Fethard Newsletter 2020 now on sale


Fethard & Killusty Emigrants Newsletter is now available for sale in the following local shops at €12 each, Centra Supermarket (The Green), Daybreak Supermarket (Kerry Street) and Fethard Post Office (Main Street). Copies will also be posted free of charge this weekend to our Fethard emigrants and families living throughout the world.

We take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported the newsletter with donations throughout the year that help make this annual publication possible. The Annual Newsletter is celebrating 61 Years this year and has been posted free of charge to emigrants ever since it first began in 1959.

GAA Sports Development Lotto
Fethard GAA Sports Lotto draw results for Friday, November 20, are as follows: the numbers drawn were: 3, 9, 15 and 26. There was no jackpot winner and two ‘match three’ winners who received €50 each: Caroline Ryan, Clerihan; and Dennis O’Meara, St Patricks Place, Fethard.

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 next draw takes place on Friday, November 27, when the jackpot is €28,100 and the seller's prize is €1,000. The funds raised are used to promote sport in the local community.

Out The Gap – 'Fair Days and Milking Stools'


Local marriages, horses, the large cattle and pig fairs, 'tanglers', the advent of farm mechanisation, the harvest and threshing, hand milking and the War of Independence and Irish Civil War connection.

It's all here in episode 9. In the days of 'no waste' hear what it was like to grow up in rural Ireland in the years after the second World War. Find out from the horse's mouth about the days of Woodbine's, rural electrification and ration books, why good neighbours were indispensable and why the humble cow is still as important now as she was then. Recorded in a cow byre in county Tipperary with Tom Clancy. Listen below:



Noel Clancy, Ballyluskey Dorsets, Drangan, sent us this very interesting podcast, the ninth episode in his 'Out The Gap' rural podcast series, 'Fair days and milking stools'. If you enjoy the podcast please share or you can also subscribe to Noel's podcasts by CLICKING HERE Noel can be contacted by phone at: 087 7856872 or by email : nbclancy@hotmail.com

Died recently in the USA
The death has occurred recently in the USA of Aine Tierney Dalton, Oakland, San Francisco. The late Aine is a daughter of Tim Tierney, formerly from Burke Street, Fethard.

Many of Fethard's older generation will fondly remember Aine as one of the 'stand-out' performers in the Presentation Convent's lavish production of "The Message of Fatima', in December 1949, when she took the lead roll as 'The Lady of Fatima'. She continued her stage performances with the Fethard Players up to the mid 1950s, taking part in their local pantomimes and plays - she took the lead roll of 'Bo Peep', performed in the Capitol Cinema in 1955, and the roll of the 'Gypsy Elspeth' in Zurika performaed, in the Town Hall in 1956.

Aine was a very talented and accomplished young lady at Fethard Presentation school and qualified as a Junior Assistant Mistress in her Leaving Certificate Examinations in 1950 and then appointed to Powerstown National School. Aine was the last of that generation of the Burke Street' Tierneys. May she rest in peace.

'Big Picture' – Presentation School Cycle Safety Test 1965

Road Safety Campaign 1965
Very Rev. Canon Lee P.P., presided at a public meeting in the Town Hall in connection with the forthcoming road safety campaign, May 26 to June 2, 1965. Addressing the meeting Canon Lee stressed the personal moral responsibility of all road users for the safety of others.

Mr Ryan, of the South Tipperary County Council, explained the Minister's intentions and pointed out that this campaign was directed at two main features: (1) Speed on the roads; and (2) safety of children.

Local danger points were pointed out to the Co. Council's engineer and it was hoped that improvements would be carried out at such places. A children's cycle test were held in Patrick's Place on Friday May 28, 1965. Certificates were issued to those who scored fifty percent, and a proficiency badges awarded to all who receive seventy-five percent or over.

Patrician Presentation Secondary School Awards Day
Fethard Patrician Presentation Secondary School will hold their annual 'Awards Day Ceremony' on Friday, November 20, 2020, which will be broadcast live. All are invited to join us online for this special day in our school year.

In November we Remember
At Patrician Presentation Secondary School every year a tree branch is placed in the hallway and filled with the names, by both students and staff, of those we have loved and lost in our families and in the community. This week Fr. Liam Everard blessed our Remembrance tree.

