All posts by Christine Tubbritt

Mass Bookings, School Sports and Warm Welcome

Mass Bookings.
If you would like to book an anniversary mass for the months of July, August and September then bookings will take place after both masses next weekend June 22nd and 23rd. If you need to book a Months Mind or First Anniversary mass during these months then please contact Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 before the bookings so that you can get your prefered date. Months Mind or First Anniversary masses are given a mass on their own where at all possible but other masses may need to be shared depending on demand.

Wedding Bells.

St. Nicholas Church, Ballyduff was the setting for a most beautiful wedding on Saturday June 7th. Local lady Sarah Crowley from Adamstown arrived to the church in beautiful sunshine and glowed with happiness. By her side as always was her sister and best friend Joanne who took her job as bridesmaid very seriously. Her pretty flowergirls and her bridesmaid then lead the way up the church aisle where her groom Noel O Connor awaited his beautiful bride. Family friend and former priest of this parish Fr. Joe Flynn made sure that all formalities were dealt with and the happy couple left the church as man and wife in glorious sunshine once again. The celebrations then moved on to the stunning Waterford Castle where the wedding party were wined and dined and then danced the night away. We wish this lovely couple every happiness in their future lives together.

Bridge News

The results of the bridge game played by the Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club on Monday June 10th were as follows:

1st: Aileen Stephenson and Breda F Murphy.

2nd:Nano Fitzgerald and Geraldine McMahon.

3rd: Anne Kennedy and Breda Murphy.

4th:Anna Harney and John Fitzpatrick.

School Sports.

Ballyduff NS held their annual sports evening on Tuesday June 11th. Thankfully the weather was kind so there was no sliding and slipping in muddy puddles. There were some great sprinters on show with some possible olympians emerging. However my favourite races are the sack races, three legged races and the egg(sorry potato) and spoon races where you hear the children laughing as they fall over each other or drop the potato just before the line. A big well done to all the parents council and their helpers who put such terrific work into this each year. There were fabulous raffle prizes up for grabs. Nobody was allowed to go hungry with burgers and sausages sizzling on the barbeques. I’m delighted to say a fantastic amount of €1450 was raised on the night for school resources and activities next year.

I have been asked to give a special mention and thank you to all the prize sponsors on the night, Hicksons Centra Kilmeaden, Boots Pharmacy,Tramore, Kilmeaden Pharmacy, The Book Centre, Alfie Hale Sports, Mountain View Chinese Restaurant, Mulligans Pharmacy, Glanbia Countrylife Kilmeaden, Frank Murphy Hurleys, Living Colours and Ross Kavanagh Ltd for the barbeques and loudspeakers.

Our Sympathy

We extend our deepest sympathy to Mrs. Eileen Kirwan, Amberhill on the recent death of her brother Larry Walshe. We pray that Larry now rests in peace and that his family and friends may find comfort through the power of our prayers.

Church News

A reminder that Adoration of the Blessed Eucharist takes place in the church every Tuesday from 12 noon to 5pm. Please drop in and spend a few minutes or an hour whatever suits you in the presence of the Lord. Let me tell you it is lovely to switch off and sit in the peace and tranquilty with just your own thoughts.

Dates to keep marked in your diaries are Wednesday July 3rd when our annual graveyard mass will take place at 7.30pm. This is a lovely opportunity to pray for all our family and friends who are buried in our graveyard. Please if you are tidying up your family grave in the coming weeks please remember to bring a rubbish bag with you and bring away any dead flowers etc as there are no dumping facilities in the graveyard. Wednesday July 24th is the date set for the annual graveyard mass at Newcastle. There will be a faith walk leaving from Ballyduff at 6.30pm and mass at Newcastle will begin at 7.30pm.

We send warm wishes to Fr. O Byrne who celebrated 52 years in the priesthood last week. We pray that the Lord will continue to bless him in his ministry.

Warm Welcome.

It is great to see another new business open up in our area. The Milestone Coffee House has opened its doors in the Kilmeaden Village Centre and we wish all involved the very best of luck. This is another great amenity to have and hopefully you will all have an opportunity to drop in and support and give the owners our warm Kilmeaden welcome.

Marathon Marvels, Wedded Bliss and All Ireland Champion

GAA Lotto.

The numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 14, 18, 26 and 27. There was no jackpot winner but the three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Mary Kinsella, Johnny Keane and Stephen Torpey. The next draw will take place on Sunday June 16th and there will be a fantastic jackpot of €12,500 on offer. Tickets cost just €2 or three for €5 and will be on sale outside Centra on Saturday June 15th or from all committee members.

Our Sympathy
We extend our deepest sympathies to Breda Counihan, Ballyduff West on the recent death of her beloved brother James Ryan. Although I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing this man personally I was able to tell from speaking to Breda that he was a strong hardworking man who had farmed all his life and had a great sence of family values.

We pray that James now rests in peace and that his family will find comfort in their memories of him.

Marathon Marvels
Huge congratulations to all the men and women from our area who took part in both the Cork and Dublin marathons last weekend. I don’t want to start naming names because I will most certainly leave someone out. Many of these people had run marathons before and for some it was their first time. Each one of them should be very proud of their own special achievement.

Wedded Bliss

We send warm congratulations to Michael and Mary Fitzpatrick, Ballyduf West as they recently celebrated 30 years of wedded bliss. Only mere children of course when they married back in 1989 I’m sure those 30 years have gone by in the blink of an eye. I’m sure their daughter Sara helped them to celebrate this great occasion in style. We wish them both many more happy and healthy years together.

