Bridge News.
The results of the latest bridge game are as follows:
1st: Ann Marie Brown and Pauline Fanning
2nd:Peggy Murphy and Anna Ryan
3rd:Kate Hayes and Geraldine McMahon
4th:Mary Flahavan and Nan Murphy
Love Is In The Air.
We send our heartiest congratulations to Samantha O Dea, Cullinagh who recently married Michael O Connell. I hear that the couple and their guests had a wonderful time and made fantastic memories for the years to come.
Also tying the knot recently was David O Leary, Lacka Road who crossed the border over to Mooncoin to find his beautiful wife Crona O Sullivan. The couple, their families and friends had a brilliant day in Langtons in Kilkenny.
We wish both couples every happiness in their future lives together.
Thank You Wishes.
I was contacted recently by Bobby and Noreen Byrne former owners of Centra in Kilmeaden and they asked me if I would include the following piece in my notes for them.
To everyone we had the pleasure of meeting during our years in Centra, Kilmeaden.
This coming January we would have marked 17 years running the Centra shop in Kilmeaden. Like any business ours revolved around people(customers, staff and suppliers). Over the years and the normal happenings of day to day life and work,births, deaths,marriages,babies becoming teenagers becoming problems becoming good people, sicknesses, complaints, gratitude, anger, familiarity, good days, bad days with many shared laughs and stories and good will, people get to know each other better, even becoming friends. In the nature of selling a business, the final day being a series of last minute decisions we did not get to say goodbye to a lot of people, so would like to take advantage of the Christmas season to truly thank everyone for their loyal support and friendship over the past 17 years and we wish you all and your families a happy Christmas and a successful and blessed New Year. Bobby and Noreen Byrne.
I’m sure I speak for you all when I wish Bobby and Noreen every success and happiness in the future and hope they now enjoy some quality time together doing all the things they have wanted to do. You will always have a place here in our hearts in Kilmeaden and I know my door will always be open if you fancy a cuppa anytime.
Coffee Morning Success
Our local community alert recently hosted a coffe morning with all proceeds going to The Touching Hearts charity. Let me tell you do this group know how to host or what. A fabulous array of cakes, buns and treats were available and of course the cuppa and chat thrown in for good measure. This morning could not have been arranged better so a huge thank you to all the organisers and to the local businesses who donated items. Thank you to Kevin Moran who dropped in and to the local community guards Damien Ryan and Tom Daly. Word even spread to Santa himself and he came along to meet all the well behaved children we have here in our area. A big thank you to Cartamundi for their very generous donation of toys and games. A fantastic amount of €602 was raised and the organisers thank you all sincerely.
The group remind you to call into your neighbours especially those living alone during the cold weather and check they have all the supplies they need.
Cinderella.
Congratulations to all the cast and crew of Starstruck Theatre School who recently staged their production of Cinderella in Ballyduff Community Centre. There were many stand out performers but every cast member gave 100% and treated the audience to a night of great music and song. Well done to Damian Walsh and all the cast on another great production and we look forward to more performances in the new year.
Surprise Surprise
Popular local lady Sarah Crowley was thrilled to be heading off to a lovely holiday break in New York recently but little did she know what lay ahead. Her boyfriend Noel O Connor picked the beautiful setting of Central Park to ask this lovely lady to be his bride. Thankfully the answer was yes and the couple have now returned to their delighted families. We wish the happy couple every good wish in their future lives together and we hope they enjoy the excitement of planning their big day.
Christmas Tree.
Once again it is lovely to see the beautiful Christmas tree in Ballyduff Green as you pass through the village . A big thank you to Sherlock Foley who donates the tree every year and thank you to our local Tidy Towns group who put up the tree and Arthur Curry (Jnr) who takes care of the lights for the tree.
Concert Delight.
Our local St. Nicholas choir held their annual Christmas carol concert last Wednesday night in our church and what a night it was. From the moment you walked into the church you felt like you could leave your worries at the door and switch off your mind for a little while and transport yourself to a place of tranquility and peace. The candle lit church adorned with beautiful flower arrangements looked stunning and the wind and rain outside was forgotten. The choir sung a varied selection of carols and were joined by our local Soprano supreme Lupita De Bhaill. Musical accompaniment was provided by pianist Damien O Brien and guitarist John Stephenson with special guests flautist Ger Dower, violinist Rebecca McCarthy Kent and French horn player Liam Daly and all under the direction of Bridget Jordan. This was trully a beautiful night and I could have happily sat for another couple of hours and listened to the sounds of the coming season.
A collection was taken up during the interval for the Touching Hearts charity and over €700 was raised.
Church News.
The special Christmas collection envelopes for the support of the priests of the parish are being distributed to houses or you can use the envelope provided in your yearly pack. This collection is taken up at the Christmas masses.
You may have noticed the nice new framed picture over the door of the sacristy. This was donated by someone who wishes to remain annoymous. It is entitled The Adoration of the Child and the original was painted by Antonio Da Correggio some time in the 1520’s. It is an oil on canvas by this Italian Renaissance artist. The original is housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence in Italy.
Award Success
I am delighted to send heartiest congratulations to my own dad Noel O Sullivan, Matthews Cross who was recently named as an award winner in the 2017 Waterford County GAA Awards. At a function in January 2018 he will be presented with The Jack Furlong Award which is given in recognition of a lifetime of service to the Association. We are all thrilled and delighted that he is being given this award which is richly deserved. Daddy lives and breathes GAA not because he wants awards but because of his true and honest love for the association and all it stands for. He is the true blood of the Gaa and we are all very proud of him . This award was also won some years back by his late dad the great Sonny O Sullivan so my dad will be a proud man accepting this award.