Christmas Offers at Town & County

Fethard GAA Club AGM report
Fethard GAA Club held its 2022 Annual General Meeting on Thursday, December 8, in the Abymill Theatre, which was well attended by members, coaches and players. The very Rev. Liam Everard P.P. opened the meeting with a prayer for those who had passed away during the year.

The meeting congratulated their Juvenile Board on its outstanding report and continued commitment to the young players of the Fethard and Killusty Parish. It noted our great win in the South U19 Football Championship. Club chairman, Tom Anglim, thanked all the coaches for giving their time coaching our senior teams.

The main focus for 2023 will be fundraising, starting with a joint event, with the Ladies Football Club and St. Rita’s Camogie Club in a joint Strictly Come Dancing evening. It is hoped that this will be well supported by our Parish. Out Lotto is going well, but we need more people to buy online tickets through Clubforce.

Thanks to Noel Byrne who has promoted the County Board Draw and we will benefit well from this draw as 50 percent of the tickets sold from Fethard GAA Club coming back to the club. Tom congratulated Jack Quinlan on his All-Ireland win, stating this is a huge achievement, not only for Jack, but for the Quinlan and Fitzgerald families, as well as the club and parish. 

Incoming chairman for 2023 is Tom Anglim, secretary is Ann Fleming, treasurer is Michael Knightly, and PRO is Brian Delahunty, along with Alan O’Connor, Kate Davey and Noel Byrne.

Parish Church Lotto Draw Results
There was no jackpot winner in this week's Parish Lotto on Thursday, December 8. The numbers drawn were 4,12, 14 and 15. The winner of the weekly draw for €30 was Edwina Newport. Next week's Jackpot for Thursday, December 15, will be €3,100. (See below for Special Christmas Draw next week)

Please pass the word on and invite friends and family to take part. You can help our Parish in a real, practical way.  Thank you for your support and the best of luck in our next weekly draw. PLAY OUR LOTTO NOW

Parish Lotto Christmas Draw

Fethard & Killusty Parish are having special Christmas Draws to say a BIG Thank You to everyone supporting our lotto. Every line in our lotto on December 15, will automatically have a free chance to win in two Extra draws:

Draw 1 - Our Parish’s Christmas Draw - spot prizes below

• A tour of Coolmore Stud for four people
• €50 voucher for Dalton's Pharmacy
• €50 voucher for Fethard Electrical Wholesale
• €50 voucher for Glanbia
• €50 voucher for Meagher's Daybreak
• €50 voucher for O'Sullivan's Pharmacy

Draw 2 - NATIONAL Draw - free chance to win one of the prizes below. All fundraising groups with a ‘Fundraiser Lotto’ have a chance to win one of these prizes.

• FOTA ISLAND - 5 Star Hotel - 2 night break
• 3 x PLAYSTATION 5’s + FIFA 2023
• Harry Styles pair of tickets
• Michael Bublé pair of tickets
• 4 x Deluxe Christmas Hampers

Thank you so much for your support, you are making a real difference. Please spread the word with family and friends to join in.

Invitation to celebrate Advent
We invite you to come to the Parish Church for the four Wednesdays of Advent for one hour of prayer and hymns of praise, from 7.30pm to 8.30pm. Entrance through the side door on the right of the church. All are welcome.

They Who Sing, Pray Twice . . .
After being as good as silenced for the past few years, the Parish Church Choir will reconvene from this Sunday. Our initial focus is to have a Choir singing for the Christmas Ceremonies this year and we will play it by ear from there on.  In addition to singing at 11am Mass, practices will be held on Sunday nights at 7pm in the Church.  We would like to extend an invitation to anyone in the community who likes to sing and would like to become involved in the Choir to come along at either eleven or seven, if you can, or else make contact with our Organist, Denise.  We would really appreciate you coming to join in singing with us. 

