Monthly Archives: January 2020

Ballyduff AFC, Sing from the Rafters and Ballyduff Youth Drama

Ballyduff AFC

Ballyduff AFC have been going from strength to strength over the years and if you head to the grounds any night of the week you will find boys and girls, teenagers and adults training in the fantastic facilities. Committee members, coaches and mentors all volunteer their time and talents to encourage and support all who love the game of soccer. The club has always encouraged their members and delight in their progression.

Two young ladies who have had an outstanding season with the U12 girls and U11 boys received some very exciting news recently. Laura Carlin and Robyn Fletcher have been chosen for the Waterford U12 girls development squad. These girls have put in tremendous hard work and dedication are deserve a place on the squad. Great credit must go to their coaches who have been training these girls from the age of 6. A big well done also to their parents who ensured the girls got to their training and matches on time. We look forward to watching the girls in action and wish them the very best and of course many hours of enjoyment.

Former U16 Ballyduff schoolgirl player Mia Lenihan has also hit the headlines as she has been chosen to play with Carlow/Kilkenny in the U17 League of Ireland. Mia played for two seasons with Ballyduff U16 and also played and won two medals with the U15/16 Boys team. I have watched Mia play many times and am not one bit surprised that she has been snapped up. Mia not only has great talent but she has a true love for the game which is evident to all who watch her. We will be watching her progress with great interest.

I don’t know about you but as I was writing this piece my mind kept interrupting me with many great names associated with the club, some of these are now gone to that great pitch in the sky, others are still up in those grounds helping out or serving on committees or raising funds for the club. Wherever they are however I have no doubt that I can hear them say “I told ye this club would attract attention”!

 

Sing From The Rafters

Our local parish church choir would like to invite any male or female adult who would like to lend their voice to our local parish choir while enjoying learning many new pieces of music and making many new friends to come along and check out St. Nicholas’s parish church choir. If you would like to know more please contact Bridget Jordan on 087-9883720 or Eamonn O Leary on 086-8592014.

 

Ballyduff Youth Drama

Ballyduff Youth Drama is made up of local boys and girls from 5th and 6th classes and each year they delight us with a show full of colour, song and dance. This year is no different as they bring us a Wing and a Dare” a story featuring fairies, goblins, wizards, trolls and many other interesting creatures.

The venue for this show is Ballyduff Community Centre on Friday 7th of February at 8pm and Saturday February 8th at 8.15pm. Tickets are just €10 and are available by ringing or texting Eleanor on 087-4046904.

This group is run by a wonderful group of volunteers and so I ask you to please support their fundraising efforts as they hold a fabulous Valentines raffle. The group will be selling raffle tickets at Centra in Kilmeaden on Saturday February 1st and so hopefully you will support them as best you can,

 

GAA News

Our local GAA club continue to open up their grounds every Friday night from 7pm to 8.30pm in conjunction with Operation Transformation and Get Ireland Walking. All are welcome to come along and enjoy a nice walk in a safe well lit area. The committee tell me that it is wonderful to see over 50 people walking and talking and enjoying the facilities. You are all invited to drop in and enjoy some fresh air and good company with your community.

Tickets are now on sale for the National GAA raffle. Tickets are just €10 and there are fantastic prizes on offer it including a brand new Renault Clio. All the money from tickets sold here stays directly with the club. If you would like to buy a ticket please contact any committee member or Brian on 087 2486423.

The club will hold a club celebratory dinner dance on Saturday February 22nd at 7.30pm in The Granville Hotel. A 4 course meal will be followed by music and dancing from The Bottle Brothers. Tickets cost €35 and can be purchased from any committee member

Enrolement Time, GAA News and Business Award

Community Alert 2020

The first community alert meeting of 2020 will take place on Monday January 27th at 8pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. Our local community alert group have really been going from strength to strength and are seen as one of the most successful groups in the county. Our text alert scheme is second to none and for just a small fee of €5 per year you can receive regular text messages when suspicious activity is noted in our areas or areas nearby, messages alerting you of road closures and adverse weather conditions. The information received from these text messages has proved invaluable to the Gardai and community and have helped in many different crimes.

At each of the community alert meetings we invite along a guest speaker and this month we are priveleged to welcome John O Connor to our meeting. We invite you all to come along to the meeting and bring a friend or neighbour along with you. The meetings are a great way to stay in touch with the happenings in your area and meet with your local Gardai who are always happy to give advice and support. After the meeting we all enjoy a nice cuppa and a biscuit and a chat. See you all there.

Enrolment Time

Ballyduff N.S are now open for enrolments for September 2020. The closing date for these enrolments is February 28th. For any information or details please contact the school directly on 051-384414.

