All posts by Christine Tubbritt

Dancing Queen, Easter Sunday and Raise your Hat

Happy Retirement

I was speaking to some members of our farming community and they have asked me to wish Pat Coady a very happy retirement. Pat has been Quality Milk Manager for the South Kilkenny and East Waterford Glanbia Division. All his friends and clients would like to sincerely thank Pat for his many years of service and they wish him the very best of luck and happiness in his retirement. I’m sure Pat will enjoy following his beloved Kilkenny through the hurling season.

Easter Sunday

Following the 10am Easter Sunday morning mass there will be a short ceremony outside the church at our 1916 commemorative plaque. The ceremony will consist of the reading of the proclamation, raising of the flag and the singing of our National Anthem. All are welcome to come along for this short ceremony.

Dancing Queen.

Over the past few weeks I have been telling you about our local lady Ciara Larkin taking part in the The Solas Centre Dance for Life competetion. Ciara and her dance partner Laura took to the stage dancing the Charlestown and wowed the judges with their talent. They made such an impression that they emerged the popular winners on the night. Ciara was delighted to give her time and energy to this fantastic charity. She believes that the work done by the Solas Centre support centre is phenominal and she has seen first hand what great help and support they give to patients and their families. Huge congratulations to Ciara and Laura on such a wonderful achievement, we are all delighted for them both and I have no doubt that a very proud auntie beams from heaven saying: comhghairdeas le mo chailin alainn ata deanta agam dom a bheith broduil as.

 

Team Success

Congratulations to all the guys from her local area who were part of the U15 St. Declans, Kilmacthomas soccer team who captured the U15 Munster B Cup. Travelling to Clonmel they took on Charleville and defeated them with a 3-2 defeat. Well done to all the team, coaches and mentors.

Ballyduff AFC

Our local soccer club have many important dates coming up in their very busy diary. The soccerthon on Good Friday is now a much looked forward to event every year. There will be sponsorship cards doing the rounds soon so please be as generous as you possibly can.

The clubs popular Summer camp will run from July 1st to July 5th while the FAI camp runs from July 15th to July 19th. Details about times and costs will be made available soon so keep an eye out.

Volunteers are also wanted for the annual bag pack which this year takes place in Tesco Ardkeen on Saturday June 1st. If you can spare an hour or two to volunteer the club would really appreciate your help.

Raise Your Hat.

Our parish is most definetly the poorer this week following the death of Johnny Whelan, Knockaderry. Johnny was small in stature but a giant amongst gentleman. A man of great faith he demonstrated this through his kindness, helpfulness and devotion. Johnny worked for the council for many years and made sure that every job was done to perfection and on time. He was a wonderful gardener and took great pride in his garden. Above all these things Johnny was a devoted family man and his main priority was taking care of those around him.

Johnny was most certainly a true gentleman, his signature hat would be raised to greet a lady which I always thought was so nice. Johnny was a devout christian, a hard worker, a devoted brother, kind uncle, terrific storyteller and a giant among men. Raise your hat to a gent and we pray that his gentle soul now rests in peace.

Peoples Council, Easter Reconciliation and Readers Wanted

Lotto Results.

The numbers drawn in the latest local GAA lotto draw were 11, 18, 20 and 21. There was no winner of the jackpot but the three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Alice Kelly, Michael Murray and Helen Power. The next draw will take place on April 7th and will have an amazing jackpot of €12,500. Tickets are just €2 each or three for €5. They are available from all committee members and will be on sale at Centra on Saturday April 6th. Choose your four lucky numbers carefully and hopefully you could be the lucky winner.

Peoples Council

Waterford County and City Council are working at setting up an older peoples council. This is aimed at those over 50 to ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect and access to essential services. It is very important that they have access to supports and opportunities to lead fun and fulfilling lives. You are all invited to an open meeting to discuss the formation of this council. Please come along to The Rainbow Hall in Kilmacthomas on Wednesday April 3rd from 12 noon to 1.30pm. Light refreshments will be served.

 

Coffee Morning.
You may remember me telling you last week about the very successful coffee morning held in The Sweep recently in aid of the Waterford and South Kilkenny branch of Down Syndrome Ireland. This was a wonderful morning which is always expertly run by Seamus and Michelle Dunphy. I was speaking to Michelle during the week and she asked me to say a huge thank you to all who attended and all who donated to the cause. They were also delighted to receive many generous raffle prizes from individuals and businesses and appreciate the wonderful support they received from everyone for a cause that is very close to their hearts. The amount raised on the day was a fantastic €4,060. The kids benefit so much from contributions like this and they are the people that matter.

Easter Reconciliation.

As we approach the Easter season we may have some Spring cleaning and tidying up to do but we also feel like we want to turn over a new leaf in our spiritual lives and prepare for the glorious season of Easter. A service of reconciliation will take place in Ballyduff and Portlaw churches during all the weekend masses this weekend April 6th and 7th. All are welcome.

