Monthly Archives: March 2022

Scrap Collection, Church News and Ballyduff Youth Drama

Scrap Collection

Ballyduff AFC are into the final couple of weeks of their scrap metal collection. There is a skip situated at the Ballyduff AFC grounds and you are invited to bring along your scrap items such as old bikes, dishwashers and old scrap metal. Please do not include items such as glass objects, washing machines, TV’s or paint tins. You can drop along to the grounds any day between 12 noon and 8pm. Please help the club to raise funds for the club while clearing up your sheds and garages. This collection will finish on March 29th so get collecting.

Church News

A reminder that there will be a special Friday evening mass at 7.30pm every Friday during Lent. Lent is a wonderful time to do a little bit of spiritual Spring cleaning as we prepare for the lovely season of Easter.
The annual Spring station masses were always held in people’s houses but are now offered in the church. Each station mass is offered to ask God’s blessing on every home in the parish. This year’s masses will take place in St. Nicholas’s Church, Ballyduff on Monday March 21st at 7.30pm and on Monday March 28th at 7.30pm.

Social Dancing

Are you ready to dance the night away or at least learn how to do it properly? Social dance classes commenced on Monday March 21st at 7.30pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. Teacher Helen will teach many different dances and you are promised lots of great fun and exercise. You don’t have to bring a partner as everyone will swap around and dance with each other. All ladies and gentlemen are welcome to come along and join in the fun. At a cost of €50 for 5 weeks this is a great chance to learn some social dancing while enjoying some nice company. If you would like to find out any further information or would like to register your interest, please contact Martha on 086-1216882. So, calling all couples, individuals, people whose other half has two left feet grab your dancing shoes and get ready to dance the night away.

Ladies Football

Ballyduff Lower Ladies Gaelic Football club will recommence the U8’s training from Thursday March 24th from 6.30pm to 7.30pm. This caters for all girls born in 2014/15 and new members are always welcome.
New coaches are needed or if you feel you could help in any way it would be greatly appreciated.

Ballyduff GAA

Full academy training sessions have now returned to the field on Saturday mornings at 10am. Tea and coffee will also be available on Saturday mornings and to cut down on waste we encourage people to bring their own travel mugs. There will be some paper mugs available in case anyone forgets a mug. If any of you have any helmets or hurleys that you are no longer using, the club would love to have them for this group if they forget their own
The young girls have returned to the GAA grounds to train for another year of camogie. Camogie training continues every Monday evening in Ballyduff Lower GAA grounds from 6.15pm to 7.15pm for girls aged 6 years + Newcomers are always welcome.
Ballyduff GAA and Camogie club are delighted to announce that they will be taking part in the @WaterfordGAA Well kids nursery programme for 2022. For more information, please contact club coordinator Kevin Whelan on 086 8607694.
All sections of the club are back training now so keep an eye on the club Facebook page for times and dates. New members are always very welcome to join.

Ballyduff Youth Drama

A big well done to all the members of Ballyduff Youth Drama who staged their production of “Out of this World”. What a wonderful uplifting show full of colour, music and dance. Every year this group made up of students from 5th and 6th classes treat everyone to a terrific show and this year was no different. Well done to all the cast and crew.

Thought of the Week

Happy are those who take life day by day,
Complain very little and are thankful
For the small things in life

United We Stand, Social Dancing and Little Princess

United We Stand

Last Sunday I opened my house and asked people to donate any items they may have to donate to the Ukrain appeal. Within a few minutes my front hall was full of boxes of items.  The items donated were batteries, soups, tinned food, toothpaste, toothbrushes, personal hygiene products, pasta, rice etc. I was really overwhelmed by the reaction and even more blown away by the donations placed in the collection box. A fantastic amount of €1255 was raised which I have lodged to The Irish Red Cross account and all the items were transported by my husband Brian to the collection depot in Waterford.
I was in no way surprised by the generosity and kindness of our community but with very little notice they really stepped up and I cannot thank everyone enough for showing such kindness of spirit. I have decided to do it all again on Sunday April 3rd so watch this space for more information

GAA Lotto

Ballyduff Lower GAA club held their lotto draw last week and the numbers drawn were 11, 15, 20 and 27. There was no lucky winner of the jackpot but the three lucky dip winners of €50 each were James Cuddihy, Rian Hearne and Meabh Power. The next draw will take place on March 20th and there will be a fantastic jackpot of €12,500 up for grabs. Tickets are just €2 each or three for €5 and are available from all committee members and will be on sale outside Centra on Saturday 19th. Get your ticket early and choose those four numbers carefully.

Recent Deaths

We extend our deepest sympathies to the Principal of Ballyduff N.S Fionnuala Power on the recent death of her mother. Mrs. Joan Power was a resident of Bishops Grove in Ferrybank and will be sadly missed by her husband Paddy, her children, grandchildren and extended family. Joan’s funeral mass took place in The Sacred Heart Church, Ferrybank followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. We pray that she now rests in the peace and love of Christ.
We also extend our sympathy to John Hanley, Ballyduff on the death of his brother, David who was a resident of Hennessys Road. His funeral mass took place in St. Mary’s Church Ballygunner with burial in the adjoining graveyard. May his soul rest in peace and those who mourn will find comfort in their memories.

