Ballymore Ladies GFC
Training
With the League looking like it will start in early March, the Ladies needed to get back quickly to their training. Unfortunately the weather has impacted on training with the first 2 Monday's cancelled due to the pitch being under the cover of snow. However Wednesday's training in the bandhall has more than made up for it as I think most of the team would agree! Thanks to all who have been involved in organising the circuit training. It has been entertaining and enjoyable and there is no doubt a very effective way of improving fitness. However we might invest in an accurate stop watch for next year as this years time keeper's have a very long minute! We will also have the whole team, management included, doing the boxer's skip by next year. It will not be quite as amusing then Simon and Joe!
Training continues on Mondays at the pitch and Wednesday in the Band Hall. Don’t forget to be on the pitch and ready to go at 7.30! We are always looking to recruit new players so if you are interested please come along.
Happy Birthday
Happy 50th Birthday to our club chairperson Jacinta O’Rourke from all the Ladies!
Awards Night 2009
The Awards Night to celebrate the Junior D Championship win and recognise the contribution of certain members during the 2008 season will go ahead in The Thatch on Saturday 7th March. Look out for posters for details!
People of The Year Awards
Ballymore Ladies were nominated for Ballymore’s 2009 People of The Year Awards which too place on Saturday 7th February. The Ladies would like to thank the person who nominated them and the Awards committee for the honour and the lovely evening.
We would also like to congratulate the other nominees and Tommy Dwyer on his well deserved win.
Welly Match
The Welly Match planned for 7th March has been postponed. It is hoped that this event will go ahead later in the year so keep an eye on the Bugle for dates.
Fundraising Events
Ballymore Ladies “Last Man Standing” Premiership Competition
Pick a winning team each week from the Premiership League weekend games to avoid being knocked out of the competition
Competition starts 21st Feb 09
Register with a member of the Ladies team and the last person remaining in the competition wins €500 and only €10 to enter
If anyone has any fundraising ideas or would like to keep updated on our fundraising events please email ballymoreladiesgaafunds@yahoo.co.uk.
Juvenile AGM
There was a good turn out from the Ladies at the Juveniles AGM. The fundraising committee have proposed a “jump for the juveniles” fundraiser which would hopefully see volunteers bungee jump to raise money for the upcoming feile. There will be a volunteer representing the Ladies GAA, a volunteer representing the Juveniles GAA, and hopefully they can get a volunteer to represent the Mens GAA. Names to be announced soon!!!
As part of the fundraising committee, Dawn Murray and Lesley Tutty have also joined the Juvenile’s committee as representatives of the Ladies GAA.
Lesley Tutty’s Progress with The Kildare Panel
The Kildare panel played St Pats College in Johnstownbridge on January 21st in very wet conditions. The game took the usual form of 4x20mins segments, with Lesley playing 30 minutes. Players were expected to train while they were off the pitch in order to keep warm in the teeming rain. (Kildare won)
The Panel was split in 2 for the games on Jan 24th. Due to recent weather conditions and many pitches being unplayable, these games were played on the astro turf pitch in Thomas Davis GAA club Tallaght. The first game was against her ‘native’ Wicklow at 5pm, where Kildare ran out the winners (8-5 to 2-12). Lesley played 70 out of the 80 mins in this game. The 2nd game saw Kildare take on Armagh at 6.30pm with Armagh getting the better of Kildare.
Sunday Jan 31st saw one team take on all Ireland champions Cork in the national league while the other team played Carlow in Tinryland. Cork beat Kildare well in the end. Lesley played against Carlow and they won 2-12 to 3 points.
Kildare Ladies County Draw
The Ladies are selling tickets on behalf of the County Board. The tickets are €10 each – this entitles you to a ‘Kildare Ladies 2009 member’ sticker and entry into a draw with cash prizes. Please contact any of the Ladies team if you are interested in purchasing a ticket.
Thank You
Thanks to EBS Citywest for refilling the medical bag for 2009 and thanks to Brendan Coady (Kilkenny) for the donation of new water bottles. All support is greatly appreciated.
And thanks to Lesley Tutty for providing us with all the info for this month’s Bugle!
Deirdre & Sharon
Ballymore Ladies GFC PROs
Ballymore Eustace Proud Handball Record – Part 9
The Winder Brothers
The Winder brothers – Paddy, Robin, Cecil and Pius - have collected a total of nineteen All-Ireland medals - Pius has won ten, Cecil six, the late Robin two and the late Paddy one. To add to this impressive record Pius' son Trevor has won six. The family has thus accumulated a grand total of 25 All-Ireland medals, which is a truly remarkable achievement for one family!
Robin Winder was the first of four Winder brothers to win an All-Ireland medal when he won a minor hard doubles medal in 1958. Nine years later, Robin teamed up with Greg Lawler to win the junior hard doubles title. Robin was a sound, reliable doubles player who had a great straight "kill".
Paddy Winder won an All Ireland medal in 1959 when in partnership with Tony Daly they won the junior hard doubles title in a great match against the Cleere Brothers of Tipperary. Paddy contested senior hard doubles finals in 1960, 1961, 1963 and 1967. Despite playing well he was unsuccessful in each of the four finals. He was a fine two-handed player with a powerful service.
Ceci1 Winder was the third member of his family to win All-Ireland honours and was adept at the three forms of handball. Cecil showed great determination in all his matches and usually he pulled out a little bit extra to win. During his career he had many fine games one, which springs readily to mind, was a five game match against
"Handball Great" Joey Maher of Louth in senior hard singles. While he had another great game in the local senior soft singles trials against Tom O'Rourke when Cecil lost narrowly to Tom. As already indicated Cecil won 6 All-Ireland medals 4 of which were at senior level where he won 1 singles and 3 doubles medals. Cecil's achievements place him in the top echelon of our many champions and these successes were supplemented by wins in the Convention Cup and many open tournament successes.
Pius Winder was the fourth Winder brother to achieve All-Ireland success. Pius was our first player to win All-Ireland medals in two forms of handball when he won the senior hard doubles title in 1981 and he improved on that in 1982 when he became our first player to win All-Ireland medals in all three forms of handball including that year's 40 by 20 Inter-Club Open Team championship. All together Pius won ten All-Ireland medals six of which were at senior level. Pius was the first Kildare player to win two senior titles in the same year and in addition he is the only Kildare player to win three senior All-Ireland hard doubles medals in a row.
Pius was a fine stylish two-handed player who showed great dedication to training. His finest performance was perhaps his game against the Ryan brothers of Tipperary in the senior hard doubles All-Ireland final of 1981. He played brilliantly throughout the match to win his first All-Ireland senior medal. He had another great game in the 1983 All Ireland senior hard singles semi-final against one of "Hardball's Greats" Peter McGee (Mayo), in which Pius conceding home venue was narrowly beaten. On the administrative side Pius organised a number of handball and racquetball tournaments and served on the Committee for a number of years and in addition he held the key of the lights and collected the money.
Pius' son, Trevor Winder, came to prominence in 1988 when he became our first player to win an All-Ireland under 13 soft singles title. Two years later he became our first player to win an All-Ireland under 15 soft singles title. Minor hard singles honours came his way in 1992 – this, in the late Paddy Monaghan's opinion, was Trevor's most outstanding performance. In 1995, while he was still only 20 years of age, he became a senior when he partnered Anthony Campbell to success in junior hard doubles. His greatest achievement came in 1996 when he became our first player to win All-Ireland under 21 soft singles and doubles medals in the same year and, for good measure, he was our first player to win the under 21 soft singles title.
An earlier generation of the Winder family, namely "the Liner" and his brother Paddy, had been to the forefront in the early days of Ballymore Eustace's handball story and were highly thought of by old time handball fans.
© Matt Purcell (January 2009).
Sunday, April 19, 2009
BALLYMORE EUSTACE JUVENILE BADMINTON CLUB
*SUPERVISORS REQUIRED*
EVERY THURSDAY
3 to 4pm
4 to 5pm
5 to 6pm
6 to 7pm
7 to 8.30pm
With over 70 members attending each week at the Band Hall, and as the club moves forward, we ask please for your time:
No experience required
Sense of Humour Recommended!
ADULT BADMINTON
Every Thursday from 8.30pm at the b
Band Hall.
No membership fee – Arrive and play
Beginners welcome
Enq. 0877557332
UNDER 18’s FRIENDLY
The Under 18s at the club will play friendly matches against Kilcullen, Naas & Ryston (Newbridge) in the coming weeks and as great progress has been shown by all on the team we can look forward to some very exciting matches!
Best of luck to all.
COMMUNITY GAMES
A new venture for the under 15s at the club with news of our first competitive match in the “Community Games” at Confey on Sunday 24th January 2009. With over 60 members of our club being “under 15” it was going to be hard to pick just 6 players and 4 subs to represent our club. To the very many members who did not get there we remind you: “keep trying, keep improving and keep enjoying the game!! Your chance will come in time”. To the team who made it to Confey “You done us very proud! You all played your very best and the games will be well remembered”!
(FULL DETAILS BELOW)
BALLYMORE EUSTACE JUVENILE BADMINTON CLUB
The community games Badminton consists of 5 matches – Each match consists of “Best of three games to 21 points” (unlike previous years where one side must hold serve to score points, the rules were changed to “speed up” games and now each time the shuttle hits the floor – a point is awarded) All games played at Confey on January 24th were fast and hard fought for. With long rallies and great skill, it was enjoyable for all and many lessons were learned. The scores were close and in complete honesty all five matches could have gone either way. Many of the games went to 17 – 17 and thrilling tie breaks at 20 -20 *(side must win by 2 points). The players never gave up and played the very best they could give. Proud family members Noelle, Henry, Stephen, Lorraine, Vinnie, Emma, & Catherine were there to enjoy, and enjoy they did!!