All Ireland Champion

Another All Ireland Champion returned back home to Kilmeaden in the last week or so. Representing his school, St. Declans Community College in Kilmacthomas Matteo Mary from Ballygarron ran the race of his life in the Inter boys 1500m. Matteo stayed patiently behind the leaders for the first 3 laps before kicking for home with 250m to go. He also managed to run a lifetime best of 4.05 so it really was a weekend to remember for Matteo This is a fantastic achievement for Matteo and a just reward for all the hard work and committment he gives to his sport.

Church News

Some dates for you to mark in your diary are our annual graveyard mass which will take place on Wednesday July 3rd at 7.30pm. Please spread the word around to people you know who are living in other areas but have relatives and friends buried in our cemetery.

The annual graveyard mass in the old cemetery in Newcastle will take place on Wednesday July 24th at 7.30pm and there will be the usual faith walk from Ballyduff beforehand.

Memorial Fun Run.

Another date for your diary is Friday August 9th. Se2 will very kindly once again sponsor the Liz (Eilis) Hayes Memorial Fun Run. It is hard to believe that is the 8th year of this run. Walkers will set off at 6.45pm and the runners will make their way around at 7.30pm. This fun run takes in the beautiful scenery around Knockaderry Lake. I will have more details in the coming weeks so stay tuned.

Beauty and The Beast

Starstruck Theatre School staged their production of Beauty and the Beast over two nights in Ballyduff Community Centre. The show was full of colour dance and song and the smiles of the children were highly infectious. Each child played their individual parts well and kept the audience entertained. Well done to all the cast and crew and all the helpers. We look forward to the next production.

Our Sympathy, Confirmation Time and Aviva Dreams

Bridge News

The Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club meet in Ballyduff NS every Monday night and the results of their game played on Monday May 27th are:
1st: Sean Hennessy and Kate Hayes.

2nd: Geraldine McMahon and Nano Fitzgerald.

3rd: Mary Cummins and Mary Prendergast.

4th: Beth Spollen and John Fitzpatrick.
This very generous group invited Dermot Dooley from the Touching Hearts charity to their meeting where they presented him with a cheque for €500 which is greatly appreciated.

Our Sympathy

We extend our deepest sympathy to JJ and Mary White, Gortaclode on the death of their beloved daughter Breda. Breda Quigley was living in Kilhile, Arthurstown and her funeral mass took place in St. James Church, Ramsgrange followed by burial in the new cemetery. We offer our sympathies to all of Bredas family especially her parents JJ and Mary, her sister Helen, her husband Joe and daughters Nicols and Lisa. We pray that Breda now rests in peace and that her heartbroken family and friends may find comfort in their memories of her.

Beautiful Baby Boy.
We extend our warmest congratulations to Ms. Lorraine Ryan and her husband James who recently welcomed their baby son Luke into the world. Ms. Ryan is part of the teaching staff in Ballyduff N.S and we send heartiest congratulations from all the staff, students and parents. We hope baby Luke will come to meet us all soon and we wish him and his parents every good health and happiness.

Confirmation Time

On Thursday May 30th Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan confirmed the 5th and 6th classes from Portlaw National School and we wish each and every one of them the very best and hope that they all enjoyeda wonderful day with their family and friends. We pray that the gifts of the Holy Spirit will continue to guide and protect these young people in their futures.

 

Free CPR Training

Yes you did read that right, our local GAA club have very kindly organised free CPR training for the club and community. This training will take place on Friday June 7th in Ballyduff Community Centre. The times arranged are 5pm, 6.30pm and 8pm. If you are over 18 and are interested in taking part in this life saving opportunity please call Brian on 087-2486423 to register. Places are filling fast so please ring today.

 

GAA News

As always our local GAA club is a hive of activity with all the different age groups taking part in games both at home and away. Congratulations to the U14 LGFA team who beat Abbeyside 7-09 to 4-04 in a very exciting game at home. This win brings them through to a county semi final and we wish them the very best of luck.

The academy section of the club had a fantastic day out to Butlerstown recently with 53 children from the club taking part in lots of matches against the host club. They all enjoyed the games and abig thank you to all the parents.

The U12 lady footballers had a great win in the first round of the championship against Erins Own. A big well done to the girls for all their great work and also to their coaches and parents for their brilliant support.

In the U9 hurling league Ballyduff bounced back with an entertaining win over Clonea on a score line of 3-2 to 1-2. There was some brilliant play all over the field especially against the wind in the second half. The great support from the sideline also helped greatly.

Aviva Dreams!

I was delighted when I heard that a group of young ladies from our local soccer club were off to The Aviva and wanted to make sure that I gave you an accurate account of the days happening so I sought the help of a young expert friend of mine Laura Carlin. Laura and her sister Emma were part of the group who headed off and of course they have soccer running through their blood and the piece that Laura put together for me was full of such passion and enthusiasm I decided that I should just include it exactly as written so please enjoy:

During the Easter holidays Ballyduff AFC held a camp called the Aviva Soccer Sisters. Lots of clubs throughout the country held this camp too. Every club that held the camp was entered into a draw to take part in the Aviva soccer sister dream camp at the Aviva Stadium. Three teams from Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht were picked out of a hat and fortunately Ballyduff was picked to go. We organised a bus to bring us to and from Dublin.

