as Janice will have a DVD playing in the cinema to keep them amused.

Easter Ceremonies in Fethard Parish
Fethard Holy Trinity Parish Church
Holy Thursday, April 2, Mass of The Lord's Supper at 7pm.
Good Friday, April 3, Stations of The Cross at 3pm; Celebration of the Lord’s Passion at 7pm
Holy Saturday, April 4, Easter Vigil Mass at 7pm.
Easter Sunday, April 5, Mass at 8.30am and 11am.

Church of the Sacred Heart, Killusty
Good Friday, April 3, Stations of The Cross at 3pm.
Holy Saturday, April 4, Easter Vigil Mass at 8pm.

Augustinian Abbey
Holy Thursday, April 2, Mass of The Lord's Supper at 7.30pm.
Good Friday, April 3, Solemn Liturgy to celebrate Good Friday at 3pm. Stations of The Cross at 7.30pm.
Holy Saturday, April 4, Easter Vigil Mass at 8.30pm.
Easter Sunday, April 5, Mass at 9.30am and 11.30am.

School team win B Cup final

Fethard Patrician Presentation Secondary School Football Team winners of the B Cup final in the football blitz held in Fethard GAA Park and the school sports field on Back L to R: John Cummins (coach), Michael O'Sullivan (Principal), Darragh Fenlon, Damian Cahill, Liam Quigley, Shane Buckley, Gavin Mullally, Jack Spillane, Sean Phelan, Ian O'Connor (coach), Helena Walsh (coach). Front L to R: Liam Hickey, Eric Costin, Keith Morrissey, Darragh Hurley (captain), Robert Hackett, Aaron Larkin, Aaron Trehy and Dillon Costin.

Congratulations to the Patrician Presentation Secondary School boys football team who won the ‘B’ Cup final at the football blitz held on Thursday last, March 26, in Fethard GAA Park and the school’s sports field.

Fethard narrowly defeated Comeragh College, Carrick-on-Suir in the final in an very exciting game where the lead changed many times in the second half. Both sides showed great displays of football in the game. Rockwell College won the ‘A’ Final over Thurles Vocational School.

Many thanks to all the teams for taking part in the blitz, also to the County Board Development Officers and Fethard GAA Club for their support on the day. It is great to see a football trophy back on the school shelves again. Team captain, Darragh Hurley, was delighted to accept the cup from his Principal, Mr Michael O'Sullivan.


Thurles Vocational School team who were A Runners-Up at the Fethard Football Blitz


Rockwell team that won the ‘A’ Final over Thurles Vocational School.

Easter Dancing at Fethard Ballroom
Dancing at Fethard Ballroom on this coming Easter Sunday night, April 5, to the music of ‘Dave Rea’. All welcome to come along and enjoy a great night’s entertainment and social dancing from 9pm to midnight. Admission is €8 which includes tea and cakes.

Senior Citizens' Club Outing
Fethard Senior Citizens' Club Easter outing is planned for Tuesday, April 7. The coach leaves Main Street at 2pm. Do remember to bring your "home designed" Easter Bonnet to enter in our annual competition.

Commemoration to General George Plant

The Annual Commemoration to General George Plant will take place at St Johnstown, Fethard, on this coming Easter Sunday, April 4, assembly at 2.30pm. The parade to the graveside will be led by the Carrick-on-Suir Republican Flute Band and the proceedings for the ceremony will be chaired by Michael Nugent, Cahir.

The proclamation of 1916 will be read followed by a wreath laying ceremony to honour all those who died for Ireland. This will be followed by Cllr Catherine Carey reciting the funeral address given on August 1, 1915, by Padraig Pearse at the graveside of O'Donovan Rossa in Glasnevin Cemetery. This address by Pádraig Pearse remains one of the most famous speeches of the Irish independence movement stirring his audience to a call to arms.

Local man Kevin Wilson of Drangan, whose family was closely associated with George Plant will then give the oration. Proceedings will conclude with our National Anthem ‘Amharan Na Bhfiann’. Remember, at this time to honour Ireland's dead by wearing an Easter Lily.

Community Games Results

Local medal winners at the Community Games Handwriting Event. L to R: Ella-Mai Hackett, Rose O'Donnell, Seán McEvoy, Jack Davey, Sarah Moore and Taryn Purcell.

