Our Sympathies, Tractor Run and Pink for Cancer Research

Bridge News.

The Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club played their latest game on Monday June 17th and the results were:
1st: Nano Fitzgerald and Kate Hayes.

2nd: Theresa Phelan and Ann Marie Brown.

3rd: Elizabeth Phelan and Iris Graham.

4th: Joan Hartrey and Patsy Roche.


GAA Lotto.
The numbers drawn in the latest GAA lotto draw were 7, 12, 26 and 27. There was no winner of the jackpot but the three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Alice O Brien, Eoin Cummins and Catriona Dunphy. The next draw will take place on Sunday June 30th and there will be a fantastic jackpot of €12,500 up for grabs. Tickets cost just €2 each or 3 for €5 and are available from all committee members and will also be on sale at Centra on Saturday June 29th. All is left for you to do now is to choose those four lucky numbers and then plan your spending spree.


Our Sympathies.

We extend our sympathies to Michael Connolly of Cullinagh on the recent death of his brother Maurice. Maurice was of course a native of this parish but died at his home in Foulksmills, Co. Wexford. He was a gifted author and playwright and also spent some years as an auctioneer with his brother Michael. We send our condolences to all the Connolly family on their sad loss.

We also send our heartfelt sympathies to Jenny Doyle, Ballyduff West on the recent death of her mother Anna Hennessy. Anna lived in Borris, Co. Carlow and I can say that I had the great pleasure of meeting her many times. I can honestly say that she was without doubt a real lady who was always happy to meet you and have a chat and absolutely adored her family. Her and her husband Peter were constant companions and made many visits to Ballyduff West. We pray that Anna now enjoys the peace of heaven and that her husband Peter, children Jenny and Austin, son in law Noel and beloved grandchildren Hannah and Finn will find comfort in their memories. May her sweet gentle soul rest in peace.


Mass Bookings

Anniversary mass bookings for the months of July, August and September have now been taken but don’t worry there are still dates available. If you would like to book a mass for a loved one during those months please contact myself Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 and I will try to accomodate you.


Tractor Run.

The date for the popular annual tractor run hosted by Kilmeaden Vintage Tractor has been announced. Mark your diary for Sunday July 21st when at 1pm the convoy of tractors will leave Haughtons and take on a scenic route around the area. This is always a much looked forward to event and is always a great day out. Following the run its back to Haughtons for a tasty barbeque and a few lemonades. All of the proceeds from this day goes to The Solas Centre so please support by coming along and enjoying a great event. I will be reminding you of this date in the coming weeks so stay tuned for more details. In the meantime if you want any further information please contact Pat on 087-2216589.


New Wheels

We send warm congratulations to Mrs. Carmel Nugent, Matthews Cross who recently won a Toyota Yaris Hybrid in the St.Dominics Credit Union monthly members car draw. We wish Carmel the very best and congratulate her on this fantastic win.

 


Little Princess.

Heartiest congratulations to Mark Scannell and Aoife Kearns on the recent birth of their beautiful baby girl. Baby Cara arrived into the world happy and healthy and ready for action and that she better be as big sister Erina is ready and willing to show her new sister just how to get on in this world. This happy couple are truly blessed with two beautiful girls and we wish the happy little family a lifetime of health and happiness.

 


Pink For Cancer Research

Silage season is well and truly underway and while driving around different parts of the county I am delighted to see so many fields full of beautifully wrapped pink bales. For the fifth year Glanbia Agribusiness have joined with Breast Cancer Ireland to raise funds for this very worthy charity. For every single roll of limited edition pink Mastercrop Agristretch purchased across all Glanbia Agribusiness and Glanbia Countrylife branches a donation will be made to Breast Cancer Ireland.

It is heartwarming to see so many farmers embracing this worthy cause and I was delighted this week to see my good neighbour and friend Michael Power pledging his support by wrapping his bales in pink. Hopefully the good people in the papers have included a photo of these bales that I have sent in with these notes. Well done to Michael and the Power family who are always such great supporters of charity and thank you on behalf of all who benefit from the services of this charity.


Graveyard Mass.

The annual graveyard mass in Ballyduff will take place on Wednesday July 3rd at 7.30pm. This is always very well attended so please spread the word to all those who may have friends or relatives buried in our graveyard. We are very proud of the beautiful way our graveyard is kept and so we ask that if you are replacing flowers etc on your loved ones grave please bring a bag for the old flowers and rubbish as we do not have any bins on site.

Following the mass we will have a cuppa and some light refreshments in the community centre. If you would like to offer some homebaking or bought items we would be very grateful. You can let me know or I will be in the hall on the night of the mass from 6.30pm.