Finally the 29th of May arrived. Everyone met at the Ballyduff school park at 1.30pm. The 10 children and 7 adults were soon on the bus and on their way to Dublin. Near the Aviva stadium the team stopped for a quick snack and then it was on to the stadium. The girls were shocked to see such a huge stadium and the cameras were straight out for the photos. We got to the stadium and registered and the FAI gave every team a mentor and Ballyduff’s mentor was called Mia. Mia plays for Bohs ladies in Dublin at the momntedent. Mia brought the girls to the dressing room that the Irish Soccer and rugby teams use. They were so big they even had two jacuzzis in them. The girls got changed and made their way out onto the pitch. The games were 15 minutes long. We drew our first game but won the other three. After the fourth match the teams were presented with medals and a club plaque and there was a chance of a group photo with Cara the school girl mascot and then it was time to head back to Ballyduff. The girls all had a brilliant time and will treasure the memories forever.

I thank Laura very much for this informative account of their day and I know that all in Ballyduff AFC are very proud of the fine representation made by these girls on behalf of their club and coaches. I am also quiet certain that from the heavens above a very proud Frankie Carlin beamed down with tremendous satifaction as both a grandad and a proud Ballyduff AFC man.

Star Struck Production.

Star Struck Theatre school who hold classes in Ballyduff Community Centre are ready to bring their production to the stage. Consisting of boys and girls from our community their production of Beauty and the Beast promises to delight the audience. They will take to the stage on Wednesday June 5th and Thursday June 6th at 7pm. Tickets will be on sale at the door at the following prices, adults €10, children €8 and a family ticket(2 adults and 2 children)for €30. Come along and treat yourself to a night of fun and song.

Writing Workshop, Hospice Heros and Exam Time.

Bridge News.

The Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club meet in Ballyduff every Monday night to play a game of bridge and the results of the game played on Monday May 20th:

1st: Mary/Brenda Cummins.

2nd: Elizabeth Mooney/Peggy Murphy.

3rd: Ann Marie Brown/Theresa Phelan.

4th: Fr. Michael O Byrne/Kathleen Collins.

 

GAA Lotto Results

The numbers drawn in the latest GAA lotto draw were 5,9,14 and 26. There was no winner of the jackpot but the three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Liz Lyons, John O Donnell and John O Dowd. The next draw will take place on Monday June 3rd and there will be a fantastic jackpot of €12,500 up for grabs.

Tickets cost just €2 each or 3 for €5 and are available from committee members and will also be on sale at Centra on Saturday June 1st. Four little numbers stand between you and that jackpot so choose wisely and you could be having a wonderful bank holiday weekend.

Church News.

A reminder that Eucharistic adoration takes place every Tuesday afternoon from 12 noon in our church. You are invited to call in and spend some peaceful time in the presence of the Lord. You can stay for a few minutes or an hour or two it is your choice but treat yourself to a little quiet time out of your day and be alone with your thoughts.

Our annual graveyard mass will take place on Wednesday July 3rd at 7.30pm. Please spread the word about this mass to people you know living in other areas but have family or friends buried in our graveyard.

The annual graveyard mass in the old grounds of Newcastle cemetery will be on Wednesday July 24th at 7.30pm.

Choir practice takes place every Monday night from 8pm to 9pm. All adults are invited to come along and lend their voices.

 

Writing Workshops.

We are all very proud of our own local Irish Times bestselling author Karen Power who has shown that through hard work, committment and dedication to your craft, great things can be achieved. Karen delighted readers with her Butterfly Barn series and now hopes to impart some ideas and tips to other budding writers. In association with The Book Centre Karen will hold three seperate one day creative writing workshop days in the beautiful setting of Curraghmore House Estate, Portlaw. The €120 fee also includes your lunch and a private tour of Curraghmore House. You can choose from one of three dates, Saturday June 15th, Friday July 12th or Sunday August 11th. Places are limited so if you are interested please contact Karen at karenpowerauthor@gmail.com or on 083-3214134

Let your creative juices flow and there is no better place to let that happen than amongst the beauty and splendour of Curraghmore House. You will find no better inspiration than in the sights and sounds around you. And remember I expect to be invited to your book launch!

Heart Children Ireland

When I heard that local lady Sharon Flynn plans to run the VHI Mini Marathon for Heart Children Ireland I knew straight away that it was going to be a roaring success. Sharon takes these challenges on with nothing less than 100% committment. In 2018 when Sharons grand nephew was born with a heart disorder Sharon saw first hand the great work being done by Heart Children Ireland and wanted to lend her support.

To kick off her fundraising Sharon opened up her home on Saturday May 18th and offered teas and coffee and delicious treats for all in exchange for a donation to the cause. This was an absolute wonderful success and Sharon raised a whopping €1035 that morning. Sharon would like to thank all who attended, donated, baked and washed up and on your behalf I say a big well done to Sharon and wish her continued success with her training.

 

Hospice Heroes

The Hospice Hero special ceremony took place recently in St. Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. Along side 25 others two Ballyduff men were named Hospice Heroes ahead of Hospice Sunflower Day 2019. Mary Kennedy, Broadcaster and Hospice Sunflower Ambassador presented the plaques to father and son duo Arthur and Jordan Curry who took on a tremendous physical and mental challenge to raise money for The Hospice. Their Home To Rome challenge saw them cycle over 3000km from their home in Ballyduff to Italy, travelling through 12 countries and meeting many different challenges along the way. This dedicated duo were driven by the wonderful memories of their beloved mother and grandmother Cait who received such wonderful care from the hospice team before her death. They truly deserve the title of Hospice Heroes as they raised over €20,000 for this much deserving charity. A reminder that Sunflower day will take place on Friday June 7th and Saturday June 8th so please support any colectors you may see out and about.

Congratulations to both Arthur and Jordan who never set out for any recognition or awards but I’m sure they greatly appreciate the sentiment.

Tidy Towns

Our local Tidy Towns group have been in touch and have asked me to let you all know about the litter pick which will take place on Wednesday May 29th starting at Centra at 6.30pm. All are welcome to come along and join in. It is up to all of us to help try to keep our area clean and tidy.

