New Year Wishes, Birthday Girl and Dawn Players

New Year Wishes.

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

Christmas Babies.

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

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

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

Christmas Ceremonies.

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

Christmas Wedding.

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

Future Bride.

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

Community Alert

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

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

GAA News.

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

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

Memorial Swim.

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

Birthday Girl.

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

Dawn Players

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

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

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

Love is in the Air, Thank you Wishes and Cinderella

Bridge News.

The results of the latest bridge game are as follows:

1st: Ann Marie Brown and Pauline Fanning

2nd:Peggy Murphy and Anna Ryan

3rd:Kate Hayes and Geraldine McMahon

4th:Mary Flahavan and Nan Murphy

Love Is In The Air.

We send our heartiest congratulations to Samantha O Dea, Cullinagh who recently married Michael O Connell. I hear that the couple and their guests had a wonderful time and made fantastic memories for the years to come.

Also tying the knot recently was David O Leary, Lacka Road who crossed the border over to Mooncoin to find his beautiful wife Crona O Sullivan. The couple, their families and friends had a brilliant day in Langtons in Kilkenny.

We wish both couples every happiness in their future lives together.

Thank You Wishes.

I was contacted recently by Bobby and Noreen Byrne former owners of Centra in Kilmeaden and they asked me if I would include the following piece in my notes for them.

To everyone we had the pleasure of meeting during our years in Centra, Kilmeaden.

This coming January we would have marked 17 years running the Centra shop in Kilmeaden. Like any business ours revolved around people(customers, staff and suppliers). Over the years and the normal happenings of day to day life and work,births, deaths,marriages,babies becoming teenagers becoming problems becoming good people, sicknesses, complaints, gratitude, anger, familiarity, good days, bad days with many shared laughs and stories and good will, people get to know each other better, even becoming friends. In the nature of selling a business, the final day being a series of last minute decisions we did not get to say goodbye to a lot of people, so would like to take advantage of the Christmas season to truly thank everyone for their loyal support and friendship over the past 17 years and we wish you all and your families a happy Christmas and a successful and blessed New Year. Bobby and Noreen Byrne.

I’m sure I speak for you all when I wish Bobby and Noreen every success and happiness in the future and hope they now enjoy some quality time together doing all the things they have wanted to do. You will always have a place here in our hearts in Kilmeaden and I know my door will always be open if you fancy a cuppa anytime.

Coffee Morning Success

Our local community alert recently hosted a coffe morning with all proceeds going to The Touching Hearts charity. Let me tell you do this group know how to host or what. A fabulous array of cakes, buns and treats were available and of course the cuppa and chat thrown in for good measure. This morning could not have been arranged better so a huge thank you to all the organisers and to the local businesses who donated items. Thank you to Kevin Moran who dropped in and to the local community guards Damien Ryan and Tom Daly. Word even spread to Santa himself and he came along to meet all the well behaved children we have here in our area. A big thank you to Cartamundi for their very generous donation of toys and games. A fantastic amount of €602 was raised and the organisers thank you all sincerely.

The group remind you to call into your neighbours especially those living alone during the cold weather and check they have all the supplies they need.

Cinderella.

Congratulations to all the cast and crew of Starstruck Theatre School who recently staged their production of Cinderella in Ballyduff Community Centre. There were many stand out performers but every cast member gave 100% and treated the audience to a night of great music and song. Well done to Damian Walsh and all the cast on another great production and we look forward to more performances in the new year.

Surprise Surprise

Popular local lady Sarah Crowley was thrilled to be heading off to a lovely holiday break in New York recently but little did she know what lay ahead. Her boyfriend Noel O Connor picked the beautiful setting of Central Park to ask this lovely lady to be his bride. Thankfully the answer was yes and the couple have now returned to their delighted families. We wish the happy couple every good wish in their future lives together and we hope they enjoy the excitement of planning their big day.

Christmas Tree.

Once again it is lovely to see the beautiful Christmas tree in Ballyduff Green as you pass through the village . A big thank you to Sherlock Foley who donates the tree every year and thank you to our local Tidy Towns group who put up the tree and Arthur Curry (Jnr) who takes care of the lights for the tree.

