Members of the Fitzgerald family from St. Patrick's Place, Fethard, who came together to celebrate their brother, Paddy's, 70th birthday held on Saturday 21st May. L to R: Michael, Dick, Biddy, Tony, Paddy, Ollie, Mary and Jimmy. Dick Sheehan photographed with family members on the occasion of his 60th Birthday Surprise Party. L to R: Dan Sheehan, Ann (Sheehan) Baker, Dick Sheehan, Bridget (Sheehan) Mann, Johnny Sheehan and Michael Sheehan. FETHARD & KILLUSTY NEWSLETTER 2005 Dedicated to our friends and relations living away from home Copyright © 2005 Published by the Fethard & Killusty Emigrants’ Newsletter ISSN 1393-2721 WWW.FETHARD.COM Layout and design by Joe Kenny, Rocklow Road, Fethard Printed by Modern Printers Kilkenny Cover: Fethard Ballroom & Town Wall — St. Stephen’s Day 2004 All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any informa- tion storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author. FETHARD & KILLUSTY NEWSLETTER 2005 Table of contents 29 Seconds . 113 Footprints & Recollections . 55 A black feathered problem . 149 Greetings from Killusty N.S . 52 A Railway Tale . 17 Houselessness or homelessness . 84 Abbey 700 Anniversary Celebrations! . .7 Into Africa . 20 Abbey Greetings . 7 Irish Girl Guides . 150 Abymill Theatre . 117 Jim Murray — musician extraordinaire - 148 A letter from Ring College . 189 Jimmy does it again! . 139 All work and no play . 42 John Joe’s Corner . 126 Arts award for Austy in the Abymill . 95 Juvenile GAA Club . .132 Badgers — soccer for the over 30s . 41 Killusty Open Sheep Dog Trials . 32 Beneath the spreading chestnut tree . .143 Killusty Pony Show . 181 Bigger and hopefully better! . .5 Killusty Soccer Club . 64 Brain Freeze! . 39 Ladies Football Club . 142 Church of Ireland News . 7 Last wish to return made possible . 140 Civil Defence . 53 Lonergans’ Pub — the end of an era . 173 Community education in Fethard . .141 Marriages . 184 Contact Details . 16 Nano Nagle National School . 108 Deaths in the parish . 182 On a recent visit to Fethard . 33 Do You Remember 1970? . 66 Our dear departed 2005 . 183 Donations Received 2005 . 186 Parish greetings . 6 Easter Monday 1830 . 65 Patrician Presentation School . 44 Fethard & District Credit Union . 25 Red Haired Angel! . 121 Fethard & District Day Care Centre . 159 Richard ‘Grawn’ Power . 166 Fethard & Killusty Community Council . 154 School Matters . 96 Fethard & Killusty Community Games . 88 Slieve na mBan Holy Year Cross 2005 . 105 Fethard & Killusty London Reunion . 180 Society of St. Vincent de Paul . .149 Fethard And Killusty Anglers . 138 Someone thinks of you tonight . .125 Fethard Ballroom celebrate 12 years . 178 South Tipperary Irish Farmers Assoc . .102 Fethard Boys Scouts . 118 St. Patrick’s Boys’ National School . 111 Fethard Bridge Club . 37 St. Rita’s Camogie Club . 142 Fethard Community Scheme . .161 Still Life . .143 Fethard Community Sportsfield . 92 Table of contents . 4 Fethard GAA Club . 136 The Augustinian Abbey . 120 Fethard Historical Society . 54 The Fall of Cramp’s Castle! . 31 Fethard ICA Guild . 83 The Shannon Scheme . 26 Fethard Legion of Mary . 15 Tin Helmet . 168 Fethard Open Coursing Club . .162 Uncle Pete . 131 Fethard Players . 118 War Service Medals . 168 Fethard Senior Citizen’s Club . 38 Wokachika rock’n’roll . 145 Fethard Tidy Towns . 164 Woodvale Walk Residents’ Assoc . 151 First Steps Playgroup . 25 Ypres Revisited . 128 4 2005 FETHARD & KILLUSTY NEWSLETTER Bigger and hopefully better! by Joe Kenny (editor) ast year our publication got a we’ve included a lot of current photo- Llittle too heavy for its stamp and graphs mixed with a selection of old as many of you may have noticed, we ones from our files. A variety, we exceeded our allowed weight, which hope, to suit all our readers, young resulted in us getting a hefty bill for and old. excess postage from An Post. This As usual, we depend on your annu- was the result of the new ‘zero-toler- al donations to continue sending ance’ electronic weighing machines copies, free of charge, to over 1,000 used in the sorting office at emigrants throughout the world. Portlaoise. This year we’re respond- With the increased cost of postage ing in a positive manner by making and printing, we are now looking for this issue bigger and better. We hope sponsors to cover postage costs for you like it. each of the four postal areas as The past year has seen a lot of defined by An Post: Ireland, Britain, changes, and as my generation of Europe and Rest of the World. friends gracefully slide past the big Please contact us for details if you ‘five-o’, we’re very aware of the adults are interested. of our youth slowly