'A Tale of Two Sheelas' – RTE Radio this weekend
Some call it treasure hunting, many more would call it looting. During the 1980s and 1990s archeological treasures in Ireland including coins, gold and stone carvings were stolen, exported and traded by gangs operating mostly in the midlands of Ireland. Tim Desmond uncovers a story of archeological theft and international intrigue and how one man became a suspect in a theft that continues to cause mystery and mischief.
In January 1990 a Sheela na Gig, a medieval stone carving featuring exposed female genitalia, was taken from the ruins of Kiltinan Church, near Fethard in County Tipperary.
A publicity campaign was organised to find the carving which was estimated to be worth millions and the story flashed around the world. A local archeology enthusiast Jim O’Connor was questioned by Gardai about the theft. Jim maintains he was innocent and offered to carve a replica to replace the missing Sheela na gig.
Some time later, in the United States, an attempt was made by another Irish man to sell stolen carvings to the Burns Library at Boston College, an institution which hosts a large archive of Irish historical material. That case also received international attention and led to a sting by the FBI, with the assistance of the Garda Siochána to recover the stolen goods. But was the Kiltinan Sheela na Gig part of that haul? Tim Desmond follows the story of the Two Sheelas.
- RTÉ Radio 1; Saturday September 15 at 1pm
- RTÉ Radio 1; Sunday September 16 at 7pm
LISTEN TO THE DOCUMENTARY
An Irish radio documentary from RTÉ Radio 1, Ireland - Documentary on One - the home of Irish radio documentaries
Sports Achievement Award for August
Winners of the Butler's Bar Fethard Sports Achievement Award for August are members of the Fethard U12 Hurling Team who accepted the award on behalf of their team mates. Also included in the back are Eugene Purcell (left), Liz Harding representing this month's sponsor BWG Foods, owners of Value Centre Cash & Carry, Clonmel, and Sean Kiely.
The winner of the Butler’s Bar Fethard Sports Achievement Award for August was the Fethard U12 Hurling Team who were winners of the South Tipperary A title for the first time in the club’s history, beating Carrick Swan in the final. The award was presented on Saturday night, September 8, by Liz Harding, representing this month's award sponsor, BWG Foods, owners of Value Centre Cash & Carry, Clonmel.
The Butler's Bar August 'Mentor of the Month' award was presented to the new owners of Slievenamon Golf Club, Brian Powell and Mary Hand, for their investment in securing the future of golf in the locality. Photographed at the presentation with club members are L to R: Brian Powell (owner), Sarah Powell, Brian Higgins, Mary Hand (owner), Michael Kenrick and Nat McCarthy
The ‘Mentor of the Month’ award was presented to the new owners of Slievenamon Golf Club, Brian Powell and Mary Hand, for their investment in securing the future of golf in the locality. The reopening of the golf course is widely appreciated in the Fethard area and the facility has now improved immensely with continued investment in equipment, care and layout of the course.
Photographed at the presentation of the Butler's Bar Fethard Sports Achievement Awards for August are L to R: Lorraine Coen, Martin Coen and Johnny Neville.
Nominations for the September award can now be handed in to any member of the selection committee or to Butler’s Bsports Bar.
Social dancing at Fethard Ballroom
Fethard Ballroom continues its social dancing on this coming Sunday night, September 16, to the very popular music of ‘Johnny Mullen’. All are welcome to come along and enjoy a great night’s entertainment and social dancing from 9pm to midnight. Admission is €9, which includes tea and cakes.
Annual General Meeting of Fethard Ballroom Ltd
The Annual General Meeting of Fethard & Killusty Community Ballroom will take place on Tuesday, October 9, at 8pm in the Ballroom. All are welcome.
Harvest Festival this Sunday
The annual Harvest Festival Service will take place in Holy Trinity Church of Ireland on Sunday, September 16, at 7.30pm. Everyone is very welcome to join in this celebration and refreshments will be served after the service
Died in England
The death has occurred in New Eltham, London, England, of Bridget Whelan, wife of the late Patrick Whelan, formerly from Brookhill, Fethard.
Bridget, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt will be deeply missed by her extended family, relatives, neighbours and friends. Requiem took place at Christchurch, followed by burial at Eltham Cemetery on Thursday, August 9, 2018. May she rest in peace.
Fethard First Responders
The Fethard First Responders Group would like to thank everyone for their support, at their recent table quiz held last Friday night in Butlers Sports Bar. We would like to thank especially Philip and Ann Butler, and to all the local businesses for donating various spot prizes for the raffle. The proceeds of the table quiz is being used to send two of the group to be trained as instructors at the end of September, in Roscrea.