Concert Delight.

Our local St. Nicholas choir held their annual Christmas carol concert last Wednesday night in our church and what a night it was. From the moment you walked into the church you felt like you could leave your worries at the door and switch off your mind for a little while and transport yourself to a place of tranquility and peace. The candle lit church adorned with beautiful flower arrangements looked stunning and the wind and rain outside was forgotten. The choir sung a varied selection of carols and were joined by our local Soprano supreme Lupita De Bhaill. Musical accompaniment was provided by pianist Damien O Brien and guitarist John Stephenson with special guests flautist Ger Dower, violinist Rebecca McCarthy Kent and French horn player Liam Daly and all under the direction of Bridget Jordan. This was trully a beautiful night and I could have happily sat for another couple of hours and listened to the sounds of the coming season.

A collection was taken up during the interval for the Touching Hearts charity and over €700 was raised.

Church News.

The special Christmas collection envelopes for the support of the priests of the parish are being distributed to houses or you can use the envelope provided in your yearly pack. This collection is taken up at the Christmas masses.

You may have noticed the nice new framed picture over the door of the sacristy. This was donated by someone who wishes to remain annoymous. It is entitled The Adoration of the Child and the original was painted by Antonio Da Correggio some time in the 1520’s. It is an oil on canvas by this Italian Renaissance artist. The original is housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence in Italy.

Award Success

I am delighted to send heartiest congratulations to my own dad Noel O Sullivan, Matthews Cross who was recently named as an award winner in the 2017 Waterford County GAA Awards. At a function in January 2018 he will be presented with The Jack Furlong Award which is given in recognition of a lifetime of service to the Association. We are all thrilled and delighted that he is being given this award which is richly deserved. Daddy lives and breathes GAA not because he wants awards but because of his true and honest love for the association and all it stands for. He is the true blood of the Gaa and we are all very proud of him . This award was also won some years back by his late dad the great Sonny O Sullivan so my dad will be a proud man accepting this award.

GAA News, Church News and Welcoming Christmas

Bridge News.

The results of the latest bridge game are as follows:

1st: Sean Hennessy and Nano Fitzgerald.

2nd: Breda Cowman and Mary Kennedy.

3rd: Margaret White and Ann Marie Brown.

4th: Breda Murphy and Mary Flahavan.

GAA News.

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

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

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

GAA Lotto

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

Mass Bookings

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

Welcoming Christmas.

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

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

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

Church News.

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

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

Coffee Morning, Starstruck Theatre Production and 21st Birthday

Mass Bookings.

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

Coffee Morning

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

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

Bridge News.

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

1st: Kathleen Collins and Brenda Cummins

2nd: Mary Kennedy and John Fitzpatrick

3rd: Mary Flahavan and Anne Kennedy

4th: Mary O Brien and Ann Cox.

Birthday Boy

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

Festive Evening

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

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

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

Starstruck Theatre Production.

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

November Masses

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

21st Birthday Wishes

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

Church Dates

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

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

Golden Couple, Mass for Deceased and Graduation

Golden Couple

We send our warmest congratulations to Tony and Helen O Leary, Ballyduff who recently celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary. The couple celebrated with their family and I am sure everyone had a wonderful time. We wish Tony and Helen many more years of health and happiness.

Wedding Wishes

Heartiest congratulations to Nicola Fitzgerald and Gavin O Rourke who became man and wife in Ballyduff church on Saturday November 19th. The bride looked radiant as she arrived at the church with the couples two beautiful daughters Lexi and Ciara and waiting for was her dapper looking groom with their handsome son Sean. After a lovely ceremony and photographs the couple, their families and their guests travelled to the Brandon House Hotel for a fantastic reception. I have been reliably informed that a brilliant time was had by all. We wish Nicola and Gavin many years of good health and happiness and the memories they and their children have of this very special day will remain in their minds forever.

Mass for the Deceased.

