First home match for Fethard Ladies Senior footballers

The Fethard senior girls are playing the first ever senior ladies football championship game in the Barrack Field against Brian Borus this comimg Wednesday, July 24, at 7.30pm.

Having won the Intermediate Championship in 2018, this is only their 2nd Senior Championship game and after a defeat to Cahir in the first round the Fethard girls will have their 2nd game at senior against a very successful and experienced Brian Borus team. Come along and give the girls your support on the night.

Roadworks in Fethard for next Two Weeks

Road resurfacing works on Main Street and Kerry Street Fethard will take place from Friday, July 19, to Friday, August 2. Temporary traffic management with some diversions around Fethard will be in place and delays can be expected. Please note that car parking restrictions will apply at Kerry Street and Main Street during course of the works. Tipperary County Council regrets any inconvenience caused.

Apologies for loss of service
Unfortunately, for reasons beyond our control, we were off the air for the past 24 hours but service has now resumed after many hours trying to discover where the problem was. Hopefully all's well again and will continue to stay that way!

Ned Kelly Festival Weekend in Moyglass July 27-28

Conor O'Donnell playing his active role in the Bank Robbery re-enactment at the Ned Kelly Festival in Moyglass back in 2013. This year’s Ned Kelly Festival Weekend takes place in Moyglass from Saturday, July 27 to Sunday, July 28.

Plans are well underway for this year’s Ned Kelly Festival Weekend which takes place in Moyglass from Saturday, July 27 to Sunday, July 28. The chosen beneficiaries of this year’s event are three deserving charities: C-SAW (Community Suicide Awareness Workers), South Tipperary; Irish Wheelchair Society, Tipperary Branch Volunteers and Members; and The Alzheimer Society of Ireland. The organisers are to be commended for their support of deserving charities every year.

Events will begin with the annual Tractor Run starting at 4pm and registration at 3.30pm. Food will be available on return. Music later that night in The Village Inn, provided by The Sheehans, where you can also brush-up on your Ned Kelly history while enjoying lots of chat and a few of your favourite drinks from the bar.

For the more energetic minded, early Sunday morning will suit when you have a choice of taking part in a refreshing 60k and 100k cycle starting at 9.30am with registration at 9am. If you don’t have a bike, why not try the 5k Run starting at 11.30am with registration at 10.30am.

Sunday afternoon in Moyglass village will host a variety of family entertainment all day at the Community Complex with Ned Kelly Re-enactments performed throughout the day at regular intervals. Traditional platform dancing will be followed by an Open Mike session from 1pm to 2pm. Set Dancing, at the crossroads, will take place from 2pm to 4pm. The popular Dog Show will commence at 3pm.

The afternoon will provide kids and family entertainment with lots of amusements, artisan trade stands, food and ice-cream stalls, including the annual raffle for the Hamper Draw.

If you’re still not tired, an open invitation to all is extended to a ‘Mock Wedding’ at The Village Inn’, commencing at 10.15pm.

The annual Ned Kelly Festival Weekend in Moyglass is well-worth a visit so mark the dates in your diary, Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, July 28. You are also supporting the organising committee’s three chosen charities by donating to their ‘Bucket Collection’ on the day.

Harrington Walkway enhanced by tidy towns TÚS workers

Members of Fethard Tidy Towns working on the enhancement of the popular Harrington's Walkway providing safer access from Congress Terrace to Jesuit's Walk. The project, supported by TÚS, involved the planting of flowers and trees along the path leading to Jesuit's Walk. L to R: Philip Bolger (TÚS Scheme), Gina Power (CE Scheme), Declan Nevin (Tidy Towns), Brian Sheehy (Tidy Towns) and in front Michael Morrissey (TÚS Scheme).

The well-used ‘Harrington Walkway’, one of the major projects under-taken by Fethard Tidy Towns in 2011 that takes pedestrians off the busy Clonmel Road so they can safely walk from Congress Terrace to Jesuits Walk avoiding traffic, has been further enhanced recently with the help of Fethard’s tidy towns TÚS workers.

