Rose Garden flourishing at the Augustinian Abbey


Fr Henry MacNamara OSA is photographed in these pictures, taken by Larry Kenny, while looking after his colourful rose garden at the Abbey Grounds in Fethard. In the background is the grotto in honour of Our Lady of Fatima. In 1950, the Roman Catholic Church celebrated a Holy Year, an event which was marked in Ireland with great enthusiasm. All across the country shrines and grottoes were erected, often engendering great local pride. In Fethard the occasion was celebrated with the erection of a large cross on Slievenamon, and a grotto in honour of Our Lady of Fatima was constructed in the grounds of the Abbey, along with a stained-glass window dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima, commissioned for the Abbey church from the Harry Clarke Studios, Dublin.

Noel Colville and Fr Henry MacNamara OSA are photographed in this picture, taken by Larry Kenny, planting the rose garden at the Abbey Grounds in Fethard.

Social Dancing at Fethard Ballroom
Social Dancing continues at Fethard Ballroom on Sunday night, June 28, to the music of 'Michael Collins'. All are welcome to come along and enjoy a terrific night’s social dancing from 8.30pm to 11.30pm. Admission is €10, which includes refreshments.

Fethard 'Split The Cash' Community Draw

PLEASE CLICK TO SUPPORT FETHARD & KILLUSTY
COMMUNITY COUNCIL PROJECTS
BY JOINING OUR WEEKLY DRAW
Click Above to enter

Congratulations to Thelma Griffith who won this week’s Community ‘Split the Cash’ draw for €187 on Thursday, June 25, 2026. Ticket was drawn by Eileen Coady. Thank you to everyone who supports our weekly draw. All money raised from this draw will be used to benefit our town.

Our next draw takes place on Thursday, July 2, 2026. Envelopes are €2 each or 3 for €5 and are available at the Tirry Community Centre, Kennys Centra Fethard, Lonergan's Bar, Fethard, and Butlers Off Licence, Fethard. CLICK HERE  to play online.

Fethard Ladies Football 'Split The Pot' winner


A huge congratulations to John and Teresa Hurley, our latest Split the Pot winners, who scooped a fantastic €425 in our latest draw! Teresa is a much-valued member of our Split the Pot Committee, so it’s especially lovely to see one of our own take home the prize! They are pictured receiving their winnings from members of our Split the Pot Committee.

Never miss a draw by setting up a recurring online entry and you’ll automatically be included every week – one quick setup and you’re done! Envelopes: €2 each or 3 for €5. Next Draw: Sunday, June 28, at 9pm in Burke’s Bar. Online sales close at 8pm on Sunday.

A huge thank you to everyone who continues to support Fethard Ladies Football Club. Your support really does make a difference and helps our club continue to grow. Enter the next draw by CLICKING HERE

Congratulations to Jesse's Gold Medal achievement

A huge well done to Jesse Feehan from Fethard on winning a gold medal at the Special Olympics swimming event in Dublin. What a brilliant achievement, Jesse, You should be so proud of yourself. All your hard work in the pool has paid off. Enjoy your medal Jesse and keep up the great swimming.

Died Recently in Ontario, Canada
The death has occurred on Saturday, June 20, 2026, of Anne Devaney (née Mackey), Toronto, Canada, and formerly the Cahir Road, Fethard. Anne was the last of her generation of the Mackey family. A daughter of the late Gerry and Liz Mackey, Cahir Road, and a sister of the late Chris and Tom Mackey.

Anne was born in Fethard and went to school at the Presentation Convent. She emigrated to Canada in 1966, and returned frequently to visit her family in Fethard and Killenaule, Anne was a regular subscriber to the Fethard and Killusty Newsletter for well over thirty years, and also kept in touch on the internet to get all the current news from Fethard and locality.

Anne's funeral service will take place on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at 9am, at the Assumption Catholic Funeral Home, 6933 Tomken Road, Mississauga, Ontario, L5T 1N4. As expressions of sympathy, donations to the Canadian Cancer Society or Princess Margaret Foundation would be greatly appreciated. May she rest in Peace.