Easter Commemoration.

Following the Easter Sunday 10am mass in Ballyduff there will be a short ceremony outside the church at the 1916 Commemoration plaque. The ceremony will include the reading of the proclamation, raising of the flag and the singing of the National Anthem. All are welcome to come along to this short ceremony and join together as a community with pride.

Readers Wanted

As some of you know I look after the readers rota for reading at our weekend masses. Most weeks the family of whoevers anniversary mass is booked in look after the readings and prayers of the faithful but there may be weeks where the mass is not booked or the family do not wish to read and that is I when I go to my list of readers who are so reliable. If you feel that you would like to read at mass I would love to hear from you. Remember it is something that you would only have to do if it suited you. We are also coming up to a very busy time in the church calendar and Holy Week requires a lot of readers so I would welcome any help at all. Please let me know if you may be interested.

Spring Has Sprung

It is so lovely to see so many beautiful signs of Spring all around us. It is heartwarming to see all the animals out in the fields and little calves are appearing everyday. Flowers and blossoms are adorning many gardens with the good old reliable daffodil popping its head up everywhere. I always enjoyed Spring with its promise of new life and hope. With the long bright evenings give yourself a little treat and get out and enjoy the beauty of nature all around and be thankful that you are able to enjoy it.

Station Masses, Successful Event and Have your Say

Station Masses.

The annual Spring stations have now come to an end and Fr.Mick would like to say a big thank you to all who hosted masses and all those who attended. He would also like to say a sincere thank you to all who contributed their staton dues. The station mass is a lovely custom and brings neighbours together to offer prayers for each other and their families. The station masses will come around again in the Autumn so if you think you would like to host one in your area please let Fr. Mick know.

GAA News.

The club are delighted to see so many of their club players involved with county teams. Calum Lyons is currently starring with the county senior hurlers while Ronan Dunphy lines out with the U20 hurlers. Cathal Daly is kept busy with the U17 hurling and football and Alex Reade and Billy Cuddihy are involved with the U14 hurlers. This is a real testament to the club of the committment and dedication put in by players, coaches and parents. We will all be watching the lads with great interest and cheering them on from the sidelines and stands.

The academy section of the club sees the U6,7,8 and 9 teams very busy playing lots of blitz competitions at the moment and the word coming back is that they are playing a blinder and having great fun at the same time which is what it is all about.

We all enjoyed the great Waterford V Clare match in Walsh Park recently but all eyes were on our U10 hurlers who took to the field at half time to take on Clashmore/Kinsalebeg. They put in a mighty performance and emerged winners receiving the biggest cheers of the day. A big well done to the lads who dealt extremely well with the pressure of the day.

Birthday Boys

We extend very happy 21st birthday wishes to Ross Coffey O Shea and Dylan Reade who recently celebrated their 21st birthdays by hosting a joint party in The Sweep Bar and Restaurant. A great night and weekend was had by all and they have all returned to work and college bright eyed and bushy taled!

Another young man Martin O Reilly of Ardeenlone also celebrated a milestone birthday recently. At just a tad over the 21 Martin celebrated his 50th birthday firstly with all the beautiful women in his life, his wife Tracey and daughters Bonnie, Sophie, Maisie and Trudie. Of course its a busy couple of weeks in the O Reilly house with Tracey and Trudie also celebrating their birthdays. Martin also met up with some friends and neighbours in Haughtons for a socialable drink or two which I’m sure was a very refined and dignified night.

Booking of Masses.

The booking of anniversary masses for the months of April, May and June have now been taken. If you missed these bookings but would like to book a mass please contact Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 and she will help you out. I promise she’s really nice!!

Information Meeting
The Waterford and Lismore Diocesan youth committee will hold an information morning to showcase some of the youth initiatives that are available to all parishes in the diocese and country. It is also a great opportunity for parishes to get together to see what great work is being done and to share ideas. The meeting will be held on Saturday April 27th from 10am to 1pm in Holy Family Mission, Glencomeragh. John Stephenson will be attending from our parish so if you would like to attend please let John know as all names must be in by Thursday April 25th so as to accommodate everyone for a light lunch.

Community Alert

A reminder that the next of our community alert meetings takes place on Tuesday March 26th at 8pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. Guest speaker on the night will be Mr. Ken Sauvage who is the CEO of Treo Port Lairge who are a community based organisation core funded by the Depatment of Justice and Equality through the Probation service. The main aim of Treo is to reduce criminal activity among people in its target group of ages 16-23 thus contributing to making Waterford a safer community.