The enhancement project involved the landscaping and planting of flowering plants, scrubs, and trees along one side of the walkway with materials supplied by TÚS, Coolmore Stud and local individuals. Fethard & Killusty Community Council continues to benefit from the annual support of the Government’s TÚS scheme and local manager, Richard Wood. Their contribution to local projects is greatly appreciated and enables the Community Council to achieve our current work projects and take on new ones. TÚS is a community work placement initiative to provide short-term, quality work opportunities for those who are unemployed.

The original ‘Harrington Walkway’ project was made possible by the generosity of the Harrington family for allowing us the use of their land, and Tipperary County Council’s local foreman Jimmy Horan and his team of workers. Mrs Mary Harrington officially opened the walkway on September 14, 2011, and has since been one of the most used walkways in Fethard.


Elaine Purcell taking her dog 'Holly' for a walk along Jesuit's Walk in Fethard

Community CCTV installation
The long-awaited installation of Community CCTV in Fethard is now going ahead after finally overcoming many planning regulation delays over a five-year process since local community members first came together on Tuesday, January 28, 2014, to discuss the possibility of a modern high-tech CCTV being installed by the community in Fethard. The public meeting organised by Fethard & Killusty Community Council, welcomed the Garda representation of Superintendent John Courtney, Sergeant John Burke and Garda Denis O’Brien who were all very enthusiastic about the project. Superintendent Courtney stated that available CCTV is one of the most important assets in solving present day crime. Sergeant John Burke also highlighted the advantages of having a community-based CCTV system in Fethard. Also present was Conor Maguire, Coolmore Stud, who stated they were fully supportive of the project in Fethard.

We are happy to report that Tipperary County Council's Director of Services, Pat Slattery, has announced that CCTV schemes in Fethard, Birdhill, Burgess and Clonmel are almost ready to go after GDPR issues over who would be the data controller have been resolved. The local authority is the data controller and Director of Services, Pat Slattery, says where the data is stored in Garda stations now just require a final sign-off from An Garda Commissioner.

Articles invited for Annual Emigrant's Newsletter

Preparing for Killusty Show’s Fancy Dress Parade back in 1988 are members of the O’Donnell family and friends – one of the photographs received for this year’s Emigrants’ Newsletter.

Work on compiling 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

Fethard & Killusty Community Council AGM
The Annual General Meeting of Fethard & Killusty Community Council will take place on Tuesday night, July 30, at 8pm in the Tirry Community Centre, Barrack Street, Fethard. All are welcome to come along.

Bob Dylan fans off to Nolan Park

Fethard fans on their way to see Bob Dylan and Neill Young in Kilkenny last Sunday L to R: Padraig O’Shea, Martin O’Shea, Rory O’Connor, home on holiday from San Francisco and Lory Kenny.

Fethard News from the Archives – 140 Years Ago
The following article published on June 11, 1879, by the Fethard correspondent of the Dublin Express entitled, “Religious” Rancour in County Tipperary’, will give some idea what life was like in Fethard 140 years ago.

“Great excitement prevailed in Fethard on Monday in connection with cases brought before the magistrates at petty sessions. Six defendants were charged with breaking the windows of James Green, under the following circumstances: The wife of a soldier named Mills, 3rd Dragoon Guards, being a Roman Catholic, while her husband is a Protestant, is said to have expressed a wish to become a Protestant, and she went to Protestant service.

Archdeacon Kinnane, parish priest, called for an explanation, and told her she could not belong to two churches, and that such conduct might lead to unpleasantness in the parish. After the priest left a crowd of people collected and wrecked Green’s house where she lodged. The Rev. Mr. Long, rector, got her a lodging with a Protestant woman, whose windows were smashed also. Threats were made of further disturbances, and on Mr. Long’s interposition the officer commanding Fethard Garrison consented to take her into the barracks.

Mr. Moriarty, solicitor for the defendants, pleaded guilty, and expressed their regret, and said Green had been compensated. Mr. French, resident magistrate, said they would adjourn the case for a fortnight, when the people would have the opportunity of proving the genuineness of their sorrow. If any further violence occurred it would injure, not only the defendants, but the character and trade of the town. Fethard and Cashel had been types of civilisation in Tipperary. Thurles was improving in the same direction. He would regret that Fethard should be retrograde.

He impressed on all the importance of quiet and orderly conduct. A witness was groaned, and the Magistrate twice threatened to clear the Court. On the people leaving the Court there was more groaning, but the town afterwards settled down into quietness.”