Road closure update from Irish Water
Irish Water and Tipperary County Council plan to carry out works to repair a large leak at Ballinard Bridge near Fethard over the coming weeks. The leak is causing the loss of approximately 30,000 litres of treated water every hour. This is impacting on the supply to homes, farms and businesses in the area.

The works to replace a section of old water main will require the closure of Ballinard Bridge for a period of three weeks from this Friday, November 13. A traffic management plan is in place for the duration of the work, with diversions clearly signposted for traffic in the vicinity.
Updates will be posted on the Service and Supply section of Irish Water’s website.

Irish Water regrets any inconvenience as a result of this essential work and thanks customers and road users for their patience while we work to complete these repairs. Our customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1850 278 278. Lines open 24 hours, 7 days a week. Please note that the rates charged for 1850 numbers may vary across different service providers. Calls from mobiles may be more expensive.

100 Years,100 Miles - Documentary on RTE Radio 1
Vincent Murphy pays tribute to his grand uncle Gus McCarthy and all those involved in Bloody Sunday 1920 with a 100 mile cycle from Tipperary to Dublin.

100 years, 100 miles tells the story of Bloody Sunday through Vincent (Jasper) Murphy who pays tribute to all those involved, one of whom was his grand uncle Gus McCarthy .

Gus played football for Tipperary and was playing in Croke Park on November 21st 1920, when 14 people were killed. Gus and his Tipperary team mates had left Fethard, Co. Tipperary to travel the 100 miles to Croke Park to play a challenge match against Dublin.

Like his grand-nephew Vincent, Gus was a keen cyclist. And like many people at the time, Gus travelled long distances to GAA games by bicycle. When Vincent was given a photograph of grand-Uncle Gus on a Hercules racing bike, it set off a chain of events that led to Vincent locating and overseeing the restoration of a bike of the same age and model.

With the Hercules bike fully restored, in 2020 Vincent and a group of friends set out on that 100 mile journey - from McCarthy's Bar in Fethard, county Tipperary to Croke Park, Dublin. 100 years after the devastating events of Bloody Sunday 1920, Vincent was keen to learn about what really happened that day.

Michael Hogan was a Tipperary team mate of Gus McCarthy's in 1920. Tragically, Michael was the only player to die in what has been called the Croke Park Massacre. Michael Hogan's grandniece and family members of another victim, Joe Traynor from Dublin were at Croke Park to greet Vincent and the Tipperary cyclists - as together, they looked back on Bloody Sunday.

In finding out more about his Grand Uncle Gus, Vincent also discovers unknown parts of the Bloody Sunday story and unearths a recording of a vivid first hand account of Bloody Sunday from the Tipperary goalkeeper on the day - a recording that has never been broadcast before. Narrated by Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh; Produced by Jasper Vincent Murphy and Tim Desmond. Sound Supervision by Liam O'Brien. LISTEN NOW ON RTE by CLICKING HERE

Women & Agriculture award for Anne Marie


More accolades for Anne Marie Feighery, Fethard, when her ‘Feighery's Farm Beetroot Juice’, with its glowing red colour, delicious taste and proven health benefits was the worthy winner of  the Innovation in Agriculture and Food Category at the recent Women & Agriculture awards held in association with FBD Insurance. 

This prestigious award followed her earlier success in the Great Taste awards and the Blas na hEireann awards  She also featured on ‘Ear to the Ground’ on RTE One and was interviewed on various radio programmes.  She is delighted to be the recipient of these major awards and becoming so quickly recognised in the food industry.

It is a great asset to Anne Marie that her Dad, Billy and brothers Alan and William grow vegetables on the family farm in Kilcormac.  She has successfully linked up with Con Trass of the Apple Farm near Cahir using his fruit processing facility to press, blend and bottle her juice which has a 12 month shelf life. The correct blend to produce this amazing drink is 70 percent beetroot and 30 percent apples. Its multiple health benefits include its ability to lower blood pressure naturally, boost energy levels and promote a healthy immune system with its Vitamin C & antioxidant levels. It is also a source of Folic Acid & Protein.



Stockists are listed on www.feigherysfarm.ie with the option to purchase directly online. Perhaps gifting someone you love a health boost this season .The product   She believes Covid 19 is not a hinderance as consumers are buying more locally produced foods.  She remains on target to sell 30,000 bottles of Feighery's Farm Beetroot Juice this year.  We wish her continued success and the best of luck in the future.

