Run Success, Life after Loss and Parent and Toddler

Bridge News.

The results of the latest bridge game are as follows:

1st: Ann Marie Brown and Breda Murphy.
2nd: Theresa Phelan and Mary Prendergast.
3rd: Mary O Brien and Michael O Donovan.
4th: Anna Harney and Anna Ryan.

 


Mass Bookings
We have now taken the bookings for weekend anniversary masses for the months of October, November and December so if you missed your chance to book one please just contact me Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 and I will look after you.

 


School Mass.
Congratulations to all the staff and pupils of Ballyduff N.S who took part in their school mass last week. Fr. O Byrne offered the mass at this the beginning of the new school year for the good health and success of the entire school. The children took part in the readings, prayers of the faithful and offertery procession and they did a marvellous job. The school choir sang some beautiful hymns and were accompanied by their principal Ms.Power on keyboard and by new teacher Mr. Stapleton on flute. Included in their prayers of the faithful was a prayer for the speedy recovery of the school caretaker Frankie Carlin a sentiment we all echo. The children did a wonderful job at mass and were a credit to themselves and their school.
Two important dates for 2018 have been realeased by the school. The pupils of second class will make their First Holy Communion on Saturday May 12th while the pupils from 5th and 6th class will be confirmed in Ballyduff Church on Thursday May 24th.

 


Community Alert

Our local community alert group return after the Summer break with their first meeting taking place on Tuesday September 26th at 8pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. All are welcome to attend this meeting and please spread the word to your friends and neighbours. Keep our community united against crime.


Recent Death.
We send our deepest sympathy to Renee Power, Blacknock on the recent death of her brother Paddy Greene of Wellington Street and Ballybricken. Paddy of course was well known as a singer and entertainer and it was many a song he sang in O Donnachas (known then as De Laceys of course) over the years. Paddys removal and funeral mass took place in Ballybricken and he was laid to rest in St. Otterans graveyard. May he rest in peace and now sing with Gods chorus of angels.

 


Welcome Back
We say a big welcome back to St. Nicholas’s choir who have returned following a much deserved Summer break. Any adult wishing to join the choir would be made very welcome. The choir sing every fortnight at mass and rehearsals take place every Monday night in the church from 8pm to 9.15pm. If you would like to join come along to rehearsals or contact one of the choir members.
The choirs next performance at mass will be on Sunday October 8th at 10am.

 


Run Success
Congratulations to all who took part in the charity runway run at Waterford Airport in memory of the late Dara Fitzpatrick but we give a special shout out to Father and Son duo Dermot and Darragh Dooley, Kilmagemogue East, Kilmeaden who completed the 5k run in a fantastic time of 33.59. All the proceeds of the run went to the South East Mountain Rescue team and to the Touching Hearts charity. We are all very proud of Dermot and Darragh and I know Louise, Ava and Cathal are super proud too.

 


Life After Loss
If you have lost a loved one and are searching for ways to cope or indeed someone neutral to chat to then the Family Ministry of the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore offer a service where you can talk in confidence to a trained listener/counsellor in a safe and confidential setting. To find out more about the service please contact 051-858772 or familyministrywaterford@eircom.net

 


Ballyduff GAA
Ballyduff have lots to celebrate with our Junior Footballers in an Eastern Final and the U13 hurlers in the County Final. The Tom Cheasty Park has never looked so well and a big thank you must go to all who have contributed to this especially Albert who is constantly improving the place and the club feel very lucky to have him.
The Nursery and Academy Groups have increased in numbers over the past two years which shows continuing success for the club in the future. The group caters for boys and girls aged 4 to 10 and the club are looking for anyone interested in helping out with the coaching. There are places available on an accredited GAA coaching course in October so if you feel you would like to get involved please contact Brian on 087-2486423 or any committee member.

 


Autumn Stations.

The Autumn stations have come around as fast as ever and the first of these masses will be for the areas of Lacka Road, Stonehouse and Whelansbridge in the home of Declan and Breda Finn on Tuesday October 3rd at 8pm.
On Thursday October 5th the mass for Ballygarron, Ardeenlone, Lisahane, Shanbally, Ross, Kildermody, Kilmagemogue and Carriganure Lower will be the church at 7.30pm.
I will carry a full list of the station masses in next weeks so keep an eye out for your area.

 


Parent and Toddler
Our local Parent and Toddler group are back now after the Summer break and would like to welcome any toddlers or babies along with their parent/minder. They meet each Friday morning in Ballyduff Community Centre from 10am to 12 noon. This is a great environment for the toddlers and babies to get to know other children and play and make friends in a friendly and relaxing environment. It is also an outlet for the adults to chat and mingle and get to know people. All are welcome to come along and join in the fun.

Results Success, Cup Winners and Clothes Collection

GAA Lotto.

The numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 14, 20, 21 and 24. There was no winner of the jackpot and the three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Renee Power, Brenda Foley and Teresa Veale. The next draw will take place on September 24th and will have a fantastic jackpot of €8,300. Tickets cost just €2 or three for €5 and will be on sale at Centra on Saturday September 23rd or can be purchased from any committee member.Choose those four numbers carefully and the jackpot could be yours.


Bridge News.
Welcome back to the Ballyduff/Portlaw Bridge Club who have returned from their Summer break. The results of the first game back are as follows:
1st: Celia Nugent and Mary O Brien
2nd: Sean Hennessy and Mary Prendergast.
3rd: Geraldine McMahon and Nano Fitzgerald.
4th: Mary Shanahan and Fr.Michael O Byrne.

 


Mass Bookings.
If you would like to book a weekend anniversary mass for a loved one during the months of October, November or December then bookings will take place after both of the weekend masses on September 23rd and 24th. Masses are shared if needed but if you would rather not share the mass please state so at the time of booking. The booking of a months mind or first anniversary masses take preference over the choice of dates so if you have one of these please contact me Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 before the bookings so I can make sure that you get your prefered date.


Results Success.
Congratulations and well done to all the young people who received their Junior Cert results last week. We hope that they all enjoyed their celebrations and we wish them every success in their future education.

 


Community Alert.
The High Road/Ballyduff community alert have returned from their Summer break and will hold their first meeting on Tuesday September 26th at 8pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. All are welcome and encouraged to attend this meeting and come together to protect our community.

 


Cup Winners
Ballyduff AFC’s Under 11 panel travelled to Portlaw recently to take on Portlaw in the 8th annual Terry Buler Cup. Ballyduff were the victorious side and were presented with the cup by Darren Butler on behalf of his family. Well done to all the lads involved, I have no doubt that your families and club are very proud of you all.

 


Clothes Collection
A reminder to you that you still have a little bit of time left to clear out those wardrobes and closets. You can bag up your unwanted clothes, bed linen, towels, curtains, shoes, bags, belts and soft toys and drop them up to the Ballyduff AFC grounds any evening Monday to Friday from 7pm to 8.30pm. If you need your items to be collected please text Jenny on 086-8605930. Only money raised from this collection will be used for the continued development of the club.

Volunteer needed, School Mass and School News

GAA News
The academy group are kept very busy with matches and training. The organisers would like to wish all the children a happy and productive year back at school and wish all the Junior Infants who started school this year a very happy year. If you parents are looking for some fun activities for the children to take part in why not bring them along to the pitch in Kildermody for academy training on Wednesday evenings at 6.15pm and Saturday mornings at 10.30am. The group cater for boys and girls up to the age of 10 years and training includes both hurling and football. New members are always welcome.
Hard luck to our intermediate hurlers who bowed out of the championship last week. This was their first year at this level and they reached the quater final stage and were unlucky not to progress further. Great praise is due to all the players and all involved with the club, their efforts are a real credit to their club and community.

 


Volunteer Needed
Do you live in the areas of Knockaderry, Carrigphilip or Carriganure? Would you like to host the Autumn station in your home for your area? If you would like to volunteer please contact me Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 and Fr.O Byrne will arrange a suitable date with you for during the month of October. If nobody comes forward the mass will be held in the church. The station masses are a lovely tradition and are a lovely opportunity for friends and neighbours to come together and offer their special intentions to God.

 


School Mass.
To celebrate the beginning of the new school year there will be a special mass on Friday September 15th at 10am to ask for Gods blessing on all the pupils and students for the coming year. Everyone is welcome to come along and join in this mass.

 


School News.
Ballyduff N.S has now reopened its doors and classes have resumed. We wish all the students and teachers a wonderful, happy and healthy year. We welcome in all the new Junior Infants and hope they settle in nicely. We also welcome two new teachers to our school, Mr.Pauric Stapleton and Ms.Lorraine Ryan and we hope they enjoy their new positions.

 


Match Disappointment
Although we are heartbroken that we were unable to bring the Liam McCarthy cup home we are thrilled to have made it to the All Ireland Final. The team and management can hold their heads up high as they put up a great fight and treated the crowds to a fantastic display of hurling. Their dedication and committment to the game and their county was outstanding and I’m sure they were deeply moved by the crowds who lined the streets of Waterford to welcome their heroes back home. They have given the Waterford supporters a brilliant Summer full of joy and excitement. Young and old spoke of the game and games gone past. However even though the team put in a huge effort it just wasn’t our day and we were narrowly beaten by Galway. We will live on to see another day and I have no doubt that this present team and management will win an All Ireland title.

Ballyduff AFC News, Church News and Wedding Delight.

GAA Lotto.
The four numbers drawn in the last lotto draw were 7,16,17 and 22. There was no winner of the jackpot. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Mary Power, Kathleen Power and The Sweep Gang. The next draw will take place on September 10th and will have a fantastic jackpot of €8150 up for grabs. Tickets are €2 each or 3 for €5. They are on sale from committee members and will be on sale on Saturday September 9th outside Centra all day. Get your tickets and choose your four numbers carefully and the jackpot could be yours.