GAA News.

A big well done to all the LGFA U8 girls who competed in a football blitz and came out as winners in all their matches. With some great performances a great mornings fun was had by all.

The U14 ladies had a great win over Ballysaggart which brought them through to the County Final. Hopefully I will have some good news about that next week.

The U8 hurlers hosted a blitz last week with some great individual performances on display. A big thank you to the three young whistlers who helped out on the night, Cathal, Keith and Aaron and also to the coaches for all the time and effort they put in.

The club would like to thank everyone who came along to their funday which incorporated the Tom Cheasty Cup, Derek Ryan Memorial Cup and official opening of the clubs ball wall. The new ball wall is dedicated to the late great Ollie Harris , a man who gave his life and soul to the club. The Ballyduff U11’s took the Tom Cheasty Cup defeating Carrigeen and Modeligo captured the Derek Ryan memorial cup defeating the Ballyduff intermediates. The club would like to thank everyone who attended and all those who brought food and helped out. A special word of thanks to the Cheasty, Ryan and Harris families without whom the day would not have been possible.

Mass Bookings, School Sports and Warm Welcome

Mass Bookings.
If you would like to book an anniversary mass for the months of July, August and September then bookings will take place after both masses next weekend June 22nd and 23rd. If you need to book a Months Mind or First Anniversary mass during these months then please contact Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 before the bookings so that you can get your prefered date. Months Mind or First Anniversary masses are given a mass on their own where at all possible but other masses may need to be shared depending on demand.


Wedding Bells.

St. Nicholas Church, Ballyduff was the setting for a most beautiful wedding on Saturday June 7th. Local lady Sarah Crowley from Adamstown arrived to the church in beautiful sunshine and glowed with happiness. By her side as always was her sister and best friend Joanne who took her job as bridesmaid very seriously. Her pretty flowergirls and her bridesmaid then lead the way up the church aisle where her groom Noel O Connor awaited his beautiful bride. Family friend and former priest of this parish Fr. Joe Flynn made sure that all formalities were dealt with and the happy couple left the church as man and wife in glorious sunshine once again. The celebrations then moved on to the stunning Waterford Castle where the wedding party were wined and dined and then danced the night away. We wish this lovely couple every happiness in their future lives together.


Bridge News

The results of the bridge game played by the Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club on Monday June 10th were as follows:

1st: Aileen Stephenson and Breda F Murphy.

2nd:Nano Fitzgerald and Geraldine McMahon.

3rd: Anne Kennedy and Breda Murphy.

4th:Anna Harney and John Fitzpatrick.


School Sports.

Ballyduff NS held their annual sports evening on Tuesday June 11th. Thankfully the weather was kind so there was no sliding and slipping in muddy puddles. There were some great sprinters on show with some possible olympians emerging. However my favourite races are the sack races, three legged races and the egg(sorry potato) and spoon races where you hear the children laughing as they fall over each other or drop the potato just before the line. A big well done to all the parents council and their helpers who put such terrific work into this each year. There were fabulous raffle prizes up for grabs. Nobody was allowed to go hungry with burgers and sausages sizzling on the barbeques. I’m delighted to say a fantastic amount of €1450 was raised on the night for school resources and activities next year.

I have been asked to give a special mention and thank you to all the prize sponsors on the night, Hicksons Centra Kilmeaden, Boots Pharmacy,Tramore, Kilmeaden Pharmacy, The Book Centre, Alfie Hale Sports, Mountain View Chinese Restaurant, Mulligans Pharmacy, Glanbia Countrylife Kilmeaden, Frank Murphy Hurleys, Living Colours and Ross Kavanagh Ltd for the barbeques and loudspeakers.


Our Sympathy

We extend our deepest sympathy to Mrs. Eileen Kirwan, Amberhill on the recent death of her brother Larry Walshe. We pray that Larry now rests in peace and that his family and friends may find comfort through the power of our prayers.


Church News

A reminder that Adoration of the Blessed Eucharist takes place in the church every Tuesday from 12 noon to 5pm. Please drop in and spend a few minutes or an hour whatever suits you in the presence of the Lord. Let me tell you it is lovely to switch off and sit in the peace and tranquilty with just your own thoughts.

Dates to keep marked in your diaries are Wednesday July 3rd when our annual graveyard mass will take place at 7.30pm. This is a lovely opportunity to pray for all our family and friends who are buried in our graveyard. Please if you are tidying up your family grave in the coming weeks please remember to bring a rubbish bag with you and bring away any dead flowers etc as there are no dumping facilities in the graveyard. Wednesday July 24th is the date set for the annual graveyard mass at Newcastle. There will be a faith walk leaving from Ballyduff at 6.30pm and mass at Newcastle will begin at 7.30pm.

