Graveyard Mass.

Our annual graveyard mass in Ballyduff cemetery will take place on Wednesday July 15th at 7.30pm. It is important that we spread the news around about the mass because there are many people living in other areas who have loved ones buried in our graveyard. This is always an excellently attended event.

Following the mass we will have a nice cup of tea and some light refreshments in the community centre. We have been doing this for the past couple of years and people have loved it. It gives people a chance to meet up with people they may not see very often and they can sit and chat over a cuppa. If any of you nice people out there would like to help out by maybe donating a cake or two then please let me know on 087-9838392.

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Mass Bookings.

Last weekend we took the booking of anniversary masses for the months of July,August and September but there are still some dates available so if you would like to book a mass for a loved one during those dates then please contact me Linda Spillane on 051-399925, 087-9838392 oe spillanelinda@eircom.net.

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School Holidays.

All the pupils and staff of Ballyduff N.S have now clocked out for the Summer holidays. We wish each and every one of them a very safe and happy Summer. We thank all the staff of the school for their dedication and committment all through the year. We wish the 6th class pupils the very best as they head off to secondary school and we hope they fly the Ballyduff flag with great pride.

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Graduation.

I write these notes having returned home from my daughter Ava’s graduation night from Ballyduff N.S. I can’t believe what an emotional night it turned out to be. Fr.O Byrne offered a beautiful mass for them and I was delighted to see so many members of the school staff present at this mass. The 6th class pupils read the readings, sang the psalm, read the prayers of the faithful, brought forward gifts and read the reflection. They were joined by their friends in 3rd and 4th classes who made up the choir.

In his sermon Fr. Mick urged the children to build on the great foundation they received in Ballyduff N.S and to always to their very best. Each child was presented with a graduation certificate and then it was back to the school hall for some lovely tea and cake laid on my some parents. We were treated to a lovely slide show of photos put together with some very tear jerking music. This was put together by local girl Rebecca Cheasty. The children also got a beautiful year book and calender. A huge thank you to the parents, teachers who put the graduation together. It was a very special night and I know our children will never forget it.

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Your Notes.

If you have an event, some news and would like to share it with the people reading these notes then drop me a text to 087-9838392 or an email to spillanelinda@eircom.net or just shout after me if I pass by.

 

Bridge News.

Our local bridge club enjoyed another successful game of bridge in the meeting room at the Kilmeaden Village Centre on Monday June 15th and here are the results:

1st: Margaret Sweeney and Eileen Kirwan.
2nd: John Fitzpatrick and Pauline Fanning.
3rd: Nano Fitzgerald and Michael O Donovan.
4th; Ann Kennedy and Margaret Power.

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GAA Lotto.

There was no winner of the recent lotto draw and the numbers drawn were 9, 13, 15 and 18. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were James Walsh, John Keating and Hugh Fitzgerald. The next draw takes place in O Donnachas on June 28th.

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GAA Cul Camp.

Ballyduff GAA club will play hosts to the Kelloggs Cul Camp from June 29th to July 3rd. This fun filled week for 6 to 13 year olds will run from 10am to 2.30pm daily. The cost of the camp is €55 for the first child, €45 for the second child and €40 for the third and subsequent children. You can register for the camp by logging onto www.kelloggsculcamps.gaa.ie or you can contact Jenny Dempsey.

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Graveyard Mass.

Our annual graveyard mass will take place on Wednesday July 15th at 7.30pm so please spread the word to all those people you know who have relatives or friends buried in our graveyard. A reminder that if you are tidying up your family grave then please bring a bin bag and take home your old flowers etc with you.

We will of course have some tea and refreshments after the mass in the community centre. This is always a lovely opportunity for people to meet up for a chat with people they may not have met with for some time.

I will of course be on the lookout for some nice people to give me a helping hand with some baking etc for this so watch out!!!

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Months Mind.

The months mind mass for the late Peter McNamara, Ballyduff Village will take place on Wednesday June 24th at 7.30pm. Peter is sorely missed by all our community so let us come together in prayer to remember his gentle soul.

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Graduation Mass.

