A Little Princess.

We send our heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Pat and Joanne Matthews on the birth of their beautiful little princess Kate recently. Joanne is of course the eldest daughter of Francie and Ann Crowley in Adamstown and I met Nanny Ann recently and she told me that this little family are getting along great and that baby Kate is a real little beauty. We look forward to meeting Kate on one of her visits to Adamstown and wish Pat, Joanne and Kate every happiness in the world.

AGM

The AGM of Ballyduff Community Centre will take place on January 31st at 7pm in the centre. Financial reports for 2015 and a progress report for 2016 will be available. All are welcome to attend this meeting.

Curtains Up!

Following months of preparations and rehearsals Dawn Players are ready to present this years production “It’s the Real McCoy” by Tommy Marron. The show will run from Wednesday 25th of January to Saturday 28th at 8pm nightly in the school hall of Ballyduff N.S. This hilarious comedy with witty one liners promises to have you laughing your socks off. Tickets cost €12 and can be booked by calling 087-4487648.

Recent Engagement.

We send warm congratulations to Ballyduff N.S teacher Karen Power who recently announced her engagement to John Paul Browne. We wish the happy couple every good wish as they plan for their big day and for their future lives together.

Dinner Dance

Club of the year Ballyduff Lower GAA club will celebrate their brilliant year by hosting a celebratory dinner dance. All roads will lead to The Granville Hotel on Saturday February 4th for 7.30pm. For just €35 you can enjoy a delicious 4 course meal which will be followed by the presentation of medals and then you can dance the night away to the sounds of Tequila Sunrise. You don’t have to be a member of the club to attend this dinner dance, all are welcome to attend and help celebrate a very memorable year. Tickets are available from any committee member or by phoning 087-2353295.

Star Struck Return.

The Star Struck Theatre School will return for their next term beginning on Monday January 30th. Following the great success of their previous show “That’s what friends are for”an enrolment and information evening will take place on Monday January 23rd and Wednesday January 25th at 7pm each night. The group caters for ages 6 to 18 years so if drama, music and dance is your thing, drop along and find out more.

Bridge News

The results of the bridge game played on January 16th are as follows:

1st: Breda Cowman and Nano Fitzgerald.
2nd:William Tobin and Peggy Murphy.
3rd: Patsy Roche and Mary Kennedy.
4th: Maria Kiersey and Anne Kennedy.

GAA Lotto.

The numbers drawn in the recent lotto draw were 7, 10, 21 and 27 and there was no winner of the jackpot. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Billy Weldon , Dr.Jan and Keith Norris. The next draw will take place on January 29th and will have a fantastic jackpot of €5,750. Tickets are just €2 or 3 for €5 and are available from club members or will be on sale on Saturday January 28th outside Centra in Kilmeaden. Choose those four lucky numbers carefully.

Kilmeaden’s Slimspiration.

A great number of people turned up last Monday to join Kilmeaden’s Slimspiration which will run until Monday March 6th. The group meet every Monday night from 7pm to 8pm and for just €5 you can avail of a confidential weigh in and the knowledge of some motivational speakers and advice from fitness and nutition experts. It is not too late to join, you are welcome to pop in any Monday night.

Ballyduff AFC.

A Saturday morning beginners running group will start on Saturday January 28th at 11am at the 450 metre floodlit running track at Ballyduff AFC. This group will meet for four weeks and will be led by instructor Seamus Doyle from Balance Fitness. Seamus will teach correct running techniques like posture, pace and breathing. If you would like to book your place or get more information please contact Seamus Doyle 087-7864013 or Tony Latham 087-2861430.

Couch To 5k.

I have heard great reports back about this group who meet on Wednesday nights at 7pm at the lay by between O Donnachas and the roundabout. Well known local marathon runner Sharon Flynn will guide you through a mixture of walking and running which will eventually see you completing 5k in great comfort. This group is for beginners and no matter what your level of fitness, nobody is left behind. Drop along any Wednesday night and give it a go.

Community Alert.