November Cemetery Rosaries for the Holy Souls
The Legion of Mary traditionally led the praying of the Rosary in all thirteen  cemeteries of The Parish during the Sunday’s of November. We now find that this practice is not in compliance with the current Covid Level 5 Restrictions in effect for the next five weeks.

We have made the following alternative arrangements as follows:

• Each Sunday of November, after 11am Mass, the Rosary will be prayed with special emphasis on the designated Cemeteries for the day. Please join us online at parishchurch.net
• Additionally for the month of November, The Rosary will be prayed for the Holy Souls, after the online daily 10am Mass. We invite all who can to join us again on line at, parishchurch.net Of course all are encouraged to privately visit the cemeteries also during November.
• Please note, The Vatican has extended the time to obtain full indulgence for The Souls of The Faithful in Purgatory from the first week of November traditionally, to the full Month of November.

Sundays allocated for individual cemeteries:

• On Sunday, November 22, Rathcoole Cemetery, Red City Cemetery and Tullamaine Cemetery.
• On Sunday, November 29, Killusty Cemetery after 10am Mass; which will include Kiltinan Cemetery and Kilmaclugh Cemetery.

Please join in the Rosary for the Holy Souls. All are invited to come along and remember our loved ones who have passed on to their eternal reward.

Photographed in McCarthy's Hotel after Coursing Week in Clonmel on February 1, 2005, are L to R: Joe Hayes, Jimmy Hayes, Catherine Ahearne, Tom Purcell, Noel Morrissey, Nial Quinn and Toby Purcell.


Overall winners in the senior section were Nano Nagle National School Fethard team in the Regional Credit Union Primary School Table Quiz held in Fethard Ballroom on February 4, 2005. L to R: Amy Grant, Orlaith Delany, Jane Kenny and Kelly Fogarty.


Cloneen National School team that took part in the Regional Credit Union Primary School Table Quiz held in Fethard Ballroom on February 4, 2005. L to R: Jane Fitzgerald, Hanna Daly, Niamh Fitzgerald and Jessica Hearne.


St. Patrick's Boys School Fethard team that took part in the Regional Credit Union Primary School Table Quiz held in Fethard Ballroom on February 4, 2005 L to R: Jamie Walsh, Padraig O'Shea, Gareth Lawrence and Michael Smyth.


Cloneen National School team that took part in the Regional Credit Union Primary School Table Quiz held in Fethard Ballroom on February 4, 2005 L to R: Richard O'Gorman, John Paul Fitzgerald, Danielle O'Riordan and Anthony Smyth.


St. Patrick's Boys School Fethard team that took part in the Regional Credit Union Primary School Table Quiz held in Fethard Ballroom on February 4, 2005 L to R: Damien Morrissey, Dean Sharpe, Louis Rice and Ger Maher.


Buying daffodils on 'Daffodil Day' in Fethard on March 11, 2005 are L to R: Philly Kenny, Anne Fleming and Veronica Wilkinson.

Nano Nagle School medal winners in the Community Games Art and Model Making Competition 2005. Back: Nicole Looby, Bridget O'Reilly, Katie O'Shea, Faye Manton, Jane Holohan. Middle: Jane Kenny, Evie O'Sullivan, Aobh O'Shea, Emma Hayes. Front: Jennifer Rice, Amy Sweeney, Cassandra Needham, Áine Proudfoot, Megan McCarthy.


Local character Paddy Ryan, also known as 'Paddy 50', who died on Tuesday, March 22, 2005.

New County Development Plan for 2022-2028


Tipperary County Council has commenced the preparation of a new County Development Plan for Tipperary. To facilitate public engagement/submissions, a dedicated ‘County Development Plan’ webpage has been set up and will remain ‘live’ during the two-year process. As the Plan progresses, the site will be routinely up-dated with reports, published submissions, public engagement guides and videos etc.


The web site can be accessed CLICKING HERE. The website is an excellent resource and point of contact for the public and stakeholders, and I would appreciate it if you could circulate the link as opportunities arise.

Fethard News
Comments or items for inclusion on this website can be emailed to fethardnews@gmail.com or delivered by hand to Joe Kenny, Rocklow Road, Fethard.

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