Trish, Jarlath, Eabha and Katie (future badminton star too!) also supported our first competition.
Confey is a large hall with 4 full courts to play on, our opponents were friendly and fair in all matches. We all enjoyed it thank them and wish them ever success in the final.
Boys Doubles Patrick Langan 21 – 17 Confey
Harry Murphy 21 – 9 Confey Confey 1 Bme 0
Girls Doubles Amy Kelly 21 -13 Confey
Joanna Burke Hayes 21 – 17 Confey Confey 2 Bme 0
1st Mixed Lucy Field 24 -22 Bme
Ryan Wilson Black 21 -12 Bme Confey 2 Bme1
2nd Mixed Amy Kelly 23-21 Confey Confey 2 Bme2
Harry Murphy 21 -9 Bme
22-20 Bme
3rd Mixed Joanna Burke Hayes 21 – 19 Confey
Patrick Langan 21 -18 Confey Confey3 Bme2
The Six players and “patient” sub Enda Stewart Byrne received a bronze medal for coming third in our first community games. Well done to all for a great display of games and great team spirit.
on passing by- again
What exactly are the petrol companies at? To the best of my knowledge the price of a barrel of oil has been holding remarkably steady for the last number of weeks and yet petrol prices at the pumps are showing an almost daily rise. One garage I pass frequently was selling unleaded for 90.9 cents a litre three weeks ago and today they are charging 104.9 a litre. That’s a fifteen per cent rise in three weeks. According to the National Consumer Agency garage prices are not in any way controlled and the Governments strategy is to allow the open market to apply competition to keep prices down. If this is the case then it is hard not to believe that some sort of cartel arrangement is in place because there is almost no difference in prices between garages in certain areas. Allowing the market to set the price is all very well if real competition is taking place but this looks just like good old fashioned profiteering to me.
Another week of Government statistics to gladden the heart. Is there no end to the bad news? I thought it was bad enough when Brian Cowen admitted that he hadn’t even bothered to read the Lisbon Treaty but the revelation that Brian Lenihan could spend megabucks on a report on the banks from PricewaterhouseCoopers and then not read it is staggering. Not only did he not read it but his officials, who apparently did read it, could not be bothered to tell him about large sums going in and out of Anglo Irish before their annual audit. This was not in the reports remit but PWC thought it sufficiently important to put it in the report anyway. And then it is ignored? Why would anyone waste one and a half billion of taxpayers’ money on a bank that was obviously going down the tubes without seeking out the best advice and heeding it? It seems to me that senior officials in the Department of Finance feel that they can run the whole show without reference to their Minister or anyone else.
Then again there almost seems to be an incentive to run something badly. Our recent Financial Regulator, Pat Neary, presided over an unprecedented lending flurry by the banks. Profit, or perceived profit, came before all. Diligence, care and commonsense were all thrown out the window and yet Mr Neary sat on his hands and held his counsel. Things that the rest of us would think scandalous were all known to the regulator but he thought better of telling anyone about them, especially the Government. In another jurisdiction this would have led to him being shown the door but what happens here? Not only is he given a golden handshake of four hundred and twenty eight thousand euro, but he also gets a lump sum of two hundred thousand for agreeing to retire early. Just to really rub our noses in it he is also in line for a pension of one hundred and forty two thousand. Imagine a pension that’s almost four times the national average wage. If this is the reward for helping to screw up the economy is it any wonder these people seem to have no incentive to do the jobs they are appointed to do. And if you are waiting for anyone in Government to moan about this kind of payoff don’t hold your breath. Why upset the apple cart when you might be in line for the same kind of largesse. Despite the public wringing of hands they all seem to be in it for what they can get. Witness Labours Brendan Howlin doing the right thing. Despite his decades in the Dail he has now decided that he should resign his teacher’s job. He doesn’t feel he has done anything wrong by holding on to the job for over twenty years. He was entitled to it and he did not receive his teacher’s salary while striding the corridors of power. So why hold on to the job? Because there is a pension, which has been building up nicely for all the years he was missing from the classroom. This will add to the twenty thousand pension he already receives as a former Minister for the Environment. These together will be joined by his T.D.s pension when he eventually retires, at which point he will also receive a nice little lump sum. But lets not begrudge him the few shillings. He probably deserves it all for being part of a political system which has gotten us to where we are.
Another perk of politicians is the way they can reward good service or even friendship. Take a former Secretary General in the Department of Foreign Affairs, Dermot Gallagher. Mr Gallagher is a longstanding friend of Minister Dermot Ahern. Mr Ahern as you will remember served a number of years as Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Mr Gallagher recently retired, with the obligatory lump sum and a nice little pension of two and a half grand a week. However he has now been brought out of retirement and appointed as the new chairman of the Garda Ombudsmans Commission, at a salary reputed to be over one hundred and fifty thousand euro. And who appointed him. Surprise surprise none other than Minister Ahern. I am not saying Mr Gallagher won’t make a fine Chairman, or that he is unqualified for the job, but in my opinion the whole thing stinks to high heaven. What is more annoying is that Mr Ahern has brushed aside concerns of public disquiet by declaring that its his business who he appoints and no one else’s. Sound familiar?
This continuing saga of apparent cronyism is even harder to take when Ministers are telling us we face into an uncertain future and will all have to tighten our belts. They are the people who were on watch as the banks and certain developers were robbing the country blind to satisfy their greed for profit and ego and yet it is now the ordinary worker who is expected to pick up the tab.
I know the recent hike in pension contributions for public servants was seen by them as the thin end of the wedge, and I believe that some sort of ceiling should have been introduced to protect those on the lower salaries but they have to remember that for the most part they have a guaranteed job for life and a state ( i.e. taxpayer ) guaranteed index linked pension. These are not entitlements that most workers in the private sector enjoy. At the present time most private sector workers would settle for just holding on to their jobs and worry about the pension later. Notwithstanding that, the Minister for Finance could increase his coffers by taking a sharp knife to the salaries of the nine thousand plus public servants who, as well as the benefits, enjoy a salary of over one hundred thousand per annum. Even a ten percent cut would give him almost another billion to squander.
All for now. Mike Edmonds. Feb 09.
*SUPERVISORS REQUIRED*
EVERY THURSDAY
3 to 4pm
4 to 5pm
5 to 6pm
6 to 7pm
7 to 8.30pm
With over 70 members attending each week at the Band Hall, and as the club moves forward, we ask please for your time:
No experience required
Sense of Humour Recommended!
ADULT BADMINTON
Every Thursday from 8.30pm at the b
Band Hall.
No membership fee – Arrive and play
Beginners welcome
Enq. 0877557332
UNDER 18’s FRIENDLY
The Under 18s at the club will play friendly matches against Kilcullen, Naas & Ryston (Newbridge) in the coming weeks and as great progress has been shown by all on the team we can look forward to some very exciting matches!
Best of luck to all.
COMMUNITY GAMES
A new venture for the under 15s at the club with news of our first competitive match in the “Community Games” at Confey on Sunday 24th January 2009. With over 60 members of our club being “under 15” it was going to be hard to pick just 6 players and 4 subs to represent our club. To the very many members who did not get there we remind you: “keep trying, keep improving and keep enjoying the game!! Your chance will come in time”. To the team who made it to Confey “You done us very proud! You all played your very best and the games will be well remembered”!
(FULL DETAILS BELOW)
BALLYMORE EUSTACE JUVENILE BADMINTON CLUB
The community games Badminton consists of 5 matches – Each match consists of “Best of three games to 21 points” (unlike previous years where one side must hold serve to score points, the rules were changed to “speed up” games and now each time the shuttle hits the floor – a point is awarded) All games played at Confey on January 24th were fast and hard fought for. With long rallies and great skill, it was enjoyable for all and many lessons were learned. The scores were close and in complete honesty all five matches could have gone either way. Many of the games went to 17 – 17 and thrilling tie breaks at 20 -20 *(side must win by 2 points). The players never gave up and played the very best they could give. Proud family members Noelle, Henry, Stephen, Lorraine, Vinnie, Emma, & Catherine were there to enjoy, and enjoy they did!!
Trish, Jarlath, Eabha and Katie (future badminton star too!) also supported our first competition.
Confey is a large hall with 4 full courts to play on, our opponents were friendly and fair in all matches. We all enjoyed it thank them and wish them ever success in the final.
Boys Doubles Patrick Langan 21 – 17 Confey
Harry Murphy 21 – 9 Confey Confey 1 Bme 0
Girls Doubles Amy Kelly 21 -13 Confey
Joanna Burke Hayes 21 – 17 Confey Confey 2 Bme 0
1st Mixed Lucy Field 24 -22 Bme
Ryan Wilson Black 21 -12 Bme Confey 2 Bme1
2nd Mixed Amy Kelly 23-21 Confey Confey 2 Bme2
Harry Murphy 21 -9 Bme
22-20 Bme
3rd Mixed Joanna Burke Hayes 21 – 19 Confey
Patrick Langan 21 -18 Confey Confey3 Bme2
The Six players and “patient” sub Enda Stewart Byrne received a bronze medal for coming third in our first community games. Well done to all for a great display of games and great team spirit.
on passing by- again
What exactly are the petrol companies at? To the best of my knowledge the price of a barrel of oil has been holding remarkably steady for the last number of weeks and yet petrol prices at the pumps are showing an almost daily rise. One garage I pass frequently was selling unleaded for 90.9 cents a litre three weeks ago and today they are charging 104.9 a litre. That’s a fifteen per cent rise in three weeks. According to the National Consumer Agency garage prices are not in any way controlled and the Governments strategy is to allow the open market to apply competition to keep prices down. If this is the case then it is hard not to believe that some sort of cartel arrangement is in place because there is almost no difference in prices between garages in certain areas. Allowing the market to set the price is all very well if real competition is taking place but this looks just like good old fashioned profiteering to me.
