McCarthy’s Hotel Golf Society
The focus of attention on St Patrick’s Weekend for the society was the Daily Star Competition. This event has been running for a number of years and invites teams from all over Ireland to compete, with the winners at the end of the year receiving a trip to the Algarve in Portugal. This is the second year that McCarthy’s have entered the competition. Last year we were knocked out in round one. This year we got a bye in round one, so we were bound to do better than last time! In round two we were drawn against the Churchwell Bar from Tipperary Town. McCarthy’s got the home draw and the event was played in Cahir.

Under the guidance of our non-playing Captain, Barry Connolly, and his fellow selectors Eoin and Willie, we had a couple of trials and training sessions before the main event. Then the “Big Three” had the hard task of finalizing the team. Five teams of two players on each team had to be picked from a panel of 13, which was submitted at the time of entry. They obviously got it right as four of the five teams won their ties and the other team drew. All the players excelled on the day, but special mention must go to Vincent Woodlock who, according to his partner Dicey, played out of his skin with a number of birdies on his card.

The team are now waiting with anticipation for the next round draw. It is rumoured that Brian Higgins will introduce his relaxation therapy technique to the rest of the team prior to the match. Probably.

Recent Death
The death has occurred in Essex, England of Ms Alice Shine, formerly of Crampscastle, Fethard. Interment took place in England.

 The End Is Nigh
Heard in passing . . . “Rugby and Soccer in Croke Park. Ireland beat Pakistan in an International Cricket match. Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley sit down at the same table. It must be near the end of the world!”

Curragh Win
Congratulations to local trainer Joe Murphy on winning the Lodge Park Stud Express Stakes with Robert Powers ‘Ardbrae Lady’ at the Curragh on Sunday last. The filly ran very well in the best of company eleven times last season without a win. Her form included a very credible 2nd in the 1000 Guineas. Nevertheless her starting price of 7-1 offered local punters a great chance to recoup Cheltenham losses. This was a second win of her career for ‘Ardbrae Lady’ and Joe believes there is more wins in store for ‘The Lady’.

Fethard and Killusty Community Games Art results
The results of Community Games Art Competition which took place last week are:

Girls U-8: 1st Roisín McDonnell, 2nd Carly Tobin, Joint 3rd Chelsea Kenny and Aoife Sheehan. U-10: 1st Ciara Hayes, 2nd Aine Proudfoot, 3rd Sadie McGrath. U-12: 1st Leah O’Donnell, 2nd Jennifer Rice, 3rd Aobh O’Shea. U-14: 1st Nicole Looby, 2nd Aoibhlinn Delany, 3rd Lucy Butler. U-16: 1st Laura Rice. Laura Rice has already represented Tipperary at the National Finals in Art on two occasions let's hope that she can score a hat trick.

Boys U-8: 1st Conor Harrington, 2nd Conor Clancy, Joint 3rd Jack Pollard and Darragh Lynch. U-10: 1st Connie Coen, 2nd Tim Hurley, 3rd Harry Butler. U-12: 1st Charlie Manton, 2nd Colin Grant, 3rd Kevin Shine. U-14: 1st Cathal Hurley, 2nd Gerry Horan, 3rd Mattie Holohan.

The first two in each category have qualified for the County Finals which will take place this Saturday, 31st March in Fethard Ballroom at 1pm. All participants must bring their own paper, paints, pencils etc. A3 is the maximum size paper and the entry fee is €2. There were over 140 entries received this year. Congratulations to all who took part and best of luck to those competing in county final on Saturday. Special thank you to the judge, Maureen Purcell, Clonmel, and to the teachers and school secretaries who are so supportive.

Fethard Ladies Football
Training for Ladies Football will commence at 7.30 pm this Thursday evening, 29th March, for junior players and will continue each Thursday. Training for all juveniles will continue each Saturday in the GAA field at 11am. Please make an effort to attend all training sessions as there are several matches to be played. Enquiries to Joe Keane at Tel: 086 2050727.

Daffodil Day a great success
On Friday 23rd march the Fethard Community Youth Project together with the Presentation Secondary School took to the streets in Fethard to collect for Daffodil Day, the collections, which took part outside Kenny's Centra and the Post Office and in the schools, were a great success with over €1300 raised in aid of the Irish Cancer Society. Other collections around the town brought the total to over €2000. Thank you to all those who took part in collecting for this great cause and to all those who kindly contributed.

Social Dancing
A great night’s social dancing is assured next Sunday Night in the Ballroom, music by Sam O’Doherty. Dancing from 9 to 12 and are all welcome.

Fethard Juvenile GAA
Our under-12s travelled to Ballyporeen on Saturday last for the first match of their championship season and were unlucky to be beaten by 4 points. They are a fairly young team and have the potential to go all the way and they can only improve as the championship gets underway. We wish them the very best of luck. They are at home this Saturday 31st March to Ballingarry at 12 noon in the GAA field. It would be great to see a good support turnout. Parents are pleased asked to note that the list of fixtures has been set but sometimes due to some unforeseen circumstances, times, places and dates may change and as soon as the club is informed you will be informed at the earliest.

