AGM.
Ballyduff AFC will host their AGM on Tuesday May 23rd in Ballyduff Community Centre at 7pm. All are welcome to attend this meeting. Please drop along if you feel you would like to get involved with your local club.
Happy Couple.
We send our heartiest congratulations to Deirdre Mackey, Ross who recently announced her engagement to Mark O Gorman. We hope this happy couple will enjoy a long and happy life together. I’m sure sister Louise will be on hand with lots of advice following her big day and brother Richard may know a good wedding band or two!
Bridge News.
The results of the last two bridge games are as follows:
24/04/2017
1st: Patsy Roche and Theresa Phelan
2nd: Michael O Donovan and Kathleen Collins
3rd: Anne Marie Brown and Nano Fitzgerald
4th: Geraldine McMahon and Anna Harney
02/05/2017
1st: Kathleen Collins and Patsy Roche
2nd: William and Anne Tobin.
3rd: Anne Marie Brown and Mary Prendergast
4th: Nan Murphy and Patrner.
Graveyard Mass.
Although it is a long while off yet it is a date that a lot of people like to mark in their diaries. Our annual graveyard mass will take place this year on Wednesday July 5th at 7.30pm. Many people from outside the parish like to attend this mass as they have relatives or friends buried here. Please spread the word to anyone you know who may be interested in attending. I will keep you reminded through these notes.
Training Hard.
The Ballyduff GAA Nursery and Academy are back in the field training hard. Aimed at boys and girls aged 4 to 10 years training takes place in Kildermody on Saturday mornings at 10.30am and on Wednesdays at 6.15pm. The children play and learn the skills of hurling and football in a safe and friendly environment. All coaches are fully trained and are Garda vetted. You are welcome to pop along to the training or if you need any further information please contact Brian on 087-2486423 or Rory on 086-6012394.
Fun Day Out.
The Swan Lodge Classic and Vintage Club will host The Mick Kirwan Memorial Tractor/Vehicle run on Sunday May 14th in Gardenmorris, Kill. Registration will take place at 11.30am. There will be a large amount of vintage machinery and vehicles on display but also a barbeque, music, displays and sideshows. All money raised will go to The Touching Hearts charity who are fundraising to build and equip a new more appropriate building for the students availing of The Sacred Heart Centre. If any of you have ever visited the centre you will know of the fantastic work the staff do but how badly they need more space and facilities. Imagine you can support their campaign while enjoying a brilliant day out. Come along and enjoy what is always a day of great fun.
Successful Morning.
I spent a lovely morning on Thursday last at our local Alzheimers Tea/Coffee morning. Ballyduff Community Centre was the venue and our annual hostess Niamh Larkin was on hand to welcome us all in with a warm smile and a hot cuppa. Of course the smell of freshly baked scones and cakes was enough to draw anyone in. Niamhs helpful assistant on the day was Ann McDonnell who made sure nobody was left wanting for anything. Beautiful cakes, tarts and buns adorned the plates all freshly made by Niamh and Christine Tubbritt and of course we also had the now famous Trish Keegans scones. We were all entered into a raffle which had some fabulous prizes and would you believe I actually won a gorgeous bunch of flowers. This really was a lovely morning as always and a fantastic amount of €600 was raised. Niamh brings this money into The Pine Grove centre so the money stays locally. Niamh would like to say a big thank you to all who contributed in any way. Your kindness and generosity is greatly appreciated.
Weekly Adoration
A reminder to you all that adoration of The Blessed Sacrament takes place every Tuesday in our church from 12 noon until 7pm. All are welcome to drop in at any stage even if just for a few minutes and sit and rest with your own thoughts and prayers.
Triumphant Return.
Brian and his teamates from the Portlaw Village Wheelers cycling club have returned safe and sound from their 500 km charity cycle in aid of Crumlin Hospital and the Portlaw Red Cross. Talking to them all they were all overwhelmed by the fantastic response they received everywhere they went. They arrived back to Portlaw to be greeted with a heroes welcome. They would like to thank everyone who has donated money to these worthy charities and if you would like to donate you still can. We are all very proud of their achievement and we hope they are proud of their own committment and dedication to the event.
Bluebell Delight.
One of my most favourite sights at this time of year is the glorious sight of the bluebells on Ballyduff Hill. It always brings back memories of walking to primary school with my mother and stopping to pick bluebells on the way to put on the May altar in school. The smell and the sight of the bluebells always make me smile when I pass and now I pick them with my children . Do yourself a favour and stop to pick a bunch someday, you’ll love them.
“I walked into the lonely wood
And stared about the place I stood
The beauty of the tree lined glade
with shafts of light that pierced the shade
All filled me with a sense of awe
The bluebell carpet best of all.”