Another week of Government statistics to gladden the heart. Is there no end to the bad news? I thought it was bad enough when Brian Cowen admitted that he hadn’t even bothered to read the Lisbon Treaty but the revelation that Brian Lenihan could spend megabucks on a report on the banks from PricewaterhouseCoopers and then not read it is staggering. Not only did he not read it but his officials, who apparently did read it, could not be bothered to tell him about large sums going in and out of Anglo Irish before their annual audit. This was not in the reports remit but PWC thought it sufficiently important to put it in the report anyway. And then it is ignored? Why would anyone waste one and a half billion of taxpayers’ money on a bank that was obviously going down the tubes without seeking out the best advice and heeding it? It seems to me that senior officials in the Department of Finance feel that they can run the whole show without reference to their Minister or anyone else.
Then again there almost seems to be an incentive to run something badly. Our recent Financial Regulator, Pat Neary, presided over an unprecedented lending flurry by the banks. Profit, or perceived profit, came before all. Diligence, care and commonsense were all thrown out the window and yet Mr Neary sat on his hands and held his counsel. Things that the rest of us would think scandalous were all known to the regulator but he thought better of telling anyone about them, especially the Government. In another jurisdiction this would have led to him being shown the door but what happens here? Not only is he given a golden handshake of four hundred and twenty eight thousand euro, but he also gets a lump sum of two hundred thousand for agreeing to retire early. Just to really rub our noses in it he is also in line for a pension of one hundred and forty two thousand. Imagine a pension that’s almost four times the national average wage. If this is the reward for helping to screw up the economy is it any wonder these people seem to have no incentive to do the jobs they are appointed to do. And if you are waiting for anyone in Government to moan about this kind of payoff don’t hold your breath. Why upset the apple cart when you might be in line for the same kind of largesse. Despite the public wringing of hands they all seem to be in it for what they can get. Witness Labours Brendan Howlin doing the right thing. Despite his decades in the Dail he has now decided that he should resign his teacher’s job. He doesn’t feel he has done anything wrong by holding on to the job for over twenty years. He was entitled to it and he did not receive his teacher’s salary while striding the corridors of power. So why hold on to the job? Because there is a pension, which has been building up nicely for all the years he was missing from the classroom. This will add to the twenty thousand pension he already receives as a former Minister for the Environment. These together will be joined by his T.D.s pension when he eventually retires, at which point he will also receive a nice little lump sum. But lets not begrudge him the few shillings. He probably deserves it all for being part of a political system which has gotten us to where we are.
Another perk of politicians is the way they can reward good service or even friendship. Take a former Secretary General in the Department of Foreign Affairs, Dermot Gallagher. Mr Gallagher is a longstanding friend of Minister Dermot Ahern. Mr Ahern as you will remember served a number of years as Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Mr Gallagher recently retired, with the obligatory lump sum and a nice little pension of two and a half grand a week. However he has now been brought out of retirement and appointed as the new chairman of the Garda Ombudsmans Commission, at a salary reputed to be over one hundred and fifty thousand euro. And who appointed him. Surprise surprise none other than Minister Ahern. I am not saying Mr Gallagher won’t make a fine Chairman, or that he is unqualified for the job, but in my opinion the whole thing stinks to high heaven. What is more annoying is that Mr Ahern has brushed aside concerns of public disquiet by declaring that its his business who he appoints and no one else’s. Sound familiar?
This continuing saga of apparent cronyism is even harder to take when Ministers are telling us we face into an uncertain future and will all have to tighten our belts. They are the people who were on watch as the banks and certain developers were robbing the country blind to satisfy their greed for profit and ego and yet it is now the ordinary worker who is expected to pick up the tab.
I know the recent hike in pension contributions for public servants was seen by them as the thin end of the wedge, and I believe that some sort of ceiling should have been introduced to protect those on the lower salaries but they have to remember that for the most part they have a guaranteed job for life and a state ( i.e. taxpayer ) guaranteed index linked pension. These are not entitlements that most workers in the private sector enjoy. At the present time most private sector workers would settle for just holding on to their jobs and worry about the pension later. Notwithstanding that, the Minister for Finance could increase his coffers by taking a sharp knife to the salaries of the nine thousand plus public servants who, as well as the benefits, enjoy a salary of over one hundred thousand per annum. Even a ten percent cut would give him almost another billion to squander.
All for now. Mike Edmonds. Feb 09.
Dear Deputy,
My children attend primary school at Scoil Mhuire, Ballymore Eustace. I am very concerned about the cuts in education introduced in the recent budget. These cuts will have several detrimental effects on primary school children.
· Increasing the pupil teacher ratio will mean teacher’s have less time to spend with individual children. If a child is having difficulty comprehending something it will be harder for the teacher to identify this and to spend time rectifying it. Children who do not ‘catch on’ to concepts immediately will be left behind. Pupils at Ballymore currently have a good record of academic achievement, facilitated by a low pupil teacher ratio. If this increases as planned in the budget standards of academic achievement will surely fall, thus limiting the options open to my children in the future.
· Children are benefitting from the new curriculum which includes group work. This helps children develop social as well as intellectual skills. Increases in class sizes will prevent teachers from carrying out this group work method effectively.
· Currently a mixed first and second class is the only split class, if the cuts are implemented more classes may be split. Children will suffer from this as they will not have the attention of the teacher all day as she/he tries to teach two different curricula in one day, perhaps even to widely differing age groups. Children preparing for First Communion or Confirmation will also suffer, as split classes leave less time for extra preparations.
· The loss of substitute cover for teachers, even for the first day of leave, is a concern for me as a parent. If pupils are sent home it will create an impossible work situation for parents. It also means that my children will miss a day of education that can never be recovered. If children are sent to other classes this will cause general disruption throughout the school.
· I am also concerned about the reduction in funding for additional services such as the Book Rental Scheme, the special education grant and IT funding. Without adequate books and IT facilities my children cannot achieve their full potential. The Government talks of Ireland becoming a ‘centre of educational excellence’. How can this happen when the foundation of our education structure, primary schools, are stepping back into the 1980’s instead of proudly into the 21st century.
· The reduction in psychological assessments is also a travesty. It affects both the children who need them and the children who must share a classroom with a child who causes disruption. Funding in this area for Ballymore has been halved, despite an increase in numbers. Delaying the diagnosis of behavioural problems results in greater costs for the individual child and those around him/her. This is a case of the Government being pennywise and pound foolish.
I am protesting these cuts as they are hurting the most vulnerable in our society, our children. As a parent I have an obligation to ensure the best for my children. The cuts outlined in the current Budget will reduce the quality of education my children receive. I look forward to hearing how you will combat these cuts and any future cuts in education spending that may be planned.
Signed,
Dear Parents,
We have put this letter together to try to reverse the education cuts introduced in the recent Budget. They are targeting the most vulnerable in our society, our children. Older citizens succeeded in maintaining their medical cards through collective action. It is time we made an effort to maintain decent levels of education for our children. It may not be possible to reverse all the cuts, by expressing dissatisfaction we can ensure that the Government realize that our children are not an easy target. This should make them think twice before introducing further cuts.
We are sending these letters out, all you need to do is:
· Put your address in the top right corner
· Sign and print your name at the bottom
· Return the letter with your child as soon as possible
We will photocopy and send the letters to our public representatives. It is vital that the letters are returned urgently so that all our representatives are aware of the problems these cuts will cause. We can give them something to think about before the New Year.
When we act together we are a much more effective voice for all our children.
Please return these letters.
Regards,
The Parents Association
My children attend primary school at Scoil Mhuire, Ballymore Eustace. I am very concerned about the cuts in education introduced in the recent budget. These cuts will have several detrimental effects on primary school children.
· Increasing the pupil teacher ratio will mean teacher’s have less time to spend with individual children. If a child is having difficulty comprehending something it will be harder for the teacher to identify this and to spend time rectifying it. Children who do not ‘catch on’ to concepts immediately will be left behind. Pupils at Ballymore currently have a good record of academic achievement, facilitated by a low pupil teacher ratio. If this increases as planned in the budget standards of academic achievement will surely fall, thus limiting the options open to my children in the future.
· Children are benefitting from the new curriculum which includes group work. This helps children develop social as well as intellectual skills. Increases in class sizes will prevent teachers from carrying out this group work method effectively.
· Currently a mixed first and second class is the only split class, if the cuts are implemented more classes may be split. Children will suffer from this as they will not have the attention of the teacher all day as she/he tries to teach two different curricula in one day, perhaps even to widely differing age groups. Children preparing for First Communion or Confirmation will also suffer, as split classes leave less time for extra preparations.
· The loss of substitute cover for teachers, even for the first day of leave, is a concern for me as a parent. If pupils are sent home it will create an impossible work situation for parents. It also means that my children will miss a day of education that can never be recovered. If children are sent to other classes this will cause general disruption throughout the school.
· I am also concerned about the reduction in funding for additional services such as the Book Rental Scheme, the special education grant and IT funding. Without adequate books and IT facilities my children cannot achieve their full potential. The Government talks of Ireland becoming a ‘centre of educational excellence’. How can this happen when the foundation of our education structure, primary schools, are stepping back into the 1980’s instead of proudly into the 21st century.
