Dolmen Active Retired, Knit one Purl one and GAA Nursery and Academy

Spring Stations

The annual Spring station masses are continuing and the mass for Kilmagemogue, Ross, Kildermody, Ardeenlone, Ballygarron, Lisahane, Shanbally, Carrickphilip, Knockaderry and Carriganure will take place on Tuesday February 27th at 7.30pm in Ballyduff Church.

The station mass for Matthews Cross, Ballyduff East and Adamstown will be held on Tuesday March 6th at 8pm in the home of Eddie and Helena Power.

Tidy Towns

Our local Tidy Towns group will hold their next meeting on Wednesday February 28th at 7.30pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. As many of you know the general maintenace and grass cutting in our area is done on a voluntary basis. Due to certain setbacks, the group need a new volunteer or volunteers to come forward to do this job. The group need to increase their numbers so that they can continue to improve and enhance our village and surrounding areas. You are not asked for a huge committment and of course many hands make light work. If you are interested in helping out please come along to the meeting or if you are unable to attend please call Tony on 086-6078272 and express your interest.

Dolmen Active Retired.
Are you finding yourself will some free time and would like to get out and meet some new friends. The Dolmen Active Retired group are always keen to welcome new members and would be delighted to see you join them. Their next meeting will take place on Tuesday March 6th in The Holy Cross Lounge at 10.30 am. The meeting will begin with the customary cuppa before getting down to the business of the day.

They have arranged a lovely walk on the Greenway from Mount Congreve to Kilmeaden station on March 13th. There will be a nice cuppa and a chat at Kilmeaden station before heading back to Mount Congreve to collect your car in the carpark. What a beautiful picturesque route to walk along.

Recent Death.

We extend our deepest sympathies to Miriam Daly, Powersknock on the recent death of her father Peter Griffin. Peter was residing in Thurles but was formerly a resident of Pickardstown, Tramore and a retired member of An Garda Siochana. Peter’s funeral mass took place in the Cathedral of the Assumption, Thurles and he was laid to rest in St. Patricks cemetery in Thurles. We offer our condolences to Miriam and all her family and we pray that Peter enjoys the peace and comfort of heaven.

GAA Lotto.

The numbers drawn in the latest GAA lotto draw were 14, 15, 19 and 22 and there was no lucky winner of the jackpot. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Kathleen Power, Philip Power and John Stephenson. The next draw will take place on Sunday March 4th and will have a fantastic jackpot of €9,650. Tickets are just €2 or 3 for €5 and are available from all committee members and will be on sale on Saturday March 3rd at Centra. Pick those 4 lucky numbers carefully.

Knit One Purl One.

Great to hear our new local knitting and crochet group will meet on Tuesday mornings from 10am to 11am in Ballyduff Community Centre. All levels are welcome to come along and join in the fun. If you would like any further information please contact Jeni on 086-8163101
Thanks >From Bonnie

Local lady Bonnie O Reilly has asked me to say a big thank you to all who came along to the coffee morning held in Ballyduff Community Centre on Sunday February 18th. Bonnie and some other students from Transition Year in St. Declans Community College in Kilmacthomas organised hampers last Christmas for people in need in our own area and surrounding parishes. The money raised at the coffee morning will also go to those people. I attended this coffee morning myself and I must say what a beautiful array of buns, cakes and treats and all homemade. I hear that there is a great shortage of flour and eggs up around the Ardeenlone area after it. A huge well done, it is heartwarming to see such kindness and respect from our young people.

Bridge News
The results of the Ballyduff/Portlaw Bridge Club Championships are in and are as follows:

1st: Peggy Murphy and Elizabeth Mooney

2nd: Patsy Roche and Kathleen Collins.

3rd: Sean Hennessy and Kate Hayes.

4th:Ann Marie Brown and Mary Prendergast.

5th: Breda Kirwan and Eileen Kirwan.
The seasonal prizes went to :

Anna Harney and Anna Ryan.

Mary Cummins and Brenda Cummins.

GAA Nursery and Academy

This section of our local GAA club are back in full force and are delighted to welcome such a great number of young people. Fully qualified garda vetted coaches take care of this group which is aimed at boys and girls aged from 4 years old up to 10. Hurling, camogie and football are catered for. Check out the Ballyduff Lower GAA club facebook page and keep up to date with all the times and schedules or talk to any club members. New starters are always welcome.

Recent Death

We extend our deepest sympathies to Tony Whelan, Kilmagemogue on the recent death of his sister who was of course also the sister in law of Anna Whelan, Gortaclode. Breda Bennett was a resident of Granstown Park and her funeral mass took place in St.Marys church, Ballygunner with burial in the adjoining cemetery. We offer our prayers to all the Bennett and Whelan families and we pray that Breda now enjoys the peace and love of God.

Spring Stations, Community Celebration and The Best of the Best

Spring Stations

It is time for the annual Spring station masses and on Tuesday February 20th at 7.30pm the mass for Newtown, Cullinagh, Gortaclode, Ballyduff Village, Ballyduff Hill and Ballyduff West will be in Ballyduff Church.