It is amazing how fast the month of November has gone but we are already celebrating the last of our November Dead list masses. On Wednesday November 29th the mass will be offered especially for all those who died in the past 12 months. Those who were buried here will automatically be included but if you have a relative or friend who died elsewhere in the past year you are more than welcome to have them included. To have them mentioned please contact Linda Spillane or Martha Fitzgerald before Wednesday or write their name on the list in the main porch of the church. This candle mass is a beautiful ceremony and a lovely way to remember your loved ones.

GAA Lotto

The numbers drawn in the latest of our GAA lotto draws were 11, 12, 20 and 28 and there was no lucky jackpot winner. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Jack O Donnell, Kathleen Power and Jane Fortune. The next draw will take place on December 3rd and will have an impressive jackpot of €9,050 on offer. Tickets cost just €2 each or 3 for €5 and are available from committee members and will be on sale all day on Saturday December 2nd outside Centra. Choose those 4 lucky numbers carefully and you could be getting an early Christmas present.

Graduation.

We extend warm congratulations to Aidan Millea, Ballyduff who recently graduated from his motor mechanics course. What a very proud day for his family especially parents Paul and Helen and of course his girlfriend Shauna. We wish Aidan the very best of luck in his future career.

Community Alert

Our local community alert group plan to host a coffee morning on Sunday December 10th from 10am to 12 noon in Ballyduff Community Centre. All proceeds on the day will go to the Touching Hearts charity. There will be some very special guests dropping by on the day and rumour has it that even the main man himself Santa Claus will be calling. Wonderful prizes will be on offer in the raffle so come along and enjoy the lovely festive atmosphere.

The group are asking for help from anyone who is willing to make some cakes or buns for the occasion to please let one of the committee know or if you want to let me Linda Spillane know I will happily pass on the message for you.

Date For Your Diary.

St. Nicholas church choir will hold a candle lit carol concert in Ballyduff church on Wednesday December 13th and will be joined by some very special guests on the night too. This was a really enjoyable evening over the past couple of years and I would urge you all to treat yourself and relax to the sounds of the singing and music. I will have more details for you in the coming weeks so stay tuned to these notes.

Bouncing Baby Boy, School News and Good Deeds

Bridge Notes.

The Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club played their latest bridge game on Monday November14th and the results are as follows:

1st: Patsy Roche and Kathleen Collins.
2nd: Nano Fitzgerald and Geraldine McMahon.
3rd: John Fitzpatrick and Breda Kirwan.
4th: Anne Kennedy and Bridget Ahearne.

November Dead List.
The special masses for the Holy Souls are continuing each Wednesday night in November and it is great to see such a large crowd attending. The last of these masses on Wednesday November 29th at 7.30pm will be offered especially for those who have died in the past 12 months. All those who were buried here or prayed for at mass will automatically be included but if you have a relative or friend who has died elsewhere and you would like to have their name included for this mass please contact myself Linda Spillane on 087 9838392 or write their name on the list in the porch in the church. This candle mass is a beautiful way to remember your loved one and the candle which you will take home with you will be a constant reminder of their presence in your life.
Coffee Morning Success.