It is important to come along to these meetings and please spread the word to your friends and neighbours. This will also be your final chance to pay the annual €5 text alert money. The text alert scheme has proved itself to be very valuable and beneficial.Look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

Successful Event

A huge congratulations and well done to Michelle and Seamus Dunphy and all the staff at The Sweep who hosted a very successful coffee morning on Thursday March 20th. The Dunphys are of course great supporters of charity events but the Waterford and South Kilkenny branch of Down Syndrome Ireland holds a very special place in their hearts and they most certainly did the organization justice as they hosted a coffee morning extraodinaire. There was tea and coffee galore, tasty treats at every angle, music and song from Bim Connors and a list of raffle prizes that was unbelievable. Congratulations to all who helped in any way and all those who contributed. Your kindness and generosity is greatly appreciated.

Have Your Say

A series of lunchtime public meetings will take place across Waterford city and county in the coming weeks. They are aimed at attracting people over 50 to have their voices heard as representatives of the soon to be established Waterford Older People’s Council. The aim is to recruit people from all walks of life and have their voices heard on a range of issues such as public transport links, housing, social participation and healthcare. The five meetings will take place in the following venues:
Lismore Heritage Centre Tuesday March 26th

Tramore Majestic Hotel Thursday March 28th

Waterford City Hall Tuesday April 2nd

Rainbow Hall, Kilmac Wednesday April 3rd

Park Hotel, Dungarvan Thursday April 4th.
If you would like to attend one of these meeting or would like some further information you can contact 087-9809985 or email waterfordOPC@gmail.com.

Ballyduff AFC News

Our local soccer club is always a hive of activity and they have a number of exciting events coming up. The annual soccerathon will take place on Good Friday and the girls and boys will have sponsorship cards on the go soon so please support them.

The dates for the much looked forward to Summer camps have been announced. The club summer camp will take place from July 1st to July 5th and the FAI camp will be from July 15th to 19th. Times and costs will be announced shortly.

The annual bag pack in Tesco Ardkeen will be on Saturday June 1st so a text will soon go out looking for volunteers to cover the two hour slots.

The club were delighted to see club players Emma and Laura Carlin feature on the Waterford FC programme for the recent match against St. Pats. The girls were the Junior Blues in Focus and they even predicted the Waterford win. The girls are great supporters of Waterford FC and travel near and far with their parents Anthony and Amelia to cheer on the Blues. A big well done to the girls and what a lovely memory for them to share together.

Sincere Thanks

Local lady Ciara Larkin has asked me to say a big thank you to all who supported her recent hamper raffle in aid of the The Solas Centre. She was deeply touched by peoples generosity and their kind words. She is now well on her way to raising her target of €500. A special word of thanks also to the sponsors of the hamper items. The very lucky winner was Paul Sheehan, Ballyduff.

On Friday March 29th Ciara will take to the stage in The Theatre Royal as part of the Solas Centre Dance for Life. Twenty couples have been tirelessly rehearsing over the past number of weeks and are now putting those final touches to their routines. Ciara and her dance partner Laura Brown will give us the fun and bounce of the Charleston. We wish them both the very best of luck and thank them for giving their time and energy to such a wonderful cause.

Booking of Masses, Spring Stations and Rest Gentle Mick

Lotto Time.

The numbers drawn in the latest GAA lotto draw were 7, 8, 12 and 17 and there was no winner of the jackpot. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Daniel Murphy, Richard Cullinan and Chopper Gang. The next draw will take place on March 24th and will have a fantastic jackpot of €12,500 up for grabs. Tickets cost just €2 each or three for €5. They are on sale from all committee members and will be on sale at Centra on Saturday March 23rd. All is left for you to do is choose those four lucky numbers carefully.

Booking of Masses

If you would like to book an anniversary mass for a deceased loved one for the months of April, May or June then bookings will take place after both the weekend masses on Saturday March 23rd and Sunday March 24th. If you have a First anniversary mass or Months Mind during these months please contact Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 before the bookings so that you can get your prefered date.

Spring Stations.

The last two Spring station masses take place this week. The mass for Stonehouse, Whelansbridge and Lacka Road will be in the home of Kathleen and Paddy Hennebry on Thursday March 21st at 8pm and the final mass for Matthews Cross, Ballyduff East and Adamstown will be on Friday March 22nd at 8pm in the home of Linda and Brian Spillane.

Rest Gently Mick.

Kilmeaden said farewell to one of its greatest characters recently.Michael(Mick) Hickey, Clover Lodge and formerly of Pouldrew was a man who loved nothing better than spending time with his friends. Of course if there was good music and a sing song on the menu then it was all the better. He was often persuaded to give a belting rendition of a song at times and of course enjoyed a twirl around the floor. He will be fondly remembered by all who knew him and we pray that he now rests in gentle peace.

A True Gentleman.

We were all saddened to hear of the death of Philip(Philly) Power, Ardeenlone during the week. Philly held the title of our oldest parishioner jointly with the great John Keating, Lacka Road. Philly was a quiet unassuming man who was devoted to his family and to his faith. He was a fantastic supporter of our church and never forgot to book anniversary masses for his parents and brothers and sisters gone before him. I visited Philly and his lovely brothers a couple of times and always received a warm and friendly welcome. We pray that his gentle soul now rests in peace and that he will be rewarded in heaven for all his earthly goodness. Ar Dheis De Go Raibh Se.