The group would like to thank the local businessman and his wife who donated the flowers and the baskets for Ballyduff Green and a big thank you to Christy and Vera O Keeffe who planted them all up. The group are delighted to see their Treasurer Michael Fitzpatrick out and about again and wish him continued good health.

GAA News

The U10 hurlers put in a superb performance in Tom Cheasty Park where they defeated Tramore 6-3 to 1-1. There were some great displays and a brilliant team effort and this team is now becoming known for these great performances.

The U13 hurling semi final saw us missing some first team players through injury and illness. This game against Clonea was always going to be a hard task but the lads really got stuck in and were holding their own when one of their best players was injured and couldn’t continue which is sad to see at this age. The team played their hearts out and have been a great group to work with. Well done to them all and to Mr. Carey for all his efforts.

Ballyduff/Portlaw were up against Tramore in the U15 County Football final and were defeated by just 4 points.We didn’t take the chances we could have playing with the breeze in the first half and so this made life difficult in the second half. Although the team were disappointed they can be proud of the effort they put in and the fantastic football they played on the road to the final

Following some great pressure from Fenor at the start of the game Ballyduff ran out winners on a scoreline of 10-1 to 0-4 in the U11 scchool cup final. This team worked their socks off from start to finish to realise a fantastic achievement for their school and parish. A special mention to Mr. Stapleton and Miss Sinnott for all their efforts this year.

Our U10 girls played host to a football blitz in Tom Cheasty Park and they won all three of their games. The girls had a super time and a big thank you to the coaches and parents and those who looked after the refreshments.

 

Exam Time

We think of all the young men and women of our parish who are preparing for exams at the moments . We hope that their study plan is going well and that they are remembering to drink plenty of water, eat well and get a good nights sleep. A little bit of down time is also needed to keep your body, soul and mind well. Take some time out to go for a walk, go to the cinema, meet with friends or whatever relaxes you.

Holy Communion Day, Lourdes Night and CPR Training

Holy Communion Day.

On Saturday May 11th the boys and girls from 2nd class gathered at St. Nicholas’s church, Ballyduff to receive their First Holy Communion. The Lord was kind to them and sent some lovely sunshine and as they entered the church with their family and friends their little faces beamed with happiness.

I was delighted to be able to attend the mass and see all the wonderful preparations and work they had put in. Their class teacher Miss Sprice had mose certainly worked hard and the children certainly did her proud. The children took part in the readings,prayers of the faithful, offertory gifts and the actions to the Our Father. They were joined by their schoolmates from the older classes who sang beautiful hymns throughout the mass. It was so nice to see so many of the teaching staff attend the mass and show their support to the children and Miss Sprice. Of course Miss Sprice will walk up the aisle herself in a few weeks so I’m sure she was picking up some tips from the girls in their white dresses.

After the mass and some photographs there was the customary cup of tea and cake in the hall. This is a lovely tradition and it was great to see so many go back. A big well done to the Parents Association and the volunteer parents who took care of this on the day. We wish all the boys and girls continued blessings and hope that they all enjoyed their special day.

Fundraising Thanks
The collectors for the IHCPTgroup who held a church gate on Easter weekend have asked me to say a big thank you to all who contributed. They were delighted to collect €238 and this will help the group greatly in their work.

Bridge News.

The Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club are going from strength to strength and meet every Monday night for their weekly game. The results from Monday 13th are as follows:

1st: Anne Kennedy and Peggy Murphy

2nd:Kathleen Collins and Patsy Roche

3rd: Geraldine McMahon and Nano Fitzgerald

4th: Fr. Michael O Byrnre and Mary Shanahan.

 

Lourdes Night

Our local Lourdes committee have asked me to say a huge thank you to all who bought raffle tickets and gave donations to their recent fundraising night in O Donnachas. Throughout the day raffle tickets were sold at Centra with lovely hampers and many other prizes up for grabs. The lucky winners of the two hampers were Angela Ryan, Kilmagemogue and Jim O Brien , Ballyduff.

It was on then to O Donnachas for the talent competition. There was lots of fine talent on display but lifting the Jimmy Fox Memorial cup was Billy Flanagan. The committee are delighted to inform you that they will be sending two people as part of the invaild section of the Waterford/Lismore Diocesan Pilgrimage and will also send a young helper. The total raised between the raffle and the talent show was €930 and your generosity is deeply appreciated.

 

GAA News

There have been many hurling and football games recently. The Ballyduff NS teams were out in force, The U13’s had two games winning one against Glor Na Mara by a big margin and going down valiantly to Killea with a depleted team they head into the semi final. The U11’s won all three games very impressively against Fenor, Newtown and Faithlegg with some outstanding displays and are now through to the Cup Final in the competition. A big thanks to the teachers in the school who coached these lads, the club is grateful for the great relationship with the school.

There was a disappointing result in the U9 hurling league with a final score of Passage 3-6 to Ballyduff 1-3. After a very slow start in the first half they came back stronger in the second half but it was a bit too late..

The U8 footballers performed well at their blitz against Ballyduff Upper, Gaultier and St. Olivers. Players are improving every week and there were some lovely goals and points scored and some brilliant defending. As usual the support from the sideline.

There was a great performance from the U15’s in the County Division 2 Football Eastern Final with some outstanding fielding and an excellent first half. With a final score of Ballyduff/Portlaw 4-9 to Dungarvan 2-3 they march on in to the County Final.

The U11 hurlers gave a brilliant performance against De La Salle and were unlucky to be beaten. This team showed great character and a big thank you to all the supporters who cheered them on.