It is very hard to believe that we are already at the end of another school year. There will be a special graduation mass for our 6th class students on Thursday June 25th at 7.30pm in the church to which you are all invited. This is a lovely way to wish these students the very best as they head off to their secondary education and also give thanks for the years they have spent in Ballyduff N.S.

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Mount Congreve.

Last Sunday Mount Congreve opened its gates for a country fair in aid of the charity CRY. I must say I felt a huge burst of pride as I watched the crowds of people descend on my native Kilmeaden. The sun shone all day as people strolled the beautiful gardens and enjoyed all the attractions on offer. I intended on going down for about an hour but found myself there 4 hours later. There was just so much to do and enjoy and of course I met so many people I had to stop and chat with. A huge well done to all involved in the organising of this event you should be very proud of your efforts.

One thing which did surprise me was the amount of Kilmeaden people I met down there who had never been there before so I strongly urged them to go back down on a normal day to enjoy the beautiful landscapes, the scent of beauty and the calmness and serenity of spirit which you feel as you make your way along the winding paths of Mount Congreve.

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Parent and Toddler.

The Ballyduff/Kilmeaden Parent and Toddler group will take their Summer holidays for the months of July and August. They thank everyone for coming along and joining them each week and look forward to seeing you again in September.

 

Bridge News.

Our local Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club enjoy meeting each Monday night in the Kilmeaden Village Centre to play a relaxing game of bridge and the results from the last two games are:

2nd of May

1st: Mary Kennedy and Breda Cowman.
2nd: Pauline Fanning and Margaret Power.
3rd: Nano Fitzgerald and Sean Hennessy.
4th: Ann Kennedy and Celia Nugent.

8th of May.

1st: Sean Hennessy and Geraldine McMahon.
2nd: Mary O Brien and Celia Nugent.
3rd Margaret Power and Peggy Murphy.
4th: Genelia Rowley and Ann Kennedy.

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Mass Bookings.

If you would like to book an anniversary mass for a loved one during the months of July, August or September then bookings will be taken after the weekend masses on Saturday June 20th and Sunday June 21st. Months mind masses and first anniversary masses take preference so if you need to book one of those during those months please contact me Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 and I will arrange it for you.

As you know masses are shared so if you do not want to share then please state that at the time of booking.

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Tidy Towns.

Our local Tidy Towns group are doing a fantastic job around the area. You may have noticed the recent addition of the beautiful hanging baskets to the green in Ballyduff village and thank you to Ann Nolan and Christy O Keeffe for taking care of them. The clean up of the green area at the Sweep was a success this week but is a big area and so needs some more work done to get it back to a standard that Pakie Daly would be proud of. Please come along on Thursday 18th at 6.30pm and we will give it another go. If you have an area in mind which could do with some work then please contact Tony on 086-6078272 or send the group a message through their facebook page. They will hold their next meeting on July 1st at 8pm in the meeting room at the village centre. This meeting is open to everyone so why not drop in and join your local group.

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Mission Success.

Last weekend at the masses in Ballyduff and Portlaw we were visited by Sr. Lucy who told us about mission work in many countries. A second collection was taken up at the masses and Sr. Lucy has asked that we express her gratitude for the fabulous amount of €1,270 which was raised. She was deeply humbled by the support she received.

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Fundraising Night.

On Tuesday night last in O Donnachas a fundraising night was held to help raise money for local man John Deevys trip to take part in the Special Olmpics. A great crowd turned up for this fun trad night full of music and song with O Donnachas laying on some delicious finger food. The organisers have asked me to say a huge thank you to all who attended and donated money and to all the local businesses who gave sponsorship or prizes. Frank Murphy made a hurley for the night which was signed by the Waterford team and auctioned off on the night. The league cup even paid a visit and so there was plenty of photo oppotunities. A total amount of €1,630 was raised and the organisers are extremely grateful.

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Hall News.

A reminder that a social game of bingo takes place on the last Tuesday of every month in Ballyduff Community Centre. This costs just €5 which includes a nice cup of tea and a tasty treat.

If you are clearing through those wardrobes you can place all your unwanted clothes which are still in reasonable condition into a bag and bring them along to the community centre for the clothes recycling collection which takes place from June 17th to June 19th inclusive.