I attended a really lovely coffee morning recently with some friends and was delighted to see such a huge crowd attending. It was in aid of The Touching Hearts charity and was run in conjunction with the organisers of the Michael Power Memorial swim which is held every Christmas morning at Kilmurrin cove. The venue for the coffee morning was The Sweep Bar and Restaurant where we were spoiled for choice with cakes and treats galore. The morning was organised by Kathy Raher, Ann Murray and friends and was a huge success raising €1,710. Touching Hearts would like to thank everyone who supported this event and gave a donation and would also like to thank Michelle Dunphy and all at The Sweep Bar for all their help. This really was a most enjoyable morning with a lovely atmosphere and I congratulate all the organisers.
Bouncing Baby Boy.
We send our warmest congratulations and best wishes to Paul Stephenson and his wife Edwina on the recent birth of a beautiful baby boy. Baby Ollie arrived safe and healthy and joins his big sister Elsie to bring more joy to the Stephenson family. We congratulate John and Joan in Newtown on becoming grandparents again and of course great gran Aileen. I’m sure Elsie and Ollie will make lots of happy memories when they come to play on the family farm. We wish them all a wonderful happy and healthy life.
Proud Occasions.
I met a very proud mother the other day while I was out and about and she has every right to be. Eleanor Butler from Gortaclode told me how her son Darren had recently graduated as a mechanic and her daughter Rachael would be graduating as a beautician in the coming days. We send them both sincere congratulations and wish them both every success in their futures and well done Eleanor on doing such a wonderful job and I have no doubt that a very proud dad beams down at them and delights in their achievements.
Church News.
A reminder that your new pack of weekly offertory envelopes are now available in the church so please take home your addressed pack at your convieniance. These weekly contributions are vital for the upkeep of the church and Fr. Mick and Fr. Richard thank you for your continued support. Some people prefer to give a yearly donation but if you like to do it weekly please pick up your addressed pack. These envelopes are simply opened, emptied and counted and no record is kept of peoples contributions, the numbers printed on the envelopes are not allocated to particular names, so your contribution is your own private business.
Adoration of the Blessed Eucharist continues every Tuesday from 12 noon to 7pm and you are welcome to drop in at any stage during the day for whatever time you can spare. Simply sit in the quietness with your own thoughts and needs.
School News.
The pupils from Ballyduff N.S are not just concentrating on their own needs and happiness but are very aware of the needs of others and are doing everything in their power to help those who need it. The children recently took part in The Team Hope Christmas Shoebox Appeal and filled many Christmas shoeboxes with items to wash with, to wear, to write with and a small toy or treat. I know the children enjoy doing this each year and take great pride in doing so.
Pupils from 3rd class up to 6th class have also been taking part in the MS Readathon where they read as many books as possible over a 4 week period and ask their family and friends to sponsor them with all money raised going to the MS charity. Well done to all the pupils for taking a stand and making a difference this is one of the bests things they will ever learn.
Strictly Dance
What a night in the WIT Arena as the Waterford GAA hosted their fundraising event Strictly Dance. This was extremely well organised and a real pleasure to attend. A huge well done to local men Ger Harris and Marc O Neill who represented our club and put in great performances. The lads gave their time and committment to this event and along with their fellow competitors they treated everyone to a fabulous night of entertainment.
Good Deeds
Any who knows me will know that I am always telling anyone willing to listen to me about what a wonderful place we live in and I have seen many times the kindness and generosity of the people around us. In the past few weeks I have witnessed some lovely good deeds being done by people who would never want to be acknowledged and so I would always respect their views. I genuinely hope that the good deeds you have done come back to you twice over and we should all remember that we were put on this earth to help each other so if there is something you feel you could do just go ahead and go with your heart.

November Masses, Beat the train and Grounds worker

Bridge News.
The Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club meet each Monday night and the results of the latest game are as follows:
1st: John and Elizabeth Mooney
2nd: John Fitzpatrick and Celia Nugent.
3rd: Ann Marie Brown and Mary Prendergast.
4th: Patsy Roche and Kathleen Collins.

 

November Masses.
It was lovely to see such a big crowd at the first of the special November Dead List masses. These masses will continue each Wednesday night during November at 7.30pm. The last of these masses on Wednesday November 29th will be offered especially for all those who died during the past year. Those who died within the parish will automatically be included but if you had a relative or friend who died from outside the parish you are more than welcome to have them included in this mass where an individual candle is lit for each person and brought home by the family after mass. If you would like to include a name in this mass please contact Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 or write their name on the list in the main porch of the church.

GAA Lotto
The numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 1,7,9 and 16 but there was no jackpot winner. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Mary Power, The Sweep Gang and Michael Morrissey. The next draw will take place on November 19th and there will be a fabulous jackpot of €8,900 up for grabs. What a fantastic amount to get your hands on before the Christmas season. Tickets cost just €2 or 3 for €5 and are available from committee members and will be on sale outside Centra on Saturday November 18th. Choose those 4 lucky numbers carefully and you could be off on a shopping spree and don’t forget who told you all about it!