On Wednesday February 21st the mass for Blacknock, Powersknock, Fan Glas, Raheen and Amberhill will be in Ballyduff church at 7.30pm.

Tuesday February 27th it will be the turn of Kilmagemogue, Ross, Kildermody, Ardeenlone, Ballygarron, Lisahane, Shanbally, Carrigphilip, Knockaderry and Carriganure in Ballyduff Church at 7.30pm.

 

Community Alert

Our local community alert group will hold their next meeting on Tuseday February 20th in Ballyduff Community Centre at 8pm. Representatives from the Health and Fitness well being studio will be in attendance and will speak to the meeting. Margaret Quinn from Muintir na Tire will also speak. This group is going from strength to strength and is one of the most succesful in the county. Please come along and become part of a group whose sole aim is to to give each person in our community a safe and peaceful place to live. Nothing is asked of you in return only to come along and show your support.

Community Celebration

Ballyduff GAA club will host a community celebration night on Saturday February 24th in The Sweep Bar. Music on the night will be provided by Deadly Medleys and finger food will be served. During the night medals will be presented to the Junior and U21 teams. There will be no cover charge and a “Pot Luck” monster raffle on the night.

Tidy Towns

Our local Tidy Towns group held their AGM recently and would like to thank all who attended and also to all who have supported them in the past year. The committee would also like to thank Stephaine Power in association with GSK, Dungarvan for their generous donation.

As most of you are aware the general maintenance and grass cutting in our area is done on a voluntary basis. Due to certain setbacks more help is needed to keep up this service. The group would like to invite anybody who has the time to help out and is interested in giving some time to come along to a meeting in Ballyduff Community Centre on Wednesday February 28th at 7.30pm. The group hope to increase in numbers and improve the village and surrounding areas. If you are unable to attend the meeting but would like to help please contact Tony on 086-6078272. The group look forward to seeing some new faces and hearing new ideas.

Academy/Nursery News.

Ballyduff GAA Club have returned back to their nursery and academy training. For the next few weeks training will take place on the Astro turf pitch in Ballyduff Soccer field. This training is for boys and girls from the age of 4 to 10 years and is a fantastic opportunity to get children out in the fresh air and let them have fun with their friends in a safe environment. If your child is interested then bring them along on a Saturday morning and they will be made very welcome. For those aged U7 training is from 10am to 11am and from 11am to 12 noon for U10’s.

Shrek-Tastic!

Congratulations and well done to all the cast and crew of Shrek saves far far away which was staged recently by Ballyduff Youth Drama group. I went along on the Saturday night and I must say I was super impressed. There were some brilliant stand out performances but overall everyone did a fabulous job. The one stand out thing for me was the enjoyment on each performers face. They obviously had a ball up there on stage and a big well done to Helen, Eleanor and Joan who keep this going each year, it is a great outlet for the young people to gain confidence and self belief.

Needles At The Ready!

If you are interested in joining a knitting and crochet group in Ballyduff Community Centre please get in contact with Jeni on 086-8163101. All levels will be welcome and of course the customary cuppa and chat will also be on the go. Please get in touch with Jeni to register your interest and so she can determine what is the best day and time for everyone.

Lourdes Call
A reminder that if you would like to put forward someones name to travel as part of the invalid setion of the Waterford/Lismore Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes you need to do so by Friday February 23rd. You can give the persons name to Noel O Sullivan, Eugene Power, Donal Daly or John O Leary.

The Best Of The Best

I never dreamed that I would be speaking about this person in the past tense and I am sure that no matter what I do write it will never do enough justice. While many admire celebrities and famous people to me the people to admire are those everyday people who make you sit up and take notice. Their arrival is never announced by a fanfair and sometimes their presence is not even noticed. Ollie Harris was a man I greatly admired and I know many more people felt the same. During his funeral mass genuine tears fell from the eyes of adults, teenagers and children. He touched many lives and he has left a lasting impression on young and old.

One of the main things I admired about Ollie was the love, respect and devotion he had for his family. The vows he and Kathleen made to each other on their wedding day remained important to them throughout their married life. You seldom met one of them without the other. Ollie’s whole being lit up when he spoke about his children or grandchildren. He was so proud of each of them and all their achievements, his idea of a perfect day was when they were all together. He has left them with so many wonderful memories which in the days and years ahead will give them great comfort.

Ollies great faith was evident to all without imposing on anybody and he gave great service to our parish and community. He was involved in many different committees over the year and was always on hand to lend a hand and no job was too big or too small. He showed what community was all about and his legacy will remain forever in our hearts and minds.

Of course the other great love in Ollie’s life was GAA. He especially took great pride in watching the children and young people enjoy the game of hurling. His help to our local club was invaluable and he knew each child by name and took great interest in watching them grow up. His support to club and county remained strong not only in the glory days.

