Bridge News, Station Masses and Recent Death

Bridge News

It is wonderful to see the local Ballyduff/ Portlaw Bridge club back in action. During the Covid season many of the members practiced their skills online but all were anxious to get back face to face and meet up with their friends from the club.
On Monday September 26th the club met at Ballyduff N.S to enjoy a game of bridge and the results on the night were as follows:
(1) Patsy Roche and Elizabeth Mooney
(2) Joint Second: Geraldine McMahon and Nano Fitzgerald
and Joan Hartery and Mary O Brien
(3) Fr. Michael O Byrne and Ann Cox.
(4) Peggy Barron and Peggy Murphy.
The club would like to invite any new members to come along to their weekly games. You don’t need to have a partner to join. If you would like some further information, please contact Elizabeth Mooney on 087 2067920.


GAA Lotto

The numbers drawn in the latest GAA lotto draw were 7, 11, 22 and 25. There was no jackpot winner but the three lucky dip winners of €50 each included lucky little me. The winners were Linda Spillane, Darren Butler and Kay O Brien. The next draw will take place on Sunday October 16th and there will be a fantastic jackpot of €7,700 up for grabs
Tickets cost just €2 each or three for €5 and are available from all committee members and will also be on sale at Centra Kilmeaden on Saturday 15th. Choose four lucky numbers and hopefully you may receive a nice early Christmas present.


Ballyduff AFC

Our local soccer club have been nominated as a benefactor of the Tesco Community Fund. While you are doing your shopping at Tesco Ardkeen and receive a blue token at the checkout. The club are asking you to take that blue token to the community fund box in the store and choose the Ballyduff AFC slot. Our local soccer club is always a hub of activity, and they provide wonderful opportunities for our young people. They are constantly enhancing their facilities and will use any money they receive to further enhance these. Please drop that blue token in the Ballyduff AFC slot and help your local club to continue to go from strength to strength.


Station Masses.

For many years the station masses were held in the homes of parishioners in different areas of the parish. These masses are now celebrated in the church and are offered for all the people of the parish. This year’s Autumn masses will take place on Tuesday October 18th, Wednesday October 19th, Thursday October 20th and Friday October 21st. Each of these masses will be offered at 7.30pm. Ballyduff Church is 200 years old this year so there will be a special blessing for all who attend. The station mass is also an ideal opportunity to contribute to the fund for the priests of the parish. You are welcome to attend any of these masses or indeed all of them.


Community Alert

At the recent community alert, the annual text alert fee of €5 was taken up. The text alert scheme is of wonderful benefit to all in the community and has helped many times to interrupt criminal activity and apprehend people who have done wrong in our own community and surrounding parishes. The text alerts sent out to alert people of suspicious vehicles or people seen in areas and by issuing a description of people or vehicles the guards can trace the route taken.
If you were unable to attend the meeting but want to keep your spot on the scheme or perhaps would like to join it, then please drop your name, number and €5 to any of the following Jay Dowdall, MJ Healy or Linda Spillane.


Ballyduff GAA.

It was an all Ballyduff affair for the U12 County Championship recently as Ballyduff Lower took on Ballyduff Upper. This was a very close game but Ballyduff Lower really stuck to their guns and supported each other and came out winners on a score line of 2-4 to 0-5. A big thank you must go to Ballyduff Upper for such a sporting game. The prize for best supporters would have gone to Ballyduff Lower as they provided great colour and cheer on the side line which was of great benefit to the team.


Recent Death

We were all shocked and saddened to hear of the death of the beautiful Jean O Loughlin, Caheruane, Kill. Jean was a young, bright, talented, beautiful young lady taken way to soon from this world. She had just begun her college life in Limerick and looking forward to the next chapter of her life. We extend our deepest sympathy to her heart broken parents Pauline and Paul and her brother Ben and all her extended family and her many friends.
Jean made friends wherever she went and many of the local young people in our area were these friends. To see the dignity and respect they showed over the last few days was just a glimpse of the affection they had for Jean. We keep them all in our thoughts and encourage them to continue to support each other and we pray that Jean’s family and friends will draw some comfort from all the wonderful memories they have of Jean. May her sweet, gentle soul now rest in peace and may she soar high with all the other angels.