Christmas Coffee Morning at Cashel Library

St. Vincent de Paul Annual Church Gate Collection
Dear friends and supporters our Annual Church Gate Collection for St. Vincent de Paul, will take place this coming weekend – Saturday, December 11, and Sunday, December 12.

This is our only fund raising every year and we greatly rely on this to fund our work. We are extremely lucky to be so well supported by this parish every year and we are so grateful to each and every person who helps us. Due to smaller numbers attending at mass we are asking people to consider other ways of contributing e.g.:

• A donation can be given to any member of the conference (please no cash).
• People may use the blue envelope which was recently delivered to most households to send a donation to our Head Office. If you specify inside the envelope Head Office will send the donation to us please do not send cash.
• Donations may be sent by mail to the Treasurer Vincent de Paul Fethard receipts provided if requested.
• We know that with prices rising etc many people are feeling the pinch so please only contribute if you can afford it.

Anyone who needs help for Christmas please text name and address to 085 8086099 or 086 1940016 or 086 8588118 or 086 8443622 complete confidentially guaranteed.
– Thanking you, St Vincent de Paul, Fethard

Social Dancing at Fethard Ballroom


Fethard Ballroom continues its social dancing on Sunday, December 11, to the music of ‘Checkers'. All are welcome to come along and enjoy a great night’s entertainment and social dancing from 8.30pm to 11.30pm. Admission is €10, which includes tea and cakes. For further information or for booking the Ballroom, contact Eileen Coady, Tel: 086 0776420.

Christmas Carol Service
A service of Christmas Carols and lessons will take place in Holy Trinity Church of Ireland, Fethard, on Sunday, December 18, at 7pm. The Service will be taken by Heidi Good and will include: Carols sung by Fethard Choral Group; and music by Susan Strappe and the young trad musicians group. Organist, Ann Barry, and Cellist, Fiona Barry. Everyone is invited to attend and refreshments will be served after the service.

GAA Sports Development Lotto
Fethard GAA Sports Lotto draw results for Tuesday, December 6, are as follows: the numbers drawn were: 23, 27, 30 and 35. We had no Jackpot winner and no 'Match Three' winner. One Lucky Dip winner received €100: Darren Phelan, Fethard.  The next draw takes place on Tuesday, December 13, when the jackpot is €15,200. The funds raised are used to promote sport in the local community.

There will be loads of additional prizes is our lotto with will be held on Sunday 18th December 18, and not December 20 – the only change from Tuesday lotto dates for 2022. Along with the usual draw there will be Lucky dips of 1 x €500, 2 x €250, and 10 x €100. The draw will be held in Burkes bar at 8pm on December 18.

Fethard GAA AGM
Fethard GAA AGM will take place on Thursday, December 8, at 8pm in the Abymill, Fethard.

Congratulations Mary
Congratulations to Mary Godfrey for receiving the GAA Loachea Gael award on 27th November.

Please support Roger Mehta's song for Ukraine

Butler's Bar Sports Achievement nominees for November
The following seven nominees were received for the Butler's Sports Achievement award for November.

1. Holy Trinity U11 Girls Gaelic Football Team – county schools final winners after a very exciting victory against Upperchurch.
2. Charlie Walsh – Young soccer player continues to impress. In the Friendship Cup U15 final with his club St. Kevin's, Charlie scored both goals in a 2-1 victory against Cahir Park.
3. Fethard Ladies U19 Gaelic Football Team – Following on from the senior team success the U19 team topped off a great year with a county final victory against Boherlahan.
4. Fethard Boys Gaelic Football Team – Winners of the Michael Hogan Cup , a blitz competition organised by Fethard G.A.A.
5. Fethard J2 Rugby Team – Currently topping their league table with 6 wins out of six.
6. Kari Laaksonen – Well known all round sportsman Kari recently had a fine victory in a 36 man golf tournament held in his native Finland.
7. Dinny Burke – Evergreen Dinny did it again with a 'Hole in One' at the very tricky 18th hole in Slievenamon.