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School News

Congratulations to the Parents Council and all involved with the organising of the annual school sports last Tuesday evening. A huge crowd turned up on the beautiful sunny evening and everyone had a really enjoyable evening. The children did their parents proud with their displays of fair play and good sportmanship. The smell of the very tasty barbeque lured you in and there was no way you could resist. The hot sun made sure the shop was kept busy with Mr. Freezes in demand. It was lovely to see people standing around having a chat . In these busy times we seldom get to meet other parents and so sometimes it is nice to just stop and enjoy a chat and a laugh. A fantastic amount of €1,700 was raised and I know the school is very grateful for everyones generosity.

The children are enjoying the countdown to their Summer holidays on June 26th and are enjoying their class school tours at the moment. We hope they all enjoy safe and happy trips.

 

Bridge News.

Our local Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club meet every Monday night in the Kilmeaden Village Centre and the results of the game played on May 25th are as follows;

1st: Geraldine McMahon and Nano Fitzgerald.
2nd: Kate Hayes and Sean Hennessy.
3rd: Celia Nugent and Margaret White.
4th: Margaret Power and Pauline Fanning.

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GAA Lotto

There was no winner of the latest lotto draw and the numbers drawn were 7, 18, 24 and 25. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Pat Mooney, Peter Doyle and Colman Power. The next draw will take place on Sunday June 14th in O Donnachas and will have a fantastic jackpot of €1,400.

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A Little Boy.

We send our heartiest congratulations to local couple David and Carmel Carlin who recently welcomed their beautiful baby son into the world. We hope that baby Adam James enjoys a lifetime of happiness and I hear Paddy Kirk is hot on his tail already with soccer club forms!!

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Graveyard Mass.

A reminder that our annual graveyard mass will take place on Wednesday July 15th at 7.30pm. This is always a very well attended event with many people travelling from other areas because they have relatives or friends buried here so please spread the word. I will be reminding you over the coming weeks so dont worry.

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Tidy Towns News.

Our local Tidy Towns group would like to wish local man John Deevy the very best as he heads off to represent his country in the Special Olympics. We all wish him the very best.

The group would like to thank Bobby Byrne of Centra, Kilmeaden who has sponsored their insurance for the year.

The groups next project is the green area at the Sweep and so the group will meet at the Sweep on Thursday June

at 6.30pm and all are welcome.

If you have any areas you would liked to have looked at please contact Tony on 086 607 8272 or send them a message through their facebook page. There next meeting is July 1st at 8pm in the Village Centre Meeting room .

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Exam Times.

We send our very best wishes to all the young people sitting their Leaving and Junior Cert exams at present. We hope they will find an equal balance between study and sleep.

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New Business

We wish the very best to Christine who has opened her new business in the Kilmeaden Village Centre. This clothes shop carrying a consignment of new and used clothing is situated in the former florist. They also take in good quality clothing and sell them on for customers. We wish her success in her new venture New For You.

 

Charity Night.

As many of you may already know local man John Deevy will head off in June to represent his country in the Special Olympics. A special fundraising night will take place in O Donnachas on Tuesday June 9th to help raise funds to help John with the costs involved. This will be a special Trad night with lots of song and music on offer and an odd jig or two thrown in for good measure. As always everyone is invited along and more than welcome to join in. There will also be some delicious finger food on offer. Come along and enjoy a great night of music while supporting this young mans dreams.

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A True Gent.

Our parish lost its oldest resident this week. Peter McNamara, Ballyduff Village returned home to the Lord just shy of his 94th birthday. Peter and his late wife Stacia lived in the shadow of the church for many years and raised their son Martin there. When his beloved Stacia died he was indeed a broken hearted man but he fought back and carried on as best he could delighting in the comfort and kindness of family, friends and neighbours. He trully loved his neighbours and was lucky to be surrounded by such a kind and helpful bunch of neighbours.

Peter was indeed a true and honest Christian, never sought the limelight or looked for praise for being religious. It was just part of his regular day. The visits from the local priests and receiving communion on a Sunday was very special to him.