 

Coffee Morning

A reminder to you all that a fantastic coffee morning will take place at The Sweep on Wednesday March 20th from 10am to 12 noon. All proceeds raised will go to the Waterford & South Kilkenny branch of Down Syndrome Ireland. This was a very successful event last year and I have no doubt that it will be hugely successful again this year. It is a very enjoyable morning with refreshing tea and coffee, delicious tasty treats and there are some fabulous prizes on offer in the raffle. Bim Connors will also drop in to sing a few songs and maybe get a dance or two going. Please come along and support this event and enjoy a great morning while doing so.

 

Community Alert

Our next Community Alert meeting will take place on Tuesday March 26th at 8pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. It is important that we keep up the attendance level at these meetings. Our community and its people are very important to us all so we must always strive to do the best that we possibly can to keep them feeling safe and secure. The Guest speaker on the night will be Ken Sauvage, CEO Treo Port Lairge. Treo is a community based organisation core funded by the Depatment of Justice and Equality through the Probation service. The main aim of Treo is to reduce criminal activity among people in its target group of ages 16 to 23 thus contributing to making Waterford a safer community.

Don’t forget that the €5 annual text alert fee is also due so please bring it along to the meeting. Please spread the word to your neighbours and get them to come along to the monthly meetings. Community spirit has always been strong in our area and I know that the peace of mind and security of all our residents is important to us all. See you all on Tuesday March 26th at 8pm.

GAA News

A Go Games Referee course will take place in the WIT arena, Carriganore on Tuesday April 16th at 7pm. This course is free to attend and after attending it, participants will be eligible to referee up to U12 level in hurling and football. This course is a mixture of theory and practical elements which gives new referees the knowledge and confidence to referee an underage game.

All clubs are expected to send participants and those taking part must be 16 years or older to complete the course. Closing date for registration is Monday April 8th at 5pm. To register there is a link to the registration form on the Ballyduff Gaa facebook page or contact a commitee member.

Station Masses, Time to Dance and Coffee Morning

Station Masses
It is hard to believe that we are coming to the last of our Spring station masses already. The mass for Stonehouse, Whelansbridge and Lacka Road will take place on Thursday March 21st at 8pm in the home of Kathleen and Paddy Hennebry and on Friday March 22nd at 8pm the mass for Matthews Cross, Ballyduff East and Adamstown will be in the home of Linda and Brian Spillane. This is a lovely tradition and a perfect way for friends and neighbours to come together in such a busy world.

Time To Dance!

I am sure that you have all heard of The Solas Centre Dance for Life and this years night of fun is getting very close. On Friday March 29th twenty couples made up of people from all round the South East will take to the stage in The Theatre Royal to show us what they have been training so hard for over the past few weeks. Each novice couple will perform their own partner dance and also be part of a four minute opening number. The choreographing duo of Michelle Condon and Michelle Quilty have been putting these novice dancers through their paces for the past few weeks and they will be delighted to show off their skills.

Our very own Ciara Larkin from Powersknock will dance the Charleston with her dance partner Laura Brown. Each participant is asked to raise €500 for the charity and we all have an opportunity to help Ciara raise her target. Ciara has organised a raffle with a fantastic hamper up for grabs. Tickets will be on sale at Centra in Kilmeaden on Saturday March 16th so please help Ciara reach her target for this wonderful charity.

Coffee Morning

The Sweep Bar will play host to a lovely coffee morning on Wednesday March 20th from 10am to 12 noon. All proceeds from this will go to the local branch of Down Syndrome Ireland. This was a hugely successful event last year and one that really sticks in my mind. Bim Connors will be dropping along to sing a few numbers and no doubt there will be a dance or two. Come along and enjoy a relaxing morning in lovely company while helping to raise funds for this very worthwhile charity.

 

Notes Time.

If you would like me to include something in these notes for you then please drop me a text or email or we can even be really weird and have a conversation. This is the best way to let people know about an event you or your club or organisation are having or share the good news of an engagement, wedding, birth , achievements or significant birthdays. You can contact me on 051-399925, 087-9838392 or spillanelinda2017@gmail.com or like I said let’s be really crazy and have a chat.

A Match Made in Heaven, Community Alert and Coffee Morning

Bridge News

The Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club meet on Monday nights in Ballyduff NS to enjoy their weekly game of bridge. The results from Monday February 25th are as follows:
1st: Mary Prendergast and Nano Fitzgerald.

2nd: Kathleen Collins and Patsy Roche.

3rd: Kate Hayes and Sean Hennessy.

4th: Bridget Ahearne and Geraldine McMahon.