Scrap Collection

Ballyduff AFC are into the final couple of weeks of their scrap metal collection. There is a skip situated at the Ballyduff AFC grounds and you are invited to bring along your scrap items such as old bikes, dishwashers and old scrap metal. Please do not include items such as glass objects, washing machines, TV’s or paint tins. You can drop along to the grounds any day between 12 noon and 8pm. Please help the club to raise funds for the club while clearing up your sheds and garages.

Church News

A reminder that there will be a special Friday evening mass at 7.30pm every Friday during Lent. Lent is a wonderful time to do a little bit of spiritual Spring cleaning and prepare ourselves for the lovely season of Easter.
Fr. Francis has now been with us for the past few weeks, and he is settling in nicely. We thank him for his ministry and thank him for his commitment to our parish.

Social Dancing

Are you ready to dance the night away or at least learn how to do it properly? Social dance classes will commence on Monday March 21st at 7.30pm in Ballyduff Community Centre. Teacher Helen will teach many different dances and you are promised lots of great fun and exercise. You don’t have to bring a partner as everyone will swap around and dance with each other. All ladies and gentlemen are welcome to come along and join in the fun. At a cost of €50 for 5 weeks this is a great chance to learn some social dancing while enjoying some nice company. If you would like to find out any further information or would like to register your interest, please contact Martha on 086-1216882. So, calling all couples, individuals, people whose other half has two left feet grab your dancing shoes and get ready to dance the night away.

A Little Princess

We send warm congratulations to Kelvin Kearns and Jessie Scannell who recently welcomed their beautiful baby daughter Ruby into the world. Ruby is just the picture of happiness. I have no doubt that Ruby has brought great joy and excitement to both the Kearns and Scannell families. Ruby will get plenty of advice and will learn all the tricks of the trade from all her cousins. We wish this happy little family the very best of luck for the future and look forward to watching Ruby grow up.

Ladies Football

Ballyduff Lower Ladies Gaelic Football club will recommence the U8’s training from Thursday March 24th from 6.30pm to 7.30pm. This caters for all girls born in 2014/15 and new members are always welcome.
New coaches are needed or if you feel you could help in any way it would be greatly appreciated.

Ballyduff GAA

Full academy training sessions have now returned to the field on Saturday mornings at 10am. A reminder that registrations need to be filled in before Saturday. Tea and coffee will also be available on Saturday mornings and to cut down on waste we encourage people to bring their own travel mugs. There will be some paper mugs available in case anyone forgets a mug.
If any of you have any helmets or hurleys that you are no longer using, the club would love to have them for this group if they forget their own
The young girls have returned to the GAA grounds to train for another year of camogie. Camogie training continues every Monday evening in Ballyduff Lower GAA grounds from 6.15pm to 7.15pm for girls aged 6 years + Newcomers are always welcome.

Soccer Success

Kate Foley has always shone as a star for the future on the soccer field and is now in her second season with Carlow/ Kilkenny FC. Kate has shown great dedication and commitment to the club and has now been named as U19’s captain for the 2022 season. We wish Kate and the team the very best of luck for the season ahead.

Thought For The Week

I can’t change the direction of the wind
But I can adjust my sails to always reach
My destination!

,

Church News, Time for Trocaire and Run for Charity

Out Of This World.

The time has finally come, and Ballyduff Youth Drama are ready to present their show, “Out of this World”. I got to have a sneaky look at rehearsals recently and I can tell you that you are in for a real treat. Ballyduff Secondary School have decided to host a Debs ball and there are some very special visitors including the President of Ireland and an odd Martian or two. This show is full of great song and dance and plenty of laughs so spread the word and get your tickets booked. The show will take place on Thursday 10th and Friday 11th at 7.30pm and on Saturday 12th at 8pm. Tickets cost just €10 and are available from Eleanor by texting or calling 087-4046904.

Church News

We have now entered the season of Lent which is the perfect time for a good spiritual Spring clean. We as Christians know that there is always room for improvement and that there are always ways to do better. Many people choose to give up some pleasantries for Lent, but some prefer to strife to do something good, perhaps a good deed for others. Whatever we decide to do, we are making a sacrifice and showing our solidarity as Christians.
Another way to mark the Lenten season is by attending an extra weekday mass. To accommodate people there will be an evening mass in Ballyduff Church every Friday during Lent at 7.30pm. This is a perfect opportunity for you and your family to take a Lenten pledge together.

Time For Trocaire
Another tradition of the Lenten season is the Trocaire box. For as long as I can remember the Trocaire box was a part of Lent in our home and now continues within my own home. The idea of maybe giving up some little treat for Lent and placing that money into the Trocaire box is a great tradition to teach our children. There are some boxes available in the church.