These are all just a few aspects of Ollies life. I think I can speak for you all when I say he shall be missed greatly and he has left a lasting impression on us all. Our parish is most definetly a poorer place without him but we must now carry on his great work and draw example from his memory. If we can all take a little trait from Ollies personality and add it to our daily life then we will no doubt enhance our parish and community a little more.

We offer our deepest condolences to Kathleen, Denise, Yvonne, John, his grandchildren and all the Harris family. We promise to support and comfort you and to never forget the kindhearted, generous and loving man that was Ollie Harris. May the soil rest gently on him and may he enjoy the wonder and beauty of Gods kingdom. Somebody said to me that there would be no doubt that the Lord would have a seat ready at his table for Ollie but my answer was for Ollie the Lord himself would stand up and give him his seat. Rest in peace gentle friend.

Worker Needed, Needles at the Ready and Shrek time.

Spring Stations.

The Spring station masses will begin in the coming weeks and I will carry a full list of them next week.

A volunteer is needed to host the station mass for the combined areas of Knockaderry, Carrigphilip and Carriganure. If you are interested in hosting this mass please text Fr.Mick on 087-9626618 or text or call Linda on 087-9838392. The mass would be held during February or early March.

Worker Needed

Ballyduff Soccer Club are still on the lookout for a CE worker to help in the club grounds. This is an ideal opportunity for someone to enjoy the outdoors and mix with many different people. If you are interested in finding out more about the job please contact Paddy on 087-2764883.

Names For Lourdes

Each year we as a community like to send two people to Lourdes with the Waterford/Lismore Diocesan Pilgrimage. This is a wonderful opportunity for people to get the chance to travel to Lourdes as part as the invalid section of the pilgrimage. If you would like to put someones name forward please contact one of the following by Friday February 23rd, Noel O Sullivan, Donal Daly, Eugene Power or John O Leary.

GAA Lotto

The numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 4,6,11 and 26 and there was no winner of the jackpot. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Jim Laffan, Kathleen Power and Michael Curran. The next draw will take place on Sunday February 11th and will have a fantastic jackpot of €9,500. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful way to start the New Year. Tickets are just €2 or 3 for €5 and are available from club members and will be on sale on Saturday February 10th at Centra.

Charity Fundraiser

On Saturday February 22nd O Donnachas will play host to a charity night in aid of the Hope Foundation working with street children in Calcutta, India. The foundation have been working with these children since 1999. Funds raised on the night will be used to send local volunteer Sharon O Leary to Calcutta.

A great night is planned with music by Throwing Shapes. There will be an auction and raffle with lots of raffle prizes on offer. Get yourself along for a great night out while helping a brilliant charity.

Needles At The Ready.

Are you interested in joining a local knitting and crochet group? It is hoped to start a group in Ballyduff Community Centre. All levels will be welcomed and catered for and of course the customary cuppa and chat will all be part of the plan. If you are interested then please express your interest by contacting Jeni on 086-8163101.

 

GAA News

A big thank you to all who attended the coaches meeting last week. All at Ballyduff GAA club were delighted with such a big turnout. There was a nice mix of familiar returning faces and new faces. This shows the high level of community spirit in our area. The club really appreciates the time and effort which is put in by all its volunteers.

The nursery and academy sections of the club have proved very successful and they will be back to their training on February 17th. The Nursery group will cater for boys and girls born in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and the Academy for those born in 2008, 2009,and 2010. The organisers look forward to welcoming familiar faces back but also hope to see some new faces. I’ll have more information for you in the coming weeks so watch this space.

Shrek Time.

Ballyduff Youth Drama have been very busy rehearsing for this years production of Shrek Saves Far Far Away and they are now ready to take to the stage. Ballyduff Community Centre is the place to be on Friday February 9th and Saturday February 10th with tickets retailing at €10. You can book your ticket by texting or calling Eleanor on 087-4046904.

This promises to be a great night out with lots of fun and laughter guaranteed. Book your ticket now.

Shrek is Coming to Town, Dawn Players and Coming of Age.

Shrek is coming to Town.

Ballyduff Youth Drama will present their show “Shrek Saves Far Far Away” in Ballyduff Community Centre on Friday February 9th and Saturday February 10th. Tickets cost just €10 and are available by texting or ringing Eleanor on 087-4046904. The group have been working really hard and rehearsals have been going brilliantly. This promises to be a great show, the group have treated us to some fantastic shows over the years and I am sure this year will be no different. Get your ticket for a night of fun.

Dawn Players

Dawn Players Drama Group treated us to a great night of comedy as they staged their recent production of “Dying To Meet You”. Great crowds gathered each night to be treated to some brilliant laughs. A big well done to all the cast and crew and to all who worked so hard backstage. A big well done to all the volunteers who looked after the selling of raffle tickets and made sure everyone enjoyed a nice cuppa at the interval each night. The group would like to thank everyone who came along to support the show.

