Sad Passing
Sad news for the Doyle family in the New Year when Patricia “Trish” Dujic passed away after a brief illness. Having lived in Germany for the past forty years, Trish maintained close family links and regularly travelled home; aged in her early sixties, Trish celebrated her 60th birthday with family and friends in the local Resource Centre and had only retired last April. She was an avid reader and had travelled around the world but will be remembered affectionately for her warmth and chatty personality and the interest she held in her home town. The youngest of her family, Trish is survived by her son, John and grandchildren who will also be familiar to Ballymore folk and her sisters Joan, Ann, Claire, Gay and Kathleen, having been predeceased by her brother Jimmy. I will have to say that the Doyle sisters or “The Aunties” as we affectionately call them are always great company at family parties and I personally am saddened that one link in the chain has departed - may she rest in peace, amen

Roll out the Red Carpet!!

It is time for the Ballymore person of the Year Awards 2008. At 8 p.m. on Saturday 2nd February we will have Ballymore’s equivalent of the Oscars. We had a great night last year, (it hardly seems like twelve months,) when from four very strong nominations Mary Campbell was honoured with the award. This year we again have strong nominations. Uniquely they comprise of three groups.

The Juvenile Committee of the G.A.A.

A look in any of the Bugle’s throughout the year would give a sense of the huge amount of work done in the village by this group of dedicated individuals. With over one hundred children training in the GAA Pavilion almost every month of the year they have made substantial progress in competition during 2007. The under 10’s under 11’s and under 12’s all preformed with distinction in their respective leagues last year. However as their motto “Children first, winning second” suggests the emphasis is on getting children involved. When you look at the array of teams from under 6, right the way through to, under 12, in both football and hurling and even a girl’s only team to enter the league this year. They have some help from parents but are always on the look out for more as the numbers will definitely grow in the next few years. For the training, for the games, the summer camp, and the discos and for all their effort and dedication with the children of the parish, they are readily deserving of this nomination. The Juvenile GAA committee, most of you with children will know them and if you don’t, they are:
Eoin Barrett, Chairman, Martin Kelleher, Secretary, John McCarville, Treasurer, Mick Byrne. P.R.O and Steve Deegan, Henry Murphy, Frank Murphy, Simon Murphy, Mick Horan, Noel Thompson, Johnny Murphy, ,Paul Murphy and Dermot Waters.

Fashion Show Group 5th Class Scoil Mhuire.
In these days of the bad press that young people receive in the media both local and national and heartening to hear of, what is probably the good news story of the year in Ballymore. Five students in 5th Class Scoil Mhuire organised, produced and directed a brilliant Fashion Show in the Resource Centre. Mairead Byrne, Ciara Langan, Lauryn McNamara, Fionnuala O’Connor and Kiva Sammon raised in excess of €2500 with the show and a sale of work. It has to be stressed that they did everything associated with the event themselves. Wardrobe. Sound, Music, and all the procurement of raffle prizes and goods. A raft of nominations came in for this group of young entrepreneurs. Well done for the work, and indeed the money raised for Breast cancer Awareness. They were also commended for their work and diligence in the school as well as their participation in the activities of the Church.




FAS Community Employment Scheme Workers.

This nomination is as we got it and needs little addition;
We would like to nominate the FAS Workers for the Ballymore person of the Year Award. Martin Deegan, Tommy Barker and Frankie Burke have done Trojan work over the years to make the village presentable and eligible for entry into the Tidy towns Competition.
Tommy Barker has been a FAS Worker intermittently since 1994, Martin since 1999 and Frankie since 2004. They have improved the village through their dedication and work. Cutting grass around the village, their work on the River Walk and taking care of the two cemeteries. This year they painted the derelict houses, which added greatly to the overall marks in Tidy Towns Competition.
This trio do the work of the non-existent County council worker. There has been no one appointed since the late Pat Deegan. So the boys do this work even though they were not asked to do it. They also helped out with the setting up of the Punchestown Festival and the stewarding of the events when it was in vogue. They did not have to do so and were out again at six in the morning cleaning up the debris after the night before.
They were also involved in a number of other projects over the years (too many to mention.)
They are the unsung heroes of the village who most people take for granted.
They deserve to be nominated for the Person of the Year and we look forward to them getting the recognition they so rightly deserve.
The community Employment scheme Workers of FAS Martin Deegan, Tommy Barker and Frankie Burke.

So that’s the three nominations. You know them all. Coe along to the resource Centre on Saturday February 2nd at 8 p.m. to acknowledge and congratulate all the nominees.

TR