The High Road/Ballyduff community alert group would like to thank all who attended their recent meeting and they would like to say a special thanks to the local Gardai for attending. A wonderful presentation was given by Neville Murphy, winch-man on rescue 117 and Jim Griffin and Brian Fleming of the Coastguard and the group are extremely grateful to them.
The next meeting will take place on Tuesday February 21st at 8pm in the community centre. Guest speakers on the night will be crime prevention officer Sgt. Brendan Roche, Margaret Quinn from Muintir na Tire, Peter Butler from Task and local Gardai. The €5 yearly text alert payment is now due and will be taken up at this meeting.
Unfortunately there has been a drop off in numbers attending these meetings so please make the effort to come along and give your support to your local community. You are asked for nothing but your attendance and local alert groups such as ours have proven a real deterrent to crime in the area so lets stick together against crime.

Tidy Towns.

Our local Tidy Towns group will hold their AGM on Tuesday January 17th at 7pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. All are welcome to attend this meeting.

Nollaig na mBan.

What a wonderful night was had by all at our annual Nollaig na mBan event which took place in Ballyduff Community Centre on Saturday January 7th. The ladies all arrived to the event looking stunning in their finery. They were greeted on arrival with some mulled wine and had some photographs taken by photographers from the two local newspapers. The ladies were then escorted to their seats by our team of waiters for the evening made up of local men from our area. Chef for the evening was the very talented Eamonn Reade who was assisted on the night by his daughter Shauna. All our ladies enjoyed a beautiful dinner and dessert which was served by our waiters. Following some party games our waiters were dismissed to the kitchen to take care of the clean up while the ladies got ready to dance the night away to the sounds of Geoff Harris. A really fabulous night was had by all who atttended and just over €2,500 profit was raised for our local community centre. The committee would like to thank everyone who bought tickets, Eamonn and Shauna Reade, Geoff Harris, our brilliant group of waiters, Foroige for the use of their room and all who helped set up and clean the venue. I know I am part of the committee but I think they deserve a mention, they are a great group to work with , each one giving 100% and making sure each event is done to the highest standard possible.

Dawn Players.

Our local drama group Dawn Players are almost ready to take to the stage with their latest production “It’s the real McCoy” by Tommy Marron. This is an hilarious production full of witty one liners taking a nostalgic trip back in time showing the amazing wit of the Irish. The show will run from Wednesday January25th to Saturday January 28th in the school hall at Ballyduff N.S. Tickets can be booked by calling 087-4487648.

Book Success

The Kilmeaden Co-op centenary committee would like to say a big thank you to all who recently attended the book launch. The book has been a huge success and all the copies printed have been sold. It is now planned to print some more so if you would like a copy please contact the Countrylife store in Kilmeaden.

Bridge News.

The results of the latest two bridge games played are as follows:
03/01/2017

1st: Sean Hennessy /Nano Fitzgerald
2nd:Pauline Fanning/Breda O Donnell
3rd:Nan Murphy/Anne Kennedy
4th:Ann Marie Brown/Mary Prendergast

09/01/2017

1st:Mary Prendergast/Breda F Murphy
2nd:Nano Fitzgerald/Geraldine McMahon
3rd:Breda Cowman/Mary Kennedy
4th:Anne Kennedy/Patsy Roche.

Sincere Gratitude

I was contacted recently by Kathleen Harris who has asked me on behalf of herself, Ollie and the family to express how grateful they are to everyone who has contacted them during Ollies recent illness and spell in hospital. They have been bowled over by the amount of get well masses, messages and phonecalls they have received. They want to say a huge thank you to all who have contacted them and all who travelled to Dublin to visit Ollie in hospital. A special thank you to all of Ollies friends in Ballyduff church for their offering of the Holy Rosary. The good news is that Ollie is recovering well at home and I’m sure with the care and attention he will receive at home from Kathleen and all the family we will soon have him out and about among us where he belongs.

Slim-Spiration

Kilmeadens Slim-Spiration returns and will run from Monday January16th to Monday March 6th from 7pm to 8pm at a cost of €5 per night. Class will comprise of a weekly weigh in and talks from nutrionists etc.

Running Track

Ballyduff AFC would like to make more use of their 450 metre floodlit running track and so they are starting a Saturday morning beginners running group. Seamus Doyle from Balance Fitness will teach you about posture, pace and breathing and get you running 5km comfortably. Beginning on January 28th at 11am for four weeks participants will have full acces to the track during that time. For more information or to book your place please contact Tony Latham 087-2861430 or Seamus Doyle 087-7864013.

