Recent Wedding

We send our warmest congratulations to local lady Rachael Butler from Gortaclode who recently said “I do” to the love of her life Paul Wall. The bride looked beautiful as she arrived at the beautiful venue of Langtons in Kilkenny ready to become Mrs. Wall. Walking her up the aisle was her very proud brother Darren who looked very handsome in his wedding attire. I have no doubt that as she made her way up the aisle, a very proud Dad beamed down from the heavens above also and took every step with them. In her bouquet Rachael carried a photo of her dad Terry and of her uncle Kevin so they were part of her very special day. Following a beautiful ceremony and photos, the guests were treated to a beautiful feast and then it was time to dance the night away. Day two saw everybody meet at The Sweep in Kilmeaden to continue the celebrations where I have no doubt, the hospitality was second to none. Speaking to some of the guests they all spoke of the wonderful time they had for the weekend. Mother of the bride Eleanor was beaming as she told me about the wedding and how delighted she was to see Rachael so happy. We wish the happy couple every happiness for the future and may their lives always be full of happiness and joy.

Birthday Boy

We extend every good wish and happiness to popular Ballyduff man, Dixie Larkin who recently celebrated his 80th birthday. Dixie celebrated in the garden of his beautiful home in Ballyduff Village with his beloved wife Maureen and all the family. I’m sure Dixie enjoyed his celebrations doing what he loves most, surrounding himself with his family We wish many more happy birthdays to Dixie for the future.

Church News

Bookings are now being taken for anniversary masses during the months of September and October and there are also a couple of dates left in August. If you would like to book a mass for a loved one, please contact Linda Spillane on 087 9838392.

Back To School

It’s hard to believe that we are already thinking about our children heading back to school and our young people beginning a new chapter in their lives, heading off to college or university, beginning apprenticeships, new jobs etc. There are many little children feeling that mix of nerves and excitement as they prepare to head off to playschool or Montessori, National school, or Secondary school for the first time. Books and uniforms are being bought and labelled and the school bag is being packed and unpacked numerous times.
The most important thing for us to remember though is that every child and young person is different, and all react to different situations differently. We must allow each of them the space they need to deal with things themselves. Some will be nervous, some excited, some are shy, some are outgoing, some have ways of dealing with pressure, while others struggle. Whatever happens they all find their way and the best gift we can give them is to listen and encourage. Of course, now as adults we know that your schooldays can be a wonderful time in your life but when we were that age, we thought our parents and grandparents were crazy to say that.  Remember “Nobody is perfect, that’s why pencils have erasers”

Knockaderry Investment.

We here in Kilmeaden are very proud of our beautiful lake in Knockaderry. It’s gentle tranquil setting gives people that feeling of calmness as they stroll by it and take it the stunning views. The swans glide across the water and sometimes if you are lucky, they may treat you to a display of little dips and dives. Waterford City and County Council have recently been allocated €145,787.00 for the development of six outdoor adventure projects in Waterford. This investment under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme will enhance some of Waterford’s best outdoor amenities. €29,700 has been allocated for the undertaking of a feasibility study for a walking trail at Knockaderry Lake. We await the plans and look forward to showing off our beautiful lake to many more people.

Thought For the Week.
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.

GAA Lotto

The numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 13, 17, 19, and 25 and there was no winner of the jackpot. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Margaret O Keeffe, Mary Kenny and Nicola O Rourke. The next draw will take place on August 21st and there will be a fantastic jackpot of €7,100 up for grabs. Tickets cost just €2 each or three for €5. Tickets can be purchased from any committee member and will also be on sale at Centra on Saturday August 20th. Choose four numbers carefully and you could be thinking about how you will spend that lovely jackpot.

Church News

Bookings are now being taken for anniversary masses during the months of September and October and there are also a couple of dates left in August. If you would like to book a mass for a loved one, please contact Linda Spillane on 087 9838392.

Recent Wedding

We send warm congratulations to Jack Kennedy and Tara Heffernan on their recent wedding. The bride looked beautiful as she arrived at Crooke church to say her “I do” to her handsome groom. As Tara is involved in the music industry, the guests were treated to wonderful music and song throughout the ceremony. The bridal party and their guests then made their way to the fabulous Faithlegg House Hotel where they were wined and dined and then danced the night away to the sounds of Brass and Co, followed by a disco. The entertainment didn’t stop there though it was then sing song time where the talent was abounding. We wish Tara, Jack and their beautiful daughter Ornaith every best wish for the future and hope that they enjoy many healthy and happy years in their beautiful home in Stonehouse.