Recent Death

We extend our deepest sympathy to Sharon Foster, Amberhill on the recent death of her mother Stella Quinn. Stellas removal and funeral mass took place in St. Johns church in Parnell Street. She was then taken to her final resting place in St. Otterans cemetery, Ballinaeesagh. We offer our sympathy and prayers to Sharon and all the Foster family. May she rest in peace.

Baby Boy.

We send our warmest congratulations to Breda and Cormac O Brien on the recent birth of their baby son Liam. I hear that he is a real handsome chap. Breda is of course formerly Breda Kennedy of Stonehouse and I’m sure grandparents Martin and Margaret are delighted and ready and willing to take on the babysitting role. We look forward to meeting Liam on one of his visits to Kilmeaden.

GAA News.

Our local club are on the lookout for a suitable volunteer to manage our Junior C hurling team. Training for this group will be looked after within the club structure. The managers job is a very rewarding position as they manage the team for their championship games. The manager will be assured the support of the club. If you feel you can help with this position please contact any committee member or management of the Intermediate team.

The club have been asked to assist Ballyduff N.S in coaching a girls camogie team. This would require a one hour committment every Wednesday afternoon from April to June. There will be plenty of help available from the club as there is already a coach in place for the boys and some Transition Year students have also been enlisted to help. This is a great opportunity for someone to help the pupils achieve their goals and enjoy sport activities. If you are interested in helping out please contact Brian on 087-2486423.

Coming Of Age.

Margaret and Gerry O Connell will celebrate the 21st birthday of serving the customers of Haughtons Bar. They would love you all to come along and share this milestone with them. On Saturday February 3rd they will begin the celebrations with a walk along the Greenway at 5pm so come along and bring the family. On the return back to Haughtons you can enjoy some punch and finger food. From 9.30pm to 12pm it will be time to recall some stories and happenings from over the years and of course the famous Haughtons sing song. Come along and join in the fun. I had the pleasure of serving in the bar at the beginning of these 21 years and what a great time I had. I made some good friends and enjoyed many a good laugh and a sing song, in fact I often pulled pints while singing at the same time. I met some really interesting people along the way and had some great conversations many with people who have now gone to their eternal reward. Come along on Saturday February 3rd and raise a glass to the past, the present and the future.

Tidy Towns, Portlaw Musical Society and Awards Night

Bridge News.

The results of the bridge game played on Monday January 15th are as follows:

1st: Kate Hayes and Michael O Donovan

2nd:John Fitzpatrick and Sean Hennessy

3rd:Peggy Murphy and Elizabeth Mooney

4th:Kathleen Collins and Patsy Roche.

GAA Lotto.

The numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 2, 11, 22 and 26 and there was no jackpot winner. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Catherine O Neill, Senan Cooke and James Barry. The next lotto draw will take place on January 28th and will have a brilliant jackpot of €9,350. Tickets are just €2 each or 3 for €5 and are available from club members and will be on sale at Centra on Saturday January 27th.

Tidy Towns

The AGM of our local tidy towns committee will take place on Friday January 26th at 7.30pm in Ballyduff Community Centre at 7.30pm. New volunteers are needed badly to secure the continuation of this group. If you are interested in helping to keep your community and area clean and tidy please come along to the meeting and show your support. The present committee have been doing a fantastic job and their work needs to be continued to ensure that our area is kept in mint condition.

Ballyduff Soccer Club

Our local soccer club are still on the lookout for a CE worker for the maintenance and upkeep of the grounds. If this is something that may interest you please contact Paddy Kirk on 087-2764883 and he will tell you all about what the job entails.

Kieran Lyons.

We extend our deepest sympathy to the Lyons family on the recent death of Kieran Lyons. Kieran was a native of Portlaw but spent many years living in Kildermody,Kilmeaden. Kierans funeral mass and burial took place to Ballyduff church and we extend our deepest sympathy to all his family and friends. May he rest in peace.

Portlaw Musical Society

Our neighbours in Portlaw are getting ready to stage their 38th production which this year is Sleeping Beauty. This years producer is Damian Walsh who of course runs his stage school Starstruck in Ballyduff community centre. The Panto cast will take to the stage from Thursday February 1st to Saturday February 3rd at 8pm nightly and a matinee performance on Sunday February 4th at 3pm. Tickets cost €12 for adults and €8 for children and will be on sale in Portlaw community centre from January 25th to January 31st from 5pm to 7pm excluding Sunday. Phone booking on 086-0519210 will only be available on January 31st from 3.30pm to 5.30pm. Panto time is always a great night out so pick up a ticket and treat yourself to a great night out and watch out on stage I’m sure you will spot a few familiar faces from the Ballyduff/Kilmeaden areas!

Community Alert.

Our local community alert group held a very informative meeting last week. It was great to see such a big crowd turn up. Two ladies from the college in Waterford gave the meeting a report on an independent study they had carried out in connection with agricultural rural crime. The most common types of crime carried out they told us was theft, vandalism and trespass. Many of these crimes they told us were never reported for different reasons with one of them being that they had no access to a local garda station which is of course a problem in rural areas.