· The reduction in psychological assessments is also a travesty. It affects both the children who need them and the children who must share a classroom with a child who causes disruption. Funding in this area for Ballymore has been halved, despite an increase in numbers. Delaying the diagnosis of behavioural problems results in greater costs for the individual child and those around him/her. This is a case of the Government being pennywise and pound foolish.
I am protesting these cuts as they are hurting the most vulnerable in our society, our children. As a parent I have an obligation to ensure the best for my children. The cuts outlined in the current Budget will reduce the quality of education my children receive. I look forward to hearing how you will combat these cuts and any future cuts in education spending that may be planned.
Signed,
Dear Parents,
We have put this letter together to try to reverse the education cuts introduced in the recent Budget. They are targeting the most vulnerable in our society, our children. Older citizens succeeded in maintaining their medical cards through collective action. It is time we made an effort to maintain decent levels of education for our children. It may not be possible to reverse all the cuts, by expressing dissatisfaction we can ensure that the Government realize that our children are not an easy target. This should make them think twice before introducing further cuts.
We are sending these letters out, all you need to do is:
· Put your address in the top right corner
· Sign and print your name at the bottom
· Return the letter with your child as soon as possible
We will photocopy and send the letters to our public representatives. It is vital that the letters are returned urgently so that all our representatives are aware of the problems these cuts will cause. We can give them something to think about before the New Year.
When we act together we are a much more effective voice for all our children.
Please return these letters.
Regards,
The Parents Association
KILDARE COUNTY COUNCIL
Environmental Community Projects
For Ballymore Eustace
In June 2004, planning permission was granted to KTK Sand & Gravel Limited for the restoration of its sand and gravel pits as Naas Road, Ballymore Eustace. It was condition of the planning permission that KTK should contribute 7 cent per ton of material accepted at the pit to facilitate community environmental projects.
The Planning permission also provided that the identification of these projects should be decided on by a community liaison based on equal representation of personnel from the county council, KTK, local residents and elected members of Kildare County Council.
The membership of the committee for 2009 which was established by the County Council, consists of the following:
Councillors Willie Callaghan and JJ Power; Mike Edmonds and Rose Barrett-0’Donoghue on behalf of the local community; Kevin Keenan and Mervyn Ross representing the developer; and Ann Rowan and Simon Wallace County Council Personnel.
Grants have been awarded for a number of schemes in the Ballymore Eustace area.
The committee would now welcome new applications for projects for the current year. The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 24th April 5.00pm. All applications should be addressed to Ms. Ann Rowan, Senior Executive Officer, Planning Department Kildare County Council.
Please see application form on opposite page-take note. Projects may require co-funding, i.e. some contribution from the proposer. However, this requirement will not apply to projects with value below €400.
All new or revised applications received will be considered at the meeting of the committee in May, 2009.
Environmental Community Projects
For Ballymore Eustace
In June 2004, planning permission was granted to KTK Sand & Gravel Limited for the restoration of its sand and gravel pits as Naas Road, Ballymore Eustace. It was condition of the planning permission that KTK should contribute 7 cent per ton of material accepted at the pit to facilitate community environmental projects.
The Planning permission also provided that the identification of these projects should be decided on by a community liaison based on equal representation of personnel from the county council, KTK, local residents and elected members of Kildare County Council.
The membership of the committee for 2009 which was established by the County Council, consists of the following:
Councillors Willie Callaghan and JJ Power; Mike Edmonds and Rose Barrett-0’Donoghue on behalf of the local community; Kevin Keenan and Mervyn Ross representing the developer; and Ann Rowan and Simon Wallace County Council Personnel.
Grants have been awarded for a number of schemes in the Ballymore Eustace area.
The committee would now welcome new applications for projects for the current year. The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 24th April 5.00pm. All applications should be addressed to Ms. Ann Rowan, Senior Executive Officer, Planning Department Kildare County Council.
Please see application form on opposite page-take note. Projects may require co-funding, i.e. some contribution from the proposer. However, this requirement will not apply to projects with value below €400.
All new or revised applications received will be considered at the meeting of the committee in May, 2009.
Them and Us.
If I could refer back to my January article I did mention that 2009 was to be a ‘cost cutting’ year mentioning in particular over staffing in the news department of RTE. Subsequently I see on TV the bold Charlie Bird on his way to discover the North Pole. Yes I know that Charlie is keeping us abreast of things at the White House so this junket must have taken place sometime earlier. Did his boss not know that the North Pole was discovered by Cook in 1908, Peary in 1909 and Amundsen in 1926, and when they arrived at great personal risk to themselves, (no TV back up crew) there was nothing spectacular to see except snow, and the odd polar bear. But hats off to Eamon Dunphy who set a headline and took a 10% wage cut. Pat Kenny, Marian Finucane, Miriam O’Callaghan, and Derek Mooney followed suit. It’s hard to beat a good example. Now there’s another thing that mystifies me; how does one justify a wage of €300,000 plus for just talking. Who sets the price, how is it evaluated. We are a nation of talkers; go down any street in village or town, or down a country boreen, and stick a mike in front of man or woman, and they’ll talk away till the cows come home and not a degree between them. Chat show hosts have a plethora of researchers beavering away behind the scenes for them, so all they have to do is blather away with mike in hand. But if you want to be a doctor or engineer one has to put in seven or more hard years of study before you earn a crust, and then you might get to that magical figure of €300,000 plus. One can only come to the conclusion that chat show hosts are overpaid!
And now down to the nitty gritty of Them and Us. It’s a phenomena that’s been there for ever and not going away in any hurry: rural v urban, government v people, farmers v the rest, private v public sector. It’s the last mentioned one that’s making headlines at the moment; the words benchmarking and social partners keep cropping up. Benchmarking when first introduced was the great panacea for all labour problems that might crop up, a socialistic approach to labour relations. It was the way to go! I said at the time that it was a good idea so long as the Celtic Tiger trough remained full. All feeding away with no thought for tomorrow. But now the trough is running low and the social partners are pushing and shoving to get at the last scraps. As I write, the government is in conclave about to produce a grand plan that will lead us out of the desert and on to the Promised Land. This grand plan should have been produced six months ago when there were signs that the trough was running low and not being topped up. This country has been run by compromise and fudge all through the reign of King Bertie, it’s time for change; scrap the social partnership charade, and do what governments are supposed to do, lead by example. They could start by levelling the wage gap, 20% we’re told, between the public sector and private sector. Why for example are ex-presidents, ex- taoisigh, and ex-judges provided with State cars? In the real world people who leave a job with car provided, leave the car behind when they move. These are small gestures I know and won’t solve the present financial crises, but it’s the example coming from the top that counts!
At present it looks like Jack O’ Conner and David Begg two renowned trade unionists are the government, but Biffo insists he’ll ‘do it my way’ and last night on TV came through with his ‘grand plan’. Full of statistics and percentages a dumb cluck like me didn’t quite grasp the content, but later on it was presented so that even I could understand. Everyone coughs up more tax, with graduated percentage increases as your earnings climb the financial ladder. On radio this morning howls of protest coming from all quarters; a typical Them and Us situation. Would it be outrageous to exempt the increase in taxation from those who earn say €50,000 or less, and up the tax on the higher earners?
There’s no shortage of experts with lots of suggestions and opinions as to how we have arrived at this financial crisis and what should be done to correct the situation. Living beyond our means for the past number of years has been some of the problem obvious to most people. We have acquired a ‘must have mentality’. Watch out for the number of Mums leaving kids to school in an SUV (rough terrain vehicle). Some of these vehicles will never see rough terrain territory. A lack of good leadership from our politicians is another. A lot of them seem to spend an inordinate amount of time building up a portfolio of goodwill for the next election be it near or far away, but there’s more to governing than back slapping, glad handing and opening pubs. Our present situation will surely separate the boys from the men!
A final Them and Us situation that must be addressed is the loss of our competitive edge with our nearest neighbours. Firms pulling out and moving to countries where they can get their product manufactured cheaper is sure proof that we have become an expensive little nation. Too expensive to be competitive. Until that situation is attended to all other suggestions are wasted effort. Yrs Jeffers.
A GOOD READ
Janet Hawkins in the Blessington Bookstore recommended my favourite book for this month: “A Gathering Light” by Jennifer Donnelly (Paperback: Bloomsbury: 9.20) It actually proved to be a very seasonal read as there are numerous of references to snow in this beautifully written and engaging story. The novel is set against the dramatic backdrop of the American Adirondacks, a popular holiday location for well to do city dwellers, even at the turn of the 20th century, which is when the book is staged. A little like an “upstairs /downstairs” tale the book depicts both the wealthy occupants of the lakeside hotel, and the poorer lives of the local people who work there and have to survive in the bleakly stunning landscape during the harsh winters as well as the lush summers.
The central character is Mathilda Gokey, a young waitress who unwittingly becomes involved in the aftermath of the drowning of one of the hotel’s guests – also a young girl on the edge of womanhood. Apparently the book is based on the true story of a notorious incident which occurred in the Adirondacks, and the author carefully weaves fact and fiction into this charming and convincing narrative. This is very much a coming of age novel as Mathilda struggles with the competing demands of her needy family, discovering love and above all her latent gift as a writer, spotted by an enigmatic and feisty teacher. Indeed the whole story is as much about writing itself and what it is to become a novelist. It is light and easy to read, but also has a fine balance to it which makes it a delight to become absorbed in.
In contrast I found the next book harder work. “The Portrait” by Iain Pears (Paperback: Harper Perennial: 10.50) has lovely artwork on the cover and end papers, which reflect the subject and the story- painting, artists, critics and their motivations. I thought it would be an interesting psychological study, along the lines of “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, but although it was very similar in style in many ways, it was nowhere near as captivating as Wilde’s novel.