 

Lotto Results

Everyone has their eye on the fabulous jackpot which our local GAA club has on offer in their lotto draw which takes place every fortnight. The numbers drawn were 11, 16, 17 and 18. There was no winner of the jackpot but the three lucky dip winners of €50 each on the night were Vera Murray, Maurice Flynn and Claire Dalton. The next draw will take place on March 10th and that fantastic jackpot of €12,500 will be on offer. Study those numbers carefully and choose those lucky four wisely. Tickets cost just €2 each or three for €5. They can be purchased from all members and will also be on sale at Centra on Saturday March 9th. If you win that jackpot, remember who told you about it!!!

A Match Made In Heaven

I was delighted during the week to hear the wonderful news that local couple Sandra O Keeffe and Anthony Wilmott have announced their engagement. This couple certainly make sweet music together with Anthony being one of the most talented guitarist you will ever hear and of course Sandra was born with the voice of an angel. Anthony chose the wonderful countryside near their beautiful home in Kilmeaden to pop the question and of course the answer was yes. We send our warmest congratulations to the happy couple and wish them every happiness in their future lives together.

Community Alert

Our latest community alert meeting was treated to a wonderful presentation from Genealogist Tony Hennessy about tracing your family tree and history. He had some fabulous old photos to display and brilliant information about our local area from years gone by. The group were also addressed by 24/7 cardiac care campaigner Matt Shanahan and he encouraged all there to join their next march to demand the service and level of care that we all deserve. We were also delighted on the night to be joined by Gardas Alan Kissane and Clare Walsh and their support and committment to the group is invaluable.

The annual €5 text alert fee was also taken up at the meeting and if you were unable to attend but would like to have your number included then please contact any of the committee or you can pay it at the next meeting on Tuesday March 26th at 8pm in Ballyduff Community Centre.

Spring Stations
Our annual Spring station masses are continuing and the mass for Ballyduff Village, Ballyduff West, Ballyduff Hill, Ross, Kildermody, Kilmagemogue, Newtown, Cullinagh and Gortaclode will take place on Thursday March 7th in Ballyduff church at 8pm.

GAA News
The club would like to say a huge thank you to all who took part in their six weeks of Ireland Lights Up walking challenge in conjunction with Operation Transformation. Over 500 people used the fabulous well lit facilities at the club and this was a huge benefit to the community. If you would still like to use the facilities you are welcome on Mondays from 6.30pm to 7.30pm or Saturday mornings from 10.30am to 11.30am while the children train.

The U7/8 groups have been taking part in many football and hurling blitz’s recently and they are really enjoying the experiences. Great credit must go to their coaches and parents for all the support they give. The future looks very bright for the club.

The U5’s to U9’s continue the development of their skills as they train every Saturday morning at 10.30am while the U10/11 are in the field on Mondays from 6.30pm so bring the kids along to join the fun.

Trocaire Campaign

As we begin the season of Lent we remember that it is a time for spiritual cleaning and also a time to think of those people who have little or nothing. We here in Ballyduff have a great tradition of supporting Trocaire by bringing home our Trocaire box each year and donating as much as we can to helping these people. Trocaire boxes are now available in the church and hopefully we can all take one home and do our little bit to help.

Coffee Morning

World Down Syndrome Day will be celebrated on Wednesday March 20th in The Sweep Bar from 10am to 12 noon as they play host to a fabulous coffee morning and raffle. This was a huge success last year for the Waterford and South Kilkenny branch of Down Syndrome Ireland. Bim Connors will provide some music and song while a giant rafle will take place at 11.30am. I was speaking to Michelle Dunphy recently and she told me that she is absolutely amazed at the generosity of people and businesses who have donated some brilliant prizes for the raffle. I attended this coffee morning last year and the love and support that was in the room was evident to all. I hope you will all take some time to drop in and enjoy a nice cuppa, a friendly chat and maybe even a dance. If you cant make it but would like to support this charity there is a fundraising page if you click on to www.iDonate.ie

Food for Love, Huge Success and Perfect Panto

Community Alert

Our local community alert group operate a fantastic text alert scheme which sends out a text to all members if there is any suspicious people, vehicles or activity in our area. It also warns of any road closures, accidents or adverse weather conditions. This text scheme has proved invaluable in preventing crime and aiding Gardai in their enquiries. You are welcome to add your number to this scheme for just an annual fee of €5. If you were unable to attend the recent meeting but would like to join the text alert group please contact Albert Kearns or myself Linda Spillane.

Bridge Club

The Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club held their club championships on Monday February 18th and the results were as follows:

1st: Patsy Roche and Kathleen Collins.

2nd: Anne Marie Brown and Mary Prendergast.

3rd: Peggy Murphy and Elizabeth Mooney.

4th: Sean Hennessy and Kate Hayes.

5th: Nano Fitzgerald and Geraldine McMahon.
1st Session: Monica Sullivan and Breda Murphy.

2nd Session: Celia Nugent and Mary O Brien.

