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.