 

GAA Lotto

The numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 4, 8, 24 and 27 and there was no winner of the jackpot. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Catherine O Neill, Noel Doyle and Breda O Donnell. The next draw will take place on January 26th and will have a fantastic jackpot of €12,500 up for grabs. Tickets cost just €2 each or three for €5 and are available from all committee members and will also be on sale at Centra on Saturday January 25th. Choose those 4 numbers carefully and you could be off on a nice spending spree.

 

GAA News.

It was great to see so many local people walking and talking last Friday night in our local GAA pitch. Our local club have come on board with Operation Transformation and Get Ireland Walking and are opening up their grounds every Friday night from 7pm to 8.30pm. The lights are on and the environment is safe and you can walk and chat with old friends and new. All those attending last Friday night really enjoyed it and I am told that a mens shed even popped up in the dressing room after it. It would be great to see some more people come along in the coming weeks and meet with your community, get some fresh air and get some excercise. Walking is wonderful not only for physical health but also our mental health so come along and set your body,mind and soul up for the week ahead.

The club are now selling tickets for the National draw. Tickets are on sale at €10 each and there are some fantastic prizes including a brand new Renault Clio. All money raised goes directly to your club. If you would like a ticket please contact any committee member or contact Brian on 087 2486423.

Huge thanks must go to club supporter Judy Kelly and all at RedHat for their extremely generous sponsorship to Ballyduff Lower’s LGFA club. Representatives from the teams and committee were invited along to RedHat for the presentation and wsssreceived a warm welcome and wonderful hospitality. Many thanks to Ciaran Byrne and Johnathan Johnston from RedHat who worked hard with Intosport to design the fabulous new jerseys.

Business Award
We send our heartiest congratulations to local lady Maria Smith and all her staff at Aura Skin and Laser Clinic on the Dunmore Road who were recently awarded an accreditation from the Allll Star Awards. This accreditation offers an industry standard quality mark signifying that it meets the highest standard of service and trust.

Proprietor Maria who has over 20 years of experience in he industry was delighted for this wonderful recognition. Aura grew from the growing trend where people were no longer looking for that quick fix for their skin. Aura is already an award winning salon with recognition four years running for their client customer service and the overall salon experience.

The All star accreditation was awarded by the All Ireland Business Foundation whose adjudication panel is chaired by Dr. Briga Hynes of the Kemmy Business School.

Aura is over 16 years in business and one of the longest running salons in the city. With new progressive treatments and options being added to the salon menu all the time it is no wonder that Aura are winning awards and going from strength to strength. We wish Maria and her staff continued success and we are sure that all the Smith and Power families are very proud of her especially Eoghan, Sadie, Billy and Mai.

Lets get Walking, Our Favourite Kilkenny Cat and Raffle Results.

Lets get Walking.

Once again this year our local GAA clubs have teamed up with Operation Transformation and Lets Get Ireland walking and are opening up their grounds to all in the community to come together and get walking in a safe well lit area. Our own local club here in Ballyduff will open up their facilities, turn on the lights and welcome all along on Friday nights from 7pm to 8.30pm. All are welcome to come along and blow off the cobwebs and walk alone or with friends in a safe and friendly environment.

Our Favourite Kilkenny Cat

The New Year got off to a sad start as word spread that the most famous Kilkenny cat Fintan Kiely had died. Although Fintan was born in Piltown and married a Tipperary woman and then made his home in the Deise, he remained a true Kilkenny supporter all his life. Fintan shared his home in Ballyduff with his beloved wife Mary who predeceased him in 2015 and his pride and joy his daughter Colette whom he adored. The arrival of their grandson Jack was a true delight to both Fintan and Mary and they worshiped every bone in his body. I have many happy memories of calling to their home in Ballyduff and they delighted in talking about Colette and Jack and of course we also enjoyed a great laugh and a joke and sometimes a song(once it was a Kilkenny song of course) and then I left giving the promise that I would ask my cousin John O Shea to play a request for them that night.

Fintan was indeed a man of great character, he loved his family whole heartily and made sure they were looked after always. He had a wonderful sence of humour, an ability to make everyone welcome and a strong faith which was evident to all by the way he treated those around him. Fintan will be sadly missed not only by his family but by all who knew him. We take some comfort in the knowledge that he is now reunited with his one true love Mary. We pray that they now rest in peace and that the beautiful memories they gave us will bring comfort to all who loved them. Fintan Kiely: the purrfect gentleman!

Community Centre

A very successful raffle was held in December which raised just over €3000 for our local community centre. Much of this money has already gone to the purchase of a new industrial oil tank to replace the old one which began to leak in December. Great thanks must go to the all the sponsors who donated 20 prizes. They will all be individually awknowledged but the organisers would particularly like to thank Donal Hickson who donated the hamper and allowed the group to use his premises to sell tickets and collect at the tills.