Killusty 'Tipperary Cup' Reunion on Saturday, July 4


It's hard to believe that it's been 40 years since Tom Halpin lifted the 1985–1986 Tipperary Challenge Cup for the first time in the club's history. It was a remarkable achievement, given that season we finished bottom of the Third Division of the TSDL, but went on a cup run that eventually saw us come out on top, beating St Ailbies of Thurles after a replay.

The reason we even got to play the replay has gone down in Killusty folklore – it took a wonder strike from a Willie O'Meara free kick. Deep into extra time, Willie scored a goal that I will always say was the most important goal in the history of our little club.

We went on to defeat St Ailbies on a 3-1 scoreline. So to commemorate that great day we are having a reunion on Saturday, July 4, in Burkes Bar, Main Street, Fethard. This is not a night just for the cup winning panel but any lads out there who ever pulled on the Killusty jersey are more than welcome to come along for a night of reminnising and a lot of craic. It's an 8pm kick off until, well closing time obviously, we hope to see a lot of old teammates there.

The Killusty club was founded in 1969 (initially as Anner Villa before adopting the name Killusty in April 1971), the club developed into one of the leading junior soccer clubs in South Tipperary during the 1980s.

GAA Sports Development Lotto Results
Fethard GAA Sports Lotto draw results for Tuesday, June 23, 2026, are as follows: the numbers drawn were: 18, 27, 28 and 33. We had no Jackpot winner and three Match 3 winners who received €50 each: Keely Tobin, Michael Conway and Lynda Hayden. One lucky dip winner Olivia Foran, received €100. The next draw takes place on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, when the jackpot is €11,800.

Kilcooley Abbey tour with Liam Noonan

Our group making our way through the high meadow grass led to the magnificent ruins of Kilcooley Abbey.
The Fethard Historical Society’s recent trip to Kilcooley Abbey on Thursday, May 21, 2026, proved most enjoyable. The guided tour with local historian Liam Noonan began in the grounds of the Kilcooley Abbey Church of Ireland built in 1829, where there was a chance to view some interesting headstones. Just beyond the graveyard one comes across a most surprising feature - a 19th century pyramid tomb, a burial vault for some of the Barker family.

A leisurely walk-through high meadow grass led to the magnificent ruins of Kilcooley Abbey. It is a treasure trove of medieval carvings that have somehow survived the passage of time and the onslaught of the Irish weather. Kilcooley was a Cistercian monastery founded by Donal Mór O’Brien around 1182. Throughout its early history, the abbey had strong links to the Butlers of Ormonde and one of the most impressive carved tombs is that of Pierce Fitz Oge Butler, who died in 1526. It is quite something to stand in front of this monument, carved five hundred years ago, and to appreciate the incredible workmanship of the renowned master stonemason Rory O’Tunney.


Our guide Liam Noonan showing the group some interesting tombs

Other highlights include the impressive east window in the chancel, carved floor slabs, the intriguing mermaid carving, a double sedillia, and a recently identified ‘green man’ above an upstairs window.

Kilcooley Abbey served as a Cistercian monastery from the early 1100’s until 1636, when the estate was sold to the Alexander family. It passed by marriage to the Barker family in 1676 and was subsequently purchased by the Ponsonby’s in 1818 who remained there until 2008. Liam explained that while Kilcooley Abbey itself is now under the aegis of the OPW, the estate, the 19th century house and the man-made lake in front of it, are privately owned. Unfortunately, the house has been unoccupied for the last fifteen years and is now falling into disrepair.


Group attending the Fethard Historical Society's tour of Kilcooley Abbey.

The final part of the guided tour took in the extensive range of outbuildings that served as ancillary accommodation, stables etc. and a quick look at the amazingly well-preserved dovecote. Liam’ s enthusiasm for and extensive knowledge of Kilcooley Abbey made this visit a truly special experience.


Kilcooley Abbey is a treasure trove of medieval carvings that have somehow survived the passage of time.

Parish Church Lotto Results
There was no jackpot winner in the Parish Lotto on Thursday, Thursday, June 25, 2026. The numbers drawn were 8, 17, 18, and 20. The winner of the weekly draw for €30 was Fiona Spillane. Next week's draw takes place on Thursday, July 2, when the Jackpot is €5,000.