The story is narrated by a British painter, who is living in isolation in rural Brittany and has invited his erstwhile friend, a prominent art critic to come and visit him and sit for a portrait. The book starts in a promising way and is atmospheric, describing both the wilds of France and Victorian London very convincingly. The painter’s voice becomes quite wearing however and I found it slowed the pace of the plot, moving as it does between past and present. He is a character who has tired of life and this world-weariness comes out in the book. I found it hard to feel empathy for either of the main (male) characters in the story and the female characters who feature seemed somewhat two dimensional to me- even the intriguing female painter that the narrator has know all his adult life and whose fate reflects one of the most dramatic twists in the plot.
Anyone interested in art may enjoy this novel from a purely intellectual perspective, as it has a lot of insightful comments on what it is to be a painter. From that detached point of view I also found it a worthwhile read and persevered to the end of the book. On an emotional level however I did not engage with the characters and so felt it was somewhat lacking at a human level.
ANGIE THOMPSON
“THE TRADITION CLUB”- MUSIC AT RUSSBOROUGH
February witnessed a new departure for music at Russborough, with the first performance there of the “Tradition Club”, who formed in the spring of last year. The group are Kevin Conneff on bòdhran, Paul Grattan on flute, Gerry O’Connor on fiddle and Gilles le Bigot on guitar and the intriguing “tambura”, which sounded lovely. The guys are a great combination playing together and they delighted the audience with a great round of jigs and reels. Kevin was in super vocal form, as usual and even gave a rendition of a lilting Breton song , which I was impressed to find he had learnt phonetically!
As always the acoustic in the saloon in Russborough was excellent and the band clearly enjoyed playing there. I guess that because I associate hearing live trad music with the more informal setting of the pub, I wasn’t sure that the more formal backdrop really suited it. Perhaps if we had been seated in a semi-circle, around a blazing log I fire it would have had more of the feel of the country house setting of “Transatlantic Sessions”? As we were leaving I heard several people say they would have liked a couple more sets, as the concert was quite short, and I have to say I agreed with them- the quality of the music was so wonderful we all wanted more…
I hope the “Tradition Club” will play again in Russborough- a Saturday evening concert would guarantee a full house. The house itself as a venue is constantly adding to its eclecticism – we are so lucky to have it on our doorsteps!
ANGIE THOMPSON
If I could refer back to my January article I did mention that 2009 was to be a ‘cost cutting’ year mentioning in particular over staffing in the news department of RTE. Subsequently I see on TV the bold Charlie Bird on his way to discover the North Pole. Yes I know that Charlie is keeping us abreast of things at the White House so this junket must have taken place sometime earlier. Did his boss not know that the North Pole was discovered by Cook in 1908, Peary in 1909 and Amundsen in 1926, and when they arrived at great personal risk to themselves, (no TV back up crew) there was nothing spectacular to see except snow, and the odd polar bear. But hats off to Eamon Dunphy who set a headline and took a 10% wage cut. Pat Kenny, Marian Finucane, Miriam O’Callaghan, and Derek Mooney followed suit. It’s hard to beat a good example. Now there’s another thing that mystifies me; how does one justify a wage of €300,000 plus for just talking. Who sets the price, how is it evaluated. We are a nation of talkers; go down any street in village or town, or down a country boreen, and stick a mike in front of man or woman, and they’ll talk away till the cows come home and not a degree between them. Chat show hosts have a plethora of researchers beavering away behind the scenes for them, so all they have to do is blather away with mike in hand. But if you want to be a doctor or engineer one has to put in seven or more hard years of study before you earn a crust, and then you might get to that magical figure of €300,000 plus. One can only come to the conclusion that chat show hosts are overpaid!
And now down to the nitty gritty of Them and Us. It’s a phenomena that’s been there for ever and not going away in any hurry: rural v urban, government v people, farmers v the rest, private v public sector. It’s the last mentioned one that’s making headlines at the moment; the words benchmarking and social partners keep cropping up. Benchmarking when first introduced was the great panacea for all labour problems that might crop up, a socialistic approach to labour relations. It was the way to go! I said at the time that it was a good idea so long as the Celtic Tiger trough remained full. All feeding away with no thought for tomorrow. But now the trough is running low and the social partners are pushing and shoving to get at the last scraps. As I write, the government is in conclave about to produce a grand plan that will lead us out of the desert and on to the Promised Land. This grand plan should have been produced six months ago when there were signs that the trough was running low and not being topped up. This country has been run by compromise and fudge all through the reign of King Bertie, it’s time for change; scrap the social partnership charade, and do what governments are supposed to do, lead by example. They could start by levelling the wage gap, 20% we’re told, between the public sector and private sector. Why for example are ex-presidents, ex- taoisigh, and ex-judges provided with State cars? In the real world people who leave a job with car provided, leave the car behind when they move. These are small gestures I know and won’t solve the present financial crises, but it’s the example coming from the top that counts!
At present it looks like Jack O’ Conner and David Begg two renowned trade unionists are the government, but Biffo insists he’ll ‘do it my way’ and last night on TV came through with his ‘grand plan’. Full of statistics and percentages a dumb cluck like me didn’t quite grasp the content, but later on it was presented so that even I could understand. Everyone coughs up more tax, with graduated percentage increases as your earnings climb the financial ladder. On radio this morning howls of protest coming from all quarters; a typical Them and Us situation. Would it be outrageous to exempt the increase in taxation from those who earn say €50,000 or less, and up the tax on the higher earners?
There’s no shortage of experts with lots of suggestions and opinions as to how we have arrived at this financial crisis and what should be done to correct the situation. Living beyond our means for the past number of years has been some of the problem obvious to most people. We have acquired a ‘must have mentality’. Watch out for the number of Mums leaving kids to school in an SUV (rough terrain vehicle). Some of these vehicles will never see rough terrain territory. A lack of good leadership from our politicians is another. A lot of them seem to spend an inordinate amount of time building up a portfolio of goodwill for the next election be it near or far away, but there’s more to governing than back slapping, glad handing and opening pubs. Our present situation will surely separate the boys from the men!
A final Them and Us situation that must be addressed is the loss of our competitive edge with our nearest neighbours. Firms pulling out and moving to countries where they can get their product manufactured cheaper is sure proof that we have become an expensive little nation. Too expensive to be competitive. Until that situation is attended to all other suggestions are wasted effort. Yrs Jeffers.
A GOOD READ
Janet Hawkins in the Blessington Bookstore recommended my favourite book for this month: “A Gathering Light” by Jennifer Donnelly (Paperback: Bloomsbury: 9.20) It actually proved to be a very seasonal read as there are numerous of references to snow in this beautifully written and engaging story. The novel is set against the dramatic backdrop of the American Adirondacks, a popular holiday location for well to do city dwellers, even at the turn of the 20th century, which is when the book is staged. A little like an “upstairs /downstairs” tale the book depicts both the wealthy occupants of the lakeside hotel, and the poorer lives of the local people who work there and have to survive in the bleakly stunning landscape during the harsh winters as well as the lush summers.
The central character is Mathilda Gokey, a young waitress who unwittingly becomes involved in the aftermath of the drowning of one of the hotel’s guests – also a young girl on the edge of womanhood. Apparently the book is based on the true story of a notorious incident which occurred in the Adirondacks, and the author carefully weaves fact and fiction into this charming and convincing narrative. This is very much a coming of age novel as Mathilda struggles with the competing demands of her needy family, discovering love and above all her latent gift as a writer, spotted by an enigmatic and feisty teacher. Indeed the whole story is as much about writing itself and what it is to become a novelist. It is light and easy to read, but also has a fine balance to it which makes it a delight to become absorbed in.
In contrast I found the next book harder work. “The Portrait” by Iain Pears (Paperback: Harper Perennial: 10.50) has lovely artwork on the cover and end papers, which reflect the subject and the story- painting, artists, critics and their motivations. I thought it would be an interesting psychological study, along the lines of “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, but although it was very similar in style in many ways, it was nowhere near as captivating as Wilde’s novel.
The story is narrated by a British painter, who is living in isolation in rural Brittany and has invited his erstwhile friend, a prominent art critic to come and visit him and sit for a portrait. The book starts in a promising way and is atmospheric, describing both the wilds of France and Victorian London very convincingly. The painter’s voice becomes quite wearing however and I found it slowed the pace of the plot, moving as it does between past and present. He is a character who has tired of life and this world-weariness comes out in the book. I found it hard to feel empathy for either of the main (male) characters in the story and the female characters who feature seemed somewhat two dimensional to me- even the intriguing female painter that the narrator has know all his adult life and whose fate reflects one of the most dramatic twists in the plot.
Anyone interested in art may enjoy this novel from a purely intellectual perspective, as it has a lot of insightful comments on what it is to be a painter. From that detached point of view I also found it a worthwhile read and persevered to the end of the book. On an emotional level however I did not engage with the characters and so felt it was somewhat lacking at a human level.
ANGIE THOMPSON
“THE TRADITION CLUB”- MUSIC AT RUSSBOROUGH
February witnessed a new departure for music at Russborough, with the first performance there of the “Tradition Club”, who formed in the spring of last year. The group are Kevin Conneff on bòdhran, Paul Grattan on flute, Gerry O’Connor on fiddle and Gilles le Bigot on guitar and the intriguing “tambura”, which sounded lovely. The guys are a great combination playing together and they delighted the audience with a great round of jigs and reels. Kevin was in super vocal form, as usual and even gave a rendition of a lilting Breton song , which I was impressed to find he had learnt phonetically!