CPR Training.

Ballyduff GAA club is endeavoring to organise free CPR training for the club and community. The confirmed date is June 7th in Ballyduff Community Centre. Classes will be at 5pm, 6.30pm and 8pm. If you are interested you need to book your spot asap by contacting Brian on 087-2486423. This is open to all over 18’s and places are filling fast.

Ballyduff AFC

Huge congratulations to our U15 team who recently won the Roy Power Cup. In a very entertaining game they beat Dungarvan 3-1. Dylan Mooney settled the nerves when he finished Ryan Hennessys pass in the first minute and then Ryan made it 2-0 after 10 minutes and Michael O Connor gave us our third goal. Captain Nathan Bagge collected the cup and it was a very proud moment for all the players their parents and families. It was however also a proud moment for the club and for the two coaches who put in such hard work all season. The guys are very lucky to have two such dedicated men helping them and willing them on. I’m sure Jason Kings vast knowledge of nutrition and training has been invaluable to the guys while they have also been lucky to learn from one of the finest soccer players around Jimmy Power . His great love for the sport is really infectious.

Community Games, Running for Charity and Ballad Man

Our Own Little Prince.

The Royal family may have been celebrating the arrival of the latest royal baby this week but we here in Kilmeaden had our own young man to welcome into our community. Pat and Mairead Cremin, Carrigadustra welcomed their little prince Ruairi into the world and of course he is a very lucky young man to have big brother Sean and big sister Orla ready and willing to show him the ropes. Sean of course had his own big day last Saturday when he made his First Holy Communion so he will have a lot of extra knowledge now. We wish this happy family the very best that life has to offer and hope that they enjoy health and happiness. Welcome to the community Ruairi we look forward to meeting you.

 

Lotto News

There was no lucky winner of the local GAA lotto and the numbers drawn were 15, 17, 18 and 25. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Michelle Dunphy, David Power and Phil Murphy. The next draw will take place on May 19th and will have a jackpot of €12,500 up for grabs. Tickets are just €2 each or three for €5 and are on sale from all committee members and will also be on sale at Centra on Saturday May 18th. Choose four lucky numbers and you could be that lucky person walking away with that fantastic jackpot.

Tidy Towns.

Our local Tidy Towns committee do a wonderful job keeping our area so clean and beautiful but also work hard at making sure our area and its’ residents have everything that they need. The committee have secured a new defibrillator for our area and this will be situated in the Community Centre. There will be special training provided in the coming weeks for those wishing to know how to use it. Well done to all for securing this vital equipment for our area.

The Tidy Towns committee would like to wish a very speedy recovery to their Treasurer Michael Fitzpatrick and hope that he feels much better very soon.

Birthday Girl.

We send very happy birthday wishes to local lady Joan Bagge who celebrated her 60th birthday recently. Joan is a very popular lady and of course is adored by her family. Her husband Val and daughters and sons in law wined and dined her and I’m sure her beloved grandchildren made her feel extra special on her big day. We wish Joan many more happy birthdays.

GAA News.

The club would like to congratulate club members Cormac Bolger and Cillian Dobbyn who have made it onto the U13 County hurling development panel. The club is very proud of the lads and wish them both the very best of luck.

The U8’s sent three Ballyduff teams off to a blitz to play three Ballygunner teams. There was a mixture of wins, losses and draws with lots of goals scored and a few broken hurleys along the way too. It was a great morning of fun and a big thank you to all the parents for their support from the line.

The young ladies of the club were out in force recently. The U14 LGFA team had a great start to the year proving far too strong for St. Pats. Their next game will see them take on Ballysaggart.

The U12 ladies had two good wins against St. Annes and Erins Own. Great to see these girls off to such a flying start. The team would like to wish a very speedy recovery to one of their top players Abbie who is recovering from a fracture to her wrist.

Community Games.

The Portlaw/Ballyduff Community Games area athletics event will take place in Portlaw GAA field on Sunday May 19th from 2pm to 4pm. These games are open to boys and girls aged 6 to 16 and entry is €2 per child. Registration will open at 1.30pm and the events are as follows:

U8 60m and 80m

U10 100m and 200m

U12 100m and 600m

U14 100m and 800m

U16 100m, 200m and 1500m

Ball Throw U12

Long Puck Boys U12

Girls U14

Participants who come first and second in any of these events will then go to compete in the County Championship, An athlete may only compete in one event at the County championship level so therefore if they win gold or silver at the Portlaw event they cannot enter another event. If there is anyone interested in entering an U14 long jump,U14 shot or U10/U14 hur dles please let it be known at registration.

Church News

We send our heartiest congratulations to the boys and girls from 2nd class in Ballyduff NS who made their First Holy Communion last Saturday.

Couple of dates coming up which you may want to mark in your diary are our annual Graveyard mass which will take place on Wednesday July 3rd at 7.30pm and the annual mass at the old graveyard in Newcastle will take place on Wednesday July 24th at 7.30pm.

Ballyduff AFC.

A reminder that the club will hold their annual fundraiser on Saturday June 1st. Volunteers are needed for this bagpack at Tesco in Ardkeen so if you would like to help out please let a committee member or one of the coaches know.

The club will hold its AGM on Monday June 10th at 7pm in Ballyduff Community Centre so we ask you to mark this date in your diary and consider joining this club and keep it going from strength to strength.