Whistlestop Café

Congratulations to all at Whistlestop Café at Waterford Suir Valley Railway who recently celebrated their 3rd birthday. The café is a very popular spot for all who visit the railway and those who pass through on the Greenway. It is a beautiful spot to sit and relax with a cuppa and a delicious treat provided by Kilmeaden Bakes or indeed with the lovely sunny weather an ice cream is most definitely called for to cool you down. Why not stop by and give yourself a little treat. Take time to sit, relax and let the world go by.

Recent Death

We were all very saddened to hear of the death of local legend Michael (Mick) Sullivan from The High Road. Mick was a well-known character in our area and was our very own answer to Michael Flatley. He must certainly knew his way around the dancefloor and was never short of a partner as he was such a good dancer. He was a great lover of music and loved to have a request played on the John O Shea show. Mick will be sadly missed by his sons Ollie, Paul, Gary, Dermot and James, his daughters Ursula and Eileen, his grandchildren, sister Sheila and all the extended family. He will also be missed by his many friends and his wonderful neighbours whose visits he really looked forward to. He will now be reunited with his wife Maura, and I have no doubt that he will take her for a twirl around the heavenly floors. May he now rest in peace in the joy and love and Christ.

All Ireland Champs

Congratulations to local lady Meabh Counihan who is a member of the U14 Waterford stripes team who recently took part in The All Ireland U14 Camogie Blitz which was held at O Tooles GAA club in Dublin. They played four matches in total against Cavan, Roscommon, Laois and Meath. The girls came out on top in their division and brought the trophy home. A big well done to Meabh who has worked hard and given great commitment to her sport and deserves great credit. We look forward to following her very bright future.

The beautiful season of Summer…..The air is filled with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.

Local Death

We are all saddened to hear of the death of Eddie Gahan, Killotteran, Butlerstown and formerly of the High Road. Eddie is predeceased by his beloved wife Anne. They lived out their lives happily in Killotteran, raising their family and lovingly welcoming their grandchildren. Eddie never forgot his Kilmeaden roots and was a regular visitor to family.
Eddie will be sadly missed by his sons Martin, Tom, Edward, Larry and Nicky, his grandchildren, brothers Michael, Paddy and Davy, sisters Diane, Ann and Margaret and extended family. Eddie’s funeral mass took place in St. Nicholas’s Church, Ballyduff followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. We pray that Eddie now rests in peace, and we hope that his family will find comfort from their lovely memories and from knowing that he is now reunited with his beloved Ann

A Real Gentleman

Our community and parish were saddened to hear of the death of local man Joe Faulkner. Joe was a quiet, unassuming gentleman who lived his life quietly in his home at Gortaclode. He enjoyed meeting up with people at the local shops and at mass for a chat. Joe will be sadly missed by his nephews, nieces, cousins, neighbours, and friends. Joe’s funeral mass took place in St. Nicholas’s church, Ballyduff and burial took place in the adjoining cemetery. May Joe now rest in the peace and love of Christ.

Our Sympathies

We extend our deepest sympathies to Noel O Sullivan, Matthews Cross on the recent death of his uncle. Tom Friend was a resident of Power Villa in Piltown and is predeceased by his wife Kathleen and daughter Catherine. Tom will be sadly missed by his daughters Sandra and Mary, his sisters-in-law, brother-in-law, sons-in-law, his grandchildren, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Tom’s funeral mass took place at The Church of the Assumption, Piltown followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.

Golden Couple

Congratulations and warm wishes are extended to popular local couple Christy and Vera O Keeffe who recently celebrated 50 years of wedded bliss. Living happily in their beautiful home in Ballyduff Village they are happy in each other’s company and enjoy quality time with their children Damien, Elaine, Edel and Sandra, their other halves and of course their beloved grandchildren. Christy and Vera are a very popular couple and are always described as wonderful neighbours and friends. Their home is a welcoming, loving place where everyone is meant to feel like part of the family. They are a fantastic example to us all of the beauty of married life. We wish them both many more happy and healthy years of marriage. Golden wishes for a golden couple.