There are many words which spring into my mind when I hear the name Peter McNamara but I will just share a few, kind, intelligent, witty, hardworking, religious and honest. He loved chatting to people and had some of the most interesting stories you could ever hear. He touched many lives and I believe that each of us is a better person for having known him. We offer our deepest sympathy to Martin, Bridget and the boys and to all his family and friends. May his sweet gentle soul now rest in peace where pain and suffering is no more. Ar Dheis De go raibh se.

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Parish Website.

Have you tried our new parish website yet? Do yourself a huge favour and click on Ballyduffparish.com. This website was cleverly designed by local man James Tubbritt. Included on this website is a virtual tour button press on the button and take a virtual trip around the church. There is also lots of parish information on there and these notes are carried on each week so pop on and have a look. Let all your relatives and friends from here who are all in foreign lands and let them keep in touch.

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Your Notes

Please contact me Linda Spillane if you have any items which you would like to include in these notes. For many people in our parish these notes are their only link with parish life so let them know

 

Bridge News.

Our local Ballyduff/Portlaw bridge club meet every Monday night in the meeting rooms in the Kilmeaden Village Centre. The results of the game played on 11th of May 2015 are as follows:

1st: Joan Whelan and Sean Hennessy.
2nd: Anna Harney and Nano Fitzgerald.
3rd : Celia Nugent and Mary O Brien.
4th: Breda O Donnell and Aileen Stephenson.

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GAA Lotto.

There was no winner of the latest GAA lotto draw and the numbers drawn were 11, 18, 19 and 21. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Gillian Kennedy, Michelle Dunphy and Billy Heffernan. The next draw will take place on May 31st in O Donnachas and will have a jackpot of €1,250.

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Lourdes Fundraisers.

Our local Lourdes committee would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported their recent hamper rafffle, cabaret night and coffee morning. A total amount of €1,720 was raised and the committee were delighted with the response and are overwhelmed by peoples generosity. They would also like to say a big thank you to local businesses who gave donations and spot prizes. The two winners of the hampers were Jenny Doyle and Breda Larkin.

Thanks to your generosity they are now able to send two people from our area as part of the invalid section of the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes.

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Soccer News

Our local Soccer Club will host their AGM on Thursday May 28th at 7.30pm in the Community Centre. New members are always welcome so if this is something you think you could lend your talents to then please come along and join your local club.

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Graveyard Mass.

A reminder that this years annual graveyard mass will take place on Wednesday July 15th at 7.30pm. This is always a very well attended event and so please pass on the date to people living elsewhere but have relatives buried in our graveyard.

 

Bridge News.

The results of the latest couple of games played by the Ballyduff/Portlaw Bridge Club.

27/04/2015

1st: Kate Hayes and Sean Hennessy.
2nd: Kathleen Collins and Patsy Roche.
3rd: Aileen Stephenson and Mary Kennedy.
4th:Ann and William Tobin.

05/05/2015

1st: Nano Fitzgerald and Sean Hennessy.
2nd: Mary Flynn and Michael O Donovan.
3rd: Ann Marie Brown and Noreen Tubbritt
4th: Anna Harney and John Fitzpatrick.

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Eyes Down For Bingo.

The next game of community bingo will be played in Ballyduff Community Centre on Tuesday 26th of May at 7.30pm. For just €5 you can enjoy a sociable game of bingo and some light refreshments. All profits go towards the hall redevelopment fund. Come along and bring a friend.

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Tidy Towns News.

Ballyduff/ Kilmeaden Tidy Towns Committee would like to say a big thank you to all who helped to tidy up th green area opposite Centra. There has been a huge transformation and once the flowers are set there it will look even nicer. The next event lined up is a litter pick. This will start from Ballyduff N.S school carpark from 12 noon. Hi-vis vests and pickers will be supplied.

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Special Mass.

Our new bishop Bishop Cullinan has requested all parishes to organise one hour of adoration next week to implore Gods wisdom on the country. There will be a special mass in Ballyduff church on Wednesday May 20th at 7.30pm followed by a short time of quiet prayer.

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Great Success.

We send huge congratulations to 17 year old Niamh Keegan from the Lacka Road who was the recent winner of the Sean Dunne Young Poet Award. Niamh attends the Waterford Youth Arts creative writing class where her tutor Eimear Cheasty encouraged her to enter the competition. Her success gets her a prize of some poetry mentoring and €500. Congratulations Niamh and I’m sure your parents and brothers and indeed all your family and friends are very proud of you.