Fethard and Killusty Community Games Handwriting Competition attracted a lot of interest and some very talented entries this year. The following are the results of the Area Finals:
Girls U10: Taryn Purcell (gold), Sarah Moore (silver);
Boys 10: Mark O’Meara Purcell (gold), Jack Davey (silver), Sean McEvoy (bronze);
Girls U12: Ella Mai Hackett Purcell (gold), Rose O’Donnell (silver), Aine Ryan (bronze);
Boys U12: Gold, Oleg Shabrat (gold), Jack O’Donoghue (silver), and Keenan Aherne (bronze).


Pictured at the Community Games Handwriting Presentation are L to R: Keenan Aherne who won a bronze medal U12, Aine Ryan who won a bronze medal U10, and Oleg Shabrat who won a gold medal U12. Missing is Jack O’Donoghue who won a silver medallist U12.

The County Finals will take place in The Old Church Hall in Moneygall on Saturday, April 11, commencing at 2pm. All gold and silver medal winners are qualified for the county final but they must confirm if they are going to attend before Friday next, April 3, as the closing date for entries in Monday, April 6.

The county finals of the boys swimming will now take place in Clonmel Pool on Saturday, April 18, with the girls taking place on Sunday, April 19. Local entries must be submitted immediately. Closing date for entries with the county co-ordinator is Monday, April 6.

The county finals of the Art and Model Making will take place in Presentation Secondary School, Clonmel on Saturday, April 23, commencing at 1pm. Area results will be published after Easter.


Mark O’Meara winner of a gold medal in the boys Handwriting U10

St. Vincent de Paul
Families that may need assistance with this year’s First Communion expenses are asked to contact any member of the Fethard St. Vincent de Paul committee as soon as possible or Denis Burke at (052) 6131852.

Fethard & Killusty Community Lotto
The numbers drawn on March 25 were: 1, 3, 10 and 23. We had no jackpot winner and three ‘Match Three’ winners who received €50 each: Dean Tobin, Fethard; Mary Myler, St. Patrick/s Place, Fethard; and Michael Russell, c/o Seamus Maloney.

The three following ‘Lucky Dip’ winners received €50 each: Margaret Phelan, Strylea, Fethard; Geraldine Cahill (online ticket); and Davy Maher, Barrack Street, Fethard.

Next week’s draw takes place on Wednesday, April 1. The Jackpot is €2,950 and the Jackpot seller’s prize is €295. All proceeds go towards community work in Fethard, and we thank you for your on-going support.

Fethard Scouting Quiz
A huge thanks to all who supported the Beaver Quiz night in Butlers Bar on Friday, March 27. A special word of thanks to Lizzy Burke who was the main organiser and who obviously put in a lot of work to make it the enjoyable and successful event it turned out to be.

GAA Sports Lotto
Last week’s numbers drawn on March 27, were 3, 21, 23 and 31. There was no jackpot winner and two match three winners who received €50 each: Paul Fitzgerald, Kiltinan; and Lisa Fahey, c/o Merrys, Clonmel.
Next week’s Jackpot is €9,600 and the draw will take place in Fethard GAA Park dressing rooms on Friday, April 3, at 7pm. Sellers Prize €170. All are welcome. Thank you for your continued support.

Fethard Athletic Club
Fethard AC ‘meet and train’ continues on Mondays and Fridays at 7.15pm from the ballroom carpark. The annual 'Walls of Fethard Road Race' will be held on Thursday, May 28, using a single lap 6k course that was used for the recent masters. There's a few runs coming up to get us fit for May, the Clonmel 6k series starts this Wednesday at 7pm and there's also a 7k in Glengoole on Good Friday at 5pm. We've a few members training for half marathons and well done again to Denise O'Brien on completing the Reading half-marathon in an excellent time. Keep up the good work.

Helping at Fethard Daffodil Day

David O'Donnell, Coleman, buying some daffodils from Patrician Presentation Secondary School TY students who help every year at Fethard 'Daffodil Day' in aid of the Irish Cancer Society

Fethard & District Rugby News
The past two weeks have seen lots of fun and great rugby for our Fethard Minis. Our Under 7s played Cashel recently in an exciting match led by Harry Barton, Max O’Reilly, Cormac O’Donnell, Josh Britton, Luke Britton, Sammy Knightly, Alec Knightly and the speedy Conor Danagher. We also travelled to Thurles on Sunday and played with great vigour. The boys all had great fun passing and scoring tries. This was the last game of the season and all have learnt great rugby skills, made new friends and most of all had fun! Thanks to all the kids, parents and trainers for a great season. See you in September.

