Cheque Presentation
On Bank Holiday Monday the 25 cyclists from the Portlaw Village Wheelers who completed the 500km Munster Airport Challenge cycle back in April presented their cheque to their chosen charity Touching Hearts. The guys were delighted and proud to present a cheque for the fantastic amount of €36,826.00. This unbelievable amount was raised through the generosity and kindness of all you wonderful people. A huge thank you to all who supported this event and helped to raise this fabulous amount. You have helped to bring the dream of a new Sacred Heart Centre a bit closer and the children who depend on these services deserve the very best. A big well done to all the cyclists who took part and put such heart and commitment into the challenge. They should all be very proud of themselves.
GAA Lotto
The numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 9, 10, 19 and 21. There was no jackpot winner but the three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Niall Clifford, Brendan Madders and Davy and Annie Gahan. The next draw will take place on June 17th and will have a fantastic jackpot of €10,700. Tickets cost just €2 each or 3 for €5 and are available from all committee members and will be on sale outside Centra on Saturday June 16th. Get your tickets early and choose those 4 numbers very carefully.
Hall AGM
The directors of Ballyduff Community Centre Development Co. Ltd will hold their AGM of the company in the community centre on Wednesday June 20th at 8pm. All are very welcome to attend this meeting and please spread the word.
Lourdes Night.
Each year our parish raises money to send people from the area on the Waterford /Lismore Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes. To raise funds the annual singing contest for the honour of winning the Jimmy Fox Memorial Cup will take place on Saturday June 16th in O Donnachas. Music on the night will be by Dick Quinn and all singers are welcome to come along and join in the fun.
A Word of Thanks.
Our local Tidy Towns group have asked me to say a big thank you to the individual who donated tins of paint for the painting of the kerbs etc. This person does not want to be mentioned but we hope you know how grateful everyone is. A big thank you also to the group of men I saw out the other night doing the painting. All this painting, cutting grass, setting flowers, picking up litter go on without any fanfair announcing them. People working away quietly not wanting any recognition, that’s how a community works so a massive thank you to all those little magic fairies.
Post Office Meeting
There was a very low turnout at a recent meeting to update the community on the current situation regarding the proposed closure of Kilmeaden PO. The current Postmaster has been offered a retirement package and must make his decision by July 31st but after hearing from speakers we were all left in no doubt that he would be very foolish not to accept as there is no investment or funding being offered to the office so it could next year be forced to close with no retirement package on offer then. Understandably the people attending were frustrated and angered by the actions of An Post and the government in yet another dig at rural areas. It is very disappointing that we look set to loose a vital service for many people in our area and many surrounding areas.
Home To Rome
Father and son duo Arthur and Jordan Curry have set themselves a very ambitious goal by planning to cycle their way from Ballyduff to Rome and all to help raise funds for Waterford Hospice. This charity holds a very special place in their hearts as their kindness and compassion were a God send to them while Arthurs mam Cait Curry fought her illness with great bravery and dignity. Before his mam died Arthur learned that one of her regrets was that she had never been to Rome and so he promised that somehow he would bring her spirit to Rome and allow her to see it through his eyes.
We’ll keep you updated with all the plans for this event due to take place in August and hope that you will consider supporting this event.