We send warm wishes to Fr. O Byrne who celebrated 52 years in the priesthood last week. We pray that the Lord will continue to bless him in his ministry.


Warm Welcome.

It is great to see another new business open up in our area. The Milestone Coffee House has opened its doors in the Kilmeaden Village Centre and we wish all involved the very best of luck. This is another great amenity to have and hopefully you will all have an opportunity to drop in and support and give the owners our warm Kilmeaden welcome.

Marathon Marvels, Wedded Bliss and All Ireland Champion

GAA Lotto.

The numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 14, 18, 26 and 27. There was no jackpot winner but the three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Mary Kinsella, Johnny Keane and Stephen Torpey. The next draw will take place on Sunday June 16th and there will be a fantastic jackpot of €12,500 on offer. Tickets cost just €2 or three for €5 and will be on sale outside Centra on Saturday June 15th or from all committee members.


Our Sympathy
We extend our deepest sympathies to Breda Counihan, Ballyduff West on the recent death of her beloved brother James Ryan. Although I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing this man personally I was able to tell from speaking to Breda that he was a strong hardworking man who had farmed all his life and had a great sence of family values.

We pray that James now rests in peace and that his family will find comfort in their memories of him.


Marathon Marvels
Huge congratulations to all the men and women from our area who took part in both the Cork and Dublin marathons last weekend. I don’t want to start naming names because I will most certainly leave someone out. Many of these people had run marathons before and for some it was their first time. Each one of them should be very proud of their own special achievement.


Wedded Bliss

We send warm congratulations to Michael and Mary Fitzpatrick, Ballyduf West as they recently celebrated 30 years of wedded bliss. Only mere children of course when they married back in 1989 I’m sure those 30 years have gone by in the blink of an eye. I’m sure their daughter Sara helped them to celebrate this great occasion in style. We wish them both many more happy and healthy years together.


All Ireland Champion

Another All Ireland Champion returned back home to Kilmeaden in the last week or so. Representing his school, St. Declans Community College in Kilmacthomas Matteo Mary from Ballygarron ran the race of his life in the Inter boys 1500m. Matteo stayed patiently behind the leaders for the first 3 laps before kicking for home with 250m to go. He also managed to run a lifetime best of 4.05 so it really was a weekend to remember for Matteo This is a fantastic achievement for Matteo and a just reward for all the hard work and committment he gives to his sport.


Church News

Some dates for you to mark in your diary are our annual graveyard mass which will take place on Wednesday July 3rd at 7.30pm. Please spread the word around to people you know who are living in other areas but have relatives and friends buried in our cemetery.

The annual graveyard mass in the old cemetery in Newcastle will take place on Wednesday July 24th at 7.30pm and there will be the usual faith walk from Ballyduff beforehand.


Memorial Fun Run.

Another date for your diary is Friday August 9th. Se2 will very kindly once again sponsor the Liz (Eilis) Hayes Memorial Fun Run. It is hard to believe that is the 8th year of this run. Walkers will set off at 6.45pm and the runners will make their way around at 7.30pm. This fun run takes in the beautiful scenery around Knockaderry Lake. I will have more details in the coming weeks so stay tuned.


Beauty and The Beast

Starstruck Theatre School staged their production of Beauty and the Beast over two nights in Ballyduff Community Centre. The show was full of colour dance and song and the smiles of the children were highly infectious. Each child played their individual parts well and kept the audience entertained. Well done to all the cast and crew and all the helpers. We look forward to the next production.

Our Sympathy, Confirmation Time and Aviva Dreams

Bridge News

The Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club meet in Ballyduff NS every Monday night and the results of their game played on Monday May 27th are:
1st: Sean Hennessy and Kate Hayes.

2nd: Geraldine McMahon and Nano Fitzgerald.

3rd: Mary Cummins and Mary Prendergast.

4th: Beth Spollen and John Fitzpatrick.
This very generous group invited Dermot Dooley from the Touching Hearts charity to their meeting where they presented him with a cheque for €500 which is greatly appreciated.


Our Sympathy

We extend our deepest sympathy to JJ and Mary White, Gortaclode on the death of their beloved daughter Breda. Breda Quigley was living in Kilhile, Arthurstown and her funeral mass took place in St. James Church, Ramsgrange followed by burial in the new cemetery. We offer our sympathies to all of Bredas family especially her parents JJ and Mary, her sister Helen, her husband Joe and daughters Nicols and Lisa. We pray that Breda now rests in peace and that her heartbroken family and friends may find comfort in their memories of her.