As always the acoustic in the saloon in Russborough was excellent and the band clearly enjoyed playing there. I guess that because I associate hearing live trad music with the more informal setting of the pub, I wasn’t sure that the more formal backdrop really suited it. Perhaps if we had been seated in a semi-circle, around a blazing log I fire it would have had more of the feel of the country house setting of “Transatlantic Sessions”? As we were leaving I heard several people say they would have liked a couple more sets, as the concert was quite short, and I have to say I agreed with them- the quality of the music was so wonderful we all wanted more…
I hope the “Tradition Club” will play again in Russborough- a Saturday evening concert would guarantee a full house. The house itself as a venue is constantly adding to its eclecticism – we are so lucky to have it on our doorsteps!
ANGIE THOMPSON
Padre, adieu….
When I got the message from Margaret McDonald on Friday January 16th to say that Fr. Sean Breen had died the previous night my overwhelming feeling was one of relief that he was out of pain. Sean had been very ill since October and seemed to be getting worse week by week.
I met his brothers, Fr. Dan & Kieran later that afternoon and they were definite that they wanted Sean’s funeral to have as big a local dimension as possible. It was against this background that the Parish Board of Management set out give him a send-off that goes down in village history as one of the best days it has seen.
Sean Macarius Breen was born in Cavan on March 9th 1937. His father John M. Breen was a redoubtable character. He was ordained by Archbishop John Charles McQuaid in 1962 and served in various postings throughout the diocese.
Ballymun, Kilternan and Templeogue all featured before he was appointed Parish priest of Eadestown in 1995 before moving, somewhat reluctantly to Ballymore in 2004. Indeed his move to Ballymore got off to the worst possible start when he was mugged outside the parochial house not long after his arrival.
As I said previously he was bit like an oyster with his shell clamped tight shut, however, Ballymore people are like grains of sand and they will get in on you no matter what. He went on to do great work in the parish. He set up the parish board of management, a disparate group, to help in the running of the parish, both spiritually and practically. He had a great way with people, often you found yourself working twice as hard as you first envisaged but enjoying in nonetheless. He brought the best out of everyone he met. He established the Children’s Mass and was never slow to move the church to the people.
But it was his racing career that he will be best known for. He was an owner supporter and (un) official chaplain to many racecourses. Cheltenham, Long Champ, Galway, The Curragh, Naas and of course, Punchestown. In Punchestown he held court with King and commoner alike. At one festival we were walking from the parade ring to the bar, a distance of fifty yards and it took us all of three quarters of an hour, the amount of people that stopped to talk to him. He had considerable success as an owner, with great loyalty to Joanna Morgan, with One Won One, Raise your Heart and Show Blessed probably the most notable. He even had a horse named after his alter (sorry about the pun) ego, “The Breener.” The stories of his Cheltenham Masses, his forays to Paris and his delight in talking to people at every track take second place to his love of Galway and Punchestown.
And so it was that we came to help the parish in his last homecoming. We got together with Fr. Prenderville to help organize things and involve as many as possible in the ceremony.
The Archbishop, Diarmuid Martin received his remains on Sunday night. He was joined by many priests from all parts of the diocese and beyond. Dr. Martin delivered a touching homily saying that he had Googled Fr. Sean Breen and found lots of articles describing his exploits but that a common theme of his priestly ethos came through all of them. Ailish Massey read the lesson, Martina Byrne gave the Invocation and Clare Doyle recited the Rosary. Larry Burke Hayes concluded the ceremony with a speech of thanks to those involved. Sean lay in state in front of the altar for an hour so that many people got the opportunity to pay their respects.
On Monday morning Bishop Eamonn Walsh led the celebration of Sean’s life and work at his funeral mass. He was joined by many many priests, some who concelebrated and some who joined the congregation. The service was a curious mix of local, racing religious and showbiz, but it worked. Bishop Eamonn told of time after Confirmation in Eadestown that the meal was held in Naas Racecourse. He also paid great tribute to the people of the Parish for their care during the last number of years during Sean’s illness. The parish played a large part in the Mass. The altar servers, Anne Marie, Mairead, Fionnuala, Harry Josh and Jennifer. The readers, Clare, Martina, Kay, Oonagh, Julie and Michael. The choir, whose leader Liam Lawler had a big part in the preparation of the service and Aine who sang a beautiful solo on “Amazing Grace”. The Offertory group of John Charles, Eve, Ciara, Jack, Natasha and Mary Healy Dooley who together with Bill McCormack and Greg Lawler and of course big Niall Quinn offered mementos of Sean’s many interests. The Ministers of the Eucharist, Gemma, Dora Noel and Colette. There are too many to name of the catering crew, everyone lent a hand.
One of the first people I met on the morning was Red Hurley, Red sang “How great thou art” so powerfully that it nearly lifted the roof as well as the congregation. Following a personal memory from Donal McAodh on behalf of the family, his Grace, Brendan Grace took to the lectern. The only way of describing it is that he regaled the entire assembly. The warmth for Fr. Sean or “sky” (for sky pilot) was tangible. He told how when Sean was unable to christen one of his children, around the second week in March, that he should “give the gig to Darcy.” He had the voices off to a tee when telling of an encounter between the Breener, Frank Sinatra and himself in Las Vegas when Sean made free with the smoked salmon and wine from Sinatra’s own vineyard. I had the privilege of speaking on behalf of the parish and I can only say that most people had tears (of laughter) in their eyes.
I spoke of Sean’s grit and determination. In spite of his ill health he carried out a very onerous schedule at Christmas. His dedication to all aspects of his ministry. His attitude to his work. His love of racing and for all that went with it.
Sean Breen was known as the racing priest, he loved the title as it sat so well on him. He wasn’t a big punter, indeed a “score” that he took off me over the result of a parish vote gave him more satisfaction than anything he got from Richard Power. He was mourned by a huge turnout from the racing world, trainers, track management and ordinary punters, by his showbiz mates and by his parishioners in Ballymore. Our sympathies to his brothers, Fr. Dan & Kieran, his relatives, good friends, Brendan & Eileen, Paddy & Maura, Greg, Bill, the many people he met along life’s path and all the parishioners of Ballymore.
We will not see his like again.
Go n-eiri an bothar leat a mhic agus codladh samh
TR
When I got the message from Margaret McDonald on Friday January 16th to say that Fr. Sean Breen had died the previous night my overwhelming feeling was one of relief that he was out of pain. Sean had been very ill since October and seemed to be getting worse week by week.
I met his brothers, Fr. Dan & Kieran later that afternoon and they were definite that they wanted Sean’s funeral to have as big a local dimension as possible. It was against this background that the Parish Board of Management set out give him a send-off that goes down in village history as one of the best days it has seen.
Sean Macarius Breen was born in Cavan on March 9th 1937. His father John M. Breen was a redoubtable character. He was ordained by Archbishop John Charles McQuaid in 1962 and served in various postings throughout the diocese.
Ballymun, Kilternan and Templeogue all featured before he was appointed Parish priest of Eadestown in 1995 before moving, somewhat reluctantly to Ballymore in 2004. Indeed his move to Ballymore got off to the worst possible start when he was mugged outside the parochial house not long after his arrival.
As I said previously he was bit like an oyster with his shell clamped tight shut, however, Ballymore people are like grains of sand and they will get in on you no matter what. He went on to do great work in the parish. He set up the parish board of management, a disparate group, to help in the running of the parish, both spiritually and practically. He had a great way with people, often you found yourself working twice as hard as you first envisaged but enjoying in nonetheless. He brought the best out of everyone he met. He established the Children’s Mass and was never slow to move the church to the people.
But it was his racing career that he will be best known for. He was an owner supporter and (un) official chaplain to many racecourses. Cheltenham, Long Champ, Galway, The Curragh, Naas and of course, Punchestown. In Punchestown he held court with King and commoner alike. At one festival we were walking from the parade ring to the bar, a distance of fifty yards and it took us all of three quarters of an hour, the amount of people that stopped to talk to him. He had considerable success as an owner, with great loyalty to Joanna Morgan, with One Won One, Raise your Heart and Show Blessed probably the most notable. He even had a horse named after his alter (sorry about the pun) ego, “The Breener.” The stories of his Cheltenham Masses, his forays to Paris and his delight in talking to people at every track take second place to his love of Galway and Punchestown.
And so it was that we came to help the parish in his last homecoming. We got together with Fr. Prenderville to help organize things and involve as many as possible in the ceremony.
The Archbishop, Diarmuid Martin received his remains on Sunday night. He was joined by many priests from all parts of the diocese and beyond. Dr. Martin delivered a touching homily saying that he had Googled Fr. Sean Breen and found lots of articles describing his exploits but that a common theme of his priestly ethos came through all of them. Ailish Massey read the lesson, Martina Byrne gave the Invocation and Clare Doyle recited the Rosary. Larry Burke Hayes concluded the ceremony with a speech of thanks to those involved. Sean lay in state in front of the altar for an hour so that many people got the opportunity to pay their respects.
On Monday morning Bishop Eamonn Walsh led the celebration of Sean’s life and work at his funeral mass. He was joined by many many priests, some who concelebrated and some who joined the congregation. The service was a curious mix of local, racing religious and showbiz, but it worked. Bishop Eamonn told of time after Confirmation in Eadestown that the meal was held in Naas Racecourse. He also paid great tribute to the people of the Parish for their care during the last number of years during Sean’s illness. The parish played a large part in the Mass. The altar servers, Anne Marie, Mairead, Fionnuala, Harry Josh and Jennifer. The readers, Clare, Martina, Kay, Oonagh, Julie and Michael. The choir, whose leader Liam Lawler had a big part in the preparation of the service and Aine who sang a beautiful solo on “Amazing Grace”. The Offertory group of John Charles, Eve, Ciara, Jack, Natasha and Mary Healy Dooley who together with Bill McCormack and Greg Lawler and of course big Niall Quinn offered mementos of Sean’s many interests. The Ministers of the Eucharist, Gemma, Dora Noel and Colette. There are too many to name of the catering crew, everyone lent a hand.
