Graveyard Mass.
Our annual graveyard mass took place last Wednesday evening and thank God the weather was kind to us. It was great to see such crowds come together to remember all those buried in our graveyard. A big thank you to all who helped arrange the mass and all those who took part in it. A great crowd visited our community centre after the mass and enjoyed a cuppa and some lovely refreshments. It was a fantastic opportunity for people to enjoy a chat with people they hadn’t seen in a while. May I personally thank all the people who baked and donated cakes, buns and biscuits and a huge thank you to the wonderful group of ladies who helped me set up the hall, serve the teas and food and clean up after. This was another great community effort.
GAA Lotto
The four lucky numbers drawn in the latest lotto draw were 2, 12, 13 and 18 but there was no winner of he jackpot. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Carmel Lynch, Nano Fitzgerald and Seamus Connolly. The next lotto draw will take place on July 16th and will have a staggering jackpot of €7,550. Tickets cost just €2 or 3 for €5 and will be on sale at Centra on Saturday July 15th. Choose those four numbers very carefully and you could be booking that holiday or off on that spending spree.
Bridge News.
The Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club had their Summer party last Monday night by having a lovely meal at the Sweep Bar and Restaurant. Folowing the meal they played their weekly game of bridge and the results are as follows:
1st: Anna Harney and Peggy Murphy
2nd: Mary O Brien and Ann Tobin.
3rd: Ann Marie Brown and Barbara Cunningham
4th: Kate Hayes and Mary Kennedy.
5th: Breda Cowman and Celia Nugent.
6th: Margaret White and Elizabeth Mooney.
Newcastle Mass.
The annual cemetery mass in Newcastle graveyard will be celebrated on Monday August 21st at 7.30pm. I will have more details for you in the coming weeks but mark the date in your diary and spread the word.
Tractor Run.
The annual tractor run hosted by Kilmeaden Vintage Tractor club is always a much looked forward to event. This year is the 10th year of this and a great day is planned to celebrate this milestone. On Sunday July 16th at 1.30pm sharp the tractor run will depart from Haughtons and will head off on a shorter than normal route within the parish of Ballyduff. On their return to Haughtons the celebrations will begin. Well known D.J supreme John O Shea will entertain the crowds with music for all ages. The Mayfield Birds of Prey will also be on display and displays of old time threshing will keep you enthralled. You are bound to work up an appetite with all this going on but don’t worry the barbeque will me fired up and I have no doubt that Gerry and Margaret will help you find something to wash it down with to! This promises to be a great day and there will be lots to keep young and old happy. If you would like to take part or need more information, the man with all the knowledge is Pat Fitzgerald and you can reach him on 087-2216589.
Of course not only is this day about having fun it also raises money for a very important charity, The Solas Centre. You don’t need me to tell you about the vital and important services The Solas Centre provides and like all good charities they rely mostly on the generosity of others to keep these services running. The tractor run has raised €43,000 over the past 9 years for the centre so please be as generous as possible to the collectors on the day. Hope to see you all there.
Golf Classic
Ballyduff AFC will host a golf classic in Waterford Golf Club on July 21st and 22nd . A team of 4 will cost €120 including a meal. Teams who entered last year will be allocated the same tee times. If you are interested in entering a team or finding out more information please contact Paddy on 087-2764883 or Noel on 086-3766541.