Food For Love
Love was definetely in the air last week with Valentine surprises left right and certain(or so I’m told!). The children at Ballyduff NS were busy in school making beautiful cards and pictures but they also brought work home with them and baked some beautiful cakes and buns for their annual cake sale. Organised each year by the Parents Association the money raised from this event pays for dance and gymnastic lessons for the school during the year. A huge well done to all who baked, donated and supported the sale and a fantastic sum of €925 was raised. In future years we may see some famous dancers or gymnasts from our area and you will know that you helped them along the road to success.

Tidy Towns.

Our local Tidy Towns group recently held their AGM and there was a disappointing turnout but dont worry it is not too late to pledge your help and support. You can contact any of the committee members and they will be delighted to hear from you.

During the AGM the group gave a special mention to the late Sonny and Joan Griffin who passed away during the year and had been involved with Tidy Towns since the beginning.

They also gave special thanks to Arthur Curry for once again putting up the Christmas tree in the village this year. They also thanked Fr. O Byrne and Linda Spillane for promoting the group and any other person who helped in any way during the year.

The committee for 2019 is Tony O Leary as Chairman, Leanne Kearns as Secretary and Michael Fitzpatrick as Treasurer. The committee are Christy O Keeffe, Ann Nolan, Cllr. John O Leary, John Hanley, Michael Junior Power and Philip Simpson.

We wish the committee the very best for the coming year and I urge you all to help in any way that you possibly can to keep our area clean and tidy and a pleasure for people to both live in and visit.

 

A Huge Success

A huge congratulations and well done to the cast and crew of Alice in La La Land which was staged by Ballyduff Youth Drama. The group consists of local boys and girls from 5th and 6th classes and each year we are treated to a very special night of entertainment. This year was no different with a show that was full of colour and fun not to mention great song and dance. Each child gave their very best and more importantly they enjoyed every minute of it. In mentioning the cast we also give great praise to all the volunteers helping in any way behind the scenes and to those three special ladies Helen, Eleanor and Joan who volunteer their time and talent each year to run this show and make it so special for all involved.

Spring Stations

It’s hard to believe that we are already speaking about the Spring station masses but time certainly flies by. The station mass is an old Irish custom that sees mass offered for the people living in a particular area. These masses are celebrated twice during the year, in the Spring and the Autumn. It is traditional at these masses to give an offering to the priest and those offerings are put into the common diocesan fund from which each priest is payed a salary. Some of these masses take place in somebodys home while others take place in the church. If you would like to have one of these masses in your home please express your interest to Fr. O Byrne and he will keep you in mind for the next round of stations in the Autumn.

The station mass for the areas of Carrickphilip, Knockaderry, Carriganure, Ballygarron, Lisahane, Ardeenlone and Shanbally will be celebrated in Ballyduff church at 7.30pm on Thursday February 28th and the mass for Amberhill, Raheen, Powersknock, Blacknock, Carrigadustra and Fan Glas will be held in the church on Friday March 1st at 7.30pm. The mass for Ballyduff Village, Ballyduff West, Ballyduff Hill, Ross, Kildermody, Kilmagemogue, Newtown, Cullinagh and Gortaclode will be held in the church on Thursday March 7th at 7.30pm.

I will be reminding you of these and further station masses details in the coming weeks so keep reading these notes.

Panto Perfect!

I must say a huge congratulations to our neighbours and friends in Portlaw Musical Society who staged their 39th Pantomine last week. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs went down a real treat and the acting, singing, dancing and comedy was excellent. There were some brilliant standout individual performances but the cast all jelled well together to give a tremendous performance each night to their packed audiences. It was lovely to see some Kilmeaden faces among the cast. I spent all my childhood going to the Pantomine to watch my father take part on stage and so it is now lovely to have my own daughter taking part and carrying on the O Sullivan name in Panto.

GAA News.

The club are delighted to see club players lining out and enjoying their time with inter county teams at present. Cathal Daly is part of the U17 football squad, Ronan Dunphy takes to the pitch as part of the U20 hurling while Calum Lyons is part of the Senior hurling panel. The club are very proud of the lads achievements and wish them every success.

Communion Preparation, Date for Diary and Birthday Boy

GAA Lotto

The numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 6, 13, 18 and 19.

There was no winner of the jackpot and the three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Jimmy Fortune, Eileen Power and Eoin Kiely. The next draw will take place on February 24th and will have a jackpot of €12,500. Tickets are just €2 each or three for €5 and can be purchased from any committee member and will be on sale at Centra on Saturday February 23rd. Choose your four numbers carefully and you could get your hands on that fantastic jackpot.

Get Walking

Our local GAA club have joined forces with Operation Transformation and Getirelandwalking.ie and have opened up their facilities to the local community. If you would like to enjoy a nice healthy walk in the company of many others then drop along to Ballyduff GAA grounds on Thursday February 21st from 7pm to 9pm. You can enjoy your walk in a safe and relaxing environment. The club would like to thank all those who have joined in this community event during the past few weeks and look forward to meeting old and new friends this week.