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Coffee Morning.

I had such a great time at the last coffee morning I went to that I’m off to another one. On Thursday May 21st from 9.30am to 12 noon in Ballyduff Community Centre my friends and I will host a coffee morning in aid of our local Lourdes fund. Each year our parish like to send two people from our parish to Lourdes as part of the invalid section of the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes.

Come along and join us next Thursday for a relaxed cuppa, a chat and some delicious treats. We will even have a raffle for some lovely prizes. See you there, I’ll be the one with the teapot!!!

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What A Day!!!!

Every poor child of Prague was hunted out into the rainy weather last weekend in the hopes of a good day for our First Holy Communion and boy did we get it. After a washout on Friday we pulled back our curtains on Saturday morning to the sun beaming through the trees and the Lord smiled on us for the rest of the day. 25 boys and girls from Ballyduff N.S lit up the room as the entered the church to the sounds of their schoolmates singing This Is The Day. We were delighted on the day to see Fr. Mick joined by our very own Fr. John Harris whose little niece Aislinn was making her Holy Communion. The children treated us to a very special ceremony carrying out their little jobs to perfection from reading, singing, prayers of the faithful, offertory gifts,actions to the Our Father.

Our church looked beautiful with the gorgeous artwork and the splendid floral designs which were created by church florist Joan Cheasty. We say a huge thank to Sherlock Foley who donated all the flowers needed we appreciate his kindness and generosity.

After mass we were all invited over to the school hall where tea and cake were laid on for all to enjoy. Everyone then went their seperate ways to enjoy individual celebrations but they took with them beautiful memories to be treasured forever.

 

GAA Lotto.

There was no winner of the latest lotto draw and the numbers drawn were 3, 16, 18 and 27. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each on the night were Tommy Power, Mary Dunne and Michael Walsh. The next draw will take place on May 17th in O Donnachas and will have a fantastic jackpot of €1,100 on offer. Tickets cost just €2 or 3 for €5 and are available from committee members and will be on sale outside Centra all day on Saturday May 16th. All you need to do then is choose those four lucky numbers.

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Fundraising Night.

The Ballyduff/Kilmeaden Lourdes committee hope to send two people from our parish on the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes as part of the invalid section. They will host a benefit night to raise money for this. Come along to O Donnachas on Saturday May 16th and enjoy music by the singing priest Fr. Paschal Moore Band. Sit back and sing a long or take to the dance floor and show them how its done while supporting a great cause. If you are unable to attend but would like to give a donation you can contact Noel O Sullivan, Eugene Power, John O Leary or Donal Daly.

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Soccer Camp.

Ballyduff Soccer Club will host their Summer Soccer Camp from Monday July 6th to Friday July 10th from 10am to 2pm each day. The cost of the camp is €45 for the first child, a second child in a family is €35 and the third child in a family goes free.

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Successful Coffee Morning.

I attended a really lovely coffee morning last Thursday in aid of the Alzheimers society. Local lady Niamh Larkin runs this annually and tempts us in with promises of beautiful home baking. We were indeed spoiled once again this year with a wide display of home baking. The chat with all the different people who pop in is the thing I really love. There were also many fantastic prizes on offer in the raffle and Niamh would like to thank all those who donated rafle prizes. I was delighted anyway to come away with a lovely bunch of flowers. A brilliant amount of €400 was raised on the day and Niamh would like to say a big thank you to all who supported this very worthy cause.

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GAA Cul Camp.

Ballyduff GAA Club will play host to the kelloggs cul camp in Ballyduff GAA grounds in Kildermody from June 29th to July 3rd. If you would like to book someone in or find out more log onto http://www.kelloggs.gaa.ie.

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Bluebell Success.

Many congratulations to our neighbours in Portlaw who held the Bluebell Festival in Curraghamore last Sunday. It was a great pity that the weather did not look too kindly on them but that certainly did not dampen the spirits of the hundreds of visitors to the festival. There was plenty of music, song and chat and lots to keep the children entertained. Well done to everyone involved.

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Notes.