 

Beat The Train.
Waterford Suir Valley Railway have teamed up with Down Syndrome Ireland Waterford and South Kilkenny branch to host “Beat The Train” for DSI which will take place from Kilmeaden station at 10am on Saturday November 18th. Participants are invited to try race the train from Kilmeaden station to a 5 mile mark near Bilberry and then race it back to Kilmeaden. The race is now fully subcribed but if you would like to be a supporter on the train please call 051-384058 to book your ticket. Prices for tickets are €8.50 per adult and €4 per child and all money raised on the day will go to Down Syndrome Ireland.

 

Grounds Worker
Ballyduff Soccer Club are on the lookout for a Fas worker to look after the care and upkeep of their grounds. For many years Harry Power took care of the grounds and what a great job he did, however Harry has now stepped down and so a new candidate is called for. If you are interested or would like some more information please contact Paddy Kirk on 087-2764883.

 

Junk Kouture
Ballyduff Lowers Girls Gaelic Football team hosted a brilliant fundraiser fashion show last week. This was a fashion show with a difference though as the members modelled outfits and accessories which had been designed and created by themselves from recycable materials. I had the honour of acting as MC on the night and I have to say I was completely bowled over by the creations and designs which the girls came up with. The amount of thought and time that went into these designs was amazing and the crowd who attended on the evening were all in awe and all agreed that it was an extremely enjoyable evening.
It was a privelege to introduce and meet the three ladies who had the hard job of judging on the night. Louise Ryan, Michelle Ryan and Aisling Moloney had a list of honours and achievements between them that would make you gasp and it was great for our young girls to chat with them and see first hand where committment and hard work can get you in the world of Gaelic football.
Well done to all who arranged this great fundraiser it really was a night to remember.

Collection Envelopes
Your boxes of parish church envelopes are now addressed and will be available to collect from the church this weekends.Some people prefer to make a yearly donation but whichever you rather to do please take home your yearly pack of envelopes. The weekly offering that you make is vital for the upkeep and expenses of our church and parish and your parish thanks you for being so generous.

Coffee Morning, Community Alert and Kindhearted Ladies

 

Coffee Morning
This year the organisers of the annual Michael Power Christmas Day Memorial Swim have decided to donate the proceeds to The Touching Hearts charity. As you know The Touching Hearts charity are working tirelessly to raise enough money to provide new premises and facilities for all the children who attend The Sacred Heart. The premises which they use at the moment is not suitable for the work they are trying to do and while the staff are tremendous they can only work with what they have. These children deserve the best possible help that is available and it is up to all of us to do everything we can to make sure they get exactly what they need.
During the next few weeks leading up to the Christmas Day swim you will hear of some fundraisers being organised so try your best to support them. We have our chance to support the cause on Friday November 10th and all you will be asked to do is to sit and relax with friends and have a cuppa. The Sweep Bar and Restaurant will host a coffee morning from 10am to 12 noon, so why not come along and enjoy a cuppa or two and please don’t forget to spread the word.

 

November Dead List.
Although our loved ones whom we have lost are never far from our thoughts, November is the month which is dedicated to remembering our loved ones in a special way. This special way of remembering them is known as The November Dead List. There will be a special box placed in front of the altar and if you would like to have loved ones included you can place an offering in the box. The special masses offered for the dead will take place each Wednesday night during November at 7.30pm beginning on Wednesday November 8th.
The final one of these masses on Wednesday November 29th will be offered especially for those who died during the past 12 months. Those who were buried in Ballyduff will be automatically included but if you have a relative or friend from outside the parish whom you would like remembered you are welcome to add them to the list. You can do this by contacting myself Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 or you can write their name on the list in the main porch of the church.

Community Alert.
The AGM of our local community alert group will take place in Ballyduff Community Centre on Tuesday November 7th at 8pm and all are welcome to attend. We are all aware of the wonderful work being done by this group and it is important that we all show our support and work together as a community to keep our area safe. Spread the word to your neighbours and friends and come along to the meeting.