Garda Alan Kissane was also present and informed the group that our local text alert scheme is one of the strongest and most successful schemes in the county. He urged people to take personal pride and responsibility in their property and belongings. If you see something suspicious or something that just doesnt feel right to you then please call your local guard. The Garda station in Kilmacthomas is now a 24 hour station and Garda Kissane has asked me to give you the following numbers so that you can have them ready to use if necessary. The mobile numbers are 086-8581043 or 086 8581044. The number for Kilmac station is 051-295630 and Tramore is 051-391620. Please write down these numbers and keep them by your phone.

The community alert group will meet again on February 20th so watch this space for details.

Awards Night

My family and I travelled to Lawlors Hotel in Dungarvan on Friday January 12th to watch my dad Noel O Sullivan pick up The Jack Furlong Award which is given to someone who has given a lifetime service and committment to the GAA. I may be a little bias but I believe this award was justly deserved. My dad has always been involved with Gaa . He won numerous medals and trophies as goalie for Portlaw for many years and was part of the great Portlaw team of the 70’s who brought great glory days to the club. Daddy picked up the referees whistle 57 years ago and is still refereeing today. He is also very involved in many other aspects of the GAA and if theres a match being played anywhere in the county chances are that you will spot my dad there. Why does he do it I wonder well I would say it is genuinely out of love for the game and the association.

To receive the award on Friday night was indeed a true honour for him and made all the more special because 25 years previous he watched his dad Sonny O Sullivan take the same award. I’m sure grandad was watching from his seat in heaven and was very proud. I think I can speak for my family when I say we too were very proud and enjoyed watching our dad being recognised for his committment and dedication but of course I’m sure I don’t have to tell any of you that behind every good man is a great woman and so my mother Nancy always should be recognised. She has been a GAA widow for many years and made sure the home fires were kept burning, the gear was kept clean and us children were kept in line. Thank you to all the organisers of the awards who gave us a great night to remember.

GAA News.

There will be a meeting on Tuesday January 30th at 7pm in Ballyduff Community Centre for anyone who is interested in becoming a coach for the nursery and academy group of the club. Anyone who is interested in helping out with these amazing and enthusiastic bunch please come along. Coaching courses for anyone interested will begin in February.

It is a big year for the club with the construction of the new ball wall due to commence. The club have received part funding from the Government for this but will be relying on the generosity of the community to help raise the remainder. They wish to thank you all for your continued generosity and support to the club.

School Enrollments, Couch to 5k and Dying to Meet You.

Bridge News.

We welcome back the Portlaw/Ballyduff bridge club after their Christmas break and wish them all a very happy and healthy 2018. Their first game of the New Year was played on January 8th and the results were as follows:

1st: Kathleen Collins and Patsy Roche.

2nd:Sean Hennessy and Nano Fitzgerald.

3rd:Kate Hayes and John Fitzpatrick.

4th:Ann Marie Brown and Mary Prendergast.

Community Alert.

Our local community alert group will hold their first meeting of 2018 on Tuesday January 16th at 8pm in Ballyduff community centre. Guest speakers on the night will be Chief Superintendent Padraig Dunne and Margaret Quinn from Muintir na Tire. The Munster Express will also be present.

The annual €5 charge for the text alert scheme will also be taken up on the night.

I urge you all to attend these community alert meetings which are very informative and are a great opportunity to get to know your locality, your local guards and to voice your worries and opinions about both your own safety and that of your property and belongings.

School Enrolments

Ballyduff N.S are now accepting applications for enrolment in September 2018. If you are interested in sending your child to Ballyduff N.S in September you can pick up an application form from the school office between the hours of 9.20am and 3pm Monday to Friday or contact the school on 051-384414 and they will post a form out to you. All applications are assessed under the criteria outlined in the enrolment policy which can be viewed on the school website www.ballyduffns.com . Parents will be notified of the Board of Managements decision before March 23rd.

Soccer Club News.

New volunteers are needed to coach the U5’s and U6’s teams so if you have a little time to spare and are willing to help out the club would be delighted to hear from you because unless coaches are found they will be unable to run these teams. Additional coaches are also need for the U7,U8 and U9 teams. Soccer experience is not essential as full training and ongoing support will be available. If you are interested please contact one of the managers on training evenings or contact Paddy on 087-2764883

Parent and Toddler

Our local Parent and Toddler group will return from their Christmas break on Friday January 19th. The group meet each Friday from 10am to 12 noon in Ballyduff Community Centre. This is a wonderful way of getting to know people in your area and it is nice to chat and discuss things with other parents. The babies and toddlers get the chance to mix and interact with other children which is so important at that age. I attended this group when my own children were small and it was something I looked forward to each week.

Couch to 5K

Our local marathon queen Sharon Flynn will begin a couch to 5k group on Wednesday January 17th. This proved very popular last year and I have no doubt that it will be the same this year. This group will meet each Wednesday night in the layby just above O Donnachas with runners beginning at 7pm and walkers at 7.30pm so there is a level for everyone. As well as giving her time and experience freely to the group Sharon would also like to give something back to charity and has chosen Temple Street Hospital,so she will simply have a collection bucket with her each night and will ask people to donate €1 or €2 to the cause.