Local piano students do well in their graded exams

Grade 8 student Nicole Kennedy photographed with piano teacher Stuart Clooney.

Congratulations to local piano teacher, Stuart Clooney, who first began his piano teaching in 1998, and his music students who sat their yearly graded exams this year from May 28 to May 30.  The exams were held in Fethard and included all levels, from beginner’s preliminary grades up to and including final Grade 8 exams.  After a lot of hard work and practice the students did themselves proud with a 100 percent pass rate. Leinster School of Music Certificates were awarded to all exam students and medals awarded to the following students for exceptionally high results: Claire O’Donnell, James Clooney, Jenna Hayes, Yasmin Woodlock and Vakaris Graibus.  We also wish our final Grade 8 students the very best in their future musical careers.


Student Vakaris Graibus (left) photographed with his piano tutor Stuart Clooney, Fethard.

A big thank you to our present students, and parents, for their ongoing support and we look forward to seeing you all again in September. We also look forward to welcoming a new group of young students about to start piano lessons and seeking to sit Graded Exams.  Lessons are also available for students who prefer to learn to play without an exam structure.  For further enquiries please contact Stuart Clooney, Fethard. Tel: (052) 6132567 or 087 9540234. 


Emily Greene (left) photographed with her piano tutor Stuart Clooney, Fethard.


James Clooney photographed with his piano tutor Stuart Clooney, Fethard.

Fethard & Killusty Community Lotto
The numbers drawn on Wednesday, July 10, were: 2, 10, 13 and 30. There was no jackpot winner and no ‘Match Three’ winner. The following drawn tickets received €50 each: Cian Shelly, Moyglass; Mike Fitzgerald, Red City, Fethard; and Anna Bradshaw, St. Patrick's Place, Fethard.

The following three ‘Lucky Dip’ winners also received €50 each: Mary Danaher, Cedar Grove, Fethard; Edwina Newport, Chapel Lane, Fethard; and Michael Russell, c/o Seamus Moloney.

Next week’s draw takes place on Wednesday, July 17. 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.

Social dancing at Fethard Ballroom
Our next social dance on Sunday, July 21, will feature 'Blue Lace'. Dancing from 9pm to midnight and admission is €10 which includes tea, sandwiches and cake. A good night of dancing is guaranteed.

Social dance lessons are every Thursday night at 8.30 pm with Maurice O'Connell. New comers will be made very welcome.
We have cards every Friday night at 8.30 pm. Why not come along and have a game of 25, all are welcome. Contact Eileen Coady, Tel: 086 0776420, Email: eileencoady@hotmail.com

Winner at Killusty Show

Helena Doherty, winner of the Young Handler Class at Killusty Show on July 6, photographed above receiving her prize from Noel Coleville, Fethard, sponsor of the class. Also included is Pat Culligan (left), chairman Killusty Pony Show.

GAA Sports Development Lotto
The numbers drawn on Friday, July 12, were: 17, 20, 21 and 26. There was no jackpot winner and no ‘match three’ winner. One Lucky Dip winner received €50: Orla Broderick, Killenaule Road, Fethard. Two Lucky Dip winners received €25: Kaci Condon, c/o Paul Fitzgerald; and Breda Kearney, St Patrick’s Place, Fethard.

The next draw takes place on Friday, July 19, in Burke’s Bar at 7.30pm, when the jackpot is €22,300 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.

Hospice Support Group thanks for your support
The Fethard Support Group for South Tipperary Hospice would like to thank sincerely all who contributed to our annual church gate collection last weekend. A total of €1,111 was collected for which we are extremely grateful.

Photographs taken 20 years ago in Fethard and surrounding areas!


This was a familiar sight for those walking the Cashel Road in 1999 not sure what ever happened but it disappeared, believed to have something to do with leaning towards the setting sun.

No bridge or river walk . . . yet!


Country news shared in Fethard by Joe 'Duffy' Barrett and Hannie Leahy outside Whyte's Grocery Shop.


Jack Ryan doing his morning shopping in Centra (January 2000)

For Facebook members, many of these photos are also published on Fethard Faces and Places from the Past page. This Facebook page is used for sharing old Fethard photographs with members of the group and is open to anyone interested in joining.