Monthly Archives: December 2019

Social Dancing Success, Disco Fever and Christmas Wishes

Social Dancing Success

On Sunday December 15th our local community alert group treated us all to a wonderful afternoon of music, dance and company. This free event was open to everyone to attend and it was lovely to see such a lovely crowd turn up. From 2pm to 5pm the great Teddy and Cathal Barry treated us to everything from a waltz to a jive and a quickstep to the siege of venice. During the interval we enjoyed a lovely cuppa and lovely treats. A big thank you to Donal Daly, Ann Sullivan, Paddy Kirk and Milestone Coffee House who donated lovely biscuits and cakes for everyone. A big thank you to everyone who attended this event and made it the fantastic afternoon it was.

 

Church News for Christmas.

A big thank you and well done to everyone who decorated our church for Christmas. As always our church looks beautiful and we are all set to welcome in the Christmas season. Our masses for Christmas are on Christmas Eve at 9pm and on Christmas morning mass will be at 10.30am.

The annual Christmas collection for the support of the priests of the parish will be taken up at all the masses during Christmas and we ask you to be as generous as possible.

Disco Fever
Ballyduff AFC remind you to mark Saturday January 18th in your diaries. The club will host a fundraising disco in The Sweep Bar with Dirty Dancing Disco providing the entertainment from the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s. With dancing from 9pm till late this promises to be a great night of fun and laughter so get those legwarmers and head bands ready.

 

Gentle Mother

We send our deepest sympathy to Mossie O Keeffe, Blacknock on the recent death of his mother Nellie. Nellie spent many happy years living in Blacknock and in the past while was a resident of the Care Choice Home in Dungarvan where she was very happy and contented. Mossie has asked me to express his gratitude to all who attended the removal and funeral mass and all who sympathised with the family. We pray that Nellie now rests in peace and hope that she now enjoys the peace and joy of heaven.

 

GAA News

The club are trully delighted to hear that club man Calum Lyons has been shortlisted for the Waterford player of the year awards which will be announced on January 10th. True grit, determination and personal committment saw Calum break into the Waterford team this year and he certainly took his chance with some superb performances for the Deise. Whatever happens on the 10th Calum deserves all the accolades and we look forward to watching him excel in 2020

The Get Ireland walking campaign will begin again in 2020. From Friday January 10th to Friday February 28th from 7pm to 8.30pm the club will open up their facilities so that we can all blow off the Winter blues and walk away those Christmas treats. Please spread the news and bring along your friends and remember this is an all inclusive event.

 

Winter Wedding.

St. Nicholas’s church was the scene of a most beautiful Winter wedding as Michelle O Donoghue and Alan Galvin said I do in front of their friends and family and of course in front of the most important guest there, the couples beautiful daughter Freya. The church was adorned with Christmas trees, flowers and candles and the couple had arranged a beautiful ceremony full of reverence, respect and love. Following the ceremony the couple travelled to the fantastic Faithlegg House Hotel to enjoy great food, drink, music and company with their guests. We wish this happy little family the very best for the future as they make their home here in Ballyduff. I’m sure that we will all make them feel very welcome and I would remind them that we have an excellent postal service here!!

 

Wedding Abroad

We send our heartiest congratulations to Maurice Carlin(Jnr), Ballyduff who recently married his true love Natthikarn Thanapatidolik our lovingly known as Pheung. The happy couple were married in Thailand and I was lucky enough to get a sneaky look at some photos. The bride loooked stunning with a very proud and happy bridegroom by her side. We wish the happy couple the very best in the future and a lifetime of love and happiness.

 

Christmas Wishes.

As we enter into the festive season and 2019 comes to a close I would like to wish each and every one of you a wonderful Christmas full of joy, peace and happiness. May 2020 bring you all happiness , good health and contentment.

I thank all who have contributed to these notes and say that I absolutely love writing them each week and hope that we will continue to work together in 2020. I thank you all for your lovely compliments and encouragements which mean an awful lot to me.

Please remember during the Christmas that the greatest present you can ever give is your presence so spend a little time with someone who may not find Christmas easy to cope with.

Mass Bookings, Tradition Continues and Carols by Candles

Mass Bookings

Bookings have now been taken for anniversary masses during the months of January, February and March so if you missed the bookings and would like to book a mass during these times then please contact Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 and she will arrange a date for you.

 

Christmas Church News

The new yearly pack of collection envelopes are now available in the church so please take your pack home. If you are new to the area or dont have a pack please give your name to Ann in the sacristy and she will sort a pack for you.

Special Christmas envelopes are now being distributed for the annual Christmas collection for the support of the priests of the parish. You can also use the envelope in your yearly pack or an ordinary envelope. The priests know that there are a lot of demands on you at this time but ask you to be as generous as possible as this is an important part of the priests salary.