A reminder that if you or your club or organisation would like me to let people know about your activities in these notes then please give me a ring at 051-399925 or drop me an email on spillanelinda@eircom.net

 

Coffee Morning.

The annual coffee morning in aid of the Alzheimers Society will take place on Thursday May 7th and we here in this parish will have our chance to support this very worthwhile cause. Our coffee morning will take place in Ballyduff Community Centre on Thursday May 7th from 9.30am to 12 noon. This is always a lovely morning with some of the finest bakers in the parish providing tasty treats for the occasion so get yourself there early.

Unfortunately Alzheimers is all too common now and affects many families so all we can do is our best by supporting events like this to ensure that vital services are maintained in our area and that imrovements are catered for.

I look forward to seeing you there but if you are unable to attend please pop your donation into an envelope and give it to me and I will make sure that my good friend Niamh Larkin who hosts this event gets it.

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Field Day.

Our neighbours in Kill have asked me to let you know that the Sean Lodge Classic and Vintage Group will host a charity field day on Sunday May 10th starting at 12 noon. There willbe a vintage display, a country market, bouncy castle, threshing demonstration, BBQ and much much more. Your MC will be John O Shea and there will be live music from Teddy and Cathal Barry and Bachelor Boys. Kill Harriers will have a jumping competition beforehand at 10am. Admission is just €5 and all money raised will be divided between the local Red Cross and The Theresa Heffernan Mulcahy Fund.

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Television Debut.

As you are all well aware our local author Karen Power has been going from strength to strength and her fabulous novel has now been read in all corners of the globe. Recently the Nationwide crew came to Kilmeaden to interview Karen and find out more about the girl behind the author, her family and her inspiring story of self publishing. I am delighted to tell you that this programme will be aired on Friday May 8th at 7pm so have the kettle boiled or set the record and enjoy a little local scenery.

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Soccer Camp.

Ballyduff Soccer Club will host their soccer Summer camp this year from Monday July 6th to Friday July 10th from 10am to 2pm daily. The cost is €45 for the first child, €35 for the second and the third of a family goes free. If you are interested contact PaddyKirk

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Clean Up.

A few people have asked me to say a big thank you to those members of the council etc who did a clean up of all the overgrown shrubs and weeds on the walkway at the top of Matthews Cross recently. This walkway is used by many people as a nice little safe walk or it is lovely to walk over there with children or leave them cycle their bikes safely without the worry of traffic.

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Holy Communion.

We wish the very best to the 25 boys and girls from 2nd class in Ballyduff N.S who will make their First Holy Communion on Saturday May 9th at 11am. We hope that the Lord will send his sunshine and that each child has a trully memorable day. All are welcome to attend this beautiful ceremony.

 

Pharmacy Raffle.

A recent raffle held in Kilmeaden Pharmacy in conjunction with Daffodil Day raised a wonderful sum of €130 and the organisers would like to thank all who supported it. The winner of the delicious Easter egg was Mrs. Ellen Prout, Whitfield and we hope she enjoyed her prize.

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Gaa Lotto.

There was no winner of the latest lotto draw and the numbers drawn were 4, 11, 14 and 28. The three lucky dip winners of €50 each were Don Doyle, Pat Power and Annie Gahan. The next draw will take place on May 3rd in O Donnachas and will have a jackpot of €950.

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Bridge News.

The Portlaw/Ballyduff Bridge Club meet every Monday night in the meeting rooms in Kilmeaden Village Centre and the results of the game played on April 7th are as follows:

1st: Mary Flynn and Michael O Donovan.
2nd:Kate Hayes and Joan Whelan.
3rd:Margaret Power and John Fitzpatrick.
4th:Nano Fitzgerald and Sean Hennessy.

Presidents Day took place on April 19th and the results were:

1st: Mary Shanahan and Nano Fitzgerald.
2nd: Anna Harney and Margaret White.
3rd: Kate Hayes and Margaret Power.
4th: Mary Cummins and Breda O Donnell.
5th: Geraldine McMahon and Joan Whelan.
6th: Noreen Tubbritt and Nan Murrphy.
7th: Breda Murphy and William Tobin.
8th: Ann Tobin and Margaret Sweeney.
9th: Anne Kennedy and Celia Nugent.
10th: Monica Sullivan and Michael O Donovan.