Running For Charity

Local lady Sharon Flynn can often be seen running the roads in training for the many marathons she takes part in. Sharon is in training at the moment for the VHI ladies mini marathon which she will run in aid of Heart Children Ireland. To kick off her fundraising Sharon will open up her home for a coffee day on Saturday 18th of May from 10am to 4pm. Sharon would love to see people from the community come along and bring their friends. Of course Sharon has the added bonus of living right next door to our beautiful greenway so if you are out for a walk or cycle why not pop in for a rest and some refreshments. I can personally recommend a cuppa at Sharons, she certainly knows how to make people feel welcome and makes a top class cuppa. Please come along and support this wonderful endeavour. The least we can do is drink tea and eat cake to support Sharon as she puts in many hours of training! See you there.

Ballad Man

I would like to send warm congratulations to my good friend Seamus Brady in Butlerstown. Many of you will know Seamus as one of the finest singers of a ballad that you will find. Seamus returned home from the Fleadh Cheoil in Graighnamanagh with a first class medal for singing in the newly composed ballad section. The ballad was composed by Ned Egan.

Seamus has a really deep love of music and song and this shows in the way he performs, he not only sings the song but he tells the story with great passion and is always a delight to listen to. Comhghairdeas Seamus ta se tuillte go maith.

Sympathies, First Holy Communion and Coffee Morning Success

GAA News.

The U10 hurlers fought a close contest against Clonea recently. They started out great and were well on top in the first half. They seemed to loose control in the second half but quickly composing themselves they came back to secure a 6-2 to 5-3 win. Both teams played their hearts out and gave a great display of hurling. The club are very proud of the way the lads played for one another.

CPR Training

Our local GAA club are endeavoring to organise free CPR training for the club and community. The classes will take place on June 7th in Ballyduff Community Centre at 5pm, 6.30pm and 8pm. If you are interested in taking part you need to register your interest asap by contacting Brian on 087-2486423. Please share these details with any over 18’s you know who may be interested. Places are filling fast so don’t miss out.

Gentleman Supreme

Our community said godbye to our oldest parishioner last week as we bid farewell to John Keating, Lacka Road. John was most certainly a true gentleman and his quiet, unassuming gentle nature made him very popular with all who met him. John was first and foremost a dedicated family man and was devoted to his late wife Margaret and their 3 sons and 2 grandsons. The other great love in his life was his garden which was immaculate and taken care of with loving care and attention.

John was a man of great faith and his belief brought him great comfort. We take comfort in knowing that he is now reunited with his beloved Margaret. John will be greatly missed not just by his family and friends but by all of the community. We pray that John now enjoys his just reward for the wonderful life he lived and that his sweet gentle soul now rests in peace. Ar Dheis De go raibh se.

 

Lourdes Night.

Each year our parish fundraises to send two parishioners to Lourdes as part of the invalid section of the Waterford/Lismore Dioscesan Pilgrimage. This is a wonderful opportunity for people to get the chance to travel to Lourdes and it is also hoped to send a young person along as a helper.

To help raise funds for this trip there will be a mini talent show on Saturday May 11th in O Donnachas. Music on the night will be provided by Dick Quinn and competitors will compete for The Jimmy Fox Memorial Cup. Jimmy was of course a great supporter of all charity events and always enjoyed a good night of music and song with his wife Tina. If you would like to take part just call in on the night and wow the crowd.

Sympathies.
A number of people from our parish have suffered bereavements in the past week or so and we sincerely offer our sympathies.

Liza O Neill in Matthews Cross suffered the devastating loss of her beloved brother Lenny O Neill. Lenny was a lovely character always up for a chat and a laugh and shall be greatly missed by his family and his huge circle of friends. May he rest in peace.

We also send our condolenses to Anita Halley, Lahardan on the recent death of her brother . Ray Hallley was a resident of Brownstown Head and his funeral mass took place in Our Lady Church, Carbally followed by burial in the adjoining graveyard.

We extend our sympathy to Nancy O Sullivan, Matthews Cross and Peggy O Shea, Ballyduff Hill on the recent death of their brother in law Joe Brady in Bohernabreena, Dublin. His funeral mass took place in the Church of the Holy Rosary, Balycragh.

Our sympathy goes also to the Gahan and DeLandre families on the death of Caroline Hearne, Tramore Heights. Caroline is the daughter of the late Paddy and Nora Delandre. Nora of course was formerly one of the Gahan family in Lacka Road . We offer our prayers and sympathies to all families on their bereavement and we hope that you will find some comfort in the wonderful memories you have of your loved one.

Coffee Morning Success

A huge well done to Niamh Larkin who organised a wonderful coffee morning in aid of the Alzheimers Association. Niamh and her trusty assistant Anne had a fantastic array of cakes , scones and buns adorning every table. We were all greeted with a warm friendly smile as we arrived and settled ourselves down to a nice cuppa and a chat. Niamh has asked me to say a huge thank you to all who contributed on the day and to all the sponsors of the raffle prizes. Niamh raised €630 on the day and she is so grateful to everyone for their support. The money will be given to the Pine Grove Centre in Waterford and will be very much appreciated.

Bluebell Time

I must admit that I was a little nervous this year that my friends the bluebells would be afraid to appear without the shelter of their trusty friends the trees on Ballyduff Hill. However as I drove up last week there they were in all their splendour. Each year the view and the scent brings me back to my childhood. We would pick a bunch on our walk to school to give to the teacher and a bunch on the way home to put on our May altar. I think one of the most beautiful sights is the view of wild flowers growing amongst the green grass in their natural habitat. Do yourself a little favour and take some time out to admire the view, breath in the scent and maybe pick a little bunch for someone and spread the happiness.

First Holy Communion

We wish the boys and girls from 2nd class in Ballyduff NS a wonderful First Holy Communion on Saturday May 11th. They have been busy preparing with their teacher Miss Sprice and I know they have been working very hard. We hope they all enjoy a lovely happy day with their families and friends.