Beautiful Baby Boy.
We extend our warmest congratulations to Ms. Lorraine Ryan and her husband James who recently welcomed their baby son Luke into the world. Ms. Ryan is part of the teaching staff in Ballyduff N.S and we send heartiest congratulations from all the staff, students and parents. We hope baby Luke will come to meet us all soon and we wish him and his parents every good health and happiness.


Confirmation Time

On Thursday May 30th Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan confirmed the 5th and 6th classes from Portlaw National School and we wish each and every one of them the very best and hope that they all enjoyeda wonderful day with their family and friends. We pray that the gifts of the Holy Spirit will continue to guide and protect these young people in their futures.

 


Free CPR Training

Yes you did read that right, our local GAA club have very kindly organised free CPR training for the club and community. This training will take place on Friday June 7th in Ballyduff Community Centre. The times arranged are 5pm, 6.30pm and 8pm. If you are over 18 and are interested in taking part in this life saving opportunity please call Brian on 087-2486423 to register. Places are filling fast so please ring today.

 


GAA News

As always our local GAA club is a hive of activity with all the different age groups taking part in games both at home and away. Congratulations to the U14 LGFA team who beat Abbeyside 7-09 to 4-04 in a very exciting game at home. This win brings them through to a county semi final and we wish them the very best of luck.

The academy section of the club had a fantastic day out to Butlerstown recently with 53 children from the club taking part in lots of matches against the host club. They all enjoyed the games and abig thank you to all the parents.

The U12 lady footballers had a great win in the first round of the championship against Erins Own. A big well done to the girls for all their great work and also to their coaches and parents for their brilliant support.

In the U9 hurling league Ballyduff bounced back with an entertaining win over Clonea on a score line of 3-2 to 1-2. There was some brilliant play all over the field especially against the wind in the second half. The great support from the sideline also helped greatly.


Aviva Dreams!

I was delighted when I heard that a group of young ladies from our local soccer club were off to The Aviva and wanted to make sure that I gave you an accurate account of the days happening so I sought the help of a young expert friend of mine Laura Carlin. Laura and her sister Emma were part of the group who headed off and of course they have soccer running through their blood and the piece that Laura put together for me was full of such passion and enthusiasm I decided that I should just include it exactly as written so please enjoy:

During the Easter holidays Ballyduff AFC held a camp called the Aviva Soccer Sisters. Lots of clubs throughout the country held this camp too. Every club that held the camp was entered into a draw to take part in the Aviva soccer sister dream camp at the Aviva Stadium. Three teams from Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht were picked out of a hat and fortunately Ballyduff was picked to go. We organised a bus to bring us to and from Dublin.

Finally the 29th of May arrived. Everyone met at the Ballyduff school park at 1.30pm. The 10 children and 7 adults were soon on the bus and on their way to Dublin. Near the Aviva stadium the team stopped for a quick snack and then it was on to the stadium. The girls were shocked to see such a huge stadium and the cameras were straight out for the photos. We got to the stadium and registered and the FAI gave every team a mentor and Ballyduff’s mentor was called Mia. Mia plays for Bohs ladies in Dublin at the momntedent. Mia brought the girls to the dressing room that the Irish Soccer and rugby teams use. They were so big they even had two jacuzzis in them. The girls got changed and made their way out onto the pitch. The games were 15 minutes long. We drew our first game but won the other three. After the fourth match the teams were presented with medals and a club plaque and there was a chance of a group photo with Cara the school girl mascot and then it was time to head back to Ballyduff. The girls all had a brilliant time and will treasure the memories forever.

I thank Laura very much for this informative account of their day and I know that all in Ballyduff AFC are very proud of the fine representation made by these girls on behalf of their club and coaches. I am also quiet certain that from the heavens above a very proud Frankie Carlin beamed down with tremendous satifaction as both a grandad and a proud Ballyduff AFC man.


Star Struck Production.

Star Struck Theatre school who hold classes in Ballyduff Community Centre are ready to bring their production to the stage. Consisting of boys and girls from our community their production of Beauty and the Beast promises to delight the audience. They will take to the stage on Wednesday June 5th and Thursday June 6th at 7pm. Tickets will be on sale at the door at the following prices, adults €10, children €8 and a family ticket(2 adults and 2 children)for €30. Come along and treat yourself to a night of fun and song.