The winner will be announced on this Friday night, December 9, at a special function held at Butlers Bar.

Fethard & Killusty Emigrants’ Newsletter on sale now!


Fethard & Killusty Emigrant's Newsletter is now available 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 this weekend free of charge to Fethard emigrants on our mailing list throughout the world.

We take this opportunity to thank everyone who submitted articles and photographs, and also those who supported the publishing and postage, with donations throughout the year that helps in no small way to make this annual publication possible – since it first began in 1959.

South U21 Football Semi-Final
Ballingarry 3-8. Fethard 2-7
On Sunday last, December 4, in O’Sullivan Park, Ballingarry, Fethard were beaten in the U21 ‘B’ South semifinal, mainly due to lack of scoring from play on the day. We only scored a point in the first half and a goal in the second, with the rest of the scores coming from frees. Ballingarry scored 3-5 from play, and 0-3 from frees.  Even though the game was close it was only in the last 15 minutes that Ballingarry scored four points to Fethard’s one point, the left them winning by four.

Well done to all that played. With only 15 players present we had no subs available to selectors. The team that did us proud were Peter Wall, Jack Quinlan, Darragh Spillane, Dara O’Meara, Adam Ryan, Cathal O’Mahony 1-2 (1P, 2F), Charlie Hackett, Ryan Walsh, Richard Anglim, Tom Murray, Ciaran Moroney 0-5 (4F), Conor Neville 1-0, James Barry, Matt Coen, and Sean Moroney. Referee was Tom McGrath.

Ryan O'Dwyer – the Fethard connection
Ryan O'Dwyer whom you may have read about on this site, is the husband of a local girl, Alison Holohan, from Killusty. Alison's family are very well known in Fethard & Killusty Parish, especially in the areas of football, camogie and soccer. Indeed, Alison is a former school's camogie player and past pupil of Patrician Presentation Secondary School in Fethard.

Fundraising Table Quiz raised €2,195
The organisers of the recent Table Quiz held in Fethard Patrician Presentation Secondary School Gym Hall on Thursday evening, December 8, would like to thank everyone who kindly supported the event through donations, spot prizes and entering the quiz –  a total of 37 tables entered on the night raising the magnificent total of €2,195 for this most deserving cause. – Signed: Willie O'Meara, Tossy Lawton and Dinny Burke.

Big Picture - Fethard Dance & Musicians– 1950s

Fethard group photographed after dance with Band musicians in the 1950s
This photo was taken by the late Billy Boland in the 1950s and printed from one of his surviving glass plates. It appears to be a Fethard group photographed with the band after the dance. The band included lots of well known musicians from that time including Billy Kenrick, Mick Dell, Michael Coady, Pat Mac and others . . . You can zoom in closer to see more detail by clicking the photograph to zoom-in and double-clicking the photograph to zoom-out. If you can help with further information please let us know. Your comments, names or corrections are always welcome to: fethardnews@gmail.com

Fethard Summer Camp in July 2000

Fethard Summer Camp in July 2000


Paddy Lonergan with bar staff in June 2000


Noreen Morrissey (right) with her two sister-in-laws at Lonergans Bar in June 2000


Remember the first 'Online Banking' machines that were installed in pubs, and also offered to send video emails and lots of other services – just insert £1 to start! This one was photographed in Lonergan's Bar in June 2000.


Fethard Civil Defence members photographed at their Sponsored Stretcher Push from Fethard to Killusty which took place on Sunday, June 25, 2000. The proceeds enabled the local branch to spend over £1,000 on much needed equipment and supplies. L to R: Marie O’Meara, Paul Kenny, Rory Walsh, Tony Kennedy, Emma Morrissey, Declan Kenny and Philly Croke. Edel Bradshaw in the stretcher.


All smiles for Gay Horan in August 2000

Please send any further information to: fethardnews@gmail.com

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.