Our under-16s were at home to Moyle Rovers on Monday evening last in the start of their championship season. Results next week. We wish them the very best of luck. They are another team with great potential!

Members are pleased asked to note that membership fees are now well overdue and please make some sort of effort to start paying your fees, €15 per child. You will not be insured to play unless you have paid your membership.

Training times for under-12s on Wednesday evenings in the GAA field at 7.30pm; Under-14s on Mondays and Thursdays in the GAA field at 7.30pm and under-16s on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7.30pm in the GAA field.

Under-6, 8 and 10s every Saturday from 3pm to 5pm in the GAA field. Parents are asked to check with the coaches what time training finishes, due to the fact that some Saturdays training finishes early to accommodate other matches in the field.

The Juvenile Club still have a limited amount of tickets for the Community Field Clubhouse draw and if you have not bought a ticket yet please contact any committee member. It is for a great cause.

Fethard Bridge Club Results
On Wednesday 14th March 2007 we played for prizes sponsored by FBD Investments and the results were:

1st Gross: Berney Myles and Alice Quinn,
2nd Gross: Brigid Gorey and Betty Walsh;

1st Nett: Rosemary Lalor and David Abell;
2nd Nett: Bernie O’Meara and Anna Cooke.

On Wednesday 21st March the results of our club game were:

1st Gross: Alice Quinn and Berney Myles;
2nd Gross: Carmel Condon and Brendan Kenny;

1st Nett: Gemma Burke and Carol Kenny;
2nd Nett: Mike Burke and Bridie Lee.

Anyone looking for a partner contact Berney Myles at Tel: 32038.

Hayes calls on Minister Roche to sanction funding for Fethard application
Local TD, Tom Hayes, has called on Minister Dick Roche to support a funding application from South Tipperary County Council for repair works and to improve access to the Fr. Tirry Park estate in Fethard. Deputy Hayes said that he had been lobbying strongly at local level for basic improvement works to be carried out at the estate for years but that progress was very slow due to lack of funding.

He said: “I am calling on Minister Roche to fund this worthwhile project in Fethard. It is ridiculous that the process of securing funding for such a worthwhile project is so drawn out and delayed by red tape. Money should be readily available from the government for essential maintenance work on estates like Fr. Tirry Park. For example, money is badly needed there to improve access for ambulances”.

The local TD said that he would continue his campaign to secure more funding from the government for repair and upgrading projects in South Tipperary. For more information contact Tom Hayes at Tel: 087 8105016

Fethard’s New Equine Hospital
Fethard is a town synonymous with horses the world over, so it is only fitting that it now also houses one of the most modern and advanced equine hospitals.

The surgical team has treated and operated on many horses at a small facility at John Halley’s residence while a new specially designed and purpose built hospital was being constructed on the Killenaule Road. This exciting project has just been completed and is now up and running at full speed.

There are a few other Equine Hospitals in Ireland, but this is the first in Munster with such facilities. There are two surgical suites with padded recovery boxes, allowing the horse to be fully anaesthetized. This enables both short keyhole joint surgery and longer more complicated surgeries like fracture repair and colic surgery. The hospital has a large number of diagnostic tools such as digital x-ray, endoscopy and ultrasound scanning, as well as a nursing area to monitor critical patients in an intensive care area.

Currently, there are enough boxes to accommodate 15 horses, with another barn in the pipeline. Four veterinary surgeons, of which two are Board Certified Equine Surgeons, are presently working in the hospital, assisted by three veterinary nurses, two barn staff and a full time administrative secretary. There is 24-hour cover provided for the hospital with several vets and a nurse living on site to provide the best possible care.

We wish John Halley and his team all the best with their exciting new venture.

Fethard Day Care Centre AGM
The Fethard & District Day Care Centre will hold their Annual General Meeting on Thursday 29th March at 8pm in the Tirry Community Centre.

Fethard & Killusty Community Lotto
The numbers drawn on Wednesday 21st March were 4, 12, 21 and 29. We had no Jackpot winner and one ‘Match 3’ winners who received €150:

Sheila Dalton, Rathroe, Killenaule.

The three €50 Lucky Dip winners were:

Willie Fitzpatrick, c/o Esther Breen, Fethard;
Emma Lyons, Coolmoyne, Fethard;
Philomena Morrissey, St. Patricks Place, Fethard.

Next weeks Jackpot is €10,000 and the Jackpot sellers prize is €1,000.

Moyglass crowned champions
Congratulations to Moyglass United Football Club on being crowned League Division 2 champions for the first time in their history. This is the second trophy for the season having already collected the Division 2 title for their youth team.

The club would like to thank everybody for the special effort during the season and a special thank you is extended to Martin Power, Jim Costigan and Thomond O’Meara for the use of their machinery for pitch maintenance. We wish good luck to both teams in Division 1 next year.

Confidential Canvas
Artwork is required for a fund-raising art exhibition in aid of Holy Trinity Church of Ireland. We would love to have your pieces before 10th June 2007. Please contact Judy Butler for further details at Tel: (052) 31272.

