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!
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