 

Strictly Dance
A reminder to you all that Waterford GAA will host their strictly dance competition in The WIT Arena at Waterford IT, West Campus on Saturday November 11th at 8pm. We are of course well represented locally by both Marc O Neill and Ger Harris and I know the guys are practicing their steps every chance they get. This promises to be a great night of fun and glamour and we wish both of the lads the very best of luck. Tickets cost just €20 and are available from Marc or Ger or from your club.

 

Kindhearted Ladies
I want to give a big shout out to two big hearted young ladies Siofra and Naoise Phelan, Ardeenlone who recently donated 14 inches of their hair to the Rapunzel Foundation. What a wonderful and generous thing for these young girls to do and we congratulate them and tell them how proud we all are and we know that they have helped to make some children very happy indeed.

World Champion, Junk Koture and Strictly Dance

World Champion.
I am delighted to tell you all that we have a world champion in our midst. 11 year old Charlie Laffan, Carriganure became a kickboxing world champion recently and we send him our warmest congratulations. Charlie is a member of the Pat Rockett Karate and Kickboxing Academy and I have seen first hand the committment and dedication Charlie gives to his training. I know his parents Billy and Fiona are immensely proud of him as is his sister Makayla. We wish Charlie continued success.

 

GAA Lotto.
The numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 7,10,23 and 26 and there was no winner of the jackpot. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Eileen Hanrahan, Sean Atkins and John Stephenson. The next draw will take place on November 5th and will have a fabulous jackpot of €8,750. Tickets are just €2 or 3 for €5 and are available from all club members and will be on sale outside Centra on Saturday November 4th.

 

AGM Notice.
Our local community alert group will hold their AGM on Tuesday November 7th at 8pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. All are welcome to attend this meeting and join this group who provide a great service within our community.
Bridge News
The latest bridge game played by the Ballyduff/Portlaw club on Monday October 23rd and the results were:
1st: Kathleen Collins and Patsy Roche
2nd: Anna Ryan and Anna Harney
3rd: Fr. Michael O Byrne and Mary Kennedy.
4th: Celia Nugent and Mary Prendergast.

 

GAA Academy and Nursery News.

This groups season has now come to a close and what an amazing and memorable year they have had. A big thank you goes out to all the coaches and parents who give up their time to help these children in their athletic development. A special thank you to all the children who took part . The group will be back in early Spring so make sure you watch this space!
A big well done to the four volunteers Derek, Nina, Cathal and Tim who recently completed their coaching and child welfare courses. These qualifications will assist in the future development of the group and enhancing community life.

 

Junk Koture
Excitement is really building now for the Junk Koture Fashion Show on Friday November 3rd in Ballyduff Community Centre. All outfits or accessories have been designed and created by the members of our local girls football club. All items will be made from recycable products. This promises to be a great night of creativity and fun and tickets are just €5 and are available from any of the coaches or from Fiona on 083-1803294. I have heard a couple of rumours of celebrity judges being flown in at great expense and apparently the MC is out of this world.

 

Coffee Morning
A coffee morning in association with the Michael Power Christmas Day Memorial Swim will take place on Friday November 10th from 10am to 12 noon in The Sweep Bar. This year all the money raised from the swim will go to the Touching Hearts charity as they try to raise enough money to build and equip a new day care centre as their present building is not adequate or suitable. Please come along and bring a friend and enjoy a relaxing and confortable morn ing while supporting this great charity.

 

November Masses
Each Wednesday night at 7.30pm during the month of November we hold a special mass in memory and honour of our loved ones gone to God. A box will be placed in front of the altar in which you can place an offering. The last of these masses on Wednesday November 29th at 7.30pm will be offered especially for those who have died during the past 12 months. Those who died within the parish will automatically be included but if you have a loved one who died outside the parish then you are welcome to include their name. If you would like to include someone please contact Linda Spillane or write their name on the list in the porch.

 

Strictly Dance

As I already mentioned to you all we have two representatives from this parish taking part in the Waterford GAA Strictly Dance competition which will take place on Saturday November 11th in the WIT arena 8pm in Waterford IT West Campus. Marc O Neill and Ger Harris will take to the floor. The lads have tickets available for the night for just €20 each.
To help raise funds for the night the guys will host a friendly singing competition between Ballyduff and Portlaw GAA clubs in O Donnachas on November 4th. Music on the night will be by Dick Quinn. Come along and join in this night of fun.