Couch To 5k

No excuse not to excercise in Kilmeaden. A beginners running group will meet each Wednesday night at Kilmeaden roundabout at 7pm and will combine a programme of both walking and running which will eventually see people running that 5k. This is aimed at beginners and nobody will be left behind.

Good Wishes.

Let me begin these notes by wishing each and every one of you every best wish for 2017. I hope the New Year brings you all good health, happiness and the joy of friendship and community. Always remember the gift of your presence is the best gift you can give to people. Many people long for a little company and a chat and remember some day you may be that person longing for a bit of company.
Thank you to all who contributed to these notes in the past year and I hope you will continue doing so in 2017 and I always welcome news from new groups or clubs or indeed individuals with an event to talk about. You can get me Linda Spillane on 051-399925. 087-9838392 or spillanelinda@eircom.net

Ballyduff GAA News

A couple of important dates to pencil into your diaries are January 15th when the club will hold their AGM and on February 4th the club are planning to have a dinner dance so keep your diaries free and watch this space for more information.

Tidy Towns News

Our local Tidy Towns group have done fantastic work since their formation and we are very grateful to them. The group will hold their AGM on January 17th at 7pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. All are welcome to attend this meeting so please spread the word.

Death of a Legend.

We extend our sincerest sympathy to Pat Nugent, Matthews Cross on the death of his beloved father Maurice Nugent who resided in Brown Street, Portlaw all of his life. Growing up I often heard my parents refer to certain men as a true gentleman and I knew I had met one when I met Maurice. He was a man of great integrity and one of the most knowledgable people you could meet. He had a fantastic love for his native place of Portlaw and could tell you story after story. At the age of 101 his memory just seemed to get better. I have fond memories of Maurice and my late grandad Sonny O Sullivan sitting on the bench in the square swapping memories and stories. I picture them now on a bench in heaven and Maurice filling grandad in on whats been happening since he left. We send our prayers and condolences to Maurices son Pat and daughter Margaret, his grandchildren Claire and David and his three great grandchildren. May they all find comfort in all the wonderful memories he left them.

Foley Celebrations.

What a great start 2017 got off to for the Foley family in Ballyduff. Joyce Foley and her partner Jason Alexander welcomed the early arrival on their beautiful baby son Charlie Oliver. What a beautiful strong name, the name of champions. I hear that mammy and baby are doing well and I know that there will be certainly no shortage of babysitters.
Keeping the celebrations going Ruth Foley announced her engagement to David Kirby. Ruth and David have been together for many years and have spent time travelling to other countries working but have now decided to settle down to married life. I’m sure David has been put through his paces by Ruths brothers to make sure he is suitable material for their little sister. We wish this happy couple every best wish for their future lives together and may their lives be full of good health and happiness.

Community Centre News.

The AGM of our local community centre committee will take place on Tuesday January 31st at 7pm in the community centre. Financial reports for 2015 will be available at the meeting as well as a progress report for 2016. All are welcome to attend this meeting.

Sincere Gratitude.

I was contacted recently by Kathleen Harris who has asked me on behalf of herself, Ollie and the family to express how grateful they all are to everyone who has contacted them during Ollies illness and spell in hospital. They have been so bowled over by the amount of get well masses, messages and phonecalls they have received. They want to say a huge thank you to all who have contacted them and those who travelled to see Ollie in hospital in Dublin and a special thank you to all of Ollies friends in Ballyduff church for their offerings of the holy rosary. The good news is that Ollie is recovering well now at home and I’m sure with the care and attention he will receive at home from Kathleen and all the family we will soon have him out and about among us where he belongs.

Slim-Spiration 2017

Following the great success of Kilmeadens Slim-Spiration last year, the group will begin again on Monday January 16th from 7pm to 8pm and will run until Monday March 6th at a cost of €5 per week. Class will comprise of a weekly weigh in followed by talks by nutrionists, personal trainers, medical professionals and motivational speakers. If you are interested then go along and register on January 16th.

Bridge News.

The results of the bridge game played on December 19th are as follows:
1st: Mary Cummins and Michael O Donovan
2nd: Mary Kennedy and Breda Cowman
3rd: Margaret Power and Peggy Murphy
4th: Kate Hayes and Nano Fitzgerald.

