Community Alert
Our local community alert group operate a fantastic text alert scheme which sends out a text to all members if there is any suspicious people, vehicles or activity in our area. It also warns of any road closures, accidents or adverse weather conditions. This text scheme has proved invaluable in preventing crime and aiding Gardai in their enquiries. You are welcome to add your number to this scheme for just an annual fee of €5. If you were unable to attend the recent meeting but would like to join the text alert group please contact Albert Kearns or myself Linda Spillane.
Bridge Club
The Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club held their club championships on Monday February 18th and the results were as follows:
1st: Patsy Roche and Kathleen Collins.
2nd: Anne Marie Brown and Mary Prendergast.
3rd: Peggy Murphy and Elizabeth Mooney.
4th: Sean Hennessy and Kate Hayes.
5th: Nano Fitzgerald and Geraldine McMahon.
1st Session: Monica Sullivan and Breda Murphy.
2nd Session: Celia Nugent and Mary O Brien.
Food For Love
Love was definetely in the air last week with Valentine surprises left right and certain(or so I’m told!). The children at Ballyduff NS were busy in school making beautiful cards and pictures but they also brought work home with them and baked some beautiful cakes and buns for their annual cake sale. Organised each year by the Parents Association the money raised from this event pays for dance and gymnastic lessons for the school during the year. A huge well done to all who baked, donated and supported the sale and a fantastic sum of €925 was raised. In future years we may see some famous dancers or gymnasts from our area and you will know that you helped them along the road to success.
Tidy Towns.
Our local Tidy Towns group recently held their AGM and there was a disappointing turnout but dont worry it is not too late to pledge your help and support. You can contact any of the committee members and they will be delighted to hear from you.
During the AGM the group gave a special mention to the late Sonny and Joan Griffin who passed away during the year and had been involved with Tidy Towns since the beginning.
They also gave special thanks to Arthur Curry for once again putting up the Christmas tree in the village this year. They also thanked Fr. O Byrne and Linda Spillane for promoting the group and any other person who helped in any way during the year.
The committee for 2019 is Tony O Leary as Chairman, Leanne Kearns as Secretary and Michael Fitzpatrick as Treasurer. The committee are Christy O Keeffe, Ann Nolan, Cllr. John O Leary, John Hanley, Michael Junior Power and Philip Simpson.
We wish the committee the very best for the coming year and I urge you all to help in any way that you possibly can to keep our area clean and tidy and a pleasure for people to both live in and visit.
A Huge Success
A huge congratulations and well done to the cast and crew of Alice in La La Land which was staged by Ballyduff Youth Drama. The group consists of local boys and girls from 5th and 6th classes and each year we are treated to a very special night of entertainment. This year was no different with a show that was full of colour and fun not to mention great song and dance. Each child gave their very best and more importantly they enjoyed every minute of it. In mentioning the cast we also give great praise to all the volunteers helping in any way behind the scenes and to those three special ladies Helen, Eleanor and Joan who volunteer their time and talent each year to run this show and make it so special for all involved.
Spring Stations
It’s hard to believe that we are already speaking about the Spring station masses but time certainly flies by. The station mass is an old Irish custom that sees mass offered for the people living in a particular area. These masses are celebrated twice during the year, in the Spring and the Autumn. It is traditional at these masses to give an offering to the priest and those offerings are put into the common diocesan fund from which each priest is payed a salary. Some of these masses take place in somebodys home while others take place in the church. If you would like to have one of these masses in your home please express your interest to Fr. O Byrne and he will keep you in mind for the next round of stations in the Autumn.
The station mass for the areas of Carrickphilip, Knockaderry, Carriganure, Ballygarron, Lisahane, Ardeenlone and Shanbally will be celebrated in Ballyduff church at 7.30pm on Thursday February 28th and the mass for Amberhill, Raheen, Powersknock, Blacknock, Carrigadustra and Fan Glas will be held in the church on Friday March 1st at 7.30pm. The mass for Ballyduff Village, Ballyduff West, Ballyduff Hill, Ross, Kildermody, Kilmagemogue, Newtown, Cullinagh and Gortaclode will be held in the church on Thursday March 7th at 7.30pm.
I will be reminding you of these and further station masses details in the coming weeks so keep reading these notes.
Panto Perfect!
I must say a huge congratulations to our neighbours and friends in Portlaw Musical Society who staged their 39th Pantomine last week. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs went down a real treat and the acting, singing, dancing and comedy was excellent. There were some brilliant standout individual performances but the cast all jelled well together to give a tremendous performance each night to their packed audiences. It was lovely to see some Kilmeaden faces among the cast. I spent all my childhood going to the Pantomine to watch my father take part on stage and so it is now lovely to have my own daughter taking part and carrying on the O Sullivan name in Panto.
GAA News.
The club are delighted to see club players lining out and enjoying their time with inter county teams at present. Cathal Daly is part of the U17 football squad, Ronan Dunphy takes to the pitch as part of the U20 hurling while Calum Lyons is part of the Senior hurling panel. The club are very proud of the lads achievements and wish them every success.