Our Under 8s have played four teams from three provinces in the past two weeks and again showed their determination and good teamwork. Playing in Cashel two weeks ago against a strong Nenagh team, the boys showed great tackling with good passing. The team was; Tadhg O'Brien, Sean Fitzgerald, Sam Austin, Joey Fitzgerald, Troy Delaney, Lee Delaney, Jack Tobin, Alex Britton, Gavin Neville, Paddy Ryan, Mark Ryan, Charlie Walsh, Shane Ryan, Noah Flynn, Ned O'Meara, Codi Grogan and Ivan Movchan. Thank you Cashel for looking after us and thanks to Nenagh for a strong match of Rugby.

On Sunday last we travelled to Thurles to play Portumna from Connaught where the Fethard boys were very strong, tackled well and put plenty of scores on the board. We then played Portlaoise from Leinster when our boys had to up their game led by Charlie Walsh, Joey Fitzgerald, Jack Tobin, Alex Britton, Tadgh O'Brien, Adam Ruttle, Bill Smyth, Noah O'Flynn, Ned O'Meara, Darren Mullins, Lee Delaney, Troy Delaney, Codi Grogan and Shane Ryan. They then ended with a fine game against a tough Thurles team. Well done to all for a fabulous morning of rugby. Thank you to Thurles for great hosting and to the parents for traveling.

‘Musical Mayhem’ at Clonacody House

Some of the cast members of ‘Musical Mayhem’ L to R: Jane Hayes, Jordan Freeman, Molly O Meara, Mark Fitzgerald, Anna slattery, Aine McManus, In Front L to R: Jessica Strappe and Laura Horan 

JW Productions will stage their new spectacular ‘Musical Mayhem’, at Clonacody House, Fethard, for three nights only, April 3, 4 & 5. The show is a musical variety production with a twist, featuring all your sing-along hits from such great musicals as ‘My Fair Lady’, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, ‘Pirates of Penzance’, ‘Evita’, and many more. The show is written and directed by Stefan J. Doyle and produced by Holly-Jean Williamson, Tickets are €20, which includes wine and tapas served at the interval. Please note there are only 50 seats available per night so early booking is advised. Booking contact: Helen Carrigan Tel: 087 1689167, or Holly Jean Williamson Tel: 087 2345760.


At rehearsal are L to R: Jordan Freeman, Stefan J. Doyle (director), and Molly O'Meara.

Fethard Faces and Places from the Past
The following are a selection of photographs recently added to the Fethard Faces and Places from the Past page on Facebook, also published here for the benefit of our readers who are not on Facebook. The Facebook page is used for sharing old Fethard photographs with other members of the group and is open to all interested in joining.

Fethard Festival Parade 1976 - 'Madrid Hospital, General Franco's Final Battle'


Fethard Festival Parade 1976 - The Connolly and Ryan family entry, "The Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe"


Fethard Festival Fancy Dress Parade 1982 L to R: Elaine Gleeson and Roseanne Flanagan as 'Black and White Puddings'.




Festival Fancy Dress Parade 1982 part of the Croome Carroll's entry


Festival Fancy Dress Parade photos from 1982 'The Greatest American Hero!' L to R: Ray Cummins and Jimmy O'Meara


More Festival Fancy Dress Parade photos from 1982 "All Kinds of Everything" Tina Kenny in the centre.


Moyglass Communion c.1950 or so . . ..


The old Moyglass Church which was built c.1839. Around that time John 'Red' Kelly (Ned Kelly's father) was 19 years old, two years later he was transported to Australia for stealing two pigs! This is another glass plate photograph taken in the 1950s by Moyglass photographer Billy Boland. This church was demolished in 1989 and replaced by the current church dedicated to 'St. Joseph the Worker' . . . a man after my own heart!


Moyglass Village in the 1950s photograph photographed on a glass plate by Billy Boland, a photographer from Moyglass who also worked for The Nationalist newspaper. It's hard to see here but there's children sitting on the wall on the right, one walking on the road and a man at the door beside the pub, now the Village Inn. Helen Hannigan tells us the man at the door is Michael Boland a brother of Billy Boland.


It took three Marlfield men to mark Willie O'Meara when Fethard won the Intermediate South Hurling final at Clonmel in November 1992. Maybe that's why he's the only one with a helmet!


Local Garda Martin Shanahan in action during the Intermediate South Final 1992

Fethard News
Items for inclusion on this website and 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.

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