Nollaig na mBan

Tickets are just flying out the door for the Nollaig na mBan event which will take place on Saturday January 7th in Ballyduff Community Centre. The men of our parish will prepare, cook and serve dinner to us ladies and most importantly they will clean up after. Tickets cost €25 which includes a mulled wine reception, dinner, dessert, tea or coffee and then we will dance the night away. There will be plenty of fun and games along the way and a fabulous door prize. I would advise you to book your tickets fast by contacting Marie on 089-4348844

Carol Service.

Our local choir treated us to an absolutely fabulous evening on Wednesday December 14th. As we entered our parish church our eyes were treated to beautiful candles flickering throughout the darkened church and the most stunning flower arrangements adorned the windows and altar. Your busy day automatically cleared from your mind and you felt an inner peace and tranquility. The large crowd settled in their seats and were then treated to beautiful carols reminding us of how important Christmas is. The choir were conducted by Bridget Jordan and music was provided by pianist Damian O Brien and guitarist John Stephenson. We were also given the honour of hearing local man Ger Dower play his flute which I trully believe is one of the nicest sounds in the world especially when it is played so professionally. Our parish excels with talent as we witnessed in the many individual solo pieces within the choir and of course local soprano Lupita De Bhail who sends shivers up your spine everytime she sings gave us some beautiful solos. We were thrilled the Bishop accepted the invitation to come and he and Fr. O Byrne thoroughly enjoyed it.
Following the event everybody was invited back to the community centre for some mulled wine, mince pies and tea and coffee. A big well done to the ladies who arranged all that. This really was a wonderful evening and got everyone into that Christmas spirit. I can’t express how much I enjoyed it and I know I have met many people since it who say the same. It was a beautiful, relaxing way to welcome in the Christmas season and nice to forget and ignore the hussle and buzzle and sit in peace with just your own thoughts.

Our Sympathy.

We extend our sympathies to Tracy O Reilly on the death of her father John Flynn late of Riverview House, Cappoquin. John’s funeral mass took place in St. Marys church, Cappoquin and he was laid to rest in St.Declans cemetery.
We also send our sympathies to Brian Tyrell, Ballyduff on the death of his father Tony Tyrell late of Cleaboy Avenue. Tony’s funeral mass took place in St.Pauls church, Lisduggan and he was laid to rest in St.Otterans cemetery.
We pray that both men rest in peace and that their families draw comfort from the wonderful memories they left them.

Hall News.

I will have the results of the Monster Christmas raffle next week for you but I bring you news of the next event. The very popular Nollaig na mBan will be held on Saturday January 7th in Ballyduff Community Centre. Tickets cost €25 which includes mulled wine on arrival, dinner, dessert and tea or coffee and then you can dance the night away to a disco. Some brave men from our parish will cook, serve and clean up giving us ladies a much deserved day off. Tickets are in demand for this event and must be paid for in advance so remember to book early by contacting Marie on 089-4348844.

Mass Bookings

We have now taken the mass bookings for anniversary masses for the months of January, February and March. If you missed this and would like to book a mass then please contact me Linda Spillane and I will look after you.

Tidy Towns.

Our local Tidy Towns group who do such fantastic work around the area will hold their AGM on January 17th at 7pm in the community centre. All are welcome to attend this meeting and new faces are always welcome. The purpose of the meeting is to hear new ideas and discuss on going activities so your imput would be greatly appreciated.

Sweet Caroline.

Our parish was certainly plunged into darkness on hearing of the sudden and unexpected death of Caroline Kirk, Amberhill. Caroline was without any shadow of a doubt one of lives living angels. The only thing that trully made her happy was to help and comfort people in need. She had no time for injustice and just wanted people to work together to make the world a better place. She will be remembered with such respect and love throughout the many countries of the world she visited.
There are not many people who are 100% beautiful inside and out but Caroline was for sure. She had a genuine interest in getting to know people and was really interested in hearing their story. A gentle,kind, caring and loving girl has been taken too soon from us and however low we feel we can only imagine the hurt and pain her family and friends are feeling. All we can do is offer them our promises of kindness and care. If we all had just a little piece of Carolines character within us, what a better place this world would be. She may have left us young but she showed us what to do with life, live it to its fullest and pack in as many adventures you can. May your spirit live on in your family and may you soar high amongst all the other sweet angels. Goodnight Sweet Caroline.