Recent Death

We extend our deepest sympathy to Liza O Neill, Matthews Cross on the recent death of her beloved father. Mr. Leonard O Neill was the last Waterford Hobbler. Working hard all his life from the young age of 14, Leonard fished on the estuary and worked as a hobbler on the city docks. He travelled the world with the merchant navy and Irish shipping. His knowledge of the river and its ships was second to none and he passed that love of the sea to his children and grandchildren.

His family meant the world to him and he loved nothing better than being in their company. His wife Peggy was the love of his life and they enjoyed over 50 years of wedded bliss together. I had the pleasure of being in Leonards company many times and he was a wonderful conversationalist, a man of great dignity and respect and most definetely a true gentleman.

Following Leonards funeral mass in Ballybricken, he was laid to rest in the beautiful Duncannon.I have often heard it said that the voice of the sea speaks to the soul. We pray that his soul will now be at peace and we shall think fondly of him as we listen to the sounds of the sea.

Communion Preparation

The next Do This In Memory preparation mass for the pupils from 2nd class in Ballyduff N.S will take place at 10am on Sunday February 24th . At these masses the children prepare for their First Holy Communion by taking parts in all aspects of the mass. It is also a lovely opportunity for them to interact with the people of the parish and learn from their christian example. The children love participating in the readings, prayers, offertory gifts and bringing around the collection baskets. It is important that they feel part of the church community.

Birthday Boy
I would like to send very special birthday wishes to my baby brother Neil O Sullivan who recently celebrated his 40th birthday. I know that Lily and Harry looked after the singing of happy birthday and of course were on hand to help blow out all those candles.

Date For Diary

A date for you to mark in your diary is Wednesday March 20th which is World Down Syndrome Day. The Waterford and South Kilkenny branch of Down Syndrome Ireland will host a coffee morning at The Sweep Bar from 10am to 12 noon. This is always a very well supported event and always a lovely morning. There will be music from Bim Connors and a fantastic raffle with brilliant prizes up for grabs. I will be reminding you of this event in the coming weeks so contact that group of friends you have been promising to meet up with and meet at The Sweep where you can relax and enjoy while supporting a fantastic charity.

Community Alert

Our local community alert group will host their next meeting on Tuesday February 26th at 8pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. The guest speaker on the night will be Tony Hennessy who is the resident genealogist in the Medieval Museum. Tony will give a presentation entitled Tracing your Family Tree. This is a subject in which there is a lot of interest and Tony himself holds great Kilmeaden roots.

Also during this meeting the annual text alert scheme fee of €5 will be collected. New members are always welcome to join this scheme. If you are unable to attend but would like to add your name to the list please contact myself Linda Spillane on 087 9838392. It is important that we all come together to protect our area and its residents so please come along to the monthly meeting and voice your opinions.

Canaries Success, Get Ireland Walking and Academy Returns

Bridge News

The Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club played their latest game on Monday February 4th and the results were as follows:

1st:Patsy Roche and Kathleen Collins.

2nd:Sean Hennessy and Nano Fitzgerald.

3rd:John and Elizabeth Mooney.

4th:Anne Marie Brown and Mary Prendergast.

Lourdes Application

Each year our local Lourdes fundraising committee send two people from the parish on the Waterford/Lismore Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes. This is a wonderful chance for people to get to go. If you know someone deserving and who would benefit from a visit to this beautiful land please give their name to one of the following Noel O Sullivan, Donal Daly and John O Leary before February17th.

Canaries Success

The deckchairs are all stacked away and the sombreros have been hung up and the Dawn Players have drawn the curtain on this years production of “The Canaries”. The group treated us to four nights of great entertainment and hilarious comedy. Playing to packed houses each night the group delivered fantastic performances and had audiences in hysterics. Each actor and actress excelled in their roles and they really looked the part with the wonderful costumes and make up. The group are backed up by a fabulous backstage and front of house crew and of course are blessed to have the very talented Miriam Daly as director. Miriam gives great committment and dedication to the group and has great insight into each play that she directs.

I have heard so many many excellent reports back about the play and of course the group were delighted with the support they received. The Dawn Players are very generous to other groups in their area. They share their profits with the Parents council of the National school and the community hall redevelopment fund. This is a very generous act of kindness from the Dawn Players and I’m sure the groups are very grateful to receive such a boost to their finances. A big well done to all the cast and crew of Dawn Players and thank you for brightening up the dark wet nights by transporting us to the sunshine and laughter of the Canaries.