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Community Centre News.

Three of the original board directors of the Ballyduff Hall Redevelopment group have now completed their 3 year term at the helm and have now been replaced by Colette Murphy , Marie Reade and Marc O Neill. We sincerely thank Alistair Shute, Patricia Latham and Carolne Quinn for the time, energy and committment they have given the project since day one, the parish indeed owes them a debt of gratitude. Thank you also to Tony O Leary who has kindly being helping out since the latter part of last year. The full board of directors is asfollows:

Chairperson: Declan Finn.

Secretary: Colette Murphy.

Treasurer: Mary Dunne.

Event Directors: Siobhan Walsh and Marie Reade.

P.R.O: John O Shea.

Maintenance Co-ordinator: Marc O Neill.

If you wish to book the hall for a meeting or an event please call 087-4487648.

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Mark Your Diary.

Jot a note in your diary for Thursday May 7th from 9.30am to 12 noon for the annual Alzheimers Coffee morning in Ballyduff Community Centre. This is always a lovely morning and one I look forward to every year. Unfortunately we all know someone who is affected by Alzheimers and so it is important we make sure all the facilities they need are accessible to them . Don’t worry I will remind you all again next week.

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Bluebell Festival.

On Sunday May 3rd Curraghmore Estate in Portlaw will play host to the Bluebell Festival with the proceeds on the day going between Curraghmore Estate and SERT(South East Radiotherapy Trust).SERT is a voluntary organisation which aims to transport cancer patients requiring radiotherapy as part of their treatment from their homes to the radiotherapy centres in either Cork or Waterford free of charge.

Gates will open at 11am and a fun filled day for all the family is promised. Admission is €10 for adults, OAP/Students €5 and under 12’s are free.There are many attractions on the day including a tour of the gardens including the shell house every hour. Vintage tea on the lawns with the Irish Historian costumes on display. Waterford Hunt will be on display, spinner, kids activities, carousel, amusements, Dog show and birds of prey. In the courtyard many stalls will be set up and there will be musical entertainment throughout the day. Come along there really is something for everyone. For more information log on to their facebook page.

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Graveyard Mass.

Another date to mark in your diary is our annual graveyard mass which will take place on Wednesday July 15th at 7.30pm. Please spread the word to people in other areas who like to attend this mass.

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Stars In Your Eyes.

What a night is all I can say! People are talking non stop about this night. This sell out gig had people beaming from ear to ear all night. We had a lot to live up to following the success of our previous productions of the fashion show and Nollag na mBan and I believe that we once again gave people a well arranged, professionally run event. I must say that I really enjoy working with this group of women on these one off events because it is literally all hands on deck and everyone gives 110%.

The job of sound and lights was left in the hands of the expert duo James and Christine Tubbritt and everyone was left dumbfounded and astounded. Words cannot express our gratitude.

Our choreography and act preparation was handled by the talented Clare Bowman, the girl who never stops smiling and so puts everyone at ease.

The gifted Marc O Neill made sure our stage was in top shape and we also thank the TUS workers Liam and David who had the hall painted in record time.

Our MC on the night John O Shea did a fantastic job as always and Declan Finn gave a fabulous welcome and thank you speech. Our three judges Tony Coffey, Lupita De Bhail and Gerry Walsh for giving their time.John Carey did a brilliant job on individual videos of the acts. Mags Murphy for the wonderful make up.

A huge thank you goes to our 14 acts who put themselves out there and really got into the spirit of the event, some have been spotted still wearing the costumes this week. Our overall winner on the night was Eamonn O Leary who performed as Colm CT Wilkinson.His performance of Bring Him Home received a standing ovation and he was accompanied on stage by Ava Spillane playing the harp.

I believe this night will be remembered for a long time and am delighted to announce that the amount raised was €3255.00 and so on behalf of myself Linda Spillane, Isabel O Neill, Mary Power, Marie Reade, Siobhan Walsh, Martha Fitzgerald, Joan Stephenson and Clare Bowman we would like to thank each and every one of you who supported the event and made it such a success. Whats Next????? Watch This Space!!!!