Bridge News

The results from the most recent bridge game played on Monday December 11th are as follows:

1st: Sean Hennessy and Joan Hartery
2nd: Mary Kennedy and Margaret Power.
3rd: Geraldine McMahon and Breda Murphy
4th: Kathleen Collins and Patsy Roche
5th: Monica Sullivan and Margaret White
6th: Catherine Power and Anne Marie Brown.

GAA Lotto

Ballyduff GAA club held their final lotto draw of 2016 and the numbers drawn were 10,12,17 and 26. The six lucky dip winners of €50 each on the night were Tom Walsh, Rena Power, Hazel O Brien, Brian O Connell, Alice Walsh and Martin McNamara. The lotto will return again on January 15th 2017 with a fantastic jackpot of €5,600. The club would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported the lotto draw during the year and a big thank you to all the ticket sellers.

Raffle Time

We are now just days away from the Monster Christmas raffle in aid of Ballyduff Community Centre. Ticket sellers have been out covering the length and breadth of the parish and have received a great response. Don’t worry if you missed their call because they will selling outside Centra all day on Friday December 16th so please support if you can. There are some fantastic prizes, actually over 30 prizes including, hotel breaks, cash, hampers, vouchers, coal, oil, timber and much much more.
The draw will take place on Friday night December 16th in O Donnachas and you are all invited to attend.
Carols For Christmas.

Our local choir will host a beautiful carol service on Wednesday December 14th in St. Nicholas church, Ballyduff at 7.30pm. Joining the choir on the night will be flautist supreme Ger Dower, pianist Damian O Brien and well known local soprano Lupita De Bhail. This is a free event but there will be a whip around at the interval for our local community centre.
Following the service you are invited along to the community centre to enjoy some mulled wine, mince pies and tea or coffee. Come along and start off your Christmas season in style.

Table Quiz.

It’s time to show off your knowledge and skill as O Donnachas play host to a charity table quiz in aid of Saint Vincent De Paul. This will take place on Thursday December 15th at 8.30pm. A table of 4 will cost you just €20. You don’t need me telling you about the fabulous work which is being done by this charity. They don’t just help people and families out at Christmas time but throughout the year so please come along and support while enjoying a great night of fun.

Bridge News.

The results of the turkey competition played on November 28th were as follows:

1st: Peggy Murphy and Margaret Power
2nd: Joan Hartery and Nano Fitzgerald
3rd: Geraldine McMahon and Sean Hennessy
4th: Margaret Sweeney and Bertha O Connor
5th: Mary Kennedy and Kate Hayes
The results of the game played on December 5th were:

1st: Mary Kennedy and Breda Cowman
2nd: Patsy Roche and Kathleen Collins
3rd: Peggy Murphy and Margaret Power
4th:Mary Prendergast and Mary Flahavan

Book Launch

A book charting a century of commercial,agricultural and social history across Kilmeaden Co-Operative Society since 1916 will be launched in The Sweep Bar on Thursday December 15th at 8.30pm. Produced by writer and editorial designer Jamie O Keeffe for the Glanbia Kilmeaden Centenary committee this 200 page full colour publicaton features an extensive array of pictures, interviews, and recollections of times past .
Everyone is invited along to the book launch, suppliers, customers, employees past and present and if you would like to get your hands on a copy it will be available from Glanbia Countrylife, Kilmeaden.

Christmas Thanks

A huge thank you to Sherlock Foley and all at Forge Fuels for donating a beautiful Christmas tree which will be displayed on the village green in Ballyduff. This is always a lovely addition to the green at Christmas so we thank him very much

Club of the Year

Unfortunately there was no joy for Ballyduff Lower in their Munster JHC Final against Mayfield of Cork in Mallow last weekend. However what a year these hurlers and footballers have given us. They have lifted the spirits of the parish and put fire back in bellies. The excitement and buzz around the area has been fantastic and we thank the lads for all their dedication and committment. A lot of time, work and effort goes into being part of a team like this and we congratulate them on all their efforts.
We are not the only ones to notice how what a year the club has had. We are all thrilled to hear that Ballyduff have been named as Club of the Year. This is a great achievement for all the members of the club. A club is only as good as the people in it and we certainly excel in that field. Congratulations to everyone involved and we look forward to a fabulous 2017.