Wheelchair Day

On March 1st we celebrated National Wheelchair Day and I know that we all know many inspirational people who face many challenges each day in a world that is not always wheelchair friendly. I meet a beautiful young man each week who I must say has taken a little bit of my heart. Darragh Dooley has a smile just like sunshine and the atmosphere of every room lifts when he arrives. I was delighted to see a wonderful photo of him enjoying Wheelchair Day and with his parent’s permission I share it with you and dare you not to be effected by his infectious smile!

Run For Charity

Waterford Road Runners will take on the challenge where each of them will run 5km in every county of Ireland over 72 hours. This will take place between April 29th and May 1st. They will take on this challenge in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland, Waterford and South Kilkenny Branch. Taking on this challenge is local man John Guiry who is no stranger to a challenge having taken part in numerous marathons, completing many of them in under 3 hours. We wish John the very best of luck and we are all wishing him safe travels and every success. Special congratulations come from his neighbours The McGraths who are very proud of his achievements
I would also like to say a huge congratulations to my own brother Neil O Sullivan who once again took on the challenge of running 100 miles in a month to support patient care at The Mater Foundation. He has taken on this challenge for the past three years and has raised almost €4500. He would like to say a huge thank you to all who donated and those who encouraged him especially those who joined him for a few miles to keep him going. We his family are very proud of his commitment and dedication to this charity. There were a lot of early morning runs before work and in all types of weather, but he was determined to give 100%.

 

Thought for the Week
What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.

Lotto Return, Out of this World and Film Success

LOTTO RETURN

The very popular Ballyduff GAA Lotto returned last week, and everyone went about choosing those four lucky numbers very carefully. The draw took place in The Sweep and there was no lucky winner of the jackpot. The three lucky dip winners on the night were Cathal O Leary, JP Tierney and Bernice Allen. They each received €50 and we hope they enjoyed their winnings. The next draw will take place on March 5th and there will be a fantastic jackpot of €12,500 up for grabs. Tickets cost just €2 each or 3 for €5 and can be purchased online through Clubforce.ie or will be on sale outside Centra on Saturday March 5th. Choose those 4 numbers and you could be booking a little holiday or heading off on a shopping spree.

GAA NEWS

The U12 LGFA team had a very muddy outing lately on a very wet and windy day in Dungarvan as they played during half time of the Waterford/ Meath game. They played Ballymacarbry and were unfortunate to be playing against a gale force wind but that didn’t stop them bringing the ball up the pitch with a series of quick hand passing great link up play and excellent teamwork. There were some great scores on display from both teams. The girls did really well and made both Ballyduff Lower and Portlaw LGFC’s proud. This was a great opportunity and a wonderful experience for the girls.
Ballyduff Lower Camogie Club will resume for all girls aged 6 years and older every Monday from 6.15pm to 7.15pm in Tom Cheasty Park GAA grounds. Newcomers are always welcome to come along and join in the fun.

ASH WEDNESDAY
Wednesday March 2nd is the start of the season of Lent and following the last couple of years it is lovely to be back in our church together celebrating all this events. As you know this year our beautiful church will be 200 years old and so every occasion, we have together is very special. There will be two masses on Ash Wednesday at 10am and 7.30pm and both these masses will be offered for all parishioners. Ashes will be blessed and distributed at both masses.

OUT OF THIS WORLD

Ballyduff Youth Drama are getting very close to their opening night. I am really looking forward to seeing this show especially when I have been promised that I will be introduced to a Martian or two. The show will run on Thursday 10th and Friday 11th of March at 7.30pm and on Saturday March 12th at 8pm. Tickets cost just €10 and are available by contacting Eleanor on 087-4046904. I hope to go along to rehearsals next week so I will bring you further information then.

FILM SUCCESS

Local lady Karan Casey originally from Ballyduff Hill has enjoyed wonderful years of beautiful music and song. Karen’s voice is stunning, and her voice tells the story of each song she sings. Karen has enjoyed fantastic success all around the world and is always a delight to talk to when she visits her family home.
Ali and Ava, a new movie which is due to be released on March 4th and is described as a truly extraordinary piece of art, it is uplifting and deeply human. Karan has been chosen with Harry Escott to sing the beautiful song “Grace” for this movie. What a wonderful achievement for Karan and we wish her the very best for the future.

BALLYDUFF AFC

Ballyduff AFC continue their scrap metal collection. They ask you to please consider supporting this fundraising event. A skip has been placed at the club’s grounds and you can drop off your scrap metal any day between the hours of 12 noon and 8pm. Please support your local club while getting rid of those items you have been wanting to clear away.

BIRTHDAY BOY

We send warm birthday wishes to popular local man Tommy O Brien from Ballyduff Village who recently celebrated his 90th birthday. Tommy was surrounded by his wonderful family and friends for his birthday. I have no doubt that Tommy missed his beloved wife Mary who died recently but I’m sure that Mary was watching on with pride and shared a little dance in the heavenly skies. We wish Tommy many more happy and healthy birthdays.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

On this road called life, you have to take the good with the bad
Smile with the sad, love what you have and remember what you had
Always forgive but never forget, learn from your mistakes but never forget
People change. Things go wrong, but just remember; the ride goes on.