Thanks also to the ticket sellers who called to many housesover a few weeks. The group used that opportunity to update as many as possible on the status of the community centre and its finances. The total outstanding debt on the centre is now in the region of €92,500.

The results of the raffle were as follows:

1st: Finn Doyle Hotel Break

2nd:Connie Sullivan Chrismas Hamper

3rd: Isabel O Neill Set of luggage

4th: Maire Cooke car service voucher

5th: Eoghan Power trailer of firewood

6th: Paschal Brennan Moet Champagne gift set

7th: Mary Kenny Kilmeaden Takeaway voucher

8th: Mairead Carey Drinks Hamper

9th: Ron O Dea O Donnachas voucher

10th Mary Murray Christmas Decoration

11th Paul Sheehan Pharmacy Hamper

12th Dean Caulfield Glanbia Voucher

13th Sinead Ryan Frank Murphy voucher

14th Kathleen Power Milestone Gift Voucher

15th Nancy and Noel O Sullivan Knife Set.
The community centre is always available to the community for events, classes, charities etc. To book just contact any of the directors. The current board have completed 5 years of service and would very much welcome new members. If you are interested in joining up please contact 087 4487648.

Community Alert

Mark your diary for the very first community alert meeting of 2020. On Monday January 27th the group will meet up in Ballyduff Community Centre at 8pm. Guest speaker on the night will be John O Connor. Our community alert is one of the most successful and active groups in the South East. It is important that we all support our group. Meetings are just once a month and are a great way to keep in touch with the happenings in your community and air any worries you may have. A guest speaker is invited to each meeting and local Gardai are always in attendance. Please spread the word to your neighbours and friends.

New Year Wishes, GAA News and Church News

New Year Wishes.

A brand new year has begun and many resolutions are being made and new goals being set. I personally never try giving up something but I try to do something a little better. I would like to wish each and every one of you the very best of good health, lots of happiness and the joy of friends. May we always have time for others especially those who are suffering in any way. Sometimes a smile, a hug or a friendly hello can be just what someones needs.

 

GAA News

The first GAA lotto draw of 2020 will take place on January 12th and there will be a fantastic jackpot of €12,500 up for grabs. Tickets are available from all committee members and will also be on sale at Centra on Saturday 11th. Tickets cost just €2 each or 3 for €5. Choose your four lucky numbers carefully and you could be starting the New Year off in style.

The club are once again on a mission this New Year to Get Ireland Walking. From Friday January 10th till Friday February 28th the club would like you to join them at their grounds from 7pm to 8.30pm. Bring a friend along or come along and make a new friend. Enjoy a nice walk in a safe environment and all for free.

Ballyduff AFC

We are very lucky here to have such a vibrant soccer club here in our area with many dedicated and committed volunteers mentoring and coaching our young people. If there are any over 18’s out there who feel this could be something they could help out with then please get in contact with a committee member or drop along to one of the many training sessions.

Are you thinking of joining up with a team for the new season well the club caters for all ages and I am delighted to be able to give you a list of the training times for all the different age groups so simply drop along and express your interest.
5/6 year old boys and girls-Mondays 6pm to 7pm

7/8 year old boys and girls-Tuesdays 6pm to 7pm

U10/12 Girls- Tuesdays 7pm to 8pm

U10 Boys-Wednesdays 6pm to 7pm

U11 Boys- Thursdays 6pm to 7pm

U12 Boys- Mondays 7pm to 8pm

U13/14 Boys- Wednesdays 7pm to 8pm

U15 Boys- Tuesdays 6.30pm to 8pm

U14/16 Girls- Thursdays 7pm to 8pm

U16/18 Boys- Thursdays 8pm to 9pm

 

Church News

A big thank you to all who helped in having our church so beautiful for Christmas especially those who put up and decorated the tree and the crib. Of course Joan Cheasty did her usual brilliant job on the flowers and a huge thank you must go to our wonderful sacristan Ann who puts so much time and effort in, not only at Christmas but every day of the year. Our Christmas masses were enhanced by the beautiful harmonies of our local parish church choir with musicians Bridget Jordan and John Stephenson. Fr. O Halloran and Fr.O Byrne have asked me to wish you all a healthy and happy New Year.

Each weekend we now produce a parish newsletter with our friends from Portlaw and it is distributed at weekend masses. If you would like something included in this newsletter please contact myself Linda Spillane by Wednesday of each week.

 

Contact Me.

I thank sincerely all those who contribute to these notes and I invite you all to get in touch with me if you would like to let people know about an upcoming event, tell them about an occasion or send good wishes for someones birthday, anniversary etc. I have it on good authority that a few people read my notes so why not let people know what is going on. If you have an item for me then please let me know by a Thursday night please. You can call or text me on 087-9838392 or drop me an email on spillanelinda2017@gmail.com or if you fancy dropping in the kettle is always on or if you see me out and about then just stop for a chat.