Booking of Masses

The booking of anniversary masses for the months of January, February and March will be taken after the weekend masses on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th of December. If you have a First anniversary or months mind please contact Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 before the bookings take place as you will be given preference over the dates.

Our Sympathy

We extend our deepest sympathy to Ollie Harris and all the Harris family on the death of his beloved sister Kitty who resided in Ballinamult. Kittys funeral mass took place in St. Patricks church, Kilbrien and she was laid to rest in the adjoining cemetery. May she rest in gentle peace.

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Christmas Raffle.

Sellers have been out and about selling tickets for the Monster Christmas raffle and have received a fantastic response so thank you very much. Don’t worry if nobody has called to you yet, they are on their way. If you are not at home they will leave you a leaflet telling you how to get your hands on some tickets. Remember tickets are just €2 or three for €5 and the list of prizes is well over the 30 mark at the moment. Hotel break, cash, coal, oil, hampers, timber, meal vouchers, tickets to Michael English, vouchers to name but a few. The money raised from this raffle will go to the Community Centre and your support is greatly appreciated.

November Masses

Fr. O Byrne would like to say thank you to all who attended the special Wednesday night masses during November for the dead and I would like to say a big thank you to all who did the readings and prayers over the four weeks.

Community Alert AGM

The AGM of the High Road/Ballyduff Community Alert Group will take place on Tuesday December 6th at 8pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. All are welcome to attend this meeting. This group have done tremendous work since their formation and are to be congratulated. The text alert scheme they run is fantastic where we receive a text about any suspicious behaviour in our areas. Please come along to the meeting and help keep your area safe.

A Christmas Carol.

Now that it is officially December we can begin to mention Christmas. The perfect way to start off your Christmas and get yourself in the Christmas spirit is to pop along to the carol service which is being hosted by St. Nicholas’s choir. On Wednesday December 14th at 7.30pm you are invited to come along and enjoy some of your favourite carols in Ballyduff church. Joining them on the night will be pianist Damian O Brien, flautist Ger Dower and Soprano Lupita De Bhail. Admission is free but there will be a whip around at the interval and donations will go towards Ballyduff Community Centre. I attended this event last year and I must say I really came out feeling great after it. Come along sit back , let your mind rest and enjoy a real musical treat.
After the service you are invited back to Ballyduff Community Centre for some mulled wine and mince pies and tea,coffee and cake.

Church News.

A date to mark in your diary is the annual reconciliation service which will take place during the masses on Saturday December 17th at 7.30pm and Sunday 18th at 10am. This is an ideal opportunity to wipe the slate clean before the Christmas season.
The Christmas collection for the support of the priests of the parish will be taken up during the Christmas masses and you are asked to be as generous as possible. There are envelopes available for this collection in your yearly pack or a one off envelope will be distributed to houses in the coming weeks.

Tidy Towns AGM

Another date to mark into your 2017 diary is the AGM of our local Tidy Towns group. The meeting will take place in Ballyduff community centre on January 17th at 7pm and all are welcome to attend. New faces are especially welcome and discussions and ideas for on going activities. The group would like to thank everyone for their hard work and support over the year and a special mention to Declan Power who is doing a great job around the area at the moment.

Keep A Lookout

We’ve all been wrapping up in our Winter woolies with the drop in temperatures in the past few days so I would ask you to please check in with neighbours around you, young and old to make sure they are ok for heat, food etc. Little small helpful things we can do to help others can mean an awful lot. Sometimes people might be just glad of a chat. In a busy world we are unaware of other peoples circumstances and so sometimes a kind word or deed can mean the world to someone. Believe me you get just as much out of it

Bridge News.

The Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club were in action on Monday November 21st and the results of the game were:

1st: Anne Cox and Joan Hartery
2nd:Mary Kennedy and Patsy Roche
3rd:Celia Nugent and Anne Kennedy
4th:Kate Hayes and Sean Hennessy.

GAA Lotto

The numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 13, 15, 17 and 27. There was no lucky winner of the jackpot so the pot gets bigger. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Joan Stephenson, William Murphy and William Harrington. The next draw will take place on Sunday December 4th in O Donnachas and will have a jackpot of €5,450. What a lovely amount to get your hands on before Christmas. Tickets are €2 each or three for €5 and are available from club members and will be on sale outside Centra all day on Saturday December 3rd.

November Masses.