There is a little change to the Christmas masss times this Christmas with Christmas Eve mass going ahead at 9pm and the Christmas morning mass at 10.30am.

 

Tradition Continues

A big thank you and well done to Arthur Curry who carries on the wonderful tradition set by his father of putting lights on a Christmas tree in the green in Ballyduff. This really looks fantastic as you pass through the village and is a very welcome enhancement to our area. I know that both of Arthurs’ parents would be very proud of him for carrying on this tradition in the parish they both loved very much.

Carols By Candles

On Wednesday December 11th people made their way to St. Nicholas’s church in Ballyduff for a very special night of music and song. As you arrived at the church you were greeted by the sweet aroma of freshly designed floral arrangements, the dancing flickers of candlelight and the sweet sounds of singers and musicians fine tuning their instruments. Our local choir were busy preparing for their Christmas carol service and welcoming their invited singers and musicians.

It was really wonderful to see such a large crowd attend on the night and each one of them were treated to something very special. Our own local choir under the direction of Bridget Jordan sang some beautiful well known carols and were accompanied by very talented musicians Sinead Crowley on piano, John Stephenson on guitar, Liam Daly on French Horn and Ger Dowyer on flute. Soprano trio Dulcet treated us to some beautiful classical pieces and their beautiful blend of harmonies filled the church. Some seasonal readings were also read with great dignity by Pat Murphy, Jessica O Leary, Ava Dooley, Jack Lyons and Aedin Ni Fuarthain.

During the interval collection buckets were passed around and I am delighted to tell you that a fantastic amount of €1,325 was raised for The Solas Centre. I dont have to explain to any of you about the wonderful service provided by The Solas centre not only to its patients but to their families also.

This trully was a night to remember and a huge well done must go to all who had any hand in preparing it. A big thank you must go to Sherlock and Eleanor Foley who donated all the flowers for the church and gifts on the night. They are always so kind and generous to local events. Congratulations to Joan Cheasty and Ann Nolan for having the church looking so beautiful, Jessica O Leary for the design and printing of the booklet and to all who gave their time in any way.

Following the concert everyone headed to the community centre for a lovely cuppa and some refreshments. A big thank you to all the ladies who catered for the event everything was delicious.

Carols for Christmas, Community Alert News and Church News

Booking of Masses

If you would like to book an anniversary mass for your loved one during the months of January, February or March then bookings will take place after both masses this weekend Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th. If you have a First Anniversary or Months Mind during these months then please contact Linda Spillane before the bookings so that you can get your prefered date. You can contact Linda on 087-9838392 or spillanelinda2017@gmail.com

Tractor Run

A big well done to all involved in the organising and running of the recent Pat Whelan Memorial Tractor Run in aid of The Mater Foundation Heart and Lung Transplant Unit. Over 170 vehicles took part on the day and many took part in the Monster raffle and auction afterwards. I know many people from our area travelled over to take part and a grand total of €11,415 was raised. This was a huge success and great praise must go to the organisers and all who took part.

 

Carols for Christmas

St. Nicholas’s church choir would like to invite you all to join them for a wonderful night of song and music

to welcome in the festive season. On Wednesday December 11th at 7.30pm our local choir will perform some beautiful carols and will also be joined by some fantastic guests on the night, pianist Damien O Brien, flautist Ger Dowyer, Liam Daly on French Horn and the Dulcet Vocal Trio. Admission to the event is free but during the interval a collection will be taken up in aid of The Solas Centre. I dont have to tell any of you about the wonderful work that The Solas Centre do not only for patients but for their families. The support and comfort they give to people is second to none and so we ask that you be as generous as possible.

This concert promises to be a night of beautiful music, song and harmonies. Come along and sit and relax and enjoy the festive feast of carols.

 

Community Alert News.

Our local community alert group invite you all to join them as they get ready to celebrate the Christmas season. On Sunday December 15th the talented duo Teddy and Cathal Barry will provide the music for an afternoon of social dancing in Ballyduff Community Centre from 2pm to 5pm. You are all invited to come along and please tell all your friends. This event is open to all, you don’t have to be from our area, the only requirement is that you know to have fun. Some light refreshments will be served so you can sit and enjoy a chat over a nice cuppa and some nibbles.

After a fun afternoon of dancing, our community alert group will host their final meeting of 2019 on Monday December 16th at 8pm. The group are delighted to welcome guest speaker Jamie O Keeffe along to the meeting and he will give a short presentation on local history including some wonderful photos. Jamie’s Facebook page “Butlerstown and Kilmeaden History and Photo Archive” is hugely popular and the group are delighted that Jamie can come along to the meeting and share his story. Please spread the word and encourage friends and neighbours to come along and support your local Community Alert Group. The group continue to go from strength to strength and provide great security and piece of mind within our area. It is important that we all work together to keep our area safe for all its residents and visitors.