Choir Members, Storm Mayhem and Strictly Dance

Choir Members.
St. Nicholas’s church choir rehearse every Monday night in Ballyduff church from 8pm to 9.15pm. Any adult who wishes to join is more than welcome to come along to practice or contact any of the choir members.

 

Storm Mayhem.
Well thank God we all made it through Storm Ophelia and are thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the three people who died during the storm.
I know many people suffered damage to their homes or businesses and many had to go without electricity, water and phone services but thankfully all these things can be fixed. Of course we are lucky that we live in a fantastic community and neighbours helped neighbours and offers of help and support were passed around. Well done to all who helped during the storm and in the aftermath and I would encourage you all to keep it up. If you know any elderly people or people living alone please drop into them and check that everything is ok.

 

Station Masses.
Due to the electricty being knocked off in the church following the storm the station mass scheduled for last Tuesday night had to be cancelled and has now been rearranged. The station mass for Ballyduff Village, Ballyduff West, Ballyduff Hill, Newtown, Cullinagh, Gortaclode, Amberhill and Raheen will take place on Wednesday October 25th at 7.30pm in Ballyduff church. The last of the Autumn station masses will be for the areas of Knockaderry, Carrickphilip and Carriganure Upper in the home of Marie and John Murphy on Friday October 27th at 8pm.
Fr. Mick has asked me to say a huge thank you to all who hosted station masses and all who attended and he appreciates all who handed in their station dues.

 

Church News.
A special collection will be taken up by way of a second collection at masses this weekend to support the work of missionaries around the world. You are asked to be as generous as possible.
A reminder that if there is anyone who is sick or confined to home for any length of time and would like to receive holy communion on a Sunday morning after mass please contact Fr. Mick and he will be happy to put your name on the list. There is no set criteria so whether you are young or old, sick for a short time or a long time you are welcome to put your name forward.
Fr. Mick also likes to pay a visit to any parishioner who is sick at home or in hospital so he likes to know if people unfortunately find themselves sick at any time. If you have a family member, friend or neighbour who is sick at home or in hospital at any time please drop a text to Fr.Mick on 087-9626618 or you can also contact me Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 and I will let him know for you.

 

November Dead List.
As you know November is a month when we pay special honour to our loved ones who have gone before us. I know that they are never far from our thoughts but in November we celebrate the feasts of All Saints and All Souls. We here in this parish also hold a special mass each Wednesday night at 7.30pm in November which we offer for those gone before us. On the final Wednesday night in November which is the 29th the mass will be offered for all those who have passed away in the past 12 months. The person does not have to be from this parish to be included, if you lost a loved one from a different area and would like them to be included please contact myself Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 and I will make sure they are included. Mass times for All Saints day will be a vigil mass at 7.30pm on Tuesday October 31st and on Wednesday November 1st at 10am. On Thursday November 2nd the masses for All Souls will be at 10am and 7.30pm.

 

Engagement Celebrations
We send warmest congratulations to local girl Caroline Power who recently announced her engagement to Jimmy Butler. Jimmy surprised Caroline while on holidays and she tells me that she had no hesitation in answering yes to that all important question. Of course Caroline will be able to get lots of hints and ideas from her older sister Stephaine who will marry her fiance Ronan next year. We wish Caroline and Jimmy every happiness in their future lives together and hope that all their dreams come true.

 

Strictly Dance
Strictly Dance in aid of Waterford GAA will take place in the WIT arena at Waterford IT West Campus on Saturday November 11th at 8pm and we are being well represented down this neck of the woods. Marc O Neill and Ger Harris will take to the floor (not together now!). The guys are training tirelessly and every move is now a dance move so don’t be surprised to see them pirouette into the shop or cha cha cha across the field as they drop the children off at the match. If you fancy going along on the night to see the lads and many more glide around the dance floor tickets are €20 and are available from Marc or Ger.

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