Get Ireland Walking

Our local GAA club have teamed up with Operation Transformation and Getirelandwalking and are opening up their well lit facilities to all the community. Every Thursday night up until February 21st from 7pm to 9pm, the lights will be on and the grounds will be open to all to come along and enjoy a nice healthy walk with famly and friends in a safe environment. This is a perfect opportunity to enjoy a healthy and safe walk and see first hand the fabulous facilities at our local club.

Academy Returns.
The GAA academy with football and hurling for boys and girls aged 4 to 9 years will return on Saturday February 16th at 10.30am in Kildermody. Of course this year there is the new added dimension of the ball wall. There is a €25 registration fee to start and all coaches have been garda vetted and fully trained. This is a great way to get young boys and girls exercising and participating in team activity. It introduces them to the wonderful world of GAA in a safe and relaxing environment.

Off To La La Land!

Ballyduff Youth Drama is made up of boys and girls from 5th and 6th classes and they are about to take to the stage for their production of Alice in La La Land. You are invited to leave reality behind and enter a world of pure imagination on Friday February 15th at 8pm and on Saturday February 16th at 8.15pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. Alice is just like every other little girl who loves to sing and dance especially when she is supposed to be doing her homework. Off she goes to La La Land ruled by the King and Queen of Tarts and makes friends with the Mad Hatter. We follow them on their adventures and see them meet some interesting characters. Tickets are just €10 and can be booked on 087 4046904. The production by this group each year is always one to look forward to and you are guaranteed a great night of music, dance and song.

Panto Time

Our friends in Portlaw Musical Society are in Panto mode and will present their 39th pantomime from Thursday February 14th to Saturday February 16th at 8pm nightly and a matinee performance on Sunday 17th at 3pm. This year they stage Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Portlaw Community Centre is the venue and tickets cost just €12 for adults and €8 for children. You can book your ticket by phoning 086 0519210. This is always a great show and keep your eyes peeled for some familiar Kilmeaden faces on stage

Text Alert Fee, Lourdes Application and Gentle Annie

GAA Lotto
The numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 5, 12, 15 and 19. There was no winner of the jackpot prize but the three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Colette Murphy, Brian Cuddihy and Margaret Kennedy. The next draw will take place on February 10th and will have a fantastic jackpot of €12,500 up for grabs. Tickets are just €2 each or three for €5 and are available from committee members and will be on sale at Centra on Saturday February 9th. Choose your lucky four numbers and try your luck.

 

Bridge News

The results of the bridge game played on January 28th were as follows:

1st: Fr. O Byrne and Patsy Roche.

2nd: Mary Kennedy and Kathleen Collins.

3rd: Kate Hayes and Sean Hennessy.

4th: Geraldine McMahon and Nano Fitzgerald.

Text Alert Fee

The text alert scheme run byour local community alert goup is a fantastic way of keeping people up to date with any suspicious activity in their areas or road closures or severe weather conditions. For just €5 each year you can add your mobile number to this list. This payment is now due and can be paid at the next meeting on Tuesday February 26th or can be given to any committee member. Whether you are an existing member or would like to join up you are very welcome. If you would like to give your name, number and €5 to myself Linda Spillane I would be happy to include it for you too.

Lourdes Application

Each year our parish raise funds to send two people to Lourdes as part of the Waterford/Lismore Diocesan Pilgrimage. The closing date for applications is February 17th. If you would like to nominate somebody then please give their name to one of the following Noel O Sullivan, John O Leary or Donal Daly.

World Day of the Sick

Monday February 11th is the Feast of our Lady of Lourdes and World Day of the Sick and we will have a special mass in Ballyduff at 10am. During the mass there will be a special blessing of the sick and all are invited and welcome. Remember we are all sick from time to time so we could all benefit from a blessing. Please come along and if you know of someone who would like to go but maybe needs a lift please offer.

Tidy Towns.

Our local Tidy Towns Group will hold their AGM on Thursday February 7th at 7.30pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. Guest speaker on the night will be Tracy Morrissey, Estates Manager with Waterford County Council. She will talk about development and residential areas. The group would like to express their gratitude to Arthur Curry for once again putting up the Christmas tree lights in the village. I’m sure you will all agree that they were a beautiful enhancement to the area. The group are appealing to you all to come along to the meeting and get involved with your Tidy Towns group. We are all responsible for the beauty and upkeep of our area so we need to work together.

Gentle Annie.

We were all saddened to here of the untimely death of Annie Kirk, Amberhill. Annie was first and foremost a devoted wife, a loving mother, caring grandmother and besotted great grandmother. Annie had a great love of gardening and loved the beauty of watching the flowers bloom. She took great pleasure in spending time with her family and enjoyed nothing better than a good laugh. She and her husband Paddy spent 50 wonderful years as man and wife and were still as much in love as they were all those years ago. Annie will be missed terribly by her family and friends but has left them with wonderful memories. She is now reunited with her beloved daughter Caroline and together they will watch over those dearest to them. We pray that Annie’s gentle soul now rests in peace and offer her heartfelt sympathy to Paddy and all the family.