The Fethard First Responders Group, when activated, will provide an invaluable voluntary service to the community covering such medical situations as cardiac arrest, heart attack, stroke and choking. The average time for an ambulance to reach Fethard is 25 minutes, and this is where we will provide the lifeline between the time the 999 call goes through, and the emergency services arriving on scene.
We will be holding various fundraising events from time to time, for the upkeep and the purchasing of new equipment, especially AED (Automated External Defibrillator) units, of which there is a number in place in various parts of the town. We will also be training interested people in CPR, so please keep a watch in the Fethard notes for further information. The support and help of the local community is vital to the success of the Community First Responders. Thank you.
Fethard & District Day Care Centre
The Fethard & District Day Centre is holding a Senior Day on Friday, September 21, from 10.30am. The chiropodist will be in attendance and all seniors are welcome.
The Day Care Centre would like to acknowledge and thank the Slievenamon Holy Year Cross Committee for their generous donation of €280 from proceeds collected at the annual pilgrimage to Slievenamon held on August 15 last.
Fethard Girls ‘Give It a Try’ in Dublin
Fethard girls, Amy Donnelly, Amy Costin, Claire Mee and Imogen Magner, who were chosen to represent Fethard RFC, are pictured with representatives from Portadown RFC at the Girls IRFU ‘Give It a Try’ tournament in Dublin,
Our Fethard Girls rugby recently had great fun at the Girls IRFU ‘Give It a Try’ tournament in Dublin, who travelled as one of the two teams from Munster to play teams from all four provinces, at the recent National IRFU Girls’ U14 tournament. We would like to say well done to Amy Donnelly, Amy Costin, Claire Mee and Imogen Magner chosen to represent Fethard RFC girls, who were joined with Ulster representatives from Portadown RFC. Our Club had so much enjoyment and really enjoyed the 12 weeks of training during the summer, in preparation for the National Girls Rugby Programme.
We would like to thank Louise O’Donnell, Breda O’Donnell and Polly Murphy for their volunteering each week along with the valuable coaching assistance from Aisling Casey Kenny. We had Ireland women’s players of Edel McMahon and Leah Lyons. Also, thank you to Lisa Anglim who helped us out. Thank you to Amanda Greensmith of Munster Women’s Rugby along with Orla Fulham Smith and Nora Stapleton for organising the Girls Give It A Try programme.
Our Matches start on Saturday, September 22, for the Mini girls and U14s. Then the following Saturday, September 29, for our U16 and U18 girls, who start their Munster youth girls leagues.
Training continues for girls from U8 right up to ladies playing with Clonmel, so we have fun for all girls of all ages on Monday and Friday evenings in Fethard’s Community Field. We look forward to welcoming new players. If you have any questions, please contact Polly on 086 3394959.
News from Patrician Presentation Secondary School
First Year Students
The school extends a big welcome to its First Year pupils and wish them well in their Secondary School career. An intensive Induction Course for these pupils took place during the first week of term and will be reviewed in the coming week.
Leaving Certs 2018
Congratulations to the Leaving Cert class of 2018, many of whom have gone on to further study and work. Some of their further pursuits include Primary Teaching, Law, Nursing, Agricultural Science, Arts, PLC courses Apprenticeships, gap years and work opportunities.
Transition Year 2018-2019
The TY group with their teachers Mr Walsh and Ms Fogarty greatly enjoyed their visit to the Waterford Greenway on Thursday last. The weather remained favourable for most of the day and the pupils cycled the Dungarvan to Kilmacthomas stretch of the Greenway passing by the Durrow seven-arch Viaduct and the Ballyvoyle Tunnel. This tunnel is perfectly restored and adds magic and mystique to this stretch of the route. The group particularly enjoyed the stunning views across Dungarvan Bay from Abbeyside and the Barnawee Causeway with its many species of birds and sea life.
Leaving Cert Chemistry Class
A Leaving Cert Chemistry class will take place in the school on Friday afternoons during this school year. The class is facilitated by an experienced teacher and there will be access to the school’s Chemistry Lab for the class. There are available places in this class for outside students and further information can be obtained from the Principal, Mr Coffey at (052)6131572 or ppssadmin@gmail.com
Study Facilities
The school’s Supervised Study programme recommenced on Monday, September 10. The two-hour study programme is supervised by teachers and provides the pupils with the opportunity to study in an atmosphere conducive to study.
All-Ireland Success
Well done to First Year Aine Connolly who won the under 12 All Ireland Eventing competition in Co. Cork during the Summer.