I can’t believe we are already speaking about the last of the special November masses for the dead. The month has just flown by and we are now getting ready to head into the season of Advent. The last of the November masses on Wednesday November 30th at 7.30pm will be offered especially for all those who have died in the past 12 months. At this mass a representative of each persons family will be given a candle in their memory and this candle will remain lighting for the duration of the mass. If you have lost a loved one in the past 12 months and would like to have them remembered at this mass then please let me Linda Spillane know before Wednesday night. You can contact me on 051-399925 or 087-9838392.

What A Show!!

The Starstruck Theatre school which consists of boys and girls from the Ballyduff and Kilmeaden areas gave us a real treat last week in the community centre when they put on their show, “That’s what friends are for”. Written and produced by Damian Walsh this was a tale of how sometimes friends can fall out over silly little things which turn out to be important at all. The show was filled with singing, dancing and plenty of laughter. The cast and crew worked very hard to bring us a great nights entertainment. Well done to all the cast they all did a wonderful job and did Damian, their families and most importantly themselves proud. Starstruck will resume again at the end of January so watch out in these notes for details.

Meeting Notice.

A reminder to you all that the next meeting of the High Road/Ballyduff community alert group will take place on Tuesday December 6th at 8pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. All are welcome to attend this meeting.

Raffle Time.

I told you all last week about the Monster Christmas raffle which is taking place in aid of Ballyduff Community Centre. I am not joking when I tell you that the list of prizes is getting longer every day. Hotel break, coal, timber, oil, beauty hampers, grocery hampers, cash, meat vouchers, meal vouchers, tickets to Michael English, Tramore race tickets and many many more. Sellers will be heading out door to door over the next couple of weeks so please give them a warm welcome. Tickets will be €2 or 3 for €5 so please support if you can. The draw will take place on December 16th so you can enjoy your prize for Christmas.

Change of Date.

The date of the next meeting of the High Road/Ballyduff Community Alert group has been changed to Tuesday December 6th. The meeting will take place in Ballyduff Community Centre at 8pm. All are welcome to attend this meeting.

November Masses

It has been lovely to see so many people at the special Wednesday night masses for the month of November. These masses are being offered for all our loved ones who have died. The last of these masses will take place on Wednesday November 30th at 7.30pm and that mass will be offered especially for all those who have died in the past 12 months. Those who were buried in our graveyard will automatically be included in this list but if you lost a loved one during the year from a different area then you are invited to put forward their name and have them included. If you would like to include somebody please write their name on the list in the main porch of the church or you can contact Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 and she will look after it for you.

Monster Raffle.

I bring you great news of a Monster Christmas Raffle which will take place in aid of our local community centre. I call it a monster raffle because the list of prizes seems to be never ending. I have had a sneaky look at the prizes and let me tell you I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on any of them. Feeling stressed and in need of a break? How about winning a hotel break!. The cold weather is setting in but never mind there is oil, coal and a trailer of fire logs to be won. Need to get some extra bits in for Christmas? There are fantastic food and drink hampers! Extra bit of cash for the festive season they have that covered too! Vouchers galore and many many more great prizes, let me tell you that you do not want to miss this raffle. It is hoped to cover all of the parish selling tickets door to door and they will also be sold outside Centra on December 16th. Tickets will cost €2 or 3 for €5 so keep a look out for sellers.
As you know our community centre has undergone a major transformation in recent years and since the new extension has been added work has now moved to the refurbishment of the main hall. A new roof was added recently which saw some unexpected extra expenses such as the removal of asbestos. It is hoped to repair the inside ceiling of the main hall and update the decor etc. Of course all these things cost money so this is where this special fundraising committee come in. These volunteers organise some fundraising events but have nothing to do with the running of the centre. Some of the events you may remember are the now annual Nollaig na mBan, Stars in their eyes and the Fashion show to name a few. This committee simply come on board to organise these one off events and help to raise funds. These people simply know the value of having a community centre in an area and so want to help to make sure it is in the best condition possible for future generations. I am indeed a member of this committee myself and have to say they are a great bunch to work with and everyone gives 100% so there is no pressure on anybody. If you feel this is something you could give a little time to then let me know and I will pass it on. As I say there is no great committment you only help with whatever events you can and no pressure is placed on anyone but let me tell you there is a lot to be gained, that feel good factor and community pride, some great friends and some of the best laughts I’ve ever had.