Dying To Meet You

The wait is over and the stage is set as Dawn Players drama group are ready to bring you this years production which is an hilarious comedy called “Dying To Meet You”. A married couple begin to feel a bit bored when all their children have flown the nest so their neighbours suggest that they should rent out their spare room to make a bit of money. Husband and wife go about finding a tenant without discussing it with each other and so the room is let out to a young undertaker and a young Italian girl with very little English. Just to make the story even more interesting throw in an Inspector of Taxes, a mysterious Italian uncle who may have links with the mafia and sure what could possibly go wrong!

The play runs from Wednesday January 17th to Saturday January 20th at 8pm in the school hall of Ballyduff N.S. Tickets are priced at €12 and can be booked on 087-4487648 after 6pm on weekdays. This promises to be a great show with a mixed cast of familiar faces, returning actors and new first timers, so book yourself a ticket and spread the word to all your friends.

Be Mindful.

We have been experiencing some rather cold temperatures lately and so I would ask you all to be mindful of those living in your area who may be old, sick or living alone. A little visit is not much to ask and check that they have enough heat and supplies. We all know how nice and comforting it is to sit in your own warm house when the weather is cold and miserable. I’m sure none of us would like to hear of anyone in our area who was cold or hungry simply because nobody thought of calling to them. I have no doubt that many acts of kindness are being carried out around our area which nobody knows about and I have witnessed many myself so I say keep up the good work because thats what makes our community so special.

New Year Wishes, Birthday Girl and Dawn Players

New Year Wishes.

Let me begin these notes by wishing each and every one of you every happiness and good health for 2018. I thank all who have contributed to these local notes and I look forward to including your items once again this year. Remember if you or your club or organisation have an event coming up let the community know about it through these notes. I am reliably informed that people read them. If you or someone in your family have celebrated a significant birthday, engagement, wedding, birth, anniversary, graduation, even if the cat has had kittens why not wish them well through these notes. Just contact me Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 or spillanelinda2017@gmail.com or spillanelinda@eircom.net I’m so popular I have to have two emails. I look forward to hearing from you.

Christmas Babies.

We all celebrated the birth of the baby Jesus at Christmas but nearer to home two more little boys were set to make their arrival.

On Christmas Day Louise and Ian Doogue welcomed their beautiful son Eoin into the world. What a wonderful Christmas gift to receive and I know that all the Doogue and Mackey families are thrilled to welcome baby Eoin. Louise is of course the eldest daughter of John and Maria Mackey in Ross.

Joanne and Pat Matthews also welcomed their baby son on Christmas Day. Baby Jack Francie Matthews decided he didn’t want to wait until his due date and arrived in time for Christmas. Joanne is the eldest daughter of Francie and Ann Crowley in Adamstown and what an eventful Christmas they have had with their youngest daughter Sarah arriving back from her holiday engaged and then their beautiful grandson making his arrival. Baby Matthews will of course have no problems settling in to family life with big sister Kate on hand to show him the ropes. What fantastic gifts these families received this Christmas and we wish them all every happiness and good health in the future.

Christmas Ceremonies.

Our church looked beautiful for the Christmas ceremonies and a big well done and thank you to everyone who made the church look so nice. The Christmas tree shone brightly, while our lovely crib was visited by many and it was particularly nice to see the little children tell their parents about all the people in the crib. The stunning flower arrangements adorned the altar and windows and the Christmas masses were beautifully enhanced by our choir. The young people from our parish who took part in the Nativity play on Christmas Eve really brought home to us the true meaning of Christmas. A big thank you to all who took part or arranged any part of the Christmas ceremonies, your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Christmas Wedding.

We send our heartiest congratulations to Elaine Leahy, Blacknock who married her sweetheart Mark Phelan on December 29th. The bride looked stunning as she arrived at St. Nicholas’s church Ballyduff accompanied by her beautiful bridesmaids. Fr. Gerry Condon was on hand to officiate. The couple and their guests then headed off to The Riverside Park Hotel where they wined and dined and then danced the night away. I hear tales back of a great weekend and I wish the happy couple every happiness in their future lives together.

Future Bride.

We send warm congratulations to Colette Kiely formerly of Ballyduff West and now living in Portlaw who announced her engagement to Jose Pinto over the Christmas season. Jose of course had the job of winning over the two other important men in Colettes life, her dad that famous Kilkenny man Fintan Kiely and her son Jack. Once he had their seal of approval it was going to be plain sailing. We wish Colette, Jose and Jack the very best of everything in their future lives together. Be careful now Colette if I know Fintan he will be looking for a black and amber theme for the wedding.