Rugby is Back!
All age grades of minis and teen’s rugby takes place at 6.45pm every Friday and we had a fantastic turn-out last Friday. To all parents please feel free to get involved in sessions and see if coaching is something you would be interested in. The Club will provide coaching courses for anyone wishing to get involved in their children’s rugby development. With competitive games are only three weeks away, our senior training continues at 8pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. Training is open to all so why not come along and give it a try,
Registration Fees for 2018-‘19 Season are as follows: adult players €120, juvenile players €60 with €30 for a second child and €20 for a third. Family of four or more €110. Affiliate membership €40 (non-playing members who wish to be eligible to get match tickets through club).
Look forward to seeing you all on Friday. If you have any questions please contact our Chairman Martin Murphy on Tel: 086 0678874 or our Minis Co-ordinator, Ken Lee on Tel: 087 6811911; or Youth Officer, Therese Kavanagh on Tel: 086 0757836.
Fethard & Killusty Community Lotto
The numbers drawn on September 5, were: 6, 7, 18 and 19. There was no jackpot winner and one ‘Match Three’ winner who received €150: Brendan Kenny, St. Patrick's Place, Fethard.
The following three ‘Lucky Dip’ winners also received €50 each: Monica Aherne, Prospect, Fethard; Bobbi Holohan, Slievenamon, Fethard; and Gemma Burke, Red City, Fethard.
Next week’s draw takes place on Wednesday, September 12. The Jackpot is €10,000 and the Jackpot seller’s prize is €1,000. All proceeds go towards community projects in Fethard, and we thank you for your on-going support.
GAA Sports Development Lotto
The numbers drawn on Friday, September 7, were: 6, 13, 27 and 31. There was no jackpot winner and one ‘match three’ winner who received €100: Josie Costello, Strylea, Fethard. Two Lucky Dip winners received €25 each: Con Hurley, Fethard; and Ann Kenny, Castlehiggins, Fethard.
The next draw takes place on Friday, September 14, in Burke’s Bar at 7.30pm, when the jackpot is €20,000 and the seller's prize is €1,000.
The committee of Fethard GAA/Sports Centre Development Lotto would like to thank all our supporters near and far who participate in our weekly lotto draw. The funds raised are used to promote sport in the local community.
Are you missing this cat?
This Male kitten, approx 4 months old, has a collar and definitely someone's pet was reported found on September 3, on the Fethard Facebook page but as yet, as far as we know, the owner has not been located. If the kitten is yours please contact
Aisling Tobin (Facebook), or let us know at info@fethard.com and we'll pass on the message.
We are happy to report that the owner has made contact.
Died Recently
The death has occurred on Saturday, September 8, 2018, of Breda Walsh (née Tobin), St Patrick`s Place, Fethard. Breda, deeply regretted by her loving daughters Gemma and June, sons Maurice, Eugene and Patrick, grandchildren, great-grand-daughter, brothers, sisters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. May she rest in peace.
Reposing at her son Eugene's house, Killenaule Road, Fethard on Monday, September 10, from 5pm with Rosary at 8pm. Funeral Mass in the Augustinian Abbey Church, Fethard on Tuesday at 11am, followed by burial in Calvary Cemetery.
Died Recently
The death has occurred on Saturday, September 8, 2018, of Edmond 'Gus' Slattery, An tSean Líne, Fethard and formerly, Kilnockin.
Edmond (Gus), deeply regretted by his wife Kathleen, his daughter Anne, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, his brother John, sister Eileen, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. May he rest in peace.
Reposing at home on Sunday, September 9, from 5pm with Rosary at 7pm. Funeral Mass on Monday at 11am followed by burial in Calvary Cemetery.
Madam Nonies Monstrous Proposal, written by Paul Maher, is a play about a big bad old woman with a very bad big idea!
Fifty seven years ago Nonie Madden left this town a pauper child; now she returns one of the wealthiest women is in the whole of America. She offers the huge sum of two million pounds to the town but there is one terrible condition . . . which gives the townspeople an awful dilemma.
Written and directed by Paul Maher, with funding assistance from Tipperary Co. Council, this 45 minute play with a cast of 8 is presented as lunch-time theatre at the Brian Boru Bar Cashel for ages 9 plus. Tickets for play & light lunch €15 (Children €7.50) Book online cashelartsfestival.com or at Heritage Centre 61333 . Info Paul Maher 087 4135228. Play is also at Ardmayle Heritage Centre, Cashel Sept. 28th 9pm. Tickets €10 on the door. Paul Maher’s work has been short listed for PJ O Connor Awards, Listowel Writers Week; Windsor Fringe & London Festival of Pub Theatre; for Kenneth Branagh Award & British Theatre Challenge (twice). His work has been performed by drama groups throughout Ireland.