 


Ballyduff AFC News.
Ballyduff AFC are continuing their clothes collection for the month of September so if you fancy clearing out those closets then you can drop your unwanted clothes, towels, bed linen, curtains, shoes, bags, belts and soft toys to the clubhouse any evening Monday to Friday from 6pm or contact Jenny on 086-8605930 to organise collection. All money raised goes directly back into the club to provide the best possible facilities for all its members.
The Terry Butler Cup Final will take place on Sunday September 10th in Portlaw at 11am. The Under 11 teams from Ballyduff and Portlaw will compete for the honour of lifting the Terry Butler Cup. Terry was indeed a man who was very proud of his club and gave many years of dedication and committment to the club and so it is fitting that this great man be honoured in this way.

 


Church News.
Weekly adoration of the blessed sacrament takes place every Tuesday from 12 noon to 7pm. You are invited to drop in for a few minutes or longer at any stage of the day and spend some quiet time with the blessed sacrament.
If you are interested in putting your name down to read at the weekend masses from time to time then please contact myself Linda Spillane on 087-9838392.
On Sunday morning a team of volunteers visit parishioners who are sick or housebound and unable to get to mass and bring them holy communion. If you know of someone who would like to avail of this service please contact Fr.Mick or leave their name into the sacristy. This service is available for someone with a short term illness as well as long term ailments.

 


Wedding Delight.
We send our warmest congratulations to Tracy Power, Raheen on her recent marriage to Marcus Fearon. We hope the happy couple enjoyed their beautiful wedding day and wish them and their gorgeous little girl Maisie many years of happiness in their future lives together.

Cycle Success, Up the Deise and Back To School

Golden Couple.
We send warm congratulations to Billy and Ann Flanagan, Amberhill who recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. A little bird told me the news the other day and no Billy, it wasn’t a pigeon!! I’m sure Billy serenaded Ann with a song or two and maybe a waltz or two also. We wish this popular couple many more years of happiness.

 


Cheque Presentation
On July 16th the Kilmeaden Vintage Tractor club celebrated their 10th annual tractor run followed by a barbeque, old time threshing, birds of prey and live music from John O Shea back at Haughtons. It was certainly one of the days that sticks out in my mind from the Summer. The weather was glorious and the atmosphere was electric. Of course this wasn’t all just for fun, they run this tractor run each year to help raise funds for The Solas Centre. On Friday night last in Haughtons the group presented a cheque to The Solas Centre for €6,600.50. What a fantastic amount and a huge well done to the organisers, all who took part and all who supported.

 


A Place To Remember.
If you have ever taken a walk or a jog around Knockaderry Lake then chances are you met or had a conversation with the late Willie(Melvey) Murphy, Lord have mercy on his gentle soul. Willie was what I would describe as a lovable rogue and could literally charm the birds out of the trees. He had a great love of nature and animals and his home by the lake was his castle. He loved chatting to people and listening to their story and loved a good laugh. On Tuesday evening last I attended a beautiful little ceremony where a memorial plaque was unveiled in Willies memory. This plaque was erected by Willies neighbours and friends and a great crowd attended to watch Fr.O Byrne bless this plaque by the lake. We enjoyed a lovely cup of tea and some beautiful home baking afterwards and I have no doubt that Willie was there in spirit. As you take your walk or jog around the lake now maybe stop for a minute at “Willies Place” and think of him and take a minute out of the busy day to take in the beauty that surrounds you just like Willie did. Rest in peace Willie you will never be forgotten.

 


Cycle Success
A big well done to all the ladies and gentlemen from our area who took part in The Sean Kelly Tour cycle. The conditions were very unsuitable with wind and rain for most of the route but they battled on and overcame the challenge. I hope they are all rested now and ready for the next challenge.

 


Up The Deise.
Well done to all our local businesses and homeowners for decorating our parish in our Waterford colours. It is wonderful to see such pride in our county and it is heartwarming to hear the excitement in the voices of young and old as they speak about the match. If you havent had time to decorate yet dont worry there is still time. May I give a special mention to Tony O Leary, Tom Whelan and Michael Jnr Power who I saw the other day decorating the roundabout with flags and bunting.

 


Back To School
I know I am going to be very unpopular for mentioning the “school” word but unfortunately the Summer holidays must end sometime. I would like to wish all those returning to playschool, national school, secondary school and college the very best for the year ahead and hope that they enjoy a happy and safe year. A mention to for all the teachers and school staff members who are also returning and we wish them a happy and productive year.

 


Take Note
Clubs and organisations will begin to resume their activities in the coming weeks so if you would like to let people know about these then please contact me Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 or spillanelinda2017@gmail.com or indeed stop me if you see me out and about, the notebook is always in the car. Any news of weddings, engagements, significant birthdays, new babies we’ll report it all just shout!