Community Alert

Our local community alert group will host the first meeting of 2018 on Tuesday January 16th at 8pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. Guest speakers on the night will be Chief Superintendent Padraig Dunne and Margaret Quinn from Muintir Na Tire. Representatives from The Munster Express will also be in attendance. The €5 text alert charge will also be taken up on the night.

I would urge you all to come along and support your local group, you are asked for nothing in return. It is so important for a community to show a united front and protect our area and all who live in it. The text alert scheme is something I can not recommend highly enough. For a mere €5 per year you receive regular texts informing you of suspicious activity or unknown vehicles in your surrounding areas. The text was also invaluable recently during the bad weather informing of road closures, fallen trees etc. If you really can’t make the meeting put your name and mobile number along with your €5 in an envelope and give to someone going to the meeting or you can give it to me and I will happily pass it on for you.

GAA News.

The club would like to say a big thank you to all the players, coaches and supporters for all their committment and dedication in 2017. 2017 was a great year for the club and hopefully 2018 will also prove to be a successful year . The club wishes all its members and their families a happy and healthy New Year.

Huge congratulations to Cathal Daly who has been selected to represent the county at Minor Football level. Cathal puts in a lot of time and effort into his training and recently qualified as a coach for the nursery/academy section of the club. We know his parents Donal and Miriam are very proud of him and are always great supporters of Cathal and the club.

Memorial Swim.

A huge congratulations to all who braved the elements on Christmas Day and took part in The Michael Power Memorial Swim at Kilmurrin Cove. This annual swim has been running since 1983 and it has raised almost €600,000 for various charities. The proceeds from the 2017 swim will go to the Touching Hearts charity.

Birthday Girl.

A big happy 21st birthday goes to Laura Burns, Blacknock who recently celebrated in style at The Sweep Bar with her family and friends. I hear a great night was had by all and we hope Laura had a night to remember.

Dawn Players

It is that time of year again when our local drama group Dawn Players stage their annual production. This year they have chosen a comedy called “Dying To Meet You” by Ron Hutson. The play will run from Wednesday January17th to Saturday January 20th at 8pm in the school hall at Ballyduff N.S. Tickets will cost €12 and booking will open from Wednesday January 10th on 087-4487648. Bookings can be made after 6pm on weekdays and all day on Saturday and Sunday.

A few familiar faces return to the stage for the group this year with a few new faces thrown in too and directing this year is Miriam Daly. This comedy promises to be full of laughs and is a guaranteed great night out.

The play centres around a happily married couple whose children have now flown the nest. Their friends and neighbours next door suggest that they rent out the empty rooms to make money and so rooms are rented to a young undertaker and a young Italian girl with little English. Throw into the mix a tax inspector, an italian uncle with possible links to the Mafia and sure what could possibly go wrong!! Get yourself a ticket and find out what happens.

Love is in the Air, Thank you Wishes and Cinderella

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.

GAA News, Church News and Welcoming Christmas

Bridge News.

The results of the latest bridge game are as follows:

1st: Sean Hennessy and Nano Fitzgerald.

2nd: Breda Cowman and Mary Kennedy.

3rd: Margaret White and Ann Marie Brown.

4th: Breda Murphy and Mary Flahavan.

GAA News.

Congratulations to the Ballyduff/Portlaw U 21 hurlers who captured the Eastern title recently when they defeated Clan Na Gael with a score line of 2-17 to 2-10. A big well done to all involved and we all look forward to the County Final.

Following on from winning Club of the Year in 2016 the partnership of Ballyduff and Portlaw have now captured the Juvenile Club of the Year title. This is a fantastic achievement and proves what a great future lies ahead for the club.

The club are thrilled to have been awarded a substantial grant which will go towards a hurling wall and associated works. This will enhance the club facilities greatly and a big well done to all who assisted in the application for this grant.

GAA Lotto

The last lotto draw of 2017 took place recently and the numbers drawn were 2, 6, 9, and 25. There was no lucky winner of the jackpot but there were 6 lucky dip winners of €50 each, Maire Burns, Bridget Power, David Power, Alice O Brien, Tony Larkin and Paul McAllister. The next draw will take place on January 14th 2018 and will have a jackpot of €9,200.

Mass Bookings

We have now taken bookings for weekend anniversary masses during the months of January, February and March so if you happened to miss the bookings please contact Linda Spillane 087-9838392 and she will look after you.

Welcoming Christmas.

If you are looking for the perfect way to ease yourself into the Christmas season then please come along to Ballyduff church on Wednesday December 13th at 7.30pm where St. Nicholas choir will hold a candle lit concert of seasonal carols and music. The choir are delighted to be joined by soprano Lupita de Bhaill. Damien O Brien will be the accompanist on piano for the evening and will be joined by musicians Rebecca McCarthy Kent on violin, Ger Dower on flute and Liam Daly on horn.

Admission is free but during the interval there will be a collection taken up which will be donated to The Touching Hearts charity. Refreshments will be served in the community centre after the concert.

This is an evening I look forward to each year and I recommend it to you all. It is a beautiful relaxing way to welcome the beauty of Christmas.

Church News.