Short talks at Moorstown Castle and Old Tubrid Church
The ruined churchyard at Tubbrid, situated between Cahir and Clogheen, where Geoffrey Keating is believed to be buried.
Dr Bernadette Cunningham from the Royal Irish Academy is one of Ireland's foremost experts on Irish manuscripts. She has written several books including ' The World of Geoffrey Keating,' published in 2000. She will give two short talks at Moorstown Castle and at Old Tubrid Church Grounds when Fethard Historical Society will visit on Sunday, September 16.
Geoffrey Keating or Seathrún Céitinn, renowned priest and poet, who wrote the famous manuscript 'Forus Feasa ar Eirinn' in modern Irish, is believed to have been born in Moorstown Castle and buried in Tubrid. To have a copy of this manuscript was considered a prized possession by many migrants from Ireland to America in the 19th century.
Moorstown Castle was bought by Richard Grubb through the Landed Estates Court in 1855 and was one of the Tipperary locations used in Stanley Kubrick's 1975 film ‘Barry Lyndon’. The property remains in private ownership.
The circular castle at Moorstown, only nine miles from Fethard, is a delightful place to visit where Dr Cunningham will give a short talk on the family background of Seathrún Céitinn and from there we will proceed to Tubrid where there will be another short talk on Seathrún Céitinn's work and achievements.
This trip promises to be both informative and interesting as both locations provide extensive views of the countryside. People are invited to gather at the Town Hall, Main Street, Fethard, on Sunday, September 16, at 2.15pm for car-pooling and to arrive at Moorstown for 3pm. We are delighted to welcome back Dr Bernadette Cunningham whose previous lecture to the society on Seathrún Céitinn proved very popular.
For further information contact John on Tel: 086 1271132.
Fethard Pedallers Cycling Club
Members of Fethard Pedallers Cycling Club about to head off on a training cycle from Fethard Car Park. L to R: Don O'Connell, Richie Geeves (Ballingarry), Kieran Butler, Jim Horan (Drangan) and Alice Butler.
Exploring the Famine trip
On Saturday, September 22, Fethard Historical Society will visit Skibbereen focusing on the story of the Famine. The trip will begin with a guided tour of coming home: Art & The Great Hunger. This exhibition from Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum at Quinnipiac University interprets the famine visually through its display of outstanding historical and contemporary art. The art, from the 1830s to today, by some of the most important Irish and Irish-American artists, represents and remembers the loss of life, the emigration, the economic devastation and the erosions of language and culture. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see the exhibition which was held in Dublin Castle from March-June this year and will be displayed in Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin from January to March 2019 before it returns to America.
Following lunch, the Society will visit The Famine Story in Skibbereen’s Heritage Centre. Skibbereen became infamous as one of the worst affected areas in all of Ireland and the true enormity of this national tragedy is revealed in microcosm through Skibbereen’s famine Stories. The history of the era is told through exhibits, dramatisations and interactive stations. One can listen to the personal accounts of those who experienced the Famine in Skibbereen and also take a ‘virtual tour’ of the Famine sites in the town and hear the stories associated with them.
The tour bus will leave from the Town Hall at 8 am sharp returning at 8 pm approx. The cost of the trip is €30, including bus travel, the guided tour of coming home: Art & The Great Hunger exhibition and admission to the Skibbereen Heritage Centre. All are welcome, members and non-members alike.
To secure a place please pay €20 booking deposit before Saturday, September 15, to either Pat Looby, Kerry Street, Fethard, (052) 6131537 or Mary Healy, The Green. For further information please contact Mary Hanrahan on 087 9009722 or email: mphanrahan@hotmail.com
Four generations of Newports
Four generations of Newports – Tony Newport, Congress Terrace, Fethard, photographed with his daughter Liz, grandson Derek and great-grand-daughter Freyja.
St. Vincent De Paul
Fethard guild of St. Vincent De Paul has a small fund available for students in need of help meeting costs of third level education. If you would like to apply please contact any member of the committee or text your name and address to the following number to receive an application form: 085 8086099.
Pre-Baptism Meeting
A pre-Baptism meeting will be held in the Tirry Community Centre, Barrack Street, on Monday, September 24, at 7.30pm for parents who wish to have their child baptised during the coming weeks. Meetings are subject to demand. Please contact Fr. Liam Everard P.P. or Fr. Tom Breen A.P. prior to attending.