slipping away as I would like to thank Sarah Murphy well. The Augustinian Abbey remem- for typing, up to days before the birth bered many of our past friends dur- of her first baby, Kate, in September. ing the month of November with a Congratulations Sarah and Vinny, I’m display of photographs in the abbey sure you’re getting some sleep at this church. A lovely touch for the month stage! Thanks to Carmel Rice who of the Holy Souls. keeps track of correspondence and In these days of information tech- donations every year; Brendan Kenny nology, it is very encouraging to see for distribution; Gemma Burke for the large number of emigrants, and proofreading, and Michael Hall, Kyle, their relatives, using the internet to Drangan, for keeping me supplied research their Fethard relatives. The with archived newspaper articles numbers visiting Fethard website relating to Fethard, more of which will (www.fethard.com) average over 600 be published in future issues. per day. One of the positive results of I would also like to thank all who gathering news for the website is that submit articles and photographs; we now also have a weekly page of those who subscribed to our church news published in the Nationalist gate collection, and a special thanks newspaper. With this constant to all those who make annual dona- demand for making / finding news, tions, from home and away, which we’re spoilt for choice for material to help make the publishing of this include in this publication. This year newsletter possible. > 5 FETHARD & KILLUSTY NEWSLETTER 2005 Parish greetings nother year has gone by. In love to all our lives. Alooking back at 2005 — Pope We congratulate the Augustinians John Paul II — was there ever a death on their 700 Year Celebrations; Fr. so public, so powerfully inspiring? Gerry on his election to Provincial; Our new spiritual leader’s election — Fr. Peter Haughey on his return as Pope Benedict XVI — and the awe- Prior; and we wish Fr. Malachy every some liturgical ceremony by which success in Limerick. he began his pastoral ministry. These To all the readers of the Newsletter, unique occasions brought the at home and abroad, we wish you Gospel of Jesus to centre stage in a every happiness and peace for this way that invites a response from us. Christmas and that the New Year will Sadly too in 2005, Catholics fill you with a new hope and a joy throughout Ireland have been that will truly help you to experience shocked and hurt by the child sexual Christ in a special way for the year abuse scandals involving priests and ahead. religious. We express our sorrow and We are truly grateful to the people sadness that such incidents have of Fethard and Killusty for their faith occurred and we apologise to all and support over the past year. May who have suffered. We must also the Lord bless and protect you look to the future and, in doing so, always. > we seek the guidance of the Spirit to bring peace, justice, forgiveness and Canon James Power and Fr. Tom Breen P.P. Fr. Tom Breen P.P. and Rev. George Knowd photographed in Fethard 6 2005 FETHARD & KILLUSTY NEWSLETTER Church of Ireland News estoration work is ongoing at flower arrangements were beautiful RHoly Trinity Church, Fethard. and the teas served delicious. On Wednesday, 24th November 2004, We are very grateful to the flower a funeral service was held for clubs who gave their time and work Wyndam Matthew Hughes. To his generously, also the ladies who gave mother, girlfriend and many friends cakes and worked hard to make the we send our sincere sympathy. three days so succesful. On Sunday Our annual Carol Service was held the people who set up their stalls at Christmas. It was very well attend- showed us what an amazing amount ed and the collection went to Meals of talent there is in the area. Again on Wheels. A Flower Festival was we thank everyone for supporting held from 22nd to 24th July. The the Flower Festival. > Abbey Greetings fter sixteen years of "exile" you will be pleased to know you Afrom Fethard, it is good for me were not forgotten at the special to be back here again and to send Masses said at various times during warm Christmas greeting from the the past year. priests in the Abbey to all our exiles. Fathers John Meagher, Gerry You probably heard from home Horan and Timmy Walsh join me in that 2005 has been a special year for praying that the Holy Child will bless us in the Abbey. The Augustinians all of you this Christmas with good first came to Fethard 700 years ago in health, happiness and peace of 1305. I was impressed by the scale of mind, and grant you success in all the celebrations held to mark this your undertakings in 2006.