All the preparations for the Christmas season are now well under way but we must now prepare ourselves spiritually to welcome the Lord into our hearts. A service of reconciliation will take place during both of the masses on the weekend of December 16th and 17th. Both Fr. Mick and Fr. Richard will both be in attendance at both masses.

For many years it has been the tradition for people to bring the baby Jesus figurine from their cribs to St. Peters Square to have them blessed by the pope. This year we will honour that tradition on Sunday December 17th at 10am. You are all invited to bring the baby Jesus from your crib and have it blessed and all people attending will also be blessed.

Coffee Morning, Starstruck Theatre Production and 21st Birthday

Mass Bookings.

The booking of anniversary masses for the months of January, February and March will take place after both masses next weekend December 9th and 10th. If you have a First anniversary mass or Months mind mass due within these months please contact Linda Spillane 087-9838392 before the bookings so that you can get your prefered date.

Coffee Morning

Our local community alert group will host a coffee morning on Sunday December 10th from 10am to 12 noon in Ballyduff Community Centre. All proceeds on the day will go to the very worthy Touching Hearts charity. I have heard on the grapevine that there will be many special guests dropping in on the day and I have even overheard that the main man of the season Santa Claus himself has contacted the group and asked if he can come along. Come along and enjoy a nice hot cuppa and a chat and a laugh with old friends and new.

If you would like to help the group by baking a few little treats for the occasion they would be very grateful indeed. If you are willing to help please let one of the committee know or you can let me know and I will happily pass on the message for you.

Bridge News.

The Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge group meet in Ballyduff N.S every Monday night and the results of the latest game are as follows:

1st: Kathleen Collins and Brenda Cummins

2nd: Mary Kennedy and John Fitzpatrick

3rd: Mary Flahavan and Anne Kennedy

4th: Mary O Brien and Ann Cox.

Birthday Boy

Heartiest congratulations and birthday wishes to Pat Hennessy, Dooneen and of course of Hennessys Garage fame who recently celebrated his 70th birthday. I have heard rumours of many celebrations and I am reliably informed that the partying hasn’t stopped. We hope Pat enjoyed his day with his family and friends and wish many more happy birthdays.

Festive Evening

St. Nicholas parish choir invite you to join them on Wednesday December 13th at 7.30pm in Ballyduff church for a candlelit concert of seasonal carols for Christmas. The night will include some seasonal readings and festive carols. The choir are delighted to announce that they will be joined on the night by soprano Lupita De Bhaill. Damien O Brien will be the pianist for the evening and will be joined on the night by musicians Rebecca McCarthy Kent on violin, Ger Dower on flute and Liam Daly on horn.

Admission will be free on the night but there will be collection at the interval with all proceeds going to the Touching Hearts charity. After the concert refreshments will be served in the community centre.

This is always a lovely evening and a perfect way to start the Christmas season so treat yourself to a relaxing night of music and song.

Starstruck Theatre Production.

Starstruck Theatre School will host their production of Cinderella in Ballyduff Community Centre on Thursday December 7th, Friday 8th and Saturday 9th at 7pm each night. Tickets are €10 for adults and €8 for children. A family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) costs €30 and all tickets are available on the night. This production consists of boys, girls and young teenagers from the Ballyduff/ Kilmeaden areas and promises to be a great show of drama, dancing and singing so come along and enjoy the show.

November Masses

Our special Wednesday night masses for the Holy Souls have now ended and a big thank you to all who attended and all who placed offerings in the box. The last of these masses was offered especially for those who died during the past 12 months and this was a beautiful ceremony in which a lighted candle was placed at the altar for each of the 44 people named on the list. The choir enhanced the occasion beautifully and the readings and prayers were read by some of the peoples family members while 4 very special children and grandchildren brought forward the gifts. We hope that the friendship and togetherness on the night will give some comfort to all those who mourn.

21st Birthday Wishes

I know you will join with me in sending very happy 21st birthday wishes to my good friend Sean Ryan in Gortaclode. I have no doubt that his mam Carmel and all the family made sure he celebrated in style and actually he is probably still celebrating. I havent had a chance to give him his birthday kiss yet but I’ll make it my business to catch up with him. We wish Sean many more happy birthdays.

Church Dates

As we make all the preparations for Christmas we must also remember to prepare ourselves spiritually. A service of reconciliation will take place during both masses on Saturday December 16th at 7.30pm and on Sunday December 17th at 10am. Both priests will be in attendance at both masses.

Over the past several decades on the Third Sunday of Advent people would bring their Baby Jesus figures from their cribs to St. Peters Square where the Pope would bless both the people and the figures. This became known as Bambinelli Sunday and we will celebrate it this year in Ballyduff at the 10am mass on Sunady December 17th. You are invited to bring along your baby Jesus figures from your crib for a special blessings. There will also a blessing of all children on the day.

In the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore in the southeast of Ireland, Ballyduff and Kilmeaden are about 23 miles from Dungarvan and 5 miles from Waterford.