Well Deserved.

As I said last week Ballyduff GAA club are really having a year to remember in all age groups. News reached us this week also of a well deserved nomination for Club of the Year. This is a real boost for the club and the parish. We wish the club the very best in all their upcoming games and in their bid for club of the year.

Bridge News.

The results of the bridge game played on Monday November 14th were as follows:

1st: Kate Hayes and Nano Fitzgerald
2nd: Anne Cox and Peggy Murphy.
3rd: Fr. O Byrne and Patsy Roche.
4th: Sean Hennessy and Michael O Donovan.

GAA Lotto.

The numbers drawn in the last lotto draw were 11, 14, 15, and 22. Unfortunately nobody had chosen those lucky four numbers. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Kathleen Harris, Sweep Gang and Michael O Brien. The next draw will take place on November 20th in O Donnachas and will have a fantastic jackpot of €5,300. Just imagine getting your hands on that lovely sum before Christmas. Tickets cost just €2 or three for €5 and are available from club members and local outlets. They will also be on sale all day on Saturday November 19th at Centra. Try your luck while supporting your local club.

Sparkling News.

We send our warmest congratulations to local lady Elaine Leahy who recently announced her engagement to Kilkenny man Mark Phelan. The proposal was made in the famous Kazbar a place which holds special memories for the couple. It was there they met 5 years ago and began their love story. I am glad to see that Elaine is adamant that she will always be a Deise girl. We wish the happy couple every happiness in their future lives together.

November Masses.

The November Dead list masses continue for the month of November every Wednesday night at 7.30pm. The final of these masses on November 30th will be offered especially for those people who have died in the past 12 months. If you have a family member or friend who died since last November you can have their name included in this mass by adding their name to the list in the main church porch or by contacting Linda Spillane 087-9838392. They do not have to have been buried here or even from the parishto be included. If they were important to you then they are important to us.

Bridge News.

The Portlaw/Ballyduff Bridge club have been enjoying another game of bridge and the results are as follows:

1st: Nan Murphy and Bertha O Connor.
2nd: Patsy Roche and Joan Hartery.
3rd: Nano Fitzgerald and Geraldine McMahon.
4th: Catherine Power and Mary Prendergast.

Curtains Up!

The Starstruck Theatre school which takes place in Ballyduff Community Centre will stage their show, “That’s what friends are for” this week in the community hall. The cast comprises of children and teenagers from the Ballyduff and Kilmeaden areas and they are instructed and lead by Damian Walsh who has gained a vast and wealth of experience both on and off the stage for over 25 years. The show will run in the community hall from Thursday 17th of November to Saturday 19th of November at 7.30pm. Tickets cost €10 and €8 for Under 12’s and can be preordered by texting 087-9116711 and paid for on the night. We wish all the cast and crew the very best and hope they enjoy every second of it.

The Duff’s Are Back.

The parish is really buzzing at the moment with all the great successes we are enjoying on the hurling and football scenes. Everywhere you go you hear young and old talk about it. It has brought great life and pride to the area and we take our hats off to each player, sub, manager, coaches and all background staff. They have been giving 100% to each game even though the games are all having to be played on top of each other. The guys have such a level of fitness and are in such a positive place mentally they seem totally unaffected by the busy schedule. We wish them the very best going on and thank them for all the excitement and happiness they are treating us to.

Soccer Success

Sporting success is abundant in our parish at present and I wanted to share some fantastic news which I heard during the week. Carriganure man A.J Bowman has been selected for the U12 Waterford Soccer Development Squad. This involves training every week with top coaches. This training is in preparation for a national U12 tournament at the end of the season. This selection is a just reward for A.J who literally puts his heart and soul into every game. He lives and breaths the game and I think I have rarely seen him without a soccer ball in his hands.
Of course however proud we are of him, there are no words to express how proud his parents Jason and Claire are and younger brother Spencer of course. AJ is very lucky to have parents who also have such a love of the game and have made sure he had the encouragement needed to get where he wants to be. I have no doubt in the world that Grandparents Al and Mary Bowman and Noel and Teresa Spencer are beaming with pride. Indeed AJ carries on a great family tradition as his own dad Jason, his grandad Noel and his uncle Robin Spencer all played for Waterford underage. The legacy lives on. We wish AJ every success.