Fethard Foróige Club
Congratulations to the new Fethard Foróige Club officers elected at a recent meeting. The incoming officers are: Orla Lawrence (Chairperson), Mary Jane Kearney (Secretary), Amanda Ryan (PRO) and Emma Fleming (Treasurer).

Members please note that due to Easter holidays, the next meeting of Fethard Foróige Club will take place on 13th April in the ICA Hall at 7pm. News members are more than welcome to come along.

Volleyball Teams reach All-Ireland Qualifiers
Congratulations to the boys and girls volleyball teams from Patrician Presentation Secondary School who have both qualified for the All-Ireland play-offs. The girls team play on this coming Thursday in Callan and the boys play in Loughrea after Easter. Best of luck to both teams

Fethard GAA Club News
Intermediate Hurling County League commences this Sunday, 1st April, with an away game to Clonakenny at 1pm. With five points already, our next game in the County Senior Football League is away to Carrick Swans on Easter weekend.

All are welcome on this Friday night, 30th March, to the Fethard Arms at 9pm for the medal presentation honouring the Killusty County Junior Football Team of 1956. We also wish all our County Board Draw members the very best of luck in the Final Draws of 2006-2007 on this Friday 30th March. The new draw starting in May. Don’t forget Club Membership is now due, Adults €25 and Juveniles €15.

The Lotto Jackpot €4,200 was not won. The numbers drawn were 6, 13, 14 and 21. We had one match three winner of €150, to Bridget Ryan (Loughcopple, Fethard). The €50 Lucky Dip winner was Majella Drea (Cedar Grove, Fethard). Thanks to Harrington Developments for supplying the tickets.

Patrician Presentation Secondary School News

Romeo and Juliet with a difference
With only weeks to go until the exams, Cork Opera House finally afforded our junior cert English students a chance to see Romeo and Juliet performed live on stage. This was Romeo and Juliet with a difference! Performed by just five actors playing all the parts and with a ‘wild west’ setting, this version of the classic pokes fun at the text, though not totally. While the original text is retained and the tragic conclusion remained, it was the type of Shakespeare most students of this age like to see: enjoyable, understandable and fun. After a very pleasant 90 minutes we had lunch in Cork and one hours shopping before meeting the ‘Gus Bus’ for the trip home.

Geographical Investigation at the Coast
This year’s geographical investigation took us to the ‘Copper Coast’ in County Waterford. Armed with surveying equipment of all types, we set out for Bonmahon and from there on to Tramore to measure and record the rates of deposition and longshore drift along this section of Ireland’ southern coastline. The required tasks included field sketching, beach profile measurement, fabric analysis, wave frequency and height measurement, and rock sample collection. Thankfully the weather was good and all groups completed the tasks successfully. There was even time for a ‘kick around’ with a football on Bonmahon beach, the discovery of an unidentified blowhole and some spectacular acrobatics on the Marram grass before we finally stopped for food at Tramore. Thanks to Mrs Broderick and the students involved for their hard work.

Students help with Daffodil Day
A lovely spring day with the sun shinning gloriously on our fair daffodils, sow a group of our students acting as volunteers on the 20th anniversary of Daffodil Day – Lory Kenny, Declan Doyle, Alan O’Connor and Kevin Maher of 5th year, and international exchange students, Franzi Fritz from Germany and Ricardo Caiazzo from Italy. The group was monitored by Suzie O’Shea, Fethard Youth Project, and Barry Connolly. The ladies of Coolmore organised the presentation of daffodils. “Fair Daffodils, we weep to see you fade away so soon . . .” By 1.30pm not a daffodil was left but the collection target of  €1,000 had well been exceeded. Well done to all involved.

French Theatre
The French Theatre Group presented Le Porte-bonheur in the school on Wednesday last. It was enjoyed by all the students from 2nd year to 5th year. Nine pupils from the school joined the French cast for the performance and the following got the opportunity to show-off their French accents: Michael Fitzgerald, Kevin Hayes, Stephen Brady, Laura Rice, Aisling Dwyer, Chloe Gough, Sarah Hayes, Kieran Ryan and Darragh Dwyer.

Spring Biology Outing
On Monday last 3rd year science pupils and the 5th year biology class took part in a biology field trip to Fota Island in Cork. They were accompanied by their science teachers, Mr Noel Maher and Mr Michael O’Gorman. The trip took place in excellent weather.

Reconciliation for Easter
All students in the secondary school will have the opportunity to attend the Sacrament of Reconciliation during this week. Senior students will go to the Convent Chapel on Wednesday and Thursday am, where the Service of Reconciliation will be conducted by Fr Gerry Horan OSA. The school appreciates the opportunity to attend the Convent Chapel and we thank the Presentation Sisters. All junior students will go to the Parish Church on Thursday am, where Fr Tom Breen P.P. will preside. We look forward to the events of Holy Week and pray we are ready to share in the joy of the Lord’s Resurrection.

Happy Easter
We wish the staff members of the school, pupils and their parents a very happy Easter.