 

Church News

As we approach the Christmas season we are all busy making sure we are prepared, presents are bought, cards are written and dinner is planned but are we prepared inwardly for the beautiful season of Christmas. To help us prepare spiritually a Christmas penitential service will take place during both masses on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th . Both priests will be at both masses and during the mass you simply come forward and tell the priest a fault or worry that is on your mind and receive absolution and piece of mind for Christmas. This is a beautiful ceremony and a good way to wipe the slate clean, turn back to God and enter the Christmas season with a fresh outlook.

The third Sunday of Advent is also known as Bambinelly Sunday. This is an old Italian custom which is spreading around the world and we here in our parish will honour the custom. On the weekend of Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th you are invited to bring the infant figure from your crib along to mass where the priest will give them a special blessing.

GAA News
The U15 Deise Og Footballers recently attended a presentation of medals and jerseys in honour of them winning the Dermot Early Plate in 2019. Beating Westmeath in the final this young team deserve great praise and of course it is a very proud moment for one local family as Jack O Donnell was a vital member of the team. His family and club are extremely proud of him.

A reminder to the many wonderful people who contributed to our development funding by opting to pay by yearly instalments that the second instalment is now due. Please contact the member you paid your first instalment to and they will sort out the second for you. The development would not have been possible without your generosity so the club would like to thank you very much.

 

Ballyduff AFC
Mark your diary for Friday December 20th when Ballyduff AFC will host a childrens disco in Ballyduff Community Centre from 7pm to 9pm. Entrance fee is €5 per child. Come along and join in the fun and start off the school holidays having fun with your friends.

The club would like to congratulate Sophie Power U13 and Zoe Spinks U15 who both made the Waterford Development Squads. Both girls deserve this just reward after a brilliant season with the club.

Called Up, Another Win and Dancing Shoes

GAA Lotto.

The numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 8, 11, 16 and 28 and there was no winner of the jackpot. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Liz Lyons, Michelle Dunphy and Joyce Power. The next draw will take place on Sunday December 8th and will have a fantastic jackpot of €12,500 up for grabs. What a lovely win just before Christmas and all you have to do is buy a ticket and choose those lucky four numbers carefully.

Tickets cost just €2 each or 3 for €5 and are available from all committee members and ticket sellers will be at Centra on Saturday December 7th.

Wedding Bells.

We send our warmest congratulations to Carrickphilip lady Clodagh Fitzgerald who recently announced her engagement to long term boyfriend Kavan Dee. The happy couple celebrated their wonderful news with family and friends and we hope that they enjoy a lifetime of love and laughter together.

Called Up.

Huge congratulations to Emma Kelly, Ardeenlone who has been selected for the U16 Waterford ladies football squad. This has been a dream of Emmas for many years and through hard work and determination Emma proved that dreams can come true. Last year Emma acted as water girl for this team and this year she will take to the field of play with the team. Ballyduff girls football teams have been going from strength to strength in the past year with more county potentials coming up through the ages. The club are extremely proud of Emma and will be following her with great interest but of course there are none more proud than her parents Mick and Judy and her younger brother Jack. We wish Emma every success but most of all we hope that she enjoys every minute of it. Deise Abu!

 

Aladdin To The Stage

Starstruck stage school which takes place in Ballyduff Commmunity Centre will take to the stage this week with their production of Aladdin. The cast is made up of boys and girls from our local area and they have been very busy rehearsing over the past few months and look forward to your reaction. Tickets will be on sale on the door on both nights Thursday December 5th and Friday December 6th with a 7pm kick off. Tickets cost €10 per adult and €8 per child. There is also a special family ticket on offer for €30 which admits 2 adults and 2 children. Get yourself along to Ballyduff Communiy Centre and enjoy a night of fun,music and dance.

Another Win!

Congratulations to Shane Fitzgerald, Kilmagemogue who was once again crowned the young Dairy Farmer of the Year. Shane takes great pride in the family farm and this is a just reward for his hard work.

Carols For Christmas

St. Nicholas church choir under the direction of Bridget Jordan would like to invite all of you to their annual Christmas carol concert in St. Nicholas church on Wednesday December 11th at 7.30pm. The Choir will be joined by some special guests on the night including Soprano trio Dulcet, pianist Damian O Brien, flautist Ger Dowyer and Liam Daly on French Horn.

Admission is free but a collection will be taken up during the night and all money raised will be donated to The Solas Centre. This is a wonderful way to get ready for the beautiful season of Christmas and the choir would love if you would join them after the concert for some light refreshments in the Community Centre.

Dancing Shoes

It’s time to polish up those dancing shoes as our local community alert group will play host to an afternoon of social dancing on Sunday December 15th from 2pm to 5pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. You are all invited to come along and enjoy the music of the fantastic duo Teddy and Cathal Barry. Come along and enjoy good music, chat, dancing and light refreshments. All are welcome so please spread the word far and near.