We are delighted with the support shown for our Parish Lotto, it is a fundraising initiative that is of great benefit to the parish. Please pass the word on and invite friends and family to take part. You can join, see the draw results, and details of how your support is making a big difference at: https://www.ourfundraiser.ie/org/fethardkillust

Slievenamon Adventure Centre Summer Camp

What's On Clonmel – weekly guide to entertainment
Welcome to the online version of What’s On Clonmel, your weekly guide to events and entertainment. Find your copy in pubs and shops across town, or subscribe to receive it in your inbox. Now you can also browse and submit events in our interactive calendar!

Faces and Places from the Past
This week we feature photographs from our archives and take a trip back to 1992. I've used a selection of photographs from different events and also included some photos from Fethard Confirmation taken outside the Parish Church with Archbishop Dermot Clifford.

Please let us know any names, or any other information that we can add to our files for future generations. If anyone can help us, please contact us by email at:  fethardnews@gmail.com

Fethard Patrician Presentation Leaving Certificate Class 1992, Back L to R: Catherine Walsh, Louise Coen, Ann-Marie O’Meara, Claire Williams, Sénan Murray, Bryan O’Donnell and Thomas O’Dwyer. 5th Row: Louise Skehan, Rosarii Gleeson, Sally O’Connor, Belinda McCormack, Kenneth Sheehan, James Smith and Paul Fanning. 4th Row: Caitríona Horan, Corina Cleary, Dessie O’Halloran, Siobhán Ryan, Patrick Croke, Dominic Maher and Danny Tobin. 3rd Row: Áina Doocey, Avril Colville, Jane St. John, Louise Wade, William Byrne, Kenny Hackett and Jimmy O’Brien. 2nd Row: Amanda Kelly, Linda Byrne, Mary Culleton, Debbie Phelan, Sheila Tynan, Patrick O’Sullivan, Patrick Walsh, Denis Walsh and Paul O’Meara. Front Row: Denise Cloonan, Christine Culleton, Catherine Allen, Mr. Ernan Britton (School Principal), Noel O’Dwyer, Eoin Prendergast and Seamus Trayer.


Killenaule hurling team who won the All Ireland Suicra Eleven Plate recently beating Camros in the final. Absent from photo is Tony Shelly.


Pictured above are the Fethard Patrician / Presentation under 14 camogie team which won the Tipperary Schools under 14 A Championship in 1992. Fethard become the first holders of the Kitty O’Flaherty trophy generously presented by the O’Flaherty family of Cahir in memory of their mother Kitty who was a leading camogie player and organiser in the county for many years. Back L to R: Olivia Phelan, Shonagh Coen, Ann Marie Kenny, Lee Ann Burke, Carmel O’Dwyer. Middle: Dinny Burke (trainer), Ailish Sheehan, Gwen Cooke, Bernie Horan, Annette McCarthy, Colm O’Flaherty (donor). Front: Verona Holohan, Deirdre O’Meara, Caroline Fitzgerald (capt.), Lisa McCormack, and Leona Holohan.


Photographed at a Civic Reception for rally driver Frank Meagher and his co-driver Michaél Maher, on May 22, 1992, are L to R: Bill Maher, Babe Maher, Michaél Maher, Tom Ambrose, Chairman County Council; Frank Meagher, Teresa Meagher holding baby Emma; Leo Meagher and Mary Meagher.

Group of Brownies pictured after being enrolled at Scoil Ruain, Killenaule, on May 23, 1992

Johnny O'Dwyer and family photographed after First Communion at St. Joseph the Worker Church, Moyglass, on May 24, 1992.

Michael Smith family photographed after First Communion at St. Joseph the Worker Church, Moyglass, on May 24, 1992


Members of the Hannigan family photographed after First Communion at St. Joseph the Worker Church, Moyglass, on May 24, 1992.


Archbishop Dermot Clifford with Catherine Ahearne at her Confirmation in Fethard on May 29, 1992


Archbishop Dermot Clifford with Thelma Coen at her Confirmation in Fethard on May 29, 1992.


Archbishop Dermot Clifford with members of the Harvey family at Confirmation in Fethard on May 29, 1992.


Archbishop Dermot Clifford with Members of the Fitzgerald family and Keane Family at Confirmation in Fethard on May 29, 1992

Please send any comments, photo information, names or stories, to fethardnews@gmail.com

Fethard News for inclusion on this website
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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