St. Patrick’s Place Reunion
The next meeting of St. Patrick’s Place Reunion steering committee will take place on Next Tuesday, August 28, at 8.30pm in the Tirry Community Centre, Barrack Street, and we invite anyone interested in helping with the event to come along. Photographs stories and any memories would be more than welcome.
Confusing house numbers
Houses No 1 to No 74 in St. Patrick’s Place, Fethard. The houses numbered in green are the correct numbering as used today. The original houses No 19 to No 28 shown in yellow, were changed when the houses were renumbered in 1970.
At the moment a list of occupants that lived in all the houses is being compiled and we would appreciate your help with any information of anyone who lived in St. Patrick’s Place, particularly from the earlier years after 1941, when the first 28 houses were built. At present there’s a total of seventy-four houses in St. Patrick’s Place, built at four different stages with the first twenty-eight built in 1941. In 1952 a further ten houses were built; in 1966 twenty houses were added; and the last sixteen houses were built in 1970.
In 1970, the houses were re-numbered in an anti-clockwise direction, which resulted in the original houses from No19 to No 28 being changed to No 65 to No 74. The original houses No 1 to No 18 retained their original numbers. This created a little confusion with postal services for a short while and unfortunately will again when we receive information referring to those living in houses No 19 to No 28, for the St. Patrick’s Place Reunion. We hope the attached photograph will help explain the houses affected.
Don’t forget our next meeting of ‘St. Patrick’s Place Reunion 2018’ will take place on Tuesday, August 28, at 8.30pm in the Tirry Community Centre. All welcome. Information, photographs or questions can be emailed to reunion@fethard.com
Articles invited for Annual Emigrant's Newsletter 2018
Work on the production of this year's Annual Emigrant's Newsletter has now commenced. We invite anyone interested in submitting articles or photographs for this year’s issue to contact Joe Kenny, Rocklow Road, Fethard, Tel: (052) 6131663 or by email: emigrantsnewsletter@gmail.com
Help is always needed gathering articles and photographs, indeed, one of the most time-consuming chores is trying to put captions to the photographs with correct names. Other ways people can help is interviewing, writing articles, typing or inviting others to write articles in good time for publication.
The first issue of the Fethard & Killusty Emigrants' Newsletter was published by the Legion of Mary in December 1959 and is dated 'Christmas 1960'. On checking the dates of the events and deaths featured in the newsletter we discovered that they all happened in 1959 so we concluded that the Newsletter was published in December 1959 and posted in January 1960. This 'first newsletter' was discovered in a drawer by Pat Shine, formerly from Crampscastle and now living in London. Today, over fifty years later, the newsletter has grown into a full colour 200-page production and is still posted free of charge to all our emigrants living throughout the world.
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. Send any comments or photo information to fethardnews@gmail.com
FCA group taken at Kickham Barracks in 1965. L to R: Tom Ryan (Carrick-on-Suir) John Fogarty (Fethard), Pat Lonergan (Carrick-on-Suir), Connie Coen (Fethard) and Willie Moroney (Carrick-on-Suir).
’Going Home from the Poker Classic’ Fethard Festival Parade 1980. L to R: Barry Connolly, John Ward, Edmund O’Neill, Ted Connolly, Jimpy Connolly and Michael Whyte.
Fethard Business in 1913
Members of Fethard Foróige Club photographed with leaders at their meeting on Friday, April 27. 2007, before heading off for a trip to the cinema in Clonmel. The club held their meetings every Friday evening in the ICA Hall from 7pm to 8.30pm.
Fethard GAA members photographed at the grave of John Keating in Calvary Cemetery Fethard where he was honoured by South Board as part of the Centenary Celebrations in South Tipperary on May 27, 2007. L to R: Joe Ahearn, Sean Moloney, Tony Newport, Dick Fitzgerald, Liam Connolly, Percy O'Flynn and Austin Godfrey.
Photographed at the training session for Fethard Ladies Football on March 10, 2007 are L to R: Áine Proudfoot, Aileen Butler, Annie Prout and Alana Coady.
Photographed at the training session for Fethard Ladies Football on March 10, 2007 are L to R: Jade Pattison, Laura Ryan, Áine Phelan and Amy Pollard.
Photographed at the training session for Fethard Ladies Football on March 10, 2007 are L to R: Jane Kenny, Áine Phelan, Jean Anglim, Emma Hayes and Hanna Daly.
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 fethardnews@gmail.com or delivered by hand to Joe Kenny, Rocklow Road, Fethard.
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