Easter Thanks, Tea Morning and Free CPR

GAA Lotto

The numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 5, 8, 19 and 24 and there was no winner of the jackpot. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Mairead Gooney, Frank Heffernan and Mairead Cremin. The next draw will take place on May 5th and will have a fantastic jackpot of €12,500 on offer.

Tickets cost just €2 each or 3 for €5 and are on sale from all committee members and will be on sale at Centra on Saturday May 4th. Choose your lucky four numbers carefully and you could be the lucky winner.

Lourdes Fundraiser

Each year our parish sends two people to Lourdes as part of the invalid section of the Waterford/Lismore Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes. This is a wonderful opportunity for people to visit Lourdes and hopefully give them some comfort in their recovery. A fundraising night will take place on May 11th in O Donnachas. Dick Quinn will provide the music and the committee invite all singers and entertainers to come along and compete for the Jimmy Fox Memorial Cup. This is a always a great night of entertainment so come along and enjoy a night of music and song while supporting a great cause.

Easter Thanks
Fr. Mick has asked me to say a huge thank you to all who helped during Holy Week and the Easter ceremonies. The ceremonies were all very nice and it was lovely to see all the community coming together and everyone helping out. On my own behalf I would like to say a big thank you to all the readers who helped me out with all the readings and prayers during Holy Week, I really appreciated all their help.

I must give a very special mention to our wonderful sacristan Ann Nolan who always does such a fabulous job in our church and all this work is done with a smile and friendly chat for everyone. We are indeed very lucky to have her.

Tea Morning

My good friend Niamh Larkin has been in touch to remind me that it is once again that time of year for the annual Alzheimers Tea Day. We have our chance here in our area to support this wonderful cause by attending a coffee/tea morning in Ballyduff Community Centre on Thursday May 2nd from 9.30am to 12 noon. This is always a lovely morning with great company and delicious treats. Niamh also runs a raffle on the day with some great prizes on offer. Please come out and support this very worthy cause. Unfortunately we all know people and families affected by Alzheimers every day and we can do our little bit to help by ensuring the proper facilities and support is there for them. All money raised on the day goes to the Waterford branch. I hope to see you all there whether for 10 minutes or an hour or two. Your support will be greatly appreciated.

Community Alert.
Our community alert group take alittle break from meetings from the Summer months but that does not mean that the group stop working. The text alert scheme will run throughout the Summer months and those of you who joined up will be kept aware of any suspicious behaviour in ours or surrounding areas. We also ask that you play your part by informing the guards of any suspicious individuals or vehicles that you may see. This text alert scheme has proven itself several times to be highly successful and has led to the arrest of several people wanted for crimes. Of course all this can only happen if we remain vigilant and report anything that seems unusual or just doesn’t feel right to us.

Our chairman Albert Kerans has asked me to say a big thank you to the committee, myself Linda Spillane as Secretary, MJ Healy our Treasurer, Pro Niamh Kearns and Jay Dowdall and of course the most important woman of all Belinda Kearns who looks after the very important cuppa and refreshments. On behalf of the rest of the committee I wish to thank our chairman Albert who shows such great committment and dedication to the group. We owe an awful lot to Garda Alan Kissane who has supported us from the very start and has been a driving force behind community alert groups. He now moves on to pastures new and we hope to share the same kind of relationship with his successor. The group wish Alan the very best and he has promised that he will be dropping in on us. If you would like to get in touch with the community alert please contact any of the committee or you can email highroadcommunityalert@yahoo.com

GAA News
The club as always is a hive of activity with lots of action from all the different age groups. The U11 hurlers came from behind to claim a great victory over Carrigeen. This group have really improved and deserved this victory having worked their socks off right up to the final whistle. Of course a special mention must go to the group of “motivational speakers” on the sideline who give the team such great support.

The U9 hurlers were in bad luck as they went down 5-0 to 3-3 to Tramore. They can however hold their heads high as they fought every step of the way and showed great dedication.

There was a super comeback from the Ballyduff/Portlaw U15 footballers as they came back from being 9 points down to beat Tramore on a 5-8 to 5-5 scoreline. The never say die attitude from this bunch was great to see.

Free CPR.

Ballyduff GAA club are endeavoring to organise free CPR training for both the club and the community. The provisional date set is June 7th in Ballyduff Community Centre. Classes would run at 5pm, 6.30pm and 8pm. If you are interested in taking part then it is vital that you give your name immediately to Brian on 087-2486423. This is a fantastic opportunity for everyone and a great idea from our local club. Register your interest ASAP.

Ballyduff AFC

It was great to see such big numbers take part in the FAI/AVIVA Soccer Sisters camplast week . A big well done to all the girls who took part and to Gary Power, Tommy Griffin and Hannah Doyle for running it. Ballyduff AFC were highly praised for doing such a fantastic job promoting girls football in Waterford.

Community News, Deepest Sympathy and GAA News

Community Alert.

The last of the community alert meetings before the Summer break will take place on Tuesday April 23rd at 8pm. The guest speaker at the meeting will be Mr. Julian Walton. Julian as you are all aware is a wonderful speaker and historian and will give us an insight into the history of our area.

Attending your community alert meetings is of great importance and keeping our vibrant group going is a great asset to the community. Although there will be no further meetings until September the group will remain active throughout the Summer and our very successful text alert scheme will be ready to inform you of any suspicious activity reported in our area and surroundings. If you do see something we ask that you report it to Gardai.

Please come along to your meeting and bring a neighbour or a friend along with you.

 

Deepest Sympathy.