Anniversary Wishes

We also send warm wedding anniversary wishes to Carrigadustra couple Michael and Marian Murray who recently celebrated 35 years of marriage. I have no doubt this couple, who love spending time together, enjoyed their day with their family. I’m sure Michael pulled out all the stops to treat his beautiful bride and we wish this happy couple many more happy years of marriage.

Famous Faces

There were a couple of sightings of some famous faces in recent times. Adrian Dunbar was in the vicinity of Kilmacthomas as he filmed some coverage for his new TV series, “Adrian Dunbar’s Coastal Ireland”. While in the area he couldn’t resist the lure of delicious coffee and tasty treats from Signal Box Coffee and Dearbhla ensured that he was treated to the famous Signal Box welcome.
While attending a wedding in the beautiful county of Donegal my own sister bumped into that well known Donegal native Daniel O Donnell. Daniel was there for The Mary from Dunloe festival but had the added pleasure of meeting Mary from Kilmagemogue instead.

6 Little Stories with lots of Meanings

(1) Once all villagers decided to pray for rain. On the day of prayer, all the people gathered, but only one boy brought an umbrella. That is faith
(2) When you throw babies in the air, they laugh because they know you will catch them. That is trust.
(3) Every night we go to bed without the assurance of being alive in the morning, but we still set the alarms to wake up. That is hope.
(4) We plan big things for tomorrow despite zero knowledge of the future. That is confidence.
(5) We see the world suffering but still we get married and have children. That is love.
(6) On an old man’s shirt was written a sentence “I am not 80 years old; I am sweet 16 with 64 years of experience”. That is attitude.
Have a happy day and live your life like these six stories. Remember- Good friends are the rare jewels of life, difficult to find and impossible to replace.

GAA Lotto.

The numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 9, 16, 24 and 25 and there was no winner of the jackpot. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Eabha Power, Eamon Kelly and Michael Gahan. The next draw will take place on August 7th and there will be a jackpot of €6,950 on offer. Tickets cost just €2 each or three for €5. The tickets are on sale from all committee members and will also be on sale at Centra on Saturday August 6th. Choose your four lucky carefully and that jackpot could be yours.

Recent Death

Our parish and community are saddened to hear of the death of Chrissie Mulcahy (nee Mooney), Carrickphilip. Chrissie was a hardworking, family woman and a force to be reckoned with on the camogie field. She had to deal with more than her fair share of tragedy in her life, but she was strong willed and battled through. Having suffered with illness for the past few years, we pray that she is now at peace and free from all pain. She will smile as she is reunited with her beloved husband Alan and her adored son Paul. We offer our sincere sympathy to Jacinta, Paschal, Joseph and all the extended family and hope that their wonderful memories will bring them comfort.

Ballyduff GAA

The club hosted a very successful Cul Camp last week with up to 100 boys and girls taking part. Everyone really enjoyed the fun and variety, and many new friendships were formed. A big thanks to the Waterford Coaching and Games Development Deise Og for all the coaches. Everyone was very excited when Austin Gleeson dropped in say hello and watch some of the skills on display.
The club would like to say a big well done and congratulations to clubman Alan Phelan who played for Waterford in the recent Jim Power U14 tournament. Alan isa huge asset to the club so it was no surprise to see him picked up at county level.
The U8 and U10 lady footballers travelled recently to Gaultier for a football blitz and enjoyed a great morning of football. Keep up the great work ladies.
The Junior hurlers had a great first outing, beating Clonea by 3 points. They fought hard and kept up the performance level and showed great strength and teamwork.
In a rip-roaring game the Portlaw/Ballyduff Minor hurlers beat Roanmore on a score line of 5-18 to 4-10. A big well done to all the players and the coaches for all their hard work.
There were many future stars on display as theU7 group entertained our neighbours from the Portlaw club recently. There were some great games played and everyone had a brilliant time.

Tractor Run

A big well done and congratulations to all the organisers and participants who took part in the Kilmeaden Vintage Tractor run. This is always a great day out and raises a lot of money for charity. This years’ chosen charity was Pieta House and although I don’t have a grand total for you yet, I do know how generous people are and so have no doubt that the money raised will provide much needed funds for this charity.

Your Notes

If you would like to include anything in these weekly notes please feel free to contact me Linda Spillane on 087 9838392 or spillanelinda2017@gmail.com

Thought For the Week

Don’t start your day
With the broken pieces of yesterday
Every day is a fresh start
Every day is a new beginning
Every morning we wake up
Is the first day of the rest of your life.