One of the first people I met on the morning was Red Hurley, Red sang “How great thou art” so powerfully that it nearly lifted the roof as well as the congregation. Following a personal memory from Donal McAodh on behalf of the family, his Grace, Brendan Grace took to the lectern. The only way of describing it is that he regaled the entire assembly. The warmth for Fr. Sean or “sky” (for sky pilot) was tangible. He told how when Sean was unable to christen one of his children, around the second week in March, that he should “give the gig to Darcy.” He had the voices off to a tee when telling of an encounter between the Breener, Frank Sinatra and himself in Las Vegas when Sean made free with the smoked salmon and wine from Sinatra’s own vineyard. I had the privilege of speaking on behalf of the parish and I can only say that most people had tears (of laughter) in their eyes.
I spoke of Sean’s grit and determination. In spite of his ill health he carried out a very onerous schedule at Christmas. His dedication to all aspects of his ministry. His attitude to his work. His love of racing and for all that went with it.
Sean Breen was known as the racing priest, he loved the title as it sat so well on him. He wasn’t a big punter, indeed a “score” that he took off me over the result of a parish vote gave him more satisfaction than anything he got from Richard Power. He was mourned by a huge turnout from the racing world, trainers, track management and ordinary punters, by his showbiz mates and by his parishioners in Ballymore. Our sympathies to his brothers, Fr. Dan & Kieran, his relatives, good friends, Brendan & Eileen, Paddy & Maura, Greg, Bill, the many people he met along life’s path and all the parishioners of Ballymore.
We will not see his like again.
Go n-eiri an bothar leat a mhic agus codladh samh
TR
ALaughter wins out at Awards Night
Tommy Dwyer may have been named the overall winner of the 2009 Ballymore Person of The Year but all the nominees were award winners on the night and laughter was the order of the day! No talk of recession, cutbacks or job losses – the feel good factor abounded and there was more slaggin’ than you’d hear on the sidelines of a Gaa match.
With the local elections scheduled for early June, we had a strong attendance from current serving councillors and those aspiring to take their seats. In attendance were Sean Power TD & Minister of State; Cllrs Billy Hillis, Martin Miley and Mark Dalton; candidates Martin Hayden and Mark Wall, Tony Lawlor and Richard Daly with apologies from Sean O Fearghail, Jack Wall and JJ Power.
Great laughter when the Doyle Sisters - well known for their ‘blue’ connections and I don’t mean X Rating – were called to receive their award and Tim Ryan mischievously called on Sean Power FF and Mark Wall of Labour to present the awards along with their niece, Fiona Barrett and Ann Marie Byrne. Young Ann Marie read a lovely citation complimenting Kathleen on her kindness to children serving at mass and her mum, Martina was there to represent Scoil Mhuire who nominated Ann Kelly.When Tommy Dwyer was receiving his award, we called on Cllr Billy Hillis FG to present it!
Great to see Billy looking a 100%, continued good health to you, Billy. Martin Hayden, ladies is going to be the poster pin-up in this election – the Ladies GFC team took a good look at him too as did a number of more ‘mature’ women…. Well, if it gets him votes, more look to him! Tony Lawlor is back in the foray this year, standing in the Naas area for Fine Gael and Richard Daly standing the South/Athy area against Fianna Fail duo, Martin Miley and Mark Dalton with Mark Wall, son of Jack, hoping to secure a seat for Labour.
Enough of politics – we will be sick of elections by June……..
As I’ve said, the awards were great craic, a really cheerful presentation and kindly sponsored by Gallery and Gifts; despite recessionary times, Irene and John sponsored at least €500 worth of framing for us, a study of The Bridge to each of the nomimees (10 in total) and framed, hand-written scrolls by Fiona Barrett.
Each of the award winners received a gift voucher to the value of €150 – shame the Ladies team couldn’t cash theirs in on the night!! Tommy Dwyer was awarded the overall individual prize, well deserved for all his hard work with you via The Bandhall over the years….
“Duck, Dick & Dyke!”
Older residents of Ballymore will know the signifigance of my slagging Tommy Dwyer regarding The Duck……..his later father was nicknamed ‘Duckegg Dwyer’, I don’t know why my mother-in-law and aunties in England always enquire after Tommy ‘Duck’ Dwyer………as his wife Bernie (Mrs Duck) and pal, Carmel Moylan had recently played a comedy duet in the panto named “Dick & Dyke”, I couldn’t resist noting we had “Dick, Duck and Dyke” in attendance……….
Readers, I have never seen Tommy Dwyer so quiet – I’d say he was even terrified when we focused on his community work – years of work with The Junior Brass & Reed Band, sadly now disbanded but The Bandhall still facilitates weekly music lessons. Tommy was one of a committee who worked tirelessly to fundraise for the construction of a new bandhall and what a superb facility it has become – regular junior musicals and productions by BEDS, the annual pantomime which he was a founder member of plus of course, it is available for circuit training, badminton junior and senior etc There is an excellent Bandhall Committee and Fas workers on hand to help with bookings but Tommy makes it is business to be there every night when the hall is in use. (Ok, he thinks he owns The Bandhall…)
Aside from his work with The Bandhall, Tommy was one of the founder members of the Bowling Club and he is a member of the Senior Citizens Association who do Trojan work.
On the night, he was joined by wife Bernie, daughter Gillian and son Stephan – I was chuffed to see Tommy so timid; I’ve been to plenty of meetings, Tommy Dwyer when I thought it was time to go home but no, Tommy would have a query and unless he got a satisfactory answer, no one was going home! “I’m sorry, Mr Chairman but……….”
“Mr Chairman, I must insist…..”
Whilst Tommy received the Overall Award, all six nominees – and seven if you count Tim – are equal in their standing within the community. Dora O’Brien wanted to nominate Tim for his work with the Parish Board of Management and I explained that as Co-Editor of The Bugle, he couldn’t be included in the nominations. With the same tenacity as Mr Dwyer, Dora was having none of it…….
Tim was the central co-ordinating figure in arranging the funeral of our recently departed, Fr Sean Breen and afterwards, the bold Dora came back with another ‘aggressive’ nomination – she’d make a great security guard, wouldn’t yield an inch……… So, much to Tim’s surprise, he too received a framed print of The Liffey Bridge and chuffed he was on the night. The late Sean Breen would have been delighted to see Kathleen Lawlor and Tim recognised for their work with the Church and the parish.
Community Heroes All
For the Hubbard Family, it was a big night out; Eddie deservedly up for an award for his incredible record in sport in Ballymore Eustace including GAA, Athletics, Badminton, Cycling, Boxing, Tug O War, Community Games etc. I can’t ever remember a time when Eddie and Nuala weren’t behind the scenes or on the sidelines of sporting activities in Ballymore.
Who taught my generation badminton – The Hubbards; who brought me to cross-country events during my very brief flirtation with long distance running – Eddie Hubbard. Who was there at the early stages of the Athletic Club in Ballymore – Eddie H! The Community Games, co founder of the Oliver Plunkett Team, trainer of underage teams with the GAA, committee member, county board delegate for the GAA………
Whether it is setting up the wheel of fortune at the Field Day, running up and down the sidelines at matches, organising the display of trophies at an inter county match, Eddie can be depended on – for everything! Eddie was also a champion team member, trainer and official for National and International tug o’ war teams. Whilst the sport may not be popular now, in my childhood, the tug o war ‘match’ was the major attraction at the annual field day.
Eddie’s son John and his four daughters were also present to receive an award as part of the team of the local Ladies GFC, who won the D Championship 2008; less than 5 years in existence, the girls have shown a good deal of grit and determination on the playing field but also great spirit off the pitch, having helped organise the Welly Match Series & Barbeque, dinner dances, Cheltenham night, Festival Queen etc. Simon Murphy as manager, Cinta O’Rourke as Club Chairwoman and captain, Dawn Murray stepped up to receive the award. Simon is joined by Joe Piggott and John Hubbard on the management team with Noel Winders, Stephan Byrne, William Clarke and Paul Fagan acknowledged for their help in the past plus past and present committee members. They are a lovely bunch of ‘young ones’ (you too, Cinta) and the best of luck to them in this year’s league and championship – hope ye slaughter Ballyna 2 for stealing the league semi-final last year!
Sisters Claire, Kathleen, Ann and Gay Doyle were recognised for their work with The Church, gate collections, parish work and generally, all round supporters of every local fundraiser and event (“Where ever there’s a cake, the Doyle Sisters will be there!”). But its not just local charities they’ve supported throughout their life – between them, the Doyle Sisters have worked with the missions in Nigeria, fundraised for Polio vaccination in India and more recently, supported the establishment of an orphanage in Sri Lanka after the aftermath of Tsunami. It was great to see the Doyle family out en masse for the night – whilst Sean Power and Mark Wall kissed the ladies in congratulation, don’t try that for God’s sake, lads in the lead-up to the local elections!!
Cllr Billy Hillis spoke fondly of his introduction and guidance to the Doyle ladies when he first announced his intention to run for election with Fine Gael.
Larry Burke Hayes accompanied by his wife Carol and son, was deeply touched by his nomination and recognition of his devotion to the Church of the Immaculate Conception and his duties as a Special Minister of the Eucharist. But Larry also uses his divine voice and talents to appear on stage at fundraisers and the annual pantomime – whether the occasion merits wearing a red suit or a frock, Larry complies! He, like Tommy Dwyer, was overcome by the gesture and sincerely grateful to those who nominated him.