We extend our deepest sympathy to all the Bagge and O Donnell families on the tragic death of Pa Bagge which occured recently. Funeral mass was offered for Pa in the All Saints church, Newtown with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery. We pray that he now rests in peace and we offer our comfort and support to his heartbroken family and friends.

We also offer our sympathy to Noel O Sullivan, Matthews Cross on the death of his aunt Kitty Murray (nee O Sullivan). Kitty was a former resident of Portlaw but in recent years lived with family in Dundalk. Her funeral mass took place in the Church of the Holy Family, Muirhevnamor followed by cremation. May her gentle soul now rest in peace.

GAA News.

The clubs U8 hurlers had a great day at their recent blitz experiencing all the emotions that go along with both winning and losing. They all gave 100% and played their hearts out and most importantly really enjoyed the occasion. A special mention must be given to the supporters for their vocal support.

The U10 hurlers had their first outing in the league and got off to a slow start in very blustery conditions. However the team fought hard in the 2nd half and were very unlucky not to clinch this one going down 3-4 to 3-1 to Stradbally

Our Intermediate hurlers got off the mark recently against De La Salle on a very stormy evening and there were some very positive performances on display. The game finished Ballyduff 2-12 De La Salle 1-15.

 

Ballyduff AFC

Please note that there is a change of date for the FAI Summer camp which will now take place from July 22nd to 26th while the clubs own Summer camp will run from July 1st to 5th.

The clubs annual bag pack will take place in Tesco Ardkeen on Saturday June 1st. Volunteers are needed so please put your name forward to give a hand for an hour or two.

Easter Sunday, Tidy Towns and Birthday Girl

Soccer Line Up.

Sponsorship cards are now on the go for Ballyduff AFC’s soccerathon which will take place on Good Friday. All the different age groups will keep the ball moving throughout the day and I’m sure there will be plenty of fun along the way.

The club Summercamp dates have been released and will take place from July 1st to July 5th. The FAI camp runs from July 15th to 19th. Times and costs will be available soon so keep an eye out in these notes or on the very informative Ballyduff AFC facebook page.

The annual bag pack will take place on Saturday June 1st in Tesco Ardkeen. Volunteers are needed so please let some of the coaches or committee members know.

The free soccer sisters Easter camp for girls aged 7 to 14 takes place on April 24th and 25th. Further information can be found on https://soccersisters.ie/waterford/

Easter Sunday.

There will be a short service following Easter Sunday mass at our 1916 commemoration plaque outside the church. The service will incude the reading of the proclamation, raising of the flag and the singing of the National Anthem. All are welcome to come along.

Community Alert
The next meeting of our local community alert group will take place on Tuesday April 23rd at 8pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. This will be our last mmeting before the Summer break so we urge you all to attend and support the groups efforts to keep our area and its residents safe.

We are delighted to welcome Julian Walton as our guest speaker on the night and we hope that you will all come along and make him welcome.

Tidy Towns

Our Tidy Towns committee have asked me to sincerely thank all who supported their recent fundraising raffle and also all the businesses and individuals who donated items for the hampers. The lucky winners on the day were Mary Walsh, Lisahane, Eleanor O Brien, Ballyduff Village and John O Shea, Ballyduff Hill.

I congratulate the Tidy Towns committee on the fantastic job they do in keeping our area loking so beautiful. Do you have a few hours to lend a hand, cutting a bit of grass, planting flowers etc? Please contact Tony O Leary if you feel you could offer a little time to the group.

 

GAA Lotto

The numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 2, 14, 15 and 23and there was no jackpot winner. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Sharon Flynn, Michael Murray and Nina Walsh. The next draw will take place on April 21st and will have a fabulous jackpot of €12,500 up for grabs. Tickets cost just €2 or 3 for €5 and they will be on sale at Centra on Saturday 20th so get down and choose those four numbers carefully.

Birthday Girl
We send warmest birthday wishes to Pattie White, High Road on the occasion of her 80th birthday which she will celebrate on Easter Sunday. I’m sure the Easter Bunny will be extra kind to her this year. Celebrations are planned with her family and friends and I know they will make sure that she has a wonderful day. I know that Pattie is a fantastic lady to help and care for those around her so I hope she sits back for her birthday and allows herself to be spoilt. We hope you have a wonderful day Pattie.

GAA News

It’s wonderful to see such a large number of girls attending the LGFA training. A big thank you to new coaches John Laffan, John O Donnell and supported by Rory Phelan from the academy. I hear great reports back about these sessions so keep up the good work.

The U5,6,7,9 and 11’s were all in action last wekend both at home and in Kilmacow. There were some fantastic games with Ballyduff coming out on top a lot. The most encouraging thing to see is how their skills are developing and the great character building which is happening and this will hold to them in the future.

Well done to club player and academy coach Cathal O Dalaigh who was involved with the county minor football team against Tipperary in the Munster Championship. Congratulations also to Rory Dobbyn, Sean Fitzgerald and Jack O Donnell who have it onto the U15 county hurling panel and Billy Cuddihy who made the U14 panel. What a great achievement from these guys and their club and parish are very proud.

Holy Week Ceremonies

As we get ready to celebrate the beautiful season of Easter we prepare by walking the path of the Lord during Holy Week. On Holy Thursday mass of the last supper will be celebrated at 7.30pm. On Good Friday veneration of the cross, reading of the passion and holy communion will be celebrated at 3pm while the stations of the cross will be at 7.30pm. Holy Saturday is probably the most joyful and colourful ceremonies of the church’s year and will be at 9pm while Easter Sundays mass is at 10am. Fr. Mick and Fr. Richard would like to wish everyone a very happy and holy Easter.