For Ann Kelly, there was great laughter as Tim Ryan read citations received from staff and children of Scoil Mhuire acclaiming the high standards of cleaning she has delivered over the past 28 years plus the support and interest she shows in the school and its pupils. Young Jack Sammon appreciated the “shiney clean” school stated “Ann eats my custard creams and plays with my toys when I go home!!” Hilarious. Martina Byrne praised Ann for the high standard of her work and the example she sets for the pupils. Joined by Seamus, children and grandchildren, it was another family occasion for the Kellys.
I’ve run out of space, Readers – lovely photos courtesy of Chris Dennison and Tony Keane. Thanks to Fr Jimmy Prenderville, Margaret MacDonald and members of the CDA for co-hosting the event, Gallery and Gifts for their kind sponsorship; Fiona Barrett for all her hard work; visiting politicians, to all who attended and finally, to Michael Ward, who first introduced the awards eleven years ago.
Rose B O Donoghue
Tommy Dwyer may have been named the overall winner of the 2009 Ballymore Person of The Year but all the nominees were award winners on the night and laughter was the order of the day! No talk of recession, cutbacks or job losses – the feel good factor abounded and there was more slaggin’ than you’d hear on the sidelines of a Gaa match.
With the local elections scheduled for early June, we had a strong attendance from current serving councillors and those aspiring to take their seats. In attendance were Sean Power TD & Minister of State; Cllrs Billy Hillis, Martin Miley and Mark Dalton; candidates Martin Hayden and Mark Wall, Tony Lawlor and Richard Daly with apologies from Sean O Fearghail, Jack Wall and JJ Power.
Great laughter when the Doyle Sisters - well known for their ‘blue’ connections and I don’t mean X Rating – were called to receive their award and Tim Ryan mischievously called on Sean Power FF and Mark Wall of Labour to present the awards along with their niece, Fiona Barrett and Ann Marie Byrne. Young Ann Marie read a lovely citation complimenting Kathleen on her kindness to children serving at mass and her mum, Martina was there to represent Scoil Mhuire who nominated Ann Kelly.When Tommy Dwyer was receiving his award, we called on Cllr Billy Hillis FG to present it!
Great to see Billy looking a 100%, continued good health to you, Billy. Martin Hayden, ladies is going to be the poster pin-up in this election – the Ladies GFC team took a good look at him too as did a number of more ‘mature’ women…. Well, if it gets him votes, more look to him! Tony Lawlor is back in the foray this year, standing in the Naas area for Fine Gael and Richard Daly standing the South/Athy area against Fianna Fail duo, Martin Miley and Mark Dalton with Mark Wall, son of Jack, hoping to secure a seat for Labour.
Enough of politics – we will be sick of elections by June……..
As I’ve said, the awards were great craic, a really cheerful presentation and kindly sponsored by Gallery and Gifts; despite recessionary times, Irene and John sponsored at least €500 worth of framing for us, a study of The Bridge to each of the nomimees (10 in total) and framed, hand-written scrolls by Fiona Barrett.
Each of the award winners received a gift voucher to the value of €150 – shame the Ladies team couldn’t cash theirs in on the night!! Tommy Dwyer was awarded the overall individual prize, well deserved for all his hard work with you via The Bandhall over the years….
“Duck, Dick & Dyke!”
Older residents of Ballymore will know the signifigance of my slagging Tommy Dwyer regarding The Duck……..his later father was nicknamed ‘Duckegg Dwyer’, I don’t know why my mother-in-law and aunties in England always enquire after Tommy ‘Duck’ Dwyer………as his wife Bernie (Mrs Duck) and pal, Carmel Moylan had recently played a comedy duet in the panto named “Dick & Dyke”, I couldn’t resist noting we had “Dick, Duck and Dyke” in attendance……….
Readers, I have never seen Tommy Dwyer so quiet – I’d say he was even terrified when we focused on his community work – years of work with The Junior Brass & Reed Band, sadly now disbanded but The Bandhall still facilitates weekly music lessons. Tommy was one of a committee who worked tirelessly to fundraise for the construction of a new bandhall and what a superb facility it has become – regular junior musicals and productions by BEDS, the annual pantomime which he was a founder member of plus of course, it is available for circuit training, badminton junior and senior etc There is an excellent Bandhall Committee and Fas workers on hand to help with bookings but Tommy makes it is business to be there every night when the hall is in use. (Ok, he thinks he owns The Bandhall…)
Aside from his work with The Bandhall, Tommy was one of the founder members of the Bowling Club and he is a member of the Senior Citizens Association who do Trojan work.
On the night, he was joined by wife Bernie, daughter Gillian and son Stephan – I was chuffed to see Tommy so timid; I’ve been to plenty of meetings, Tommy Dwyer when I thought it was time to go home but no, Tommy would have a query and unless he got a satisfactory answer, no one was going home! “I’m sorry, Mr Chairman but……….”
“Mr Chairman, I must insist…..”
Whilst Tommy received the Overall Award, all six nominees – and seven if you count Tim – are equal in their standing within the community. Dora O’Brien wanted to nominate Tim for his work with the Parish Board of Management and I explained that as Co-Editor of The Bugle, he couldn’t be included in the nominations. With the same tenacity as Mr Dwyer, Dora was having none of it…….
Tim was the central co-ordinating figure in arranging the funeral of our recently departed, Fr Sean Breen and afterwards, the bold Dora came back with another ‘aggressive’ nomination – she’d make a great security guard, wouldn’t yield an inch……… So, much to Tim’s surprise, he too received a framed print of The Liffey Bridge and chuffed he was on the night. The late Sean Breen would have been delighted to see Kathleen Lawlor and Tim recognised for their work with the Church and the parish.
Community Heroes All
For the Hubbard Family, it was a big night out; Eddie deservedly up for an award for his incredible record in sport in Ballymore Eustace including GAA, Athletics, Badminton, Cycling, Boxing, Tug O War, Community Games etc. I can’t ever remember a time when Eddie and Nuala weren’t behind the scenes or on the sidelines of sporting activities in Ballymore.
Who taught my generation badminton – The Hubbards; who brought me to cross-country events during my very brief flirtation with long distance running – Eddie Hubbard. Who was there at the early stages of the Athletic Club in Ballymore – Eddie H! The Community Games, co founder of the Oliver Plunkett Team, trainer of underage teams with the GAA, committee member, county board delegate for the GAA………
Whether it is setting up the wheel of fortune at the Field Day, running up and down the sidelines at matches, organising the display of trophies at an inter county match, Eddie can be depended on – for everything! Eddie was also a champion team member, trainer and official for National and International tug o’ war teams. Whilst the sport may not be popular now, in my childhood, the tug o war ‘match’ was the major attraction at the annual field day.
Eddie’s son John and his four daughters were also present to receive an award as part of the team of the local Ladies GFC, who won the D Championship 2008; less than 5 years in existence, the girls have shown a good deal of grit and determination on the playing field but also great spirit off the pitch, having helped organise the Welly Match Series & Barbeque, dinner dances, Cheltenham night, Festival Queen etc. Simon Murphy as manager, Cinta O’Rourke as Club Chairwoman and captain, Dawn Murray stepped up to receive the award. Simon is joined by Joe Piggott and John Hubbard on the management team with Noel Winders, Stephan Byrne, William Clarke and Paul Fagan acknowledged for their help in the past plus past and present committee members. They are a lovely bunch of ‘young ones’ (you too, Cinta) and the best of luck to them in this year’s league and championship – hope ye slaughter Ballyna 2 for stealing the league semi-final last year!
Sisters Claire, Kathleen, Ann and Gay Doyle were recognised for their work with The Church, gate collections, parish work and generally, all round supporters of every local fundraiser and event (“Where ever there’s a cake, the Doyle Sisters will be there!”). But its not just local charities they’ve supported throughout their life – between them, the Doyle Sisters have worked with the missions in Nigeria, fundraised for Polio vaccination in India and more recently, supported the establishment of an orphanage in Sri Lanka after the aftermath of Tsunami. It was great to see the Doyle family out en masse for the night – whilst Sean Power and Mark Wall kissed the ladies in congratulation, don’t try that for God’s sake, lads in the lead-up to the local elections!!
Cllr Billy Hillis spoke fondly of his introduction and guidance to the Doyle ladies when he first announced his intention to run for election with Fine Gael.
Larry Burke Hayes accompanied by his wife Carol and son, was deeply touched by his nomination and recognition of his devotion to the Church of the Immaculate Conception and his duties as a Special Minister of the Eucharist. But Larry also uses his divine voice and talents to appear on stage at fundraisers and the annual pantomime – whether the occasion merits wearing a red suit or a frock, Larry complies! He, like Tommy Dwyer, was overcome by the gesture and sincerely grateful to those who nominated him.
For Ann Kelly, there was great laughter as Tim Ryan read citations received from staff and children of Scoil Mhuire acclaiming the high standards of cleaning she has delivered over the past 28 years plus the support and interest she shows in the school and its pupils. Young Jack Sammon appreciated the “shiney clean” school stated “Ann eats my custard creams and plays with my toys when I go home!!” Hilarious. Martina Byrne praised Ann for the high standard of her work and the example she sets for the pupils. Joined by Seamus, children and grandchildren, it was another family occasion for the Kellys.
I’ve run out of space, Readers – lovely photos courtesy of Chris Dennison and Tony Keane. Thanks to Fr Jimmy Prenderville, Margaret MacDonald and members of the CDA for co-hosting the event, Gallery and Gifts for their kind sponsorship; Fiona Barrett for all her hard work; visiting politicians, to all who attended and finally, to Michael Ward, who first introduced the awards eleven years ago.
Rose B O Donoghue
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